There is a Season

I believe in timing. I don't know that it's everything, but it certainly is, well, a lot. My life is a series of moves wherein the timing of events altered my course, leading me to new paths and in new directions. I have myriad examples to back up such a claim. From the moment I met my husband more than 20 years ago, to the way I just landed my new job, there is a strong pattern in my life that timing dictates my destiny.

I also want to mention that I believe in simultaneous epiphanies.

Indulge me and I will tell you why.

Recently, as in December 2006, my husband spoiled and surprised me with a gift. An insightful gift as it turns out. At Christmastime he presented me with a new camera--a digital SLR, Canon EOS 400D to be precise. I had never owned such a nice piece of equipment before. It is an incredible piece of technology and I immediately went to work to see just what it could do. Or what I could do with it as it were.

I fell instantly in love.

As I look back, I can see the timing of this was spot on.

With our move to The Netherlands in 2005, I left behind my teaching program which was just about as everything to me as a job could possibly be. I missed the creative outlet and the spontaneity of teaching the performing arts. I hadn't yet opened a blog to feign artistry in my writing. But I was longing for a form of expression. I didn't realize just how much until the shutter of my SLR opened and closed and I found something new.

Photography.

Oh, how I love photography.

The impetus to open this blog was two-fold for me. First I thought it would be the perfect way to keep in touch with my friends and family to keep them apprised on the happenings in our international life. (I didn't know there would be all of you wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL people who come by to read, comment, build me up and make me part of an an incredible community) But secondly, and possibly the most exciting part for me, was the idea that I could publish my photographs.

It's been a perfect venue to do just that.

But wait, there's more.

I mean to say, I wanted to do more.

It wasn't so much a conscious thought as a latent wish. You should know, I take photographs every day. Every. Day. And I have hundreds sitting on my hard drive. Just sitting, without a frame or a place to hang. I really wanted to do something with them, but what? Then, last week my blogging hero, Allison at Soccer Mom in Denial expressed the wish out loud. Not my wish but her own, to open a site where she could share her photographs. And if we're being technical here it was not so much that she said it, but rather e-mailed it; this thought she'd had about opening a photo blog. Without thinking hesitation I sent her a response with the query Couldn't I please be part of that? Could we do it together?

So we are.

A new photo blog launches today. It is our joint effort. Allison and me. And we intend it to be a joint effort between many. A venue for others to share in the art and expression of photography.

The site is called Looking Into, as based on a quote by Ansel Adams: A photograph is usually looked at--seldom looked into.

You can visit the new blog by clicking here.

Or here.

Or even here.

(I really don't want you to miss the launch.)

I am so pleased to be part of this project and I hope you will be pleased with what you see.
You are coming over to see, right?

I will see you there. And here.

There's time for everything.