When Summer and Fall Intersect

A soft, cool breeze blew across Lake Geneva as Chuck and I walked along the waters' edge. It was the first day of fall, my favorite season of all, and Chuck had brought me to Wisconsin for "us time."

We spent our honeymoon in Lake Geneva almost four years ago. It is one of our go-to getaway spots when we want to go somewhere, but not too far from home. We've visited in the winter, spring, and summer, but we realized, this was our first autumn trip to Lake Geneva.

Chuck and I love to talk, and we did a lot of it that day, talking of things of importance, and little things, and silly things. The golden sunlight of September filtered through the trees, casting a warm glow on everything it touched. 

We watched a black Labrador retriever play in the water. Couples and families wandered around the lake, passing us on the walking path, as we stopped frequently to take shots of anything we thought would be picture-worthy. 

Boats were out on the lake, and some had already been put in storage. The honking of Canadian geese filled the air as they flew overhead. The sun glittered across the surface of Lake Geneva, and flags fluttered in the breeze. 

Some of the leaves were beginning to turn from green to reds and golds, and many of the summer flowers were still in bloom. Summer would be lingering a little longer, while fall was just beginning to show off.

After lunch at Chuck's favorite restaurant, Popeye's at the Lake, which is not to be confused with Popeye's Louisiana-styled fried chicken. Chuck enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger, and I had grilled perch. With satisfied tummies, we headed to Walworth, Wisconsin in search of pumpkins, and all things fall.

Thankfully, the humidity had backed off to satisfy my low tolerance for dampness, and the temperatures were pleasantly warm, but not hot. My senses went into overload as I took everything in; orange pumpkins, red tomatoes, the smell of meat cooking on the grill, children running across gigantic bales of straw, artists painting big, cheerful pumpkins, the sound of laughter and talking.

As you know, Chuck is not a big fruit or veggie eater, but he knows I am. I chose tomatoes, a pie pumpkin, and a beautiful lacy pumpkin. Have you seen those? The skin is a light, cream color, and the orange and green veins over the skin look like lace draped over the pumpkin. I was delighted to see they were still selling watermelons, too. I was worried the watermelon season had ended, but I was able to choose a big, ripe melon to enjoy this first week of fall. 

Double-dipping the seasons is something I love to do. It was wonderful to enjoy some of the luxuries of summer and fall, all in the same day. It really was such a beautiful day, and the memory of it will be a treasure. 

A Little Collapse of My Own

"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall." Oh, Oscar Wilde, your words made me heave a big sigh. You described perfectly my situation when autumn finally arrived. Summer wasn't the only one who collapsed into fall.

Don't get me wrong; I like summer as much as the next person. It's just that this summer seemed a little too hot. A little too humid. And more than a little too long. I was beginning to think summer would never end, and autumn was going to be a no-show.

Some of you may wish a "never-ending summer" were a thing. You must have loved this last one. It was a doozy, full of all the heat and humidity a human could stand. I would prefer a brief summer, followed by a seemingly never-ending fall. But maybe that's just me.

Now that autumn is finally here, I feel like I am coming into my own again, and by that, I mean, I'm starting to recognize pieces of my true self falling back into place. Some of the best parts of me retreat, and go into hiding, when the going gets rough. 

And emotionally, the going got rough, my friends. I feel like I did some backsliding this summer, and I was just hanging on by a tenuous thread, until I could completely collapse into fall, and let the autumness of the season wash over me, and heal me of all the sadness of summer.

I'm no different than you, except maybe this public exposé gig I have going with my blog. I have good days and bad days, but I hit a wall earlier in the summer, and I struggled some days to want to get out of bed. 

It's hard for me to write about the things that trouble me, so I either write about some small distraction, or I don't write at all. I'm still analyzing the part I play in my own demise from time to time, but I think it came down to this caretaker forgetting to take care of herself.

Caretaker? Me? I haven't spoken of it here, and only a few close friends know, but my mother-in-law lives in an assisted living center, and has just  been diagnosed with dementia. Jane and I spend a lot of time together, between taking care of her flower garden, going for walks, and all of the appointments that come with aging. I have grown to love Jane, in a way I had not anticipated, and her frustration and sadness had become mine. 

After an hours-long visit with her, I would sit in my car and cry, wishing I knew how to make her life better. I would wonder who would take care of me in my old age. I would worry that she spends so much time alone, lost in confusion and sadness. As soon as I would get home, I would retreat to my room, and escape my sad feelings, in a cocoon of blankets, with my dog Bristol snoring softly beside me. 

I'm a natural nurturer. My therapist went so far as to say I'm co-dependent. I hate that term because it smacks of sad labels from my past, but she said it's not all bad, this being co-dependent. As a caretaker, I seek out those who need encouragement and uplifting, trying to anticipate their needs, even before they ask. I like to make people smile. But I'm also a woman who doesn't know how to set boundaries. The concept of boundary-setting is new to me, and I only wish I had learned about it when I were young.

Many of you have this caretaker role in much bigger portions than I do. I respect what you do, and I hang on to your every word because I'm trying to manage my small role better, and I want to know how you take care of yourself first, so you don't wear out. 

My thoughts are all over the place, but I wanted to mention this little collapse, of sorts, so that I might speak of it again, and you would know to what I was referring. 

This last week was full of moments that were like salve to my spirit. Chuck has listened to me, and loved me, and cared for me through them all. He planned a getaway day to Wisconsin where we spent time outdoors, and ate good food, and took pictures, and talked and laughed and talked. We immersed ourselves in the fabulous fall weather, and my hope is flickering into a flame.

Where Are Youuu?

What could be better for a fall photo op than children with pumpkins? Not much, in this mama's opinion. Fall is my favorite season, and it goes without saying I think my kids are the perfect models.
 

Every fall, as soon as the pumpkin displays went up in front of the local grocery store in Utah, I convinced my little ones to do a mini photo session for me, using the store's pumpkins as the background, or sometimes photographing them at one of the farmer's pumpkin patches. Occasionally, I am with them during my favorite time of the year, and can actually make sure these picture traditions continue.

Taking pictures of my kids with pumpkins is the tradition I miss more than many, and I still try to convince my adult children to send me pictures of them with pumpkins each fall. In case you're wondering, some years I am more successful than others.

Thanks to my beautiful bonus daughter Jamie, I can usually count on getting a pic of Dylan with pumpkins. Thanks!!!

One fall, I went to Denver to visit Sierra. When we went to Whole Foods, I was so happy to see they had plenty of pumpkins in front of the store. 

"Sisi, let me take your picture!"

"Where?"

"In the pumpkin bin with the pumpkins!"

As you can see from the photo, my girl was horrified. I don't know if she thinks there is a special security unit that polices pumpkins, but the look on her face says it all. I hope she has forgiven me for that slight indiscretion. 

Last week, I was so excited to see a cardboard crate filled with bright, orange pumpkins in front of our store here in Illinois, and I sent Sierra this text: "Where are youuu?"

Her response? "I'm safely outside a box of pumpkins where the feds won't catch me." I think I've scarred her for life.

In the future, I think I will have to stick to photo shoots of my girl with pumpkins in their natural habitat. Sisi seems a lot more relaxed, and her smile is so sincere.

Since I know my kids read my blog, I am getting my requests in early. Dyls! Sisi! Boo! SEND ME YOUR PUMPKIN PICS!!! I can hardly wait!

We Have an Announcement!

We are the proud parents of a new...

Wait for it...

WEBSITE!

No, no love child here for us old folks. We just finally got around to making a Facebook page and a website for Bennorth Images. We even had business cards printed. WHAT?!? I know! Now, if we could just remember to slip them in our pockets when we head out!

Vista Print was so good to work with us!

Have you noticed us online? We'd love for you to check us out, and follow us on Facebook, if that's your thing. If not, and you just want to take a peek, that's okay, too. And if this blog post is not your cup of tea, you can leave right here and now; it will be our little secret. You won't hurt our feelings.

On Facebook, you can find us at Bennorth Images. Our website is WWW.BENNORTHIMAGES.COM. 

Chuck and I have never had to mutually agree on a name; that happens to couples who marry later in life, especially when the senior couple in question buys more than one dog so each can name his or her own pooch. Coming up with a name for our photography business was quite the process for us.

Our first, most logical choice was Bennorth Photography. Bennorth is not a common name, so we figured that would be our business name. Nope. There is a fellow photographer named Ben North. He got dibs on the URL that includes "bennorthphotography." Dang it.

Then we started brainstorming names. That was tough. Everything we came up with sounded too much like another business, or corny, or just not like us. After awhile, we finally hit upon Bennorth Images. 

We loved it, and we hope you do, too!

We're on Facebook (Bennorth Images) AND the internet (www.bennorthimages.com). See? You don't even have to scroll to the top to find the links. 

No thanks necessary; it's all part of our services here at Happy Acres. ;-) 

58 Sleeps and Counting

Each day as I get dressed, the first thing I don is my Italian charm bracelet from Dylan. Sierra has given me several necklaces and a bracelet, most of them personalized with the names of my children, and one with my dad's handwriting. All of these pieces are like touchstones for me, making the miles between Illinois and Utah feel more manageable. 

This morning, I poured myself a cup of coffee into the mug Bridger gave me for Mother's Day a couple years ago. He wanted me to be able to remember my "favorite child" during my coffee time each morning. 

All three of my children tease about being my favorite. They are. All of them. 

My favorite oldest with his sweet wife.

My favorite oldest. My favorite daughter. My favorite youngest. 

My favorite daughter with her adorable boyfriend.

While I sipped my creamy coffee, I listened to Sierra's mellow music playlist on Spotify. The words from a particular song penetrated my thoughts as I was looking for airline tickets to Utah. The song was "Half the World Away" by Aurora. 

My favorite youngest with his darling wife.

Sometimes my kids feel like they're half the world away, but all of these little rituals help me feel closer to them. With Chuck's love and encouragement, I get to fly home a couple of times a year, in addition to the road trips we take together.

52 days ago, Chuck and I said goodbye to my babies after Bridger and Josce's wedding reception.

After verifying dates with my husband, our dog sitter, my children, and my bonus kids, I clicked PURCHASE TICKETS. And my eyes welled with tears. It's really happening. 

According to Frontier Airlines, I get to check-in with them in 56 days and 14 hours. You know I'm counting the sleeps until I arrive in Utah. 

58 sleeps and counting! 

Oh, Baby!

Who doesn't love babies? Aren't babies just the nicest way to start people? 

Babies and children are some of my favorite kind of folks. Going into elementary education was a no-brainer for me. Whenever people asked me, "If you hadn't become a teacher, what do you think you would have chosen for a career?" The answer usually came quickly, even though I believe I made the right choice to go into education all those years ago.

Photography would have been my second choice for a career. Specifically, I wanted to be a children's photographer. 

Last weekend, that little dream of mine came true, and it was everything I'd hoped it would be, and more. Chuck and I had been invited to the Build Coffee shop on the campus of the University of Chicago to photograph a group of mothers and babies who were celebrating Black Breastfeeding week.

Jenny LeFlore is kind of a big deal in Chicago, and is known to many as Fresh Mama Chi. This little dynamo of a mom organizes activities and events for young mothers and their children throughout the city. Jenny has been interviewed by different radio stations and the Chicago Tribune, and she has her own blog, Mama Fresh Chi. 

Fourteen mamas and their little ones gathered in the shade of the coffee shop's patio to sit and chat, while each of them took a turn having their pictures taken. Jenny and her assistant Pariss turned the patio into the perfect outdoor studio, adding plants, pillows, and pops of color. 

Photo Credit: Chuck Bennorth of Bennorth Images

During the mini photo sessions, Jenny would engage each mother in conversation, asking how long they had been nursing their babies, and chatting about their successes, and the challenges of breastfeeding. 

Look at these little faces. Look at the adoration in their mothers' eyes, and the complete trust the babies have for their mamas. It's hard not to feel the love.

While I have no regrets about my thirty year teaching career, now that I'm retired, I'm so grateful for this second chance to be that photographer I had dreamed of becoming now that I have the time.

For more photos and information about the Fresh Mamas of Chicago photo shoot, hop on over to our photography blog at Bennorth Images. Our website is brand new, and we're pretty proud to finally have it up and running.

A big thank you to Jenny for inviting Bennorth Images to photograph her Mama Fresh event.