Day 30: Self Portrait

So, last year (yes, last year) I started this 30 Day Photography Challenge. Nobody ever said they had to be 30 consecutive days, and so it has taken me a while to complete the challenge with this final post.  Yes, I am in there somewhere if you look really hard:

Now, here’s the other thing. I have found it very difficult to focus my writing here at the blog, and after much reflection I realize that the interconnected, networked, facebooked, twittered world in which we live is kinda giving me the heebie jeebies. I really want to focus my writing, and I once read advice that a writer should treat the endeavor like they would dieting: either tell everyone about it, or tell no one.  I lean toward the telling no one, myself, and this instant publishing to the world of my blog posts that are not necessarily my best and brightest work is pretty intimidating.  I know many writers who thrive on it. It seems to have the opposite effect on me.

So here’s the deal. If you’ve read this far, you are likely to have been a follower of Nailing Jello to the Wall for a while, and are likely to make the slightest of effort to click here again. I mean, you’re still reading, right? After today I will be taking my link to Facebook off of here, so that new posts will not show up in my Facebook feed. Yes, I’m getting off the Zuckerberg train, as far as this blog goes. That means if you got here via Facebook, you won’t be doing that in the future. You can, however, still get an email notification of new posts here, by clicking over there on the left where it says “Email Subscription.”

I hope you’ll follow along in this less brave new world I’m working on here. Your thoughtful comments are always welcome.

Day Nine: Someone(s) You Love

So many friends and family to choose from, so few who would let me take their picture. Those of you who are long-time readers of this blog know that Unnamed Partner wants to remain anonymous on this blog, and I respect that. Also, I wasn’t about to ask to take her picture when she hadn’t even finished her coffee this a.m.  It’s a shame, because I love her so, and she was the first person I thought of, of course, for this challenge.  But here’s a photo of me and my boys, both of whom I also love with all my heart. Mean Dave is on the left (he’s not really mean, but he embraces his inner curmudgeon), Tom on the right, the oldest, the caretaker of plants and people. Of course we fussed and argued over the years, as all siblings do, I guess. But I love this picture, taken by my Dad I’m sure, from about 1963.  It sits in a frame in my living room, and it always, always makes me smile.

My Mom has told me many times that at about the age when this photograph was taken, I would wait impatiently for my brothers to get home from school and ask “Where are my boys?”

Day Eight: Bad Habit

So many thoughts come to mind on this one, but how does one photograph “conflict avoidance” ? Or, “procrastination” ?  Oh, I’m sure the Microsoft Office clips have some photo of a woman in business attire holding her head, or a man in a tie walking a tightrope, etc. etc.  But I went instead for the tangible vices, and was able to get a two-fer in this shot:  carbs and dairy. Otherwise known as “grab your breakfast and dash out the door to catch the bus.”

What’s your bad habit?

Day Seven: Fruit

How lucky that I’ve had this orange sitting on my desk for the past month.  I knew there was a good reason to keep it there …

 

The older it gets, the more interesting it looks.  Just like people.

Day Six: From a Low Angle

Fritz!

You knew he was going to show up somewhere in these 30 days, right?

I have to say that this has been a great exercise. Lately I’ve been living  way too much in my head, for a variety of reasons, and this exercise has basically taken me by the shoulders and said “Snap out of it!”  Even though I took this shot in my living room, when Fritz and I went for our morning walk today — previous to his lounge time on the couch captured here — I spent the entire time looking up and over and out. Anywhere but in my head.

Somehow that helps me appreciate the familiar and the everyday moments, such as Fritz on the couch, even more, too.

Day Five: From a High Angle

“High angle” leaves a lot of room for interpretation. I’m tall, so I’m considering me looking down at the garden gazing ball to be a “high angle.”

 

I mistakenly titled this “Day Four” at first. Time flies!

Day Four: Something Green

Ah, the hesitation and the moment lost. I’ve been kicking myself all day. As I raced out the door this morning I noticed a heavy coating of frost on the lamb’s ear plants by the front walk, and I thought to myself,  “That would be a nice shot for today’s challenge. Too bad I don’t have time.”  Well of course I had time, really. But I rushed on. It really was a lovely image. Much lovelier than anything I’ve seen since then.  So now, instead of an unusual image of one of my favorite plants, I give you: my office plant.  There is a message in here somewhere. I just know it ….

Day Three: Clouds

Well doesn’t that just figure. Yesterday the sky was nothing but clouds. Today, it’s all bright blue, but incredibly cold compared with the past few days. So for today’s challenge, I’m using a man-made cloud, specifically the cloud of steam coming up from a city street on a cold December day.

Day Two: What You Wore

Today was an interesting day to have this topic, as we’ve had about 6 inches of rain fall so far.  I thought about a lot of images related to the weather, including Fritz in his raincoat. But in the end I went with the jacket I wore today and a story below it.

This jacket holds a very special place in my heart. I’m not really a material person, but this thing has a lot of memories tied to it. Twelve years ago, I had just started my new career as a middle school teacher. If you have never been a teacher, or have never lived with a first year teacher, you have no idea how much work that first year (or two, really) is.  In addition to learning curriculums and learning to handle a million adolescent hormones raging around you every minute of the day, you have at least 4 observations during the year. Sounds reasonable enough, if you would be willing to have your boss and senior managers watch you perform your job for an hour and then sit and listen to them critique every detail, an then put a written report into your personal file.

Yeah, it’s a little stressful.

I was fortunate in my first year, though, that I had a great principal, a knowledgeable Special Ed team leader,  and a dedicated new teacher mentor. Also, the kids were pretty good that year. Still, you really have to do an entire dog and pony show, impressing with your depth of knowledge while dazzling with your natural-born teaching ability. No matter how good you are, it’s exhausting.

On the morning of my first observation, I passed my mentor in the hallway. Her words of advice to me were, buy yourself something nice. It doesn’t matter how it goes, what matters is how much work you put into it, and whether every piece of the lesson soars, or there are moments of agony, you’ve worked hard to get ready and you should reward yourself.

It turned out to be a good day, because I created and delivered a fantastic lesson on Greek Mythology, and I bought a leather jacket.