Day 90

Today I am thankful for friends.
I am thankful for new buds poking out of the skeletons that have lined the roads for the past five months.

I am thankful for x-ray machines.






I am thankful for a nice cooked chicken dinner.
and the fact that I do have my own home to come back to.
I am thankful for caring colleagues
and loving friends
and bird feeders, dogs, and purple markers.



And I am thankful for my lineage and for the future generations and all of those paintings they have painted and will paint.

Day 89

I realize that on Tuesday nights I take the easy out and say, I'm too tired, but it's the truth and I have just written something in group. So, I promise, tomorrow I will place it into this post. PROMISE!!!!

Here it is, what I wrote on Tuesday.

I am thankful for color.
I am thankful for friendships
for those friends who
allow me to speak the truth
no matter where or when.
I am thankful for
warm soup.
I am thankful for
soft fabrics
rich in color.



The color of the Long Island Sound is blue with a tinge of grey. The forsythia were out in Connecticut along with a few purple flowering trees and the leaf buds, almost scarlet red, were burgeoning when we crossed into Guilford. seagulls looked grayish and the long brown sea grass brushed back soft along the edges. It was freezing cold, the wind was icy and blew through my clothing. All of it felt like a contradiction, not unlike my heart.

If I could paint my heart would it be that blue grey sea water with shocking white caps poking through? Would thick long soft grasses, wind swept line one side of the shore" Would I wish the forsythia buds stay hidden from the freezing cold for just a couple more days?






I am thankful for
rivers rushing
throughout the county
cleansing.

I am thankful for
old railroad tracks
soon to be restored
where I can take the train
and go to the aquarium
on a Thursday afternoon.

I would love to.

Day 88

This was a terrible picture day. It was a good day in regards to being validated by my friends. My friends were gracious, supportive and loving today. This was a terrible work day, and a hard family day. I have nothing to say, not a lot to post, but I have to do it. That's the point of committing to everyday. Even if there's not much there, you still have to post. So here it is, photos.......





Thai Tea; lunch with friends




Meetings, meetings, meetings



There was this red glow at sunset, no sun and no ability to see beyond what was in front of you, but a red glow everywhere. I couldn't really capture it, but here's the pine and the swing at sunset tonight.

Day 87

Green Eyes
For Emma 7/05

Milky green glaze on a
French antique water pitcher,
not bright but wise,
worn for their age.
Pale depth, an inlet
where lily pads have
covered the water’s surface,
where cattails grow
comfortably and ducks hide
on the shore to care for their young.

There is a place
between Race Point and the lighthouse
where such a green exists.
We saw a blue heron
and an egret feeding together
standing on their long
lanky legs
in that marsh, that green marsh.
We drove by them 4 times
just to see it all again.

In those young eyes,
in their shade of green,
there is knowledge and
compassion beyond your years.
They watch or stare into
blankness trying to take in
all that they saw today.

Let them close. Sleep. May
your dreams be as gentle as
your eyes

Day 86

Today was an odd day. I had to confront some ghosts. I thought I would loose the fight around 2:30 this afternoon, but I rallied and took a walk with the old camera.









And then around the corner to the little yellow house for wonderful food and wonderful friends and storytelling. So I made it through the day.

Day 85

Long day on the road; two traffic jams due to accidents, one going and one coming back. But I got to spend the day with my friend David, which never happens, our lives are way too busy, so today was a gift for me. We went and saw Mom, took her for her ice cream, stared at Long Island (it was too cold to get out and take pictures, but it was as clear as a bell) and then drove her home.

Now one cool thing was that my cousin Lorie was there when we arrived and so there was 70 years of memories. We heard the story of my grandmother Overman's wedding dress. She made it herself in Iowa while waiting for Grandpa to finish at the U. of Nebraska. She lived at home with her family to help her mother take care of an ailing aunt. She was one of 14 children. Anyway, Lorie wore her dress, and her daughter in law wore the dress and now they were talking about packing it up for Hannah. I love this generational stuff. YUP!!!



Don't worry, David shot this picture at my request. I didn't take pictures while I was driving in heavy traffic.


David walked around the car to kiss me good bye and I looked up and there was the moon. We'd been staring at the sun going down for the previous half hour, so it shocked me, but there it was above his head. I believe it shines for him. He is my good friend. I am lucky.

Day 84

Why is violence such an acceptable part of our culture? Violence produces violence, that is all there is to it.



One of my flickr friends put a challenge on flickr this morning. The challenge was to do a self portrait that said something about oneself. I decided the best place to take it was my bedroom because it is filled with things that are really important to me. Even the mirrors in that room are important to me. Everything is really dusty though. I have to dust that room. Anyway as I tried to do the self portrait I became very aware of the little things left me by people who have gone. I have had a lot of death in my life. Three of those people are represented in these objects. The alabaster box was given to me by my good good friend, Cynthia. It was something of her families. She gave it to me years ago, I think it has been sitting on my dresser for 25 years. The watch was given to me by my father. We bought it in Rouen across from where Joan of Arc was burnt. I was 9, Emma's age. It still works,it needs a new band, it is still pretty. And the third thing was my Grandmother Whiton's, a silver box. There were three things that sat on a shelf in her den that I played with when I was a kid. When she died my parents gave me them. That box was one of them.



Here is the self-portrait.


My room is not gloomy, it is just filled with things given to me. The little picture over my head was made by my older sister at least 25 years ago. I've always loved it.

It's supposed to snow tonight, it's going to snow on top of these.

Day 83

The morning started out stormy looking and the radio was threatening snow. I got out of my car in the faculty parking lot and wished I had worn a warmer coat. Within the hour the wind was still blowing but the sun was shining. I helped a club at the college raise money for tents to send to Haiti. It felt good. I enjoyed working with a couple of students I didn't know and sitting in the middle of the hall, people stopping to chat. It was a good morning. I also took some really good portraits. I can't post students. I need there permission, but here are some staff members and I think they'd be ok with my including them in this blog.









How's that for one of the cutest kids you've every seen? I know I've included his Mommy, and I may have a picture of his Daddy on this. I keep threatening his parents that I'm coming to take pictures of both their children. These kids are great kids.

So the day went on and at dinnertime I decided to take myself out to Mesa Verde. The sky was a rich blue blue and the restaurant had just painted their foyer. What a photo opportunity?








So today was about picture taking, maybe tomorrow I will get my new writing posted.

Day 82

My brother's partner, Linda died a year ago. I can't believe it has been a year. The following is a poem I wrote from her final journal entry.




My Journey
By Linda Boardman and Lindy Whiton

Today begins a journey for me
Wherever it will take me
Only I will know
But today
I do not know what to expect
Not an inkling
Maybe right here where
I’ll be or somewhere
Out in the wind and sun
Among the sun
Warm wind water

I’m hoping for a new healthy,
happy and fun free life.

Today begins a journey
That only I will know

Today begins a journey for me
Where it takes me
I do not know
It may take me out with the wind and the sun
Or into the warmed water
Or it may leave me right here.

I do not know what to expect
Not an inkling
I am hoping it will be new
Healthy
Happy
And free

Today I take the journey
That only I will know
Only I can go.




Writing group was good tonight. I wrote an interesting piece. I'll get it up after I've edited it some. Now I am off to bed, it is late.

Day 81

Back to work today. Caught between wanting to be home and writing and shooting and being at work, which I have said would be great if it just paid the bills.



Today was not a good day for picture taking. I worked a long day and then went to Emma's house because she has the flu and wanted me to come and hang. So I went and read to her in her bed and did not find photos. I did take her Fairy Teretory door.

When I went to leave, her bird kite was lying on the ground in the rain. It was so pathetic looking, I had to take it.



Tonight I don't have any great photos and I have no pithy writing. I just have TV brain, thus, I will give into it. Tomorrow is writing so I'll be back on track. Good night.