I like to look at pretty dresses… and daydream. I don’t do this often; but when I do, I spend hours looking. As I was perusing dresses, a lightbulb flickered on: I should share my finds on my blog. Why? Because I am really taking this “live by example” motto seriously. Here’s what I look for when I so carefully look at dresses:

• Ecosystem / Environmental factor. I prefer second-hand clothes, clothes made from second-hand fabric.
• Money / Price
• Who and what is it supporting? I prefer vintage gowns or handmade gowns, which can be bought by the person who scavenged for it or made it. Shopping vintage supports re-using materials. Shopping handmade supports person-to-person interaction, ‘the little guy’, appreciation of designers and seamstresses — and it does not support fashion giants who might have unacceptable business ethics (how would I ever know?). Unfortunately, when you shop handmade, it is difficult to know where the fabric came from (perhaps a company which has unacceptable business practices), but I believe it’s still better than shopping at a box store. It always feels good to support the fellow little guy or little gal!
• Looks. Will it look good on me? I have a funny body. Only certain styles look OK on it. Oh, and is it something I would really wear? Is it a ‘show dress’ or a casual dress? I have to ask myself this because I get to wear crazy old-timey dresses for some of my shows. 

Anyway, I found some really great shops on Etsy. These designer/seamstresses are awesome. Even though I can’t buy up dresses anytime soon, I’d like to share these sweet shops so that maybe these gals can get some more business. They certainly deserve it!

Camellia Tune

My Universe

Larime Loom

Amanda Mayfield

I’m out of dress-dreaming steam. That’s all for now! 

A couple days ago, I started to really miss seeing farmland. I saw farms every day of my life until I moved to Nova Scotia. I didn’t realize how much I love the agricultural countryside until I was forced to miss it. Saturday, Robert and I hopped into the car and we headed out to one of our favorite hiking spots. Not surprisingly, we forgot to double-check that we knew how to get there. We took at least one wrong turn and we ended up in a beautiful rural area called Belnan. I got to see farmland — mostly horse farms, which is different from what I’m used to; but farms, nonetheless! I was wearing my barefoot shoes, comfy hiking shorts, a sweater, sunglasses, and a perma-smile. We didn’t get to go hiking; but we had ice cream from Withrows Farmers Market. 

Here’s a series of totally unrelated photos from our wonderful weekend. I was so busy smiling about the farmland that I forgot to snap pictures. I haven’t had much luck shooting from the window of a car, anyway.

Checking the weather… Huxley and Lewis try so hard every morning to talk Robert into staying home.

We had lunch at Q’s in Halifax early in the week — can’t remember which day. It was amazing!

Since we didn’t get to hike, we walked to Point Pleasant Park on Saturday. Here’s a view of the lighthouse and a sailboat, from one of my favorite spots in the park.

That’s all for now. It seems like this week is going to be full of precipitation; so new pictures from this week will probably be fairly domestic. Maybe I’ll cook and share some recipes — maybe!

I love memes, good memes, when things that are really good catch on. I love this especially when it happens by means of good friends.

One of my best gals (Heather) gave me the recipe for her favorite breakfast smoothie. I modified it, because I kind of need chocolate. Here’s my modified version:

1 banana
1/2 avocado
2 spoons of peanut butter (optional)
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1tbsp cocoa powder

Blend it! It’s super tasty. I’ve been using a whole avocado because I can’t read directions properly. However, from now on I will be using 1/2 an avocado and my smoothies will be more like smoothies and less like chocolate banana avocado pudding. Anyway, because of a short Facebook status update, I’ve been asked to share this recipe, so… good meme, catching on.

Now, about this bare feet thing. Last year, I saw a few people wearing these ‘toe shoes’. I thought the shoes looked dumb; and I do believe I stated as a matter-of-fact that I would never, ever wear a pair of those silly shoes. Heather probably heard me say that. Well, another one of my best gals (Sarah) wrote me a letter last summer. In this letter, she told me how wonderful her new barefoot shoes made her feel when she was running — that she no longer had foot or knee trouble since she began using them. I kept that in the back of my mind, but I still kind of thought they looked silly. Last week, I noticed that my bass player, another best gal (Dawn), had some of these barefoot shoes. I asked her about them and she said they were great… done deal. Recently my toes began to swell so much that I can’t wear any of my shoes besides my running shoes (and even those feel tight). I’ve been in pain for nearly a month. So, finally, I gave these barefoot shoes a try. Two days ago, I got my first pair of Vibram FiveFingers running shoes. I love them, I love them, I love them. AND my toes are back to normal! 

So, here’s to good memes catching on. May this blog entry be an infectious good meme!!!

Here’s a bit of background for anybody who doesn’t know me that well: I grew up in the woodlands of Pennsylvania, out in the boonies next to farms and old mines. My family’s property was previously a CCC camp (I think this may be why a passion for conservation is engraved in my soul). The town nearest our house is Worthville, which consists of a few houses and a gas station/convenience store. The next town closest to our house is Punxsutawney, where I went to high school. It’s a small town. This is in western Pennsylvania. I’m kind of a country bumpkin (although, I’ve lived in a few different places, cities and towns). For various reasons, I didn’t see the ocean until I was 25. Even then, I was on the Oregon coast on a chilly day and I didn’t stick around long enough to really notice any waves. 

So, now I’m living in Nova Scotia. Almost everywhere I go, there is a beach… and waves. I’d be lying if I said that I’m not afraid of the ocean. It scares me; but it also impresses me, amazes me. Last summer, I finally built up the courage to put my feet in the ocean. When a wave crashed against my knees, I’d had enough. Like a cat running from a barking dog, I high-tailed it for dry sand.

Every time we visit a beach, I’m excited to see surfers. I could watch the waves for hours; and I could watch surfers for hours. Anyone who knows me wouldn’t expect anything different: I see those surfers doing awesome surfing things and now I want to give it a try. Two problems: I’m not a great swimmer and I am terrified of the ocean. Now, I know I can be a better swimmer. I’m simply out of practice. This fear of the ocean really needs to go. 

So, my plan is to dip my feet in the ocean one day. Then, get in past my knees. Then, swim. By the end of this summer, if I’ve conquered my fear of the ocean and if I’ve worked my way back to being a strong swimmer, I’m going to take a surfing lesson! For a fact, I know I will regret never giving it a try — so I must give it a try.

My motivation (besides being super awesome because I can surf) is pretty sweet: I hum Beach Boys tunes when I start to feel a little anxious about the mighty ocean. My Grandma Susie used to play Beach Boys cassettes for me all the time; and I’ve been a fan since the first day I heard them. My Grandma Susie also worked up the courage to get on an airplane and fly to a wonderful vacation on the beach when she was… well, when she was old enough to be a grandmother. She brought home for us sand and seashells. I remember that. So, my Grandma Susie is my inspiration for learning how to surf — any other reason (like the super awesomeness) probably wouldn’t convince me to do it. 

So, here’s to my surfing summer!

I took this photo at Martinique Beach in 2011.

You know, I’ve accomplished a handful of really important personal goals lately. I know these things don’t mean much to most people; but for me, they were fairly difficult. At risk of boring you, I’m going to list these things. Hey, you could probably use a nap anyway! Oh, I’ll throw in a photo or two to make it a little more interesting. ;-)

1. I let myself rest. I love to run and to walk and to hike — to be on my feet. Unfortunately, the cold weather here in Nova Scotia took its tole on my feet, especially my toes. Have you heard of chilblains? I’m pretty sure these are the villains that have attacked my toes for the past couple of months. Thanks to this uncomfortable pain I’m feeling in my toes, I had to learn to relax once in a while — to rest my feet. Actually, I probably still walk and run as often as I did before; but I am now fully aware of the side effects of not getting enough rest. I understand this happens mentally, as well (and I am constantly on the go mentally). So, I put my feet up at least once a day; and I read or I write or I draw for an hour. I completely relax, with tea!

(Greyhounds a good mentors when it comes to relaxation!)

2. I gained 5 pounds. Yes, this was a goal — and I was never technically underweight. I lost nearly 25 pounds during my last year at university. I was never technically overweight, but I felt unhealthy. I began eating healthily and exercising. I actually became addicted to weight loss and I was obsessive about my weight. Fortunately, I am well-aware that I have a distorted body image. So, I kept myself away from unhealthy weight loss and eating disorders. I lost weight the right way — counting calories and exercising. I was healthy; but I was pretty thin. I reached a point where I had to carefully monitor everything I ate in order to maintain my lowest weight, which was 117 lbs. I wasn’t happy. I like to eat ice cream and Nanaimo bars every once in a while, but I felt so guilty about eating them. I couldn’t even dine out for fear of gaining a pound. I just couldn’t have fun. Without sacrificing my health and my healthy lifestyle, I have finally found a way to allow myself to dine out with my husband every other week, to eat dinners without meticulously counting calories, to have a Nanaimo bar every week! I know I could do without that stuff; but I also know that the small amounts of ‘unhealthy food’ that I permit myself to have aren’t going to kill me. I simply had to give up being the thinnest I could healthily be. I gained 5 pounds. I weigh in between 120-125 pounds and I feel absolutely wonderful (and I’ve maintained this weight for three months). I have a little bit of fat on my sides and on my thighs, and I have a butt; and I love it. There were times when I would look in the mirror at 117 pounds and still feel imperfect. The truth is, my body is imperfect compared to models and mannequins. I’m not a model. I’m not a mannequin. I am extremely healthy and very much in shape. I’d like to see a model or a mannequin run trails (uphill, downhill, on rough terrain) for 30 minutes!

120-125 pounder! I don’t even weigh myself daily anymore. :-D

3. I read. I have to admit, it feels uncomfortable. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything besides text books. Actually, I think I might prefer textbooks. I’m almost finished with “A Model Millionaire”, which is a compilation of short stories by Oscar Wilde. Next, some works by Gogol and Kafka (two of my favorites). Sorry, no pictures for this one. Next!

4. I do whatever I want to do (and what needs to be done). Believe it or not, this is the most difficult thing for me to do! It’s taken me ten months to settle in to a life of unemployment, to being a housewife. I’m not much a fan of that title; but I’m learning to embrace it, for the time being. I’ve worked for almost as long as I can remember. It feels really strange and ‘wrong’ to be not-working. So, for a good nine months, I tried to create work for myself doing things I thought I should be doing. This is my tenth month in Nova Scotia in which I am without work and I am finally accepting it as time to do whatever I want to do — not what I think I should be doing. So, I’m not making plans or forcing myself to do anything. I am doing what I want to do: photography, drawing, making music, and writing. Perhaps the best improvement has been my attitude towards this way of life that I’m kind of ‘forced’ to be living right now. I’m happy about it. I wouldn’t have it any other way — I get to be with my husband! I get to spend time with our dogs; and I get to keep the house tidy, do laundry, cook (sometimes… haha), and run errands. I enjoy doing volunteer work, too! I never really had time for that stuff before. What made me finally come to my senses and embrace this no-work opportunity was this: the thought of going to work again someday — and not being able to do these things as often! Man, I’m a big dummy sometimes.

Here is a page from my sketchbook.

Speaking of my sketchbook, I’m going to spend some time with it tonight! Thanks for reading through this entry… mom, dad, sisters, and Aunt Alicia! hahaha 

This morning I decided to start concocting photo hunts and projects, which fellow friends and photographers can join in on. I think this will be fun! Heres the first:

You can see the image at: flickr.com/ohalexisphotography (if this size isn’t big enough for you… I know it’s too tiny for my eyes).

Have fun! Please, send me a link if you do the photo hunt. I’d love to see your results. Happy Easter weekend!

I have 30 minutes to write this blog/rant (before I need to go to band practice). So, I’ll get straight to the point.

At least once a month, I’m annoyed by fellow artists and photographers who find it necessary to make cynical and/or negative remarks towards other people who make art or take photographs. The most aggravating of these remarks is by photographers who like to  discriminate against people who use point-and-shoot cameras or their cell phones to take pictures. “So-and-so got such-and-such app, now so-and-so is going to think he/she’s a photographer”. So what? Last time I checked, a photographer is somebody who takes pictures. Also, shouldn’t we be glad there is app that makes cell phone pictures look better? The cell phone today is similar to the Canon AE-1 — a photography tool for the amateur photographer. I think it’s wonderful that more and more people are getting so interested, passionate, and involved in photography. I for one do not feel threatened by others who want to make photography their passion, hobby, or career. In fact, it excites me. I love to see other people’s photos. I also love to see others so empowered by something, filled with confidence enough to call themselves “photographers” or “artists”. I see nothing wrong with that. 

Now, this negative energy is also present in art and artists. It drives me batty to hear somebody make negative remarks about another person’s artwork because it is ‘happy’ or ‘trendy’ or because it “lacks skill” or “lacks content”. Art is art; and art is up for interpretation. Some artists go against the grain, some artists do not. Some art is purely aesthetic, some art is purely conceptual. There is no hierarchy in art (oh, but some “artists” will try to argue that there is!). When all is said and done, we who make art are artists. Putting down another artist’s or photographer’s work doesn’t make you a better artist or photographer, it makes you a snob. It also shows that you lack class and character; and that you are thoroughly wrapped up in your own world, in trying to prove yourself. To whom? I must tell you: I’ve been there. It’s a disgusting, dreary, and unhappy place to be. In order to get out of that place (that negative mindset), you need to get over yourself.

Some gentle reminders:

• Operating a camera makes you a photographer.
• Expensive cameras, vintage cameras, cameras ‘beyond’ point-and-shoot and cell-phone… are expensive cameras, vintage cameras, etc. They are tools, not initiation to the title “photographer”.
• Snobbish remarks about “what isn’t art” or “what is real photography” don’t make you a better artist or photographer (they make you a snob, remember?).
• Studying art and photography doesn’t make you an artist or photographer, it makes you a better artist or a better photographer (and this is arguable, in some cases).
• Be nice. Creativity is a good thing, in every form.

That’s it. Time for band practice! 

This is perhaps my favorite ‘kid’ story from my experience at the gallery — and it’s short!

While a group of 5-8 year old students constructed sculptures using recycled materials and not-so-sticky masking tape, I overheard one boy say to another, “We should just use hockey tape.” #ilovecanada

Eco-friendly Products

Eco-friendly stuff is great. Do you know what’s even better? Refraining from making and buying things that we don’t really need. Do we need theme parks? Do we need faster cars? Do we need new cars? Do we need to own a home? Do we need a new cell phone every year? Do we need evening gowns? Do we need dozens of pairs of shoes? Many of us think we do. Quite often, people worry about the economy and their own state of affairs; and they forget about the ecosystem. Remember: everything you buy will either be consumed by you, or it will end up somewhere. You put it in a trash can or a dumpster, so you don’t see where it goes. It doesn’t go to a magic land far away. There’s no magic land for garbage and waste. All of your trash goes to landfills, places which are so ghastly and unhealthy that they are hidden from your sight (you don’t want to see that!). Do you know what waste and chemicals do to our earth? They poison it. Do you know what an ecosystem is? It’s a cycle of life, and we are part of it. Do you know that the world is one giant ecosystem? It is. Do you know what that means? It means: when you poison the earth, you are poisoning yourself. Eco-friendly products are great considering they were not eco-friendly to begin with; but phrases “eco-friendly theme park” seem ridiculous to me. A theme park will change the ecosystem wherever it is built, no matter how ‘eco-friendly’ it claims to be. I think we need to start asking ourselves what is more important: ecology or economy? Living with only the things you need to survive is really the only eco-friendly way to go. 

Population and Love

It’s a fact: the world is getting very close to being overpopulated. If the human population continues to grow, we’ll run out of resources: space, food, water. What are we doing about it? Nothing. We’re reproducing like rabbits. Not only are we reproducing so rapidly, we are continuing to buy more things that we don’t need — creating more and more waste, which takes up space (and poisons it). Children are wonderful, but think of them as houses. For every child you raise, a ‘house’ (be it an apartment or a mansion) will need to exist and food will need to be produced. Maybe you don’t care about the population of the world as much as you care about having a family. Maybe you always wanted to raise a family. That’s fine. So, think about this: if you have kids and the world becomes overpopulated in 20 years, then your children are going to be living through a very difficult time — if they live through it at all. Overpopulation can and will lead to devastation of a species. Will all humans be wiped off the face of the earth? Personally, I don’t think so; but it won’t be pleasant and I think that only the strong — or only the powerful — will stand the chance to survive. Is this a world that you want to bring children into? I’ve thought about this a lot lately. I’m still not sure. We need to reproduce to survive as a species; but is our species going to survive? Do I want to contribute to the overpopulation crisis, bring another person into this world that I see may be heading towards devastation? If I have a child, I will love my child; but will I feel selfish for having brought her/him into this situation? Notice I say “a child”; with the way the population is growing, I think it’s definitely responsible to have only one or two children. I come from a wonderful, large family… but the world is different now.

“I Don’t Care About The Whales And Polar Bears, I Have A Family To Feed”

People actually say this. I have three words for people who think this way: 

1. ecology
2. overpopulation
3. biodiversity

In the grand scheme of things, it’s not just about the whales and the polar bears, folks. It’s about all of us. Also, last time I checked, having a family to feed is a choice you make, and it’s nothing to complain about. I haven’t even talked about biodiversity today. Maybe next time! Until then, look it up. 

A List of Bad And/Or Unnecessary Things

• over-packaged products, for ‘freshness’ or for marketing
• advertising with paper & billboards & billboards
• ‘freebies’ like pins and bobble-heads used for promotion for anything
• when a good cause uses things that are bad for the environment because they are cheaper or easier or free: styrofoam cups and plates, plastic signs, ‘freebies’ — yes, it’s a good cause but that’s not excuse to detriment the environment
• travel: it’s very bad for the environment, even flying; and last time I checked, vacations and road trips weren’t a necessity. Seeing the world is perfectly feasible with digital photography and using the internet. If you’re going to travel, at least try to cut back on how often you do it.
• driving, to work or to anywhere; saving time isn’t as important as saving the planet
• companion animals: dogs, cats, horses, birds… they’re wonderful, but just as the human species is becoming overpopulated, so are companion pets — are we going to worry about feeding our pets when there’s not enough food for us? I have a rescue dog, but I will never buy an animal from a breeder.
• entertainment: it comes naturally. Do you really need fog machines and stage lights and bubble machines and… ? I could go on and on. 
• Really, I could go on and on; but I won’t. I’m sure you can think of plenty of things that are unnecessary and quite ridiculous.

Some Things You Can Do

• cut back on your driving: walk to work, do multiple things in one trip, carpool, ride your bicycle, or move to a town or city where you can walk/cycle everywhere you need to go
• limit yourself to one vacation every 2 years — and remember that it’s not a necessity!
• don’t buy over-packaged products or products that use packaging that is harmful to the environment (not recyclable, not biodegradable) — buying these products drives the market and tells the companies that it’s “OK” to use these kinds of packaging… buying their products is supporting their packaging choice
• don’t buy CDs or DVDs or books anymore: download and borrow from the library
• use the same cell phone for at least 2 years — you won’t break it if you can’t just go out and get a new one
• compost
• recycle
• reuse whenever you can
• conserve energy in your household (it will save you money, too!)
• don’t buy anything that you don’t really need
• don’t buy new clothes or shoes for a year
• don’t buy quick food because you are “starving”. Quick food is often over-packaged and uses containers that are not eco-friendly. If you’re going to have a long day, plan ahead and pack a lunch or dinner or snack
• don’t buy anything “to go” and don’t get “take out” — use a refillable mug when you get coffee or drinks and dine in if you’re going to ‘dine out’
• don’t buy over-packaged products, like: granola bars, 100 calorie packs, singles chips, oatmeal packets, single-serving pudding, single-serving anything (including this ever-so popular single-serve hot drink maker), hot chocolate packets, etc. You can make these on your own, which will save you money and be healthier for you.
• stop using “I don’t have time…” as an excuse
• when you buy or think about buying anything, think “Where is this going to end up?”

In closing, it’s a good feeling to forget about consumerism and money and the economy. It feels good to focus on the simple things, the bare necessities (food, water, shelter). I 100% believe that caring for the environment is good for the soul and, thus, good for humankind. Shifting focus to these bare necessities is also good for love, for many reasons which I’m sure you will soon find out!

We are not just consumers!!

My personal outlook on life is different than the standard outlook on life, I think. It’s always been this way for me. As a person who worked rigorously for most of my life, I never relaxed or thought about life in general, about my purpose, about my true passions. I don’t think I’m unique in this sense. I think many of us live this way, and many of us live this way without ever “taking a break to think about it”.

I strive to avoid blame and complaints and ‘whinery’. I take full responsibility for my own situation, and any situation I have ever found myself a part of. That being said, I am truly happy. I could find things to complain about, people or things to blame, ways to whine; but I choose a different route. I see things around me that I don’t agree with, things that aren’t working out, things that are unhealthy, things that are ‘wrong’ — all things that I want to change. I am one person. I can’t change the world in a day, not even in a lifetime. I have made yet another choice in my life: to live by example.

I won’t preach, I won’t teach, I won’t protest, I won’t picket, I won’t promote my beliefs or my ways. I will live my way and I will believe my way. In doing this, I can inspire other people to do just the same: to live their way and to believe their way. See, social standards and expectations have been my biggest obstacle and my enemy throughout my life until now. The problem that I think many of us have is that we make choices based on where we want to fit in society. This leaves little room for us to make choices based solely on what we want to do.

I think that many of the choices I’ve made throughout the course of my life were influenced by others and by the question “what will others think of this?”. After years of making choices this way, it’s difficult to pinpoint the choices that were not completely inward. In fact, it’s too difficult for me to waste time doing. My priority now is to make the remainder of my life choices based solely on what I want, personally — to disregard what others might think. This might sound silly or irresponsible or hazardous to you, but that’s not going to stop me from making my choices this way. The bottom line is this: this is my only life and I must live it only the way that I want to live it, for myself and not for the approval of others.

The choice I am facing now is a big one; but I can’t let it eat away at me. In the grand scheme of things, it is of little importance — it is just a choice. In May 2011, I finally graduated with my Bachelor of Fine Arts. My current situation allows me to know what it’s like to work solely as an artist. It’s difficult to admit this, but I’m bored. I still have a drive to create and to make art; but the artist’s life doesn’t seem like the life for me. I can’t spend every day making art, and I absolutely despise the ‘art of schmoozing’. Besides, my interests extend beyond the art world. I need to be out, to be doing things, to be working hands-on, to be surrounded by nature, to be doing something less philosophical than creating art. Was a BFA a bad choice? Definitely not. I have a BFA! What am I going to do now? I can make music, and I am making music. I can make art and I can teach art — I’m a tour guide at the province’s art gallery. What do I really want to do? I want to explore, to solve problems, to help others appreciate the wonderful planet on which we live, to spend hours with any aspect of nature. I don’t want to give up art and music and writing, and I won’t (I don’t have to). So, the choice to be made is this: return to school, start all over to get the education and certification to work with nature or embrace that which I have already worked for and go-with-what-I’ve-got, be content with what I already achieved. The decision process is going to be long. I have plenty of time to mull it over, but I’m leaning very strongly towards returning to university. After all, it is my life and I need to do what will make me happy; and I know that I need to be doing research, to be around nature, to do my part to conserve the natural beauties of our planet.

So, here are some bits of inspiration for the day, for those of you who may be needing your spirits uplifted or your drives kicked into gear:

• You do not need anybody’s approval to be happy. Do what makes you happy, without the approval of others.
• Naysayers are your enemies. They are people who are miserable, know-it-all, and always ready to tell others how to be better or how to do better. They lack imagination and enthusiasm. They feel threatened by others who might be more imaginative or more smart than they are. They will fight tooth and nail to inhibit you from being you; and they will be the biggest obstacle between yourself and your true happiness, if you let them. Ignore them. Nothing is worth letting them win that battle.
• You must ignore people who offer you uninvited advice on how to be better in any way. “You should… ” is the same as saying “What your’e doing now isn’t good enough”. Basically, it is a form of naysaying, or putting you down. Are they trying to help you? They might have good intentions, but their actions are rude and uncalled for. Ignore them. Remember: the best advice is advice that you ask for. 
• If somebody wants to ‘hate’ you, they will hate you. You can’t do anything to make them like you. If the world wants to ‘hate’ you, it will hate you. You can’t try to make everybody happy and you can’t try to please everybody. You can only please yourself. You are responsible for your own happiness.
• There is always somebody who thinks like you, who feels like you, who loves you, who respects you, who admires you, who is inspired by you. You are never the only one.
• Embrace yourself!

Through journaling, I have found several ways to be uplifted. This is one of my favorite ways to make myself feel better: make a gigantic list of all the things that are my kind of happiness. It forces me to think about all the good things that I love, all the things that make me smile. Then, I gain sight of just how fortunate I am — and how happy I truly am. Best of all, this exercise helps remind me exactly who I am. We are what makes us happy!

mycology: especially identifying/photographing local fungi

OK, the list could go on and on. I think this is beyond adequate for sharing, though. Try it sometime. I’ll give you a big-smile guarantee! 

I love to do a lot of things. I love to run, go for long walks, hike, camp, take pictures, spend time with our dog, help out at the greyhound rescue, make art, write songs, play music, write poems, learn and do research, help out at the art gallery, explore…

It’s winter. The snow is holding out on us, but the cold has moved in. It’s not so easy to run, hike, camp. So, of course, those are the things I miss and I want to do those things most. In an ideal world, I could hike every day. If I could find an occupation that allows me to do this, well, you would find me gladly working overtime!

Instead of allowing Winter to drag me around, I’ll work with it. It’s not going to be a battle. We’ll work hand-in-hand. No more planning in advance the things I’ll do each day. From now on, I’ll do whatever the day allows. Some days allow for long walks and photography. Other days allow for hot tea and writing songs. No more wishing that I could be doing one thing when the day is prime for something else! I am warmed up to the idea of letting nature tell me what to do from day to day (when that is an option).

That being said, the seasons certainly ‘show’ in my photographs. When it’s cold outside, I rarely make good outside photographs. I leave my camera at home as there’s no sense it making it work in a climate it doesn’t like — it’s just not good for it. So, most of my recent photos represent the domestic side of my life: scenes from our living room. 

This is one of my favorite recent candid shots: Huxley, Robert, and our foster, Michelle. It definitely shows each of their personalities precisely! I love taking these sweet living-room shots; but I can’t wait to get outside again! But, I will live in the now. 

Wintertime is proving to be ideal for some great songwriting and music-making. I’ve been working diligently at my new songs; and I’m centering a lot of focus on recording ideas. I’m spending hours exploring new music and listening to old influences, taking mental notes of sounds that I like and jotting down my own creative ideas that are sprouting. I’m not going to rush into my next album, but I will begin work on it in a week or two. I can’t quite tell you what to expect, but that makes it all the better for the first time you get to listen! (Check out bigbearheart.tumblr.com)

So, to wrap up all of this: in everything that I do, I’m going to pay more attention to the seasons, to the weather. It’s best not to battle nature, but to be one with it!