Undertow

I have been under the water
Under the weather
Undone
I have been under the water for 2 weeks.
I have been muddled, murky, blurred, befuddled, and also slightly deaf.

So, if you've noticed that I haven't been coming 'round well...I'm not quite myself.

The old medicine didn't work, there are high hopes for the new medicine. It's bigger, stronger, faster, but it's undertow makes me even more deep divery.

Another side effect seems to be self portraiture. Perhaps there will be a renaissance of the 'Experiment'. But for now, I think I will take a little break and hope to see you soon on dry land.

Be well.

Well Hello

I'm back. After a number of issues with blogger, my camera, and a bit of overextending myself...I think I have put things to right again. I've gotten a little off track and so I'm starting fresh.

Remember my little "Self Portrait Challenge"? It's on again! These were taken in the first days of the new year. The first good look at myself of 2011.

I had just dyed my hair a shade called 'Egyptian Plum'. When I told the Engineer over the phone he thought I had said 'Egyptian Slum', to which he replied, "That sounds awful!" So, now I am the mom at school pick up wearing what may or may not be pajama pants, and hair the color of an exotic Slum...which, if you're curious, is vaguely purple.

How about you, wouldn't you like to capture yourself on the precipice of a new year?

I'm off to see what I've been missing out there in blogland. I'll be back next week, with crafty bits and possibly to share a little secret I've been keeping.

Have a grand weekend!

Hello Monday

Happy Monday my friends! I'm back from my busy week on the first official day of the school holidays.
I want to thank you all for the lovely comments and birthday wishes you sent my way. They certainly cheered me up and put me in a birthday state of mind. Unfortunately, due to some sort of technical glitch, I have been unable to reply to comments individually. Hopefully that will sort itself out soon. In the meantime please know that I read all of your words and appreciate them immensely!

The day itself was just right. I was surprised by The Engineer and Pony Girl with a pancake breakfast, then spent the morning with a little yarn on the sofa next to a glorious spot of sun. There was a crazy trip to the thrift store and then a dinner date with the Mr. - after which I was reminded of the danger lurking in drinks that come with sippy straws. All in all, a very pleasant day.
I even managed a photo for my 'self portrait experiment' which I had been neglecting. I think I will be starting that back up again in earnest at the new year...possibly a flickr group in the works.

I've been hoping for snow but, instead we have dark, cold and rainy. I do believe some tent building and bread baking are in order for the day. I'm also itching to know what all of you have been up to so, I might come visiting. If you hear an unexpected knock at the door, it could be me.

Have a sweet day!

It's Friday!

I'm gearing up for next weeks school holiday and family holiday. Truth be told my head is in a spin and a last minute B-day pres is required for tonight! Eeek! With all the planning, cooking, making, and general full house mayhem, I think that it might be wise for me to take a little blog break. So, I hope that you and yours have a truly wonderful week next week while I'm away being very thankful for all I have.

Oh yes, I have fallen behind on my own self portrait challenge, I know, I know. I could have picked a better time of year for this really! In any case, I do have one from Halloween that I have been remiss in showing you. The process of this photo has led me to the discovery of feather eyelashes, more fun than I ever would have imagined!



See you soon!

C'mon join the fun!

So, it's Friday and I'm all outta ideas. I know, it's time for another weekly self portrait thing! Man, I gotta come up with a catchy name for this experiment, any suggestions? Also, considering some of the comments and reactions I received on my introductory post about this, I think that some of you should join me! C'mon, you know you want to, it's easy, it's fun, and it's good for you! We could pick which day of the week we would post our pictures, it could be done on our blogs or I could start a flickr group or...ooh, we could pick a theme or a keyword for each portrait and, and...
Well contrary to my first sentence, it seems I am indeed full of ideas. Or maybe just full of the dickens!

Anyway, some things I learned about that first photo foray into self discovery were:
1. I have more gray hair than I realized.
2. For every passable shot there are at least 20 others that are ridiculous.
3. I was reminded of the words from an 80's Camper Van Beethoven song, "you know, you really shouldn't take yourself so seriously. If you want to know why, it's 'cause no one else does."
4. Have fun.

So, in the spirit of the last two, here is this weeks self portrait. It's all about the silly.
This was actually intended to be a lighting test, not a true shot. There is no editing but for a little cropping. Just me, no make up, a funny hat, a poofy skirt and a guitar. It is not a good shot from a photography standpoint, it isn't clever in the least but, it gave me a chuckle. And the guitar isn't just a prop, I actually do play but, there is absolutely no reason for it to be in the photo (other than it was on the bed at the time). I do love the morning light that comes through our bedroom window.
To see this photo on black click HERE.

Well, like I said, you should join me, really!

Have a lovely weekend!

Taking a good hard look at myself

First, I would like to thank you for leaving the loveliest comments on my last post. It was something written down on a whim, to help me remember a sweet flash in time, a Mama moment. I was touched by your words and thoughts. I wanted to reply to all of you but, there were less sweet moments needing attention and I could not quite keep up. Just know you have put a wee skip in my get-along.

Now for something completely different...





Yup, that's me. A whole lot of me.
It is extremely hard to take photos of oneself I've discovered. The old 'arms length routine' makes you look dour, when really you're just trying to keep from dropping the camera. It seems near impossible to not capture a sad, angry, or constipated look...and when you try to look happy or joyful, you merely come out looking insane. There are a few 'pleasant' looking photos, where you turn out the perfect 'back jacket author photo'...of a New Age Mystery novel. Or, there is that one that would make the perfect cover for a Joan Baez Tribute album. And there is no such thing as a 'candid' self portrait.

What is harder still, is showing said photos to the world. Yikes! So why am I doing it? A few of you have asked me to but, that is not the sole reason. You see, about a year ago I had this little thought. It was not particularly original, and it was rather silly. The thought kept popping up and so, well here we go.

For the next few months I will be taking a self portrait a week. It's a project, an experiment really. I will most likely post these pictures to my flickr pages. It is a challenge I have oddly set for myself, and so beyond my comfort zone. Part photography lesson, part daring myself to do something different, and part taking a good hard look at myself. To see if I can see myself, or something cosmic like that. All of the above photos were taken on the same day at different times.

I don't know how long the experiment will last, most likely until I discover that deep down I'm a narcissist and run away with myself or, until I grow weary of it. I may miss some weeks but, I'm not too strict on these things. I feel slightly terrified and completely ridiculous but, I'm doing it anyway.

and Cath, this one's for you!