Resolutions

Anyone who really knows me is aware that I do not like the cold.  And, for those of you I have not met formally, "Hi, my name is Cherene and I do not like the cold!"  I recently spent some time thinking about resolutions for the new year.  I decided that I need to be more positive...to look for the silver lining in that gray cloud...to make lemonade out of lemons...well, you get the idea.  And, as soon as I declared my intentions for 2014, it snowed.

 

And then, the record setting cold snap hit.  In keeping with my new resolution, I began to think about winter and snow to try and "make the lemonade".  I picked up my camera and took some shots out my doors and windows.

Nothing can change my perspective and provoke thought like my camera!  And, do  you know what I discovered?  Winter is kind of magical!  The view out my doors and windows looked as though the weather angels had sprinkled crystals as far as the eye could see.  The contrast of the bare trees against the pale sky and snowy ground was remarkable. 

After all, winter is a time to really experience warm fluffy blankets, comfort food, hot cocoa and holiday lights and dark starry nights.  And, winter makes you look forward to spring.  After a long season of snow and ice, don't we all experience a certain sense of anticipation and wonder when we see the first crocus or shoot of green grass?  We delight as the days grow longer and warmer.  Without the cold, frosty- breath days and nights of winter, we would not appreciate the coming change as much.  So, even though winter might not be my favorite time, I must admit that there are a lot of things to count as blessings.  So, come on winter, I say.  I will keep my focus on those silver linings.  Just don't overstay your welcome! :-D 

Blessings!

Cherene

Remember to cherish this journey we call life...your footprints are a gift from above!

Whimsy...

The word whimsy is defined as ...capricious humor or disposition; extravagant; fanciful; excessively playful expression; light or fanciful humor.  Those who know me might describe me as conservative.  My family says that I am too serious.  I don't agree with the fam but that is a discussion for another post :-D  Anyway, whimsy is definitely a word I would use for the antics of my sometimes crazy family.  And...I love them for their whimsical ways!

Blessings,

Cherene
Remember to treasure your footprints along life's path.  They are a gift from above!

Falling...

Fall is falling...sigh.  It is getting cooler in the mornings and the sun is hiding a bit more.  I just want to curl up in a blanket with a good book.  Hmmmm....perhaps Nina (my crazy dog) has the right idea!

Blessings!


Chérene


Remember to cherish this journey we call life...your footprints are a gift from above!

A View...of Claire

The room was surprisingly big, as nursing homes go.  Glancing up at the ceiling, though, I could see that the room used to house two patients.  Or, should I say, residents.  The tracks that control privacy curtains were still visible.  The room was pretty bare.  It just did not have much personality.  There was a dark wooden armoire angled in one corner, a single hospital bed, a night stand, a hospital tray table and a television mounted to the wall.  Oh, and I forgot to mention the one chair that was filled with extra sheets and blankets and, the window with a view to nowhere.  And there sat my sister, Claire, in a wheelchair.  She was surprised to see us.  Her expressions are exaggerated because MS has really slowed her brain and responses.  But, we still got a warm reception and weak hugs.  Her sense of humor is quite intact though.  She wanted to know why her son had brought “aliens” with him.  I am sure that comment was aimed at me since I am the Trekker.  Hmmm…I guess it has been a long time since we were in the same room together.  We talk on the phone often enough, but our lives seem so far apart even though the distance is only roughly two hours by car.  She laughed when I rolled my eyes at her and told her to “Live Long and Prosper”.  She loved the flowers that we brought. 

They were after all, the brightest thing in the room.  I know that my sister needs a certain level of care and that she may not be able to live without assistance any more.  But, she should be able to live!  There was not a lot of life in that room.  I get that residents need some “hospital–like” equipment and all, but could they at least make the place a little cozy.  Does it all have to look so antiseptic and dingy?  The room dwarfed Claire.  She must only weigh eighty or eighty-five pounds.  She has always been tiny, but not like that. 

 Her hair, that had once almost reached her waist, was cut short and was very curly.  She told us it was her “Halle Berry” look.  And, I could not help but notice the contracting muscles in her left leg.  She explained that she was going to have surgery to help relax the muscle and ease the pain. 

She did not know when or what was going to happen after that.  “Are you coming back here?”I asked.  “Oh, I don’t know”, she mused.  We brought her up to speed about all her nieces and nephews and their children.  She looked amazed as I showed her pictures on my cell phone and said” Everybody is so big!”  She laughed when her son said that “We kids grow, Mom” and she said she was trying to sell him but no one was buying!  She picked up the phone to dial and it took a lot of concentration for her to coordinate making her fingers work and getting the number right.  Her son laughed and told her she had a crazy “phone face”. 

 After a while, we left and promised to come see her again soon.   I laughed about the crocheted pink flamingo pillow on her bed.  Claire used to crochet a lot and was quite talented.  She said she had made it.  I was glad someone thought to bring it because it was at least a familiar thing…something that reminded her of home. 

Well, that place is not going to be her home…at least not looking like that!  We are on the hunt for a better nursing “home” and when we find it, we are going to jazz it up.  MS or not, Claire deserves to “live” as much as she is able and not be stashed away like a forgotten dusty book.  And, there will be a view.   

 Remember to treasure your footsteps.  They are a gift from above. 


Blessings!

Chérene

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Watermelon thoughts of Claire

I’m not the best blogger.  I’m not the best at a lot of things, I guess.  Life kind of gets in the way. And then, something just happens to you...just out of the blue.  Like today.  I was cooking. It was nothing fancy...steak, potatoes with butter and parsley and salad.  I pulled pot holders down from the shelf to check the oven. They are crocheted and shaped like watermelon slices with seeds and all.  My sister made them for me...my baby sister.  I stared at those pot holders and lots of those “back-in-the-day” images flooded me.  You know the ones.  We all have them at some time or another.   My Mom is and was a beauty and my sister Claire is the spitting image of her. My baby sister is Claire...the little one, the pretty one, the popular one, the smart one, the driven one...and now, the sick one.  You see, my sister has Multiple Sclerosis...the primary-progressive kind.  That means there is no remission, no relief, no improvement.  My sister knew what she wanted to be almost from birth.  That would be a nurse.  She got one of those nurse outfits for her 4th  birthday and it hung in a place of honor in her closet for years.  I mean years...well into her 20s.  She even had the bag with the pretend syringe and candy pills.  When my brother got the measles and the family was supposed to go berry picking, she volunteered to stay home and take care of him.  She was only five and she sacrificed strawberry picking or rather eating in her case.  When I broke my arm, my mom made me suffer the indignity of having my little sis spoon feed me vegetable soup so she could be nurturing.  And that same mom of mine volunteered me as a guinea pig when my sister needed to practice administering shots when she was doing her clinical training...ouch.  I endured the hot sun at her college graduation.  When my Mom collapsed at home, in the middle of the night, you can’t even imagine how grateful I was that my sister, the nurse, was at home and knew what to do.  And we held hands at the funeral.  And, yes, she became a nurse and what a nurse she was!  She went on to earn her Master’s degree and almost achieved her PHD before the MS robbed her of her plans.  She worked at a hospital and even taught nursing to others. Even now, when she is not so clear in her thoughts, she still can give everyone smart advice about medical things.   Images of her cuteness and her smiling face keep floating in my brain.  I can see her in the Halloween costumes that my Mom always hand made and in her high school cheerleading uniform.  She played the saxophone and was Salutatorian of her high school class.   I can see her in her cap, gown and hood with her gorgeous smile.  But, I also see how she has deteriorated...how small and fragile she is.  Even though she repeats herself during conversation and she isn’t always coherent, she always remembers everyone’s birthday and calls to say “have a happy day”.  Her favorite color is pink and each time we talk, she tells me she needs an address book, some slippers (pink of course) and a wind up alarm clock.  Well, once again, I find myself talking to God .  I mean, I have two sisters and go figure, they both have MS.  How does that happen in one life?  And, why?  My other sister, Colette, has the relapsing/remitting kind of MS so she is not in the same shape as Claire.  Claire is in the hospital now.  She is probably headed for a nursing home because the medical folks keep throwing the words “constant care” around.   Claire is not that old.  As a matter of fact, the problem that presents is that many nursing homes will not take her because she is “too young”.   But, I don’t want to think about that.  I prefer the yesterday  images floating in my brain.  Something I saw prompted me to seek out Isaiah 40:29-31..”.He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary; and your men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will  soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. “  I am praying and hoping that Claire dreams about the same images that float in my brain.  I love you Claire and I know that you are soaring with the eagles...and I am praying for miracles.

Blessings,

Cherene

Boys and Toys!

Cleaning the garage is like going on a treasure hunt. I find all kinds of things. I found some of my boy's old toys. C'mon, who doesn't like toys? So, I asked them if they wanted to keep them and of course I was a bit surprised when they both responded with a quick "No, Mom. Throw them away". What!? But they're memories! How can you throw memories away. Okay, so I am a pack-rat, but memories are serious. I remember when these toys came to live at my house. I remember watching my boys play with them and the hours of delight they brought. The toys were always present when we watched their respective TV shows and they were great for keeping bouncy boys quiet at restaurants while we were waiting for our food. So, again, I ask,"How do you throw away memories"? Well, if you are me, you take pictures of them. Yeah, my boys shook their heads when I grabbed my camera and asked them to pick out some of their favorites. They teased me but they will appreciate the warm fuzzy feelings they get when they look at the pictures in the years to come. I can just hear them telling stories of how they played with the toys. And, I did get rid of them...well, sort of. I just did what any self-respecting pack-rat would do...I passed them on to my grand-twins. And you can bet I am going to take their pictures with those toys!

Can you name these toys?

Sting-Dragon Flyz-Power Ranger (Jason)-Pikachu-Mighty Ducks

Sting was a favorite!

Dragon Flyz were fun to launch!

BeyBlades!

Etch-A-Sketch and Legos

Sunglasses and Pooh!

So, what toys are you hiding in your garage or attic? :-D 

Blessings!

Cherene

Remember to cherish this journey we call life...your footprints are a gift from above!

Light

"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.”  ~ Og Mandino
When I came upon the above quote, it really spoke to me because I love light.  I love the warmth and light of the sun and I love gazing at the stars.  When I was a little girl and my family was driving somewhere at night, I would pretend that all the cars headlights and taillights were strings of rubies and diamonds.  I have stood in my share of fields at dusk to see the light of fireflies flickering in the air.  All three of my children were born when it was warm.  I sang lullabies to each one of them under glow of the stars in the night sky.  Even now, I love to stand outside under the night sky and pray.  I just feel closer to God when I am gazing at the beauty of the night sky.  I don't know why...I just love light.  I guess my love of light helps explain why I love photography so much.  The word "photography" comes from two Greek words.  Photo comes from "phos" and means light and graphy comes from "graphi" which means to write or draw.  The exact form in greek is fotografia. So, as a photographer, we write or draw with light.  Fascinating...



Fireworks in the park near my house.

The Grand Finale 

And, this is the sunset in the park!

Blessings!


Cherene
 Remember to cherish this journey we call life...your footprints are a gift from above.

 



Reluctant Model...Dutiful Son

My family teases me about my camera .  I love my camera!  Sometimes when we are getting into our mini van I will hear the old familiar phrase "Oh, no.  She is taking her camera" or the exasperation of "Are you going to bring your camera?".  Well, the answer is YES.  Did I say I love my camera? ☺Not too many weeks go by that I don't try to shoot something.  I use my children for inspiration as much as I can.  Sometimes they can be reluctant models though.  In these shots, I asked my son Jordan to climb into a bunch of bramble bushes in the park because I had an "idea".  I get lots of ideas...some good, some not so good.  But, hey, I am always trying to learn and to grow.  You can't do that if you don't try, right?  Even though I had to put up with some eye-rolling and sighing, my dutiful son crawled into those brambles.  I shot these images in black and white.  I like the dreamy quality.

He really did crawl through quite a few brambles!

I like the pensive pose but I think he was giving me the usual and customary "now you know I am not going to  smile, right?"

Another pensive pose...

I think this might be my favorite one!  I got to try out my ideas and I love the results.  What do you think?

Cherene

Remember to cherish this journey we call life...your footprints are a gift from above

Beauty Found

I collect angels.  I cannot explain why they appeal to me so much, but they do.  Perhaps it is because they represent love and hope.  Perhaps it is because they are so elusive.  Henri Mattise said, "There are always flowers for those who want to see them."  I think the same is true of angels.

Cherene

Remember to cherish this journey we call life...your footprints are a gift from above

A Jedi Knight

 Isn't the imagination of children wonderful? These images are of master Ethan pretending to be a Jedi Knight, light-saber and all.  ☺  It was freezing that day, but Ethan didn't care.  He was fighting to save the Empire!  Here's hoping that we never lose our sense of child-like wonder and imagination.  

Cherene

Remember to cherish this journey we call life...your footprints are a gift from above

Snowy Season

There is a big storm going on right now. The traffic is a mess and the roads are icy. It is a perfect time to remember the flowers. Martin Luther said "God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on  trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars." Believe it or not, I took this picture on November 11th. I can't believe this rose was still so glorious at that late date.  It helps me remember that winter is necessary and has it's own brand of beauty, but flowers are a wonderful creation. My memories of this rose will help me wait patiently for spring.

Cherene
Remember to cherish this journey we call life...your footprints are a gift from above.

Back to Blogging...

Slacker...or just crazy busy. Either way, either word is an excuse. Anyway, I am back to blogging!! I love spring! My camera and I took Jason and Jordan to the park for pictures. I guess I should try and get some of them together. Jason is Kent State bound. (Can I get a woot, woot!) I am excited for him and sad for me. But, only a little bit sad. I mean, really, who truly wants their kids to be failures and live at home in the basement until they are 40 or so? I am not saying that I won't miss him, but I am so happy for him. He has worked hard in high school. He will work even harder in college (did you get that Jason? LOL) but what a blessing and what rewards! We had a blast in the park just being silly. Well, I guess the guys were mostly being silly and I was telling them to stop between the giggles. The pictures were taken when I could get them to settle down. Can you belive they were using my tripod as a gun, Mission Impossible style? I guess I will post those pictures later.

Peace, Out! That's what these brothers would say! I really need to choose a name for my camera. Tell me what you think!

Blessings...

Cherene

Tribute

It is said that imitation is the best form of flattery. So, imagine my curiosity when I came home yesterday to find my youngest son in the livingroom wearing his black suit, complete with dressy shoes, white socks and sporting a fedora. He explained that he had been watching the memorial to Michael Jackson and several of his music videos. He was, as he put it "working on his MJ moves." I just smiled. The vision of him brought back so many fond memories of my children and I singing and dancing to music videos. We are still known to blast a beloved tune while we are in the car. We must be a sight when other drivers and passengers see our vehicle bouncing down the road! He peppered me with questions about Michael Jackson trivia. We relived memories of his older brother dancing like MJ in talent shows and that they danced just because they loved the music. He wondered out loud about what would happen to MJ's family and children. He wanted to know why everyone was now extolling the man's virtues when they were dogging him before. He was amazed at what Michael could do with music and dance that no one else could. He said he didn't believe anyone else would ever be able to do what Michael could . We went to pick his brother and his girlfriend up and my boy was still wearing his MJ clothes. He wasn't a bit concerned about what anyone who saw him might think. It was, afterall, his tribute, his way. As for his brother, he told him that he looked cool, borrowed the fedora, put it on his head and they started singing. I sang, too. All the while, I thanked God for the blessings He gave me in the form of my sons. My almost 14 year old son is secure enough in himself to remember Michael in his own unique way. My almost 18 year old did not ridicule, but supported his brother. I love their imagination, their enthusiasm, their brotherly love. I love the glimpses that I get of the men my sons are becoming. They don't mind sharing their beliefs or taking whatever stand they think is right. I took some pictures of the "temporary MJ impersonator". Come on, my camera is never far from my hand! But, I promised not to post them on my blog or Facebook. I understand. It was personal. But, I plan to tuck those pictures away for him to one day show his children. I can just see him sharing the music with them and explaining the memories that he and his brother and sister, mom and dad made to those tunes. Heck, he will probably run to his closet and put on his suit to show them some of the "moves" he will have "perfected" by then. I will , however, share one picture. I don't think he will mind. Afterall, imitation is the best form of flattery or the best tribute, if you will. Rest in Peace Michael....father, son, brother, uncle, friend...creator of music, inspirer of dreams and memories. You are in God's arms. Here's hoping your family clings to His promise.



Remember to Cherish this journey that we call life. Your footprints are a gift from above.

Cherene

Slacking"

I have been slacking. Life just seems to blow me away on a fast wind (sigh)! All of a sudden, it is two months later.... anyway, I'm back! Spring has been full of crazy weather. One clear day, I got the opportunity to walk the railroad tracks with Jason. We had a blast. So, we got some shots for his senior portfolio. Senior pics are great! We will do some this spring/summer, some this fall and maybe even some in the winter. Then, we can pick what he wants for announcements, 411 cards and graduation party invitations! Senior year is such an important time and all the memories are important. Every senior has their "style" and it is important to capture "their story". Here are some of my faves of Jason...

Walkin' the Tracks...











Love those Marvel graphic t-shirts!


Pickin" up souvenirs...







Blessings!

Cherene