a vast and beautiful sky spreads endlessly in varying shades of blue.
Trees dance as I pass, waving their leaves in rhythm to the erratic strings of Vivaldi.
The wind plays cheerfully with my hair as the afternoon sun warms my face.
My soul is free; my spirit soaring.
For this moment in time, my thoughts are my own.
I find myself giddy with the pure joy of it all.
Posted in Autumn, being myself, bipolar, blog, blogger, bloggess, contentment, convertible, creation, dreamer, free, from my heart, joy, life experiences, music, nature, Pentax, Pentaxian, Time, Trees, words, writer
Tagged contentment, convertible, gina minton kearns blog, Gina Minton Kearns Photography, happiness, joy, nature, thoughts, trees
much missed and cherished convertible is back.
She still makes noises and currently has no back seats, but she’s running.
I have missed my little car.
I mistreated her by making her pretend she was a Jeep, but she took it.
I will mistreat her again to get to the places I need to go and she, as she always has, will understand.
She knows me, my dreams and aspirations.
She understands my yearning to see and photograph.
I’m very happy to have her back and hope she knows how much I’ve missed her.
She’s mine; she was always meant to be mine.
I won’t trade her when I am finally able fulfill my lifelong dream and get a Jeep.
No, she’s safe here. She will always have a place in my heart (and in my driveway).
I’m pretty sure she knows that.
She took me to my falls many, many times.
She took me to the high places at Clingman’s Dome in the Smoky Mountains, where snow fell heavily in October.
She took me, in the pouring rain, to Hungry Mother Park in Marion, VA
She took me up and down Big Moccasin every day, stopping often so I could photograph my favorite trees.
She took me, more than once, to the Outer Banks of NC.
OBX again …
and again.
She took my girls with me many times …
many times.
Yes, I’m very happy to have her back.
Very happy, indeed.
Posted in artist, Autumn, being human, being myself, blessings, blog, blogger, bloggess, Bodie Island, child, childhood, cold, convertible, cool, creation, creative, cry, daydreamer, dreams, driving, emotion, Encouragement, faith, feelings, free, from my heart, happiness, happy, hope, humor, jeep, Life, life experiences, Lighthouse, Little Stony Falls, little things, memories, Mountains, Mountains in Springtime, nature, Nature Photographer, niece, OBX, October, Pentax, Pentaxian, photographer, Photography, PT Cruiser Convertible, ragtop, solitude, Southwest Virginia, Southwest Virginia Blogger, Southwest Virginia Photographer, through the eyes of the spirit, Time, trail shoots, Trees, Twitter, vertible, wanderlust, words, writer
Tagged #swva, blessings, convertible, driving, family, freedom, gina minton kearns blog, Gina Minton Kearns Photography, life, little stony falls, PTcruiser convertible, Southwest VA, top down
I had a total bipolar meltdown on my dad.
He was, at first, completely blindsided, and then perplexed.
I usually meltdown on my mom, who knows to just let it ride until the event is over.
But she wasn’t there and I was melting down in real time.
I think it was good for him, my Dad, that is, to see me as I have a propensity to be.
Totally crazy, on the edge of straight-jacket territory.
A mess.
I try to shield him from this side of me, because, well, at the risk of starting a riot, he is my dad and is, with abject certainty, a man.
Men rarely understand the astounding psyche of women.
Don’t roll your eyes and pretend to be insulted.
We know that maneuver.
Add bipolar to the mix and a total discombobulation takes over.
I love my Dad.
He is my, second only to Jesus and third to John Robert (who is dead, by the way), my hero.
A man who’s integrity I would bet my last dime on.
But he isn’t my mom.
He wants desperately to pat me on the head and tell me all is ok.
All is not okay.
I’M HAVING A MELTDOWN, WHERE IS MY MOTHER?
In my own defense, I didn’t say that.
I wanted to, but felt the ramifications would skew the effort to find out WHERE THE HELL my mom was.
So I cried, sobbed, made little sense while blindly clinging to my Dad.
I seriously doubt he will
ever be quite the same.
It’s a bit, I suppose, like trying raw oysters.
It sounds gross, but the rewards … well, they, by spades, outweigh the risks.
I hope, some day, to eat raw oysters with my dad.
A small, and yet ambiguous dream.
He hugged me while I was sobbing incoherently and told me he loved me, no matter what.
Major points for that.
Major.
Points.
Major.
Posted in art, artist, being myself, bipolar, blog, blogger, bloggess, dad, daydreamer, depression, dreamer, dreams, Freedom, from my heart, healing, hope, in my opinion, learning new things, Life, life experiences, little things, Live as it happens, love, manic depressive disorder, meltdown, mental illness, parent, photographer, Southwest Virginia Photographer, tears, Thanksgiving, Time, Trees, Twitter, wanderlust, weird stuff, what was I thinking, words
Tagged bipolar, bloggess, dad, discombulated, life, love, meltdown, mom man
there were none.
I’m standing on the front porch as the day completes itself.
The sun is setting over a field fresh with young wildflowers and high, lovely hay-grass that will grow tall and be mowed mid-summer.
It smells so good; nearly, but not quite as good as freshly turned earth in early Spring.
The soon-to-be full moon will shortly rise over budding trees freed from their winter solitude.
After this night, changes will come.
I am uncertain of the changes, but am trying to make myself ready for what will happen in my brain.
How odd this must sound.
I have things I must contend with that will very likely alter the way I see everything, including the moon.
It has been a difficult decision to make; this knowing that the way my brain perceives things and people and emotions will change.
I am only what I am, and if I cannot be what I am then I could very possibly be what I have always feared.
Nothing.
I have dear friends who are angry with me, who have not forgiven me for things I was not aware of.
While that hurts me now, next week it will likely be irrelevant.
There is a better then average chance then I will not remember that.
A curse more than a blessing for I am sorry but may not recall my remorse.
I sacrifice one madness for another.
Where, I ask, is the sanity in that?
This night, my last night without the influence of medication, I watch for the moon and hope, that when the lightning bugs come, I will be happy to see them.
I have always found joy in the lightning bugs.
For the first time I can recall, I am not an optimist.
That, in itself, frightens me.
And I dislike being afraid nearly as much as I dislike knowing I am potentially sacrificing my identity.
I suppose I am, after all, a coward.
My niece, unafraid
He speaks to me.
Who, you say?
Why Jesus, of course.
How, you ask?
By showing me what He sees through the eyes He sees them with.
And by allowing me to capture on film that which He chooses to show me.
Being a photographer is one of His greatest gifts to me and I don’t take His beauty lightly.
I am, in the space of time that I walk through the beauty of creation, one with that creation.
I am part of that which lives, thrives and survives.
I am His.
He reminds me every day of His love for me by showing me the wonders of the earth He created, of His beauty and, for whatever reason, He allows me to see it through His perfect eyes. I am often blinded by life, by moments, by disappointments and disillusionment, but He reminds me, every single day, that I am His.
Through the fragrant blooms of springtime that make their way even while winter tries to force his hand. They are strong and resilient, those blooms. Strong-willed and fearless as they burst forth with courage and strength.
The Creator’s fragrant palette
Through the fireflies of summer, which frolic beneath a summer moon and compete with the magnificence of the stars. They blink and fade, wander and mesmerize, bringing magic and comfort and the promise of something wonderful.
Like a moth to a flame, so the fireflies are drawn to the moon of summer.
Through the colorful leaves that adorn the trees that catch my eye, the smell of decay on the ground mixed with the subtle scent of of beauty that can only be felt in the heart. The joyous chatter of the brilliance of fall as it rains down on forgotten paths and leaves the mind reeling with possibilities.
the beauty and mystery of fallen leaves
Through the winter, the cold air and frigid temperatures that can freeze a waterfall in her tracks, making her song one of unrivaled silence as her beauty emanates praise and thanksgiving.
The magnificent song of Winter silence
Creation, frozen in time, for a time, for a season
A bubbling creek becomes suspended in something, motionless and full of such magic that only the heart can understand it. Some things are so rare, so precious, so full of beauty that nothing is left but to offer praise.
Rocks, suspended in silence, yet singing their winter song
Winter speaks with a strong voice even when it is silent
Seeing it, immersing myself in it, becoming a part of it reminds me that I, too am, a child of the creator.
A beautiful view of a snowy Clinch Mountain … one that I call home
My cup runneth over.
His beauty unfolds before me in the misty rain of barren landscapes, foggy sunrises behind mountains and beneath a black sky glittering with stars.
without rain, there can be no rainbow
From my front porch
I am blessed and, when I forget that, He reminds me with His magnificence.
From my driveway, I am reminded that i am worth His magnificence.
I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two road diverged in a wood, and I — I took the ones less traveled by, And that has mad all the difference ~ Robert Frost
Posted in a photographer's heart, art, artist, Autumn, being human, being myself, believer, blessings, blog, blogger, bloggess, cold, creation, disallusionment, dreamer, dreams, earth, from my heart, Frozen, God, Greeting Cards, hiker, human, I love rocks, Jesus, Life, life experiences, Little Stony Falls, Live as it happens, love, moon, Mother Nature, Mountains, Mountains in Springtime, nature, Nature Photographer, nature's symphony, October, Pentax, Pentaxian, photographer, Photography, poem, Robert Frost, snow, Southwest Virginia, Southwest Virginia Blogger, Southwest Virginia Photographer, sub-zero temperatures, Thanksgiving, the wonder of nature, Time, trail shoots, Trees, weather, winter, winter photography, words, worship
Tagged beauty, blog, creation, dreams, encouragement, frozen, frozen creek, frozen waterfalls, gina minton kearns, gina minton kearns blog, Gina Minton Kearns Photography, God, God's creation, greeting cards, jesus, life, little stony falls, love, mountains, music, nature, Pentax, photographer, photography, rocks, Scott County Virginia, Southwest Virginia, spiritual encouragement, suspended rocks, Through the Eyes of the Spirit, Virginia, words
bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
Unequivocally, my favorite line of any song I have ever heard.
A bold statement, yes, I know, especially considering that I have heard thousands and thousands of songs in the decades of my life.
It doesn’t change this revelation in the least. I first heard this song less than 72 hours ago. It has been around for a while. As a matter of fact, it was released eight years ago on my birthday.
I had to know more about who wrote words that surpassed any I have ever heard. Maybe they struck a chord in me because I have a deep love and respect for trees and, on occasion, imagine myself to be one; swaying in the wind, basking in the sun, playing in the moonlight beneath a sky bursting with stars.
Being a seeker of knowledge, I went in search of answers.
The song was written by an independent singer/songwriter named John Mark McMillan. In an interview, he says that he wrote this the day after his best friend died after sustaining injuries in a terrible car accident. In the same interview, he tells of his friend, Stephen Coffey, a youth minister for Morning Star Ministries who said aloud the words “I would give my life today if it would shake the youth of the nation” the morning before the accident.
John Mark wrote the song the next day. He says that the love he is singing about is not a pretty “Hollywood hot-pink” love, but the kind of love that is willing to love even when things are difficult and messy. He goes on to say that “This song isn’t a celebration of weakness and anger. It’s a celebration of a God who would want to hang with us through those things, who would want to be a part of our lives through those things, and,despite who we are, He would want to be a part of us, our community and our family”.
I have listened to this song at least 200 times since I first heard it. I am listening to it now. I cannot pull myself away from what it says to me, how it makes me feel, where it takes me.
I imagine, before the anniversary of the song’s release, (on my birthday), I will listen to it several hundred more times. I know every note, every sound, every pitch, every word and I hold them deep inside of me.
They make me want to sing; the make me want to cry. But not tears of sadness, but ones of joy and celebration that even with all my imperfectness, I am loved and cherished by a Savior that I adore.
I have taken the blinders from my eyes, the plastic wrap from my mirrors and have embraced life with a fullness and freedom that I have never quite been able to achieve.
The freedom to love, to be loved, to seek and, in seeking, expect to find.
I will never be the same again and that may be one of the most beautiful gifts I have ever been given.
I’m putting a link to John Mark’s version. I have heard several artists sing it in the last couple of days, but this version, his version, is by far my favorite.
John Mark McMillan ~ How He Loves ….
John Mark’s song-story …
Posted in a photographer's heart, a woman's tears, accident, being myself, believer, Birthday, blessings, blog, blogger, bloggess, broken, brokenness, emotions, feelings, from my heart, God, how he loves, Jesus, Life, life experiences, love, Photography, Trees, words, worship
Tagged beauty, blog, creation, dreams, emotions, faith, gina minton kearns, gina minton kearns blog, God, God's creation, grace, how he loves, jesus, John Mark McMillan, life, love, love of God, song, spiritual encouragement, trees, words, worship
there is an emptiness. A change in the air, the sky, the trees, the grass, the morning, that reminds us that time is passing.
In a few short weeks, it will be winter and before that even, all of the color of Autumn will be gone. The trees will become bare, the landscape brown, colorless and bleak, but …
In those long months of seemingly colorless moments, there is a beauty that can only be found in Winter.
Just as each season has its own to offer, Winter is no different.
The trees will be bare of leaves and standing tall and proud, naked sentries during the cold and dreary months of winter.
And then there is snow.
Snow cannot be discounted as one of the most marvelous sights of all creation.
Mornings quieted under a blanket of white that transcends all rational thought. How can something be so silent and still be so beautiful?
The sound of snow falling, the soft “pfft” it makes as it falls, one flake upon another until there are inches to be measured, is a sound of solace.
It reminds me a bit of a piano. It is no secret that I love the piano and have a deep and awe-inspired respect for piano players. And the snow, as it makes its soft sound while falling makes music that nothing else in nature can duplicate.
I look forward to the snow, laying heavy on the bare branches of the trees, covering the brown grass and leaving the road white, tire and animal tracks evident in its otherwise malevolent stillness.
October is gone, November is here and before we can be fully accustomed to the cold of winter, the tulips of spring will be blooming.
Mother Nature will have her turn again come springtime, but the here and now belongs to Old Man Winter.
He is a shrewd and unpredictable one and I tend to think he likes it that way.
Although October has officially ended, I feel the need to share one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists just to make it official.
Enjoy the remnants of Autumn, relish every day, live every moment and take nothing for granted.
There is, after all, no promise of another day so in actuality, this may very well be the last one.
Look at it, really look at it and see the beauty that surrounds you. There will never be a moment exactly like the one we are in now. Time marches on.
That is what time does. Don’t hold its nature against it. Instead, embrace it and enjoy each segment as though it were the last.
There can, if each moment is enjoyed and embraced, be no regrets for a life not lived.
Until next time, be well, my friends … be well.
Posted in Autumn, being myself, blessings, blog, blogger, bloggess, changing seasons, dreamer, dreams, from my heart, Life, life experiences, little things, Live as it happens, Mother Nature, nature, Nature Photographer, October, Old Man Winter, photographer, Photography, piano, Trees
Tagged Autumn, bare trees, beautiful, beauty, blog, creation, emotions, excitement, gina minton kearns, gina minton kearns blog, Gina Minton Kearns Photography, God, God's creation, Mother Nature, nature, October, Rosemary Clooney, seasons, snow, When October Goes, Winter. Old Man Winter, words
A Photographer's Heart 