finding the light in darkness

I have had an email notification in my inbox for a couple weeks now, the latest newsletter from Kat Eye Studio, with an invitation to join in Kat's Exploring with a Camera series.

I love Kat's insights on photography, creativity, and life. With the extra busy-ness of the Christmas holiday season, I didn't really have time to do much with it...until now. This is the first time I've participated in one of Kat's challenges. TBQH, it's partly because I already had a couple decent shots that would fit the bill. But, more importantly, the title "Find the Light in Darkness" has been whispering quietly to me from the shadows, calling to mind the words from a favorite Advent hymn, A Season of Light. When I googled the hymn, searching for lyrics to share, I found this wonderful post.

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In photography, it's all about the light. And in night photography, that light is all the more precious -  and elusive with a camera.

This is a shot of my brother Greg's home, where our extended family gathered for Christmas Eve. When we drove up, my nephews, Danny and Joey, were busy setting up luminaria (see my previous post). I quickly darted out into the cold night to try and capture the beautiful effect. Just my handheld camera + my 50mm lens, set to Aperture Priority. These images speak to me of the hospitality and warmth of the Christmas season...if you look closely you can peer into the windows where everyone was having a good time!

I quickly arranged the two best shots into a Lightroom layout (thank you again Kim Klassen) and here we are...these shots are SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera).

***

God of all power

You kindle the stars

spark in your people

spark in us a season of light

xoxo

Cindy

una tradizione di famiglia Notarianni

Translation: "a Notarianni family tradition."

Like any tradition, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when/how this all started. It seems to have evolved over the years until it became a formula of sorts. Several years ago my mother, aka Grandma, thought it would be fun to teach her seven grandkids how to make pasta, as taught to her by her father-in-law, Gregorio Notarianni, who was taught by his wife, Della.

You know, I do remember making pasta with our Grandpa when we were kids. Specifically ravioli and gnocchi. He even taught us how to make ricotta cheese.

Greg, Cindy, Adrienne, Lissa

making ravioli with our Grandpa

November 1969

We seemed to settle on gnocchi, probably because it is a bit more practical to make by and for large crowds. Gnocchi - pronounced nyocky - is made with mashed potatoes kneaded into the pasta dough, which is then cut into little pieces and rolled on the gnocchi board to get the ridged texture.

Erin and Kelly

making gnocchi with Grandma

December 1999

(same kitchen, same table....30 years later)

In recent years, more than one grandkid has been heard asking if/when we were going to be making pasta for Christmas Eve - as early as mid-October.

Then we would all gather on Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa's house to feast on the fruits of our labor, topped with homemade sauce: ragu - pronounced rah-ooh in our family's own dialect, and served with homemade bracciole - bra-jhole -, meatballs and sausage. Let me tell you: it's heaven on earth.

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This year, Grandma decided it was time to "pass the torch" and let us kids and grandkids take over everything, from making the ragu to hosting the dinner. Kelly and Aaron offered to make the ragu and bracciole at their place a few weeks ago. I hosted the gnocchi-making party at my place a week before Christmas...you gotta let the pasta air-dry for a few days, then freeze it (my sister Adrienne was in charge of that part).

Wisely, Grandma stepped back and only offered input when called upon for clarification, like "Do we add the potatoes to the flour "volcano" before or after we fill it with the beaten eggs?" (there was a serious debate going on here); she was also called upon to poke her finger into the dough to determine if we had kneaded enough flour into it.

Aaron and Kelly offered to make the ragu and bracciole at their place a few weeks ago. I hosted the gnocchi-making party at my place a week before Christmas...you gotta let the pasta air-dry for a few days, then freeze it (my sister Adrienne was in charge of that part).


MAKING CHRISTMAS DINNER from Cindy Swainson on Vimeo.

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My brother Greg and his wife Lynn hosted dinner for 17 people on Christmas Eve, complete with dozens of luminaria (Lynn hails from Albuquerque) and a White Elephant gift exchange.

This year's celebration was extra special because everyone was home for Christmas, so Grandma had all her children and grandchildren gathered around her.


CHRISTMAS EVE from Cindy Swainson on Vimeo.

Buon Natale!

xoxo

Cindy

what Christmas is all about

'And there were in the same country

shepherds abiding in the field,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,

and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:

and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Savior,

which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you:

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly host praising God,

and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'

Luke 2:8-14

In the immortal words of Linus, "...That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

***

Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Cindy

destiny

From a very early age it was understood that my husband Bob (RW) would follow in his father's footsteps and become a police officer. For over 28 years he honourably "served and protected" his fellow citizens, first in Toronto and later here in Lakewood, Colorado. He loved being a street cop.

Sgt 523

Metro Toronto Police

Early in his career he took up competitive shooting in order that he might be well-trained in the use of his sidearm: the one tool on which his life might depend. Bob's enjoyment of the shooting sports quickly grew into a passion for weapons training, which he in turn shared with his fellow officers. For 25 years he trained fellow officers in firearms proficiency and tactical safety. He eventually specialized in Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT).

MetroToronto's Emergency Task Force (ETF)

Team 6 Leader

Since his retirement in 2009, he has built his own business, RW Firearms Training. To say that it is his pride and joy is an understatement.

photo courtesy of Grant Leighton

But it's not just about the guns. Widely known in shooting circles as RW (Robert William) - Bob is definitely a people person. Remember the bit about his sidearm being the one tool on which his life might depend? Well, before he would ever allow himself to draw his weapon in any given situation, he made sure that he had exhausted all other options. In SWAT circles, it is known as the Three T's: Time, Talk, Tactics. In other words, a police officer needs to rely on his people skills to do his job well. In Bob's case, that includes a wicked sense of humour. They still talk about Bob's many witty "Swainsonisms" at Lakewood.

And, by the way, just because you have a skill doesn't mean you can teach it. Just ask his many clients, students, and fellow officers over the years if RW has taught them well. He is truly a gifted teacher. And he manages to make it fun, too. Bob counts many of his clients among his closest friends.

Running your own business is hard work, but we both acknowledge how truly blessed he is to be doing what he loves. And, as he likes to say, "I get to sleep with the boss's wife." LOL.

Enjoy this short video, borrowed from Bob's website and produced by his good friend and colleague Chris Mailliard, President and CEO of Fusion Preparedness.

Happy Birthday Bob!

May you continue to enjoy
the fruits of your labour
for years to come.

xoxo

Cindy

For all you photographers and fellow bloggers, I used one of Kim Klassen's storyboard templates for Photoshop. I scanned the old snapshots, then did some adjusting to even out the varied color tones among the group. I dropped them into the storyboard file, then layered a couple textures, including one of my own scans of a bit of textured fabric to convey the nostalgic/childhood/home feel I get whenever I look at old snapshots.

humble beginnings: part 2

Here is the scrapbook layout that started with my recent post about Dad's birthplace...

...and on the facing page is the story of Dad's birth:

"Della was at work in the box office of the Star Theater, which she and Greg owned and operated, when she went into labor. She went home and later that night she gave birth. One week later she returned to work with baby Aldo in tow."

The three snapshots were likely taken on the occasion of Dad's baptism. The wonderful portrait was probably done around his first birthday...the baby shoes have a real sole, but are clearly not worn yet, so he was probably just beginning to walk; and he's sporting a nice haircut. I think he looks like my brother's son, Danny...this photo reminds me of a favorite picture of him as a baby. Although that little half-smile is reminiscent of my Grandpa. Oh how I love these old photographs!

Did you notice Dad's unusual middle name, Giacinto? It means "hyacinth." Dad once told me that they chose my name, Cynthia, because it sounded like hyacinth. (I looked it up once a long time ago..."Cynthia" actually originated as Kynthia, another name for the Greek goddess of the moon, Artemis). I like Dad's etymology better. It's like I was, in a way, named after him! How cool is that?

I love mixing it up and playing with papers, ink, stickers, embossing powder, chipboard, paper punches, silk flowers, brads...and my computer too! They call it Hybrid Scrapbooking. I just do whatever it takes to get me there.

xoxo

Cindy

a flat tire for erin

If my art - and this blog - is going to be about Life, then I must include its challenges as well as its joys. That means writing the backstory with each image.

I posted this image last week on Erin's Facebook wall in response to her Black Friday post, which read simply this:

Thinking of all the miserable ingrates today that are scrambling for stupid crap that will never make them happy...all I want for Christmas is my health back, for the pain to stop. I'll never want anything so much as long as I live :(

I debated whether to share it here on my blog, but with Erin's blessing, here I sit at my keyboard.

The pain Erin speaks of is caused by IC - Interstitial Cystitis, with which she was diagnosed in August. I won't trouble you with any details, but you can imagine what her life has been like since then. On a side note, Erin is no stranger to painful challenges in her life, so she is already somewhat of a learned philosopher at the ripe old age of 21, thus meeting this situation with considerable experience under her belt.

For anyone who has experienced a painful and/or potentially life-altering physical condition - yourself or that of a loved one - you probably already know the words to this song. 

We - her family and friends - continue to support Erin on this journey, doing what we can to help her deal with the myriad of issues that crop up. Often that means just listening to her work things out in her own mind/heart. These are treasured, if bittersweet, times together indeed. Truth be told, I think that I have learned more from her than she has from me.

Erin is learning to navigate the world of medical specialists and surgical procedures, therapies and diets, etc., and the complexities of medical insurance - all necessary life skills. A well-informed, responsible patient, she comes to the table with her homework done, thoroughly researching every medical term, medication and its potential side effects, usually before she's even seen the doctor. She actually told the doctors that she had IC! She has also learned much from the experiences of other sufferers, mainly via the internet. She, in turn, lends her support to others, sharing her experience - and wisdom - with others via her Tumblr.

But she is learning so much more...in a nutshell: what really matters in life...and what doesn't.

I don't know where all this is going, but when do we really know that in this life? For now the situation is like a good trail: challenging terrain, full of twists and turns, seemingly impossible steep, rocky climbs, and heart-stopping descents...and if you lift up your eyes every now and then, you are blessed with some awesome scenery along the way.

And - for Erin - maybe a little insight into Life. (Seriously...it's how I ride.)

Now, for anyone interested in the genesis of the first image, there's this:

1. While I was searching online for the exact wording of a favorite half-remembered quote on adversity, I stumbled across the one above. I quickly forgot the one I was looking for.
2. I then searched my hard drive for an appropriate bike photo...and found the one above, from our trip to Fruita, on the Utah border. This photo was taken by my husband Bob, with a little Nikon point-&-shoot camera, just moments before we got separated and I got lost. Out in the middle of nowhere. In the hot sun. With not a soul around. I digress.
3. I cropped the photo down to just the bike tire on the right, then cloned away the distracting shadows. Then just some tinkering with color, light, textures, adjustment layers, etc. until it looked like I wanted and said what I wanted it to say. I actually started with one of Kim Klassen's wonderful tutorials, but it took on a life of its own and ended with probably way too many layers.

gratitude: for emily

I think a lot about the concept of gratitude. I have for a long time. 

Since I was eight years old, as a matter of fact, when I first read about Pollyanna's Glad Game. Who'd have thought that a children's book could hold so much sway in a person's life? Ask my girls. It is a game I have played with them since their childhood.

Then there's Dennis Prager, whose daily radio show I faithfully podcast, not the least of which because of his weekly Happiness Hour. Dennis says that one cannot be happy without gratitude. I already knew that! (yeah, I too often quote Dennis Prager as well.)

And then there's Emily, who has taught me more about life in her 20 years - than I could ever have imagined - mainly about faith and hope and love and courage...and gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Because it's not about Turkey. Or Football. Or Shopping.

(seriously...how did we ever come to this point!?)

* * *

Emily, this post is for you.

Enjoy your Candy Cane Chocolate Fudge Chunk ice cream.

xoxo

Cindy

Here's how this image came about:

I made a still life photo a little while ago, not really sure just where I was going with it. I arranged a few of the acorns I picked up beneath a little oak tree next to the bank where I work, then added a few strands of ornamental grass, cut from our garden. I played with the image,  first in Lightroom and then in Photoshop - intermittently over the course of a few weeks - just like painting... adjusting the lighting, contrast, color, etc. and then adding a few texture layers. I borrowed the quote from an email Kelly shared with me yesterday...she always kindly forwards e-newsletters from the Center for Great Apes.