Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: postaday


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WordPress Photo Challenge – Serenity

On a dreary gray winter day in lower Michigan one thing that makes me happy, and yes serene, is a walk in the woods with my girl.

How long do I have to stand here Mama?

How long do I have to stand here Mama?

For this assignment I originally considered a vast ocean or Great Lake beach, the wide open spaces of middle Michigan farm country, cross country skiing in the deep woods, even the ancient porch swing on the family farm.  But when it comes down to it what makes me serenely happy right now, right here at home, was spending time with my Katie-girl in the silent, snowy woods.

You can see other interpretations of serenity at the original post.  Or if you’re short on time and not feeling all that serene, here, here and here are a few of my favorites.   And make sure you look at this one too.  Oh…and don’t miss this one.

OK I’ll stop, even though it’s hard.  What does serenity mean to you?  Share a little of it with us; we can all use as much serenity as we can find.

Don’t you think?

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WordPress Photo Challenge: New

It’s a new year…what makes it new for you?  WordPress has challenged us to look around and find something new.  For those of us in Detroit this Sunday it’s an obvious choice.  The Detroit Lions are playing football in post season, their first foray into playoff football in many years.  Since 1992 to be exact.  1992 might not seem so long ago until you remember that the senior Bush was president, and Black or White by Michael Jackson was the number one song.

Outside city offices in downtown Detroit sits a sculpture titled The Spirit of Detroit.   In the Spirit’s left hand is a gilt bronze sphere symbolizing God, and in his right hand are people representing family.  And when one of our sports teams is in the playoffs the Spirit dons a team jersey.

 

Excitement in the city.

Excitement in the city.

It’s something very new for the Detroit Lions, but this weekend The Spirit of Detroit is sporting a jersey of Hawaii blue and silver.

And while we’re on the topic of Detroit, the blue jersey may be new, but being tough sure isn’t.  Across the street from The Spirit of Detroit is another sculpture, a memorial to the boxer Joe Lewis.

 

Detroit is strong...like Joe Lewis.

Detroit is strong…like Joe Lewis.

Detroit has just come out of bankruptcy and is blossoming into a new leaner and more vibrant city.   It’s turning into the kind of city where parents take a newborn downtown to be photographed in front of an iconic sculpture.   The kind of city where people smile and wait patiently in a gentle cold sleet for their turn at photographs.  Where they know the meaning of family and toughness and patience.

It’s a new Detroit and I can’t wait to see it in this new year.

You can see other interpretations of the concept of new at the original link at the top of this post.  Or you can see a few of my favorites here, here, here and here.  Enjoy.

And… Go Lions!

 

 


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Warmth

No matter what time of year you visit the University of Michigan’s Conservatory at Matthaei Botanical gardens you’ll get a warm feeling.

 

Warm holiday greetings!

Warm holiday greetings!

 

So it’s there that I found a photo for this week’s WordPress photo challenge representing warmth.  The tropical warmth of the building in conjunction with the warmth of the season.

Many people have gone out to find a bit of warmth in their worlds.  You can find a few of my favorites here, here, here and here.  And especially here.  Or check out the original link above to see them all.

Stay warm everybody!

Christmas kaleidoscope

Christmas kaleidoscope

 


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WordPress Photo challenge – yellow

I know.  Yellow??

The point of the original post was that we are surrounded with holiday colors this time of year, blue and silver, red and green.  But does yellow have a special meaning for anyone this holiday season?

Turns out it does for me.

 

Sandy's favorite color

Sandy’s favorite color

 

This time the photo challenge isn’t about finding an interesting representation or a stunning photograph.  This time it’s just about friendship and nostalgic memories.

And jingle bell socks.

You see there once was a woman here at work who loved the holidays so much that as Christmas approached she wore socks with jingle bells sewn into them.   We all smiled as we heard her coming and going.   I wrote about her last winter when she died after a short illness; how she was everyone’s ‘work mom,’ confidant, advice giver, listener.  How we were going to miss her.

Her favorite color was yellow, and everyone at her funeral wore yellow ribbons in her honor.  I pinned it to the dusty dirty wall of my cubicle last February and look at it every day.  I can still hear her voice and her laugh in my head,  and I hope I will always be able to bring her to mind and smile.

I’ve been thinking about her a lot these past few weeks as the holidays descend, as work stays crazy and home life gets crazier.  And once in awhile when I hear the faint jingle of a bell I’m pretty sure it’s her checking in on us.

If you see me walking around grinning it’s because she’s still with me whenever I see the color yellow this holiday season.

So….how you doing girlfriend?  We miss you.

Merry Christmas up there in heaven.

 

 


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WordPress photo challenge: Converge

Converge – where different things come together and this week’s photo challenge.  I was visiting my brother’s home during the Thanksgiving weekend and climbed up into his loft.

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And there I saw the convergence of inside and outside, light and dark in the angled windows of his home on the lake.

You can see other version of converge at the original link.  Or see a few of my favorites here, here and here.

 

What do you see converging around you?  Share with us…you have an entire week to find something perfect.


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WordPress photo challenge: Angular

 

 

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I haven’t visited the local hospital since the new wing was completed.  It’s very beautiful.  More beautiful is the fact that I wasn’t there to visit anyone, just to shoot a photo challenge.

You can see other interpretation of angular here, here, here and here.  Or go to the original link and see many more!  I like this one too, and her short explanation of cultural differences was was interesting as well.

Over the course of the week I expect more people will be posting their shots, so it’s worth going back to visit again later on.  And look around your own world.  I bet you can find something angular yourself.  Post it to your blog and connect to the original link and you’ll find people stopping by that you’ve never met before.  The hunt for an appropriate shot and then the visits of people from all over the world is what makes these photo challenges so much fun for me.

Come along and join the fun!


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WordPress Photo Challenge – Minimalist

The concept of a minimalist photo is simple.  You might even say minimal.  It should contain a large amount of negative space and a somewhat monochromatic color scheme.  And if you can, it should tell a story.    This morning we woke to our first significant snow, so large parts of our world were monochromatic; I found this right outside my front door.

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I’m not sure this is totally correct, I don’t see negative space for example.  I’m hoping to get out tomorrow to search for another example.  But you never know about tomorrow, so I’ll put this out there for now.  You can see other examples of minimalist photography here, here, here and here.  And especially this one.  Or go to the original link and read all about it, then look at the hundreds of submissions attached.

Meanwhile I’ll enjoy looking for another bit of minimalism.  You can too.  I’d enjoy seeing what you come up with!


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WordPress photo challenge: Refraction

Photography is all about light and this week’s challenge speaks directly to that.  Here’s a definition of refraction that seemed to gel with my choice of photographs:  “The fact or phenomenon of light, radio waves, etc., being deflected in passing obliquely through the interface between one medium and another or through a medium of varying density.”

 

Flying through refracted light.

Flying through refracted light.

I took this during our recent trip through Wisconsin, looking out over Lake Michigan early in the morning on our first day of vacation.

You can see other interpretations of refraction by going to the original post.  Or stop by here, here, here, and here for a few of my favorites.  I’m pretty early posting for this challenge…so if you stop by  the original post later in the week I bet you’ll see even more wonderful examples.

In fact you might have something perfect for this challenge yourself!  You have all week (until next Friday when there will be a new challenge) to post something!  I look forward to seeing what you have!

Enjoy the light!