Today's Kodak Moment

It's snowing today, in northeast Ohio. That, in itself, wasn't it.

The "kodak moment" came as I hurried home from running errands this morning. I pulled up into my driveway and saw my visitors.

Two doves were sitting in the blowing snow. One sat perched in a tree near my walkway. The other sat on the rail of the walkway. They seemed undisturbed by the falling snow, blowing wind and freezing temperature. They seemed... at peace with the moment.

I scurried in and grabbed my camera and tripod. Then, as I slipped out the door to snap away, I hoped I wouldn't disturb them. More than I wanted the photos, I wanted them to feel at home. I wanted them to feel like they could sit there, in peace, all day if they wanted.

I got my photos. And they were all that I was hoping they'd be. And more. I found in them, a moment of peace.

What Do I Want to Be

when I grow up?

It's a difficult question. I have done so many jobs in my life. Most of them were just jobs. I didn't particularly hate them; nor did I particularly love them. They were jobs. Places to pause, but not places to stay.

So the question remains: what do I want to be when I grow up?

I want to write. And take photos. So, what's that called besides writer/photographer? I want to do something creative. But I need to help pay the mortgages. plural. You'd think that being "good" at those things might be enough to get you "in the door" but I'm here to tell you, it isn't. If you do portrait photography, it can be. Your income can grow by word of mouth. But if you do landscape, nature, news photography, you need credentials. Where would I find those?

It's the old catch-22: you need experience to get the job, but you need the job to get the experience. I promise, if I ever "make it," I will try to help out someone else. I'll pay it forward.

Bumps In The Road

I think it's a misnomer.

A bump generally means something that lifts you higher. Right? If you hit a literal bump in the road, you go higher. A bump in salary means you get more money. In a chat forum, a bump means moving a post to a higher position. A bump in bidding means to increase the price. A speed bump, while it slows you down, also lifts your car higher, momentarily.

So, why do we say we hit a bump in the road when we haven't been lifted up at all?

Shouldn't we say we hit a dip in the road? Or a pothole in the road of life?

Sometimes, it's more like a sinkhole. When something totally unexpected just stops you in your tracks. When your forward momentum isn't slowed down, it's stopped completely. That's not a bump; that's a sinkhole.

No bumps for me today. No sinkholes. Just thinking; that's all.

TV without one

Huh?

I've been "watching TV" without one, you know. Remember I don't have a TV? Well, actually, now I do, but it's sitting over there in the box because it's too heavy for me to take out of the box alone. (rolling my eyes here)

Anyway, I've been watching on the computer. It's amazing what you can find when you're desperate for a TV "fix." Almost all the channels are showing some full episodes online. Or you can watch things on YouTube. And then there's TV-links. And I've used them all.

My favorite new show this season is Private Practice. I wasn't planning on watching. I figured it was one more medical drama thing that I didn't really need to see. I've watched so many seasons of ER and others that I didn't think there was anything new under the sun. But I was wrong; I love this show! I watched the first episode because I saw a familiar face, Amy Brenneman. I enjoyed her on Judging Amy so I decided to watch one episode to check out her newest character. Violet, a shrink with so many issues of her own, is a woman I can laugh with, cry with, cheer on and scream at! She's like a long lost friend. And I am hooked.

Browsing Craigslist

Did you ever browse through Craigslist.org?

Interesting stuff there.... I'm browsing for a job, personally. Writing and/or photography, preferably. Something creative to help pay the 2 mortgages.

Yep. Interesting jobs: Concert Photographer- sounds very cool, but I'm way too old for this one. Makeup artist- someone to "turn an african american into a caucasian and make it look realistic" (that's a quote). Soft porn- they'd like a body shot, face shot not required. Magazine seeks thick eye candy..... people, you can't make these things up....

Interesting other stuff, too.... like, there's a surrogacy agency seeking women. On Craigslist.
Info Architect. What the heck is an info architect???

Here's one I could so do! Household manager for a prominent NYC family. They need someone to run their household and oversee their staff in their 6 story city home as well as their Hamptons weekend home. I don't know.... they're only paying $100k.

Seriously. Browsing through Craigslist is an education in itself. Who knew some of these jobs even existed?

Snow!!!

November 6. First snowfall of the season.

I'm not really sure snowFALL is the right word, though. It's more like snowblow? It's blowing snow is what it really is.

Whatever we call it, it's white stuff, falling from the sky in cold temperatures with howling winds! EEK! Makes me want to make hot cocoa... mmmmm....

I was surprised to see that it was 39 degrees out, and snowing. I guess I always thought it had to be freezing to snow. I guess I guessed wrong.

I was also a little surprised to not see any birds feeding this morning. I don't think it was the temperature, because they've fed when it was colder. Maybe it was the fierce wind? Maybe they knew to stay in their cozy nests today?

So, it's in the books. The first snowfall. Not measurable, but clearly snow. Falling. Or blowing.

Winter's here.

I love yoga!

I wish I'd found yoga 30 years ago!

I love how I feel when I'm practicing regularly.... I love the suppleness of my body, the centeredness of my mind, the painless state of my back.

At first, yoga hurt. LOL. But given a week to 10 days, my body realized, I believe, that I was trying to do something good for it- novel idea, but I was trying! And it relaxed and let the yoga happen.

I once read a discussion about the Christian practice of yoga. Personally, I found it silly to think you couldn't practice yoga and Christianity. One is not exclusive of the other. There is no worship in yoga. There is acceptance, and honor, and love in yoga. Accepting your body the way it is, honoring the body's limitations, and loving yourself with all your imperfections and limitations.

I think those are lessons we can all use, regularly.

Today in Savasana (Corpse pose, meditation/relaxation at the end of practice), I thought, "I'm cold" and followed that thought with, "I'm thankful that I'll only be cold for a few minutes, then I'll go get in the warm sauna, or my warm car, and I don't have to sleep outside tonight, or work outside today." This is one of the reasons I love yoga. While I'm practicing for myself, it takes me out of myself, too. I'm allowing myself to be self-centered for an hour of practice, and that allows me to see others more clearly the rest of the time.

Namaste.