Nice Legs

I love to treasure hunt at our local Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. In our area, I usually score better home accessories at SA, but recently, I picked up a little table with hairpin legs from Goodwill. I knew that I would be kuh-ray-zee not to take advantage of the $7 price tag on a set of beautiful hairpin legs.

 

I always wonder about the history of pieces like this. This one was in pretty rough shape.

I removed the particle board round top (from a cheapy accent table, I think), and painted a tray that I already had with Rustoleum's Aqua.  The legs got a light sanding and a couple of coats of satin black spray paint.

                  

I'm digging it.

Good Friday

Eleven years ago, I was almost a confirmed Catholic. I would be anointed in the Easter Vigil service the following day, in one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

I no longer routinely practice the Faith, but one thing I learned in the RCIA classes has held absolutely true: Once Catholic, Always Catholic.

Today, on Good Friday, while our mostly-Protestant town bustled with shoppers and leisurely lunchers, I fasted. I didn't really plan to--it just sort of happened. My heart felt heavy with a belief that, beyond my questions and skepticism and distance, still breathes. Despite today's sunshine, my Good Friday remained shrouded in darkness. I watched the clock and silently observed the Stations in my thoughts.

I envy believers whose journeys are straight and well-lit, while my road of spirituality is so foggy and winding that I've pulled over onto the shoulder more than a couple of times. But even in the darkness, I can make out some familiar landmarks, and for that I am thankful.

365, Redux

Last March, on my 39th birthday, I began a 365 photo project. I was trucking along until life got hectic and I got so far behind that I abandoned the daily photo idea. And that was OK.

Summer and fall were so busy and chaotic that one day I realized that I had not touched my camera in over 2 months. And that was most definitely not OK.

On January 1, I decided to try the 365 project again. Not because life has slowed down or because I have extra time on my hands--the opposite is true, in fact. I am pretty maxed out. But I miss photography, and my skills have weakened. So I committed to simply snapping a photo a day. It doesn't have to be beautiful or creative or make a statement or be in focus, even. It just has to be.

Yesterday tested that commitment. I worked from dawn to dark, and as I walked to my car I remembered that I had not captured even one image all day. I'd be phoning this one in, for sure.

On the drive home, I spotted a fat full moon. I tried a couple of shots with my point-and-shoot, but the moon doesn't exactly photograph well with normal settings from a moving vehicle. So as soon as I arrived home, I grabbed my big-girl camera and the tripod and went outside.

I'm proud of this photo. I'm even prouder that it was taken on a day that didn't begin with much creative promise. But the best part is what I realized last night out in the chilly air on my front yard: When life is hectic and schedules are busy and handling it all almost seems to be Too Much? That's when it's most important for me to pick up the camera, look around, and find something--anything--to capture.

You can see my current 365 project HERE.