First Blog Milestone!

This time last year I made my very first blog entry. I officially opened up the doors (as it were) and my blog had begun. It’s almost funny, because this time last year I feel like I was in the same place. Pondering what this momentous entry should be like. You know, wanting to come up with those perfect awe inspiring words that will make any reader smile. Unfortunately, while I laugh at myself for the silliness of wanting to be perfect again exactly one year later… I do come to realize there are no perfect words to be said. As I feel so appreciative to everyone who has been so supportive of this blog. I can honestly say a year ago today, I did not think I would have a community attached. Nor did I feel even sure that my blog would last this long. I was in such a different place a year ago today.

Now I sit back and I think of all the bloggers who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, help explain and give tips throughout the year. I still feel like I’m learning many things in the blogging word as I go, but I have loved every minute of it. You know, I really do need to thank my friend Melly Belly for her help with introducing me to a wonderful site called The Blog Frog, as well as helping me with little technical matters over the past year as well. She’s been a wonderful support on that front! I also want to take a moment and thank all of my wonderful readers and visitors. You’re comments and encouragements have kept me going! I have really come to discover that I like blogging quite a bit. I love in fact. I find that as the year progressed I became more active on it. Okay the past couple summer months have been a little slow, but let’s hope for a turn around on that – yes? LOL!

Unfortunately, I do bring a bit of sad news. I am temporarily losing my domain name (janeridgewood.net), but you can still access the blog through the Blogger URL (janeridgewood.blogspot.com) and be able to access everything just the same as always! Quickly getting off that bit of sadness though, I would like to say thank you again to all of those who have been so supportive of this blog! I really appreciate the continued support I receive both on and off screen!

Have a beautiful day!

--XOXO, Jane

Hello Again Old Hobby!

I don’t want to sound like a cliché here, but I feel as a venture further away from this sort of ‘dark cloud’ of depression I really do learn more of myself. That includes the fact that in part of my self-neglect during my darker days came with stepping away from one of my favorite hobbies. This epiphany actually struck me last Friday while I was out with a friend. I was waiting in her van at one point with her youngest son in the backseat and it had been raining, so there were drops along the windows. Upon glancing over the driver side window, I felt the inspiration to capture what I was seeing. So with that, I pulled out my camera and snapped a shot (as you can see) from inside the car. I’ve always had a favorable fascination towards drops like that on window panes. I love the rain as it is, but I find drops along a window pane like this to be so pretty to look at.

As I put away my camera it got me to thinking. Why am I not taking pictures as regularly as I used to? I can’t use the problems I’ve been experiencing with my ankle as an excuse. I’m not immobile. I can hobble outside and roam around the yard for various pictures. Or even take my camera along with me while I’m out of the house to snap random things as I used to. I also used to make one of my best friends model for me regularly – I think it’s time to get that going again if she’s up for it! LOL!

Photography has always been special to me. I was even once told by a few relatives of mine that I have my grandfather’s eye. My grandfather (on my dad’s side) was into photography heavily at one point in his life. Call it a biased perspective, but the man was brilliant with a camera. I don’t think I could ever do with film what he did, but it was beautiful. To this day I do have copies of some of his work that I cherish, including one big picture of my father as a toddler walking uphill through the snow. More recently one of my aunts commented to me via Facebook that I should stick with my photography.

So perhaps that’s why last Friday when I snapped the photo of raindrops that you see along with this post, it struck me…I really need to start nurturing myself better. Of course that goes beyond the health aspect of things. I really need to also nurture my personal interests and allowing more growth.

--XOXO, Jane