Art Without Boundaries- Juried Art Show Coming in July

I am so excited to announce that my artwork has been chosen to be displayed in the juried art show, Art Without Boundaries, presented by the Harford County Cultural Arts Board and the Harford County Commission on Disabilities. This art show is to celebrate that art is for everyone, both its creation and its enjoyment. The show will run the month of July and can be seen in two libraries in Harford County, Bel Air Library and Havre de Grace Library. The galleries will be open during normal operating hours. (M-Th 10 -8 and F & Sat 10 – 5)

The two pieces that were accepted were Guitar For Sale, one of my very favorite black and white street photography images. Shortly after taking this image I was rushed to the hospital with what at the time they thought was a stroke. Turns out, I discovered after years of doctors and tests, the symptoms I displayed that evening in New York was due to Lyme Disease and co-infections, not a stroke.

Guitar For Sale- Photograhy by Tracey Grumbach

The second piece that was accepted and will be displayed is this self portrait I did during a Chronic Lyme Disease flair up. It is titled Beautiful Beyond Description-Self Portrait of an Artist Ravaged By Lyme Disease.

Beautiful Beyond Description-Self Portrait of an Artist Ravaged By Lyme Disease

 

 

 

I don't know which piece will be in which library, but please be sure to check out the art galleries in both libraries for all the entries! I am sure they will all be compelling. Both pieces are for sale, so please contact me if you are interested in purchasing them! Thank you to the jury members of the Harford County Cultural Arts Board for honoring my work.

xo

Las Vegas Strip at Dusk

I am still adjusting to Eastern Time. I truly had no idea how traveling to a time zone 3 hours away can mess with my internal clock. Being sleep deprived with Lyme is a big deal, so I am really struggling this week for sure. Hopefully my internal clock will reset soon. 

Teaching middle and high school students photography has helped reignite my passion for the artform. Teaching them what makes a great photograph has challenged me to work harder to find and frame good images. That is what I love about teaching...the teacher tends to get more out of the experience than the students do. I also love watching their skills develop and seeing the improvements in their work week by week. It is a rewarding experience and I look forward to it each Friday. 

For myself, I still love street and travel photography and find myself wishing I had felt a bit better on this trip and ventured out more with my camera. Can't live with regrets, though, so I will be happy with the shots I did get.  This is one of my favorites...the late day sun illuminating the Vegas strip as the lights begin to come alive in Sin City. 

I am looking forward to editing my images from Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire.  It was challenging to find unique images in a place where so many take photographs, so we'll see what I come up with.  In the meantime, I have a few more city photos to share...so be looking for upcoming posts. 

Have an amazing day.

xo 

Juxtaposition

Trust Jesus

Life is full of contradictions. Opposites. Yin and Yang. Juxtaposition.

During my recent trip to Las Vegas, Nevada this was so apparent not only on the streets, but also in my own life. Here I was, on a vacation of a lifetime, happy and carefree...no worries or responsibilities and on my phone's voicemail was a message waiting for me that would rock my world and yet again change my perspective on just how fragile life really is. While standing in the middle of a lavish resort on my first day of vacation in a place where anything and everything is possible, I heard the devastating news that one of my closest friend's husband passed away suddenly. It stopped me in my tracks. He had just turned a young 50 and he was gone. Just.  Like.  That.  All of the emotions of being away and carefree suddenly crashed and collided with the realization that my friend was now a widow. YinYangOppositesPullPushUpDownLeftRight.  My world was spinning.

This one singular image really wraps up life, does it not? This single frozen moment in time truly gives us a code for living...on one side we have the man who is telling us to "Trust Jesus," and on the other side are the Vegas girls who are telling us to "Live it up!" Life is short and unexpected, so while we need to live a Jesus-like existence, we also need to make sure we are seizing all the opportunities life provides us. Live as if it were your last day. Be kind. Love your family out loud. Kiss your kids. Take risks. Enjoy every day.

My entire vacation I was continuously met with these polar opposite emotions, sights, and experiences. I would be in awe of the amazing scenery when all of a sudden it would smack me in the face that my friend was learning to live without the love of her life. HIGHlow. Young wholesome Chinese school girls in uniforms walking down Freemont Street with topless girls standing right next to them. InnocentDevilish. Homeless men smoking expensive cigarettes holding signs begging for food while sitting right next to their dog feeding him treats. HungryFull. Crowds cheering at the craps table celebrating a win while the next table over the Blackjack gambler hung his head in defeat. WinLose. It truly was a bizarre experience moving through this vacation trying to enjoy myself all the while knowing my friend and her children were suffering terribly at home.

Life sucks and yet is beautiful in the same moment. I bet if you really thought about it all day you would see the contradictions that play out before us at any given moment.

Please pray for my friend and her family. I know they could use some comfort during this very difficult time.

Walking Dead

A fun image I took while on vacation in Rodanthe. I thought the people in the street looked like
the Walking Dead...not that I would know because I hate that show!

Yep, that is what I have felt like lately. I know I haven't posted consistently in a while...unfortunately that has to do with many factors, including a relapse of Lyme.  I truly have so much going on that I feel like I am drowning if I don't take each second by itself.

The art show to benefit Lyme education, research, legislation, and support is coming along. I have identified and printed all of my pieces and now am in the process of matting and framing the work. In the meantime, I have been finalizing details with National Capital Lyme Disease Association, which is the group that I am donating a percentage of the proceeds from this show to, and coordinating last minute details with the gallery. So, full swing preparation is at its height!  I hope to see everyone there on Friday, October 2 from 5PM-8PM, open house style. More information coming soon in the form of an ad.

In addition to those preparations, I, of course, have been homeschooling my kids. They are on Day 41 of lessons and it is going really well. I am proud of both of them and how well they are doing. It does, however, take a large chunk of my day where I am totally focused on them, so my days just got shortened for other endeavors.

Construction is going slow but well. The studio/office is now primed and ready for paint. The other construction on my house continues as well...stone is going up on the foundation and porch pillars, the workout room and new mudroom are getting primed...lots going on. There just isn't enough time in the day. Thank God for friends who are willing to help!

With the transition of seasons comes another whole mess...going through fall clothes for the young ones and sorting out what they have and what they have outgrown over the year. I have to do the same with my clothes as I have lost so much weight I am still having to buy new clothes and pass on others.

There is one other HUGE event that getting ready to take place, but unfortunately, due to contracts, I can't tell you what that is about until after the fact. It is amazingly exciting and I am looking forward to it, but it is overwhelming me tremendously as I have to prepare my home for guests in a very short time. More info about that to come as I am allowed to share.

Anyway...just wanted to check in as I have had many people send me messages checking on me. Thank you! I appreciate your concern...I'm ok, just trying to live life the best I can each day :)

Hugs to all!

Working, Working, Working

As seen on a recent trip to New York City

I was happy to be able to take a quick trip to Lynchburg this past weekend to visit my mom. I hate that she lives so far away, especially now that she is alone after my father passed away in June of 2014. I keep trying to convince her to move back north near me, my brother, and her sister, but so far she seems content to stay put. It was good to leave work and homeschooling behind for a while and just relax and spend quality time with her.

I took advantage of the long 5 hour ride home yesterday to type out the article I had to write for my feature in Artful Blogging. I was nervous that the theme of my article wouldn't be what they were looking for. The editor was pretty open as far as topics on which I could write in her initial letter to me, so it really was wide open. I ended up with 848 words (in an 850 word limit). To me it wasn't difficult because as I have been told by my family and others, I can be wordy. :) I sent the article off to the editor yesterday and I received notification today that it was received and approved! I previously sent them 15 high resolution images of my work and that was approved as well. I am so glad I finished way before the August 3 deadline. The magazine hits newsstands on November 1, so be sure to check it out!

Now that I am finished with that opportunity, I need to focus on my featured artist show coming up in the month of October and get some work printed and framed for that. I am currently working on getting model releases and deciding which work I will be putting out there. I am hoping to pair up with a local Lyme support group to raise money for Lyme awareness and Lyme support. I want to give back to the community a portion of the proceeds I make from this art exhibition.

In addition to preparing for the show, I have to get ready to teach Photography to 18 middle and high school Homeschool students. Starting in September I will be teaching a class once a week until May. I am very much looking forward to it, however, I need to get the syllabus and class material list completed before too awful long here!

That about sums up the craziness going on here. I hope your life is filled with things that make you happy and fulfill your soul's desires! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xo

Dejavu

As I've mentioned before, I am a people watcher, which is why my true love in the photography genre is street photography.  Recently, on our trip to New York, I found myself on the street outside a wonderful little restaurant called Serendipity 3 (see below).  We had 9:00 PM reservations to try out their famous desert menu (my one splurge while in New York) but we arrived about a half an hour early, not being sure of how long it would take in a cab to get there.  I never mind arriving to places early, although I can't stand being late, because I can always people watch.  There was a crowd gathered outside the restaurant, all trying to get in, as it were, and it was a perfect scenario for me and my iPhone.  As I walked up and down the row of stores (I happen to love glass window fronts too), I happened upon this scene and it really captured my attention.

I loved that the store's name was Dejavu and that the woman was sitting there, in front of the window of a closed store, just gazing at the display.  Her body position and head tilt really spoke to me and I imagined that she was daydreaming about the outfits in the store, perhaps reminiscing about a younger time in her life when those outfits would have been more practical.  The lighting coming from the window set such a great mood and I couldn't resist stepping back and capturing this scene.

Today is a wonderful day because I am beginning our homeschool journey with my twin second graders. They are excited, as am I, and I can't wait to find our rhythm and groove in daily life.  Since my studio/office space is still under construction (but getting closer!), we will be working out of my kitchen, temporarily.  Maybe one day I will put a picture up of our temporary "classroom" on Nine Acres Designs Facebook page.  During this transition time where we are finding our stride, my blogging may take a more sporadic schedule, but I am going to do my best to keep up with it as much as possible.  Please say a prayer for us that this was the correct decision for my kiddos and family!

I'm hoping everyone has a fabulous week...sending love all around.  xo

Exiting Starbucks

Today I am thankful that I have created my first book from all my blog posts.

I finished creating it, uploading it, and sending it off to be printed.

I never ever want to lose pictures or memories again,

so this is a first step in providing something concrete and lasting 

for myself and hopefully my kids to keep for when I am gone.

They will have my pictures and my thoughts in book form.

I have even considered going back to my old blogs and doing the same for them.

That is a HUGE undertaking, though, so we'll see...

I'm not much for huge undertakings lately, lol.

The above picture was taken as I was waiting on a bench outside a Starbucks.

I was intrigued by the people rushing in and out starting their day with 

their dose of wakefulness in the form of coffee.

I have been following more and more street photographers on Instagram lately,

and wish I could get out more to do this kind of shooting.

One day. 

xo

Monopoly Grocery at Night

Baltimore City

Today I am thankful for advice from a close friend of mine.

This particular friend has some characteristics similar to my father...

the ability to deliver some tough love when needed,

that I have been missing since my father passed away.

One of the many things I loved about my dad is when I was feeling sorry for myself

he would kindly and gently hand out some tough love,

telling me that I am blessed despite whatever difficulty I was 

going through at the time.

He was always quick to remind me that many others have it worse,

that we all have issues we are going through,

and to focus on what is positive while self pity is only destructive.

For the past few days I have struggled, 

I have thrown myself my very own pity party,

complete with tears and whining...

focusing on what I can't do right now while my health is horrible.

But when I talked with this friend, 

she didn't want to hear it.

She called me on my bullcrap and

told me she wanted to hear what I CAN do.

She told me I've had my 10 minutes of pity,

now get to it...make a list of what 3 things I will accomplish each day

and work toward accomplishing it,

even if it is just showering, making the bed, and one load of laundry.

Yep.

That is what I needed...

a swift kick in my sorry-for-myself butt.

So, from now on, I will list on my dry erase board 

three things each morning that I want to accomplish by the end of the day.

Refocusing the mind on what I CAN do instead of can't do

will be half the battle to healing.

The other half will come from giving myself the same grace and patience

that I often dish out to others but don't give to myself.

That, my friends, is a whole different story for another day.

xo

Diversity on the Corner

Street Photography in Baltimore City
The differences in these three women caught my eye.
(Body type, body position, activity, race...yet they were all sharing a common experience on that corner)

I'm weird.

I love getting the mail.

Most adults hate getting the mail because now days it is 

just a bunch of junk or a pile of bills.

As I walked down to the bottom of my driveway to greet my little ones off the bus,

I opened my mailbox not expecting to find anything but a few 

fall catalogs and maybe some junk mail flyers.

I was surprised when I found a large white package addressed to me.

I had not ordered anything recently...what in the world could this be?

I checked the return address...it was from a friend of mine whom I have know since college

and who has also been going through some medical difficulties recently.

Now my interest was piqued.

What could be in this package?

I didn't even wait to get back up to the house...

I tore open the package to find a heartwarming gift inside.

My dear friend had sent me a handwritten note card 

(LOVE handwritten note cards!)

with a message of love and kindness inside.

Also, she included a book called Jesus Today

written by Sarah Young, an author who has suffered through Lyme disease

and who called upon her faith to get her through the difficult, painful time.

My friend explained that she used this book to help her keep hope 

during her own difficult journey and she wanted to share it with me.

I was and am so very touched that she took the time and effort 

to send this beautiful book to me.

While she knows I am not religious,

she knows I am immensely spiritual and have a close relationship with God.

For her to care enough about me to send this book of hope,

is so touching to me.

Thank you, my dear friend.

I will read one devotional a day, and pray each day for continued hope in healing,

not only for myself, but also for the many others 

that suffer from this (and other) debilitating disease.

I will pass your kindness forward and know it will come back to you ten-fold.

For this act of kindness from a friend, I am thankful today.

xo

Wrong Way, Do Not Enter

As seen in the streets and alleys of Baltimore City.

Today I am thankful for all the teachers who will be working with my kids this year.

It was the first day back to school and I have a senior, a sophomore, and two first-graders.

While school represents relief for me from the pressures of 

having to try and entertain the little ones day in and day out while struggling

to just function enough to survive the day,

it also is a difficult time...

Letting go of my babies to the powers of the school system and outside influences

is never easy and always stressful.

So, thank you to all the teachers out there...

please be kind and accepting of all children's differences.

Please meet my kids where they are skill wise and move them forward from there.

Please keep them safe as you would your own kids.

Please respect my decisions for my children as their parent.

But most of all, please see the beauty inside all 4 of my kids and honor that beauty.

xo

Unlawful Loitering In Pigtown

As Seen in Pigtown, Baltimore

I love the city.

Kind of.

It scares me, fascinates me, draws me in, and pushes me away all at the same time.

I wish I could spend every day there just walking around and photographing 

the sites and people in their natural environment and then 

return home to the country each evening where I feel grounded.

When I go into the city, I feel electric with excitement...

all the visual stimulus of what it has to offer.

I find the people immensely interesting

and I wish I had the guts to approach them without fear.

This is where I think if I were a guy I would feel much safer

walking around with my camera;

it is the only time I feel my gender holds me back from doing what I want to do.

Actually, it isn't my gender that holds me back with fear,

it is my own sense of vulnerability I feel walking in the city streets alone

as a woman that scares me.

It makes me sad, because I would love to feel comfortable in the city.

Growing up in the suburbs it was pounded into me that the city is a dangerous,

mean place where horrible things happen...especially in "those" neighborhoods

and especially in Baltimore.

I have never really gotten over that childhood fear

and I wish I could.

I took this image as a passenger in a car while driving through Pigtown

using my iPhone...with the window up, lol.

I had never been in this part of the city before.

I didn't even know why they called it "Pigtown"

until I came home and googled it.

I guessed why when I saw the large brick buildings, the train tracks, and the 

Pigtown signs that showed a pig diagram with butcher marks on it,

but I didn't know for sure until I read the Wikepedia article about it.

I was happy to see my deduction was correct...this is where the pigs

were unloaded from the trains to be walked 

through the streets to the butchering shops.

Today I am thankful for the time I spent with family yesterday

eating Maryland crabs and teaching my little ones how to pick their own crabs.

I do love Maryland for all the diversity it offers...

the city, the country, and of course, Maryland Crabs covered in Old Bay.

xo

Proud Piper

Garrett Highlands Pipes and Drums at the Accident, Maryland Fourth of July Homecoming Parade

I finished the book

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman today

and also read the book Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton.

The first is a memoir set in a woman's prison.
The second is a photo book created from the popular blog by the same name.

My favorite quote from Humans of New York is:

"Why do so many people seem to love righteous indignation?"

"Because if you prove you're a victim, all rules are off.  
You can lash out at people.  You don't have to be accountable for anything."

Ah, yes...the righteous indignation crowd...gotta love them.

Today I am thankful for good books.

On days like today, it is good to be whisked away from your own reality

and into the world created by a good book.

Next up on my reading list...Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.

You can keep up with my collection of quotes and the books I've read,

if you are so inclined, using the tabs at the top of the blog.

xo

Salute

This image was taken along the parade route of Accident, Maryland's 

Fourth of July Homecoming Parade on July 4th, 2014.

As this gentleman was riding by in the back of the pick-up truck,

he clung to the flag and was waving to everyone.

When he saw me and my camera, 

he looked straight at me and saluted.

*chills*

Today I am thankful to try and get back into the work groove

(I have several real estate shoots this week)

and try to get the kids back on some sort of schedule.

I am a regimented person, so being on a schedule again 

after the craziness that June delivered me

is a blessing.

After work today, perhaps I will play with the kids with water cannons.

It sure is hot enough for it!

xo

Honor

Taken at the Accident, Maryland Fourth of July Homecoming Parade 2014

I am thankful for our safe passage back home today.

It was a nice, relaxing vacation with superb weather in Deep Creek, 

so I couldn't really ask for more.

The drive was easy with no complications,

and on a holiday weekend, that is just perfect.

I enjoyed taking pictures at the local Fourth of July parade

in Accident, Maryland and when this group of distinguished men marched by

it made the hairs my arms stand up.

I am so thankful for all of our veterans

and the sacrifices they make for us and our country.

Not sure what is up with blogger and how it is handling pictures,

but I'm not happy at all.

Grrrr.  

I will have to find a solution for a better blogging platform or photo service.

Anyone with advice is welcome to send me an email or leave a comment.

xo

Refreshment

Spectators at Susquehanna Race Track

I am posting from Virginia today while I am visiting my mom.

Today I am thankful that the 5 hour commute here

was safe and fairly painless yesterday.

I had the twins in the truck with me and they were great.

I was a bit tired of listening to kindergarten books on CD

by about the 2nd hour, but it kept them quiet

and it was educational.

So, there's that.

 

Today promises to be jam packed with 

refrigerator repair (my mom's refrigerator blew up last night), 

visits to government agencies (I'm not sure social security knows it's head from it's arse), 

shopping for light bulbs (why must they all blow out at the same time?),

 mattress deliveries (Really...sometime between 9AM and 5PM?), 

and the like.

But you know what?

I'm with my mom, and that I am thankful for.

xo

Lifted

I'm not sure why, but it feels wrong to be blogging.

Blogging is such a normal activity for me and

my life isn't normal anymore.

Blogging feels like it was ok BEFORE

but not AFTER.

My world is now divided up into the BEFORE,

when I had both parents on this earth,

and AFTER,

the moment when I lost my dad and everything changed.

Life goes on and doesn't even pause...

it's so strange.

I wanted the whole world to just STOP,

but it doesn't.

The clocks still keep ticking, to my dismay.

Every click of the second hand brings sadness and grief.

Normal everyday things just aren't the same.

I find myself in a store, greeted by a cashier,

"Hello, how are you today?" she says.

I want to say,

"Really?  It sucks...don't you know my father died and I feel

like I will never breathe again?"

But of course she doesn't know,

and I don't say that. 

Instead, I just smile and say "Fine, and you?"

even though that is a lie...I am not fine,

 and I could care less how she is.

Despite the horrible lump that now permanently resides in my throat

and the 50 pound weight that sits on my chest with every breath,

I am still forcing myself to find things to be grateful for.

Today, I am grateful for all the friends and family

who either called, sent Facebook messages, texted,

sent cards, or showed up at my Dad's service to express

their condolences and send stories of love 

about my father.

You are all a blessing to me and my family.

I could not possibly answer each message individually,

so if you sent one, please know that I have gotten it 

and I have taken your words to heart...

thank you.

I haven't picked up a camera since BEFORE.

I know I will have to and I know my father would want me to,

but again...it just doesn't feel right.

The camera feels too heavy in my hands.

Hug a loved one today for me.

Time is all too short.

xo

Inked

Today I am thankful for becoming more adept at recognizing my own prejudices 

and assumptions about people.

For example, when I saw this man at a race, I felt myself immediately 

get tense and begin to judge him as a mean, scary person.

Why?

I don't know him from anyone else and yet

I could feel my stomach clench and my eyes divert

(prior to taking the picture, of course),

not wanting to make eye contact with him.

And then I stopped myself and thought.

Why am I feeling this way?

I took a look at his shaved head, his tattoos, 

his baggy jeans, and his five o'clock shadow

and assumed he must be harsh and mean.

Was that fair?

No.

Was it necessarily true?

No.

The other day I read a friend's status update on Facebook

and it described a sad interaction with another mom.

My friend, we will call her C, has tattoos and (perhaps some piercings).

 She discovered that the reason 

her daughter's friend couldn't come over to their house to play

is because the friend's mother didn't like the way C looked 

and clearly made a judgement about her parenting/house/lifestyle,

without ever even truly meeting and talking with C.

I was heartbroken for not only C but for her daughter

and the daughter's friend.

Everyone was being affected by the friend's mother's prejudgement.

When I read that status update, I thought,

I would NEVER do that!

I would never deny my kids a friend just because of how 

the parents look before getting to know them personally!

But would I?

Aren't I just as guilty sitting in my stadium seat 

judging this man as he walks by because of the way he looks?

Yes, I am just as guilty.

And when I realized it, I felt ashamed and remorseful that I even 

thought this man was a horrible person without even exchanging 

one word with him.

But all things have a silver lining and my silver lining is

that it made me realize just how often I judge people

by appearances.

I think it is human nature to do so,

so I don't beat myself up over doing it.

But what I do want to do, and will practice in the future,

 is catching myself when I start with that train of thought and STOP myself.

I want to STOP that automatic assumption,

take a step back,

and begin to get to know people before I make a judgement of their character.

It is more difficult than it sounds

but worth the effort in the long run.

xo

On the Monument Steps

Yesterday I went to see the long awaited film
Finding Vivian Maier at the Charles Theater in downtown Baltimore.
Ever since I have found out about this amazing photographer,
I have been obsessed with her and her work.
She is one fascinating creature and the movie did not disappoint;
however, I left there with even more questions than I went in with!
Part of the intrigue is the mystery surrounding her and her work.

I would love to see a live gallery exhibition of her work,
but all of the current shows are overseas, so it will have to wait.
I will keep my eyes open for any shows in the U.S.

Vivian has inspired me to do more street photography when I can,
and so when I recently visited D.C., I instead of taking the normal monument pictures,
I was focused, instead, on the people surrounding the monuments.
This is an iPhone shot, but I loved it nonetheless,
as I enjoy moving my eye through the frame and seeing what each of the people is doing.

xo

Music and a Stogie

I had the opportunity to go into the city yesterday.

Ever since I discovered Vivian Maier, 

I have been obsessed with street photography;

I just love how raw and true it is.

There is no posing, no pretending...

it is just a frozen moment in time capturing 

the true nature of that instant.

It is exhilarating to me to wait and look through my lens

until I see the exact moment I want to capture,

the shadows, the body position, the facial expression.

It is like hunting...when do I pull the trigger?

Living in a rural area does not provide me with the opportunity 

to shoot street photography very often,

but I have plans to do it more often since it does invigorate my soul.

You can see a collection of my street photography on my website under

the project name, Moments in Time.

Enjoy.

xo