Igniting My Re-imagined Dream - How I am embracing the past, living life to the fullest and hoping for the best.

Come On a Photo and Word Journey With Me:


Taking a Deep Breath, Sharing the Present,
Looking Into My Past  

Our dog, Marvel, lounging-  with us at the pond.



OR ~ A walk through some photos with me
while I reminisce and share my thoughts


Some of "our growing guys" lounging at the pond.

Welcome back. I am so glad you dropped by. For a few weeks now, we (my family and I) weathered multiple cycles of conversing, writing, re-writinig, editing, and publishing as I churned out posts with their support, insight and edititing prowess holding me up. After I pushed through the last large piece, I was not sure what was up next on the blog. As an escape, I dipped into boxes of old photos that needed to be organized and cared for before our move planned for later this summer. I enjoyed looking at the many pictures and, sharing some of them, and I even turned a few of them into "art pieces." I would also love to digitize those photos soon. I found some beautiful ones from my early years, and I am itching to share a few (okay, a bunch) with you.

My love of cameras and water started   at a young age.

I poured through photos during some needed downtime after a recent medical procedure. I decided that this could be a new hobby. I would organize and digitize while blogging the summer away. Since I wasn't in a hurry to write, I enjoyed the relaxing spring days. Then, the end of the school year finally arrived.  I greatly anticipate and appreciate the approaching slower-paced summer days.  Though my husband Brian, still works throughout the summer, the rest of us enjoy fewer commitments - with intermittent spells of intense busyness for things like summer camps, Vacation Bible School, swimming lessons.  

These two loved me since before I was born.
 Here they are standing ankle deep in a water puddle with me
in our front yard at the first home I remember - parental love!

This spring and summer continue to be a medically difficult time for me. (The cancer is always there, but lately, it's more noticeable.) We managed two short rounds of radiation, the enormous task of switching my physicians, difficulty breathing, mobility issues and pain every day. Instead of just thinking about the hard stuff, I enjoyed, as much as I could, thinking about the future direction, tempo, focus and tone of my little blog. I outlined (in my head) multiple short essays and generally mulled over what to post next. For a week or so, ideas for new posts filled my head and I scribbled as fast as my hand and head could coordinate. I love having good things to think about and focus on. It can change my (or your) outlook - and, I believe, life.

Me ~ college baking with friends.   I knew what I wanted
in life back then, but was still "getting my sea legs" in life.


I needed to take a deep breath after publishing the last section of my latest series. I took many deep breaths while relaxing at our pond, which sits behind our home construction project, two years and more in the making. (Covid really messed with construction projects!) The pond began as a little dream and has surpassed all our imaginations. It's a place of rest and restoration for us - our favorite place to be these days.

My hubby and me ~ just the two of us.
We love it here   at "our pond."

After my writing last month, I felt as if a pin popped a part of me somewhere. A bulge of emotions gushed out the hole made through the writing process, and it felt a lot like therapy. Later, the air slowly drained out of my creative juice and energy tank. I needed brain and emotional rest to recover from the unique events of this spring (more on that back in the "not suing" posts), and the medical troubles. I also needed to wind down from the frenzied spells of writing, editing, deleting, re-writing, AND all the many wonderful conversations! There has been so much to talk about and I have so many loving people in my life with whom I can share the medical and emotional burdens. I believe my God carries me when I can't go on anymore, but I know he put "my people "here in my life, too. I am very blessed.  

 
Me ~ about the time I first dreamed of becoming a writer.    

Writing is one of the creative outlets that fuels me. As summer moves on, I am again finding the time to write and am feeling gentle creative nudges that help me write shorter posts like the ones I shared in between my last longer works. Best of all, the JOY of writing is igniting my brain and fingertips. There are so many creative outlets, and I love that I can enjoy them more in the summer. 

 

This goup of kids loved summer break!
I didn't tell them  that they were my world back then,  - but they were.
 I still love them both every day, no matter where they are.

I mostly plan on staying at home this summer and enjoying family, sharing time with friends, blogging, and going through old photos. It feels like the best plan for me right now. With cancer on board- and since I am a homebody anyway and my hubby loves the home life too- we decided that we could make every day a little bit of a vacation at the pond. I am going to embrace the past, live life to the fullest, and hope for the best for the future.




Me ~ feeling awkward in this wedding photo.   We were wonderfully happy to be married, 
but after spending the  last 23 years together as a married couple and enduring some hard times, 
we   appreciate   each other   even more now. 

 
I hope that no matter what your daily walk looks like, you have time and energy to enjoy life. Maybe you too can make a way to vacation right where you are. Thank you for joining me on my journey of thoughts and pictures. Maybe you can pull out some of your photos and reminisce soon.


May blessings overflow your life this summer,


Christine 

~Thankful to enjoy easy breathing again


This is a favorite photo from all my digging.
It captures a special moment between my mommy and me.
      
 

 

 

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