PHOTO DUMP, GRATITUDE LISTS, & AN UPDATE ON KENIDI
I've been obsessed with the instagram app on my iphone4 recently. I love being able to snap a shot, throw a filter & quick border around it and then instantly share it with hundreds or even thousands of others all at one time. Technology today never ceases to amaze me. With that said, I have a blogger on my daily blog reads that I love and I noticed she is doing a "phone dump" of her photos once a week. I thought this was a great idea. For those of you who haven't ever friended me on facebook, you miss out on A LOT of photos I share on there that never actually hit my personal blog. So...I thought the weekly phone dump from time to time would be great to do as well. I figured I'd share some of the photos I've taken via my cell throughout the past 7 days. The top one above was of my Dad holding Kross in his irrigation sprinklers the night before we left Indy. I love that shot. It reminds me of an old vintage image from years gone by or something. The joy that both of their smiles bring to me in that one photo is indescribable. Thank you camera phones!
The next shot is one that I snapped out of the car window as we left the Indiana state line in our rear-view mirror last Friday evening and crossed over into Kentucky via the Louisville bridge. Brent always laughs at me when we pull out of Indiana after our visits there. He tells me that I cry from the time I leave my Dad's driveway until at least Louisville each trip. Truth be told, he's probably right. It never helps when my Dad sends me texts such as exhibit A...(sorry Dad...I know you dislike when I share your texts but word pictures always help tell a story waaayyyyyy better. As a blogger, my job is to tell a story the best way I know how. That involves sharing your awesome words too. Nothing is sacred in our family, I know. LOL!)
Do you see now why a daughter might cry her heart out all the way from Indy to Kentucky after receiving a text from her dad telling her that he misses her already and that she needs to move back home? I must mention that he sends these each time I leave - before I'm ever even out of his neighborhood. See why I love him so much??? It's very clear what an exceptional father he is, isn't it? I know I brag on him a lot but really...this type stuff just confirms it all. I cherish my Dad's text messages. I should've listened to him when he tried to give me the box of Kleenex's from inside his house as I left though. I assured him that I had plenty of baby wipes in the car to use should I need them. Always heed a Father's advice. Always. Even when it comes to a simple box of Kleenex's. Dad's are always right.
At some point in the 18 hour drive back to Naples each time, I finally regain my composure, put away the Kleenex's and regroup. I sit and watch the sky, the clouds, the sunshine or rain as we drive that horrific drive back to Florida. I have high hopes that reciting what I'm grateful for (crayola blue skies, puffy white cotton ball type clouds, the golden sunshine, etc.) in my head throughout the drive will help pass the time quicker. It never does. Eighteen hours is still 18 frappin' hours. No matter how you look at it...the drive sucks. Bottom line. The only time it starts to get better is on the 2nd day - when you're about 45 minutes from home per the Navigation screen that you've been watching the whole 18 hour trip like it's the movie Twilight or something and Edward is secretly placed within the screen somewhere. See...you also begin to get delusional along that drive too. It's a serious side effect. Anyway, back to my point. You roll down the windows and begin to smell the sea salt air. It's a fo' sho' sign that you're in the home stretch now. In no time, you look to your right - and then to your left - only to see scenes like this again...
Moments later...you are driving over the ocean and the sun is setting...reminding you of that gratitude list that is forever embedded in your brain at this point...
Eventually, you pull up in the driveway and are never so glad to get out and touch your feet to the ground in all your life. You hit your bed that night still reciting the gratitude list..."sunsets, Starbucks, my parents, my friends, my kids, my own bed, air conditioning, palm trees, the salt life, my camera, my eyes to visualize shoots, pringals new honey butter stix, the fact that I didn't have to kill my husband this trip because he finally decided to stop at a hotel rather than drive straight through, and so on. Home is good. Real good. However, I have two homes. One where I lay my head every night and one where I lay my heart. You can guess which is which.
The next morning, I always jump up to watch the sun rise over the pond behind our house. It has a magnificent way of shining the most beautiful honey golden light down on the water as well as the tips of the palm tree leaves. The colors as the sun rises are amazing around here. When you live just 5 minutes down the street from the ocean, everyday is amazing around here. Even on the days when the enemy sets out to ruin your gratitude list or your "peppified spirit," you can still manage to always find something to be thankful for. A-L-W-A-Y-S!!! Like being able to stand under palm trees each and every day.
Even when it's raining on the palms and your power is out in your house due to the storm, life is still amazing and the palm trees are still beautiful.
Yes, life is good.
On a final note, before signing off tonight, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who posted here on the blog last week, privately emailed me, called, texted, facebooked, etc. in regards to Kenidi's situation. I had no idea that my post last week would provoke such an outpouring of support. It breaks my heart that so many of you are experiencing similar trials in your own lives. On a positive note though, your words of encouragement, advice, and your own experiences helped our family beyond imagine. You guys armed us with so much knowledge that we didn't have previous to my post. Your own journey has helped prepare us for ours. There are no words to thank you guys for your love and true concern for our Kenidi. We are 4 days into her new medicine (Tenex) and unfortunately haven't noticed any positive changes. She is extremely tired because of it and can barely keep her eyes open most of the day. The doctor warned us that this would happen in the beginning and so did some of you who have your own children on this particular medicine. We are hopeful that her body will adjust to the dosage soon. We were told to give the prescription three weeks before we made a decision to switch to resperdal. So...we will give it 2.5 more weeks. It's still very early and we are still very faithful. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. We'll go to plan B at that point. For now though, I know without a shadow of a doubt that all will work out as it should and that like always...God is leading the way. Again though, thank you to each of you for continually being so supportive of our family in the past 5 years since I began this blog. I always know I can come back here, to my online cyber-space friends, and find encouragement and advice thru this blog when needed. All of you are on my gratitude list.
Much love, Angie
PS...If you'd like to friend me on my personal Facebook page, you can do so by clicking on the following link: ANGIE ON FACEBOOK If you would like to become a fan of my Angie Seaman Photography fan page, feel free to do so by clicking this link: BECOME A FAN I'm always posting new session images there that you never see here on my blog. I also post "casting calls" for models that we need for certain creative shoots there too. It's a great place to keep an eye out on all of the Angie Seaman Photography happenings. No matter what...I just appreciate your support. :)
The secret beach spot here in Naples that my friend, Lacey, told me about.
Oh yes...I found it.
And she was right. It was just me. All alone. Well, with the exception of a rare passer by, my beach B/F/F's (the birds), and the shells...
Oh yes...and of course GOD was there too.
Everywhere he was indeed.
To say that I had a glorious afternoon would be an understatement. I loved rolling up there with my beach parking pass on my car window - confirming that I am a Naples resident now and that there is no need to stuff the meter full of quarters now (.25 cents for 10 minutes - ACK!). I proudly parked my vehicle at the southern most parking access and smiled as I got to drive past the meters and park in the "locals" parking area. It doesn't take much to excite me.
Lacey had instructed me on which beach access to park at and then she told me to walk out onto that beach and begin walking even further south. Which I did. When I first got out there though, I began seeing signs like these everywhere...
Needless to say, as a photographer, I don't follow instructions very well. LOL!
The reason for the private property signs...??? Well, they were there for these BIG, bad, mama-jamma's...
These are multi-million dollar homes that sit right on the sea line. Right on the edge of the ocean - overlooking the gulf. And yes, these are homes - not hotels. And trust me...these are the "smaller" homes. Because my wide angle lens is broken and in the shop being repaired, I couldn't get good images of the HUGE sprawling homes like I wanted to. These puppies are the "smaller" ones on the beach. (if that is even possible)
Homes on the gulf here will run you approximately $20 million dollars. (give or take some additional pocket change) And if that doesn't fit your budget, how bout' maybe considering a house one street over on gulf shore blvd. It will run you oh say...a mere 10 million maybe. I don't know about you guys but a cardboard box is sounding real good right about now. Put it straight in the sand on the beach and it will be perfect actually. :)
Yes, these homes are stunning to "look at" and they are even more fun to go by and try to guess what the homeowners do for a living. However, in the end, just give me a small 2 bedroom cottage shack on the beach with as few rooms to clean as possible and that would be my dream home. No joke! A fixer upper that would require "our" finishing touches. A dump that we could make our cottage by the sea. Yup...when I'm old and all the kids are gone...you'll see me peddling on the streets of Florida so that I can continue to save up for my dream lot for my dream cottage. Hee hee! Gosh knows the land/beach front property alone would take me my whole life and then some to save up for. A girl still has to dream though, right?
While on my walk, I saw many, many birds. Lots of my beach B/F/F's were out and strutting their stuff for my lens.
It cracks me up how they are never scared by my existence. They don't even flinch when I walk up...
These were some rock formations that were out there. It's rare to see rocks like these on the shorelines of our beaches. Reminded me of the west coast or something.
More struttin'...
I loved this next succession of shots...
Like little ducks...all in a row. The sailboat in the top right corner just made the shot even that much more fun.
Again...in a row...
This little dude just followed me down the beach as I walked. Jumping on top of the wood stumps as we went. Cracked me up...
These birds are great because they stand on one leg most times when resting. This TOTALLY cracks me up. Anyone know why they do this?
This guy just appeared to me as though he "thought" he reined as "king of his castle..."
And this dude...he sat - perched with his wings wide open - the whole time. He literally sun bathed like that. Never moving. He made it look like he was ready to take flight the whole time but he just sat there completely still. Hilarious!
This image below just yearned to be shot. The roughed up, tattered and torn nautical ropes, the barnacles on the wood stumps...just all of it. Loved the "beachy vibe" it gave as the water came rushing in on top of it.
When all was said and done. I had followed Lacey's directions to a "T" and walked all the way down to the southern tip of the beach. It took me about 20 minutes to get down there. Well, really more like 40 because I kept stopping to take pictures. Either way, when I got there, I ran into a pack of dolphins again. I tried with all of my might to capture them but each time they popped up, I missed them on camera. Talk about frustrating. Either way, I sat down after my walk down there and spent some time just taking in the sights. At ground level, this is what I saw. Just a coconut and me...
The view was magnificent. I was in complete awe. It was such a secluded area of beach that no one was around. It was extremely peaceful and provoked many thoughts. I had two dear friends who I've met via blogging that were extremely heavy on my heart yesterday. I spent some time praying for them and their families. Unfortunately I came home to not good news from one of them. However, I know those prayers did not go unheard for their family. I am confident that God has his hand in all of this and that he has the master plan. After some time alone on the beach, I turned to look back at the path I had traveled to get there. This is what I saw...
Needless to say, when I awoke to the sounds of a massive thunder storm rolling in off the ocean this morning, I put the kids om the bus and went back to.this.same.spot. I just couldn't help it. I felt a pulling to go back so I did. I carried an umbrella in one hand and a towel in the other. There was one other nut job on the beach with me. We passed at some point and I wondered what thoughts were filtering his mind at that moment. Was he there to regroup, to calm his inner being, to think thru a major decision, etc.? Truthfully I felt that he had to be there for some reason other than to walk thru the rain. Maybe this elderly gentleman felt the same way I do about the sea. That it is his place to seek answers, listen to God, to set himself straight. I didn't know but I prayed for him as he passed. Prayed that God would give him direction if he was there seeking it. Wisdom if he was lacking it. Guidance should he need it. I then sat down just long enough to blog a few words from the moment which most of you probably saw earlier today. (found below this post) And yes the beach was gorgeous there in the sunshine yesterday. However...today in the rain...this area of desolate beach - this magnificent creation of Gods - was even more stunning.
I've found that not only are things long walks on the beach with God good for my spiritual soul but they are also good for my 1000 lb. hippo hips. Yes, the trudging thru the sand does a number on your calves and leaves you feeling like you've just run the 500 meter dash 100 times over again. I'm enjoying this insignificant state of exercise. It is an "exercise" I can handle because I don't associate pain with having to do it. Ha ha! In fact, I look forward to it. So...until my next walk on the beach, enjoy your weekend. Florida is experiencing a "cold" front over the next couple of days. You know...seventies...70 degrees. Yeah, a cold front. Come on now...you gotta' laugh! Instead of our normal 85 degrees, we are getting 70-75 over the next couple of days. And they really call that a cold front. Seriously! I hear ya'll laughing with me. I better go break those winter coats out of storage, eh? NEVAHHH! :) xoxo, Angie
I'm at the beach. Blogging by the seas edge. There is a massive storm brewing out off the ocean as I type. It takes great talent to hold an umbrella over my head and type on my phone at the same time. I have mad skillz. :) Ya'll knew that already though, right? Although very eerie to be on the beach completely alone as the storm rages at my feet, it's a great way to calm the nerves and put life into perspective. This place...this gift...rain and all...is such a beautiful sight. We needed it. Florida needed it I mean. It's only the 2nd time that it has rained in a month since we officially moved here. I just had to capture the storm as best I could with my iPhone at this moment. For now, I'm back to letting the storm rage on and attemping to always love life while riding it out, rain and all.xoxo, Angie - Posted using BlogPress from Angie's iPhone
PS...Check back tonight or tomorrow for some awesome sites from my secret beach spot location yesterday. Yes, I found it. :)
I spent the day by the shoreline with my Mom again today. Living this close to the beach is really putting a damper on my to do list - especially my Christmas shopping. The term "beach bum" is sounding like a pretty good description of my lazy self right about now. I'm totally owning it - proudly.
I'm furious at myself because of all days that I decided to leave my camera behind at home and not take it with me to the beach, every bird in town was there as were 4 dolphins at our feet - right up at the shore line today. It was a gorgeous sight. The pelicans were there - tons of them - skimming the surface with their wings - soaring mere inches from over top the oceans wave caps. It was utter craziness and the whole time I was camera-less. Big Pappa-less. I'm such a dork for leaving my camera at home. I sooooooo know better. So for now, you'll have to feast your eyes on images that were taken last week. Stale shots as I call them. Old news. Ha ha!
Gorgeous colors...
I'm scared to even want to ask what this is...
Beautiful flowers...just beautiful...
These gorgeous sites were all taken at the Naples Botanical Gardens last week...
Again, I have no idea what these are. They were growing off of some palm tree there at the botanical gardens...
Everywhere we looked...they had plants planted in everything. These next few pictures were taken in the "children's botanical garden" area.
If you ever the chance to vacation in Naples, you should definitely visit the Naples Botanical Gardens. It's a great place and a very lovely adventure for the day. Make sure to take a camera along too. :) And because I get soooooo many emails on a daily basis inquiring about Naples in general (as well as Bonita Springs which is just 15 minutes from Naples), I thought I'd post this link to a video of Naples for you guys who are considering a vacation here. You can find the video HERE: Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades - Videos - Florida Vacations - Visit Naples, Marco Island & Everglades. Hopefully this will help sway some of you to come and visit us down here. :) With an average year round temperature of 75-85 degrees and a beach that was rated as one of the top 10 in the country by Travel magazine, and rated one of the top 10 Florida beaches by the travel channel...you surely won't want to pass up coming this way. To our neck of the woods. I've got some great shopping boutiques I can take you to as well as a quaint little cupcakery that I'd love to introduce you to as well. Wink wink! ;)
If I ever had a little beach cottage right on the seashores edge, it would totally be this exact color. Trimmed in bright white just as this one is. I was just telling my Mom today that someday when my kids are grown, my ultimate dream would be to have a small 2-3 bedroom cottage overlooking the gulf or the Caribbean somewhere. I would paint it this color and decorate the interior with nothing but seaside decor - basically white upon white with a hint of sea blue, maybe some aqua/turquoise and then more white all over - everywhere. I can envision sitting outside on a wooden porch soaking up the sunset skies at night while taking in the white wave caps as the day turns to darkness. Then, I can see myself out on that white porch yet again come sunrise watching the sky turn from black to brilliant oranges and yellows. Yes, that is my ultimate dream - to start my days while sitting seaside in my own little turquoise cottage.
This particular little house just happens to be an open shelter within the Naples Botanical gardens here in Florida. Either way, I just had to have a photo of it when I saw it. I took the kids to the Botanical Gardens on Wednesday because they got out of school half day for an early dismissal day. Thus where the butterfly images came from in the post below this one. It was a fun day that entails tons of pictures. I'll share more in the coming days. For now, I had to share this cottage with ya'll. I am oozing love for this color - it screams Caribbean, Bermuda-esque, tropical, and so forth. LOVE it!
Then, I would totally have two hammocks out front of my turquoise beach cottage - right off the front porch directly as you stepped down into the sand. I'd tie them to two swaying palm trees and then sit out there and read my books, bead, blog, whatever. Can you imagine? Oh to dream...
Although our new home is only a 5 minute drive to and from the beach now, there is still something to be said for living directly in the sand, facing the ocean, everyday, night after night. To wake and to sleep at the sound of the crashing waves has been something that I've dreamed of from the time I was just a little girl. For now though, I'm soaking up the sea with daily visits here in Naples and mere drive bys when I can't stop for moments long enough to sugar my toes in the sand. I cannot even begin to explain the sheer cleansing that living here has brought me in just 2 small weeks. My soul clean, my mind defogged, my creativity inspired and ignited beyond all imagination, my humiliations left hundreds of miles away, my want for a new beginning...new chapters prominently placed front and center right before me. I find myself eager to get back into the gym here in the new neighborhood as I'm discovering new found energy. I feel my heart yearning for good runs down the beach, sweat beading from my skin and loving every minute of it as I remind myself of the temps in the teens back in Indiana. This move has definitely been a realignment for me. A much needed awakening. My soul had lost its way in the past year. My energy was stolen from me along with many securities. Here though...I've found an "Angie" who was lost long ago. She is ready to make her way. Make her mark - even though it requires me to soar up high and way outside of my comfort zone.
