Time with Kindergartners

means I'm a "soprhero"

 and very tall.

that's why I love 'em.

Eclipse.

I just came across a scribbled note from this summer: "eclipse - melanie & neil"... I could not remember what could've been so important about this - and then it all came back.

This work of genius. Forever obsessed with this show, dance, & these dancers...

Greetings.

One thing I will always carry in my memory from Spain is the natural way they greet one another on the street - strangers, family, friends - it's all the same. I immediately noticed the dichotomy between our cultures... and the value in acknowledging other humans as they pass by.

Lately, I've challenged myself with greeting each person, especially on my morning walks in this cozy neighborhood. It's entertaining to predict reactions to an unexpected "Hello, good morning" - to see how others respond, and let our lives weave together for just a moment. It's easy to see how the people of Chicago can pass by one another every day - their lives given a chance to intersect, and moments either explored or missed. We each have something unique to give one another... do we believe it?!

Today at church our pastor referenced a quote by Elisabeth Elliot: "Wherever you are, be all there." Being all here. Living in contentment. Loving the people I come into contact with each day - whether strangers on the street, in this neighborhood, at work, after work.

It really starts with a hello... so simple. And yet - such a challenge.

So good. So true.

Just letting these words seep into my mind, heart, soul, these days...

Relentless

"Whatever God is

He is relentlessly.


His loving kindness
governs my life."

:: Graham Cooke

Bike View.

The highlight of my days are spent on my bike.

Crisp air. Early mornings. City in sight.

Arriving at work feeling alive and ready.

Then the end of the day

 leaving and heading back...

Different routes, lakeside views.

Exploring 

Neighborhood nooks. Discoveries.

And eventually through

the quietness of my neighborhood 

that I so love to return to.

A sigh after a long day.

Evenings of rest.

Pumpkin muffins, tea. Celebrations of fall.

And then always looking forward to another morning on my bike...

Welcoming Fall...

What's Labor Day weekend without boating, Pequods pizza, a spontaneous sleepover, Ann Sather (favorite cinnamon rolls in the world), and a 7am Salvation Army thrift?!

Last Sunday, we officially said goodbye to summer.

Awaking to the chill of Chicago fall, it was time for coffee and the famous half-off sale at Salvation Army!

Boating with Britters & Aimee.

Hello Marilyn.
Glad you're making a quick appearance in Chi before you're shipped off somewhere more exotic.

Ummm favorite place w/ favorite people.

Just wearing a few Salv A finds...

One of the many reasons I love this city: the seasons. And as much as I'm a summer girl, I'm welcoming this new season with open arms. A change of season brings a certain amount of reflection, re-evaluation, and new expectation. Isn't it exciting to welcome change?! I'm ready for everything pumpkin, cinnamon spice, apples, sweaters, boots, layering... My love for this city seems to increase with each season (it helps that I moved in January.) I used to view Chicago as a holding ground until I'm off to the next adventure... I see more and more how special this place is and how much I like life here. Why start somewhere new when you're happy where you're at?! 

Thirteen Point One

Betsy and I were filled with nervous excitement when we signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon this summer. Determined to take advantage of summer runs by the lake, we figured the half was a good motivating factor. Neither of us had ever run over 6 miles... and we just wanted to know we could do it.

And today we did. After all the training, the weekly pressure for long runs and short runs, all the time and dedication and goal setting... What an accomplishment to cross the finish line. AND with an even better time than I had hoped for (1:58:18!) The best part? Looking to my side and seeing my running buddy in a matching tee, knowing that everything we put in was for this very race. You get one shot. And it's the process that gets you there. Not quite ready to sign up for the next race yet... but I can see how these things get addicting. You feel like a conquerer - and that's a good feeling.

(photos above: 1. betsy & i at the half marathon expo the day before 2. pasta party dinner with all our running girls 3. finish line! we did it.)

Laughter: The Cure to Goodbye Summer.

Sometimes it's just hard to go back to work.

...to get back into the swing of early mornings, early nights...
a loss of the freedom that was handed to me so easily by summer.

In these "goodbye summer" lows, I think back to these laughable moments...

Jenna's love for Blimpie's on a road trip.

Betsy & I in Wicker Park. Open Studios? Nope. Wrong weekend.
So now we're creepily looking into your home, hipsters. Oops.

slumber party at britt's. she busts out a matching delta shirt. it's her 26th birthday.
never too old to be a delta sister.

Mikey: a kid at heart. Good ol' oreos & milk after every meal.

"what can i do to get your life?!" - question to local bookstore owner.
And then I entered a raffle for a horse.

the hombre. need i say more.

Daniel playing dress up in my Uncle Bill's clothes

Yes - laughing can cure anything.

Film.

Like any good photog, gotta bend for the right shot ;)

Last Christmas, my dad gifted me his old Pentax that was given to him in 1973 by a friend's dad. This precious token has survived over 25,000 bicycle miles, Oregon mountain climbs, Smokey Mountain travels, camping trips, and even our family vacays and growing-up moments. Before he gave it to me, he had developed an aged roll of film remaining in the camera, and found photos he took of my little brothers on a camping trip - old memories revived back to life. I am so honored to be using a lens that has seen his most sacred adventures and captured the raw truth of daily life.

At the beginning of the summer, my dad and I made it a goal to take a photo excursion in which I could teach him the art of digital, and he could teach me all about film. Armed and loaded with cams in hand, we strolled Southport Ave for all the photo-optical charm that it so naturally offers. 

Summer is best lived on Southport

As we maneuvered our cameras, stretched for angles, and chatted over composition and lighting, I overflowed with delight behind the lens. I love photography because it gives life to the details, magic to the ordinary, and attention to the passing time. But the thing I love most about it is that I share it with my dad. This photo excursion was a defining moment of my summer that will be triggered with each click of the lens. 

My dad's shot via digital cam

Because of this outing, my summer story is told through a series of photos captured on the Pentax, just as my dad did with so many of his adventures. Unlike digital, with film you can't replay a moment for the right light or angle, you can't doctor the picture to make it more unique or "vintage" - it is what it is. Untouched and beautiful in it's truest state. You only get one shot, and the appearance of that shot remains a mystery until the photo is a physical object in hand. It takes patience, precision, and courage to search for the shot that's worth it. For these reasons, I fell in love with film this summer... and my dad has fueled much of the creative inspiration and confidence to play with this kind of art. 

All good photo outings end with beer & pizza.

When my dad gave me his Pentax, he closed his letter like this:

"Lance Armstrong said it well: "It's Not About the Bike." And it's not about the camera. Rather your joy, exploration, and unique expression and experience. So no matter which camera or even which kind of art you do, it is my joy that you are able to experience, capture, share and express your creative self, which I know to be a truly beautiful, beautiful self."

Thank you for showing me the truth in those words, dad. I look forward to living more moments that strike me as reason to be seen through the lens of the Pentax.