Lucky, fortunate, and good.
November 23, 2011 | Filed Under horses, personal, random | 2 Comments
I think that I am all three.
I’m lucky that I happened to be at the right place at the right time to meet the right people. Connections in my life, in my job, in the horse-world- they’ve all heavily influenced the life that I’m able to lead right now.
I read once that the harder you work at something, the more fortunate you become. I’ve worked hard. I’ve put myself out there. I’ve struck gold and I’ve struck out. I’ve been praised and criticized, patted on and stabbed in the back. I’ve put in my time, but have no qualms about still being on the clock. Those people that I was lucky enough to meet and make connections with? I’ve been fortunate enough that we have a lot in common and that we’ve stayed in touch, stayed friends.
“What we sometimes consider lucky or fortunate are by-products of being good at what we do. Am I fortunate to have a job that I don’t have to ask for time off or worry about whether I only have 3 vacation days left? Yep. Did I get it because I was lucky? Nope. I got it because I work hard at what I do and I work harder at getting better at it every day. By getting better at what I do, I create circumstances around myself for others to notice and hopefully gain from it….Reputations and relationships aren’t based on luck. CEO’s of big firms, top sales guys, athletes and entertainers rarely make their mark on luck. I would venture to bet that in almost every case of self-made successful people, hard work paid dividends multiple times that of luck. Create your own good fortune with hard work and don’t fall into the trap of thinking that someone is doing better that you because they are just lucky.”
I found this little paragraph when I was searching for the difference between lucky and fortunate. People always tell me that I’m lucky. I usually passively correct them, and answer back, “Yes, I am extremely fortunate.” People tell me that I’m lucky that I get such great clients. I used to think that, too. Now, I think that I’m just really good at getting to know my clients- getting to know their wants and needs, their tastes and styles. I’m good at spotting the clients that I know I won’t click with because I can almost read it in the tone of their email. I have really, really great friends. Am I lucky? No. I’m a good friend first- I put time and effort into staying in touch, being kind, considerate, fun, and happy. I’m not a horrible person (I hope?!) that is just strangely lucky to have really cool people in my life.
My luck and fortune and ‘good’ all kind of came together when Dolly and Elssa came into my life.
My luck started when I met Jennifer years and years ago at the Annapolis Valley Exhibition with her beautiful Whitney White- an elegant black mare who instantly stole my heart. My fortune kicked in when a sweet girl from Bermuda saw Jennifer’s pictures on the internet and contacted me about taking pictures of her horse, as the mare was here and she was there. I added a dash of good in by taking the Bermudian sledding and skiing. And letting her know how much I loved her horses. She reciprocated with some good of her own, asking me if I’d be willing (seriously??!) to look after her beautiful horses for her in their semi-retired state. And the good just keeps getting better. Lindsay, my Bermudian beauty, comes to visit as often as she can. We are the best of friends, talking at least once a day via some means of communication. I can’t even count the number of times I start a sentence with “Lindsay was telling me the other day…” or how often she crosses my mind. Her parents are like a second set to me- Mama Lu and Papa J ♥.
I work hard for the good stuff that happens in my life. Very hard. And very happily. I have two wonderful horses to love and treasure. I have a fabulous friend and a Bermudian family just a short plane ride away. I have my confidence back. I have sore legs and sweaty saddle pads, and smiles again.
May luck be with you, fortune smile upon you, and all good (things and not) come your way ♥
(Here are a few pictures from my lessons yesterday- thanks, Ashley! The horses were amazing- AMAZING!)
brindle, white, and grey.
October 28, 2011 | Filed Under dogs, personal | 7 Comments
Her tail wags extra fast because it’s extra short. If you were describing her colour, you’d have to say that she’s bridle, white, and grey now that the grey has migrated past her muzzle and over her whole face. I still think she looks like a tiger. Her white chest (her flash) is shaped like an upside down heart if you’re in the right mood and you look at it fast enough. She likes walks, and meat and bread, and patrolling her yard, making sure no birds land on the grass. She takes that job very seriously.
Mojo is 11 years old now. She’s a slight, polite, very lady-like brindle boxer who has lived in Brookfield all of her life. She’s an icon, of sorts. She’s allowed in the schools, the post office, the bakery- she’s allowed pretty much anywhere she wants to go. She never wears a leash and never leaves her yard. When I walk her, people say hello to her and not to me (I’m not a Brookfield native). One little boy even asked “Miss, is this your dog?” as Mojo was sniffing a lamp pole about 10 feet behind me. I replied no, and before I could explain that I was just walking her he said “Oh, Mojo. Come on, I’ll take you home.”
When I walk into Dane’s parents’ house, Mojo is the first one to greet me. She snuffs and paws at me, her little tail wagging all the way up to her ears. She is old and the greeting ritual only lasts a few moments before she resumes her post at the kitchen entrance in hopes of something making its way to her dish. Without knowing it, she breaks the ice. “Mojo looks great,” I say, commenting on her coat, or her recent weight gain. Dane’s mom usually turns to look at her, smiling. His dad calls her over and takes a few playful swats at her, the old dog reciprocating with flying paws in his direction. If she’s really feisty, she makes a little noise- somewhere between a squeak and a growl- whatever it is, it means she’s happy. And when she’s happy, it means the family can be happy. And without knowing it, the old brindle and white and grey dog is the mortar that holds the big strong bricks of that household, of that family, in place.
appreciation
August 23, 2011 | Filed Under people, personal, weddings | 8 Comments
“Just appreciate how frustrated I was when I saw the shot, ok?” I typed to Jill on facebook chat this morning as I clicked ’send’ on the email and attachment I was sending her way. “It was the perfect shot. It was the defining shot of the wedding even, and of course, it was out of focus. UGH!!!”
I’m pretty sure my jaw clenched harder the more I looked at the picture. How could I have done that!? I toggled between the shot before, THE shot, and the shot after. I take a lot of pictures (taking pictures of horses with ears that flick constantly has gotten me in the habit of taking 4 or 5 frames of the exact same pose) and was hoping, praying, fingers crossed wishing that maybe I gotten one similar (IN FOCUS!) of the same pose. No dice.
I made some excuses in my head. Maybe my focusing drive wasn’t where it was supposed to be. Maybe it was because I was rushed because I had stopped traffic on a main street in a small tourist town on a gorgeous weekend day at dinner time. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. So I conceded. I missed the shot. I had to live with it. And appreciate it. And appreciate that I had the chance to take the shot in the first place. And appreciate the reality that I’d have the chance to shoot like that again. And, that if this was the shot I was most upset with from the whole set, I should really appreciate how far I’ve come.
free falling
July 25, 2011 | Filed Under Photoshoots, people, personal, random | Leave a Comment
I asked her about the words permanently etched into the thin skin stretched over her foot, wincing at the thought of how much that must have hurt. “Free falling?” she asked, her gorgeous green eyes smiling at the opportunity to tell this story again. “They’re the earliest words I can remember.” My curiosity was piqued. She turned around on the floor, her hand still on Carrie’s head and flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. She smiled again, this time at her own memories, and told me about her father holding her in his arms, dancing with her to Tom Petty’s ‘Free Falling,’ maybe in the living room, maybe in the kitchen, she couldn’t quite remember. “But those words, that sound, that song, they take me back to that place every time,” she told me, “they’re a part of me.”
Sara loves incense, dogs, and music. She makes incredible salads, and is the best sushi date there is. She sees things through her camera that most people wouldn’t cast a glance at. Here’s how I saw her on a cloudy May day.
dog-eared pages
June 25, 2011 | Filed Under Photoshoots, horses, people, personal | 1 Comment
If George were a book, all of his pages would be dog-eared. He wouldn’t live on a shelf- he’d be beside the bed, or under the pillow. He’d be sitting on the kitchen counter, or laying open by a blanket on the couch. He’d have writing in every margin. People would be able to recite his words by the paragraph. He’d be an eclectic mix of history, knock-knock jokes, riddles, and captivating fiction. You’d laugh out loud at his dialogue. You’d fall in love with his characters.
Abbie, George’s old owner, stopped in to see him yesterday. It’s been two years and a lot more white in George’s coat since they’ve seen each other. Neither one missed a beat, both smiling when they realized who they were looking at. Abbie flipped to her favourite page, cuddled in, and picked up right where she left off. Same story, different setting.
