Beauty's where you find it

Sometimes I get a little obsessive about things.  Obsessive about things as they relate to my hobbies anyway.  I'll see a recipe on Food Network and suddenly I just have to make it and will start preparing for it.  Or I'll come across a new pattern of minky fabric and I'll suddenly have to get some to make a minky blanket for the girls. Or I'll see a stunning picture and suddenly I need to take one just like it.  I'll occupy my time preparing for the shot, deciding on location and equipment.

Once the recipe/blanket/picture is complete, I used to wait for the accolades.  Cudos of a job well done.  A satisfied diner or a blanket cuddler would fill that need.

But then the next thing would come along that I HAD to do!

One day I was obsessed with getting a sunset shot.  I had seen many stunning examples of sunsets online in various places, and I wanted to get one.  I knew I would have to find the perfect location and needed perfect conditions for the sky to light up for me.  Wouldn't you know that at the time of this obsession, we were having cloudy days filled with rain. It was agony!

Then a rainy morning became a drier and clearing afternoon.  Could this be the day?

This day was also my grand daughters pre-school graduation.  I would be photographing this milestone in the late afternoon and would have my camera with me and plenty of time to set up to catch a sunset.

After the ceremony, I headed for higher ground.  I knew where to go I just needed to get to a spot where I had an unobstructed view of the horizon, no power lines, no buildings in the distance.

I was driving down a country road, watching the sun setting in my rear view mirror when I saw a little building on the edge of someone's property.  I thought the little building would look good as a silhouette in my shot.

I quickly did a doughnut turned around and parked and raced to trespass position myself as the sun dropped below the horizon.

(It's funny how fast the sun sets when you're trying to get situated to photograph it!)

Even with the sun below the horizon, the sky was on fire! The color was spectacular!  Now to frame the shot.

click.
......
click.

Back home, I loaded the images on the computer and enhanced the color just a tad, oh! this was it! I created a fantastic picture of a spectacular sunset! the little building was the perfect touch! everyone's gonna just be blown away! Then I uploaded my masterpiece for the world to see.

And waited.

tick

(crickets chirping)

tick

It's funny how life teaches us.

I loved this sunset.  I loved it because I had built up the anticipation of actually capturing it, I felt a child-like sense of joy in my thought process of what I would photograph and then I acted on it.  I got a beautiful image that I enjoy.  I enjoy it not only because it is lovely, but because I dreamt of it, planned it and executed it.

For me to expect others to have my eyes is foolish.

But that's OK.  I got a few accolades for my picture, and I learned that isn't what's important.

What's important is to do what makes me happy.

If it makes others happy too, that's nice but it is not the goal and should not determine whether or not I create something or whether or not I share it.

I learned that I am happy creating for me.

That is important because I am important.

(I should have printed it a little bigger, don't ya think?)

Have you ever done something special and no one noticed? Share your story with us! Share your favorite picture! Tell us about it!

Since today is the last day of May, my sunset picture fits! The sun is setting on our monthy theme-the sky's the limit!  Be sure to post your sky shots in the flickr gallery! Tag your shot with TSTL!



Meanwhile, I'm obsessing over something new.  Have you seen my day lilies?

How about you?





“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”
 Andy Warhol




xo,

Top of the List

Focusing on Life was the host (or should I say hostess) to my last post about our senses, then it was our sense of smell.  Given that we have been blessed with 5 senses, I have elected to write about another sense that to me, as I am sure it is to all photographers, must be at the top of the list, the sense of sight.  Oh my, what would we do without our eyes, to see the beauty, the color, the charms of life all around us?  When I think of all the senses; taste, smell, touch, hear and sight, sight has to be paramount as the one I would miss the most if taken away. (altho I would sure miss that aroma of fresh popcorn if smell took leave) As a photographer, our eyes are our greatest tools.  Seeking out and capturing images is a gift granted to those that "see."  And see we do, from the smallest insects to the glory of the sunsets.....

to the laughter of family and the reading of a good book...

Being able to see from the mountains to the prairies and everything in between is truly a blessed gift.

I cannot imagine not seeing the daily surprises that the garden delivers or not witnessing the changing of the seasons....

Not being able to delight in the holidays or to enjoy the sights of the city.....

the shining sun or the heavenly moon would be a monumental loss....

I am a "visual" person, gulping in all that I see, noticing subtle changes that many miss.  Enjoy this gift, these tools that we call eyes.  They are precious, so relish in the sights around you, find joy in all that you see.  Protect and take care of these windows to the world that without question feed our souls, make our hearts happy, and enhance the remainder of our senses.

What sense would you miss the most?  Have you lost any senses or know of someone who has?  Please share....and don't forget there are only a very few days left to post to our FOL flickr pool with our monthly theme..."the sky is the limit."  Sure would like to see those images.  A new theme will be introduced on Friday, June 1st (omg is it June already??!!)  

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." 

~  Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is Beauty?

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our guest blogger, Kim Stevens from Picking Poppies. I "met" Kim wandering around this great big beautiful blog-world and fell in love with her images and her thoughtful writings. Then I really "met" Kim when I traveled to Galveston, TX to visit my brother and sister-in-law in April.  Kim and I scheduled a "meet-up" day and it was then that I truly got to know Kim and how lovely she is "in-person."  Our day was too short together but hopefully we will meet again (her family is from my area).  Be sure and visit Kim's blog and her flickr gallery...she does amazing things with macro photography.

What is beauty?

It's unique and it's all around us and not just in the viewing of it. It's in the moment and it's in our everyday, and it's not just in what we see, but in what it whispers to us if only we open ourselves up to it. It's the experience of all our senses that moves and inspires us and that touches us in the deepest part of our souls. And the wonderful thing about photography is that it allows us to share that found beauty with others.

My camera has enabled me to see the world around me in a unique way and not just through the lens but in such a way that I now see beauty where I may not have noticed it before. The world, and the people in it, the places and things are like a symphony and all I have to do is tune in to it.

But in order to do this I had to start making dates with myself and making the time for beauty. Because sometimes it happens by itself, but all too often it is easy to get caught up in the day to day schedules of life, the things that need to get done but can wait. There will always be a list of chores and errands to run but unless we take that time, it will go on without us.

The kind of beauty that we have to fit into our day or we would miss it entirely, like the rising of the sun . . .

. . . and  it's usually where we least expect it, like the wildflowers along side the road while at a standstill, stuck in traffic . . .

. . . or simply the way the light falls across something ordinary, transforming it into something extraordinary.

We all see beauty so differently and come to it with a different perspective and because of that we give each other a different point of view and new ways to approach life and all that surrounds us.  And for me more than anything, when I make a photograph I'm trying to capture my experience of being fully present in that moment. The photograph then becomes secondary to my experience. I have found that in my photographic journey beauty isn't just in the things we know but in the things we don't understand, the things waiting for us to simply discover them.

How do you fit beauty into your life? Are you taking the time to listen to what it whispers to your heart? Thank you to the Focusing on Life team for giving me the opportunity to share a little of me with you today!  Kim

Memorial Day

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae

1915

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

between the crosses row on row

that mark our place; and in the sky

the larks, still bravely singing fly

scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and

now we lie in Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high

If ye break faith with us who die

we shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

Today, in our Flickr pool,
honor our country and those we've lost
by posting patriotic photos.

For you all on Memorial Day 2012

our dearest wish

PEACE ON EARTH

INFOCUS selection May 26

May 26th
This weeks selection for INFOCUS is by Amy Dunaway
Also known as Among the Blessed

This is a perfect choice for our theme this month! The Sky's the Limit
Be sure to check out her Flickr pool account

Thanks Amy for your support and sharing!

Chapters

One of the things I love about a good book is how the close of one chapter emotionally connects me to the next, enticing me to continue reading. Life is like that too, isn't it? All of our chapters connect to form the overall story of our life.

This past weekend, my husband graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He received a Masters of Divinity and will become an ordained pastor in August. His graduation marks the end of a 4-year long chapter in our lives. As I look back on that chapter, I can see it was marked by growth in so many ways: my husband read, studied and learned every day, we added a new member to our family (my sweet little boy, Jonah), we developed many new and wonderful friendships, I discovered a new hobby and passion for photography and we learned to live in a small apartment with one bathroom for five people. But most significantly for me, it was a time when I grew to be content with my life and come to know and understand who I was as a woman, as a mom, as a wife.

Although the ending of this chapter causes me to feel a bit sad, I know I can't stay in it forever. And it is propelling me (and my family, of course) into the next chapter. A chapter that I'm sure will be a page-turner!

Are you at the beginning or end of a particular chapter in your life? Terri's beautiful post earlier this week shared about being in the "empty nest" era of her life. I know many of you are watching your children complete their current grade in school and anticipating the start of another next fall. Perhaps you are beginning a new job or have just retired. Maybe you have had a new baby or a new grandchild. Whatever it is, share your "chapter" and your story with us!

And don't forget to continue to post your "sky's the limit" photos to the flickr pool. The month is almost over and we want to see all of your beautiful shots!

About my shot:
lens: 50mm 1.4
settings: f2.8, 1/40, 2000
lighting: canon speedlite 580 EXII external flash
editing: corrected white balance in adobe camera raw; RadLab (Lights On 39%, Oh Snap 49%,  Warm It Up Kris 30%, Sugar Rush 58%, Clarify 31%)

Be Here Now

It is my very real pleasure to welcome today's guest blogger, Pamela Donoghue, aka "Fishgirl", from Nova Scotia. Many of us met Pam through our "Picture" classes and as we've come to know her, we've come to love her as well.

Pam is a pharmacist by vocation and a fisherperson, photographer, videographer and philosopher extraordinaire by avocation. Please welcome Pam warmly into our FOL family in what I hope will be the first of many guest posts.

We interrupt this program to talk about fishing. I've been fretting about this post for a while, as I am wont to do, and Dotti said, "Be yourself", and that is sound advice, so here goes.

Fishing

Why would an inner city girl who, as a teen, thought a day out meant taking a bus to the library, end up deep in the woods, waving a stick in the water and hoping to see a fish? Good question. I'll keep it short.

Six or seven years ago, we went on a long overdue honeymoon (21 years late ... oh, well!). I planned to knit and Fishboy was going to fish. I had zero interest in fishing, not my thing. It was his thing. I sat on a rock, happily knitting tea cosies (I couldn't make this up if I tried) and out of the corner of my eye I see a huge salmon leap out of the river. Salmon jump, sometimes to get up waterfalls, sometimes for reasons no one knows. I was gobsmacked! This was one huge fish. I threw down my knitting, ran over, grabbed the pole and flailed for about half an hour.

When we came back home, I got my salmon license that fall and have been fishing ever since. If I'm not working, I'm fishing. We wade in rivers and fish trout and salmon; our holidays are all fishing related. I have
six rods, I have worn out one pair of waders and my felt-soled boots have been re-felted and will bite the dust at the end of this season. Worst of all, the bugs devour me.

Why do I do it? It's hard to explain but I'll try. When I have a rod in my hand and am casting, nothing else exists. I don't worry about the past; I don't obsess about the future. I just fish. I see everything that is right in front of me. Be here now. It's like that phrase - I get to "be here now". It's so beautiful on the river, I can't do it justice in words. Watch A River Runs Through It, it will help you understand. Bonus: You get to see Brad Pitt casting. I know - bonus.

Photography

Two years ago, Fishboy suggested I use his old camera and take pictures of wildflowers (snort) to distract me from the bugs. Wildflowers? Uh, no thanks. I'm the one who shoots deer droppings. Anyway, I signed up for an online course and it was not unlike the day I threw down the knitting. Transformative. Hey - this is what I'm supposed to do! Be here now. Seeing things that I'd walked right by just the week before. Two cameras and many online courses later, well, the rest is history, as they say.

How much do we miss? How much do we miss what really matters, what is right in our faces, for lack of focus? I think about that. For me, fishing and photography bring me to what matters, they ground me. They make the ground beneath me solid and real. They delight me and allow me to play in the way that children play, with focus, with intent, with complete absorption. After time with the fishing rod or the camera, that feeling lingers on and on.

I know you all love photography. How about showing us a shot of another grand passion in your life? Big or small, anything at all. I'd love to see a picture showcasing what thrills you, something you do that makes your shoulders relax and brings that "ahhhhh, this is me" feeling. Post in on the FOL Flickr page. Set aside the sometimes heavy load of life with all its inherent worries and concerns and have some fun.

Thanks so much for having me here today. Many of you have been an integral part of my photographic journey. Thank you for helping me focus day after day.

Thank you, Pam, for visiting us. Come back often. 

Nostalgia

"Let me tell you how easy you have it! When I was a boy I had to walk up hill BOTH ways in the rain, snow, wind and sometimes a tornado!" My dad's stories would at times have me rolling my eyes back into my head so far I could see myself thinking!  He never saw a tornado growing up in Kansas but everyone else did so he tossed that in for good measure.

Reminiscing was what "old" folks did I thought. Each year as we gathered around a family reunion table, the talk would always be about years gone by. "Remember that Model T we had?  I bet I changed that tire 4 times a week. Now with modern rubber, I can't tell you the last time I had to change a tire."

While the conversation always seemed to me a bit "boring" how I long for those days now and NOW I am the one "remembering when".

My daily mantra is "stay in the moment -- live today!" But even I, on occasion, can wax nostalgic.

 On my way home from a clients, I drove by a burger spot that had a CAR SHOW. The song "Remember When" boomed through the air. Rows of cars from various decades lined the parking lot. Amongst the shinny and newly restored sat my old car!! Obviously the owner didn't care about bringing this back to the original, pristine version. I'm serious as a heart attack when I say that this car looked very similar to my Green Beetle.

My parents had ONE car when I was growing up and my mom, sisters or myself would drive my father to work so we could have a vehicle to get us around for our errands. I tagged along with my friends clear through high school, even though I would've loved my own car, I didn't feel abused by not having one-- it just the way it was.

After college I purchased my first car. She was all mine! If I recall correctly I paid $250.00 for her. A used, tattered, but working Green Volks Wagon Beetle. (I don't even remember what year she was.)  My fiance had to teach me how to drive a clutch and stick shift. My house was tucked far back on the lot and so my drive way was very long-- I remember she backed up really fast! And... I only hit the rock wall that divided me from my neighbors a couple of times. :)

Typically it's guys who rebuild the oldies, but there were a few woman there with cars they loved. It was so fun to see their pride. I don't know if my memory is filled with pride just good stories of my clunker of a first car.

Do you remember learning how to drive or your first car?

Step back and see if you have a story to share with us.

Better yet! Do you have a photo to share with us in our Flickr pool?

We would love to hear from you. (remember don't stay a lurker :)

The Empty Nest

Much is written about the empty nest syndrome and how to cope with it. Some mothers are thrilled when they drop their last child off at college. I wasn't one of them. That initial moment when I gave him that hug goodbye, when I walked away from the dorm and back to the car without him, was awfully hard.  I knew he was ready by I wasn't so sure about myself. You want to teach your kids to fly out of the nest, but you don't want them to actually do it. The house was suddenly quiet, the vibrancy of children gone. The days seemed empty without soccer games, school plays and bake sales. The job I'd been doing every day for 24 years was over.

I was also mourning the passing of an era. We were no longer young parents raising kids and I just wasn't ready for that new phase in my life. I spent quite a while wondering, "Who am I  now?" "What's my purpose?" Things I read suggested getting a job, volunteering, going back to school. Nothing sounded important enough to compare with motherhood. One thing we never think about while we are raising our kids is that parenting is terminal. It does eventually come to an end, or at least it should under healthy conditions. But that end sort of sneaks up on us and then we realize how fast it all went.

I would love to say that I have the answer for coping with the empty nest.  I don't. But it has gotten easier. They are adults with their own lives and I am so proud of each one of them and what they are making of those lives. I am grateful that they are close to each other and to us and that we see them often, have dinner together, vacation together. I have two beautiful grandchildren who are the light of my life. We did a good job. Life is good.

Have you coped with an empty nest? Or does that still seem like a long way off? Do you think you will be one of those who handles it well or not so much? We would love to have you share your thoughts on this subject.  And to all of you "lurkers", this means you!

Remember, our theme for May "The Sky's the Limit" is continuing and we would love to see your shots posted in our Flickr group. If you want them to be considered for an In Focus selection, make sure to tag them with TSTL.

Who's There?

  

Do you know what a "lurker" is? I'm a lurker, I'll confess. And there's a good chance you are as
well. A lurker is someone who reads a favorite blog (or blogs) almost every day but never stops to say "hello". Yes, that's right! A lurker never leaves a comment in the comment section. I've done it countless times and I'll bet you have, too.

According to Wikipedia:

The 1% rule states that the number of people who create content on the Internet represents approximately 1% (or less) of the people actually viewing the content (for example, for every person who posts on a forum, generally about 99 other people are viewing that forum but not posting). The term [lurking] was coined by authors and bloggers Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba.

In light of that, I, Dotti Rinehart, now declare Monday, May 21, to be FOL De-Lurking Day.

The photographers/writers here at Focusing on Life love sharing our photographs and stories with you, we love seeing your wonderful images on our FOL Flickr gallery. But today, we'd like to know a little bit about "who" you are. That's right! We want FOL to be the kind of place "where everybody knows your name". (Call out to Cheers fans!!)

Just a friendly "hi" is all it will take to keep us happy but if you're inclined to chat a bit, that will make us deliriously happy. So come on. How about it? We know you're there ... we just want you to say "hi".

(And when you're done commenting, pop over to Flickr with a beautiful sky photo. Who knows? Your photo might be the next Photo of the Week.)

Dreamin'

I am dreaming....dreaming that I am flying without wings, without fear, drifting along feeling free as the birds.  I never seem to get too high, sometimes just barely off the ground, but flying, definitely flying.  Do you ever have that dream?  It is always a pleasant dream, no fears, no worries, just drifting along enjoying this skill of movement without effort.  How sweet it is...!!  I have had this same dream numerous times in my life.  When I was young, and as I grew older, always the same, so enjoyable and a feeling that it is a natural capability, no exertion, no learning required.  Since this dream never left me with any unpleasantness I never researched what this dream actually meant.  Thinking about our theme for this month, "The Skies the Limit" this dream surfaced again so I went searching for its meaning.  Ahh, the Internet, an instant resource.  No long do we have to hunt thru the library, going thru piles of books to find any information on anything, another example of our 21st century instant gratification syndrome.  What I easily found was that dreams of flying may represent a release from something that has been a worry.  Flying represents that release, that freedom from being shackled so now you feel as free as the birds.  I haven't experienced that dream lately so I either (1) have no worries, I hardly doubt that or (2) my worries are still shackling me or, (3) I don't sleep long enough to dream.  I think I will pick number 1.

Another repeated dream I have had over the years is being back in school, usually high school, not remembering where my locker is so I can retrieve my books and get to class on time.  I usually have an exam that awaits me that I am not prepared for.  Again I searched for the meaning of this dream and what I found did not surprise me in the least.  "I may be harboring some guilt because I did not prepare enough for a school exam, meeting, business project or any project."  I have revealed that I am a definite procrastinator, this dream just amplifies those bad habits.  However, the definition follows up by saying that "most of the time, people who have such dreams are unlikely to fail a test in real life."  Whew....thank goodness.

We all have dreams, sometimes asleep but most times awake.  It's good to have those awake dreams.  It means we are still looking toward the future, we still have hopes and desires, we have released our shackles.  My dreams are a little more limiting these days.  I know I won't go back to school to get a landscape design degree, or live in a big cape cod style house, or raise horses, or open a bed & breakfast.  But I do have dreams of being around when my grandchildren have children, looking forward to each season, traveling to places unseen and maybe dreaming I can fly.

What do you dream of?  Do you have recurring dreams or future dreams?  Share with us as we share with you.

"You are never to old to set a new goal, or to dream a new dream."  ~  C.S. Lewis

Dinosaurs in the sky

Remember the last day of school?  Our books had been turned in, our desks had been cleaned out and everyone was electric with happiness!  Even the teachers were in a good mood! We waited for the bell to ring for the last time!

Then we were off! So giddy with joy we were practically floating as we walked out the doors and into what was always the brightest sunny day with the freshest air! We were free! Free for 3 months! Almost an eternity in kid time!

3 whole months of going barefoot, riding bikes, swimming, sno-cones, hot-dogs, fireworks, swimming, kick-the-can, catching fireflies, and swimming!

It was like the Emerald City was spread out before us! (minus the wicked witch and the scary monkeys!)

So much time! Some days we would just lay in the grass and (get eaten alive by chiggers) and watch the clouds roll by and dream and imagine.

"look! that one looks like the number 3! I really hate math!"

"oh, look at that one! it looks like a puppy! I want to be a veternarian when I grow up and have about 10 dogs!"

"ew! that one looks like Mrs. Mahoney! She's mean! I hope I don't get her next year!"

"do you see that dinosaur! wouldn't it be fun to live in dinosaur times!"

Time moved nice and slow when you're a kid and you were always wishing it away. My birthday is SO FAR away! Christmas will NEVER get here! Why do I have to wait an ENTIRE HOUR before I go swimming! That's TOO LONG! I can't wait THAT LONG!

That soon turns into "I can't wait to grow up! go to college! get a job! get married! have kids!"  Then the kids milestones couldn't come fast enough! sit-up/crawl/walk/potty train(please!please!please!)go to school/loose a tooth.

Then we want it to slow down time so we can savor every precious moment, but it's too late.

By now we are in the revolving door of motherhood. It's endless days of getting the kids up/dressed/to school then off to work/run an errand at lunch then pick up the kids/drop them off at practice/squeeze in a workout/fix dinner/help with homework/work on a project/get everyone into the tub/read a story/tuck in and kiss goodnight/lather/rinse/repeat.

Then the kids are grown and we want to slow down time again.

I didn't read a magazine or watch evening TV for about 20 years.  But I didn't miss those things.

What I missed was stopping for 10 seconds to step up and down on a curb just because it was there on the way in the grocery store (gotta hurry up so we can get home), stopping for 10 seconds on a quick walk around the block to listen to a tree full of birds sing and squawk (gotta get home and get dinner), stopping for 10 seconds to watch a squirrel bury an acorn out back(gotta get inside and start baths) stopping for a split second to look up and see that the clouds in the sky look like cotton balls.


Have you seen the flickr gallery? It's awesome-sauce! In case you missed it, this month's theme is "the sky's the limit!" You have put some beautiful skies there! Don't stop! We are loving it!

Don't forget to tag your Instagram sky shots with #myskyshot.

In the meantime, I'll be barefoot, out back laying in the grass (with a blanket and some bug spray!) watching the clouds roll by.

I might see a dinosaur.



"Only from the heart can you touch the sky.”
 Jalal ad-Din Rumi


xo,

There's A Story Here....

I find myself perusing Flickr (usually when I'm procrastinating at work) to see all of the beautiful photography that is out there just waiting to be seen.  I am enthralled by the images that make me stop and wonder what is happening, what the photographer is trying to tell me.  Storytelling photographs engage the viewer and invite them to participate.  They don't always show faces yet still convey emotion through body language along with the use of light and composition.  It's a participatory art form which is what makes it so attractive to me.  It is so easy to convey the obvious in a photograph, but it takes some real thought to draw your viewer in by leaving things unanswered.

Here in landlocked Oklahoma we have tons of lakes and catfish, but no seaweed or seashells. When my children visited the ocean for the first time I shot lots of photos that showed the excitement on their faces as their toes felt the give of the sand,  the waves splashing over their feet and they tasted the saltiness of the sea.  What I love about this image above is that it does not show the obvious, but to me it shows the real adventure that was going on as they discovered someplace totally new to them.  We brought home lots of seashells and souvenirs, but this is my favorite thing I brought home from our trip to Amelia Island.

There are no faces, no real clues as to what's going on here except for three girls who climbed a fence.  After I posted this photo on Flickr and Facebook the comments were so interesting to read because everyone wanted to know what was on the other side of the fence.  One of my favorite comments said that it really captured the curiosity of childhood.  I just loved that because instead of a just a fun shot it turned into something more real....more true.
Ernest Hemingway said "Write all the story, take out all the good lines, and see if it still works."  
We would love to see some of your favorite storytelling photos in our Flickr Pool We want to know your tips and tricks!

All in a Day'sWork

What I love about this blog, my Flickr groups and the online photography classes I have taken in the last 18 months is that we are all people leading different lives -- single strands joined together in a community of friends -- who have the love of photography in common. I suspect, however, that we have other things in common too. One of the threads running through each of our lives is our work. Whether we work inside or outside the home (or are lucky enough to be retired), we all have things that occupy the bulk of our day.

I was a criminal defense lawyer until six months ago. I practiced law for 19 years and loved almost every minute of it. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer when I graduated from high school. I completed my undergrad degree at Houghton College in New York State and did my law degree at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. My career was very important to me. I worked hard to develop a reputation as an excellent lawyer. When my daughter was born 16 years ago, I took only four weeks off (six if you count Christmas holidays) before going back to work. I was able to do that because my then husband worked from home as a writer, but I know down deep in my  heart that I would have found a way to get back to my career as quickly as possible, even if  he wasn't able to stay home and raise her. It's just the way I'm wired. I loved the thrill of a trial (even when I lost -- but especially when I won) and the academic challenge of an appeal. I loved doing a great cross-examination. I loved negotiating the best deal for my clients. I loved the people I worked with . . .  office staff, prosecutors, police (especially the one who became my new partner), and other defense lawyers. I even loved wearing the robes we are required to wear in some courts here in Ontario, Canada (see photo above).

It was, however, a 24/7 vocation. Clients would call at all hours of the day and night. My Blackberry went with me on vacation. My daughter and I would do homework together most nights -- she did hers and I did my prep for the next day's trial or guilty plea or bail hearing. Don't get me wrong . . . I'm not a workaholic (and I'm not complaining) . . . I'm as lazy as I am industrious. It's just the nature of the legal profession -- there was always more work to do.

Now I'm a judge, and I wear different robes. They come with a red sash. My role in the criminal justice system has changed but  my passion and love for my work has not. One of the best things about my new job is that I have time to develop other passions . . . like sketching and painting and photography! Now I am working hard to bring balance to my days. I spend time with my daughter and partner without my job interfering. I read and scrapbook and hike without feeling guilty about not spending that time on work. This new opportunity has been a real blessing for me and my family. It came at the perfect time too -- just as my partner retired after 30 years as a police officer and my daughter considers which university to attend after her senior year.

I don't regret the long hours of hard work. I wouldn't be a judge if I hadn't put in those hours. It was my choice. I was happy -- but I am happier now. I sometimes wonder what my days would have been like if I chose a different career or if I chose to work as a full-time parent or if I was retired. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world at this stage in my life to be able to explore a new career, spend more time as a parent and partner, and learn to play in preparation for retirement.

Buddha is quoted as saying, "your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it." Help us discover your world. Share with us what you have given yourself to doing. We would love to see photos of the details of your work. What requires your focus each day? What has captured your heart?


Today's guest post is by Jeanine Leroy.  We got to know her in many of Tracey Clark's Picture classes and she is now a member of Prompt Addicts and a faithful follower of Focusing on Life.  She and  her daughter blogged together last year at Thirty Years Apart and you can follow her on Flickr. Thanks so much, Jeanine, for being our guest!  

A Mother's Pride

I didn't have my first child until I was 37 years old. My pregnancy was perfect and although I am normally a "Nervous  Nelly," I have never felt so calm and healthy as I did during my pregnancies. I gave birth to my daughter, Casey, on a Friday morning, by planned C-section because she was frank breach and two weeks late. Everything went beautifully.

Released by the hospital two days later, I brought my new baby home. By the next day, it became obvious that she was running a fever. We took her to our pediatrician, who immediately admitted her for a spinal tap. She was diagnosed with Bacterial Meningitis. It was a devastating diagnosis.

As I understand it, there are several bacteria that can cause Meningitis, and it takes two to three days to grow the culture, to see which one is at work in a particular patient. We were told that she would be put on  a general antibiotic. If it happened to be the correct one for her infection, we would end up ahead of the game. If the culture came back showing a bacteria that was resistant to this particular antibiotic, then three treatment days had been wasted, and the damage during that time could be significant.

The antibiotic course runs six weeks either way, so we knew we were in for the long haul. Following the standard treatment, Casey continued to run a fever and our stay in the pediatric ward dragged on and on. At one point, she was given a complete transfusion. I made a call to one loving friend and within two hours, the line to donate blood spilled out of the laboratory door. At one point or another, we were told that our child would likely not survive, And that if she survived, she might be deaf, blind, or mentally challenged.

We were one of the lucky families. Casey did survive, suffering only a learning disability that she eventually learned to manage with a lot of hard work and self-discipline. The beat went on.  In eighth grade, she was told she was not "college material." When the time came, Casey did not get accepted to her first choice school (Rutgers University) directly from high school. But after one semester at another school, she tried again and was accepted. There she carried 18 credits a semester and carried a double major in psychology and sociology. She did really well fundraising with her sorority, and held down a waitressing job throughout.

I don't know where my daughter will end up working, but I know that she has the self-discipline to get where ever she wants. It may take a little time, as everything has for her, but I have no doubt that she will make it! This is how I spent my Mother's Day:

It was hard to see the ceremony through grateful tears. When I look back on those days in the hospital; when I remember watching the other parents (who were not all as lucky) come and go from the pediatric ward; When I remember every word of my desperate prayers and every kindness that was done for us; I am forever grateful.

This is a testament to the God who answered my prayers, the friends and family who supported us, and to my wonderful, hard-working daughter.

Kate Cameron Albers
Graduate of Rutgers University
Class of 2012

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!