Hello, friends. The title of this post, Unwritten, is my one-word theme for 2025. Because, guess what? I am retiring at the end of February. The “project” that needed “tweaking” I wrote about in my last post was informing everyone in my department of my plans – I had given my notice formally to HR the week before, but I was a little nervous about letting the cat out of the bag completely until I told my immediate coworkers last Wednesday.

Do you remember the song “Unwritten” sung by Natasha Bedingfield in the early 2000’s? The lyrics in part go, “Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.” It’s very much an empowerment song, and it feels appropriate for this major transition I’ll be making. One chapter of my life is coming to a close and the next one sits before me, outlined carefully but not yet written.

Initially I’m going to move to Connecticut to help my sisters take care of my mother. Chris will come here half-way through February to spend my last two weeks in Ohio with me, then help me move what little stuff I have here to CT. The timeline after that is fuzzy, it all depends on the situation with my mother, but eventually, at some point, I will be moving to New Zealand. To be with my husband! What a concept!

I am very, very, very, very ready to retire. I have so much I want to do, so much I want to learn. I’m excited.

Speaking of “so much I want to do,” here is my 25 for 2025 list:

1. Retire!
2. Send updated addresses (CT and NZ) to all my friends
3. Read 25 novels
4. Get new eyeglasses
5. Grow my hair to ponytail length
6. Get a new pair of trail sneakers
7. Figure out the next level of camera gear I want
8. Get a massage
9. Memorize one poem
10. Do one meat-free month
11. Get into a sunscreen habit
12. Get into a nightly skin-care habit
13. Play around with temporary tattoos
14. Write in my computer-based journal every day, even if it’s just one sentence
15. Shift my Instagram account to better mirror the Measure of Calm theme
16. Hike with Paula  
17. Do an overnight trip to Kapiti Island with Chris
18. Meet with a trainer at the gym to create a strength training routine that doesn’t require machines
19. Join a photography club
20. Update my birding life list
21. Increase my proficiency with Adobe Lightroom
22. Increase my proficiency with my camera
23. Go to the beach with Sam and Pokey
24. Go to Martha’s Vineyard
25. Spend a weekend with my college friends 

I’m tickled pink that, inspired by me, both Chloe and Sam have created their own 25 for 2025 lists. It really is a fun exercise, much more fun than making a New Year’s resolution that you’re pretty sure you’ll never keep even as you make it. All of the items on my list, even the challenging ones, are things I know I will enjoy. Give it a try!

Love,

Michelle xoxo

Hello friends,

“You’ve Got Mail” is one of my favorite movies. In it, the characters played by Meg Ryan (Kathleen) and Tom Hanks (Joe) only know each other online (or so she thinks). At one point Kathleen asks Joe if they should meet in real life. Joe types, “We should meet. And we will meet. But I’m in the middle of a project that needs…tweaking.” The plot is too convoluted to go into here, but I have always loved that line.

I’m not posting my one word theme for 2025 or my 25 for 2025 until next weekend because…I’m in the middle of a project that needs tweaking. I know, I know. You’ve been counting the days until today, waiting feverishly for my 25 for 2025 list. I’m sorry. You’ll just have to wait a little while longer. In the meantime, please enjoy these photos, all taken today.

I drove up to Lake Erie this morning. It was snowing all day Friday and Saturday so I didn’t get out much, but today was without any real precipitation, and even promised a little bit of sunshine, so I continued my quest for a photo of a snowy owl. I drove up to Fairport Harbor, where a snowy owl has been seen nearly every day for the last month (just not on the days I drove up). I joined the little group of brave photographers waiting in the frigid weather (single digit wind chill) for that owl. I stayed for about an hour and a half, warming up in my car halfway through, but no snowy owl showed up. I cut my losses and drove to the next location, Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve, as a northern saw-whet owl had been spotted there. Northern saw-whet owls are tiny! They are about the same weight as a blue-jay, and the one that I saw (I saw it! Proof above!) was about the same size as a softball. The only reason I was able to find it is that someone else had found it first and showed me. It was asleep the entire time I stood there watching and clicking. I wish I could have seen its owl-y eyes, but I’m feeling so lucky to have seen it at all.

And oh, yes – that bald eagle was spectacular, even though he didn’t stay long enough for an extensive photo session. And the deer – those eyes! They were right next to the trail, and stole my heart.

Last weekend, when I wrote just a tiny bit in my blog post – I was exhausted. Work had worn me to a nub. But I found a different perspective over the following days, and that has made all the difference. I’ll explain more next week.

Have a wonderful week, and I’ll see you next Sunday.

Love,
Michelle xoxo

Hello friends,

I’ve been working on my 25 for 2025 for the last few days, and trying to figure out what I want my theme to be for 2025. I have made quite a bit of progress, but I’m not quite ready to commit them to this blog space yet. It’s been tough at work and the weather’s been crap and I don’t have a lot of mental energy at the moment, but I will be back next weekend, I promise.

Love,

Michelle xoxo

Hello friends,

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice here in the northern hemisphere. The shortest day of the year. I love the Winter Solstice because on that day I know that it has gotten as dark as it’s going to get. Each day after will be a little longer. Even a minute more sunlight each day makes me happy. Well, “makes me happy” might be overstating it a bit. “Helps me through” is probably more accurate.

I’m crazy-busy at work but still trying to get out with my camera as much as possible. Some days, if the weather is particularly fine, I will use my lunch hour to go to a nearby park for some nature therapy.

2024 is drawing to a close, and when I looked at my “24 for 2024” list recently, I was impressed that I actually accomplished the majority of my goals (as in, more than half – lol). I didn’t find the perfect thrifted red hoodie, but I bought myself a red “Boston” tourist hoodie during one of my visits to Sam. I read way more than the 24 novels I hoped to read (especially if you count audio books). I didn’t get new eyeglasses, didn’t take a photography class, and I won’t be spending Christmas in Boston – but I did take at least one trip that requires a passport, photographed birds along the shores of Lake Erie (proof above!), and celebrated Sam’s and my mom’s birthdays with them in their respective homes. I’m going to call it a win.

There will definitely be a “25 for 2025” list, and a one word theme for the year as well. 2024’s word was “Strong” and it ended up being appropriate for all that was required of me this year. I will share my list and theme with you in my next post.

Take care, my friends. I know this next two weeks can be a bit much for many of us.

Love,

Michelle xoxo

Hello Friends,

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted here. In that time I drove to New England and back, began the busiest time of the year at work (one week in and I want it to stop), and spent some lovely moments in nature.

I bought myself the photo editing software Lightroom during the Black Friday sales and I’ve taken my wildlife photography one step forward by taking my photos in what’s called RAW format instead of jpeg. I just wrote and deleted five times what this means, because every explanation is really boring. So, suffice it to say, I’m able to do a lot in editing what the camera used to do for me. I’m enjoying the challenge. And just to be clear, of the photos above, the up-close ones are taken with my Canon camera and the landscapes are taken with my iPhone. I love using both whenever I go out.

With the leaves gone from most of the trees now, I’m able to see lots of hawks! I will post more hawk photos next week, but pretty much every day that I’ve gone out lately I’ve been able to take a picture of a hawk. This is really exciting, but what I *really* want to take pictures of are owls. Oh, I am so eager to get an owl photo. I look at Instagram and see so many owl photos – you would think they’re on every corner (perched in front of the Dunkin’ Donuts). But I have yet to catch a glimpse (except for last December when I saw an eastern screech owl, but that’s just because everyone knew where he lived).

I’ve been sitting here with still fingers trying to decide what else to write. What have I been thinking about lately? It’s been difficult with work being so busy, but I’ve been trying to rise above all that stress and remember what is real and what is important in life. Last Sunday I reached the milestone of ten years since my final cancer treatment. That has been on my mind. Chris, Sam, Chloe. They are always on my mind. My mom, my family, my friends. My relationship with the natural world, and how I experience and share that with my photography. When I think about what I want the rest of my life to contain – wrap up those those things I just mentioned and that’s all I need. The knowledge that life is short, my interactions with my loved ones, and the miracle of nature. Everything else is just noise.

I hope you have a wonderful week. Northern hemisphere peeps, stay warm. Southern hemisphere peeps, don’t gloat about your flip flops and shorts. 🙂

Love,

Michelle xoxo

Hello friends,

This Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the US, and so, since all words left me as soon as I started typing this post, I will let you know what I am thankful for right now:

• Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress. She gives me hope that our country isn’t quite as broken as I fear.
• How nature, over and over and over, saves me.
• The fact that I went out into a pretty yucky, gray day today with my camera, expecting absolutely nothing, and was surprised by about 40 trumpeter swans gathered on a pond. And THEN, gradually, in groups of 5-8, they flew off, flying right over my head. Magical.
• Clean sheets, heat, and fuzzy socks.
• Knowing that I will be spending this Thursday with my sisters, my mother, and my child. And my grandson Pokey.
• The community of nature photographers I’m slowly becoming a part of on Instagram. They have been so kind to me, and everyone is so supportive of each other. It feels like some sort of alternative reality where social media is a good thing.
• Coffee. I never (well, hardly ever) drank coffee before Covid. I was always a tea gal. But now I’m one of those annoying people who rhapsodizes about her morning brew. It really does feel like a gift from the universe every single time.
• My fleece-lined Crocs.
• Cheese
• This moment
• Being able to check out and read books from my local library on my phone. I mean, that’s genius, right?
• You dear people, who seem to find something worthy of your time in my weekly ramblings.

Have a wonderful week.

Love,

Michelle xoxo

Hello friends,

Last weekend I went for a hike with an ex-coworker. We had been wanting to get together for nearly a year, and finally all the stars and schedules aligned and we made it happen. We were always friendly but never particularly close, but I knew she appreciated plain-speaking, so in my text setting up the time-and-place I said, “I have one ground rule – I cannot talk about the election. It did not go the way I had hoped and I’m still grieving.” She replied, in part, “Am in agreement that no talk is good. I don’t want to be in denial, but going over it isn’t healthy for my sweet soul.”

I love that phrase “my sweet soul” – it implies a love and concern for oneself that necessitates loving care and protection. I have been taking care of my own sweet soul lately. The biggest thing I have done is to pull away from all coverage of current events. On election night I could see the direction things were going in, and on Wednesday morning texts from friends seemed to confirm my fears. From that moment on I have refused to look at any news coverage of this country or the world. I could not bring myself to see any of it in writing, to watch any of it unfold. I’m not in denial. I know what is happening. I’m just not going to bear witness to it. As someone who checked my NPR news app several times a day and prided myself on scoring at least 7 out of 10 on their weekly news quiz, this is a big change for me.

I’m tending to myself. I’m eating really healthily. I’m reading (loved “We Solve Murders” by Richard Osman and “How to Age Disgracefully” by Clare Pooley). I bought myself two new jigsaw puzzles and always have one going. I’m spending a lot of time taking photos and editing them. I’ve decided that I’m going to wear sneakers to work for the rest of 2024. I’m prioritizing comfort. I’m listening to a lot of music (have discovered the beautiful music of Nick Drake, and often fall asleep to his album “Pink Moon”). I have a “Serenity” playlist on my Apple Music that I listen to instead of office chatter when I’m not working from home. I took advantage of a 50%-off early Black Friday sale to sign up for a year’s worth of the meditation app Headspace.

What are you doing to take care of your own sweet soul?

Have a gentle week.

Love,

Michelle xoxo

From the poem “September 2001, New York City” by Sharon Olds:

“I don’t think I could ever write about it. Maybe in a year I could write something. There is something in me maybe someday to be written; now it is folded, and folded, and folded, like a note in school.”

Love,

Michelle xoxo

P.S. Next week, I will probably speak of the healing power of nature, or describe the curled leaves as they were pushed so quickly across the surface of a pond by a light breeze, just like little sailboats. Or the moment yesterday when a mink and I surprised the heck out of each other and I laughed out loud in spite of my heavy heart. This week, I’m hunkering down and licking my wounds. Much love to you all. xoxo

Hello my friends,

I have spent the past week trying to absorb as much of the warm autumn colors as possible. The days are getting shorter, next week we turn the clocks back, and I have an urgency within me to make the most of these golden days. Yesterday I drove to Sandy Ridge Reservation. I hadn’t been since the end of September, and I was hoping that the dry conditions I saw at that time had gotten better with October rains. Unfortunately it was even worse off than one month ago. There were very few water birds there and I was just beginning to feel like the hour-long drive had been wasted when lo and behold! Two Sandhill Cranes appeared before me. This was the first time I had ever seen this species, and I was bowled over by how gorgeous they are.

I’m a bit preoccupied with the upcoming election in the United States. It has me worried. It has me disheartened. I try not to think too much about it, about the impact it could have. To be completely honest, this reminds me of the feeling of waiting to see if the lump is cancer or not. I have the same sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Pre-2016, I never had this feeling at election time. Since I first started voting in 1984 I have voted for both Republican and Democrat candidates. I don’t know if it’s the rise of social media, or what – I’m sure social scientists have different theories – but something has changed in this country that breaks my heart. There is a young man, maybe thirty, who I see fairly often at Beaver Marsh. Soft spoken, walking his dog, sometimes with a camera, friendly, eager to help. One day recently I figured out which car was his in the parking lot, and it is covered with the most vile, obscene, hate-filled political bumper stickers I have ever seen. I’m sitting here at the keyboard just shaking my head, because I don’t know what else to say.

So.

I won’t say anymore about that topic. But I just wanted to let you know that it’s so weird for me these days, dealing with my feelings about the election on top of all the other normal things that I stress out about. Because I think that many of you who live in the States are probably feeling the same way, no matter which candidate you support. I found this article about political stress very interesting. And I found this article about ways to deal with stress to be very helpful.

I hope you have a good week. Be gentle with yourselves.

Love,

Michelle xoxo

I’m back.

The first six photos above were taken during my recent visit to New Zealand. The rest are from yesterday here in Ohio.

It was a wonderful time in New Zealand. The one fly in the ointment was that halfway into my visit I tripped on the sidewalk in a shopping center and landed with a lot of my weight on my right hand, bending it backwards and rendering it pretty much unusable for the rest of the trip. A visit to Urgent Care showed that no bones were broken, thank goodness, but a week and a half later it’s not completely better. Mostly better, but still weird.

I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed by that turn of events. I had wanted to take so many more photos, and there was just no way that was going to happen (although I could manage to take some with my phone). But, I knew I’d be back. Those photos will just have to wait. And I knew there was a lesson in there for me too – something about how things can change in the blink of an eye, and how we take so much for granted on a day-to-day basis, like two hands that work properly.

The return trip was pretty uneventful, although I had to rely on the kindness of strangers to help me stow my carry-on bag in the overhead storage bins. Also, the zipper on an outer pocket of my trusty backpack died at the very beginning of my trip back (I caught it right away and moved everything from that pocket), so I got to hear many kind strangers tell me, “Your bag’s unzipped!”

I arrived back at 10pm-ish last Sunday night, to a cold, rainy midwest October. It took me the whole week to re-enter my life here, but this weekend was absolutely gorgeous and I finally got back into the swing of things. I’m able to manage the big camera really well now, with no pain in my boo-boo hand. Yesterday morning I visited a trail I had never been to before as well as visiting Beaver Marsh in the early evening, and this morning I returned to Beaver Marsh. It was sooooo cold when I first got there this morning, and I met up with some of the other “regulars” there to complain about the cold and compare notes about what’s been seen there recently. There have been some bald eagles hanging out right off the trail lately (which none of us saw today), and I showed a very blurry photo I took yesterday of what I thought was not a beaver or a muskrat but a river otter, and they all agreed it was an otter – or the Loch Ness monster far from home; it really was pretty blurry. I feel like these people are becoming friends, and that makes me happy.

I hope you have a wonderful week, friends. Thanks for visiting.

Love,

Michelle xoxo