Rachel - For the Love of Peet's - in progress

I've had this semi-formed idea that I wanted to use some of my empty Peet's bags to make a collage of some sort, so here's what I have so far. I'm not yet sure where I'm going with this, it needs to be mounted on watercolor paper and have some other elements added, but I've yet to figure out what. At any rate, even though I haven't had time to produce a finished photo or piece for the blog for the past few days, I have been working on this, and thinking.

Rachel - Daffodil in Profile

Rachel - For Mom, with Love!

It's hard to believe that it's been 7 years since my mom suddenly died. It was January 2005; she was feeling good, reaching out to friends and loved ones, and then she was gone. My world forever changed. My father lost half his life that day and the rest of it drained from him over the next 35 months. My children lost their grandmother. I lost my mommy, and then my daddy.

I miss my parents terribly,and while time softens the pain on a day-in day-out basis, the deep and resounding loss is always here.

This daffodil blooms each year, reminding me of my mother who loved daffodils, yellow and spring. After mom's death I planted this daffodil, a centerpiece from her memorial, and when it blooms it cheers me with the bittersweet thought of mom.

For Mom, with LOVE!

Rachel - Mist and Sun

Hmmm, another tree variant... trees and sun, there must be something to this obsession.

Rachel - Honoring Equality

Today the US court of appeals declared California's Prop 8 unconstitutional, one more step toward recognizing that people are people, and that love and commitment are not reserved for us straights. Upon hearing the news I pulled out my rainbow flag (doesn't everyone have one?) and took this photo.

Rachel - Waterlogged

There was something appealing to me about the view of my sycamore tree through my wet windshield. I don't know what this photo is trying to say, but I'm listening anyway.

Rachel - Sunset Palm

Apparently I have a thing for sunset and tree silhouettes. Partially that is a result of the AMAZINGLY gorgeous sunsets that have been gracing our mild winter skies, and it's also a function of my not having a moment for myself during daylight hours; there's probably a bit of my tree hugging nature involved, as well. Whatever the reason I couldn't resist this lonely, shaggy palm.

Rachel - Sunset Serenade

When faced with the proposal to contribute to the Daily Art blog for 2012 my inital reaction was overwhelm ("How will I fit in one more commitment?"), self-doubt ("My co-contributers are so artistically talented, and across a spectrum of mediums, what can I really contribute?"), and the weighty pull of inertia ("I haven't taken pictures for artistic sake in so long, I probably won't do it now: Drink the kool-aid, shelter in place, continue to play on FB."). These were my reasons NOT to participate, but it dawned on me that these should be the very reasons TO participate. I've been in an artistic rut, I have never considered myself artistic and it is easy to dismiss my photographic exploits as a hobby that anyone with sufficient equipment could replicate.

I sell myself short, I know, and I am not looking for validation or reassurances, I'm simply wrestling with those pieces of myself that seek to minimize; my natural tendancies to dismiss my efforts as common and undistinguished. I hold myself up against great talents and say "yeah, I'm okay, but no great shakes". What I realize is that it is OKAY to simply be, to create what I create and if I'm the only person who enjoys it, great, because I enjoy it.

So, here's my first contribution of the year, a serenade of sunset colors: Painted by nature, but for such a fleeting time that the painting now only exists as my photo.