blogging101

Concatenate

Since embarking on a new endeavor, a change of title is in order. Why concatenate (the title is spelled phonetically and a play on yours truly’s name)? Well, this blog seeks to link things together. In my personal case, linking art and a life spent in technology. We use concatenation in computing all the time; it’s what connects strings of text, code, or files, together. The official definition is to join or link together as in a chain and was originally found in Late Middle English and Late Latin between 1425 and 1475.

What links do you find interesting? How are you linked together socially? How are you linked to the world around you? How do you fuse your work and your life passions?

Time Out

“You need a time out!” shouts the mother to the toddler with the temper tantrum.

“TIME OUT!” calls the coach as he gathers his players into a huddle to discuss the next play.

“I need time out of this rat race,” laments the single parent with three kids and two jobs.

What does “time out” mean to you? I suspect, if you are like me, it means different things at different points in your life. When we are that toddler, “time outs” were meant as cooling down periods or, maybe, punishment (although I often think parents put kids in time out just so they don’t throw their own temper tantrum). When a coach calls a “TIME OUT!” it’s usually to focus the team and redirect it toward some goal. And who hasn’t been frazzled beyond reason by the business of 21st century responsibilities?

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and forces you into “time out” whether you want it or not. It could be the loss of a loved one which paralyzes you where you are. It could be the loss of a job or a livelihood due to economic issues. Sometimes it is illness or injury which sidelines you into “time out”. Whatever the reason, take it as a blessing.

Yes, I said blessing.

“Time outs” give us a chance to see things from a different perspective. They give us time to evaluate where we are, where we are going, and what’s important. Like the player on the team, having a “time out” gives us a chance to catch our breath and “hear” what is in store for us from a higher power if we take the time to listen. I think, sometimes, we are even like that child with the temper tantrum. Often when we are that angry, that upset, life forces a “time out” on us. How we use it to refocus ourselves for the next chapter in our lives is what matters. Take the time. Do the work to know what matters to you. In the end, you will find you needed that “time out” whether you wanted it or not.

Siesta

It’s mid-afternoon and everyone has disappeared. Well, that’s not entirely true, I know where everyone is but it is relatively quiet. My husband and daughter are playing a Wii game (he helps her out when she gets stuck) but the cats are nowhere to be found. A little investigation and I discover that all the beds are taken. Siesta time! Now, if I can just convince them that 3:00 AM is not play time, we will all be happy.

Recycled

As an owner of an off-track thoroughbred (OTTB), I subscribe to any number of horse email lists and blogs. While most of these offer tips on horse care, training, and farm management, occasionally there is a post that is horse related but not typical. Horse Collaborative had one such post listed under their “western” category although it had nothing to do with western riding.

The post featured the work of John Lopez who is an amazing artist. While John does bronze casting, he is also known for his welded works made from scrap metal. The article reported that he started his artistic journey creating a fence and gate for a family cemetery out of scrap metal when he ran out of supplies. He liked the result so much he started incorporating the welded pieces into his other work and now creates hybrid metal art. If you like western themed art and sculpture, you will definitely want to explore his website, John Lopez Studio. I’ve included a link to the video on YouTube of how he made one of his pieces and hope you enjoy his work as much as I do.

Epiphany

Epiphany, with a capital “E”, is celebrated on January 6th and is the festival commemorating Christ’s coming into the world for all people through the homage paid by the Magi.

It can also mean (when spelled with a small “e”) a sudden insight or perception into the essential meaning of something usually triggered by the ordinary. Its origin is late Middle English and comes from the Greek epipháneia meaning to appear.

Have you had any epiphanies? I know I have. Sometimes they come from watching the light shine just so on a field gleaming with frost. Sometimes they come from seeing snow on a discarded pine bough. Sometimes they come watching a small child master a new skill or seeing something new to them for the very first time. They can be awe inspiring and they can be scary too , but they always lead one deeper. Farther into understanding one’s place in the world, epiphanies provide us roadmaps and guideposts.

On this Epiphany, I wish for you a year filled with insights.

Cat Mint

Blogging 101- New ideas amidst the old

Even though I’ve had this blog for a while now, I’ve yet to complete a blogging 101 course with WordPress.com. Something has always come up in the past; either work or family situations take the focus away from completing the assignments. Well, it’s a new year and with a new year, the resolution to have a more active presence on the web. My goal is to try new things, see what works and what doesn’t, come up with a more consistent presence across platforms and essentially figure things out through a little experimentation. If you’ve followed my blog, you know it’s a bit eclectic but pretty heavily focused on images and photography. Recently I decided to focus on experimenting with the mobile platform so you might see a few posts with wponthego as a category or tag along with iphonography. Those will all come from the iPhone so let me know what you think. On the way (tomorrow, hopefully) is a set of additional lenses I’m planning on playing with. The freedom to post from wherever and whenever is amazing! By the way, I love this cat mint plant which seems to not remember it is supposed to be dormant in January. The new life bursting through even though it is freezing is a testimony to the plant’s wish to survive and thrive.

May we all have that same spirit.

Feedback is welcome and I look forward to hearing from you.

-Kat