OUR COMMON HOURS

Kelli Ann Wilson May 22, 2014

21 // 52

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Lillia: Well, it happened. Last night you came to me and said, “Can you promise me that you don’t bring all of my Christmas presents?” Sorry, kiddo. I played along for almost 11 years, but I won’t make a promise that is a blatant lie. It all started when you were reading my blog, and for some reason you were reading all of the entries — even back to 2011! I happened to make a post way back then about finding and purchasing your play kitchen, which we told you was from “Santa.” Certainly there were times in your life when you questioned whether or not Santa was real, but we were always able to keep the fire burning without telling an outright lie. For some reason that was an important distinction for me. You were sad to learn the truth, and there were some tears, but you said you were happy to have had the experience and you want Zane to keep believing for awhile. So, now you’ve been “initiated.” Knowledge is a tricky thing: on one side of the coin there is truth and power, and on the other there is sadness and disappointment. From here on out there are going to be many things that you learn about the world and the people in it that you really wish you could unlearn. But, there is no forgetting, and that is part of the human condition.

Zane: This week you have been saying the silliest things! I love that your language skills have progressed to the point where you can converse about the less concrete matters of life because toddler + abstract concepts = hilarity.
Here’s an example:
Me: Zane, look at your legs. They are so cute! I just want to eat them up!
Zane: You can not eat them. They are made of person! They are mettached to me!

Kelli Ann Wilson May 17, 2014

congratulations, shayna!

Today one of my oldest (as in, known the longest) and most favoritest friends received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with a concentration in Substance Abuse/Addictions Counseling. To fully appreciate this you have to know that school has not always been her top priority, nor has it always been easy for her. She worked so hard to finish this degree and I am so, so, so very proud of her. Love you, Shayna!

Kelli Ann Wilson May 16, 2014

film // march & april

Working with a 100% manual camera & 35mm film is both challenging and rewarding. I absolutely love the fact that I have to put more thought into the pictures I take, that they don’t always come out how I wanted them to, and that by the time I develop the film I have largely forgotten what I photographed so it’s always a fun surprise to look at the prints.

I was also thinking about what a gift it is to take a photo of someone on film. Every single childhood photo that I have of myself was taken with a film camera. How many kids these days will have even one photo taken of them with a film camera? Probably not many, unless one of their relatives or friends is interested in film photography. The reality is that most of the photos our kids will have of themselves will probably be taken with a cell phone & will probably never be printed — if that’s not depressing, I don’t know what is.

I am so happy that I have a film camera, and that I am learning how to use it, because it truly is a special and unique way to capture someone you love. There’s something about the soft edges and the way the light falls that you just can’t get with digital, no matter how many filters you use. So, get a film camera and take pictures of your kids, your friends, your family and, of course, your cat! You won’t regret it. You can get the camera & lens that I use on ebay for next to nothing these days.

Here are some of my latest film photos, and you can see more by visiting my flickr photostream.

canon ae-1 program // canon fd 50mm 1.8 lens // kodak professional bw400cn (expired circa 2000) // processed by Monadnock Imaging, Keene, NH // scanned by me on the lexmark prestige pro805 (because I forgot to ask for a CD with my prints — d’oh!)

Kelli Ann Wilson May 16, 2014

20 // 52

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Lillia: This week I was feeling sad about a few things, and you were such a great comfort to me. I am so amazed by your empathy and your nurturing spirit. It doesn’t show all the time (you are a kid, after all), but you feel deeply the distress of others and you try your best to alleviate it. You have a lot of wisdom, too, for such a young person. So, thank you, Lillia, for supporting me and for giving me the opportunity to see my trials and tribulations in another light.

Zane: On our walk yesterday you met one of our neighbors who gave you two very cool rocks for your “rockry coweckshun” (rock collection): one was a rounded stone that came from the bank of the Connecticut River (it looked like an egg!); the other was a fire agate that came from his friend’s mine in Arizona. People are very drawn to you, probably because you are adorable, but also because you really enjoy engaging with others. You are the very definition of friendly!

Kelli Ann Wilson May 12, 2014

baby turtle

Our house abuts a conservation area that mostly consists of a largely manmade, yet long out-of-use, body of water called the Mill Pond. Every Spring the mama turtles come up from the water and lay eggs, which hatch sometime near the end of summer. I was so surprised to see a baby painted turtle this past weekend, since it seemed to be the wrong time of year. It turns out, some painted turtles overwinter in their nests after they hatch, and then make their journey back to the water in the Spring! I can’t believe this little one survived the winter we had this year — it was so brutally cold and long. But, here he or she is, against the odds!