I’m always thankful for busy days at the office. Today I was especially thankful. Late this afternoon I finally received the phone call that I’d waited all day for. The surgeon’s voice was filled with optimism as he shared the successful news of Pita’s three-hour cancer surgery.
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Words of Genuine /
Today marks one week since I returned to days of habit after my ten-day retreat to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. Every time I return to that area, I locate a special sense of soul rejuvenation. This year was a bit different than previous years. Rather than hitting the road for a daily dose of off the beaten path exploratory field trips, I anchored myself to the cabin by the lake for a week.
Read MoreA Morning of Levels /
I sipped coffee by the lake this morning just to process this day infamously and always to be known as 9/11. Sitting in the Blue Ridge sunshine, I remembered watching the events of that morning. It remains a day of horrors as the world changed and unfolded minute by minute. Despite the ugliness of the day, the heroes were the winners - the coworkers, the bystanders, the emergency response personnel, the nurses, the single parents, the teachers, the rich, the poor, the hurting, and the Average Joe.
Read MoreValued Upbringing /
Pouring a fresh cup of coffee, I thought about my morning discoveries. None of them really came as a surprise. I’ve always been respectful, protective, and frugal with my belongings. I’m certain that my Daddy had something to do with that. He was a tinkerer. Not for the hobby of it, but as a means to keep things working. We were a working class family, which doesn’t mean we didn’t have nice things. We just didn’t have an abundance of them. What we had, we took care of because disposable was not in our vocabulary.
Read MoreA Best Friend's Promise /
I was scolded by my 15 lb. friend on Tuesday evening after leaving him alone in the cabin for two hours while I shopped at a local used record store. How dare me? Fortunately, all ills were forgiven and any grudges resolved with a single peanut butter dog biscuit and swim in the ocean. The world was once again at peace.
Read MoreCasting a Line. Catching a Day. /
As we stood there talking, I remembered how my father used to love to fish and how he would prepare his fresh catch with a clean and precise filet knife. I asked Herbert if he filleted his fish. “Oh no” he replied. I just cuts 'em down the back and pan fry 'em till they’re lightly brown. That's all I do."
Read MoreA Father's Nightstand /
Father's Nightstand
Though the sound of my alarm clock indicates time moving forward, little changes on a father’s nightstand.
Analog and Moms /
Ripen Fast
The black and white image above was taken with the first Polaroid camera I ever owned, a classic folding leather covered SX-70 Sonar. I found the camera last summer at a rural roadside yard sale while on my way to visit Mom for her birthday. Our celebration for Mom's big day included homemade ice cream and live music at a small hometown waterside street festival. It was a fantastic way to celebrate her day.
Ripen Fast
The color image was taken on the same day as the SX-70 photo. It was taken using my 1963 100 series Polaroid Land Camera soon after I finished repairing the shutter release mechanism. Bringing this camera back to life was thrilling.
Analog, Moms, and homemade ice cream are just beyond fab.