December 2022
December 2022
The Season of Giving…
Blog – The Light in the Darkness
Word of the month – looking out for other’s wellbeing over our own (altruistic)
Season – Fall/Winter
Time of Day – 12p-6pm
Element of the year – fire
Moon of the year - waning moon
Sunset
Astronomy Event – Winter Solstice
Popular Holidays – Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, boxing day, Omisoka, New Year’s Eve
Things to do – shopping,
Caroling, fall cleaning,
Winterize backyards and homes,
Get 2023 planners,
Finish reading challenges,
Prep new year goals and plans,
Attend Christmas parties,
Cut/decorate trees,
Hang out with family (or friends),
Make soups, bake treats, etc.
December is the end of fall and the beginning of winter. I sometimes forget that fall doesn’t end until the week before Christmas. It is the season of giving…although many kids will give you compelling arguments that it is about receiving. To me, it is about the light in the darkness. December 21st is the winter solstice (the longest night of the year) and it is somehow lessened by the beautiful lights of the holiday season. It gives me hope…and happiness. I know that winter is coming (thank you to the Stark family) but I also know that I am not alone. The lights remind me that we are all in this together and we will forge through the snow storms and cold weather to resurface in the beauty of spring and sunshine.
Upcoming Shoots:
We completed our yearly Christmas photo at my house. Although it was good, I felt as though I rushed it and could’ve done better, but isn’t that true for many of our creations? I haven’t done much for photo shoots this fall due to sickness (Mike and I both got Covid at different times) but we plan on focusing on the family for the remainder of the year and starting fresh in January.
Events:
Christmas parties
Christmas Carol at Granite theater
November 2022 - Giving Thanks...
November 2022
Giving Thanks…
Blog – Gratitude
Word of the month – forge (to, form, shape, make, fashion, create, etc.)
Season – Fall
Time of Day – 6pm-12am
Element of the year – fire
Moon name – Beaver Moon (November 8th)
Moon of the year - Waning moon
Sunset
Popular Holidays – All Saints Day, Sadie Hawkins Day, DST, Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)
Things to do – cook, fall clean,
Walking/hiking,
Switch out summer clothes,
Close up the garden and start canning,
Start holiday shopping/planning,
Join a turkey trot,
Host a “Friendsgiving,”
Volunteer,
Attend a festival (beer/wine),
Play football,
Bake cookies.
November is the time when things cool down and kick into holiday gear. It starts the day after Halloween and ends right after Thanksgiving. Back in the colonial days, this is the time when our ancestral “worker ants” would bring in the crops and prepare for the harsh winter to come.
As the leaves change from the bright hues of October into the darker maroons and browns of November, we also feel the changes in society. To me, it is the time of gratitude and resilience. I love to pull from the concept of Thanksgiving and the gratefulness of helping a friend in need.
Long ago, my ancestors were on the brink of starvation in a new land. People that they had judged to be savages ended up becoming the heroes that saved them in the end. The tribes taught the colonists how to farm the land. Ironically, there was no turkey or pies in the original dinner. Although there are many variations of the story, I would love to focus on the gratitude of survival that the original dinner encompassed.
Upcoming Shoots:
I unfortunately don’t have nay shoots for November at this month (fantasy photo wise) as I have been very sick (lovely Covid) in the last few weeks but I am hoping to get back on the right path and sneak something in before the end of the month.
Events:
African Leadership Awards – Marriot in Manhattan
Trip to Florida
Turkey Trot
Holiday Shopping
Thanksgiving
Working on fixing up a camper
October 2022 - Living in the Moment
October 2022
Living in the Moment…
Blog – Diving into Fall
Word of the month –Lionization (treating something as an object of adoration)
Season – Fall
Time of Day – 6pm-12am
Element of the year – fire
Moon of the year - Waning moon
Sunset
Popular Holidays – Halloween, Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Things to do – Pumpkin picking,
Walking/hiking,
Watch scary movies,
Decorate for spooky month,
Enjoy all the pumpkin themed foods,
Visit a vineyard,
Go on a hayride,
Watch a soccer game,
Have a campfire,
Carve pumpkins,
Watch scary movies.
October is the visual cue to the beginning of fall. In the colonies of northeast America, we tend to flourish in the roots of our ancestors. The world is painted in bright colors of corn, pumpkin, and apple. To me, it is the time of creativity. I love to create decorations, costumes, and more during the month. It is when I slowly change over from summer clothes to winter as the nights get a little cooler.
This month is about enjoying the colorful world around us and spending time with friends and family. It is warm tea in the morning while snuggling with my son, sweaters and fleece tops, soccer games, about finishing up summer bucket lists for the year and enjoy the last of the season before bunkering down for the colder months. This month’s photo shoot is a reschedule of the mermaids and sailors and I am hosting my own amazing murder mystery Halloween party.
Upcoming Shoots:
I have a wonderful photo shoot coming up with Andrew and Alexandra. It is a reschedule from last month due to sickness. We are doing some recreations of the classic story of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid. I am hoping to lean more towards the original story and less on the Disney rendition (not that there is anything wrong with our little red headed fin princess and her beau).
Events:
A rescheduled photo shoot for Little Mermaid
Murder Mystery Halloween Party
20th High School Reunion
Pumpkin Picking
Adventure Park Ropes Course
Creating a Halloween costume
Although September is the official start of fall, I wanted to make a bucket list for fall. I have a PDF available on the website. Although many people are sad when summer is over, I love that October has so many festivities to keep us busy. Feel free to create your own fall bucket list so that you don’t miss out on items you want to fulfil.
September 2022 - The Start of Something New...
September 2022
The Start of Something New…
Blog – reconnect with the community (connectedness)
Word of the month –Nexus (a series of things linked together)
Season – Summer/Fall
Time of Day – 12p-6pm
Element of the year – fire
Moon of the year - full moon
Noon
Astronomy Event - Autumn/fall equinox (daylight/moonlight are equal September 22nd)
Popular Holidays – Labor Day, Mabon, Oktoberfest, Michaelmas
Things to do – Apple picking,
Walking/hiking,
Complete unfinished projects,
Clean and prepare to hibernate,
Plant bulbs,
Winemaking,
Renaissance festivals,
Weave corn dolls,
Hazelnuts,
Baking bread,
Scarecrows,
Start school,
Replenish office supplies take college classes
September is the end of summer and the beginning of fall. To me, it is a mark of new beginnings. Even though it has been years since I was last in school, I feel the buzz of excitement over new outfits, bags, supplies, growth for the start of a new school year. It is bittersweet as each day is so beautiful to me and I want to freeze time. In the spring, I can’t wait for the leaves to come in and for it to warm up. In the summer, I bask in the glory of the season while wilting away in the heat. In September, I know that summer is drawing to a close and that fall is just a breath away.
This month is about finishing up summer bucket lists for the year and enjoy the last of the season before bunkering down for the colder months. I would love to get some hiking and fairs within the month, but I know that my son’s soccer games will keep me busy throughout most of the weekends. This month’s photo shoot is about mermaids and sailors and I have an amazing murder mystery house warming party that I am hoping to blog as I have a feeling it is going to be very exciting.
Upcoming Shoots:
I have a wonderful photo shoot coming up with Andrew and Alexandra. We are doing some recreations of the classic story of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid. I am hoping to lean more towards the original story and less on the Disney rendition (not that there is anything wrong with our little red headed fin princess and her beau).
Events:
Labor day weekend with a last rendezvous at the beach
Murder Mystery House Warming Party
A Surprise Birthday Party with a Farmhouse theme
A few projects where I dive back into creating clothes
Although September is the official end of summer, I wanted to make this month’s blog about our wake from the Covid hibernation and going back into the community of fairs, events, visiting families, etc. in hopes of never having to face this beast again. Life is too short to live within an isolated cage and humans are social creatures that thrive on the community to nurture themselves.
Weekly Update - June 6th through 12th
It has been a crazy week, but in a good way. I’ve been racing to create an arsenal of materials and am slowly letting my babies out into the world. It is heart wrenching, and like a child going off to kindergarten for the for time, I am frightened on what will happen. Will people like them? Will they get in trouble? Did I prepare them for the big day well enough?
This week was focused on closing up the old projects. Stalkers has been my baby for years and I have sat on it and prepared it and sat on it again. In the end, I refused to do much with it. I’m so scared that it will never be good enough, and it won’t be anything if I don’t release the whole thing into the wild. So… I am pulling up my big girl panties and sending it off like a submarine. Two books are done and shipped out, and I am hoping to have the third one complete by the end of the month at the latest (at the earliest it will be next week).
My other big project is my contribution to Kindle Vella. It is a new program created by Amazon that allows authors to publish their works as serialized stories. Some of the greatest stories of all times have been created this way and I hope to do the same. Stories like North and South, The Count of Monte Cristo, Vanity Fair, Treasure Island, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and so many more. Now one of my stories called Ultramarine will be a serialized story as well. I will be releasing it one chapter per week. I don’t have the whole thing written yet, but I am hoping having this deadline will light a fire under my ….um….under carriage.
The last, but not least, item done this week was a photo shoot for our monthly shoot. This was our own version of a damsel in distress. We had a lovely damsel (Rebecca Munroe) and her knight in shining armor (Mark Longo) posing up on Bailey's Ravine Sunday afternoon. Then we switched it up and had our damsel save the knight. Even at 5pm in the evening, it was still a whopping 90+ degrees. Becky had on a long sleeve dress with layers attached to the back while Mark was wearing several pounds of heavy armor. There was a lot of sweat, but the two of them took the shots like troopers. Even Mike and I were layered in sweat by the end of the shoot. I'm so glad it is done as it was very hot, and I can't wait to edit the pictures. I've only had the opportunity to load them on the computer so far.
Projects completed for the week:
Stalkers: The Resurrection – Kindle is available for purchase (this was technically done last week)
Stalkers: The Resurrection – It is available on paperback but I have not approved final cover yet
Stalkers: The Illusion – Kindle is available for purchase
Stalkers: The Illusion – It is currently submitted and in review for paperback version on Amazon
Ultramarine – The first two chapter have been released and will be available on Kindle Vella when it opens! My goal is to release a chapter a week until it is complete.
Damsel in Distress photo shoot at Bailey's Ravine in North Franklin, CT with Rebecca Munroe and Mark Longo
Hanfu Princess photo edits are complete
-I am currently doing final edits for Stalkers: The New Covenant. Adrian was getting a little wiry in the book and I have to clean him up a bit.
And all this was done with multiple dentist appointments, unexpected half days due to heat, zoom calls to old colleges, field days at school, and the wrapping up of the school year! I feel so happy and accomplished!!!!