Josephine at dusk

Apparently I cannot use this camera below a 7.1 fstop...I'm not sure how the camera makes a difference but my depth of field is absolutely tiny when I really open up the aperture, which didn't use to be a problem with my old camera (same lens).  This was shot at a 5.6 and I didn't notice til after that her face is slightly out of focus.  Which is annoying.  Obviously needed the wide aperture so I wouldn't have to crank the ISO way up.  Well...that's what this is all about I guess...learning my camera and this photography thing.  Have been shooting everything fully manual lately, used to stay in aperture mode but I find now I want total control.  And tonight Pinky...tonight we will take over the world...

Coleus at dusk

Lilac at dawn

Fun with robots

Old friends

Totally singing the Simon and Garfunkel song to myself while shooting this.

I wished for more wishes...

Ghost in the garden

Would like to try this technique again sometime when we have more time to play around, only had like 5 minutes before bedtime.  My poor child is going to be so sick of being my model by the end of the year.

Kefir takeover!

My kefir grains have multiplied so much I had to move them to this embarrassingly large jar.  I'm starting to worry they are going to become sentient and kill me in my sleep.

Best...thing...ever....

There is nothing better than being a parent.  Yes it's hard work, and I can understand logically why more people my age are choosing not to have children.  But...it's the greatest thing in the whole world.  It's what makes life worth living.  I'm not writing this to convince everyone to go out and have babies...I'm just saying that if you're lucky enough to have children in your life, for God's sake enjoy the hell out of them.  Laugh with them, read an extra bed time story, build a frickin blanket fort, let them be silly and loud and wild when you can.  They are your ticket to a second childhood and a lifelong best friend, and you are their chance to have a safety net of love and acceptance that will teach them not to accept less in other relationships.  Don't blow it, and don't forget to enjoy the ride.

The right path?

Straw fight!!!!!

Mushroom macro

Roots

nerd girl and the super bedtime comic book

an open book

Baked

Meg's lemon bars

Shortbread crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salted butter at room temperature and cubed
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon layer

4 large eggs
2 large egg yolk
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar, or to taste

1. Place an oven rack into middle position in oven and preheat oven to 350. Grease the hell out of a baking 9 x 13 pan, these suckers like to stick.
2. Place 1 cup flour and butter in a mixing bowl and mash with the back a fork or your fingers until thoroughly combined. Mix in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; mash mixture together until mixture looks like crumbly cookie dough.
3. Moisten your fingers with a little water and press dough into bottom of prepared baking dish. Use a fork to prick holes all over the crust.
4. Bake crust on center rack in the preheated oven until crust edges are barely golden brown, 18 - 22 minutes.
5. Beat eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl or in a stand mixer with whisk attachment; whisk in white sugar and flour until smooth. Add lemon juice and lemon zest; whisk for 2 minutes. Pour lemon custard over crust.
6. Bake on center rack until custard is set and top has a thin white sugary crust, about 25 minutes. Cover with foil for the last few minutes if the top starts to get brown. Let cool completely and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before cutting into bars. Dip knife into very hot water, run around the edge, and cut into squares. Dust cookies with confectioners' sugar.

Watch your step

Movie night

Hey, sometimes you have to veg out.

In the airstream

The "nap"

This is a picture of me pretending to take a nap.  Because who has time to actually take a nap?

Reunion

Former neighbors and buddies Josie and TyJere.  I love how kids can decide within minutes to be best friends again.

If the shoe fits

Let's file this one under "weird shit found while walking in the woods".  Was just sitting on top of a single post in the middle of nowhere.  On a technical note a bit annoyed with myself because I should have opened the aperture up enough so that both sides of the shoe were in focus but I was kind of in a hurry and just snap snapped and then was on my way without checking.  Oh well.  Makes me want to leave random things outside and see what happens to them.

Hooded

Discovered tonight that my old remote shutter is not compatible with my new camera.  And was reminded of how odd it is to become intimately family with your own features again.

The wallflower

Like mother like daughter.  But it  took me thirty or so years to get over my wallflower tendencies, while Josie was up dancing and giggling by the second to last song.  Unfortunately I was also dancing and couldn't get a shot of that.  :)

Bedside boring

Some days are wonderful and memorable and interesting, and some are days you just...get through.  Today was one of the latter and I when it came time to post today I turned to the flowers on my night stand...hating myself for doing it.  BOR...ING.  But hey, here's the thing: only like 2% of life is interesting.  If you only use the interesting stuff for inspiration you are missing out on 98% of the raw material out there.  So here's my post for today...try not to fall asleep looking at it.  Also I should have pulled out a tripod for this but since I am between tripods I had to make do with hand-shooting in the grey late afternoon cloudy day light, so please forgive the less than perfect focus.

The Fox

The Fox went out on a chilly night
He prayed for the moon to give him light
For he had many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o
He had many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o

He ran till he came to the farmers pen
The ducks and the geese were kept therein
He said a couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o
A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o

He grabbed the great goose by the neck
He threw a duck across his back
And he didn't mind the quack, quack
And the legs all danglin' down-o, down-o, down-o
He didn't mind the quack, quack
And the legs all danglin' down-o

Well the old gray Woman jumped out of bed
Out of the window she popped her head
Cryin' John, John the great goose is gone
The Fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o
John, John the great goose is gone
And the Fox is on the town-o

He ran till he came to his nice warm den
And there were the little ones 8, 9, 10
Sayin' Daddy, Daddy better go back again
It must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o
Daddy, Daddy go back again
For it must be a mighty fine town-o

The Fox and his Wife, without any strife
They cut up the goose with a fork and a knife
And they never had such a supper in their life
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o
They never had such a supper in their life
And the little ones chewed on the bones

Out the window

It snowed today.  April 22nd.  EARTH DAY.  Couldn't help but feel this was mother nature's way of saying, "Thanks for the token holiday that will do nothing to actually help solve the problem you all created in the first place, jack asses."  Looks like Josie agrees.

Partly cloudy with a chance of freezing your ass off

Spring in Michigan, gotta love it.

The farm before the storm

Let the year of trespassing on scrubby farmland begin!

Through the door

Four years ago I started a project to take one photo every day for a year.  I made it from January to September...and then my life went...kaboom.  I separated from my husband, my just 4 year old daughter and I moved into a tiny little house and I went from housewife/stay at home mother to working two jobs and trying not to freak out about what I had just decided to do.  It seemed crazy.  It was crazy.  And four years later I can't say that I've got it all figured out and everything is perfect now, life is still a lot of hard work and a mixed bag of mistakes and lessons learned and small steps towards "better".

In a strange way my old photo project (which you can find here if you're curious) felt like a catalyst to much of the change that happened that year.  I literally turned the lens towards my own life and that much introspection can be a bit dangerous to the status quo.  But that is such a GOOD thing.  I'll take chaos and hardship in the name of truth over complacency any day.

So hear it goes again.  Time to shake things up a bit.  Not that I'm looking to make my life implode again, just ready to be aware of everyday.  And of course ready to make more images that I love and can look back on and remember this year.  Because I think it may be a good one, just a hunch.

This of course is my lovely daughter, Josephine.  Seven now, and everyday feeling less like a child and more like my best friend that I just happen to pack lunch for everyday.  There were some much more silly, fun shots from today that would have been a better representation of her, but this one stood out to me.

Til tomorrow,

Meg