Slice of Life Challenge at Two Writing Teachers

A Photo A Day-am I up to the challenge?

Here’s the inspiration I found at Bud Hunt’s blog

It was about a year ago that D’Arcy Norman suggested that, if folks wanted to, we might challenge ourselves to shoot a photo a day for the year 2008 and share as many of them as possible.  I didn’t do so hot about the sharing part, but I’ve managed to work the question

“What’s today’s picture?”

What D’Arcy’s invitation, and the group’s examples and conversations, did for me was to literally fiddle with the way that I see the world.  He calls it “mindful seeing,” and explains in a post he wrote last January:

Mindful seeing is the process of turning off the filters, of seeing your surroundings unfettered and unobstructed.

When viewing the world without filtering, even the most boring and banal subjects can become wondrous and interesting. We are constantly surrounded by interesting things that we normally don’t see – textures, lighting, patterns, shapes, objects, groupings, even messages.

Photographers are often described as distancing themselves from their surroundings by “hiding behind a camera” or “viewing the world only through a viewfinder.” I see photography from the exact opposite side of the coin. By mindfully seeing the world around me, I feel as though I am seeing much more than I would otherwise. I see patterns, convergence, divergence, shadows, lighting, juxtaposition, and composition that are likely missed by others. That’s not to say that I am “better” than any other – just that by being mindful of what I am seeing, I am aware of what is around me. And when I am aware, I am better able to take an interesting photograph.

If you’re interested, the group’s still there, and getting started with 2009.

Of course there’s Photo Fridays at Flickr where we’ve been sharing together since June and going strong.

I’ve begun this challenge as of January 1, 2009.  I have sharing photos and text on my  photo blog, but every day?  So far so good. What will I discover about myself?  Can’t wait to get desperate as the days, weeks and months pass.  I want to keep returning to D’racy’s quote to rethink my passion for capturing images.

Of course, I need more challenges in my life and here we go again…

Lynn is on board with me. I am also sharing my daily photos on Flickr and with my Photo Fridays group.

Lots of online sharing, what fun!

Bonnie

Gran Torino
Running time 116 minutes
Written by Nick Schenk
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Starring Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, Ahney Her

Here’s the .Gran Torino trailer (Chris plays the priest!)

Tonight in LA, Chris will walk the red carpet with his wife, his agent, his parents and me, riding along in his jacket pocket.

I am always BK.  He knows he can call me Bonnie, but BK feels closer to our core, the playful center of our connection.

He has been holding out for this break, supported by his wife, his family, me.

GT opens in NYC on Friday.  Can I stay away? Can I wait patiently until it arrives in my area?  I don’t think so.  If it’s here, on this coast, I need to get to a theater.  I think Tuvia will understand.

Friday night remains wide opened.

Break a leg, Drama Boy!

BK

Slice of Life Tuesday

The election is over and I am even more focused, like many other Americans on the news, anywhere I can get some.  I spend more time now listening to NPR instead of my Ipod or WFUV offerings of new music I love in my car.

It isn’t just because I am enjoying the coming of a fresh democratic President.   It’s also because I wonder, with horror, what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month to our economic health.  I wonder just how bad it will get before I have to really change my life style.  I keep watching TV commercials for the coming holiday season.   Seems like life as usual.  Is it?

I am wondering about how this will impact on our writing project work in professional development inservice projects.  I am sure I’m not the only one wondering and asking these same questions.

I wasn’t going to write about this.  I have a movie review I’m working on, a reflection on my experience at the National Writing Project annual meeting last week, but I can’t.  I am here, wondering as  CNN runs in the background.

I am not shopping much this season, but that’s nothing new.  As a Jew who celebrates Chanukah with just my small, immediate family, we have moved away from gifts in favor of donations  for everyone now that the “kids” are all in college and beyond.  My visits to the mall are only for eating out and my one-on-one Apple lessons.  So life continues for me as usual.  I have my candles for the Menorah and I’m hosting this year’s family holiday latke party.

But I keep focused on our future.  I hope that Barack will make a difference but there’s so much to deal with.  It was good to see him out visting the governors’ meeting with a bipartisan message of concern and support.

I am looking to 2009 with concern and hope, still.

How about you?

Bonnie

I was psyched for this new November challenge and I began at midnight on November 1, 2008. I had an old story that I wanted to delve into and I loved the first week, wondering what all the worry was about. I was clicking out 1600 words most days and I loved the motivation of word count and I stayed anchored in a moment and dug deeper than I might have under other circumstances.

I had two characters: Jessie Rosen a teacher, modeled on my life and her first manicurist, Molly Evans a senior in high school and a lover of tattoos. I alternated between chapters for each character and I was having fun. But at some point in the second week, I started slowing down. My ideas weren’t drying up but my energy needed to be channeled into other, more timely projects. The National Writing Project Conference in San Antonio was coming (I leave tomorrow) and I had presentations to work on. Life got in the way.

I tried to stay with it. I felt guilty about letting it go. But finally, I had to leave it. But just think, I have 20,000 words I didn’t have before. I could pick it up still and truck to the second half but it’s okay now, either way. I don’t feel the guilts anymore.

So off I go to San Antonio and I’m looking forward to exploring a new city, reconnecting with NWP buddies and presenting.  In fact, I will be watching the TWO WRITING TEACHERS, Stacey and Ruth present on Saturday morning at the NCTE!

Sometimes the challenges are just too challenging, don’t you think?

Bonnie

Slice of Life Tuesdays

I

Thanks for sharing this comic, Stacey.

Just one week ago I was walking around this apartment, stopping by the kitchen for something, anything to munch on, to feed my fears. We were down to last hours of a very long campaign. I began at one place hoping for Al Gore to try again, but finally  moved to Hillary, half heartedly,  and finally found my way to Obama and then I had the time to get to know him as he made his way to the nomination and finally to the last day as a candidate.

At 6:00 PM we turned on CNN and ate great Chinese food in front of the TV and I stayed rooted.  I was planning to wait for victory before I had a drink but I needed something to be calmer, and I was a bit calmer.

Slowly the polls closed gradually and I clicked from CNN to PBC, toNBC to CNBC, to CBS, to ABC and yes, even to FOX and back to CNN again and the cycle continued and the time passed slowly.  Tuvia, by 9 needed a change of scenery.  He had two options: a gathering with the Grassroots Dems for Obama or the traditional celebration on Rt. 303 with Rockland County Democrats.  Now my choice with have been the Hippie Grassrooters, but Tuvia preferred the Rockland traditionals.  I was happy to just stay home and keep clicking back and forth, so I gave in to Tuvia.

We arrived at the gathering and entered to quiet.  People were just beginning to gather.  TV’s were running in the main room with refreshments around the sides. We sat down near the front but couldn’t hear the TV’s.  So we were sitting together with no information.  We arrived too early.  Finally Tuvia agreed to leave.  Without the grassroots address, we returned home.  I slipped back into my pj’s grabbed the remote and returned to my clicking.  Now the map was fuller.  Lots of blue on the map, some red too but we were making progress. I was breathing better now.

After two arduous, depressing evenings with W., I was prepared for a longer wait but by 11:01 NBC casually, without fanfare plastered a slide across the TV screen: BARACK OBAMA, 44th President of the United States.

I danced, Tuvia grinned and together we moved into the bedroom to share the last two speeches: first McCain and then Barack in Grant Park, Chicago.

It was an evening that I want to hold with me.  The next morning I returned to a hippie shop in Nyack for a new Obama button.  I found a perfect one with a photo of Obama and  just the word HOPE and that’s what I hold close to me, HOPE, that’s all and that’s enough for now.

Bonnie