Confession: My mind has been a jumbled mess lately.
Between school starting for the kids, new photography courses in the works, and a constant barrage of depressing world headlines, I've been feeling completely out-of-whack. So yesterday morning, I said out loud, "Enough."
I wanted to adopt a policy I've seen my children (and dog) following more and more these days: gazing out at the world and simply having "a really good think."
I took my morning coffee (iced, milked, and sugared, because I don't like coffee unless it tastes like coffee ice cream) and parked myself in a comfy chair facing the forest in our back yard. I forced myself (yes, it was a physical and mental effort) to just sit quietly and watch the morning unfold before me.
It was as though the back yard (which had seemed lifeless) came alive before my eyes.
A tiny white butterfly flittered between blades of grass, drinking its dewy breakfast.
A chickadee landed on the kids' swing-set, briefly.
A golden aspen leaf drifted lazily to the ground.
There were quite a few comical chipmunk skirmishes around the back yard. "High-tailing it out of there" is a perfect description of what chipmunks do when they decide to give up on a fight.
In between these observations, I realized how long it had been since I'd gifted myself with pure time in the morning, just to ponder and observe. Much too often, between various work tasks and household chores, I've been guilty of checking in on the world's nonsense and noise (a very nerve-rattling business indeed).
Now more than ever, I need to take time just to be still.
It's been very quiet around this blogspace lately, hasn't it? That's because I've been feverishly organizing my life. Planning out courses. Clearing out clutter. Reducing distractions. Making my lists and checking them twice!
One of the big things I've been doing to clear out clutter is sending my collection of magazines to the recycling center. I gave up reading newspapers years ago (I get all of the news I "need" online--although I drastically limit that, too), but magazines have been harder for me to thin out. (Something about those pretty pictures on glossy pages!) But here's the thing: There's just no need for me to keep magazines anymore because if I really, truly want to see an article or photo again, there's this little thing called Google. Perhaps you've heard of it? ;)
The one exception to my magazine purge is the quarterly publication called Bella Grace, which is really more like a coffee table book, filled with the dreamiest photographs imaginable (plus no ads!). I'm pretty sure that angels must have copies of Bella Grace on their coffee tables in heaven. (Nope, I'm not getting paid to say that; I just LOVE it.) Anyway, I borrow all other magazines from the library. (Libraries are great clutter-busters, especially if your particular brand of clutter--like mine--is reading material. The curse of the Bookworm/Highly Visual Person!)
Another thing I did to declutter: Donated MANY bags of toys, baby stuff, accessories, books, and what-have-you's to our school's annual holiday sale. (The students bring in $2 for each family member's gift and then they can do some gift-shopping on their own, choosing from the never-used or gently-used items on display in the cafeteria. It's a fundraiser, so it's a winner all around!)
On the business front, I decided to super-simplify the way I offer discounts to my online photography students. Instead of having just one week of the Early Bird rate on my e-courses before bumping up to the regular rate, I'm creating a little monthly e-letter, called Joyful Scoop, and I'll be offering exclusive e-course discounts to its subscribers. This will HUGELY help me by having all students and prospective students on one master list, and it will help YOU so you don't miss any course announcements, registrations, or discounts. (If you're already a subscriber to Joyfully Green, no need to unsubscribe from that list. Joyful Scoop will be a different animal altogether.)
The monthly e-letter won't just be for photo students, though. I'll also be featuring some mini tutorials, inspirational goodies, and photo freebies. If that sounds good to you, you can sign up by clicking here.The next photo e-course announcement (with the subscriber discount) is coming VERY soon so I really hope to see you on the list! (No spam, EVER. I promise. Just e-course discounts, inspirational stuff, and eye candy.)
I'm also reducing the social media noise in my life, focusing only on the platforms that inspire me instead of exhausting me. This might sound funny in a post about letting things go, but I just rejoined Instagram. To be honest, I never gave it a fair shot the first time around. I posted a grand total of ONE (!) photo before deciding I just didn't have the time to figure out another social media thingee. But now I'm back and it actually seems...simple?! And fun?! (Plus: pretty pictures!) So if you're on Instagram, let's follow each other and share some snaps, yes? (My Instagram link is here.)
I hope the holiday season is treating you kindly so far. If you need some help simplifying your holidays, here are a couple of posts you might've missed:
I just celebrated one of those "big" birthdays--you know, one with a zero at the end of it.
Thankfully, I still feel like I'm 32 (I think I've felt 32 since senior year of high school!), so it wasn't all that traumatic. It was exactly my kind of birthday because I spent it doing all kinds of my favorite things, without even one dreary chore or one ounce of guilt mixed in. Just pure, simple pleasures. If that sounds like your kind of birthday, too, help yourself to this recipe for celebrating. (Feel free to make your own substitutions, according to taste.)
1. Head outdoors first thing in the morning, camera in hand. (If you know me, you already know I'm fascinated by bugs, so it was an extra bonus for me to capture a company of ants having a meeting deep within the petals of a Rose of Sharon blossom.)
2. When somebody (for instance, your eight-year-old daughter) asks you what you'd like for your birthday, answer "Just a hug, please." Melt with love when she brings you a surprise homemade breakfast of three pieces of toast cut out into the letters H-U-G, decorated with wild blueberry preserves (my favorite!) and fresh blueberries. (Seriously, how cute is that?!)
3. After breakfast, read a good book on the porch. (A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield is chock-full of wisdom for living a more meaningful and mindful life. I'm underlining like crazy!)
4. If you're not much of a cake person, have ice cream cones instead. Preferably, with lots of sprinkles (or jimmies, or shots, or whatever you call those little candy toppings in your neck of the woods).
6. Take one of your favorite people with you to one of those little shops where you can paint your own pottery while chatting and listening to more good music.
7. End the day eating dinner with your favorite people in the world, (which is hopefully your family), preferably at a Mexican restaurant (which always feels like a fiesta). Get just a little bit tipsy on frozen strawberry margaritas, so that you can't take a proper photograph of the event. Pretend you were aiming for "an artsy shot" instead.
8. Tuck into bed, completely grateful for the day and all of the simple but wonderful things it held out to you.
How 'bout you? How do you celebrate your big birthdays? I'd love to hear!
The last day of the kids' school year is tomorrow, and lo and behold, a catalog arrived today in the mail with the cover headline bellowing at me to "Get Set for Back to School!" Sorry, pushy catalog people, but I plan on savoring the summer instead of rushing it along, especially after the whirlwind of June activities that closed out the school year. (And I thought May was a busy month--HA!)
I'd like a simple, leisurely summer--and here's how I plan on creating it:
1. I will not fret about packing up for the town beach. Basically, we need sunscreen, swimsuits, thermoses, and towels. We do not need to pack up our car like we're embarking on a three-month safari.
2. I will relax the rules. If the kids want to stay up later than usual at night or sleep later than usual in the mornings, so be it! If they want to get messy outdoors, we've got a hose to rinse them off.
3. I will take full advantage of the public library. The library is a year-round treat for our family, but in summer, it's got free outdoor concerts, too.
4. I will remember that I am not the children's personal entertainer. Of course, we'll do plenty of fun things together, but certainly not 24/7, nor even 12/7. While I'm teaching my two online photography courses in July and August, I'll prepare the kids with plenty of books from the library, sketchbooks, and art supplies. And then there's the Great Outdoors, which I'll heartily encourage them to explore.
5. I will not get suckered into buying souvenirs. We don't need to buy things to prove that we visited places. Photographs capture the moment a lot better than some plastic trinkets made in China.
The "catalog people" are acting like summer should be rushed along to make way for fall. I, however, have other plans for the season.
How 'bout you? How do you keep your summer simple? I'd love to hear about it!
Join me in July: My online photography course, How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You begins on Monday, July 6th! No fancy camera is necessary (you can even use your smart phone). Ready to take better pictures? Sign up today at the link.
We're in the thick of "May Madness" right now: School is winding down and the end-of-year activities are winding up--waaaay up! I've turned into what Pamela Druckerman says the French scornfully call "Maman-Taxi"--the crazed mom who shuttles the kids from one activity to another. I can barely figure out how I'm going to get my son from after-school play practice to his baseball game, with my daughter's piano lesson sandwiched in between. Taxi-Mom indeed!
I really dislike the idea of over-scheduling kids (never mind myself), because I remember my own childhood as being relatively low-key. I took ballet and piano lessons, but I had LOTS of free time for playing outdoors after school. And yet, here we are today: Tightly booked.
But the good thing about being temporarily over-booked is that it helps us to see what can fall away. To see which activities give us the most joy and which ones are just time-drains.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with my daughter's dance lessons. She's been losing interest in ballet, but now she loves to play the piano. So, dance lessons will be dropped after the big recital in June.
My son gave up fencing for similar reasons. Took too much time and didn't give enough joy.
But he loves, loves, LOVES baseball, so that one's non-negotiable.
It's not just the kids with multiple interests and minimal time. On my way to find my son's baseball gear, I nearly tripped over the sewing machine that I'd bought for myself over a year ago. I've used it exactly two times, including once for a beginner's sewing class. While the class seemed interesting on the day I took it, I have to admit that I can't even remember how to thread the bobbin anymore.
If I have a free half-hour, nine times out of ten, I'll reach for my camera. Zero times out of ten, I'll reach for a new sewing project. I'm terrible at math, but I think that says something.
I thought I could read the small stack of books I'd taken out of the library a month ago--cookbooks, a couple of novels, a book of essays--but they're all due today and going back to the library, all but two of them unread. (When exactly did I think I was going to be able to whip up those vegan cupcakes, anyway?)
Then there's the Mad Men finale. Some day, I might get around to watching it, along with the four shows leading up to it that are waiting patiently for me on TiVo. Frankly, I'm just not that interested anymore. It's hard to fit in TV shows when I don't have time these days to blow-dry my hair. (Sending out a big thanks to whomever invented the ponytail hole in baseball caps!)
There are only so many hours. Our ongoing task is to find the essence of our days--the things we love, the things we truly need to do--and skim off the rest.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
How 'bout you? Have you simplified your activities or are you stretched to the limit? Let's hear it in the comments section!
I just got back from a lovely ski weekend in Great Barrington, MA with my family. (Well, to be technical, my husband and daughter went skiing, my son went snowboarding, and I went photographing!) While I'd love to show you some pictures from the ski trip, I thought you might like a little break from all of the snow and ice lately...to take a little vicarious vacation to Hawaii!
Aside from a couple of posts featuring the work of my photography students, I've featured other photographers here only twicebefore. But I'm making an exception again, for one of my nearest and dearest friends, Michael Graziano, whom I've known since we were 16 years old, when we met at a summer arts program for high school students at Wesleyan University.
Michael and I are birds of a feather. We both grew up in Connecticut; we both lived in New York City for many years, where we were both in creative fields; and we're both crazy about the music of Neil Finn and Liam Finn (but oddly, not Tim Finn). He's one of those friends that no matter how much time passes between get-togethers, we start right up where we left off. (I love that kind of friendship, don't you?)
For the past twenty years, Michael worked at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and as its Producing Director, he helped raise millions of dollars for its charitable efforts. Last August, he decided to step down from his high-profile job and step out into the Great Unknown. I've been thoroughly enjoying his Facebook updates (let's be honest: how many friends can you say that about?), and I'm betting you'll enjoy this armchair trip, too.
The following quotes are Michael's updates from Facebook, and all of the photographs in this post are his, taken with his iPhone (all used with his permission, of course!).
* * * * * * * *
September 23, 2014: "An adventure begins this week. I am off to live in Hawaii for 4 months, volunteering at Kalani retreat on the Big Island. I'll be living in a tent, which I bought from an Italian gal who is leaving for Costa Rica. I am bringing few possessions--clothes, some good books, a journal, my good-luck necklace that I bought in Amsterdam when I was 20 years old. I will be living in the shadow of the Kilauea volcano, nature's reminder of its own awesome power. How will I be touched, humbled and changed by dangerous Pele, the ancient Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes?"
October 15, 2014: "I am making friends with some new members of the animal kingdom here in Hawaii such as this gecko. There are also the feral cats that live on the property and are very sweet. Less friendly are the wild pigs that roam around my tent at night but they scare easily. I am trying to avoid the dreaded fire ants which pack quite a sting. Sea turtles can be seen in the ocean nearby but so far they have only poked their heads and shells out of the water and not ventured onto the land. So many living things to encounter!"
October 26, 2014: "The lava approaches. We shall see what Madame Pele has in store for us this week. The closest town may have to evacuate but we are not currently in the lava path. It will likely cross the highway, though, so we will be cut off from civilization as new roads are made. The lava changes its path and rate of flow all the time so nothing is certain."
November 15, 2014: "This guy has been living in the shower stall for a few days now. Seems to be friendly so far."
December 10, 2014: "When I arrived in Puna in October, it was hot, humid and rained every day. Now that we are in the 'rainy season' of December, it is glorious with the sun shining, lower humidity, cooler nights and no rain for days. Perfect holiday weather."
December 24, 2014: "These palm trees looked to me like snowflakes against the sky. Happy Christmas Eve from Hawaii!"
January 12, 2015: "Night falls over my tent."
January 13, 2015: "Cats. There must be close to 100 feral cats on property, fed by animal-loving volunteers and whatever they can find in the jungle. These cats act like dogs, begging for food or attention. This is Wilbur."
January 17, 2015: "Sunset at Mauna Kea into the clouds at almost 14,000 feet."
January 18, 2015: "Goodbye Kalani! I depart today after 3 and a half months filled with laughter, challenge and creativity. I shaved off my beard and hair yesterday in prep for the next leg of the trip. Time for new growth. I'll be exploring the islands for the rest of the month and head to New Zealand in February. Aloha Kalani friends!"
* * * * * * * *
Safe travels, Michael, and thanks for letting me share a little part of your Hawaiian adventure here! I hope New Zealand is EVEN BETTER! xox Joy
* * * * * * * *
I now return you to your regularly scheduled weather. (How GORGEOUS were those pics?!)
I'm happy to be back here, tap-tap-tapping away at the keyboard. The holiday break with my extended family was the longest break (actually, the only break) I've taken in blogging since opening up shop here in July 2012. I love my little corner of the internet, but it was good to step away from it for a bit and really, truly focus on the people I love whom I don't see often enough.
Sometimes, you really have to give yourself permission to rest.
I remember reading a thoughtful post called Extremely Important Priorities from Tammy, one-half of the brilliant blogging team at The Great Jollyhoombah (one of my all-time favorite blogs, which is sadly no more), about how we often concoct these long to-do lists for ourselves, chockful of tasks that (if we're really honest about it) we don't actually NEED to do.
Yes, it might have been beneficial for me to keep on posting away through the December holidays, as the third session of my nature photography e-course was starting in January. (It started yesterday and I'm loving my new students already!) But as I watched more and more of my blogging friends sign off until the New Year, I felt a little twinge of envy, and it just felt right to join the holiday parade and hang up the "CLOSED" shingle for a while.
But as I said, I'm happy now to be back. Refreshed. Recharged. Revved up to go again!
That's the whole point of vacations, isn't it?
While I was "on leave", I took LOTS of pictures (no surprise there), especially first thing in the mornings. I haven't quite figured out how to work a camera while wearing gloves, so my outdoor photo shoots would usually end when my fingers and toes went numb. And then I was doubly thankful for a toasty-warm house!
Because I like to give experiences instead of stuff, as a Hanukkah present, I took my two teenage nieces out to dinner and then out for a shopping trip. (Yes, I know, the shopping part negates the non-commercial aspect, but they're teenage girls--I can do only so much green-preaching! And I admit, I did have fun scoping out makeup with them.) I love my nieces to pieces--funny, sweet, and whip-smart girls who have somehow escaped "Sullen Teenager Syndrome."
Our uncle treated us to an afternoon in New York with a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore" at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. It was good ol' silly fun! I hadn't seen a G & S show since childhood with my dad.
I also saw some very good movies, including "Into the Woods"--twice! That's always been my favorite musical. I saw it on stage in London ages ago (oh my, the set designs were GORGEOUS!), and then I saw the taped Broadway show with Bernadette Peters. I loved the movie (obviously--I saw it twice), and Johnny Depp ROCKED IT as The Wolf (no surprise there), but here's a crazy opinion for you: I didn't think Meryl Streep was as good as Bernadette Peters. (There, I said it!) Don't get me wrong: Meryl Streep is amazing (naturally), but she missed the comedic timing of Peters. Lines that had the audience roaring with laughter in the play with Peters were met with near-silence in the movie theater. (It was a little shocking, I must say!) So if you liked the movie, look up the Broadway version with Bernadette Peters and let me know what you think.
Lastly, I played "Master Chef" with my kids a whole lot during this break, whipping up yummy things like french toast, Chinese broccoli, fresh breads, and cookies. Life is really too short for bad bread, so once you get the hang of making homemade bread from scratch (I promise you, it's not that difficult), you won't ever want to eat the bland stuff in the cellophane bags again.
All in all, 2015 is off to a very yummy start!
How 'bout you?What has kept you happily occupied lately? Let's hear it--I'm all ears! (Email subscribers: Click on the blue title of the post to get to the main site; then you'll see the comments section at the bottom.)
It's a challenge to come up with gifts for Hanukkah when (1) we're already tripping over the kids' overloaded toy supply and (2) we--the parents--don't want any more stuff for ourselves.Giving experiences has become one of our favorite ways to celebrate. But sometimes, you can combine a fun experience with choosing something small (and not pricey) to take home with you.
Case in point: Last Sunday, we combined something that we (our family of four) all love--books--with someplace we all love to visit--Strand Books in New York City. I've written about it before, but it's hard to capture the essence of the Strand in photos because it's just soooooo big and sprawling--four floors of books (most of them secondhand, many out-of-print or rare) taking up a full city block. Yet it's somehow cozy at the same time, as you blissfully meander around the chock-full stacks with everybody else who loves books just as much. It's our collective Happy Place, for sure.
I chose a book that's technically for children but I love it nonetheless: Maps by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinska. (I love a book that teaches me a hundred new things on every page.) That's a book I can put on the family room coffee table for everybody to pick up from time to time and devour.
After a quick bite and drink across the street, my husband suggested we walk down to Washington Square. I'm so glad he did (and not just because I love the Henry James book!). The arch was all lit up, framing the big Christmas tree under it. It was already almost impossibly festive, and then a big group of joggers (all wearing Santa hats) launched into "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to take it right over the top. Even though we don't celebrate Christmas, the sparkling city filled with music and lights was a beauty to behold.
At home, we hid our Strand books away until the first night of Hanukkah (yesterday). It was the perfect day in the city together, and we all agreed it'll be our new holiday tradition.
How 'bout you? Do you have a favorite holiday tradition? Let's hear it--I'm all ears!
Here's one of my favorite ways to spend a lazy weekend morning: Making a creative, slightly crazy breakfast with the kids. (They're in full-on "Chef Mode" lately, thanks to "Master Chef Junior.") What's the dish they concocted, above? It's challah french toast, sprinkled with powdered sugar, chocolate chips, pomegranate seeds, and maple syrup, of course! It won't win any awards for good health (although the pomegranate helped me feel slightly less guilty), but it was good fun to spend Saturday morning whipping up something wild and wacky with my two little chefs-in-training. After making sure they stay safe in the kitchen, my most important kitchen rule for them is "be creative!"
And my most important rule for the weekend is this: Let the kids relax, rest, imagine, play, create, and generally do their own thing (within reason!), without hustling them off to activity after activity. I'm a huge believer in underscheduling children. How 'bout you?
'Tis the season to be...crazy? I don't think so!And neither do the following authors of these wonderful posts that will help put your holiday season back into perspective:
From Linda at Rockside Reflections:On Doing Things That Delight. (Because the best recipe for a happy holiday is "Do more of what you love and less of what you hate.")
From Raymund at Minimalist on Purpose:7 Simple Ways to Find Focus Every Day. (Because the holidays are a time when we try to focus on waaaaay too much at once, instead of focusing on the few things that really, truly matter.)
What's YOUR strategy for a stress-free holiday season? Or are you struggling to keep it together? Do tell in the comments section below--I'm all ears!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Skip holiday mall madness with these joyful gift ideas...
