But I Don't have Time for a Portrait!

This is Rhonda on Cindy's blogspot today. Today is Thursday, and I can say without reservation, that I am so glad tomorrow is Friday! It's been a long week for me on the homefront, driving carpools in my car with one hand on the wheel, while the other hand clutches a Diet Coke, washing mounds of laundry but never finding socks that match, fighting battles over clothes, dinner, and this week, specifically, duking it out over hairstyles! I plopped into a chair at the studio yesterday and looked at Cindy and said, "No offense, but what family has time to get their pictures made?" Who were those organized moms in Tory Burch shoes that were able to waltz into Cindy's studio with perfectly groomed hair, and kids to match? In my mind, those were the people who had portraits made. I have ten pounds to lose, my ten year old just got a mohawk yesterday, my husband works all the way in Baytown, so not only do we not have the time for a professional portrait, but we don't have the hair for it now either.

After my comment, Cindy looked at me thoughtfully and said, "You know, it's really not about finding the perfect time or moment, but about making the most out of the moment you have." And after turning that comment over in my head, I've begun to realize one thing: yes, we are busy, and yes, life is not perfect, but my kids aren't getting any younger. If I want to capture memories of these 4 fabulous children of mine who are at such different ages and stages, that I must essentially "meet the camera" at wherever we are in life -- mohawks, and all. In fact, I think I'm going to bring my kids in next week for Cindy's In and Out special. It's a condensed version of a full portrait session. I like this idea. The sitting fee is only $70 and since we have mohawks going on in our family right now, I don't feel as though the cost is a huge gamble. Cindy promises to get my kids' holiday photo taken in about fifteen minutes. Granted, In and Out is not one of Cindy's full blown portrait sessions, and in one of those you get fussed over by Cindy for at least an hour or so, but for a mom with no time on her hands, and four busy kids, this option will be perfect! We'll keep you posted on how they turn out. I can't wait!

I Love My Job!

There are so many ideas and thoughts roaming around in my head that I can’t seem to get a hold of one. I think it is because our lives seem busier than ever. I never thought that I would be this busy at this stage of my life.

I absolutely love what I do. I love the whole process of photography. I love to learn and take classes to stay current. I love all the different people that come into my studio and know that it’s time to stop time and create a memory. I love helping them beyond simply thinking, “We need a portrait.” And help them take the next step, whether that is talking through clothing ideas, bringing the clothes to the studio and laying them on the couch to discuss, finding a date that works, canceling that date to find a new date, rescheduling because of thunderstorms, finally getting to photograph, waiting for the pre-session jitters to go away and getting into the zone of shooting and the rhythm of being comfortable in front of the camera or even being camera unaware, editing for the very best images, projecting those images and discussing all the possibilities for the best impact, taking great care to edit the image for printing and combining the images for a story, studying the images for retouching and other enhancements, sending the order to the retoucher, sending the order to the lab, sending the order back to the print finisher (who is the same as the retoucher…..and is awesome, I might add….the best in the business, as far as I am concerned) exploring packaging and then watching the faces as they light up with delight. I love the whole process and I love the people that make the process necessary.

Thank you, thank you for a wonderful opportunity to see the beauty in everyone that walks in that door. So don’t wait until the perfect idea comes; instead, come in and we will make the idea perfect. But as my friend Judy said before Kristen’s wedding, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfect.” …..including blogs.

Staying Young

This is Rhonda, Cindy’s assistant. Today I’ve hijacked her blog and am filling in for her on the blogspot. I’ve worked in Cindy’s studio for almost two months, and have been able to meet some fabulous people. Most of the people who come in are Memorial moms, like me, but sometimes you meet a woman, or a group of women who are just so out of the ordinary, that you continue to think about them after they’ve left. Such was the case with Mary Wallace and her three sisters. “There were four sisters that came into the studio yesterday,” I said to my girlfriends on our morning run. “And they were in their sixties, seventies, and eighties… they looked so beautiful and vibrant...” and then I told my friends that Mary Wallace and her sisters were exactly how I wanted to look when I was well into my sixties and beyond.

What is the secret of aging gracefully? I think these sisters have found it. The secret is...are you ready for this? The secret is that there is no secret. There is not a product, a procedure, or a price for looking younger. As I approach my forties, I am coming to understand that aging gracefully is all about attitude. It's an attitude of living deliberately. Mary Wallace and her sisters understand that social connections, connections with family, like beloved sisters, are what keep us young. I'm starting to think that, in spite of our busy lives, having a social life and staying in touch with family is not an option -- it's a prescription. The power of human connection is what keeps us young, healthy, and alive. Staying young is about laughing over a glass of wine, sharing a secret, getting up before the busy-ness of the day begins to meet your friends for a run or a walk...its about making sure you attend bunco night, or the Happy Hour, or make the effort to go to the neighborhood party.

If you are like me, you are so busy your head spins. I have four children all still at home, a husband with a demanding job, and commitments like crazy. Sometimes when I get an Evite, or another invitation, my first impulse is to blow it off. But what if, from now on, we sought out people? What if, at least once a day, we tried to reach out to someone, to make a phone call or take a walk with an old friend? I don't know that the lines on my face will disappear. I'm sure my hair will still be gray, but I'm almost certain my countenance will be changed.

Blogettes

Have had several things on my mind and my response was what a perfect time to blog. The days get busy and all of the sudden, it is “quittin' time." At any rate, here are a few "blogettes" that have been floating around in my head:

We left for Beaver Creek, Colorado for the Ellis wedding. Quick recap: we missed our plane because baggage check and security was insane. No problem, got right on the next plane after a “not too bad” wait. Lawyer husband left his blazer that he was going to wear on the plane and to the wedding laying on the bed. No problem again - went to Joseph Banks when we landed and bought not only a blazer, but a great pair of pants, shirt and two ties that I think are wonderful. While waiting for the pants to be hemmed, we went to a great new restaurant called La Sandia. The food was delicious and the service at the restaurant was as good as getting the pants hemmed on the spot. I told the waitress that I thought the chips and salsa were the best ever. I wanted to know if they sold the salsa. They didn’t, but when we got ready to leave, the waitress came with a big smile and a box full of chips and salsa. She thought we needed a roadie. As my favorite book says, “it takes so little to be above average.” I’m stilltalking about this smiling waitress.

Back home from the chilly nights in Beaver Creek and back to the business that I love. Getting ready for our Dog Days promotional and looking forward to the sweet pets, or "furbabies" as Ann Monteith, friend and past president of PPA calls them. Tuffy and Trooper came in again this year. They brought a Christmas tree, a package and a Fitz and Floyd Santa. Claudia had made little Christmas bowties with holly for them to wear. Oliver, the long haired Chihuahua, got the Bravery Award. He was so tiny and little, but just posed in spite of his fear. He definitely could try out for the Wizard of Oz. Mona and Lisa were two beautiful twin Dachshunds that just sat quietly as we dressed them in their “Desperate Housedog” sweaters. Feeling like pushing our luck, we added a few tutus that made for a different look. These dogs are now eleven years old, but I was able to hear all about their one year old Yappy Birthday party at Three Dog Bakery. They had hats with the number one on the front and all the party guests wore Scooby Doo hats to complete the celebration.

Sophia, our next customer, was so sweet and calm. It was very obvious that she had been to etiquette classes and passed with flying colors. She even brought in her mink throw to be photographed in it. Every now and then she would forget her manners and let her tongue slip out, but will forgive this because she was so fabulous, and her hair was too. In fact, I'm thinking of taking Sophia with me the next time I need mine colored/highlighted! Finally, Sherlock came in Tuesday for a headshot. He (yes, Sherlock is a dog) works at an Eldercare law firm and is in charge of marketing and homeland security. Hey, maybe barketing is a combination of marketing and security. Sherlock was so regal. His ears were about as long as he was tall. How could he have been abandoned by his previous owner? He loved it when I meowed.

My last blogette has to do with my sweet granddaughter. If you have read any of my earlier blogs, you know that I love Chanel Number Five. Aunt Evelyn wore it, I love wearing it and I have “encouraged” granddaughter # 1 to dab a little behind her ears for special occasions. I was talking to her on the phone and she had come up with an idea. “Cease, when Jack, Daddy and Coach go to a football game, can you and Mommy and I go get our nails done? AND…..when we are finished can we put on some Michelle Number Five?” Chanel will never, ever be the same. Why is it when it comes our of the mouth of someone we love, it becomes something so precious? Sarah will probably grow up and call it by its correct name, but for me….from here on out, it is Michelle Number Five.

“Well, Mary Lou………..!”

As my sweet daughter-in-law, Margo, says, “That’s what women do…..they catch up.” That is exactly what happened this morning when Mary Lou, my mother’s long-time (Since 1946, to be exact) friend from Amarillo, went to see her. Mary Lou said she had not seen my mother since we moved her to a memory loss center soon after Hurricane Ike. Mary Lou was here for a brief time last Christmas right after her husband, Joe, died; but, for “a good ole visit,” as my mother would say, it has been over two years. When we walked into the room, my mother was sitting in a wheelchair. I have never seen my mother in a wheelchair and it took me back. I was glad that I had Mary Lou and her daughter, Shirley, with me. But the sweetest moment came when Mother looked up and immediately said, “Well, Mary Lou!” Mother recognized her without any prompting. It was straight from the heart and the conversation was peppered with “remember when” memories. Here is what I took away (bullet points in honor of my son-in-law, Sam.)

• Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. Today was golden.

• Your mind can retrieve pleasant memories …. make some.

• Friends accompany you through the tough times and the wonderful times in life.

• In spite of all the old age layers, my mom is still there.

• When we left, Mother seemed to be getting tired and more confused. She asked me if I thought that it would be best if she just stayed there. I agreed and then she looked at Mary Lou and said, “I wish you could come back every day.” Find a friend and tell her you love her.

• Friends can sometimes do what family can’t at the moment. Here’s the picture that this professional photographer took with my I Phone. I hate to tell the grandchildren and great grandchildren but Mary Lou managed to win the best smile producer award. Way to go, Mary Lou! You have given me a gift. I love you, Mother’s best friend.

Did you catch my wink?

“Not marketing is like winking at a pretty girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but she has no idea.” Love that quote and love how it makes sense that a business has to let people know what they are doing. So now that the marketing materials have been chosen, we are headed back to Omaha to fly home. Since the flight wasn’t until 5:30 we decided to go home through Lincoln to see the University of Nebraska and the capital of this state. Several of my favorite people are from Lincoln, so I was eager to see their stomping grounds. Ken and Sandy come to have me photograph their family every year and Ken most often has on a Nebraska sweater for the picture. Before too many minutes he is looking for “ his friend, Gary”, and before long they are talking Husker/Horn football. What nice people!!! What great children! You will hear more “mams” and “sirs” in a minute from those well-mannered and loveable children. So I was excited to call them and tell them where we were.


We drove through the Nebraska countryside taking pictures of calming vistas. The repetition of the hay bales was gorgeous and I am sure that I stumbled on an Andrew Wyeth painting inspiration. Most images were taken from the car since we were running low on gas, but I managed to get Gary to stop at one inspiring sight. While I was photographing this ramshackle old house and leaning shed, Dan, the owner and a father of six, came rushing up on his four-wheeler to see what we were doing. After I assured him that I did not have bad intentions and told him that I was in love with Nebraska, he was so delightful. He has children from age 26 years down to a 5 year old. His smile was infectious. I told him how to find my blog and I hope he is reading this. I think it is interesting how people come into your life that make a big impression in a short amount of time.





We left Dan and his ramshackle house and shed behind (Dan also owned a very nice looking farmhouse a little way down the road), found a gas station and headed on to the Interstate leading to Lincoln. But before we could figure out what happened, we had not taken the wrong turn but had not taken a turn at all and missed the exit for Lincoln and were half way back to Omaha. So Lincoln will have to wait until the next Nebraska visit.

I was struck by the contrast of the sights in Nebraska and the sights out the window of the plane in our Chicago layover and our arrival in Houston. We weren’t in Nebraska anymore.






Joys ahead,

Cindy

Finding customer service in Nebraska

Do you want to see and FEEL how a business with great customer service operates? You could get on a plane to NYC or Chicago or San Francisco or….you could hop on a Southwest Airline flight to Omaha, Nebraska and drive two hours northwest to Norfolk, Nebraska. There you would find Marathon Press, the company that hosts my website and does most of my marketing materials.

We left Houston on a Saturday and flew into Omaha. We got great airfares by leaving on Saturday and therefore arrived a day early and spent Saturday night and Sunday in Omaha. Of course, unknown to us, we picked the weekend that Warren Buffett, reportedly the second wealthiest man in the world, was holding his annual shareholders meeting. The Woodstock of Capitalism, my son tells me. We wandered around the Old Market Place, taking pictures of all the interesting places to photograph, drove by Rosenblatt Stadium where the College World Series has been played since 1948 (this year is the last time CWS will be held there before they move to the new stadium…..see later blog if Gary, Curt and # 1 grandson get to go), went to a cool store called “Be Yourself” (How did I know about it? They marketed themselves.) and then found Warren Buffett’s house. At least, the girl at Be Yourself told us how she thought we could find it. I have become fascinated with Mr. Buffett, not Jimmy Buffett this time but the second or third richest man in the world. Stay tuned for a later installment for my thoughts about this Mr. Buffet. We ate dinner at Piccolo Pete’s, one of Warren’s favorite restaurants. It was like an old time supper club and has been around for a long time. Then we headed to Norfolk.

Monday morning we were met by a roomful of friends. I say friends because that is exactly how you feel when you arrive. We got lost and called Marathon. The receptionist asked, “Are you in that white car?” She could see us across the field and going by on the highway next to it. How did she know? They are just trained for detail there. We were greeted warmly by Dee Dee, Linda, Karen, and Jeff. I felt like I had called a board meeting Warren Buffett style and we were the VIPs of the day. They were all there to attend to our every need. We started in on designing different materials, we met with the web department, we prioritized, we thought through ideas, we felt special and like someone had our backs or like someone was just as interested in our business as we were. There philosophy is if I succeed, then they succeed. Yes, they are there to make money, but not at the expense of CCP. Now isn’t that a great business? I’m so excited to share my senior brochure with you 2011 seniors and my family brochure with all you contemplating a family session. We have new gift cards coming should you want to purchase gift certificates for someone you think needs a portrait session. During the day, Bruce, the president of Marathon came in and we all sat and had Runzas. It is a sandwich that reminded me of a Kaloche. I hope they stay in Nebraska, because they were really good and I don’t need another vice. Our neighbor, Betty, had told us about Runzas and lasagne at Valentino’s. So you guessed it, after a long day of making decisions, Linda and Dee Dee took us to Valentino’s for lasagne. It is how I want to run my business and I want you to fill out our new “How did we do?” comment cards. REALLY, I DO. I want you to add me to YOUR list of really great place to do business. Next, Our trip home.

Meanwhile Back at the Chanel Counter

Do you know that there is not a single Chanel counter in Round Top, Bleiberville, Nelsonville or Bellville?  The makeup sample from the Chanel counter at Macy’s is perfect and I need some.  So it’s time to windup, or rewind or unmosey or quit meandering and gear up to get back to Houston.  Besides our whole vocabulary was changing.  We would sit on the front porch and in the distance we would hear the crunch of the dirt road of an approaching car.  Gary would look at me and say “Is somebody coming down our lane?”  Just like you see on television….there we sat looking a little Ma and Pawish as we rocked and looked out over the countryside.  We found ourselves saying things like yonder and waving at folks as we passed them on the two lane roads.  Don’t get me wrong.  We had a wonderful time.  We went into Roundtop and ate at Royer’s Café.  I told Bud that I had taken his picture at a wedding that I had photographed and that he had catered.  It was a great picture of him looking at his pies.  Susan said, “He looks at his pies like we look at our grandchildren.”  We wondered on the town square.  Liz, my friend and assistant extraordinaire, watched the older man sweep the steps of the general store.  We got terribly lost on the backroads and I was sure glad we had allowed enough time to get back to Bleiberville and Cemetery Road.  But I’m feeling a little antsy and wondering if I am a little more of a city girl than I thought that I was on Saturday.  I just need to go into a department store.  I love it that in about one hour and change I can get out into the beauty of Washington County, but I also love it that I can get back to Houston in the same amount of time.  The people that drove out were delightful.  I am so glad that we shared this beauty of this place in a spectacular wildflower season.  But it is time to get back to the studio and the glorious life that Houston offers.  Bye Bye Bluebonnets.  See you next year Indian Paintbrushes.  You outdid yourselves.  As Jimmy Buffet says in one of his songs, “Everybody take a bow.”

 
 
 
 

Singer, Singer, Listner

 

We are on the front porch and the birds are still practicing for their upcoming performance.  It is the most amazing combination of beautiful tunes……until…… Well, let me back up and tell you about Fred.  Fred and Judy are the friends that own “OUR” place.  They have been a big influence on our family.  They have hired my children to work in their businesses when Curt and Kristen were in high school.  They have shared their homes for photography sessions, surprise birthday parties, hosted Kristen’s bridesmaid luncheon at their house and a provided a place for my daughter, Kristen and her bridesmaid’s to dress before the wedding.  It looked like we were in the English countryside at a beautiful manor until you watch the video by Dick Mortenson, the must have videographer for your wedding, and hear the Rice football game in late November (they live across the street from Rice stadium) and hear that so and so is on the so and so yard line and about to score.  But as Judy reminded me and I have told you before, that Kristen’s wedding didn’t have to be perfect to be perfect.  Now how many wedding video’s do you know about that have a football game being broadcast over the audio?  Brings a smile to my face every single time I watch it.  Judy and Fred are giving, sharing people.  Fred is a man of his word.  If he says he is going to be there, he will not only be there, but be there on time and probably just a little early to be safe.  Judy and I have so much fun entertaining our selves that we just get hysterical over the silliest of things.  She also has the beauty bug and we once spent hours in a San Diego drugstore smelling and sniffing and deciding what soap smelled the best.  We welcome new little treasures that we find while we are out poking around in the nearest antique store.  We say “Welcome aboard little buddy” and we both know what that line means.  We have bought something that we didn’t need but really wanted.  But back to Singer, Singer Listener.  Fred is full of funny jokes and funny stories.  He always has a joke for any occasion.  Some have been recycled several times, but I get such a kick out of him telling it, that I would be disappointed if he didn’t.  For the life of me, I don’t see how he stores that may jokes in his head.  One of his stories is when he was in school, the teacher was determining who was a good singer and I guess, to be able to sing in the choir or some singing event.  She went down the row pointing to students saying singer, singer , but when she got to Fred she said listener.  A whole blog could be devoted to how people’s comments determine how we feel about ourselves.  Anyway, all these beautiful birds are singing their songs and some bird to my left showed up and I’m betting that his teacher had just told him he was a listener.  But he was out there trying to join the chorus.  He just sat over on the limbs of the trees trying his best to be apart of the songs.  Singer, Singer, Listener.

    

The Texas Bule Step, The Morning After

Now I know why Leon Hale (Long-time Houston Post and Houston Chronicle columnist on all things “Texas” – now semi-retired) sits on his front porch to write so often. The sounds of the country are so different from the sounds of the city. I opened the door and heard a cow bawling in the distance. I wondered if he was like my grandchildren calling for his mother to get up and come play. Maybe he wanted a smoothie just like Sarah does when she wakes up. When I walked down the path to photograph the bluebonnets just waking up, a hawk flew out of the old wooden barn and took off for work. While I was making coffee to drink in the rocking chair on the porch, three vivid red birds were literally frolicking in the front yard right outside “my” kitchen window. By the time I got my camera, they were gone. They were unbelievably red and looked so comfortable in the country. I wondered if they felt sorry for their city slicker cousins that had to live in people’s backyards or manmade bird sanctuaries.

I have always considered myself a city girl. Amarillo was way too small and slow for me. Austin and Houston were more my style. When my son lived in NYC and London, I lived vicariously through his AMAZING subway adventures, his late nights in SOHO & Midtown and his Upper West Side “cool” city apartment shared with three other guys and an occasional rat. Why every time we talked to him, without fail, we could hear the fire truck’s siren as it raced past his window from the firehouse down the street. How could anyone live in the country? Why, it’s so quiet out in the country. I like the sounds of the city. Now, I am saying, “Why, it’s so quiet out here! Isn’t it grand!?” Why would anyone run off for a vacation in a manmade resort when they could soak up nature that is right in front of us? All morning the birds have been rehearsing a song that I haven’t heard sung in the city.

Don’t get me wrong, I still like big city things and trips to big city places; now, I just value what I didn’t understand at an earlier age. Aunt Evelyn, (you’ve met Aunt Evelyn in my blog to Isabella back in June) lived out in the country near San Angelo. She loved birds and I particularly remember her having a love affair with a red bird that visited quite often. She had a great collection of china birds. I decided that I would collect bird figurines, too. Or did she give them to me….I can’t remember….maybe it was the horse figurines that I decided to collect because, Mollie, Aunt Evelyn’s daughter, and my first and only girl cousin, collected them as well. Well, I have long packed those bird and horse figurines away in a box for china and crystal and other grown up girl things. I think I will go home and see if I can find them. They will remind me of fond memories with important people in special places.

I think I am beginning to understand why Aunt Evelyn got up so early out there in that quiet, peaceful countryside. This morning I find myself singing “You Ask me What I Like About Texas,” one of my favorite Gary P. Nunn songs, and Cory Morrow’s song, “Texas Time Traveling” as I finish writing this and head to Round Top for a late breakfast.

The Texas Bule Step, Day One

Day One of the Texas Blue Step was an exhilarating success. The manicured old house was the only thing that remained calm. The cars arrived with people with happy smiles on their faces and, “Oh my gosh, this is beautiful!” and “Oh, the fragrance floating in the air!” coming out of everyone’s mouth. The children spilled out of their cars and rushed into the field of bluebonnets.

The bluebonnets were insisting on taking center stage while allowing the Indian paints to be supporting actresses. I am sure that they were actresses and not actors because they were so well dressed. My grandmother would have called them “fixie.” “Fixie” was an adjective she used to describe a woman that liked to dress up who was always dressed stylishly from head to toe. Well, these bluebonnets and Indian Paints were mighty fixie. Of course, the grasses had to get in on the show. They were waving and bowing and whispering sweet words to all the children hoping that they would run through their long tickly fingers. The old barn was happy to stay in the background and just look worn and full of experience. The wooden fences loaded with pale yellow antique roses called some to just peek through the boards and leave the bluebonnets to take an intermission. The last little girl went swinging on the old red gate laughing the whole time while grasping her bouquet of bluebonnets that she was taking to her grandmother. She was quite sure that her grandmother had not EVER had a real live Texas Bluebonnet Bouquet. I wish I could have been there to capture the look on Lily’s grandmother’s face as Lily handed her hand picked (literally) gift to her grandmother.

Which leads me to why you drive a little over an hour for this bluebonnet experience. Sure you can find a place on the busy intersections in Houston or a spot near the airport. Why just imagine those wonderful four wheelers whizzing by to complete the picture and the car fumes wafting through the air! Instead, the drive out to Bleiblerville gives you a chance to leave those big-city cares behind and recharge. The last turn takes you by the two bearded goats that I am sure appear occasionally in the play “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” Or gives you a chance to wave at the palomino horse that is grazing in the grasses with the light rimming down his back and mane. The smells of the country complete the picture. Well, I guess I can’t forget the Texas flag that was waving at everyone that passed by the entire time I was shooting. When I got up this morning to photograph in the early light, he was still asleep…..worn out from standing guard over this beautiful Texas countryside.

I hope that every time “they” look at their portraits, they will recall an over the top experience that their family will talk about for years to come. And maybe they will join me in thinking, “Thank God for Texas!”

I’ve been to the bluebonnet country and I’m inspired. Sure it takes a lot of determination to clear the calendar and actually get out of town…..even if it’s just to Bleiberville. You know Bleiberville, it’s just west of Bellville and north of Nelsonville. We were so far out into the bluebonnet country that we ran into long-time Houston Chronicle columnist and chronicler of all things “Texan,” Leon Hale, in Carmine near Winedale. Oh, I love that part of Texas. By the time I turned off at Sealy I was beginning to unwind, by the time I hit Bellville I was totally relaxed and by the time I pulled up in front of the red gate and looked down the path with lush green grasses on my left, the flower covered house with rustic wood fences in front of me and the bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes to the right of me, I was totally inspired and looking for someone to photograph.

Now that is where you come in. There are a few more spaces left next weekend in my planned bluebonnet portrait sessions and someone is going to be mighty happy that they carved out the time to get their families and/or children to the bluebonnets. This month’s Texas Monthly in its “The Manual” column (On all things “Texan”) feature says, “No Texas home is complete without a bluebonnet photograph over the mantel.”

And, although the bluebonnets are later than usual because of the colder than usual winter, those in the know say that it is going to be a banner year for them! Now you know why we endured all the cold weather; just so you would have a beautiful bluebonnet or Texas countryside portrait above your fireplace. Here are a few I Phone pictures (I was so into “just relaxin’ that I didn’t even take a camera with me. BIG mistake!) that I took while gazing around the house we are using as home base. Next year might not be the same and “right now” only happens right now.

I’m inspired! Come share it with me.

Being Authentic

The leather of the saddle, the twirled pattern of the rope, and the roughness of the blanket lay atop the smooth, polished wood of the casket. Inside lay the remains of someone that I wish I had known. From everything that everyone said, he was an authentic person. He was a country boy and, from what all his friends and family said, proud of it and content to be who he was. I know his family by going to church with them. His grandfather was Bob Onstead, one of the founders of the Randall’s grocery store chain in Houston. His mother is a friend. Not close, but oh so likeable and sweet. Just a few days before Michael got sick, his mother and sister and I were talking about fun things, not knowing that this cloud was looming on the near horizon. That is why I was at the funeral. I didn’t know him, but I knew his family. I wish I had known him, known him really well. The stories that were told sounded like someone who had fun, someone who stood up for his family and his friends, someone who liked to go to bed early (The family called him Smoke because one minute he was there and all of a sudden he had disappeared - gone to bed.), someone who let you know by his actions what he believed in. His family by their actions let me know, once again, what they believed in. They continued to say, “ God is good” despite the horrible circumstances of a 35 year old man that died too soon leaving a young wife and two precious daughters. It drove me to read in my Message Bible in Isaiah. The foreword said that we could either be shaped by the world or be shaped by the word of God. Our choice. Michael’s family chose to be shaped by the word of God. They read it, they believed it, they lived it and they inspired me. As we left the sanctuary, Willie Nelson was singing, “My Heroes have Always been Cowboys.” Next were more “church” songs.

I couldn’t help but ponder, “If I couldn’t have flowers on my casket, what would my family choose to put on it?” Pictures of my husband, children and grandchildren, my Mom and Dad, my sweet in-laws, my wonderful loyal friends. Maybe a few cameras that I have held to capture images of those special individuals. Fun times that we have shared. Funny stories that made us laugh ----together. Scriptures that kept me going. Think about it. If you didn’t put the traditional flowers on your casket, what would it be?

Michael, thanks for inspiring me without ever getting to know you. Thanks for calling me to be authentic.

Out My Kitchen Window

    

    I love this view from my kitchen window.   It is one of my favorite things about my house and my husband did it just for me.  Okay, wait a minute, he picked up the guy that prepared the beds and planted the azaleas….. that counts as “doing it” doesn’t it?  And having the idea and following through makes for extra credit.  Now the azaleas are blooming and I am wondering if this will be my last spring at this window.  We put our house on the market.  Kristen was one and Curt was seven when we moved in.  My parents thought we were crazy when I showed it to them.  It needed a lot of work and now after 30 years it is time for more work.  Since the children have grown up and moved away, it is time to make a big girl, non-emotional decision.  I have trouble with this.  I guess I wouldn’t be in the “picture business,“ - the business of looking back and remembering - if I didn’t value the trail that is behind us.  Beautiful snapshots of beautiful times with beautiful people in different places of our lives.  But now I am really soaking in both the beauty of the flowers and the beauty of the gift.  Take a look around you at the everyday or the every spring.  It is magical and perfect, even if there are a few weeds to pull or pruning to be done.  As my friend Judy told me during Kristen’s wedding………”It doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfect.”

Joys ahead,

Cindy

 

Photographing Shirley

    Photographed a delightful woman named Shirley.  She came in to order some pictures of her grandson. But as she opened the door she exuberantly said, “My hair looks good today.  Can you take my picture?”  So after we looked through Daniel’s pictures, we turned on the lights and had a delightful time together.  She was carrying a purse and all the sudden this little three pounds cutie stuck its head out of the opening.  So we had to include Bebe in some of the pictures.  Here’s what I learned from Shirley.  Train yourself to live in the moment.  The script Life might give you will probably be different from the one you had planned.  So stay in the moment and love what God has given you.  Did I mention that she was delightful?