GigglewoodLoosely defined "gigglewood" refers to tree limbs that have been damaged by weather, they are twisted and curved and actually quite beautiful. Many of us probably see them as we drive by forests or marshes, that is if we are lucky enough to live near a forest or marsh. To the untrained eye these branches may appear to be deformed or damaged, but look closer at how wind, and snow, and ice have transformed them into unique pieces of natural art.
This past week my husband and I had the opportunity to spend a week in Alaska, actually he spent almost a full month there climbing Denali and then a week with me when I flew up there to meet him.
I landed during the summer solstice and Anchorage was abuzz with fair goers and others who were enjoying the near 22 hours of sunlight, we spent a few days in Anchorage and then Seward, then we headed north toward Denali but stayed at a place named Gigglewood. Owned and operated by Larry and Linda, a high school friend of my father in-laws and his wife, Gigglewood is a small lakeside inn technically in Willow, AK but if you ask the locals they are located in Caswell Lakes. Gigglewood is within easy reach of Anchorage as well as Denali National Park and just a short drive to Talkeetna.
Our stay was restful as well as fun...evenings we would grill in the common area and were joined by Linda & Larry, both of whom had many stories to tell (some of my father in-law and some tales of life in Alaska). Sure there were plenty of bugs, it was June after all, but Larry & Linda have an array of candles to try to dissuade the little biters and for those that insist on attacking, well there were gizzmos that resembled small tennis rackets but were slightly electrified. Since I am the family no pest strip, the no-see-ums and mosquitoes seemed to only be attracted to me, therefore sparing the rest of the group. While in Anchorage we took an overnight trip to Seward which included an 8.5 hour glacier and wildlife cruise. The glaciers were, well ...they were huge and cold (and quite beautiful). While standing on the deck of our boat (with the rest of the wildlife paparazzi) we were treated to a fin slapping show by none other than a Fin whale. Just as the captain of the boat was finished telling us how that would be the most we would be able to see of that particular whale because they "almost never" breech, and as most of the paparazzi put down their cameras the "almost never" became a "WOW!" when that Fin whale did in fact breech. So while others were swearing under their breath and trying to get their cameras up, I was able to capture this image:
This trip was 40 years in the making, and was a 50th birthday gift from family members who contributed. A once in a lifetime trip? Maybe, but I hope to go back again...to see the northern lights!
Oh...I will have a full compliment of photos for sale in a week or two, so check back often!
When Two People Know What Love IsSure I have photographed a more than few weddings....and yes I am seriously thinking of getting out of the "biz" (for reasons unimportant at the moment). But then came the opportunity to spend the day with two people who truly know what love is. Yes, just as with the other weddings I have photographed, Tim and Amanda love each other..enough to commit their lives and lifetimes to each other, but they also have an extraordinary ability to see beyond the surface and to love others just as they are, to cherish and nurture people. It should not be a surprise that she is a nurse and he has gone back to school to become a Special Ed teacher. Their love for each other, for others, and for life in general is almost palpable.
Tim and Amanda's wedding was neither huge nor extravagant, rather is was an intimate setting with family and close friends, in a church which held many childhood memories for Amanda, her sister, and cousins. The bridge just outside of the church was a place that Amanda and her cousins spent many a Sunday playing and, dodging raindrops as well as listening to distant thunder, was the setting for an intimate wedding portrait.
Honestly, the one thing that made this wedding stand out was the beautiful and loving hearts of the bride and groom. The evidence is in all of the photos of them with the children in attendance as well as how much fun everyone had.
Dancing the "Chicken Dance"and "Hokey Pokey" as well as the limbo followed by much laughter and hugs all around, this was a day filled with a celebration of love and of life and that left everyone feeling as if they had just experienced a warm collective hug! Congratulations and Blessings Tim & Amanda When Brokenness HealsI feel the healing... just a little everyday. Some days there is nothing and I worry that I will be forever stuck in a place of brokenness. Then there are days that I feel as if each tiny crack in my soul is beginning to mend, as if with each step I am indeed closer to being the newer, better, healed version of myself. The version of myself that my 16-year-old self would never have dreamed of. The version of myself that, on my wedding day, I would have never thought could be possible. The days that feel as if every negative word spoken around me is meant for me are now much fewer and much farther between. The painful shattered cracks in my soul that felt more like broken bones or bits of glass between my toes now feel more like warm sand running through my fingers. We all have tough experiences in our lives, but sometimes there will be ONE that causes all of the others to resurface. When past pain comes rushing back and the hurt, anger, confusion, and disbelief resurface like a beach ball held under water for too long then suddenly let go. The beach ball shoots up with great speed but does not come down to rest on the surface, no it shoots towards the sky before plummeting back down and hitting the water once again with a THWACK! Just as the waves and ripples on the water calm so will the little cracks of brokenness. It just takes time. When brokenness heals what takes its place is peace and strength, wisdom and knowledge, hope and understanding. At least for me.
Cosmetic Bags? Yes!Whether you are looking for a quick holiday gift, spring cleaning, or back to school ideas think cosmetic bags! If you are like me, or my daughter, or my friends, you stock up on your favorite cosmetics 2x a year...at "Bonus" time and with all your freebies you also get a little cosmetic bag. I have used a few of them until they were totally worn out but then I had at least a half dozen new ones under my sink just waiting to be used.
Well clean them out and put them to good use! Recently in lieu of stuffing stockings full of school supplies for a low income school, I pulled them out and then went to a $1 type store and purchased plain blue and black bags (for those who may not want flowered bags) as well as pens, pencils, erasers, and sticky notes. The bags are now full and ready to be given out. Perhaps pens and pencils are not your idea of a fun gift but there are lots of other uses for those bags such as:
Donate these to under privileged schools, homeless shelters, shelters for battered women, food banks...use your imagination and use those bags!
Cheers! Paula What a Rescued Rottweiler Taught MeIn the summer of 2014 my husband decided he wanted to adopt a dog, and he wanted a Rottweiler. He checked shelters, Craig's List, and rescue websites daily. Not too far from us was a family that felt that, with their young children and their friends, they just could not keep their Rottweiler any longer. We drove over one Saturday afternoon to meet "Millie" and we fell in love, she was large (even for a Rottweiler) and very well trained and we were ready to take her home with us. But the family wanted a day to say goodbye to her and would call us on Sunday. We waited but the phone never rang. Mark finally called them and the family had decided that they couldn't give us Millie after all. We were heart broken! I had already had a year filled with a school shooting, a hospitalization, word that I had a rare cataract in one eye. My husband's father had suffered not one but 2 heart "incidents" and at the same time his mother was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Our daughter had also just graduated from the University of Oklahoma with two BA degrees. and our son had an ear all but severed due to a work related accident. It had been a busy year and we were barely half way through. To have been turned down by Millie's family was good for them but heartbreaking for us. Mark continued to look. One day he emailed me a photo of the sorriest looking dog I had ever seen. The document stated that he was a 65 pound neutered male Rottweiler; approximately 5-8 years old; found abandoned; heart worm-positive. Aggressive. Location: Houston. Status: needs foster home, due for euthanasia. No one wanted an old and potentially mean Rottweiler. Mark wanted him. He was delivered to our doorstep in white van by Rescued Pets Movement, his name was Roarke and he was skinny, dirty, and shy. His head hung low and he would not look anyone in the eye. Frankly I was worried that we had just gotten a dog that was either broken or mean and aggressive. As time quickly showed, he was neither. He is the sweetest dog I think I have ever met; protective of both Mark and I but mainly of me (I think he knows that Mark can take care of himself).
He has proven to be the healing balm this woman needed after the school shooting...we spent a summer together giving each other unconditional love and attention and we both healed. Me from my shock and he from years spent chained and sitting on cement, malnourished and unloved. Roarke taught me some things too:
A heart as tough as shoe leather can be softened by love.
Don't be afraid to play with your favorite toy.
Take a walk everyday.
Laugh at yourself.
Eat well and take naps, you will feel better.
Age really is just a number.
Love unconditionally.
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