Week Sixteen
Just like all of you, we're still in isolation. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a weirdo, but staying home isn't a hardship for me. I'm a homebody through and through. Are you? Or is this lack of interaction getting to you?
Here in Colorado, we're actually coming out of our stay at home order much sooner than I (and from the polls 2/3 of everyone else who lives here) think is wise. I feel for all of the people who've lost work and are struggling, I really do. However, as a photographer who technically "could" start taking sessions; I'm also a human who feels like the lack of testing and immunity is a risk that's not worth taking. I was just telling my son, just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean that you SHOULD.
I miss photographing families. I miss little kids who want to run around and play with me. I miss family sessions that begin and end with hugs. And that connection is key to what sets me apart. The experience that I believe in giving can't come with a mask on my face and from six feet away. So until I can give the type of session that makes me the photographer I am, I wont. But I'll be here for you as soon as we all get through this!
Week Fifteen
It's kind of funny that I'm still keeping track of what week I'm on, since everything bleeds together these days. I hit my 100th day of the project, which has taken on a new life. I'm absolutely still doing the project as a way to focus on what makes me happy. That has become more valuable to me than when I started it. But it's also serving as a document to this experience.
But we're keeping our spirits up. I made the kids their own face coverings, we've baked our brains out, celebrated Easter with wads of chocolate and Lucy is getting spoiled rotten.
Week Fourteen
The new normal; jammie pants all day long, empty store shelves and...a flipping cough. UGH! The good news is, I've got no other symptoms. No fever, no difficulty breathing. Could I have the virus? Maybe. Can I get a test? Not a chance. But I'm keeping on keeping on with my photo project and Easter is just down the road. Just keep swimming, right?
For Once, Im' Ahead of the Trends!
It's true, and that never EVER happens. Usually, I'm the last one to the party. Hands up if you're there with me.
But THIS time, I'm way ahead of the party. A decade ahead. I can hear you now..."Christine, what are you talking about?" Well, the Covid 19 virus has wreaked all kinds of havoc on the world we know and many people are finding themselves homeschooling for the first time. No worries, with 8 years under my belt, I've got your back.
The key to successful homeschooling is embracing just how different from a brick and mortar school it is. Yes, your table is an awesome class room. Yes, the lessons take less time because there's only one kid (or two or three). And yes, it's perfectly fine to break things up throughout the day. A schedule helps, but the thing with homeschool is that you can space things out and do what works best for you. Now, if your child is remote learning, they may have a more strict schedule than the traditional homeschooler, but make sure they're taking breaks, walking around and stretching.
Another thing I've got a head start over the trendy people out there...bread baking. I've been doing THAT for well over 15 years and I've got a wild yeast starter that is as old as Ivy is. My first tip for you, don't buy all the flour! (I had to) Now for my first real tip, make Peter Reinhart your very best friend. He's a bread baking GOD! All of his cookbooks are amazing, but The Bread Baker's Apprentice is my all time go to for pretty much any bread. If you're trying out no-knead bread, then my suggestions are Jim Lehey's My Bread and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. These three cookbooks are really all you need to be well on your way to kick butt home made bread. But seriously, you'd better leave some flour for me!
Oh Where Oh Where Should My Photos Go?
