tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-345775004904882032024-02-18T22:44:25.052-08:00K.Zwick PhotogblogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-30990920796235197512014-04-29T10:03:00.000-07:002014-04-29T17:42:32.296-07:00Ham and Cheddar Potato ChowderRecently a friend of mine brought it to my attention that maybe I should combine my love of photography with my love of cooking.... I believe all art forms go hand in hand, so I figured I'd share my first recipe...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpP1zQT7CvtvE_bvcLVW7q2X9dLyKIN0zbi49PSc-0rG4fxl4gwV3rEjV7wMZ-KspYmfXXCrYyD65ceKfQCfx6M8kI0Fx0mRDCHHEpSg4K__yuQ_Bu6wA9XjebdCkpIceWl7xnKM0Ts0/s1600/DSC_2311+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpP1zQT7CvtvE_bvcLVW7q2X9dLyKIN0zbi49PSc-0rG4fxl4gwV3rEjV7wMZ-KspYmfXXCrYyD65ceKfQCfx6M8kI0Fx0mRDCHHEpSg4K__yuQ_Bu6wA9XjebdCkpIceWl7xnKM0Ts0/s1600/DSC_2311+copy.jpg" height="433" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ham and Cheddar Potato Chowder</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">3 tablespoons margarine or butter</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">3 celery stalks, including ones with leaves, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">1 medium-sized onion, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">4 tablespoons all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">1/2 teaspoon dry mustard</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">1/2 teaspoon celery salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Salt and Pepper for taste</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">3 cups ham stock or 3 cups chicken broth</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">2 cups milk</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">4 medium sized white potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">1 cup shredded cheddar cheese</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">1lb. left over ham (on the bone) (or 1lb. diced ham in thick slices)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Pre Prep. Hambone by placing in a large pot and cover with water.... Allow to simmer on med. heat for approx. an hour... Allow ham to cool and pull remaining meat off bone discarding fat and bone fragments... (Usually renders about a pound of ham)... Save 3 cups of stock from the pot. Make sure to save any remaining meat left over from the boil in the pot. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">In a 3-quart pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add carrots, celery and onion; Cook until tender and onions are transparent for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, and allow it to brown lightly combining with the butter and vegetable mixture. Creating a roux... Gradually add milk, Ham stock (or chicken stock), ham pieces, dry mustard, celery salt, dill weed, and potatoes. Continue to stir occasionally. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Bring to a boil over high heat; and then reduce heat to low... Cover and simmer for approx. 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Remove from heat, add shredded cheese and stir till melted. Garnish with additional dill, shredded cheddar, and celery leaves. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a baguette of crusty bread. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Makes 6 servings. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-23023181974420544862013-06-10T19:51:00.002-07:002015-04-14T18:35:43.170-07:00Tragedy brings awareness to rare disease. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">December 14th was one of the most difficult days in my life. Watching the news unfold a story not far from where I live, a story of tragedy and chaos where 26 innocent lives were lost. 20 of those victims, young children, in school. The remainder of the victims were teachers shielding their young students. I watched, I cried, I begged to find some kind of peace in the days, weeks, and months to follow. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was not the only one that felt compelled to do something, do something that made the pain go away for even the slightest moment. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I come across a post from a fellow photographer and her challenge to other photographers... "The Olivia Act" was being formed... The Olivia Act is a movement created by a photographer in honor of both her daughter and one of the children lost in the Newtown tragedy on December 14th. Olivia Engels family had family photos done shortly before Olivia was killed... What a blessing those photos are for them now... Many people don't have that opportunity to get beautiful photos of their family, so I called out for families that were deserving of such a gift to give back in honor of Olivia and the rest of the angels taken that devastating day.. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I received an overwhelming response from people and their nominations. One of which received 3 nominations and I felt was deserving of the gift of beautiful photographs to cherish. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That family is the Grecco family. Mother Nicole, and her husband Dan have 3 beautiful daughters, Amanda, Briana, Haley, and one very smiley, happy, and flirty little boy named Daniel.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaVwmozLSNVegouqh9M6TxaqQk9GQ_ez0zWy5MSzTQxqTONm0wAOBNfLso-HLk4BJlwop-Djl-M_4xiPRGoFyvk4lV20kcFV5Aq-iWwLi5BEJIIzazHt09VMVpeoQ21rGPLTY_kYUESg/s1600/dsc_1780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaVwmozLSNVegouqh9M6TxaqQk9GQ_ez0zWy5MSzTQxqTONm0wAOBNfLso-HLk4BJlwop-Djl-M_4xiPRGoFyvk4lV20kcFV5Aq-iWwLi5BEJIIzazHt09VMVpeoQ21rGPLTY_kYUESg/s640/dsc_1780.jpg" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Daniel was born like any other delivery and was thought all was well until about 6 months of age. He started to show signs that something was wrong. He was unable to hold his head up, sit up, crawl or start to speak like a normal child. At that point, Nicole and Dan decided to contact a neurologist and find answers.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first diagnosis was Cerebral Palsy. They were devastated to think that something happened that they didn’t see in delivery but by the time Daniel turned 2 he began to bite his fingers uncontrollably all the way to bone. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlJk5DTMnuCjCrqU-VG6IeQdr0bcytDphU_WPKP8ctV9hjokWj05cM3ZWP3_ocg3OVN5h2AjQXAP9OzdOekxxGrKKWPLj2JsMudGrHhT87gMqzVHaignBkUqPdR0sEtuBx_FDEo9JN94/s1600/dsc_1837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlJk5DTMnuCjCrqU-VG6IeQdr0bcytDphU_WPKP8ctV9hjokWj05cM3ZWP3_ocg3OVN5h2AjQXAP9OzdOekxxGrKKWPLj2JsMudGrHhT87gMqzVHaignBkUqPdR0sEtuBx_FDEo9JN94/s320/dsc_1837.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The family would try to stop him but every time they would walk away from him for a second, he would bite again and again. They went back to the neurologist after looking up child biting online and had him tested for Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. He also needed to receive arm braces to stop his hands from entering his mouth. Shortly after his test, they found he in fact had Lesch-Nyhan.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lesch-Nyhan is a rare genetic condition that affects male children at a very young age. The first sign of Lesch-Nyhan is an orange crystal like substance in the diaper (which Daniel had but even the doctors didn’t know what it was at the time being a rare condition) Children with this syndrome get kidney stones, they cannot control their muscles, and they develop an irresistible urge of self mutilation. Because Lesch-Nyhan is so rare, it can be difficult to find a care provider and insurance coverage for their therapy needs and positioning equipment. Lesch-Nyhan affects approximately 1 in 380,00 children.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Genetic testing is the only way to diagnose Lesch-Nyhan. Most people have the gene passed on from generation to generation but their case was different. When Nicole was born, her cells changed which made her the first case in the family to start the hereditary trend. Because of that all of the girls need to be tested to see if they carry this gene. They have a 50/50 chance.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVvR14bJjGJ4J0lT5mUlR1Fh2sZQbhlkXgr-uBGiihDJjmpeNe_4X73adNrnAP8fTPmvgdP-czqZUFnIVNMahXjxTOZBar4R0EvCwem0ftMcncvqiWS47NbZ4CkqBIPqGlnzuxE0akQM/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVvR14bJjGJ4J0lT5mUlR1Fh2sZQbhlkXgr-uBGiihDJjmpeNe_4X73adNrnAP8fTPmvgdP-czqZUFnIVNMahXjxTOZBar4R0EvCwem0ftMcncvqiWS47NbZ4CkqBIPqGlnzuxE0akQM/s640/Untitled-1.jpg" height="314" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lesch-Nyhan has taken control of their lives. Taken away precious time with their girls since Daniel needs constant care. Thankfully they have raised some amazing girls that instead of complaining, they help every chance they get! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">They are so very proud of them. Daniel receives lots of love and attention since a child with Lesch-Nyhan’s life span is unknown. With the self hurt, they don’t know how long they have with him but try every day to keep it together and give him the happiest life and all the love he can get for as long as they can for he is their hero! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"He has made his mark on this world, he has touched so many people and he amazes us with all his accomplishments that some say he will never do…because he can do it!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What a pleasure it was to be with this loving and supportive family. All four of the Grecco children were wonderful to work with, and the love Nicole and Dan have for each other and their family glows from them. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx17fFvO5jwELRwVbQf9FQ7ySM7RXY2SXEIusHb73Y179442J6A8yE_oekWz9nA7wywtVOwPVRLPZm-DrKKDGeOiICqJWz6ju5y4czdnX11ewCxf1WDSRSsI9iK7uKhNQ6UHRTwiO78Fs/s1600/dsc_1809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx17fFvO5jwELRwVbQf9FQ7ySM7RXY2SXEIusHb73Y179442J6A8yE_oekWz9nA7wywtVOwPVRLPZm-DrKKDGeOiICqJWz6ju5y4czdnX11ewCxf1WDSRSsI9iK7uKhNQ6UHRTwiO78Fs/s640/dsc_1809.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> A huge thank you to the wonderful friends and family that nominated the Grecco's to be part of my Olivia Act movement. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"On behalf of our son Daniel Grecco Jr. we would like to thank Kym Zwick and The Olivia Act for giving our family the photo shoot of a lifetime! We have thought about having them done in the past but with the expense, it has been impossible for us. We would also like to thank our family and friends that nominated us for this wonderful experience!" </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Nicole Grecco</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For more information on "The Olivia Act" please visit <a href="http://theoliviaact.blogspot.com/">http://theoliviaact.blogspot.com/</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And to learn more about </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">Lesch-Nyhan Please visit <a href="http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lesch-nyhan-syndrome">http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lesch-nyhan-syndrome</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-42229602825593814342013-04-30T15:07:00.003-07:002014-06-27T14:25:06.875-07:00A daughters love for her mother.... and a story to change your life.. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JRTEU6iT8qmYct6f3x02T8-PMJ1ONdP5JWlbMnOOljTOrznJCC7h9B75zgy3CrQUwB_CUMaDZrTotBAPPdyXX3bGG-h1MSl5Vo_LEkVcL5odK9ea6_xYVTLjPUzTiWrI_M8ycVUNYAc/s1600/DSC_3672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JRTEU6iT8qmYct6f3x02T8-PMJ1ONdP5JWlbMnOOljTOrznJCC7h9B75zgy3CrQUwB_CUMaDZrTotBAPPdyXX3bGG-h1MSl5Vo_LEkVcL5odK9ea6_xYVTLjPUzTiWrI_M8ycVUNYAc/s200/DSC_3672.jpg" height="140" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">April 11th 2013</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My day started as any average Thursday. Woke up at 5:30am. Poured a cup of my favorite french roast, fired up the Mac and began my day. Never would I think this day would change me, as a person, as an artist, as a friend, as a daughter.... </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">As most people on Social Media, I love reading my messages and catching up with the overnight drama that was posted... Guilty pleasure, I know, but I do enjoy saying good morning to my "friends"... </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">When I randomly received a friend request, from someone I did not know, have never met, or spoke to... I assumed it was a fellow photographer with questions or someone that has seen my work from afar, so I accepted it... Never did I think this person would change me... </span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZbU6Ec7EyJD0Q9uc59vfKSNfVHv2oH9dXqSME15Ml2Jw1QS1taChDAqhbvq-AGBu4u37gzz63NsW-uCyMGoF6GTAcd1xD9yr1Al3xg0BA1ykMrgeUqXrN3zfVftgGuqfp8pyjINJrQE/s1600/DSC_3673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZbU6Ec7EyJD0Q9uc59vfKSNfVHv2oH9dXqSME15Ml2Jw1QS1taChDAqhbvq-AGBu4u37gzz63NsW-uCyMGoF6GTAcd1xD9yr1Al3xg0BA1ykMrgeUqXrN3zfVftgGuqfp8pyjINJrQE/s1600/DSC_3673.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">As I went on with my day, one by one checking off the many tasks of the day. I remembered I had to start preparing for Mother's Day Photo shoots... This time, I had something new in mind... Contemporary Glamour, surely a Mother would love to receive this!! So, like any other good facebook addict, I did a shout out... I did not know, I would meet a new friend... </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Shortly after I posted my request I received a private message from my earlier friend request... </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">"Hi Kym- I'm not sure how you ended up in my timeline but I'm glad you did/ I feel as though you were meant to. I saw your post about mother and daughters. I am 33 and my mom is 63 and she is my best friend. Her inner beauty just shines straight through. I know you would be happy and excited to photo her. Not sure where you are in CT. but if you're interested in us, I'd love some beautiful pictures of me and my mom. Thanks Kym and thanks for the beautiful images you capture so amazingly!"</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">Something Just told me, In my gut, this was special... How many daughters would respond so quickly about having images of her and her mom?? She doesn't know where I am, or what I cost, she doesn't know me, heck she never spoke to me... </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">So, I tell her, call me... </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">As soon as I got on the phone with this girl I knew why I had to photograph her and her mom... She spoke so lovingly, and sweet about her... She loved her so much it brought tears to my eyes... Literally brought tears to my eyes during our conversation... </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">April 16th, was the day for their session... When they walked in, I instantly felt comfortable, as if I've known them forever... I wanted "The Story" but that wasn't the time, it was time to take gorgeous images of them to cherish forever... While looking at the images, I saw a story... A DEEP story, being told in their eyes... A story of love, strength, unbelievable will and courage. A friendship between Mother and Daughter that you don't see everyday... They moved together like life long best friends with stories lingering in their eyes... </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">I've since finished those images and cried like a baby just viewing them... When I asked my new friend what "The Story" was... Then it all made sense... Here is her story.....</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">My mom and I have always been close, but what made us even closer were our scars. We are just the everyday kind of women- we aren’t supermodels and have the stretch marks to prove it, but we love what we do. We work hard and love our families endlessly.</span></div>
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What made us closer is definitely not the “average” story though…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In March of 2012 my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She immediately had a lumpectomy and began intense radiation treatment soon after. This was heartbreaking for my family because we had been through the pain of cancer once before. </span><br />
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In June of 2005 at my son’s 1 year routine checkup, our Dr. gave me the news that I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The lumps in my neck that were biopsied were not just swollen glands. The cancer had spread to my chest and after a portacath was placed near my</div>
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shoulder with a tube running through a vein directly into my heart, I began 7 months of chemotherapy. After a few rounds of chemo, I started to lose my hair and felt as though I had lost my identity at the same time; there was too much change and heartache all at</div>
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once. In October of 2012, after my pet scan, we found out that the chemo did the trick and I was in remission.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When my mom was diagnosed however, I always wanted to think ahead and be ready for the next step because I didn’t want her to think about it- I didn’t want her to worry.<br />
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Before we knew that she wasn’t going to lose her hair, I had done some research and was going to have my long hair made into a wig for her. She always said that she wasgoing to “rock the eye makeup” if she was going to lose her hair, but I knew what it was like, and I wanted her to be prepared to feel the way I did. Luckily she did not lose her<br />
hair, but I did end up donating 12 inches to “Locks of Love” to “pay it forward.”<br />
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Hearing that my mom had cancer was very traumatic for me- I never wanted to have her feel sick and weak as I did- I wanted her to live for such a long time and watch my two children grow up and be around to hold her newest grandchild. You see, I found out almost to the day that my mom was diagnosed with cancer, that I was pregnant with our third child. We all saw my pregnancy as something to “get us through” the next couple of months of my mom’s treatment and day to day happenings. To be honest, it did- it made people hopeful.</span><br />
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My mother finished radiation in mid August. After daily radiation therapy in the morning, she would drive to work her normal 12 hour shift in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at CCMC (Connecticut Children’s Medical Center). To this day, I don’t know how she did it, but her strength wouldn’t get her down. She carried on and pushed herself because that is what she knew. She doesn’t know how to “give up”. About 2 weeks after the good news, that my mom’s radiation treatments seemed to work, our son was born. His due date was December 19th, 2012. On August 31st, 2012, our son Calder was delivered via emergency c-section at only 24 weeks along. Having a NICU nurse as a mother, I knew this wasn’t good. She came to our side when we needed her most and was at the hospital to help my husband and I understand what was happening to our son. She was there to watch her only daughter and son-in-law hold their newborn son as he died in their arms- only 37 hours after hearing him cry at his birth.</div>
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My mom still goes to work in the NICU at CCMC and still brings her passion for helping those babies and families when they need a friendly face the most. She is truly a blessing to everyone she meets.</div>
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As for me, with all this hurt that I have felt, I knew I needed to do something more with my life- realizing how fragile life is, I needed to make a change- I needed to make a difference. For the first time, I was listening to the universe as it was telling me that I could do more. I took a leave from an 8 year tenured teaching career to become the first Program Director at The Hygeia Foundation. The Hygeia Foundation comforts and supports those who grieve the loss of a pregnancy or infant. In addition, we strive to improve awareness of the impact of pregnancy and infant loss on families. (<a href="http://www.hygeiafoundation.org/">www.hygeiafoundation.org</a>)</div>
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This job was meant for me- I was meant for this job. It is hard, I am not going to lie, but the feeling at the end of the day when I look back and see the difference I have made or the difference I am striving to make, is immeasurable. It was a giant leap to take, but I honor my son; I honor Calder with every life I touch.</div>
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I cannot hold him, I cannot kiss him, I can only dream of him and know that someday he will be in my arms again. The only thing I can do is honor him and make society aware that this happens. Mothers lose their babies more than we know. It is a terrible thing to think about which is why it is not spoken of, but we NEED to talk about our babies- we need to hear their names.</div>
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Some may think that Calder helped us all get through my mom’s cancer diagnoses,some may think that he led me to where I am now at Hygeia or helping me get on my way to become a professional bereavement counselor; the truth is, we may never know what Calder’s purpose was. All we can do is appreciate every second of our time here, learn to love deeper and strive to be amazing. My mother has taught me all of these things. She is that soul on this earth that loves endlessly and only knows how to be amazing- even when she doesn’t think she is. I am lucky to call her my mom and I’m lucky to have her here...... with me.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">There are days as a photographer, where I doubt myself... There are times I wallow over the demands of being a small business owner... But then, there are people like this, that magically make it into my life... That change it with their stories, and I can capture that twinkle in their eye that brings me so much joy.. I'm doing what I'm meant to do, I'm following the path I'm supposed to travel... Its amazing people like these, and many many others, that confirms I'm closer to god through my lens... Melissa and Kathy, you're such beautiful women, and I'm so blessed to call you my friends.. Here's to the beginning of a long friendship... <3</span></div>
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Happy Mother's Day.. xoxo</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-27112496634427425332012-02-18T03:26:00.000-08:002012-02-18T03:26:48.922-08:00Saturday morning peace....The clock says 5:54am... I've been up for an hour already, and while most people are asleep, I want to begin my day...<br />
<br />
My life is pretty exciting, and while I've never been much of a sleeper, I look forward to everyday I wake up to start something new... I'm not so sure there are others so passionate about their jobs where they naturally wake up at 5am and start blogging on a Saturday morning... Yes, there is something wrong with me... lol..<br />
<br />
The reason I do this, is because I like to let my clients, friends, and family get to know the passionate Kym that consumes this career and all it brings to me... I'm like a kid on Christmas morning...<br />
<br />
Desperately combing through the internet for inspiration for a shoot I have later today... I know nothing ever goes planned, but I still search through numerous pictures for something I may be able to capture... A pose, a look, that someone else was thrilled to share... And I wonder, did that photographer look at other photographers work to get the inspiration to capture it?? Probably not... Well, they probably did, but it didn't turn out the way they originally envisioned it, but created something new... Thats whats funny about photography, you can try to recreate something, but it rarely goes as planned because people have different personalities, and you bring those out individually...<br />
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Every photo is like a broken mold of a moment you'll never get back... Really cool if you ask me... (I'm thinking I really love that little quote I just made up.. :))<br />
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So, as I sit here with my morning coffee, planning the day, most are still in bed and don't want to get up... lol.. But I welcome the morning of peace where I can get my creativity flowing.... I suggest everyone do that everyday.... (But it isn't necessary to get up so early to do it)...<br />
<br />
So on behalf of myself and my French Roast Light and Sweet... Good morning, enjoy your day, and remember to take it all in!!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDPRkixr0mu4x_4D18DWEVY0q_tott_btg_rJfXDZj5c69-Z9tfC7BYH6GjLqtSmyLrWYK0s-gKfnIjm8c0-2udGalx_lwPf7GJzf_Pi8UvMNgf6iMP0Llbj8HW6DmyzB62gOGBH9yGM/s1600/DSC_1364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDPRkixr0mu4x_4D18DWEVY0q_tott_btg_rJfXDZj5c69-Z9tfC7BYH6GjLqtSmyLrWYK0s-gKfnIjm8c0-2udGalx_lwPf7GJzf_Pi8UvMNgf6iMP0Llbj8HW6DmyzB62gOGBH9yGM/s320/DSC_1364.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-90816886745075624872012-02-04T04:36:00.000-08:002012-02-04T04:36:57.282-08:00So many colors...I recently viewed a Youtube video which was made up of a compilation of female photographers whom were given a task of describing themselves in one word of which was written down on a single piece of white paper... As it scrolled through the many beautiful woman in their daily lifestyles, I watched as they described themselves as a "mother" an "athlete" a "Cook" a "friend".... I began to think of myself, and what words I would describe myself as... I call them my "colors"... Its something I look at in every single person I meet, and I challenge myself to dig deep and find those many colors people bring to me...<br />
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Some people possess qualities that I do have, and others I don't, but also ones I wish I could have... A large combination of similarities and some amount of envy....<br />
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Everyday, I feel as though a different color shows up... One day, I could be a cook, so thats how I'd describe myself, the next day after a great workout I'd call myself an athlete... If I had done that assignment, it would depend on what I was doing that day, and what color was shining bright... As I have so many, I'm sure the assignment would have left me frazzled and confused, which is yet another color :)... One color to describe myself?! How boring when I have so many!!!<br />
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My artistic mind over analyses everything, and when it comes to creativity, it must be different, it must stand out, it must scream and describe me and speak volumes... It would send me in a tailspin, desperately searching for the most powerful word to describe me completely... I guess some would say I've got too much time on my hands to search for the perfect word to describe my colors, but even if I were the ruler of the world, my creative mind finds this very meaningful and something I must do regardless of how big my to-do list was... Am I truly the only person in this world that would find this task mind boggling and endless??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvbjOFr4ux7INfyMusUwzQU6TxDI4JzAazoB8Icpnad3cBmIpVztGJnRX_aIxyLiZiWV9FYjNapSVIgYR5s84bcpFgylUbs4nkSN2Ro2toa1iDYEusd5ME9NAOqQdJUFWS57ELPmDgm4/s1600/DSC_0546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvbjOFr4ux7INfyMusUwzQU6TxDI4JzAazoB8Icpnad3cBmIpVztGJnRX_aIxyLiZiWV9FYjNapSVIgYR5s84bcpFgylUbs4nkSN2Ro2toa1iDYEusd5ME9NAOqQdJUFWS57ELPmDgm4/s1600/DSC_0546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a>In the end, I've decided that since I simply cannot describe myself in one word, and my mind goes completely blank and over loaded, I've come to the conclusion that I'm not just one word, or one "color"... I'm colorful... :)<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-5430838690987547412012-01-07T06:07:00.000-08:002012-01-07T06:07:56.035-08:00Inspiration...Oh where do I find it?? Is it under this rock, nope, dirt... It it around the corner?? Nope, there is nothing there either... This time of the year, everything looks ugly... Theres no snow, not that I like the snow anyway.. Its cold, I can't feel my fingers, days are short and its always dark, there is no color but brown... The Holidays are over, so there goes the red and green... There is a reason there is a condition called "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (SAD) its depressing!!!! But is my life as a photographer over?? If I see no beauty are my "eyes" gone??<br />
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Not a chance....<br />
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I should have known this happens from time to time... As an artist, when I'd work on a drawing, I'd spend days non stop with non stop creativity flowing. My days flew, and everything I looked at were shades of light, angles, color, and flair... I wanted to draw everything!! I'd put the pencil or paintbrush in my hand and I'd work as if someone else took over my body and did it for me... But, just as the desire hit me with great abandon, it leaves just as quickly.... A mental writers cramp for the artist... poof.. its gone...<br />
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How do you get it back, especially when its your living?!<br />
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I know that if I had a few shoots, It would come back. I'd pour every bit of me into the shoot, and it would come out great. But January is a slow month for photographers, it isn't just myself, its all of them, and I'm pretty sure everyone of them have been battling this for the last few weeks as well.. Who wants to have pictures done with a bare brown backdrop, bundled up in big coats, my lens fogging up from the cold air, and seeing your breath... agh..<br />
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I desperately tried to get myself out of my funk by taking pictures indoors, of inspirational sayings and quotes... Didn't really work.. GET CREATIVE, DAMMIT!!!!<br />
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Until the other day, I had seen some work from a freelance street photographer... All black and white, with people going about their daily lives, and it touched me somehow... This woman collaborated 200,000 photos in her lifetime of all people she never knew, or spoke to... How'd she do that?? Just take pictures of people?? Surely now a days my camera would be thrown in the road by someone if I just randomly took pictures of them... People just don't welcome it..<br />
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I decided to try anyway...<br />
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I decided to take a little drive, with my camera around my neck, ready to take any shot of anything and everything I see different or unusual... I went around seeking normal things from an average day, trying to find the beauty in it... Hey, theres a guy standing there smoking a cigarette, should I take a picture of him?? No.. He'll see me and get mad... Hey, theres a farmer on his tractor picking up hay, should I?? Nope, I don't want to irritate anyone else on the road... Hey, there's a lady walking across the street, should I?? DO IT KYM!!! JUST DO IT!! ~snap~ Wow... this is pretty cool... its a simple task, yet different, I like the angles, it tells a story... Hey, lets drive here... Wow, look at that!! ~snap~ Oh, the clouds look great there ~snap~ I've never seen that before ~snap~ .....<br />
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Just as my creative drive went away, it came back... All from seeing normal everyday things, and stepping outside of my comfort zone...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyEY1gqI7TIGKlh-uBbbczLPCESemKDmqqpDUSk4n3nitins4OtVGiifLxdVOC6Ryb6dGenjsFv-k8P2Be4Argo31vTuLrnjl25EuIMc6MRvubsTeeqO8Bi-gg-XcWz_yc20FC2MzaJw/s1600/DSC_8813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyEY1gqI7TIGKlh-uBbbczLPCESemKDmqqpDUSk4n3nitins4OtVGiifLxdVOC6Ryb6dGenjsFv-k8P2Be4Argo31vTuLrnjl25EuIMc6MRvubsTeeqO8Bi-gg-XcWz_yc20FC2MzaJw/s320/DSC_8813.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpTnEaYZMTYBJ89ovbM6hTU4gwN3aMAx7928BuO_pChr9XOg1zMWXNz9mHqmHsL0upAk6Fq7mFZohxcczVBKbQB8FkRz9K4oouWqFF-ZGJd96TXH8qO85NAnszMD6dhaVL5lOHMDYQiM/s1600/DSC_8874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpTnEaYZMTYBJ89ovbM6hTU4gwN3aMAx7928BuO_pChr9XOg1zMWXNz9mHqmHsL0upAk6Fq7mFZohxcczVBKbQB8FkRz9K4oouWqFF-ZGJd96TXH8qO85NAnszMD6dhaVL5lOHMDYQiM/s320/DSC_8874.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>This may not be the last of my artistic writers cramp, but its nice to see it isn't gone forever... Just sitting back and watching the beauty of everyday life... Seeing things a little more differently, and learning a little about yourself in the process...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-84683806762305299192011-12-26T06:54:00.000-08:002014-06-22T03:41:09.825-07:00A Happy Birthday wish to my sister....Today is a special day for one of my favorite people... My sister Michelle... Today is her birthday, and I wanted to send a little note, for all to see.... My sister, the dreaded middle child, was always one that I looked up to... She was beautiful, smart, and talented... She always seemed to have a celebrity lifestyle in my eyes, always running with her many friends, active in school activities, going to parties, and spending time with her boyfriend... She's 8 years my elder, so to a young kid, I idolized her... She was perfect to me, and I was a little kid that was always finding my spot in this world... I always wanted her to be my friend, but through the young years, we barely spoke two words to each other in passing... <br />
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She was born Dec. 26th and was my Mothers Christmas baby... Born with a full head of jet black hair amongst two other blonde females, (my mother and my oldest sister)... Michelle was the spitting image of our dad... Tall, thin, and dark dark hair and it was only fitting she's be named "Michelle" named after my father "Michael".. When she was born, they noticed she didn't develop properly, and was born without hips.... She was put in a full body cast which she had to wear till she was 5... I've heard the countless stories of how my mother made her specialized clothing to go over this big bulky cast... She would not learn to walk until it was removed at the age of 5.. Because of her condition, she had to get a lot of attention, so, when I came a long a few years later, I'm not so sure she was open to sharing the spotlight, with me... When I was 5 my parents divorced, and my mom packed Michelle and I up and we moved to New York State... It seemed when we got there, she instantly had a new group of friends to occupy her time... But I do have many fond memories of our growing up together.... One of which was when she taught me how to ride a bike... I had training wheels for a while, and I remember a older neighborhood boy taking my bike from me, and breaking my training wheels off of them... I ran into the house crying, and thats when she decided, we didn't need them anymore... She took them off, brought me out to the road, and ran behind me with her hand holding my seat so I wouldn't fall over.. It took a few tries, and bumps and bruises, finally after a few times I was off on my own... All thanks to my sister that I adored, but seemed untouchable to me...<br />
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Michelle was rough growing up with at times... We joke at how she had a "Jan Brady" syndrome being the middle child... And literally the "black sheep" with that jet black hair... But she had something different about her... We knew she was off to great places, and I feared she would leave and forget me... Right after graduating highschool she moved to California with her boyfriend... My time living with her seemed shortlived, and I never had the chance to grow with her like I wanted to..<br />
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She came to visit sometimes, but always sent pictures of her lifestyle in Southern California... Going out with girlfriends that looked like super models, out to clubs, and really cool coffee houses, driving convertibles, and spending days at the beach... Again, to a young kid like myself, I looked up to her like she was a celebrity living it up in California.. My family and I went to visit when I was 15... She brought us to LA, and to the Beaches of SanDiego... giving the Northeastern family a taste of the good life...<br />
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She moved around a few times... Always from one touristy beach area to the next, and finally ending up in Tampa Florida... Thats where she met her husband Steve... We never met this guy, and suddenly we get a call one day... "Come to Florida, We're getting Married, Oh... And by the way, I'm pregnant"... Whoa!!!! We all packed in the car, and made the drive from Connecticut to Florida to be at the wedding...<br />
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My sisters wedding was insanely beautiful... Set in a oceanfront mansion that was owned by a friend of hers... Catered by a friend, with food I've never heard of... We stayed at her friends house in a gated community, with beautiful views, and everything we could ever want to be comfortable.. Michelle has always been a great hostess...<br />
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6 months later, she had my Niece, Bayli... Named after Tampa Bay... and spelled with an i specifically so she could dot it with a heart growing up... Bayli was given the middle name "walter" in memory of her grandfather on her dad's side... Michelle told me that because my middle name is "Michael" (named after my dad) that having a "boys" middle name was an honor, and since I grew up with it, and ended up fine, they wanted to pass that along.... Of course Bayli was born with a full head of Dark Brown hair... lol..<br />
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Up until a few years ago, my sister and I never really spoke much... I didn't really get to know her... The day that changed all that, was a few days following the death of our father.... Because I was the baby, BOTH my sisters felt the need to protect me... And after an incident involving one of my fathers neighbors not showing the most sensitivity to us about our fathers death... I was visibly affected by it... It was my sister Michelle that approached this woman, and let her have it... She stood up for me, and protected me against this woman's comments.... From that day, I knew both my sisters loved me, and will always protect me...<br />
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After all of that, Michelle and I suddenly developed a bond... I actually missed her, and flew down to Florida almost once a year to spend a few days to be with her.... In those times, where I've traveled, we became friends... We laughed a lot, we cried a lot, we shared a lot, and we both grew a lot. We hung out like friends, having lunch on the beach, and meeting with her friends at a few local hotspots... Most importantly we grew to realize, how much alike we were in so many ways... She shared to me that she misses our family, and we both missed the times we were not around...<br />
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We speak almost once a week, and whenever she is out on the town, she will frequent a few of our favorite spots we go to when we visit.. She always makes sure to request the band to play a few Dave Matthews songs for me... So on some random Friday nights, I'll have an voicemail on my phone with the familiar voice saying "Kym, I'm having them play your song... I miss you... I love you... Michelle... "<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtypZbAEP_vR345wrAlFlBfYYF8-Ej5LpiOfxFmlJpKPPqO3PHRTvK6hAIULOD-ueyRPL2dfQGJbqXjxjjr7Qf03yf9XYf2Q4vSz3Bx9NzkHfGNgkhv_lEj2ZqgIr-3InING-BwBDQJaw/s1600/10523_1177832660006_1653828978_482638_5427856_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtypZbAEP_vR345wrAlFlBfYYF8-Ej5LpiOfxFmlJpKPPqO3PHRTvK6hAIULOD-ueyRPL2dfQGJbqXjxjjr7Qf03yf9XYf2Q4vSz3Bx9NzkHfGNgkhv_lEj2ZqgIr-3InING-BwBDQJaw/s1600/10523_1177832660006_1653828978_482638_5427856_n-1.jpg" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-4759604016546800482011-12-23T07:02:00.000-08:002011-12-23T07:02:05.671-08:00End of the year reflection...<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">As we come to the close of the year 2011… I have the desire to reflect on the lessons I've learned from the paths I've taken… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2009, to me, was considered the worst year of my life… Almost every day, I begged for the year to be over… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">In Jan. 2009 I lost my job, which I enjoyed and with people I enjoyed being around, I had a good career, and before I knew it, it was gone… I was devastated… But, God had a plan…. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">In May 2009, My father was found dead in his apartment at the age of 62… There are no words that can express how it changed my life, and the devastation it brought myself and my family…. I tried frantically to find an answer to my fathers untimely death, and I felt like the world had closed in on me… Again, I was devastated… But, God had a plan… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">In Nov. 2009, I chose to drive after taking some cold medicine, and fell asleep at the wheel… I wrapped my car around a telephone pole without a single tap of the breaks… The pole snapped in half… Both of my shoulders were separated, I had gashes across my neck down my chest, and both of my hips were badly bruised, as well as my legs… I couldn't move let alone run, which has always been something that I loved to do, I felt like it was over… I was bed ridden for days, but lucky to be alive… I was beaten, bruised, and again devastated… But again, God had a plan… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I could not wait for the year 2009 to end…. It felt like a curse… I was negative, angry, defeated, and broken… I refused to ever think that some good may come from any of these events… I refused to look on the bright side of things, I wallowed in my own self pity… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2010 to me was a year, of walking on eggshells… Always afraid of every move I made afraid something was going to go wrong… I got a new job, and settled everything with my fathers estate, I got a new car, and I decided to treat myself to a new camera, as I desperately wanted to get creative again.. Something I lost somewhere along the way, that I really missed… I was starting to get my life back little by little… Putting the past behind me… I needed to fight back from the bad events that happened to me… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2011 came, and since I had my year of eggshells, I decided, only I can make my dreams happen… In March of 2011, I ran my first 5 mile run with a few girlfriends… I remember being in tears, so happy that I did my very first run and did pretty well… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I finally started to see some light from my injuries from my accident… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">In May of 2011, I walked out of my job, after realizing my love of photography was taking over, beyond my control… I wanted to completely devote myself to it, and I did… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">In July of 2011, I ran a 5k with some girlfriends to benefit the Petite Family Foundation… While it wasn't the best run I've had… I still cried many tears… I was giving what I could to benefit woman and families against domestic abuse… Watching Dr. Petit and all he endured in his life, mine suddenly seemed frivolous… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">In December of 2011, I decided I wanted to run my first marathon… And not JUST any marathon… The NEW YORK CITY marathon!!!! Its a big feat but I will do it, even if it takes me a full day to cross the finish line… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Many people get annoyed sometimes when I talk so positive, and let me tell you, it isn't the easiest thing to do…. There are days I have to "fake" it… But I believe in my heart that positive, brings positive and negative brings negative…. And there is a plan in EVERY event… Good or bad!!!! </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Losing my job in 2009, led me to a path to a job that I didn't want, to a job I DID want… Gods plan… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Losing my father unexpectedly led me to value my life a bit more… It can be gone so quickly, and I had to start smelling the roses and seeing its beauty because it could be gone tomorrow… It taught me to value things in life, love the people that are around you… Thank god for his many gifts and live happily… Gods plan.. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">My car accident taught me, that despite the odds against me, I can do anything I set my mind to… Nothing will detour me from my goals, not pain, or misfortune, you can over come ANYTHING…. Gods plan… </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">So, as we bring this year to a close, I hope my friends, and family join me in my never ending quest…. I hope you set your goals high as well, and take all events as gift of gods grace… My business WILL take me to great places, and to great people… It already has!!!! and I'm SOO excited to see what is coming up in the next chapter!!! </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">EVERY ONE of YOU has been a tremendous gift to me… I can't even explain my gratitude towards you all… My heart is filled with such great love, and gratitude for every one of you that has made my dreams come true…. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">My wish for every one of you is to have the most blessed of Holidays… Small reminders of gods presence every day and that you recognize every event good or bad that it is your path you need to go through…. Cheers to a New Year… I look forward to this journey with YOU!!! <3</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34577500490488203.post-86344110121023722152011-12-22T12:04:00.000-08:002011-12-22T12:04:57.669-08:00Welcome to the world of Blogging to MEEEE!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrRgIxiIDcR-9vewv6bhXA7shDqNj1F62Lm6tUSEVd6ewgSh6xr580wJlNrRQFVz43guoevInBDiZ-UIsarNSdDjMOKh1VTKAvR8Fq8bQlQ-bopxl68V-4KJomA_S5yhX-LW-E287yiE/s1600/DSC_8219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrRgIxiIDcR-9vewv6bhXA7shDqNj1F62Lm6tUSEVd6ewgSh6xr580wJlNrRQFVz43guoevInBDiZ-UIsarNSdDjMOKh1VTKAvR8Fq8bQlQ-bopxl68V-4KJomA_S5yhX-LW-E287yiE/s320/DSC_8219.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br />
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Wowzers!!!! Never thought I'd be doing this!!! Haha... I decided to create this blog because of a few new exciting events that are going to be going on in the new year!!! Woot woot!! :P I have a little plan in the works to be doing photos for numerous events, like basketball games, and Karate Tournaments and this will be a wicked easy way for people to view them and purchase them... YAY!!!<br />
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I'm so excited for the new year and all it will be bringing to me... This journey has been nothing short of amazing, rewarding, and exciting!! Thanks to everyone for their incredible support... Someday, I hope to repay all of you for being so WONDERFUL!!!<br />
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So, please bare with me while I figure out how to do some of this stuff.. And its ok to laugh at me while I work out these little kinks and try and make this my own... I'll be laughing at myself too!!! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980920602965109415noreply@blogger.com2