Wednesday, April 13, 2011

31 Day Photo Challenge - Day 17

Okay, so...the 31 Day Photo Challenge is taking far longer than 31 days and, truthfully, I'm just feeling a little bit burnt out on it.  Day 16 is supposed to be a picture of someone who inspires me.  Really?  Someone who inspires me?

Here's the sad truth:  I got nothin.  I can't think of anyone who inspires me at a blog-worthy level.  If you're reading this and thinking, "Wait...I'm awesome!  I'm inspiring!", please don't be offended that you didn't immediately spring to mind on this one.  It's not that you're bad people or that you're not rockin-awesome.  I'm just not much for being inspired, I guess.

So, anywho, I'm gonna go ahead and skip Day 16.  Day 17 calls for a photo of something that has had a huge impact on my life recently.


























This is my backyard.  You may be thinking, "Reva, do you mean to tell us your ugly dead grass has had a huge impact on your life recently?"  "Turk?"  "The Villa Maria?"

Um, no.

Although, in a roundabout way, the grass kind of symbolizes what I'm talking about.

Here's the thing:  I suffer from depression all year-round, but it is significantly worse during the long, cold, winter months of Michigan (I totally live in the wrong place...).  What I have is known as SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder.  The cold and the lack of sunlight contribute to my overall winter funk.  I've not been "professionally" diagnosed, but in this age of information at your fingertips (gotta love Google and the world wide interweb), I really don't feel like I need to pay my doctor to tell me what I already know.

After just about a week of warmer weather, my husband commented on how noticeably my mood had changed.  So, if anyone questions the validity of SAD, they can suck it, Trebek, because I am living proof that it exists.  But, at least for the next few months, I will bask in the sun and be not quite so moody and funky.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

31 Day Photo Challenge - Day 15

A picture of something I'd like to do before I die.

I would like to visit the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.



My two favorite artists are Andy Warhol and Norman Rockwell and, while I do love some Warhol, there's nothing like that nostalgic, warm-hearted feeling that comes when looking at a Rockwell.  Known as a "storyteller with a brush," Rockwell had a tender, often humorous way of capturing real life.



The following are some favorites - I swear I'll try not to keep you here all day!













Puppy Love - one of my absolute favorites!











The Gossip - hilarious!






Girl At Mirror - so true to life...








Four Freedoms - some of Rockwell's most famous work








The Black Eye - she just looks so proud of herself!












"I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to."  --Norman Rockwell