Heidi

 (from l to r: Julie, Heidi, and me at Hallmark's graduation -- June 2011)

Yesterday I got a very sad phone call....I found out one of my roommates from photography school passed away.  Without going into it all, the details of her passing bring much sadness. I remember the very first email I got from Heidi and the very first time we talked on the phone. She was very simple, and didn't require much.

When I first arrived at school in August 2010, Heidi was away for a few days, then when she got back, I had left for a weekend trip. So by the time we met each other, it was only a few days before school was to begin. While she was gone, my other roommate - Julie - and I had gone through the (then gross) kitchen and did major cleaning. We noticed some pots and pans that weren't ours and decided to throw them out. While I was on my weekend trip, Heidi called to ask where her pots/pans were....here we had thrown them out with a few other things we thought were 'junk'. Great way to start off with a roommate you've not yet met. Fail.

I'd realize throughout the year that Heidi liked to live in peace. She was easy-going and often I'd come home to the smells of delicious food she was cooking, frequently using garlic and doing up veggies. She wasn't very good on the computer - well, with technology in general - so I helped out a lot with teaching her simple things. She liked to be in nature and while her photography was very different than mine (style-wise), I came to appreciate her unique approach to life and photography. And although we saw much of life through different lenses (both literal and figurative), I grew to love Heidi and celebrated the differences between us.

We have kept up since graduation. I tracked her move to Oregon a number of months ago, and watched her new photography take on a fresh liveliness. It's difficult to process (as is with any death) that we won't ever speak again, but I'm thankful for the time we had to share as roommates. I marvel in the people that are brought into my life - if even for a short season - and I'm grateful to have met Heidi.

This morning a friend sent a video to me - to lighten my mood. I ended up liking the video so much, I clicked to see if the creator had other videos. Sure enough, there are many. And randomly I clicked on another video entitled Gratitude, done by the incredibly gifted Louie Schwartzberg. I thought it would be soothing music with awesome video footage. But around minute 1:05, narration begins...Brother David Steindl-Rast (complete with an accent) begins to talk about this day - today - that we are given. And I found it so powerful that I wrote out the text of what he narrates.

Here is what he says:

You think this is just another day in your life?

It’s not just another day.

It’s the one day that is given to you – today.

It’s given to you; it’s a gift.

It’s the only gift that you have right now.

And the only appropriate response is gratefulness.

If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response through the great gift this unique day is;

If you learn to respond as if it were the first day in your life, and the very last day,

then you will have spent this day very well.

Begin by opening your eyes, and be surprised that you have eyes you can open.

The incredible array of colors that is constantly offered to us – for pure enjoyment.

Look at the sky; we so rarely look at the sky.

We so rarely note how different it is from moment to moment…with the clouds coming and going.

We just think of the weather; even with the weather, we don’t think of all the many nuances of weather.
We just think of good weather and bad weather.

This day right now…its unique weather may be a kind that will never – exactly in that form – come again.

The formation of clouds in the sky will never be the same as it is right now.

Open your eyes; look at that.

Look at the faces of the people we meet.

Each one has an incredible story behind their face – a story you couldn't fully fathom.

Not only their own story, but the story of their ancestors; they all go back so far.

And in this present moment, on this day, all the people you meet, all that life of generations and from so many places all over the world….

Flows together and meets you here, like a life-giving water, if you only open your heart and drink.

Open your heart to the incredible gifts that civilization gives to us – we flip a switch and there is electric light.

You turn a faucet and there is warm water and cold water…and drinkable water.

It’s a gift that millions and millions in the world will never experience.

So these are just a few of an enormous number of gifts, to which we can open our hearts.

So I wish that you would open your heart to all these blessings, and let them flow through you.

That everyone you will meet on this this day, will be blessed by you – just by your eyes, by your smile, by your touch, just by your presence.

Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you.

Then it will really be a good day.

(Brother David Steindl-Rast)

So while I am extremely grateful for today - THIS day - I am also grateful for the many 'todays' that I got with Heidi....and I will continue to pray for her family in this incredibly difficult time.

Books, books, books

The other day, I walked out of my bedroom to see Lewis on the floor, surrounded by books. I hesitated for a second before realizing I'd be so upset with myself if I didn't grab my camera and take a few shots. I don't know if he became more interested in me or in the books he could continue to grab off the shelves. This little guy is so cute and has such a curiosity. We sit as opposing ends of the table at breakfast...and we have this little exchange between us where he'll wave at me. It's so cute...I wish I could bottle up his cuteness!

Walsh Family:: Washington Crossing, PA

If I could pick two things about the little boy in these pictures, it's his eyes and his sweet demeanor. I've been able to photograph Caleb and his parents a few times already - for his 6 mo old pictures and his 9 mo old pictures. And while this session was supposed to be his one-yr old pics, we had to reschedule the session. In a way, I'm kind of glad we did, because the day we ended up meeting up was gorgeous. The leaves were at their peak, the weather was gorgeous, and I had a busy weekend of sessions - a wedding, an engagement, and two family sessions.

Josh, Amelia, Caleb, and I traveled to Washington Crossing. You can be on both sides of the river - one side is NJ, the other is PA! We began our session on the NJ side, and then ended our session - as the sun was setting - on the PA side.

Caleb is quite simply a cute little kid. When he smiles, you can't help by saying "Aww..." and as the photos are taken, and you can see his eyes glistening in the images on the back of the camera, my heart just melts. I continue to be blessed by being able to photograph this wonderful family.

Generational Bliss:: PA family session

When my college friend Trin asked if I'd be interested in photographing her family, I thought, sure, no big deal....Trin, Michael, and their two sons would be fun to photograph. But that's when Trin said she wanted the whole family photographed, I got a bit nervous. There would be approximately 30 people. Yikes!

It is so special to see a family like this. While I love my family and would say we are close, having a family with all sisters makes for a unique bond that is unparalleled. And what's even more fascinating is that they all live in PA. Mom Mom is the matriarch of the family, and next week she turns 90. What a special opportunity it was to have almost all of the family together for a photo session to celebrate Mom Mom.

Here are some of the pictures from our time together......

Here's the picture of all:

 Here are the great-grandkids and great-great grandchild with Mommom:

 Mommom and her daughters and grand-daughters:

 A nice comfy shot:

 Ro, Mommom, and Pat

The beautiful Mommom:

Trin and Michael's oldest - Jackson - with his pal Goofy:

Although Kati (on left) isn't an "official" member of the O'Toole clan, she's as much a sister as the rest. Glad Kati could be there toward the end to get a few pictures.

 Michael and Trin - two dear friends I met in college.

 The view of the field as we ended our session, enjoying meatball sandwiches together.

Leyden Glen Farm:: Leyden, MA

I've mentioned before a farm that I found out about while I was at photography school. While talking with a B&B owner, I learned of Leyden Glen Farms, specifically Kristin Nicholas. A few friends and I went to the farm while we were still at school; we were able to take some of our portfolio images on the gorgeous land that farm owners Kristin and Mark have. I blogged about them before - mostly showcasing their sheep.

Back in August, my friend Rikki and I took a trip back to the farm. We visited with Kristin, while Rikki did an interior shoot for a site she writes for. She did an incredible job of showcasing the amazing artist Kristin is. Kristin painted all of the rooms in her house. She has this ability to make the quaint spaces contain pops of color. The home-grown flowers are in gorgeous vases throughout the home. The kittens pulled on frayed blankets of the rocking chairs. Kristin's daughter, Julia, was abuzz with trying to find people to man a float for a local parade. We had a wonderful time catching up and hearing about the upcoming things Kristin has on her plate.

While Rikki's pictures are so much better than mine, I couldn't help but snap a few shots of Kristin's lovely home....and of course of the cute animals that are as much a part of the farm as Kristin and her family.

Just the other day, I read on Kristin's blog that Archie (one of the Great Pyrenees below) died. Kristin, I hope these pictures are great memories of your lovable dogs, esp. the one where they're nose to nose.