Monday Confessions, on a Tuesday

Hey there internet friends! I am working hard on getting back into my Monday Confessions series. It’s a great place for me to keep up with all of you in between photography posts. I hope all of you find your summer off to a great start. We have hit the ground running with an out-of state wedding the first weekend the kids done school and then traveled to the shore for part of last week in between photo jobs.

I have to say that I am daily wrestling between the need to try to enjoy my kids and to get work done in this busy season. My kids keep saying their really annoying SpongeBob quote, “the inner machinations of my mind are an enigma.” I laugh because these confessions are basically sharing the “inner machinations of my mind!” SO there you go, Patrick and SpongeBob can be deep right?! (Insert kid humor because that’s where I am living these days!)

1. I am hooked on Annie F Downs Podcast That Sounds Fun, because it is the summer of the Enneagram. Have you heard of this personality typing yet? What number are you? I would love to hear from those of you also learning about the enneagram. I definitely recommend these episodes, which will take a “number” or personality type for each episode and break it down. It’s not only so helpful with learning your own heart, but also in relating to those around you. It can really help explain motivations and fears. Start here with Suzanne Stabile and her explanations in this episode!

2. I confess that in seasons when we are all too busy, we are grumpy. Does this happen to you too? May was truly an insane schedule for our family with little time off for anything and both the kids and grown ups were feeling down. How do you build in some rest or put guards on your schedule? I think it’s especially hard when you work for yourself (insert my personality type that thrives on trying to get things done.)

3. I confess that the older I get, the more I despise how other people drive. Is that weird? Can anyone relate? I have been watching so many aggressive driving behaviors lately on the roads and I am like “hello, can you not see me trying to safely drive my 4 children here?!”

4. We have been big on BLT sandwiches for dinners lately. It’s perfect for summer with the fresh tomatoes and an easy dinner that doesn’t heat up your whole kitchen (unless you fill your entire house with smoke like i did last time…burnt bacon smell, delicious!! Haha) Anyhow, I would like to share the game changer when I made the herb mayo from the Magnolia Cookbook . Here’s the recipe below from Magnolia Blog, enjoy!

   Creamy Herb Dressing

   ingredients
   1 cup mayonnaise (or 1 cup plain greek yogurt)
   1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
   1 cup chopped fresh chives or green onion
   1 tbsp fresh flat-leafed parsley
   1 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon
   1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
   2 cloves chopped garlic
   1 tsp ground black pepper

   1 tsp salt
   1 cup sour cream

   instructions
   In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients (except the sour cream) until smooth. Add sour cream and process until blended. If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days. (This dressing can be made the day before. Just cover and chill.) Yields: 2 cups

5. I met Robin Roberts briefly at the Phillies Game last Wednesday! How fun is it to meet someone in person who shows up every morning on your tv screen? I have admired how she has handled a lot of things, including sickness, publicly.

My visit to Notre Dame Cathedral, September 2018

““And if you wish to receive of the ancient city an impression with which the modern one can no longer furnish you, climb--on the morning of some grand festival, beneath the rising sun of Easter or of Pentecost--climb upon some elevated point, whence you command the entire capital; and be present at the wakening of the chimes. Behold, at a signal given from heaven, for it is the sun which gives it, all those churches quiver simultaneously. First come scattered strokes, running from one church to another, as when musicians give warning that they are about to begin. Then, all at once, behold!--for it seems at times, as though the ear also possessed a sight of its own,--behold, rising from each bell tower, something like a column of sound, a cloud of harmony. First, the vibration of each bell mounts straight upwards, pure and, so to speak, isolated from the others, into the splendid morning sky; then, little by little, as they swell they melt together, mingle, are lost in each other, and amalgamate in a magnificent concert. It is no longer anything but a mass of sonorous vibrations incessantly sent forth from the numerous belfries; floats, undulates, bounds, whirls over the city, and prolongs far beyond the horizon the deafening circle of its oscillations.

Nevertheless, this sea of harmony is not a chaos; great and profound as it is, it has not lost its transparency; you behold the windings of each group of notes which escapes from the belfries. ” 
― Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Side view of Notre Dame from down on the bank of the Siene

The view out my window, right over my bed. Every afternoon a violinist would play right there in the shadows of the cathedral.

Early morning light

View in between towers

Some of the famed gargoyles and statues

The spire that fell in yesterday’s fire

A gargoyle’s view of Paris

The bells in the bell tower

Of course “Our Lady” is just as stunning at night!

Yesterday evening, a spark grew into a flame and forever changed the facade of Notre Dame, “Our Lady,” Cathedral in Paris, France. She has seen a lot of human events in her over 800 years of existence, some of which marred her. My hope is that the fire, although drastically changing her, will not forever damage her. Her history is linked to those like Joan of Arc, Henry VI of England, and Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon is said to have revived much of the cathedral, as well as Paris, after being in disrepair . So much beauty and history exists in this same place. It’s often a spiritual place for people of the Christian faith from all over the world. It stands near “kilometer zero” of the French highways, meaning it is the literal center of things.

I am just thankful that I got to see it this past September in the form that it has stood in for so many hundreds of years. When I studied in Italy one summer in college, a professor told us the saying that the church was central to every life in Europe, considered a part of “birth, life and death.” A church was where you were baptized at birth, you celebrated things like marriage in life and then of course, held a funeral at your death. We can look at Notre Dame and think about the many lives it was a part of. We will have to look at this fire as the beginning of the next chapter for her and see what lies ahead. I know many will join the efforts to restore and support the revitalization. The thing about Notre Dame is that it took over 300 years to complete in the first place, so those who embarked on starting the cathedral never saw the finished product. It took a work of faith to build something that one would not see in his lifetime.

Terrain & Creative Inspiration

    Remember how just a couple weeks ago with the turn of the calendar I promised to be committed to the creative process? I am so guilty of not shooting personal work for fun or inspiration. I find this both baffling and understood with my season of life. Some days I can barely make it through with four kids and all the needs of a family, much less having a personal "creative" time. I keep reminding myself though, creativity is part of who we are as human beings. We are made to create, in the image of our creator.

   That being said, today I sat down to actually edit some images I shot for inspiration in the fall. Yes, I know the fall has already been a while but we all know how November through January can be! As much as we desire to slow down, we live life in fast forward during those months. These are some images I shot while visiting Terrain  in Pennsylvania, one pretty autumn day. I also love how the internet brings connections we might never before realize because Fox Fodder Farm from Brooklyn, NY was there putting together florals for a wedding. I have followed them on social media for some time so it was neat to see them working in person! I just shot a handful of images because they were busy working to prep the wedding site and I didn't want to interfere. (I had my cute pint sized companion as well :) Enjoy my collection of inspiration from the visit! 

Florals: Fox Fodder Farm

Florals: Fox Fodder Farm

Florals: Fox Fodder Farm

Florals: Fox Fodder Farm

Florals: Fox Fodder Farm

Other scenes around Terrain...

      If you made it this far, thanks for following! I realized I sadly missed yesterday's Monday Confessions segment due to 4 children home and the littlest one coming down with a fever. I loved seeing everyone else's MLK quotes though yesterday. He was truly inspiring in life and speech! His wisdom seemed boundless and I am thankful for his influence in our country. It was touching when my 5 year old explained to me the difference between not judging "because of someone's skin color but because what's in their character." His kindergarten class studied MLK's speech and did a peace march through the school. May you find ways to love and serve this week!