There are times I forget my mom is more than a mother.  She is a sister, an aunt, a grandmother and even a great grandmother. She was part of a family before she became my mother. I forget that she shared her life with others before she had her own children. She has memories that her children don’t know about. This a photo is of her and her little brother, Ralph. He was the teaser in the family. He teased my mom and her sister, Deanne, as all good little brothers do everywhere. I love when they get together because we get to hear stories of their childhood that she never shared with her own children.

For the past three summers my mother has come to Chicago to spend her birthday with Vicki and I. We have our routines, places we must go and, of course, restaurants to visit. We have laughed and shared secrets sitting at my kitchen island. These times have allowed me to learn about my mom more than ever. I have learned that she is a woman who still, at 79, has dreams. I want to have dreams at my age but I am caught up in trying to figure out my life in that moment. I am a planner and she is a dreamer. What a thing to discover in a parent.

Several months ago, her high school sweetheart contacted her. It had been sixty years since their last contact. This summer she shared their phone conversations. She was curious what he was like after all their years apart. They made plans to meet again. He came to her town and stayed at her home. Before he arrived, she was nervous and questioned if she was doing the right thing. He arrived and some how they both figured their way through it. He told her she was beautiful and she smiled inside at the thought that, at her age, someone saw her as beautiful even if his memory of her was when she was a teenager. She showed him her life and when he left, she realized something. She realized that she was lonely. She found what she had been missing since my father passed away. She has been alone and just going through the motions of her daily life. She kept herself busy working and volunteering. Things that filled her life with moments not memories. She worked hard for most of her life taking care of others. From owning a resort to to taking care of a husband that was ill. She was up early each day as a resort owner. She was on the front lines of the business. It wasn’t her dream, it was someone else’s.

So as the story goes, she and her high school sweetheart have reconnected and have found that they are both lonely yet still have dreams to fulfill. Her house is on the market and they have are making plans together. A trip to Paris in the spring, a cruise to somewhere. I have heard my mother’s voice have a lilt of joy and laughter that hasn’t been there for a long time. She loves that someone finds her beautiful and tells her so. Someone who cares enough to open a door for her, to hold her hand, to simply love her for who she is. Someone to spend, what years they have left on this earth, together.

As her daughter, I love that she is going to live her dreams. It gives me hope.

I am loving my little Nikon Point and Shoot. My shoulder loves it as well. It was nice to have it on a recent visit out to see Mike. Just another scene from a small community on our way to Tanner’s. I was surprised to see that Rexall Drug stores are still in existence. (Not that I remember EVER going to one)

Lr Preset: Silvery Toned BW and Vignette: Dark

Spent the weekend out in middle America. I snapped this with my point & shoot Nikon. I am enjoying not lugging around my big ole D300 every where I go. Bring it into to Lightroom, add a preset or two with some creative cropping and you would never know I shot this through the truck window! We paid a visit to Tanner’s Orchard and picked up apple cider donuts, fresh cider and a few bags of apples. A great fall weekend and even better seeing with a great son!

You would think that I was Mrs. Greenjeans this summer by this photo. Not at all… Just pure luck. Lots of rain and a wonderfully cool summer. The tomatoes were happy in their containers and the basil loved hanging out with them. I gave them all little pep talks every day about growing big and strong. Did I have success with everything I planted? No- I killed the Rosemary twice….

I thought it might be good to see what presets I used in this photo. Surprisingly I didn’t over preset it for a change. Is “over preset” a post production term?

I have been drawing a blank when it comes to putting thoughts to my photos lately. I am not sure why. It just seems that every time I sit down to write-blank, nada, zip, zero. Ever have that happen to you? I want to write but I just can’t seem to string my thoughts together enough to put them to paper. I am not thrilled with this photo and am actually disappointed with how my camera has been behaving. Of course…I blame it on the camera. It has NOTHING to do with me and my capabilities. I love taking photos but am tired of lugging around a big heavy camera for just “snapping” photos. I am seriously considering just getting a point and shoot that fits right in my purse or back pocket. I take evening bike rides on a regular basis and would love to have a camera in hand. Just seems like the D300 isn’t going to be my first choice any more. Do you go through phases like that?

Below is a recent photo of my brother and my Mom. My mom has come to Chicago for her birthday since my Dad passed away. My older sister Vicki comes too. It is a great time and this year was perfect. My brother lives in Wisconsin but came down and met us for lunch at a great little restaurant bakery in Northfield. He kept us laughing all through lunch. I love his sense of humor. You can see in the photo below he is working his magic on his mom.