Project 365 - January 2, 2021

 Last Bit of Christmas

The holidays have always been a happy time in the Leshinsky home. Food was always cooking in the kitchen, cookies in containers on the counter, Christmas decorations throughout the house along with the Chanukah menorah and dreidel.

Today, I wandered through the house looking for motivation for today's post. I found it in a bowl sitting on my dining room table. I was able to use my Nikon 16 - 200 mm lens to capture a narrow depth of field with a wonderfully festive bokeh effect from the lights on the tree.

Very little editing in Photoshop, but a bit just to pull out the colors and add a little more contrast. I prefer to show the actual image and not stray from what I meant to shoot. So, there are no filters here and I shot on manual at 400 ISO at 1/20 shutter speed and f5.6. 

Project 365 - January 1, 2021

My New Normal

And it is here . . . 2021.  A new year, a new beginning. A new normal.

This past year has been a nightmare. Not only has there been a pandemic of extraordinary circumstances, but I have also lost my best friend, my partner in life, my true love, my husband of 40 years.

Although it has only been six months, it still feels like yesterday. I suppose it will always remain fresh in my mind because when you know someone for more than half of your life, you can't possibly forget any of it.

Family and friends have been wonderful in helping me through this grieving process. But no one can really understand the true reality of what I am experiencing unless they have gone through this themselves.

However, I remember when Rachel was first born and was just learning how to walk, talk, and eat by herself.  Sometimes there was frustration on my part and Joel would gently remind me that Rachel was only on this Earth for 200 (or so) days.  So when I get frustrated or sad, I do hear Joel's voice reminding me that he has only been gone for 180 days.  It will get easier as I move forward with my life, but I will never forget.

Sometimes, before I go to sleep, I will flip through photos on my phone and smile as I remember what we were doing or saying just before I took that image. Then I am okay to go to sleep and think of those happy memories.

Another way for me to move forward is to keep busy with projects. Not only am I cleaning out closets, the attic, and the garage, but I have learned how to cook and now I am returning to my photography. This too will be a process because I know it takes time, creativity, and discipline.  

When I spoke to Susan to wish her a happy new year, we both made a pact to continue our Project 365 blogs.  Susan is an artist and photographer and she will also be posting daily on Instagram!

So here is my photo for January 1. After a long day of napping on the couch because I stayed up until 2 am and my body was not very happy about it, I took a walk around my neighborhood. I love when I walk through the neighborhood because I never know what I will find. I was watching a bunch of white Ibis flying across the lake, but as I sat down, I realized that this bird was calmly sitting on this branch not more than 10 feet from me and never moved. Almost like she was posing for me. A new year's present for my new Project 365.

I added in a second one to show the Ibis!

Happy New Year! Cheers to our new normal.

Project 365 - April 14, 2018

A New Chapter

Sometimes we all need time to think about our passions. So, I took a very long break from my two Nikon cameras, my passion for the past decade. But today, perhaps, I have begun a new chapter.

Since I last took a serious photo, so much has transpired. First of all, I turned 60. That was quite a wake-up call. Second, not only did I retire from my 35-year public service career, but I began, not only one, but a second new job over the past two years, and soon to be a third. Not sure where my feet will land over the next few weeks to months, but the ride is sure an interesting one!

 Third, my first-born married the love of her life and is happily starting her life. Ok, so it is in another state, but we talk on a daily basis either on my way to work or on the way home.  And there is "No Noah" Wednesday when her husband is rehearsing with the orchestra. Those evenings we usually Skype and have dinner together! I love technology.

And, in a few weeks, my younger daughter will be graduating from college. She still lives at home, but we barely see her. Maybe once or twice a week. So, we do know what it is like to be an empty next. But not quite there yet. Not in a hurry at all. 

Today, after sleeping late, going on a "cleaning out the refrigerator" binge, sitting and watching two Star Wars movies in a row and then going to the gym and running 2.5 miles, I was inspired to pick up my camera.

A bit rusty, I fell in love all over again with the sound of the clicking as I wandered through the neighborhood to see what I could capture. Then after dinner, sorting through the images and using just a touch of Photoshop. These are the result.

Now I have to find that inspiration more often but on my terms.

Project 365 - April 10, 2010 - Part II

The 2010 Delray Affair

So, after our peaceful breakfast, we drove up to Delray Beach with our friends, Richard and Lynn to go to the Delray Affair . . . it is an arts and crafts festival that is now in its 48th year.

It was a huge event, and the entire street was closed to traffic and there was booth after booth of fun artsy stuff to look at. I, of course, am always more interested in the people attending and their reactions.




This first photo was taken by Joel on his cell phone. It is Lynn's hand during a very odd sound therapy session that we all took turns at. This guy places large brass bowls on your chest, near your crotch and near your feet and makes them vibrate and make resonating sounds and it goes through you and really relaxes you. It was weird and cool at the same time. I felt like I had taken a step into the 60s and was surrounded by California hippies! I was so relaxed that I had to sit in a chair to gather myself before I could walk again!












In the same booth was another woman doing yoga and relaxation with an instructor. Her dog was totally into the relaxation too. I had a giggle at this one.













This cute guy was so content in just hanging around in this baby carrier. I had seen him earlier and he looked scared and stressed, but not here!











Some people

Project 365 - December 29, 2015

Change is Coming

Marilyn and Howie

It is all around me.  I can feel it. 

Change, it is inevitable. From the day we are born there is change. Not only are our bodies changing on a daily basis, whether it is developing and growing when we are children or healing when we are sick or injured, but everything around us changes on a daily basis.

Sometimes these changes come in batches. That is what I am feeling today. The New Year is almost here. 2016, it will be the year that I retire from Broward County government after 35 years of public service.  Although I moved from job to job throughout my 35 years, I have only ever worked in my professional career for Broward County. It is a scary move, but also a point in my life where I can do what I am most passionate about.

So as that May 31 date hovers in the near future, there are other changes.

Joel finally landed a job that he is  passionate about in the creative industries. He started two weeks ago and I have never seen him more content, more satisfied and comfortable. I am thankful and very happy for him. It has been a long road, but I believe this has only made him more appreciative for where he is today.

Adina is home once again. Midway through her junior year at Indiana State University, she has made a very tough decision to transfer to a Florida university.  She will take all of her remaining general education classes at Broward College in January and then transfer to Florida Atlantic University in the fall to finish her Forensic Anthropology major.

Rachel is now handling 19 malls throughout the country through her job at Goodman PR.  She is now coming to understand the significance of the responsibilities that have been given to her.  At 25 (in a few days), she has acheived so much in this position.

In addition to this job, Rachel has created a small business for herself.  She hand-paints designs on white mugs and has been selling them on Etsy.com.  She surprised herself with the quantity of orders she has already received.

I am about to embark on a freelance public relations job for a company that handles the various needs of condominium and homeowners associations. That will keep me very busy on nights and weekends after the holidays are over.  HOpefully this will develop into a larger job and/or more freelance jobs after I retire.  I anticipated that this might happen and that I might find some arts consulting jobs so I created an LLC for myself, Out of the Box Creative Communications LLC. 

And the biggest and saddest change of all came last night.  We all knew it was inevitable, but no matter how much you try to prepare, you are never ready when the call comes.

My uncle Howie has been ill for so very long.  Many different ailments and complications that stemmed from his prostate cancer, glaucoma and kidney failure.  We all knew, as he did, that his time was limited.  He was a trooper over the six years that he battled these challenges.  He did so with bravery, humor and love. He spent all of his time with Aunt Marilyn who in turn, cared for him with such detail that sometimes he told her off!  With love of course.

I do believe that he waited until Hal, his son, my cousin, flew down, held his hand and told him that he loved him.  I watched my uncle's eyelids flutter as both Hal and I laid our hands on his shoulders and told him that we were with him and we were all going to be okay and we would take care of Marilyn. He never woke up, but seemed to settle back on the pillow and relax. That was about 2:30 pm.

At 7:30 pm as we were all sitting around our dining room table eating Chinese food, the call came. We were just talking about Howie and telling our best memories when that phone rang.  We all knew.  A hot pain went through my body and laid my fork on the dinner plate. Memories of that moment when I knew my mom was gone flooded back. It was a familiar feeling. Not terrible, but sad nonetheless. 

I knew that we had to get the word to my cousin Roni who is in India on a month-long Yoga retreat.  So I went onto Facebook and sent her a cryptic private message to call me, now.  She did and I handed the phone to Hal. 

The rest of the evening was spent spilling a few tears, talking about the weird coincidences and more of our memories of Howie.

Changes.  They will always come and we need to be like a branch in the wind and bend or else we will break.

Project 365 - March 8, 2015

Playing with a Lens

Every once in a while, I borrow a lens to see what it is like and how it is different from the ones I own.  This lens is a 50 mm Nikkor lens.  It is a manual focus, which provides a challenge, but that is okay.  I like a challenge.

So naturally, I use whatever subjects are available to me.  Today, it was Newton!  Or Noot as my daughter now likes to call him!!

Noot is a great subject since all he does all day is eat and sleep!  He was lazily napping on our dining room table.  Lots of natural lighting for me to play with.  This was taken on manual everything at 400 ISO and 2.8 aperture.  I love the amount of detail in the fur and the whiskers.

Then I decided to step outside and see what my flowers would look like with this lens.

I love the shallow depth of field.  I think I moved the aperture to 2.0 here.  I sat on the ground and focused by moving my body closer or further away to get just the one flower in focus.  The colors are a bit weird on the leaves.  Not sure why they look purple.  

 Then I took the last photo of this new marigold that just started to grow at the base of my avocado plant.  Supposedly the marigolds keep spiders away.  So far, no, but I keep trying!!

So a short lesson on photography today.  Best to just pick up the camera and use it!  It has been a long time.

Project 365 - January 14, 2015

A Little Leftover Christmas

I haven't visited this blog in a very long time.  But I was outside doing my wandering thing with my camera.  As I walked out the front door, I immediately giggled when I saw that Joel and I had forgotten to remove the penguins!  Yes, there is a bit of Christmas still at the Hills of Inverrary!

I guess these guys just got away from us!  So perhaps we will leave them out a little longer!!  No one has said anything.  Usually we get a letter if we do something against the condo rules.  But not this time.  Maybe these are nondenominational penguins!!

I kept walking.  I have a usual pattern, where I walk between two homes across the street and then down near the lake.  There I usually find some birds or bugs that capture my attention.

I like when the sun is setting. It is much more challenging to take the photos in a darkening situation. So these birds were flying by me and I played with the settings and tried to capture them the best that I could.I love the colors of the reflections.  

And then there are these birds.  Someday I will look up the species.  Until I do, I will just continue to call them the "monkey birds" because they sound like the monkeys in the Wizard of Oz!  I love when the sun illuminates their perch and especially their beaks.  The bright orange certainly stands out in nature!!  I could watch these guys for hours.

And then, of course, I always looks for something in bloom.  This was in front of Jackie Gleason's former residence.  There were so many of these flowers blooming on this tree.  This was the last of my light.  So after I snapped this one, I headed back to the house.  I really haven't done much of this type of photography lately since I took up running 5K races. I always feel like have to keep moving and not with a camera in my hand.  But this day, I just made the time.