Yes. Husband, is the thing I'm loving so much this week and he earned special status.
How shall I show my appreciation? Well, tonight, instead of having our regular nightly conversation, "Are you done with the reading light yet? Honey?", I'm going to surprise him. I'll hop in bed and click off the light - Just like that. None of my monotone, "Oooh-kkay, give me 20 minutes." Followed by, "Just gonna finish this chapter." Or be grumpy as I fumble with the miner's light you got me for Christmas so I could read with the lights off. (It's really a mini portable stage light that just gives me night blindness, but that's another story.)
Why this sudden willingness to forego my precious nightly ritual? Well, couple things, but how often does a husband just bring home a dozen of these? I never have enough fresh flowers. Ever.
And then he decided to tap my Bucket List. Yuuuup. Uhhhmmhmm. Check it out!
I never thought I'd get an 'L' lens. Especially not the 70mm - 200mm F/2.8 USM II, good Lord nobody has this lens yet and you know how it feels when you get your hands on something that is engineered to near perfection, every little feature, surface, nub, moving part, all put together to zoom in and out and auto focus so fast I grin like a fool when it chimes. Oh, Lordy, Lordy. This is SOOOO special, I don't deserve such a thing. I'm looking at it right now on the table. I haven't been able to stop touching it. Slide the zoom over to 200mm and wham! Ooh la la la, it has the telltale redline around the lens. It may be a tiny red line but every photographer can spot that sucker instantly.
AND I GOT ME ONE! Oh, yeah.
You know earlier I had this brainstorm. I ought to try and get little 30 second audio recordings using my iphone of just our life. Like of my husband. Unknowlngly. Like during our 'Are you done with the Light yet?' thing would be good right? Or when he's informing me he's running out of clean socks. He says it so gently and politely - he really IS the model husband or after we determine I won one of our photo challenges (which I take very seriously). These bits could provide viable material for a blog about a husband and wife who are over the hill and trying to shoot professionally. Right? Little voyeur blog posts or something. Maybe they could progress (providing he doesn't divorce me) into video clips. For the blog, you know.
I pulled some pictures of a recent sunrise shoot from Tiger Beach and House of Refuge both on Hutchinson Island, Stuart, Florida.
I love to walk up and slide my hand into his large protective hand. It's strong and makes me feel safe. Surely it roots itself in my childhood memories, a little girl holding her father's hand.
Look close at his wedding band - I love that you can see me standing there (oh and so skinny!)
Our life is incredibly special, there is a poignancy at 55 that couldn't possibly have existed at a younger age. We are both just figuring this out, this new posture and viewpoint of life is wonderful.
I'm grateful. I have a wonderful spouse. Yes, today was extra special. The 'Bucket List' is made up of ultimate dreams. You, my dear husband, were a bucket list item at one time. In truth, I need never check off another item because nested in you is a world of bucket lists, checked off daily, and they need never touch our wallet. Thank you honey, I appreciate every thing you do. Today I'm reminded, again, of the blessings of marriage and a happy home.
~Lini in Florida, wife of Chay
NEXT UP?
Learning to shoot details in next post
