327/365 Grateful for Imperfect Moments

'It Will Take Two"

Winter has finally hit Dallas!  We spent the morning running errands.  Despite the chilly temperatures, we decided that when we got home we try to take a few pictures of us together.  This is always tricky interns of camera settings and focus, kind of like the selfies.  Today it was more than tricky; it was pretty much a disaster.

I'm not sure what my problem was, but my camera and I definitely were not one with each other.  First I had difficulty getting the correct exposure.  That shouldn't have been a problem.  The sky was gray and overcast.  What light there was was nice and even.  Once I got the exposure problem solved, then I was plagued with focus issues.  No matter what I tried,  I failed to get us both in focus.  In a word, the day's pictures were terrible.

I found this all kind of funny given today's prompt - "imperfect moments."  

Normally I would have considered this kind of day a failure and deleted all of the pictures.  Instead, I decided to see what I could salvage.  This one is the best of the bunch.  Sad, isn't it.  Oh well, tomorrow is a new day.  Maybe a little rain, sleet, snow and ice will make for better pictures.  It certainly can't make them much worse.

326/365 Grateful for Wide Open Spaces

"My Bundled Up Baby"

Texas is full of wide open spaces but I wasn't going to go in search of one of them to photograph today.  The weather here was cold and rainy and just plain yucky to be out in.  My baby did come see me tonight and I couldn't resist taking a picture of her all bundled up for our first cold snap of the year.  

325/365 Grateful for Boundless Spirit

"Life Touched"

This month's Inspired class prompt is hands.  Yesterday while teaching a composition lesson I was stuck by the juxtaposition of my hand (top left) with that of my student's.  All I had was my phone, but with permission I snapped this shot.  As I thought about today's prompt, boundless spirit, this image resonated with me as being a perfect depiction for several reasons.

Personally, it speaks of my deep love of teaching and of music.  It also speaks of the truly boundless spirit of this student.  Let's just say that she refers to herself as my surrogate parent.  After retiring from a career as a professor herself, she has returned to the other side of the desk as a student studying music composition.  Here we are putting the final touches on a composition to be entered in the Daughter's of the American Revolution composition contest.

These hands also paint and sculpt and are learning to play the piano.  They have written books, planted flowers and petted dogs and cats.  

Though theoretically I am the teacher in this student-teacher relationship, I feel more like the student; It seems to me that I learn so much more than I teach during our time together - maybe not about composing, but about living life to its fullest.  I hope that when I am her age that I will embrace life with the same energy, joy and boundless spirit as does my student and friend.

324/365 Grateful for Whimsy

'Here I Am!"

323/365 Grateful for Photography

"Not So Random Words"

Why did I have such a hard time with today's prompt?  I am amazed that with as much time as I spend with my camera in my hand or my head in a book about photography I couldn't come up with a meaningful image to document how grateful I am to have photography in my life.  I'm feeling kind of like a loser.  

I finally settled on a photo of a collage that I did as part of a creativity workshop.  We chose random words from magazines and newspapers and then had to arrange them into some meaningful statement.  These words say a lot about how my soul is touched by photography.  

 The picture of the collage was blah at best.  I did enhance it a little bit in PS.  It is still blah but this will have to do for today.  Hopefully tomorrow will bring with it a dose of creativity.

322/365 Grateful for Entertainment

"Easily Entertained"

Somebody at school decided that it would be a good idea to have dual monitors on our computers.  I don't need nor do I want dual monitors.  I don't multi-task.  Period, the end.  Someone who does not multi-task does not want to look at two different monitors.  However, the screen saver that morphs across the two monitors is very cool!  I am embarrassed to admit how entertained I was today as I sat eating my lunch and watching the colors ebb and flow.  Perhaps I need a life.  Or a lunch buddy.  Or, maybe a therapist.  Don't judge me!  I'll get through this.

321/365 Grateful for Special Friends

"Daddy's Little Girl"

These two have a special bond.  I'm convinced that the story of their coming together is one of those "God Things." 

I wrote here about the day that Harley came to live with me.  The part of the story that occurred before I got to the knit shop that day is what makes this picture most fascinating. (What I am about to say will not make complete sense unless you have read the earlier post.)

Prior to me arriving at the knit shop on that cold February day,  Alissa had called Weber's then wife, who was a mutual friend (Don't go jumping to conclusions; its not what it sounds like!) to see if perhaps she wanted a puppy.  She and Weber had just lost the last of their dogs and Alissa thought that maybe they were ready for another.  Without much thought, the response was  "No!"  Since this conversation occurred during the school day, Weber was not home and was not consulted on the decision.

Fast froward almost two years....Weber was divorced.  Mike and I were divorced.  Weber and I were dating and discussing our future together.  A year after that we were married and were renovating Weber's house, the house where Harley would have lived from the beginning had Weber's ex-wife agreed to take her in the first place.

Scroll down through this post to see how the two of them like to spend their Christmas Day.

She was meant to be Weber's girl.  It sure was a crazy ride getting to this point!