Meet Yashica

 Everything I learned about photography... I learned with film.

 My high school had a wonderful photography program that I completed, and then began "independent study" which pretty much meant I had free range of the dark room and chose my own projects. I not only learned the basics of taking a shot, but I also learned how to develop my own film, and develop my own prints. Then in independent study I began to learn a new side of photography and the darkroom... manipulating your images as you print them. 

I am so grateful for that program and all that it taught me.

 Lately, I've been a bit obsessed with vintage cameras (especially working ones that you can still purchase film for... and especially ones with the viewfinder on top... ahem). So, when I found this beauty for sale on craigslist for an extremely reasonable price... I was certain she was meant to be with me.

Thank goodness for YouTube. I have been learning everything I need to know about actually using this camera thanks to the numerous videos on the subject. I also found the incredible video below that shares a bunch of photos taken in New York in the 1950's with a twin lens camera (which is what my new/old camera is). The incredible shots and the way they truly tell a story about that time makes me feel a need to take up street photography. It seems like such a special way to capture history. 

Of course, my recent return to film photography and my first vintage camera purchase are igniting a bit of a fire in me. I feel a desperate need to find a dark room... or build one. And I do believe this vintage camera purchase is just the first of my collection. 

a different kind of home school

This girl. My oldest daughter. My fifth grader.
She is homeschooling this year.
Just her.
There was no problem with the public school she was attending. No problem with her teacher, or classmates, or anything. We just decided that we want to have each kid home school for a year or two while the others attend public school. This allows us to spend some real quality time with each kid on their own. The timing should work out perfectly. Layla is homeschooling this year and then plans to go to middle school next year. Maiko plans to home school next year for seventh, and then eighth grade, and then go to high school. I am so excited that we get to have this special one on one time with each of them before they go off to middle and high school. We all know how fast that time will go, and then they will be all grown up. When Eislee and Ollie get older we plan to do the same with them.
There were certainly ups and plenty of downs when we started, but now we have fallen into a routine and it's wonderful. Layla is so easy to home school. She is extremely self motivated.

As a parent it is such an amazing thing, to get time with your child alone, especially when you have a big family. They are a different person alone than they are around their siblings, or their friends. This quality time with each child (and at such an influential age!) is a parent's dream.
We are so lucky we get to make this happen.

here it comes again

 Hoping to begin remodeling this little guy over the summer.

 The picnic tables needed to be re-positioned for a better view.

Do you see the vultures?

 above: Finally carved a new stamp and it felt so good to do something creative.

below: Breakfast in bed for my home school girl (mostly we make her get up for breakfast but every once in awhile i serve her upstairs while she reads).

 Soccer explosion. 

This magazine just gets better and better. I have reread "Love is a verb" about three times. I also plan to make the braided cinnamon bread soon, and the digestive bitters.

 Country porches... beautiful AND functional. 

 The snowberry bush that Eislee picked out for me. It's quickly becoming one of my favorites.

 The chicken tractor and our only hen... one hen... one rooster.

 A rare warm day where dinner must be outside.

Thank goodness spring is finally here. 

There are breaks in the rain, and warm sun.

Everyone and everything's mood is lifted.

There is this excitement in the air each day the sun shines. 

We made it.