JourneyLeaf: Life a Page at a Time

Computer Glitch

Saturday morning my MacBook Pro suddenly froze up and then gave me the Black Screen of Death.  I have an appointment to take it in to the Apple store on Monday night and hopefully will know more then, but there may be a pause in the blog.  Thankfully, I have an external hard drive but also a backup computer service (www.Mozy.com).  Between the two, I hope I haven't lost anything.  It is a staggering thought as my computer holds all my photos, my journal, my recipes, two complete book projects, etc. etc.  I am a little nervous, though, because I haven't printed out things in a while and I don't know how the process of reclaiming backup information will work from Mozy.  We'll see.

Word to the wise...   Take a moment to back up your important computer information.  It can all vanish in seconds if you don't.

Thanks, Brian, for letting me use your computer!  If I can just remember how a PC works...

Cairns

A few days ago I said to myself, "Self, do you realize you jump on the blog and post at the craziest times?"  And it's true.  I posted on the blog before Eli and I were even out of the hospital last year.  I post in the middle of the night when I can't sleep.  I post when Eli is sick and I catch a few moments to myself after he's drifted off.  Writing is as necessary to me as cooking nutritious food, exercising, and keeping up with the household chores.  Those things help keep my body and mind on track.  Writing (with some photography sprinkled in) helps keep my soul on track.  My family comes first, yet I know I have to find time to fit personal writing in or I'll suffer for it.  Eventually my relationships will suffer for it.

I keep two running journals.  The first is a regular diary that I've been keeping on and off since the second grade.  That one is only for my eyes.  Then, in the spring of 2008 when I was pregnant and contemplating a move far from home, I began the second journal -- my blog.  The journals serve a similar purpose, yet the blog has a communal side to it.  I think of journal writing this way...

While in graduate school, I lived not far from Great Smoky Mountain National Park and headed out for a hike through the forest as often as I could.  Every once in a while, at trail intersections or particularly scenic spots, I'd find a cairn.  Sometimes the stacks of stones were small -- somebody's marker so they would remember which faint trail they came up.  At other times the stacks were large, substantial enough to last and help others find their way.  Some of the latter were unorganized heaps of rocks and you could tell this was a monument created across many years and by many hands.  Passing hikers added a stone as if to say, "Yes, I too was here."

My diary entries are cairns for me.   I mark intersections in my life in case I need to remember information...or to find my way back to the person I used to be.  I honor particularly scenic or momentous spots.  I may wish to return to stand there again through rereading.  These entries are like the small cairns marking a trail or important place.  This blog fulfills some of those same purposes, yet it is also a way of nurturing community, a shared cairn.  I share what I'm learning to give pleasure and help to others who find something in common with my life and my words.  Similarly, I read other people's weblogs.  They bring me pleasure and sometimes help me find my way through the often-confusing paths of motherhood or cooking conundrums or creative puzzles involving writing or photography.  I love that blogs just sit there patiently on the Web.  Like a stack of stones, they are there if you want to pay attention to them yet don't mind if you'd rather quietly walk on by.  

They say that there's nothing new under the sun.  But the Web has given us a new way to tell our own stories.  I'm grateful.

Shutterbug

Following up on yesterday's post about photography...

Sometimes while I'm sitting on the sofa, Eli crawls over and grabs at my laptop or camera.  "Nope!" I tell him, pulling the items safely out of his reach.  "You have your own toys.  These are Mama's toys."  

Beloved toys, actually.  You can take away the television and I won't make a peep.  But please don't take away my computer and camera.  I think I'd feel mute now without them.  There's something a little magical about clicking away.  My brain shifts over to a visual way of thinking.  Part of it is that my camera doesn't allow me to look at a screen while composing a photo, so I have to look through the viewfinder.  The world narrows down to a small rectangle and all the distractions fall away.  It's a lovely moment of sensory awareness.

Several people have asked about the camera I use for the blog.  It's a Canon Digital Rebel XTi with an 18-55mm lens.  Working on the book but also knowing a baby was coming along, I decided to take the plunge and buy an SLR type digital camera.  The "point and shoot" digital cameras out now are wonderful.  In fact, I keep one in Eli's diaper bag to capture funny moments and to take video clips.  But my Canon has a much higher resolution per photo, so I get very sharp images and can even crop photos without making them fuzzy.  The best part, though, is that my Canon has a manual focus setting.  I shoot on auto focus most of the time -- particularly when I'm trying to capture a wiggling baby -- but there are some images you just can't capture on this setting. 

A camera on auto focus would most likely have zoomed in on Eli's face or perhaps the car seat.  With my Canon on manual focus, I was able to choose to focus on Eli's little bare foot.

My Canon also gives me the option of turning off my flash.  (Some of the point and shoot cameras allow this too.)  The bright light would have taken away the softness of the photo below and left behind harsh shadows.  

When Eli was tiny, it was winter.  I worried about keeping him warm and always photographed him indoors, so I usually had to use a flash.  But if I can, I always use natural light.  It really makes a difference.  The photo below was taken when Eli was still in the hospital.  We had a big picture window in our room, so I put him on the white bedspread and turned off the camera flash.

My Canon allows me to focus at a much closer range than most point and shoot cameras.  I also have inexpensive macro lenses that I can add on to take up-close shots.

The hard part is thinning out all the photos!  At the end of every month, I make myself use the delete button and narrow down the month's photo file to just those photos I really love.

Blogjacking

On Friday I hosted a drop-in play day.  Eli and I welcomed many of our parent and baby friends over to celebrate the house with its finished repairs and new childproofing touches.  The grownups savored adult conversation and snacks while the babies had a shrieking, cooing good time swapping drooled-upon toys.

I rushed around that morning cleaning the house and heading to the grocery store for last minute items.  Finally, though, all was in order and I thought I would jump on the computer to post to the blog.  But I realized the topic I was mulling over was baby related.  And so many of my posts these days are baby related.  Whoa.  Eli has hijacked my blog.

When I started blogging over a year ago now, I sought a way to keep up with distant family and friends.  I also wanted writing practice and a creative outlet.  Once Eli came along, I wanted to share his adventures with family and friends -- yet I never quite pictured the blog becoming so baby-saturated.  It makes me realize my life is baby-saturated.  So I took a deep breath and pondered that too.  But it didn't take long for me to realize I love it this way.  Eli's babyhood is short and achingly sweet sometimes.  I really rather enjoy being baby-saturated for the present.  Does it turn off some readers?  Perhaps.  But maybe it gives some of my friends who don't have children yet or who have chosen not to have children a glimpse into another life.  I always enjoy that with novels or articles or other blogs.  And I've found some new readers in my mom friends too.

Now that I'm back to writing professionally again, I'm sure more topics on writing, creativity, and such will creep into JourneyLeaf.  Until then, I'll just metaphorically let my cutie patootie grab up this blog in his chubby hands and chew on the corners a little longer.

Blurb

I started keeping a blog in late May of 2008 in anticipation of my move to California.  I was right; it has been a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends and family.  Especially on lonely days before I made new friends here, I felt a connection with loved ones every time I posted.  I still do.  I've also found blogging makes me a better person.  Don't laugh!  It's true.  I have a daily goal that helps me practice my writing and I am constantly inspired to find interesting things to write about.  I actively look for beautiful things to photograph and for compelling topics.  When you go looking for good things in the world, you gravitate towards being a more positive person.  When you find them and appreciate them, you become a more grateful person.

I always thought that a blog is fleeting because archiving a website in a way that will be viewable in the distant future is rather difficult.  Therefore, I never thought about the blog as being something for Eli.  Then I learned about Blurb.   This online print-on-demand company slurps up your blog and prints it as a book!  Today I received the printed volume of my first blog hosted by the LiveJournal website from May until early September of 2008.  If I may say so, it looks fabulous!  What fun to be able to leaf through blog entries, color photos and all!

Blurb has free BookSmart software that you download to get started.  Next, you have the software upload the content of the blog (choosing however many entries you want).  Finally, you get to play graphic designer and put the book together.  There are lots of templates to choose from and you can add extra photos or text.

LiveJournal (the first blog host I used) significantly reduces photo file sizes, so I had to use very small photos in the printed book, but the extra photos I added (such as on he back cover) look great even when printed large.  

Arranging everything was a bit time consuming.  I had to go back and tidy up extra spaces, dangling words, and such.  But it was fun too.

Admittedly, the cost is somewhat steep.  I spent about $50 to print a book of 112 pages, but I chose a hard cover with color photos and extra thick paper.  Since it is a record of my pregnancy, I felt it was worth it.  Softcover versions with regular paper start at $30.  I did save some money by doing an online search for Blurb promotion codes and saved the usual $9 shipping and handling fee that way.

I don't know if Eli will be the sort of person to enjoy personal history, but I hope so.  I hope this volume will be something he will treasure.  I do!  Last night I sorted through, enjoying reading about how my pregnancy was progressing a year ago.

Buckaroo Elijah

The Internet was out in our area for most of the morning.  It's pretty funny how attached to it I am.  No e-mail?  No JourneyLeaf to post?  No blogs to check for inspiration?  What a saving grace the Web is for stay at home moms!

The Adventures of Eli:  He's starting to fit into outfits that are size 3 months.  Here's a great one my friends Suzanne and Leonard sent him.  (And then I found the boots on clearance at Babies R Us.)

A Buckaroo in Teeny Cowboy Boots

And of Course a Cow Bib.  Mooooooo.

Weblogs

So why am I writing in my blog every morning when I have so much to do on the book?  It really helps me get into the swing of writing each day, I think.  Plus I spend most of the day by myself and it helps to think someone out there is popping by for a visit.  This blog has been one of the best tools imaginable for staying connected to family and friends while being thousands of miles away.  There is a down side.  I think folks e-mail less often because they already know how I'm doing, but that just means I need to be proactive about contacting them to see what's going on in their lives.   :o)

Blogs are pretty amazing.  Several friends have blogs and it is fun to keep up with them that way.  I also have a handful of blogs from writers/artists that I check a few times each week.  Some favorites:

Jane Brocket -- Yarnstorm -- England

http://yarnstorm.blogs.com/

Alicia Paulson -- Posy Gets Cozy -- Portland

http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/

Heather Ross -- Weekend -- New York City

http://heatherross.squarespace.com/

(On Sep. 1 Heather posted an entry comparing old boyfriends with pets, providing great little sketches.  It's worth scrolling back to that entry for a good laugh.)

Internet Down

I never think about how attached I am to e-mail and blogging until they are suddenly unavailable.  The Internet isn't working at our place and tech support won't arrive until at least tomorrow.  (I'm typing this quick message on a borrowed system.)  I'll be back as soon as I can.

Cheerio!

Test Post

I'm currently blogging on LiveJournal, but frustrated with my visual options. Isn't there a better way to include images? We shall see if Typepad is better. Some of my favorite blogs use this site and they include wonderful images, so we'll see!

My old blog is still available at http://journeynotes.livejournal.com. JourneyNotes