Paris

It's been a good few days since I've posted anything. This is an older picture, taken in Paris. I enjoy playing with the hues in photoshop :)

Seeing Double?

Today I skipped school (with parental permission!) and went downtown again with my mom and some of our friends. Surprisingly, it wasn't too busy considering the holiday season is literally just around the corner. We ate lunch in the Walnut Room at Macy's, formerly known as Marshall Fields. Like always, the tree was stunning, but I never managed to snap a decent picture of it. The hustle and bustle of getting to and from the train station made it hard to stop and take some really serious photographs, but I did manage to catch this reflection shot while the other women took a bathroom break. The city is beautiful this time of year. It was rather overcast today, so all the Christmas lights were aglow. Stunning. Simply stunning.

Apparently tonight we're supposed to get a big ice storm. Do me a favor and pray for a school cancellation. :)

Always Take the Snow Day

On Thursday a close friend of mine attempted to take her life. Luckily, she admitted to this, and she is now in an institution where doctors and psychiatrists can help her. The whole situation was horribly shocking; I never saw it coming, and I feel extremely guilty for that. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for kids 15 to 24 years old. That's so wrong. At that age, we still have our whole lives in front of us. I can't even comprehending having a desire to cut it short.

Yesterday was Friday, and around ten that morning I was sitting in English class. We were discussing Dandelion Wine, which has several characters who realize the magnificence of life throughout the novel. Fittingly, we started talking about how beautiful life is. My teacher made the comment that it is so great because it is so short. Think about it- the fact that we only have maybe 90 or so years to explore the earth and all it has to offer makes the concept of life seem a lot more important. If we lived for thousands of years, the idea of living would lose its luster. The fact that our time on this planet is so finite is what makes it so unbelievably amazing. As humans, we never know how long we have on this planet. Something could happen, and we may not be around to see tomorrow. It's so important to always live your life to the fullest.

"That's why," my teacher began, "you always take the snow days. A lot of the time the faculty and students alike complain that they're a hassle because you have to make them up in the summer. But the truth is guys, something could easily happen and summer might never come. Always, always take the snow days."

Galaxies

Reaching Out

I recently went into the city on a field trip and managed to snap this image while crossing the street. Stopping in the median is not always the best idea. Cars were speeding past so quickly, as if they were trying to rip the violet petals from the small patch of soil.

A Sequel of Decay

This image deserves a post, a fleeting piece of immortality that it will never have the chance to see in real life. The location is for sale; it will likely be torn down, its lands ravaged for new developments. Where once a home stood and a family lived, new stores and neighborhoods will grow like weeds, erasing these structures from existence and eventually, from memory.

Abandoned farm houses have a strange presence. Not necessarily a haunted one, but upon entering those forsaken walls, the air is heavier. These places obviously have amazing stories behind them: how did the original owners manage to leave behind their children's toys? their Christmas lights? And most importantly, what happened to them?

Places like this are beautiful. In a haunting way, definitely, but beautiful none-the-less. It breaks my heart to know that soon they won't be with us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope that everyone enjoyed their day and was careful to keep in mind all the things we should be thankful for. :)

Around my household, the pre-holiday morning isn't such a blast. Mom whirls around the kitchen and dining room in one last attempt to make sure the rooms are spotless, and urges (against my will!) me to do the same. However, by the time the guests have arrived, the immediate family has all but settled down; we are able to thoroughly enjoy one another's presence around a great table filled with all sorts of food imaginable. Turkey, ham, potatoes (mashed and sweet), cranberry sauce... is there really any holiday better than Thanksgiving?

For our family, today marks the start of the month long Christmas celebration. Outside our lights are already blazing, and within the weekend I imagine that the Christmas tree will be up and running as well. I love this time of year-- if nothing else, it really is a season to be jolly.

Cold November Rain

Day two of blog-- successful! I actually remembered to bring my camera with me on a quick shopping run. November is just whizzing by, isn't it? Normally around this time, my little corner of the woods is already blanketed in a nice white sheet of snow. Not this year. Instead, it's been raining ceaselessly these past few days. Today was no exception; the gray clouds stretch on for miles ad nauseum, and it looks like the sun has gone into hibernation for the winter. Goodbye, sun! See you again in the spring!

This picture was taken at a stop light on the way home from last minute Thanksgiving errands (the bread needed to be picked up from the local bakery, etc). I fumbled with my camera to get a quick snapshot of the rain on my rear-view mirror, while my brother kept an eye on the red light for me; I only had seconds before he anxiously shouted "Green!".

New Beginnings

Many of my friends and family members have given this whole blogging thing a whirl, so I figured that I might do the same as well. There are few things that you need to know about me-- I am a teenager who stumbled into possession of a camera and fell in love. I will try to post pictures daily of things that I encounter in my every day life. Don't be afraid to leave comments. Don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. Any help that you're willing to give, I'm certainly willing to take! So, without further adieu, welcome to my silly little blog. If nothing else, I hope you enjoy my pictures.

This was taken outside of my home a few days ago. It is one of the more beautiful sunsets I've seen recently; it's as if the sky knows that it's autumn, and it matches its colors accordingly. The past week or so, the sunsets have been stained with a beautiful array of deep reds and vibrant yellows, which melt with the purple hues beyond the immediate horizon. I wish that the silhouettes of the houses were not in the way; I would have loved to watch the sun set completely, without any inch of its majesty hidden from my view.