52Photos Project - Week 3

One of my favorite things to do in my city is to explore the various neighborhoods,  and one of my very favorites is 9th & 9th.  It's a relaxed, funky little corner of the city that is home to my favorite restaurant, fun little shops and a yoga studio I frequent (if one could call my yoga frequent.  ahem.)

When I saw the prompt for this week's 52Photos Project, I knew a visit to the 9th & 9th  neighborhood was in my future. That way, I could take some photos of the "street art" and I could eat at Mazza - two very good reasons to head that way.   

I took a few different photos that day, all of which could be considered "street art" (I'll post some others to Instagram) but I chose this one to represent this week's theme.   I really love this painting - Ganesh is supposed to be incredibly powerful,  and I'm drawn to what he represents.  I'm considering wearing a friend's Ganesh necklace to help set in motion some changes I have in mind, but that's a topic for a whole different blog post.  So, anyways....this week's 52 photos submission.

Sunday Gratitude and Intentions PLUS 52photos week #1

Being very conscious of those things for which I am grateful is an important practice for me.  It helps  me stay present and grounded and helps shift my focus from frustration or lack to optimism and contentment.   It's powerful, it's very real, and it's something I try to do daily.

I used to blog about these things on Friday as a way to close out the work week, but lately I've noticed that Sunday seems to be the day that I reflect back on the week behind me, and the time I also set intentions for the week ahead.  I already do this privately, but I think I'll begin bringing it here, as well.
 
Gratitude
*I've been a bit confused lately about where and how to focus my professional efforts.  Given that my career is necessary, both as an important part of my mental and emotional makeup, as well as the means to support myself and my daughter, I get rather unsettled when this area of my life feels out of whack.  In the last few days, however, some glitches worked themselves out and I found some clarity on a few other issues.  I'm feeling much better about where things are now. 

*I've had my dog, Harley, for 11 years.  He is my first baby, my sweet, mellow companion, and a constant source of unconditional love.  He is about 14 years old now, elderly in dog years, and his health is depleting.  His hearing is almost gone, he has a benign heart murmur which will eventually lead to congestive heart failure and recently, he developed an eye lesion.  This week has seen us at the vet several times for treatment of his eye- a minor procedure but still very hard for me to handle (read: i sat in my vet's office and cried for an hour.  twice.)  This experience made the fact that he's not going to be around forever very, very real  but opening up to a few people about how hard this is for me has brought so much love and support.  That love and support and the knowledge that I have people to be there for me when some hard choices need to be made eases the heartache.    (Also, for those who are wondering, his eye is much better than expected.  Yay!)

Harley, at the vet on Tuesday, April 23

*Riley and I spent the weekend in Idaho visiting my family.  We hadn't been there in a while and it's always a good time for both of us.  The added bonus for me, though, is that I sleep better at my Dad's house than I do anywhere else on earth.  I don't know why this is, but after a few rough weeks with lots on my mind and too little sleep, I really needed those hours of deep, restoring sleep.  Although I could use another few days of that level of rest, I got enough to feel rested and ready to start another week.

*Oh, yeah...did I mention... it's Spring!  It's Spring!  IT'S SPRING!  Warmer weather!  Bike season begins!  Flowers!  Evening walks!  I am so ready and grateful for this season!

One of many photos I took wandering around my neighborhood this week.  I love Spring!

Intentions:
Moving into next week, I am setting the intentions to:
*Be mindful of those things I know help me stay balanced:  clean, healthy food, plenty of exercise and a tidy, organized home.  
*Stay focused on the task at hand.  I've picked up a tendency of floating between several projects at once, meaning I get a bunch of things halfway done.  I find this method distracting and unsatisfying, so I'm working hard to break this habit.
*Carry a 'real' camera with me more often.  My iPhone is such a handy way to capture life, but I find that photos I take with my Cannon or even my toy film cameras are more satisfying; they are usually visually superior and it gives me a chance to work on my technical photography skills.  Plus, having my 'real' camera shifts me into a more creative mindset-which is never a bad thing. 

So now I'm wondering -
What are you grateful for this week?
What intentions are you setting for the week ahead?


52 Photos project:
I'm playing along with Bella's 52 Photos Project, and this is week's prompt was "conversation."  Luckily, I took a photo of a my sweet 15 year old niece right before her shift started at work.  Having a chance to catch up with her, even for just a few minutes, was a highlight of my day. 

 

52 photos project *Ray of Light*

Although I was very excited for this week's prompt "Ray of Light", the rainy and gray weather did not cooperate with my photographic plans. Instead, I dipped into my archives for one of my favorites. This photo was taken last June, on the summer solstice. This was one of those rare perfect evenings for me, one that I'll remember forever...a walk with my girl, dreamy summer evening light, making wishes on dandelion seeds. I had just made a very difficult decision and was gathering the courage to put it into action. Watching my daughter blow on 'wishflowers', knowing I had everything I needed, gave me the push to get moving and make some changes. Now, almost a year later, I know that decision was absolutely the best one I could have made.

This girl...she is truly my 'Ray of Light'.

52 Photos project *Found on the Ground*

Did you know I collect heart shape rocks? I do.

I do it because I believe they are a physical reminder of all the love and goodness that's out there for me. I find them all over the place, almost everywhere I go one shows up for me. And when I really need to this sort of reminder, when I need hard evidence of this type of love, that's when I tend to find the ones that end up being a special favorite in my collection.

The rock shown above was no exception. I found this rock on the shore in Nag's Head, North Carolina last fall. You can read about how I found this rock here, and to this day, it's one of my favorites. I often carry it in my pocket for that extra little bit of good energy, and I find comfort in it's weight and textures.

This week's photo prompt was "found on the ground" and while I was on the lookout for something to photograph for the theme, my mind kept going back to this photo and this rock and the very special experiences associated with it. It's perfect for this week's prompt. When I really needed it, I found love on the ground.

52 photos project *Colors*

This week's prompt was "colors". I shot a bunch of different photos with this in mind, but I keep going back to this one, which I took in a candy shot in SFO Terminal 2. My flight was delayed by a couple of hours, but I made good use of the time by working on shooting on manual and getting rich, true colors by manipulating the f-stop and shutter speeds.

Plus, who doesn't want pictures of gigantic lollipops? It was a cute little store.


IF you want to play along with the 52 photos project, go here for the details and to post your photos.

52 photos project * Nourish *

One of my intentions for this year was to improve my photography skills, both technically and creatively. As such, I'm always on the lookout for reasons to take photos and for prompts that help me think of unique ways to express myself photographically.

So, you can imagine my delight when I heard about my girl Bella's new collaborative photo project 52 photos. Basically, she posts a prompt every Sunday and on Wednesday, I (and everyone else playing along) will post our photographic interpretation of that word. I'm so excited to participate!

The word for this week is 'Nourish', which could not be more perfect for me. I just returned from vacation in Hawaii and there is nothing that is more nourishing to me than to spend time by the sea. The water soothes and calms me like nothing else can. I am drawn to the power of the waves and the rhythm of the tides. I am intrigued by the mysterious beauty that shows itself, bit by bit, as treasure wash up on shore. I am awed by it's vastness and comforted by it's continuity. The ocean nourishes me.

Sunrise on Kailua Bay, Oahu, HI