June 8, 2022

Welcome Home

The last two months have been a whirlwind. We purchased a new house in April, officially closed on it in May, and have spent the two-ish months since then packing, moving, and unpacking again.

I have been taking photos the entire time, but it’s only been now that I’ve been able to assess what I made and edit some to share. As always: a new place, new light to capture.

It helps that the weather is turning nice. Even though it’s been cooler and rainy, it’s nice to enjoy the new yard and sit outside for the lovely spring days. We take walks around the new neighborhood, exploring the winding streets and meeting new people.

Moving is very stressful. I hope this is the last time. While we’re here, I’ll keep capturing what I see.

photography 2022, home, photography

April 14, 2022

Home New Home

Out of the blue, we bought a new house.

As always, I use my camera to explore new places: see how the light changes, assess the space, and catch the little details you miss on your first pass-through. I picked a day before we moved much in and caught the empty house on a quiet weekend afternoon.

A bit of peace and silence before the packing and shuttling begin.

photography 2022, home, iphone, photography, spring

April 14, 2021

Forty

It’s not so bad, turning 40.

Mostly, I still feel like I’m in my early to mid 30s. Thirty – now THAT birthday felt monumental: buying a new house, switching jobs. A lot changed that year.

This year? We’re still stuck in a pandemic. I’ve felt on hold for the last 12 months. Maybe I can just skip this birthday?

No, of course not. But mentally, I’m not 40. Perhaps it’s denial. Halfway through life, I feel like I’ve done a tremendous amount of things. Knowing me, I’ve got many more projects on the horizon.

Like my “Thirty Six” project. I just remembered I have that one still unfinished. Time to look through some film photos from four years ago…

misc, photography 2021, birthday, home, photography

December 3, 2020

Remodel

We couldn’t wait any longer.

In March, we planned on remodeling our bedroom. And boy, did it need it: wood paneling, dark, drop ceiling. In all fairness to the previous owners, it used to be a back porch. Then it became a bedroom, but that was decades ago. Now it’s our turn to make it right.

Why not start now? We need something lighter and sunnier in our lives right now. Sure, it means we have to sleep in our breezeway for the time being. It means contractors in the house, with their noise and drywall dust. But we’re considering this project our early Christmas present.

Everything is harder these days. My photography has certainly taken a hit. I feel it in my bones – a kind of creator’s guilt, ever-present. Not much blogging, not much newsletter-ing, not much of anything. With the pandemic and the post-election stress, it’s been hard to wake up in the morning, let alone take photos.

Now we have a new look to our bedroom, and with the light coming in, it felt like a good excuse to get out the camera and document the progress.

So here it is, in all it’s sheetrock glory.

photography 2020, home, photography, remodel

June 4, 2020

Kids These Days

These days, it’s easy to appreciate whoever came up with, “Children should be seen and not heard.”

It’s barbaric, of course, especially now that we recognize children are miniature people. They have thoughts and feelings. They’re more than field workers or inconveniences.

Still, with every minute of every day spent with the kids, it’s an adjustment. Before, we worked all day, and we spent time with the kids in the evenings or on the weekends. Now it’s all day, every day.

Soon there will be no school work, no Zoom class meetings, no nothing. Just unstructured summertime. Luckily we’re in a nice time of year when staying outside and playing is a possibility.

Outside also means avoiding social media and the news. The kids don’t have any idea what’s going on in the world today. If they did, it’d be difficult to answer their questions. The virus? They know about that. They know its name. Everything else? Blissfully unaware.

Working as I do, each day at the kitchen table, I can watch them play in the backyard and live out their own adventures. They are little people, and as much as that old English saying makes me laugh, I don’t believe it. I didn’t get to hear it so much before. It’s good to hear them out there, playing and laughing and crying.

Inside, I can barely work because of my anxiety at the state of the world. Better for them to be outside.

photography 2020, coronavirus, family, home, kids, photography

March 26, 2020

Week Two

We have our routine down pretty well now. Wake up, eat, check-in, watch some TV, do live stream music with mom, go outside, lunch, quiet time, back outside, dinner, play, bed. Repeat.

Work is definitely challenging these days. The kids are feeling cooped up. It’s hard not to chat with the neighbors, except from a distance. And the streets are so quiet.

Every day we’re a little more anxious about everything: our health, our families, the economy, the Executive Branch’s dipshit handling of the whole situation. We feel phantom symptoms and worry. We’re trying to make the groceries we bought two weeks ago last a bit longer.

I did start a new batch of cider. I took a photo field trip that I hope to share later. The weather is warming up, so I’m sitting on the front porch listening in on conference calls while the kids dig their bikes out of the garage.

Every little thing helps us not think about every big thing.

photography 2020, coronavirus, home, photography

March 20, 2020

Quarantine

Everything’s weird. From the power continuing the flicker, to the quiet streets, to the strange sense of calm – inside the house, you wouldn’t know the world is working its way through a pandemic crisis.

I’m working from home most days. I one of the lucky ones whose work sits on a laptop, mostly. Though I did travel in today (a Friday) just to get some fresh air and get out of the house for a bit. The parking lot is nearly empty.

We hear about the air quality improving, and dolphins swimming in European canals. Can we keep some of the unintended consequences of this outbreak?

At home, the kids don’t know any better. For them, it’s a longer spring break, and – strange for them – more time with dad at home. I did my best to set up a new routine that includes fresh air, some form of learning exercise (disguised as art projects), and some pick-up at the end of the day.

We’re as prepared as we can be for the long haul.

[All photos shot on my iPhone SE and edited in Filmborn.]

photography 2020, coronavirus, home, photography

February 7, 2020