Under a Red Roof

Inspired by Annie

January 23, 2009 in Loving, Reading, Spotlighting by Colleen | 3 comments

I read Annie Liebovitz book At Work a few weeks ago. Though I am not a professional, just happy to capture our everyday moments, I really enjoyed learning about how she came to be a photographer and the work itself – using strobe lighting, the various cameras, lenses, digital tricks, etc. Mostly, I liked the pictures.

As I was reading, I lamented a little on the fact that I would never likely be able to afford to have her photograph my family, but, then, as I thought about it, I decided that I could try to do something for us, Annie style.

Something I admire about her work is the quality of her not actually being there. I love the intimate photographs of people, those almost private moments. This is what I was going for in this photo. I like that we’ve just woken up and were both a bit disheveled. I like the light of the lamp and the way that Milo is itching to get away because that is really how it is at our house. We have these moments of great closeness, and then they are gone.

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January 20, 2009 in Loving, Quoting by Colleen | Permalink

A faithful friend is the medicine of life.

Ecclesiasticus

October Sun

October 27, 2008 in Being, Loving by Colleen | 1 comment

Do you ever have those times when you realize that your life really is something special, that it is filled with remarkable people and perfect days? So much so that you wish you could take it with both hands and dance around the room, laughing and twirling with glee? That is how I feel when I reflect on this past weekend. I want to take my lovely life for a joyful spin on the dance floor, and whisper in her ear, “This is it; you need no more, no less.”

It began with a phone call, that led to another, and an impromptu dinner party Friday night at Bridget’s. We stayed way past bed time, listening to great music, chatting about all manner of things, receiving “smoothing” lessons from sweet Stella, eating, drinking, and loving it all.

Saturday found us in the yard, attending to the needs of the birds, enjoying the sun with Milo and Paris, before venturing to the other side of town, in search of corduroys, but finding some cake, too.

Then there was Sunday, glorious Sunday. Late to rise, we walked over to Sweetness for a bit of a farewell (the reason will come later), before continuing on to the library, poring over books of all shapes and sizes, bringing many home. All the while, we chatted happily – of big ideas, and tiny random thoughts, with sprinkles of kisses and hugs.

Yes, this weekend was a keeper of the highest order for the Pollyanna file. How about yours?

Feeling Grateful

October 6, 2008 in Feeling, Loving, Thinking by Colleen | 1 comment

I’ve been having a difficult time accessing my inner Pollyanna these last few weeks, and all my usual tricks to make myself feel better – exercise, gardening, cooking, home projects – aren’t having their desired effect, so here is a little something I saw over at my friend Kelli’s to help me through.

Reasons I feel grateful today:

1. My cute partner in crime pictured above. I love him and our life together more than words can say.

2. Also, to toot my own horn – I’m pretty fond of the composition of the above photo – the reflection in the mirror and the window are soo good lookin’ (a little Seinfeld never hurts either).

3. I’ve almost made up my mind about all of these candidates, and there is less than a month left of television ads. Yippee!

4. Not-so-guilty pleasure – I got Sex and the City: The Movie on DVD! Maybe I should put some new batteries in the remote, because, gentle readers, I’m going to be pressing the pause button a-plenty analyzing all those wardrobe changes.

5. Time with good friends – Nia with Mara, movies with Bridget, and long phone conversations with Sarah, not to mention the upcoming Bunco night with the whole posse!

6. The rain is back and my grass is turning green again…

Ahh, that helped!

Tiny Holes and Grace

August 6, 2008 in Being, Feeling, Loving, Receiving, Thinking by Colleen | 2 comments

I was lying on the sofa, reading, when I glanced up at the light. Ugh, it’s got dead bugs in it, I thought rather loudly to myself. As I stared at their little dead bodies, I lamented the sometimes insidious nature of insects, and how they often create work for me. Like how, now that I’ve noticed them, I’ll have to go through the hassle of getting the step ladder, carefully removing the fixture, and cleaning it all up – definitely not on the top ten list of cherished activities (though what is? hmmm…).

Then, as I continued gazing at the light, I wondered, how do the little critters get in there anyway? Though you can barely see them in the photo, they only appear to be specks, they seem too large to have crawled in through a hole. Yet, there they are.

This got me thinking some more about how tiny, often imperceptible, holes in my being act as an entry point on a spiritual and emotional level. I thought about people and events that I don’t like, and how little bits of them squeeze their way through a perforation in my shell and infest my mind with angry and unkind thoughts. I really hate it when that happens, especially when I know how much lovelier life is when I’m not tumbling down to the lower depths.

Then, as grace would have it, I also thought about those same holes, and how the most wonderful and generous gifts enter through them: a smile when I least expect it, a kind word, the light in the hallway, the sight of my husband, a million different instances that spread like the light of dawn in my heart.

Suddenly I felt tears prick at my eyes, and I looked at the bugs again but this time with gratitude. Thank you for bringing this bit of grace into my life.