Tag Archives: brother

Sep 11

September 11, 2011

Today is a day of remembrance. I can remember this day 10 years ago very vividly. I woke up in the morning and turned on the t.v. and the first thing I saw was chaos, smoke, panic, and I heard Tom Brokaw’s voice. “Oh, no, what’s happening in the Middle East now?” I clearly remember thinking. I thought I was seeing images of the aftermath of a car bomber somewhere else, like Beirut, or somewhere in Iran. It took several shocking minutes before I could wrap my head around who/what/where/how. I was glued to the television every minute of the day until I had to get ready for work close to 3:00 p.m. I think I was stunned and numb. I don’t remember feeling much at all until later on. On the one year anniversary, I finally cried. I cried hard, and I cried all day long. I lost an acquaintance from high school and college on the second plane that hit the south tower. I remember seeing those images over and over, and I broke down thinking of the innocent lives lost. I just pray to God no one, wherever they were, had a chance to see what was coming when the planes hit. I cannot imagine what it must have felt like for those who lost loved ones, and my heart and prayers are with them today.

Today in The Mother LOAD, we had a sketch to follow. I ‘stole’ another one of my brother’s photos (I cannot resist!) from Flickr, and this is what I did:

May peace and understanding find all of us.

Apr 14

Seeing the beauty of everyday.

My brother lives in another town, and I don’t see him much. He doesn’t have a Facebook account, and he’s not much of a telephone conversationalist, just like myself (must be in the genes…). So when earlier in the year I decided to get myself a Picasa account, and we both realized that we both have Flickr accounts, bingo. We found that bridge to keep us close. We both share a love for photography, and both of our spouses are active in it as well. I practically live for those emails notifying me of new activity on either of his web album accounts, and I keep him posted as well. I love going through his photos; he has a really good eye, and I get to see what’s going on in his world. I think I rather bore him to death with my scrapbook layouts, but I do occasionally throw his boys into my little projects which I know he appreciates. Again, I still rely on searching for a photo to give me some inspiration for what to write on this post whenever I feel tongue-tied, and today was no exception. Here are some of my bro’s most recent pics, which I think are really cool.

"Waiting for Godot" My brother, waiting for his wife. Love the title.

"Wilson's Cyclery" A cute little bike shop in my hometown that's been around forever.

Dogwood. I love the dark background and the crisp detail.

So, Facebook is not the only good way to keep in touch and stay close. Thanks, Flickr and Picasa! Happy photo-taking!

Mar 19

Digital gridlock

I didn’t know what to write about today. I just know that my blog posts don’t feel complete without a photo, and as I have mentioned before here, when I don’t know what to say, I go fishing through my photos to see what inspires me. I love this photo of my nephew and my brother’s dog; I “stole” it from my brother’s Picasa web album with the intention of putting it into a layout. So tonight, I didn’t quite know how to do it justice (I guess I must be tired), so I started playing around with templates I have not used yet, and different photo effects to see what would happen. It would be interesting to take one great photo, and see how many ways it can be manipulated into new pieces of art. Some day. For tonight, this is what I did: I wanted to combine black and white with the original color photo. I love grids, and I love word art. So here you go; nothing special, but it was a learning experience nonetheless. Until next time, everyone.

Mar 18

The days of our lives…

Being that I had a day off today from work, I was able to get some things accomplished for the final week of Yesterday/Today. As I finished the last page, I took out the album I completed for the first time I took this class in 2009, and compared the two results. I like this year’s better, overall, but my journaling seemed more thoughtful before. Never rush a story. Here are weeks 11 and 12:

 

Week 11, 2 pages
Week 12, front
back

I usually have so much stuff sitting around my desk that I don’t know what to do with. This week was perfect for that. Most of the time I think I should keep something, but I don’t know why or where to put it. I found the place here. These divided page protectors are perfect for saving those photos, ephemera, or little items you can’t bear to get rid of, but you can’t really put into a scrapbook layout. It becomes a snapshot of your life today, right now (I wouldn’t advise saving food wrappers, though).

The other thing I did today involved emails from my brother. We both have accounts with Flickr and Picasa, so whenever he uploads photos to these sites, I receive notice, and I get to enjoy the great shots he takes. I think my brother is a fantastic photographer. I love to download copies to my computer, and create layouts of my nephews. I don’t see them very often, so it’s not only a treat, but a way to stay in touch with what they’re up to. I really didn’t know what I was doing with this layout; I just added things as I went along without a plan, which I do not recommend. It was an experiment, and I am not used to using so much embellishments, so I’m not sure if I like it or not. If anyone out there reading this has an opinion, it is welcome.

 

scanned image

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of “This Is Your Life!” Until next time, America!

Mar 1

What lies within…

photo by Rob Bryant

I finished up a photo album I am making for my brother’s birthday, and this photo was on the final page. I think it to be very appropriate. Life is a “long and winding road” (shout out to you, Daniel!), and I find this saying to be true, and helpful in maintaining sanity. Food for thought. :-)