i want to be free!

i've lived in Chicago all my life, born and bred here, and i love this city dearly with its diverse cultural communities, unrivaled architecture, beautiful beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan, and an art and music scene that just can't be beat.  it's a bustling town, hopping pretty much every day of the week and all hours of the day and night.  while all of that is good and fine, i want to get far, far away from it.  for reasons i won't get into here i'm stuck in the city for a few more years, but i've got plans and dreams and goals of breaking free from it all and leaving it behind.  living in a big city definitely has its perks, but i've found that solitude just isn't one of them.  maybe it's my old age....ok, my middle age....but i'm tired of the fast pace, tired of racing everyone else to beat the clock, tired of being just one of a zillion rats sprinting to the proverbial finish line.  i want to slow it down, lay it back, and mellow it out....

i want to drive (or hike!) leisurely through the mountains and marvel at tall, stately trees....

i want to stroll through a field of wildflowers on a summer sunday morning....

i want to lay in the grass of an open field and gaze at the clouds....

i want to enjoy an impromptu conversation with a perfect stranger during a trip "into town"....

i want to sit on the back porch of a cottage in the woods and serenade the birds with my guitar....

i want my nearest neighbor to be at least half a mile away....

i want to lay in a hammock at night listening to crickets sing while gazing at the stars....

i want to enjoy sunrise in "the country" with a cup of coffee in hand....

i want to ride a bike down a country lane and wave at passing cars....

i want to dance in the rain with my dogs as my audience....

i want to raise chickens, and goats, and sheep.....

i want a garden full of fresh veggies and beautiful flowers....

i want to be closer to and connect with Mother Earth in all her splendid glory....

i want to be free.

Well hello Mother Nature!

Fun fact about me:  I'm a bit of a photography buff.  For as long as I can remember I've always loved taking pictures.  People shots, action shots, still shots...you name it, I'll shoot it.  A 'professional' I'm most certainly not, but I've been told that I'm quite talented with a camera.

Lately my camera and I have been venturing out to Lake Katherine in Palos Heights, Illinois.  Lake Katherine is a man-made nature preserve with waterfalls, botanical gardens, walking trails, wildflowers, and of course, a lake.  The preserve is also home to a number of birds, ducks, geese, fish and various other critters.  I always go snap happy when I'm there!  Here's a few shots from a recent trip to the lake.

Enjoy!
~Jean

Wednesday Wishlist: Road Trip!

I am and always will be a Midwestern girl.  Born and raised in Chicago, The Windy City will forever hold a special place in my heart.  But sometimes I get the desire to blow this town for a while, when I hear the call of the open road.   Load up the car and just take off down the highway.  There's a freedom in taking a road trip that I find positively exhilarating.  This week's Wednesday Wishlist highlights points North, South, East and West of Chi-town.  All are accessible by car, and every one of these fine destinations would make for one fabulous road trip.  Won't you travel with me?

Up North to Alberta, Canada

Down South to Kentucky, USA

Head East to New York City, USA

Go West to Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Discover This: "Photo Fabulous!" ~ Constellation Photography

I couldn't wait to feature this next etysian in the Discover This series: photographer Amanda Graham. Mandy has been actively persuing photography for about 5 years now and though technically considered a professional, she still loves to think of it as a hobby because, as she says, "it never seems like work." Over the past 2 years, Mandy says she's been "highly driven to create better than average photos" and boy, does it show. Located in the American Northwest, the rural area surrounding Mandy's home makes a lovely subject for many of her photos. Tending to lean more toward photographing nature, Mandy explains how she loves "to focus on the beauty" of her surroundings and that "what may just be an abandoned bridge or just another sunset, is priceless beauty when taken to another level with the angle or perspective through the lens. It becomes something more than what we see every day." I, for one, definitely see something more than abandoned bridges or typical sunsets in her photos. I see nature in all its splendor...lush, rolling hills, awe-inspiring sunsets, rushing waters, even a simple tree swing takes on new meaning when viewed through Mandy's lens.

Raspberry Sunset

Oneida

Yesterdays

Mandy also loves to photograph children, and finds "great joy in capturing the natural innocense of children in their natural surroundings." Her "Boxcar Children" photograph (below) makes me long for the simple days of childhood, where a casual stroll along the tracks takes you to some new and exciting destination. The simplicity of youth is captured perfectly in this photo.

The Boxcar Children

Mention Mandy's feature here on the JMO blog and receive 10% off any of the photos currently listed in her etsy shop through January 31, 2009. www.constellationphoto.etsy.com. All photos are professionally printed, signed, and dated on the back with an archival acid free pen. Most photos are available in a variety of sizes.

Special thanks to Mandy for allowing me to feature her beautiful photographs here on my blog. Also check out her blog at www.wheretimestandsstill.blogspot.com for details on how to win one of her photos!