Whatever happened?

Whatever happened to my blog? Seemingly I have forgotten about it. “Not true!,” I say. Funny thing having to have a job and work to support a family. I am sure you all are no strangers to that indeed.

This past year has been a tough one. I was out of work for basically then entire school year due to another shoulder surgery due to another work-related injury. Money was tight and I sadly sold my camera to pay bills.  A mother must do what a mother must do. I was able to find a used Fuji X100 which has held me over. My iPhone helped a bit too. Gotta love Instagram. One day I will build my DSLR kit again.

During my recuperation, I discovered yoga. And I wonder why I hadn’t started practicing sooner. I also rediscovered my love of being a mother. I often found myself wondering how I managed to work full-time, raise two kids on my own, help my kids through their special needs, take care of a house, and all that good stuff. But again, we moms we do what we must.

I finally got another job. I am pleased so far. I am not in the classroom any longer but am a specialist kind of transition consultant. And I like that I can shape this job into what works best for me and the students. And my team – they are a good group of people.

Along with work, my kids, my family, and yoga… I am still finding time for photography. It brings me a certain peace.

Stigmatizing “Mental Illness”

An upcoming episode of Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” Stigmatizes Mental Illness.

Ohhhhh “mental illness” – that’s not really a real problem just something parents label their kids with when they don’t know how to be “good” parents right? Or what “crazy” people are, right? Well not exactly… My 12 year old daughter has BiPolar (in addition to Type I Diabetes and Celiac disease). And well she’s not crazy. And she is no less worthy of help, compassion, understanding, support, nurturing, consistency, love, laughter, or a hopeful future than anyone else’s child.

Please read the article by Susan Resko of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation and take a moment to contact Viacom in support of children and adolescents with Mental Illness. Copy and paste this link and help me help my daughter remove the social stigma…

http://www.bpkids.org/connect/blog/2011/08/nickelodeons-icarly-stigmatizes-mental-illness

Here is what I had to say: iCarly – DISASTER. OK I barely tolerate this show with its overuse of inappropriate sarcasm and intolerance (beyond a level any adolescent is truly cognitively capable of comprehending – read up on child and adolescent behavior and neurological development). The upcoming episode in which that horrific, overly aggressive, Sam girl admits herself into a psychiatric facility is simply too much. My official opinion is that Sam’s character clearly suffers from Conduct Disorder and thus perhaps would benefit from a stay in a residential treatment facility.

The worst of it is my own child has Bipolar. At 8 years old she attempted suicide and has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals since then (which is now going on three years). She feels stigmatized and on the outside of the world in which her “normal” peers live. To have mental illness and its medically warranted treatments be so inappropriately portrayed on a show such as iCarly that so many adolescents watch is reprehensible. My daughter is not “nuts” or “crazy.”

Her bipolar disorder is a medical disease the same as is her Type I Diabetes Mellitus. She suffers equally with both DISEASES. Would Sam and Carly find it so horrifying to be hospitalized for a diabetic ketoacidosis? My daughter almost died from that once as well.

I have faced losing my daughter to both her MEDICAL illness. How dare you all make light, no make fun of mental illness. Might your writer’s not have better skills? Or perhaps there’s an Autistic child they might want to ridicule in the next season. Or maybe you could build in a joke about Carly losing her hair and looking like a Cancer patient. Wouldn’t THAT be funny? No.

I promise you this – my children will NEVER watch iCarly and perhaps we will boycott Nick completely. But what do you care?

Maybe when my daughter returns to school some kid will remember this episode of iCarly and find it funny to ridicule my daughter for being “nuts” or “crazy.” And maybe it will be just that one final injury my daughter might not be able to withstand… and maybe something terrible will happen. But most likely Viacom and Nick and its writers and advertisers won’t care. What’s one less viewer???

114 Steps

Pictures and views from the tower (yes THE tower of our first date and subsequent first kiss!). There are some images that simply feel better in black in white. I rather like shooting in B&W. There is something in the starkness of the image that is so appealing. Then others are best in color. I guess that is part of the magic I find in photography. The shadowed figures are my kiddoos – good sports posing for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mom

Well my lovely mother despises having her picture taken (so that’s probably why I have inherited that trait as well!). However today I was blessed to have been able to catch some really wonderful shots of her, her awesome doggie, and my son. I love my Mom. I love my son! And I just love the doggie. My Mom is just lovely and has always been beautiful as you will see…

Images of Summer

What summer would be complete without a trip to the boardwalk and the sheer terror of the rides? I have more images on my flickr page. I don’t post too many here because… oh there’s a whole bunch of reasons. Once the tourist season dies down a bit the kids and I will make our seasonal venture to partake in the joys of the boardwalk. And I will of course spend a fortune trying to win prizes for them… The water gun thingy – that’s the best one for me. Enjoy… PEACE. CMD

Waterbabies

Given that it IS summer after all I have been taking the kids to the community pool. I refuse to go before 2pm-ish. Simply too hot and a bit too crowded (I am not antisocial I just have little tolerance for annoying people). We have had a lovely time (save the arse of a boy bullying my son and his mother doing nothing about it!). I will relish in the moments of my two children actually getting along and enjoying each others’ company if but for a couple of hours. And me? Well I actually do swim but if the water is remotely chilly it takes a near-drowning to get me in the water. That said I actually do love swimming. Based on the toe-dip test of yesterday, I think a swim might be in order today.

When not swimming, I read or sit back and take pictures, experimenting with my manual settings and my metering all whilst documenting my children getting along. I love those moments. So here are a few to share…

Taaa Daaa

Here it is my “new” blog name. And well it’s about “photography” and, oh, words too. So I am going to try everyday to post a new pic. Having something to say everyday might be more of a challenge (and not because I don’t have anything to say but because I just don’t have that much time). As always I appreciate your comments and thoughts.

Peace

CMD

Ch…Ch…Ch…Changes

I’m changing the name of my blog peeps. Trying to focus on my photography and how it reflects me! I cannot tell you how absolutely thrilled I am to have found something I love to do and what’s more I think maybe I might kinda be good at this photog thing. So I am going for it.

My first camera was a gift from my grandfather who left me his old Canon AE1 and two lenses. It is the only thing I have from him so I have a bit of an emotional attachment to the brand. WAIT! Damn that wise old man knew it then. I was 16 when he died and somehow he knew. Hot damn! And true to my form it’s only taken me 26 years more to figure it out!!! Thanks Grand Dad for the subtle message. Took me a while. Ha!

Now to figure out how I am going to “invest” what little money I have in a new camera body (ummmm in reality that would be put on my credit card!). And here comes the age old debate Nikon/Canon. Then a decent lens. Although based on Grand Dad maybe I’ll stick with Canon. Ahhhh and what to call myself; figure I am going to throw my name into the mix. Let me be me. It’s time to shine a little.

Oh if you haven’t figured out by now – I LOVE your feedback so you fellow photogs – if you’ve got thoughts on cameras/lenses based on your experience and what you have seen of my work – bring it. And if you have thoughts on anything else – bring that too.

Peace.

Dear Ansel Adams:

Dear Mr. Adams -

I would like to thank you for your most amazing body of work that has inspired me to find, at my “tender age” of 42, something I love to do. And well maybe I might have something here. I would also like to commend you on setting the bar so very high so that I am constantly aspiring toward more visually.

It’s funny – I was an art major in college. I managed to get a A in every single one of my major classes (ok well not when I was a business major! That damn accounting teacher and his ever increasing rows of hair plugs. WAY to distracting for a visual, tactile, kinesthetic learner like myself. You have NO idea how much self control it took to NOT rub my hands through those bumpy rows of new hair. Ohhhh wait… SQUIRREL!). Back on topic. Art major – my worst class was the History of Photography. I got a B+.  I think I just wanted to do it all. Learn it all. Not just study the theory. In hindsight of course theory and history are wonderful and essential. We just spent SO much time on Mathew Brady’s Civil War photography. It was interesting and amazing but there was more… Adams, Arbus, Cartier-Bresson, Curtis, Gibson, Sherman, and more and more.  Well things have yet again come full circle in my life. And Mr. Adams I am grateful.

I would like to thank Paul for recommending me to Angie Moon (Check her out at http://www.angiemoonphotographer.com/) and to Angie for helping me learn the ropes of aperature, ISO, shutter speed, and of course giving me a little bit of faith in this venture on which I embark.

And with that said – my other readers beyond Mr. Adams from the beyond – I have asked your opinions on my work. I welcome honesty and am humbled by your support and praise. Feel free to tell me if you think some of my work sucks or if it rocks. I love the feedback. Keep it coming.

Peace and happi capturing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/happibird/

OK Facebook – What tha?!?!

What is going on with facebook? I’m annoyed. I guess in retrospect and current-spect I have kind of had a negative emotion week (considering my last post was titled “Grumpy”). Either way – get your act together Facebook. Or is it WordPress that needs to do so? Again either way – one or the other – get it together and fix it so my blog posts show up on my Facebook page. I rely on most of my “fans” hahaha through my social networking relationships.

And with that – I happened to come up with a great idea for a platform for my blogg. I have decided to chronicle the trials and tribulations of my latest venture as photographer extraordinaire. Hahahahahaha. Truth be told, I think I have finally, finally, finally found something I might be good at and what’s more is I really LOVE IT!

On that note dear friends and readers… PLEASE PLEASE leave feedback here on HappiBird or on my flickr images (http://www.flickr.com/photos/happibird/). I can’t reach for the stars without you…