Co-op Election Day

Today my whole life could change, or, remain exactly the same as it was yesterday and the day before.

Sometime last August I got it into my head to run for the Eastside Co-op Board of Directors. It was the friendly recruiter (and Board member) in the entryway of the store that enticed me. I attended a few board meetings and was duly impressed by the level of expertise and passionate interests present. They all seemed so concerned with many of the things I am interested in. I wanted to be part of this functional, productive group that seemed to be working towards making genuine change in this world and actually making progress towards this goal.

I thought I would join up as there were four open seats. Later I found that the both the Board president and vice-president are also running which makes me very nervous about the prospect of losing these leaders on the Board. There are three other prospective Board members and myself.

I am the first person of color to run for the Board. I can't figure out if that is an advantage or disadvantage. I do know that I have never been successful at such things, thinking primarily here about student council in my younger years, but what the heck. Maybe voting members will see my candidacy as building diversity at the Co-op. And that is the primary thing that I think I can provide - making connections with the diverse communities that make up the Central Avenue Business District.

But, the Co-op is a tight community. Some of the members seems clique-ish to me and that could mean this a tough group to penetrate.

I'm going to try. And if I succeed, this could lead me into a whole new direction in my life. Wish me luck, you'all!

Weekend Fire

It's been three months since I featured a weekend fire. And that really represents how little we went to the Airstream retreat this summer. The summer is coming to an end and I am left wondering where it went. I spent the summer in a fog of morning sickness and I distinctly remember thinking how wonderful it was going to be to have summer done and over with. But now that it's here, I am sad for the end.

The August weekend fires always have corn in them. This is my favorite way of cooking up corn. The corn has a bit of the smokiness from the fire and I love the process of peeling away the steamy husks. I had a friend who grew up on a farm and she always watched with disgust as fellow campers cooked up corn this way, muttering that cooked worm looked the same as a cooked kernel. I try not to think about that and when I did this year, I told myself "oh well, baby needs the protein."

Weekend Fire

It's been three months since I featured a weekend fire. And that really represents how little we went to the Airstream retreat this summer. The summer is coming to an end and I am left wondering where it went. I spent the summer in a fog of morning sickness and I distinctly remember thinking how wonderful it was going to be to have summer done and over with. But now that it's here, I am sad for the end.

The August weekend fires always have corn in them. This is my favorite way of cooking up corn. The corn has a bit of the smokiness from the fire and I love the process of peeling away the steamy husks. I had a friend who grew up on a farm and she always watched with disgust as fellow campers cooked up corn this way, muttering that cooked worm looked the same as a cooked kernel. I try not to think about that and when I did this year, I told myself "oh well, baby needs the protein."

End of summer blooms

What can I say? I'm a sucker for shooting flowers. This morning every single one in the garden seemed to be posing for shots. It's the end of August, meaning it's the end of summer. The State Fair started today and that always signifies the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. And now, for the third year in a row, I am now longer affected by this cycle. Still feeling adrift...but at least I'm surrounded by beautiful flowers.

End of summer blooms

What can I say? I'm a sucker for shooting flowers. This morning every single one in the garden seemed to be posing for shots. It's the end of August, meaning it's the end of summer. The State Fair started today and that always signifies the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. And now, for the third year in a row, I am now longer affected by this cycle. Still feeling adrift...but at least I'm surrounded by beautiful flowers.

Glory in the Morning

This summer is the first time I noticed the fleeting life a morning glory. I imagine the short life is not so apparent when there are many dozens of this flower growing in one area, say on a fence or trellis. I have mine twining up thin bamboo stakes and every couple of days one or two will gloriously bloom. But by the evening the flower is a wilted remnant.





With just a slight shift in stance or focus, the picture changes so dramatically. And this is my lesson for the day. Change the perspective slightly and a whole new vision is formed. This is what I am trying as a means to understand all the changes in my life. I recently heard a radio program on WOJB that discussed the healing therapy of art. The program made me think about my photography in so many new ways. Perhaps with each frame there will be something more for me to learn.

Glory in the Morning

This summer is the first time I noticed the fleeting life a morning glory. I imagine the short life is not so apparent when there are many dozens of this flower growing in one area, say on a fence or trellis. I have mine twining up thin bamboo stakes and every couple of days one or two will gloriously bloom. But by the evening the flower is a wilted remnant.





With just a slight shift in stance or focus, the picture changes so dramatically. And this is my lesson for the day. Change the perspective slightly and a whole new vision is formed. This is what I am trying as a means to understand all the changes in my life. I recently heard a radio program on WOJB that discussed the healing therapy of art. The program made me think about my photography in so many new ways. Perhaps with each frame there will be something more for me to learn.

New growth

New growth