virginia – Page 3

2012 in review

December 31, 2012January 1, 2013Posted in thoughtsTagged 2012, 2013, ballet, barbies, growing, learning, new year, online shop, reflections, resolutions, vintage, virginia, year in reviewLeave a comment

2012 was a long year.

In 2012, I:

quit fashion blogging.
opened Water Lily Thrift (and sold more than 50 items on etsy alone!)
quit the craft store where I worked as a framer for nearly a year.
got poison ivy and experienced ‘roid rage.
celebrated Daniel’s and my two year anniversary in St. Augustine.
considered many academic and career options.
sewed a lot of things, including curtains, pillows, skirts, and a dress.
cooked more than ever before (and kind of enjoyed it).
became passionate about fair trade and buying second hand.
converted almost all of my makeup to organic.
learned barista skills.
photographed my newlywed friends.
became a better photographer.
won a couple giveaways.
wrote a few poems I’m proud of.
went antiquing often.
read 25 books!
moved to Charlottesville.
felt lonely, became better friends with myself, and made awesome new friends.
hosted Thanksgiving.
visited the Shenandoah Valley.
toured Florida Caverns and Luray Caverns.
kayaked with Andrea.
wrote 252 blog posts.
bought some pretty good clothes.
went on a country road adventure (and crossed the FL-GA line) with my sister to photograph old barns.
played a lot of Barbies with the seven year old I babysat (I miss her).
went to Lowry Park Zoo.
attended two weddings and a high school graduation.
had my wedding featured on Ruche’s blog.
was featured in the company newsletter for great customer service.
took nearly 1,000 photos (maybe more).
dyed my hair blonde (not doing that again).
ate lots of wonderful Asian food.
photographed some grad school graduate friends.
photographed a baptism.
quit church and found a church I love.
took adult ballet classes.
expanded my graphic tee collection (narwhals and elephants and cats, oh my).
painted, scrapbooked, modpodged, and canvas-stretched.
became a pet mice and rat owner. Oh, rodents.
saw a Bluegrass legend in concert.
felt defeated and uncertain.
felt confident and content.
had Christmas with part of Daniel’s family.
visited Baltimore.
experienced snow for the first time in a long time.
experimented with varied depths of field.
had horrible and wonderful work experiences.
felt humbled by the love of companions and the beauty of the natural world.

It’s not often that I feel that a year carried its full weight in time. But this year held a lot of change of both the psychological and the physical sort. I changed jobs three times, moved several states away, blogged a lot, opened an online business, doubted myself, loved myself, read many books, practiced patience and self-control, hosted parties, cooked real food, ate at good restaurants, played with Barbies, went to bars, discussed personal struggle with great vulnerability, put on fronts, argued, cried, practiced compassion, found a church community, adopted causes, voted, felt stupid, felt brilliant, slept in, woke up early, put my foot in my mouth, and spoke eloquently.

I overheard a woman at a restaurant in Baltimore telling her friend that she was glad 2012 was over. I have no desire to redo any part of this tumultuous year but I’m thankful for how the experience, transition, and room for contemplation have changed me. I feel that I, and my life situation, have changed for the better this year. There’s no reason things won’t keep getting better. Thanks for everything, 2012: the chaos and the calm, the tears and the laughter, the boredom and the ecstasy.

Beanie Boo’s Tiny Adventure

December 26, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, adventure, beanie boo, canon, canon eos rebel xs, cat, photography, stuffed animal, ty, virginia7 Comments

Beanie Boo travels out of doors for the first time. Images captured with my new 50mm lens.

Beanie Boo traveled from a distant land in a big, brown crate to bring Christmas cheer to all in her new household. She journeyed out into the big world for the first time on Christmas day. First stop, the ledge by the door for a cautious look at her surroundings.

She saw blossoming bushes

and outstretched fronds.

She tentatively climbed a tree. At first she felt exultant, but then she realized she couldn’t get down by herself. A friendly passerby assisted her.

She journeyed on through the yard and happened upon tiny pine cones.

She saw acorns hanging from a twig high above the ground.

She stopped to rest by some gnarled vines

then chewed on the tall grasses.

What a wonderful adventure!

it’s beginning

December 24, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged 2012, charlottesville, christmas, christmas eve, first snow, gifts, ornaments, photography, snowfall, tree, virginia1 Comment

– to look a lot like Christmas!

the storm

December 22, 2012Posted in thoughtsTagged apocalypse, dream, end of the world, love, marriage, overcast, prophetic, storm, take shelter, tornado, tragedy, virginiaLeave a comment

I was warming up for police training at a church recreational center on Virginia’s coast. There were nearly 100 of us there, all dressed in gray and navy, doing jumping jacks and anticipating the events of the day.

The sky was overcast through the large, south-facing windows, built high into the wall of the gymnasium. Someone shouted. The wind picked up in a cacophonous symphony of howls and rustling sand. My eyes grew wide in terror: an enormous tornado was headed toward the building. We sat down, some huddled together, myself apart from the group, knowing that following a safety procedure at this point was futile.

The tornado passed the building then, barring our view of the coastline for a few minutes. From the windows in the northern wall, I saw a girl in a red cape running, but it was too late. She was swept up as the winds racked and swayed the tall grass between our building and the church sanctuary. It tore through the sanctuary, demolishing the eastern wall.

I knew that it was bound to head inland, toward Daniel. I texted him:

“I hope you survive. It’s headed your way. Know that I love you very much.”

As I hit send, the howling I’d endured for close to a half hour stopped suddenly, giving way to eerie silence. The stillness was interrupted only by the sound of my heart beating furiously, high on adrenaline.

And then I woke up, convinced my dream had been prophetic, convinced the end was nigh. After several minutes of lying there, overheated and frozen in fear, I woke up Daniel, told him I was afraid, and snuggled into his side, thankful for him, thankful we were both together and alive.

*photo found here

backyard

December 18, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged backyard, canon eos rebel xs, charlottesville, fall, landscape, macro, nature, photography, shallow dof, virginia, winter4 Comments

I haven’t been able to get out much lately. Between being poor, the weather looking like the above every other day, and Daniel being bogged down with schoolwork, we’ve been hesitant to get out there and enjoy the Virginia landscape. But I’m pleased to tell you that even our meager, rented backyard holds treasures: a pebble-encrusted walkway, a rotting pumpkin, mangled vines, and a bit of yellow in the neighbor’s yard.

end of season

November 25, 2012November 26, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged apple, apple picking, blue ridge mountains, carter mountain, charlottesville, fall, friends, hike, orchard, photography, virginia, winter2 Comments

We’ve heard a lot about Carter Mountain during the last few months. The orchard opens to tourists when apples are ripe for harvesting in the early fall. Most apples have been picked by this time of year, but we thought we’d take the trip anyway (it’s only 10 minutes away from our house) since Andrea was in town.

The view was more extraordinary than I expected so close to home and we all had a lovely time walking through the orchard (but the hike back up to the parking lot was torturous). We collectively picked one apple as a souvenir. I still haven’t eaten it. It’s probably going bad!

Woodstock, VA

November 7, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged adventure, cemetery, fall, family, hangglider, landscape, lookout, parasailer, photography, shenandoah valley, virginia, woodstock, woodstock tower2 Comments

After we visited Luray Caverns, we drove further into the Shenandoah Valley. At one point, we stopped on the side of a winding mountain road to fill up jugs with spring water gurgling out of a pipe. We stopped at my father-in-law’s friend’s family’s campground to park our car, then carpooled over to Woodstock, his childhood home.

Woodstock is a tiny town with a nearly 360 degree view of mountains. We ate at one of the only privately owned restaurants in town, then traveled a short distance to the church Daniel’s grandfather pastored for several years. We explored the small cemetery in the back. I have always enjoyed the stillness of cemeteries. They put life in perspective and reveal the universality of living across centuries and places. Everyone dies. Everyone grieves.

The next part of our journey required our tour guide to drive up a narrow dirt road with corkscrew turns and no barriers to keep us from falling off the mountain. I was glad I didn’t have to navigate it myself. We saw hang gliders and parasailers at their takeoff site on our way up. We parked the car, then took a brief hike up to Woodstock Tower. A narrow steel structure, it used to serve as a fire tower, but was later opened to the public. It provides a panoramic view of Woodstock and its surrounding towns and landscapes. The cold air numbed our faces, but I didn’t mind.

There are few experiences that can transport me out of the daily – the anxieties, the anticipations, the expectations. Looking out from the Woodstock Tower stands out as a moment I’ll continually cling to for comfort. I felt peace and liberty there. I felt refreshed and acutely aware of my body, of myself. Shutting down my internal dialogue – muting the white noise – and experiencing silence within myself, I looked out, my skin reacted to the chill, I was happy, I was fully aware of that happiness, what it meant, and how long it’d been since I’d felt exactly that way.

I came back to Charlottesville with a brimming-over love for the place I live. I am proud to live here. I love this town and its majestic, natural surroundings.

Luray Caverns

November 5, 2012November 7, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged adventure, dream lake, earth sings, luray, luray caverns, rocks cry out, stalacpipe organ, virginia3 Comments

Yesterday, Daniel and I met up with his dad and a friend for an epic day of natural grandeur perusing.

Our first stop was Luray Caverns. Discovered in 1878, the caverns are both extensive and ornate. At one time, air from the caverns was pumped into a sanitorium for patients with respiratory conditions, keeping the house at a cool 70 degrees in the middle of the summer. It was one of the first air conditioned buildings in the country.

Although I enjoyed the dim, cavernous, immensity of the entire tour, my favorite stop was at Dream Lake. Standing water reflects the ceiling, making the relatively small and shallow “lake” look deep and mysterious. The more you look down into the lake, the deeper it seems.

Luray Caverns is peculiar in that it holds the world’s only Stalacpipe Organ, which also happens to be the largest instrument in the world. Leland W. Sprinkle created the instrument over the course of 36 years, connecting a sound system and rubber mallets to various stalactites. When a key is pressed, wiring sends a signal to a mallet, which taps gently on the side of a stalactite. The sound is amplified through a speaker system and funneled into the Cathedral, one of the largest underground rooms. I never in my life thought I would have the opportunity to literally hear the earth sing. (In my research for this post, however, I see that the earth actually produces a bird like song called the dawn chorus, which the human ear can pick up – how marvelous!)

It reminded me of Jesus’ words to the Pharisees:

“I tell you, if [my disciples] were silent, the stones would shout out” (Luke 19:40)

and of the Psalmist’s words:

Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! (Psalm 148:7)

Luray Caverns was just the beginning of a beautiful day. Next stop, Woodstock, VA.

frankenstorm

October 29, 2012October 29, 2012Posted in thoughtsTagged blizzard, charlottesville, frankenstorm, hunkering down, hurricane, sandy, virginia1 Comment

Charlottesville is too far inland and too far south to get the worst of Frankenstorm, but we are currently under high wind and blizzard warnings (heavy snowfall is predicted only for altitudes above 2,000 feet, however, so we’ll likely be fine within city limits). Our neighbor’s parents, who live in the DC area, have been evacuated and are on their way here.

This is what it looks like outside right now.

I met about five Floridians in the span of 30 minutes at the coffee shop this morning. It’s my guess that they’re more willing to brave the storm than most natives. We’re not underestimating the effects of the storm in the Wise household, though. We’ve got canned goods and candles and a bucket full of water on hand in case of a power outage. Daniel’s currently making Rosemary Shortbread cookies, as well. Our pet mice are lucky to be snuggled in warm, grassy beds within their terrariums instead of out braving the cold, windy, wet weather.

Praying for those who will get the worst of the storm.

autumn light

October 12, 2012October 12, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged autumn, charlottesville, fall, flowers, golden hour, leaves, light, neighborhood, photography, sunset, virginia4 Comments

I took a short walk yesterday evening to enjoy the crisp air and setting sun. I felt a bit crazy walking more after being on my feet all morning and having to hike back to my car by the least efficient route due to the Dalai Lama’s visit, but I’m glad I got out for a bit. The sun sets earlier each day, but the clarity and warmth it provides during daylight hours at this time of year make up for it.

The leaves are beginning to change their colors and fall to the earth, but many thriving green leaves remain. I plucked some from their branches to use as stamps for a small craft project.

twenty four

September 27, 2012September 28, 2012Posted in thoughtsTagged anticipation, birthday, change, friendship, lonely, moving, party, sad, social anxiety, virginia3 Comments

I turned 24 years old yesterday.

It sucked.

Objectively, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my day: I slept in, opened up a few presents from Daniel (he got me a series of early Bakelite pieces), went to work, got complimented on my outfit, received a delicious smelling candle from my boss, ate some honey bunches, and had the best Chinese food in town from the comfort of my living room. It was actually a pretty perfect day.

But I felt miserable. The article I posted upon my arrival here indicated that there comes a point after every move when the mover’s positive expectations come crashing down. I feel that I’ve made great professional and personal progress since moving here. But I need help in the social department. I’ve met lots of potential friends, had great conversations, participated in activities, and gathered phone numbers, but I haven’t quite gotten to the state where I and my social partner mutually acknowledge our friendship. I really do think that a handful of local people would have been happy to celebrate my birthday, but I was too shy, and too set on wallowing, to ask.

My birthdays have been, at least for the past 5 years, a reunion. Different groups of dear friends may never have mingled throughout the year, but they were always at my birthday. We’d get a big table at a restaurant and have a lovely, raucous time catching up. It was more a celebration of the great people in my life than a celebration of my birth. The realization that I wouldn’t get that reunion this year hit me yesterday, along with all the sadness and insecurity of losing the daily, physical support of many friends.

I realized, too, that the birthday group I memorialize was gone before I moved, separated by distance, spouses, falling-outs, jobs, and heaps of schoolwork. Life is likely full of more chasms, more continental drifts, and I have to let it go and learn to live on my newly formed patch of grass, letting go of what it was, disregarding what it looks like elsewhere.

Thank you to all who sent me birthday greetings via mail, text, facebook, and phone. I know you’re out there and I appreciate your kindness. You’re still there, I know, but it’s hard to feel that sometimes.Twenty four will be a good, productive, transformative year, I’m sure.

Staunton exteriors

September 23, 2012September 23, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged architecture, color story, downtown, exteriors, facades, historical, photography, staunton, virginia2 Comments

We took a day trip over to the neighboring cities of Waynesboro and Staunton yesterday. While Waynesboro has a delightful Goodwill and a quaint downtown, the historical facades in downtown Staunton can’t be beat.

Brick, peeling with different shades of paint from at least a century’s worth of repairs and design preferences appeal to me because of the visual reminder of their age and history and, more simply, because of their unintended color stories, their unusual juxtapositions. They’re inspiring. I also enjoy the architectural details, so often disregarded in the design of contemporary structures in favor of cutting edge technology.

VA FolkLife

September 16, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged artisan, banjo, craftsmen, ducks, field, flower, folk, lake, photography, virginia, wildflower1 Comment

We just got back from a brief but enjoyable visit to the Virginia Folk Life Apprenticeship Showcase. The program exists to link enthusiastic learners to master craftspeople within Virginia. The showcase featured oyster shuckers; banjo players; stone masons; guitar, autoharp, gun, mask, pie, cheese, stew, and cider makers; and Chikahominy dancers. We didn’t stay for the entire showcase, as things progressed a bit slowly, but we did get to see a few musicians and sample stew, cider, oysters, cheese, and apple pie.

After stopping by all the tables, we took a stroll to a nearby wildflower field overlooking a lake.

Obama in Charlottesville

August 30, 2012August 31, 2012Posted in news, UncategorizedTagged barack, barack obama, charlottesville, democrat, downtown mall, election 2012, excitement, obama, obama pictures, pavilion, pictures, politics, rally, virginia3 Comments

a.k.a., the most thrilling day of my existence.

Regardless of how you feel about Obama or the party he represents, if you had been in downtown Charlottesville yesterday, your veins would have been coursing with the tangible, electric, energy of thousands of people, first awaiting Obama’s arrival and then crowding in around a perimeter secured by Secret Service agents outside the local campaign office to catch a glimpse of him, snap a picture, shake his hand.

a man serenades the line with jazz

I had to work at 1, so I took the bus downtown around 11 am to avoid the anxiety of limited parking due to road closures. Once there, I meandered the Downtown Mall, camera in hand, to take in the crowds. It was important to me to capture the overall feeling and sense of anticipation rather than just a couple shots of Obama. People started lining up before I got there even though the gates weren’t set to open until 1:00. By 12:30, the line extended back several blocks from the Pavilion, from one end of the mall to the other (some report that it actually extended past the pedestrian mall in the final minutes before the line began to inch forward). It took an entire hour to herd all attendees through the gate; my coworker and I watched them move forward in line from the shop’s large window.

Crowds extended to the end of the Downtown Mall

I didn’t get to attend the event due to work, but my boss, a local small business owner, had a VIP ticket which allowed her to stand at the front of the auditorium. She took some great pictures and got to shake Obama’s hand.

After the speech ended, the coffee shop was overwhelmed by customers eagerly awaiting smoothies and other cold drinks after several hours in the late summer heat. As the final customers trickled in at the end of the rush, we noticed that a crowd had started to gather outside of the shop. Someone shouted, “Obama’s coming!,” and my manager and I immediately ran outside. The area was secured by a dozen or more Secret Service agents. After 15 minutes of waiting, we heard cheering as a caravan of black cars drove down 4th street. Within seconds, the cheering escalated, and there he was! I was maybe 100 feet from the President of the United States: an international figure, a fixture of American politics, a talking point of every American household! I held my camera above my head to try to get some usable shots. It was exciting to see what I had managed to capture at the end of the day’s events.

People crowd in to catch a glimpse of the President

Obama visited the campaign office and brightened the day of many hard working volunteers and staff members. A girl at the restaurant next door shook his hand and her coworkers all high-fived it, as if the thrill of her experience would rub off on them.

As we began our closing tasks at the shop, two girls sat at separate tables, crying. One had been an active campaign volunteer who couldn’t get past the Secret Service to shake Obama’s hand. The other was at the front of the crowd as he arrived, and she, much to her surprise and joy, had shaken his hand. That image summed up the spirit and passion, the sheer emotion – impossible to interpret at times – of the day for me.