Me, Myself and I, Day 316

My two housemates are gone for 10 days. I received the quiet I have been craving.

Beauty, Day 211

It was one of those days where bribery became a necessity in order for Nicolai to allow me to take his photo....well worth it.

Encaustic, Day 185

I had the opportunity to take an encaustic workshop today. I cannot draw or paint, but I found applying hot wax to panels and manipulating it was very liberating. The class was with a fabulous Colorado artist Daisy McConnell. Even thought this was a true crash course in this ancient technique I felt that I could go off and experiment on my own with ease.

Beautiful or Grotesque?, Day 184

Most people who know me also know about my obsession with hair. Depending on the context it can be considered beautiful or grotesque. Not only does it contain our DNA, but it can represent a body when a person is absent. The best part about hair, in my opinion, is its one of the only parts of the body capable of painless amputation and endless regeneration.

Every now and then, Day 159

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
My ears are still ringing.

Body time, Day 117

It's fascinating and scary to photograph skin using a macro setting on a camera. I see things that I don't necessarily want to see, but I also think it is good for me to acknowledge that my body is changing over time. There are more freckles, discolorations, lines, and hairs in odd places but we all have to go through it; it's just part of the process. I have my moments where I am really okay with it, but I don't always have to like it.

New memory, Day 66

My cousin Gavin usually runs away from me when I try and photograph him. Today he sat for me as I photographed the two of us (his head and my reflection). I see a new level of maturity in him that has evolved since the last year that I saw him at the beach. The camera is an interesting device because it documents the present moment, but the image always exists in the past. It forever places the moment behind us immortalizing it. I will always remember my cousin and I interacting in a new and very different way from this moment on and this image serves as a pleasant reminder.

Lucky, Day 41

I admit to completely objectifying my husband as I did to myself (unintentionally) yesterday. And perhaps there is nothing wrong in this. I think about not only watching my own body age, but my husband's as well. Is it a gradual realization or do you just wake up next to someone one day and notice the changes? My lesson is to enjoy what I have while I have it....whatever "it" is. My friend Wendy and I used to fall asleep listing all the things we felt lucky for in our lives leaving the day on a positive note. I am lucky for having him in my life...not only for how he looks and feels, but who he is as a husband, a partner, a father to our child, and a life collaborator. I am very lucky.

Not Red, Day 31

When I was born I was completely bald, but as my hair grew it came in blond. Then it gradually turned to strawberry blond. I remember my very first gray hair. I was about 23 years old and a co-worker spotted it. I yanked it out and immediately swallowed it hoping that it would act as a vaccination against others, but it didn't work for long. Now my hair is many shades of gray, brown, red and blond. People ask me all the time where my son gets his strawberry blond hair. Most of the time I just don't understand how they can ask such a question, but maybe it's just that I don't understand my current hair color.

Not a girl, Day 21

I have never cut my son's hair. . It has several shades of red, gold, and blond and it is just too beautiful to butcher. He is constantly being mistaken for a girl. He could be wearing all "boy" clothes and people still think he is a girl. I am even a little surprised when men with long hair make the mistake as well. Not that it really matters...he doesn't care one bit, yet. We recently read a book about how babies are made and in it they listed all the similarities between boys and girls- but long hair was definitely not a characteristic that they could share.