Then & now and yes
Posted on | March 28, 2010 | 24 Comments
Yes
It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.
It could you know. That’s why we wake
and look out–no guarantees
in this life.
But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.
~ William Stafford
(Found this poem here today.)
+++
Do you ever go back and read your own archives? I do. It’s a little like opening a time capsule seeing Bean small, and me, whatever way I was then.
Today I looked back for the very first self portrait I ever took, at the beginning of Self Portrait Tuesday (before it became Self Portrait Challenge)…
I ‘met’ so many incredible gorgeous bloggers through those weekly challenges.
The funny thing about blogging is you don’t get to SEE the people you read unless they are generous with you, unless they share this too, their faces, their work-worn hands, torn jeans, sunglasses, knees, braids, laughs. And I like seeing these things… and sharing them… which is why I’m doing these Sunday portraits…and I hope you will too.
Another thing from going back through my archives is seeing how memes used to fly around the blogsphere all the time. Now, not so much. I can’t put my finger on it, but I do think something has changed in the way that people blog and share (or maybe it’s just me?) I’ve read some interesting posts about this recently. About how there is less community or intimacy or something…and more business now. Maybe? Do you feel this? Sometimes I do. And so in the spirit of sharing more:
4 random things about me right now:
* In the morning when I first wake up I feel myself dangling like a marionette somewhere just beyond my body. It’s almost painful to be pounced on, or touched much in this state, and the arrival of small boys in my bedroom (with their inevitable elbows and knees) is always a bittersweet thing (I love the way they smell when they first wake up.)
* I got an email in my inbox on Friday telling me that I’m the Albany, NY winner for this. (I entered only because of the NYC shopping spree.) This is hilariously perfect (and a little embarrassing.) I am a good candidate: I only wear jeans. I am baffled by makeup. I have no idea what to do with layers. Or knee high boots. And I need a haircut. (I thought twice about posting this because it’s just so… not me…and yet I’m totally giddy about it.)
* I just got this book and this one in the mail today. I wish I could get books in the mail every day!
* I lose sunglasses always, and yet I can never seem to figure out where they go when they’re gone. It’s not like they fall off my head…or I leave them on the roof of my car (though I have, and watched them get smashed.) They just disappear. Hence the sunglasses self portrait to celebrate a new cheap pair.
+++
Your turn. 4 things. Also, be brave this week and take a self portrait… you can hide behind your shades. Post your photos here, or in the Self Portrait Sunday Flickr pool.
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24 Responses to “Then & now and yes”
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I am Christina Rosalie
Hello. I'm so happy you've stopped by!
I am a multimedia storyteller, digital strategist, idea starter, stalker of wonder, finder of four leaf clovers, MFA graduate student, and mama of boys. My first book,
will be published by SKIRT! Books in September, 2012.
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March 28th, 2010 @ 9:39 pm
ok, four things…
1. my daughter’s 9th birthday party was tonight, a roller skating birthday party that was so much fun!
2. we’re flying to california on wednesday morning for 10 days.
3. i’m taking a CPR/first-aid class in the middle of april. i have to renew my CPR and i now need first-aid. i’m looking forward to learning how to make a proper splint and tourniquet (sp?).
4. i’m super happy polaroid film is back.
ps. i totally think the blog-o-sphere has changed a lot in the last year…less community and definitely more business. i like that i’m more clear than ever, that my own blog is really just a lot of navel-gazing and picture-taking…
March 28th, 2010 @ 9:41 pm
Oh, that’s exciting about being part of the makeover. I never really watch What Not to Wear anymore but I like Clinton. He’s a sweetie. You’ll be in good hands! You will share what you end up with, right? And it’s fun to look pretty and figure out what works for you.
Going back in my archives is always fun. I think I shared a lot more of myself, back in the day. I’m not sure how I became so guarded (well, some criticism – I don’t get over criticism very well).
I thought of you when I picked up Pam Houston’s Waltzing the Cat. Have you read it? I am dying to have a discussion with someone over the last story.
March 28th, 2010 @ 10:10 pm
GET OUT OF HERE–you really won a makeover & a $5K shopping spree?!?!?!?!?! That is so exciting. I am, by the way, the What Not To Wear “before” person. Very depressing… Hey, maybe you could spend you shopping loot on Kickstarter?! Can you imagine what they’d say…”Um, okay, no. That’s exactly why you only have jeans.” HA! Saw your giveaway on Ali’s blog–it looks great!! 4 things: 1. I love having my boys with me all the time…playing around me, learning, asking, listening. 2. I wish I didn’t have my boys with me A-L-L the time…like even in bed. 3. I still cannot find my eyeglasses that I put in a “safe spot” & I’m really needing them…and I refuse to buy another pair because as soon as I do… 4. I hope I feel refreshed in the morning cuz I have a busy day.
March 29th, 2010 @ 12:58 am
I started reading blogs a few months ago – ! There are a few that I went back and read from the beginning, like a novel – this is one of them. I did notice a few of the others got a bit commercial, and seemed to become less honest, like they were trying to paint a picture of the life they thought people wanted to see. this may or may not be true, just my perception.
i started because it helps me work things out and see things objectively. and exercising my writing muscles makes me happy : )i used to write before the internet and am finding it so much more meaningful when i can share it.
four random things
1 ~ about a month ago when i was depressed my daughters introduced me to farmville on facebook, and i got to level 21 in 2 weeks. i think i set a record.
2 ~ i have been looking for the perfect purse (handbag? i usually just call it my ‘bag’…) for 25 years and haven’t found it, but I still believe it’s out there
3 ~ i was born about 1 hour from where i live now and have never lived further than this
4 ~ i spend more time twirling my hair and thinking than I do doing housework
5 ~ bonus: my husband and i met on the dance floor at a club in mexico on winter break when i was 18 and he was 20. Our first kiss was to “it takes two to make a thing go right”. i’d post a pic of that kiss (my friend captured it) but i don’t know how to do that in a comment.
March 29th, 2010 @ 7:29 am
Oh no Jamie! That’s the whole point. I didn’t win the shopping spree (that was why I entered though.) I won the regional makeover for a day with Clinton.
March 29th, 2010 @ 7:30 am
oh my gosh! congrats on the clinton kelly thing, love his shows. can’t wait to hear about your experience!
March 29th, 2010 @ 8:32 am
I’ve often thought I would be a good candidate for What Not to Wear. I need serious fashion help, but I’d be afraid of Stacy. She’s kind of mean. Clinton seems nice, though. I’m thinking of hiring my own Stacy. My oldest daughter has a friend (named Stacy) who is a)very nice, b)studying fashion design in college, and c)has a style similar to mine–or to what I would choose if I could pick things out for myself. I think she’ll be home for the summer, and I may ask her if I can pay her to help me shop for some things. This goes against my thrifty nature, but I think I could do it because it would also be helping and encouraging a young person. Right? Right. Well, that’s one random thing.
Random thing #2: I’ve thought of doing the self portrait thing, but I have a hard time taking photos of myself. My daughters are experts as you can see from their Facebook pages.
Random thing #3: Dh is taking a business trip soon. He’ll be gone for a week, and I’m hoping I can use the evenings to write while he’s gone.
Random thing #4: I’m going to be late getting the kids to school if I don’t get out the door!
March 29th, 2010 @ 10:11 am
Congratulations on your winning! I hope you share your experience. I agree with you and the internet being more business now. However, I don’t read an enormous amount of blogs, and the ones that I read faithfully (mostly) are not so much business. The draw to blogs, for me is the intimacy and relationships. I haven’t clicked on your links yet, but I can’t wait until I have time to explore.
Okay. Four things. (And you should know random-ness is a natural state for me.)
1. I love to read, but I sometimes put off reading a book because it will take too much time. Once I start reading, I tend to ignore everything else.
2. My favorite place to be is home. Especially when it is a clean home (which is very rare).
3. I can’t imagine my life without having a dog.
4. I love taking classes. If I could get paid to go to school, that would be my ideal job.
By the way, I lose my sunglasses all the time too. I usually buy at least two pair at a time!
March 29th, 2010 @ 11:12 am
What fun things! And you’re right: I wish I could get books in the mail every day, too.
4 things: I hate having to figure out what to do for dinner every day and I hate having to do it. I want my kids to be in a couple of activities but I secretly don’t want to have to drive them every time. I have such a major MEH when the weather is crappy, as it is today. I keep looking at our yard and wishing it were a garden.
March 29th, 2010 @ 3:26 pm
Let’s see…my four things for today…
1. Glad my work is done for the day and I can chill. Exhausted because I slept a total of 2.5 hours since having my two week old granddaughter stay the night last night, to give her sleep-deprived parents a break. Soooo worth the exhaustion, of course, but exhausted all the same.
2. The weather is totally icky today (rain) and it’s making me just want to sleep (see #1 lol)
3. Thinking I really should begin thinking about Easter as I’ll be having a house full for dinner and an egg hunt.
4. Glad my youngest has spring break this week so I don’t have to drive to the school twice a day.
I notice a pattern of whining here…sorry Christina but it’s just that kind of a day!!!
March 29th, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
wait, you live in albany? i’ve been following your blog for some time and i’m in love with your writing.
March 29th, 2010 @ 8:15 pm
I am so excited for you about the makeover thing! I want them to come to Canada and help me, I wear a white t shirt and jeans EVERY day. Seriously. I have a closet full of them.
Four things:
1. I just went to Portland for 4 days by myself to visit my best friend and it was awesome. I am basking in the glorious aftermath of it , feeling way more happy with what I’ve got.
2. I am preparing for my son’s SIXTH birthday. 6??? Oy.
3. I love to sing and I do (by myself or with Piers and kids) all the time, but I have a very low voice and it makes me self conscious. Jack thinks I know the words to every song ever created and he is amazed when I turn on the radio and can sing along with the words. I like that I can impress him still!
4. I don’t have a cell phone, caller id, or call waiting. It doesn’t bother me at all, I want it that way, but people always seem to be amazed by this!
March 30th, 2010 @ 12:12 am
Congrats on the shopping spree!
Random:
1. I like my handwriting more than any of the computer’s fonts.
2. Recently, more than anything, I want a to meet a boy who likes me enough to try to see how many times my name fits onto a sheet of paper.
3. I want to throw paper airplanes off the roof of some random building but then I realize that I would have to clean it up afterwards.
4. Many of the students at my school have committed suicide over the course of this year and that’s unfortunate but deep down I want the school to consider what’s happening and change the grading system.
March 30th, 2010 @ 1:15 pm
ok – at the risk of sounding like i’m having a breakdown, this self-portait thing has brought a lot up…i’ve gained 40 pounds in the past 5 years and have only been in a handful of pics that i would allow anyone to see.
i don’t know how to take photos, really, but i always thought they came out better with no flash…wrong! i don’t recognize this person!!! i look exhausted, have huge bags under my eyes, i look depressed and pissed off…and I’m not! any tips besides a big pair of sunglasses?
and – how do you put a pic in a comment?
sara
March 30th, 2010 @ 1:27 pm
beautiful Sara: you can post a pic in the comment by leaving the url to the photo on your site or on flickr.
tips for a good self portrait:
* never flash
* pick a day when the sun is pouring through window in that golden way.
* pick up your camera, aim, shoot. do it again and again until the person you see in the frame is the person you feel, at least a little.
* post.
* repeat.
It is actually an incredibly empowering process. Try it.
xoxo!
C
March 30th, 2010 @ 11:12 pm
Ok I will do it! I don’t know if there will be a golden sunny day this week tho, but I will try anyway. In the meantime I looked through some old pics on facebook, and there are more than I thought that i don’t mind : )
March 31st, 2010 @ 2:58 am
Hello! I haven’t been reading blogs in ages and i missed your writing so. I love what you’re doing with ‘A Field Guide To Now’. I have talked to the husband about being a backer and he thinks it’s a great idea…so we wil do it! YAY!
March 31st, 2010 @ 3:03 am
I find myself a bit surprised here and there by the sterile, commercial side of blogging when I happen to stumble on it, but like Meg, I orbit around the blogs that are real (you know, really real) and relational. I totally dig the “spirit of sharing more,” as you said. It’s inspiring and heart-touching, and you may, MAY coax a self-portrait out of me one of these days. Maybe.
March 31st, 2010 @ 3:04 am
Also, yay for Tim Winton and Alice Munro books! I am sorely missing being in NYC and going to Barnes & Noble almost everyday. Being amongst all those books made me feel so alive and i managed to fit 5 or 6 into my suitcase to bring home with me. When i see the books on my bookshelf, i remember what it felt like to be in New York- the feeling that something good was right around the corner. I crave that feeling now.
March 31st, 2010 @ 9:40 am
a little late commenting but here are my 4 things for today…
1. i brought my running clothes to work and hope to make a lunch time run a couple times a week a new habit – at least until it gets too hot.
2. i love that today is one of those spring days where it’s cool enough in the morning for my wool socks and fleece lined puffy vest but warm enough by afternoon for my gauzy white button up, sleeves rolled, with tank top underneath.
3. i mailed out invitations earlier this week for a brunch to celebrate spring with girlfriends. i get so excited thinking about everyone discovering their invitation in the mail and i watch my email for rsvps like an eager child watching out the window for the first snowflake to fall.
4. i am trying to learn spanish. i have class tonight. i haven’t done my homework yet. i’m still the procrastinator at 32 that i was at 16.
March 31st, 2010 @ 2:07 pm
4 things:
1. I have been losing & gaining the same 20lbs for the last 10 years and I am so over it.
2. Every time my husband doesn’t come home when he says he is, I think he has gotten killed in a car accident. It’s just he is the best person in my life and I don’t know what I would do without him, so I always think that he will be taken away from me.
3. I cannot for the life of me give up eating chips (see #1), except I have not had them since sunday and that’s a miracle!
4. I am addicted to my camera and take pix every single day!
tara
April 1st, 2010 @ 9:29 am
[...] I wanted to tell you how much I loved reading all your random things. So much fun. Thanks for sharing [...]
April 1st, 2010 @ 6:35 pm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48556294@N05/4482196603/
did this work?
April 4th, 2010 @ 8:35 am
Been away for a few days but wanted to add my four things anyway.
1. I have just spent a week with my sister who lives 4000+ miles away. It was amazing but far too short.
2. I don’t believe in God but I love chocolate so I accepted an Easter egg from my dad
3. I like to wear brightly coloured socks under my smart ankle boots. It makes me happy, like a silly little secret.
4. My dad’s older dog is now 13 and has got very slow and doddery. She was my first pet and I am really scared about the day my dad phones to say that she’s died.
Seem to have ended on a sad note there. Guess I must be over-tired. Hope you’re having a great Easter. x