DAY 10 – TODAY I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY “TEAM”

There’s Maria who cuts my hair short and stops my inner curly Shirley from emerging. There’s Becca who helps me stay fit and strong and various osteopaths, physios and massage therapists who have kept me supple over the years. Husband of my heart, who believes in me even when my self-belief wavers, and Dan who understands only too well the emotional ups and downs of being in a creative industry. If I need something technical explaining in a way I’ll understand, I turn to Ben. Beth is my arbiter of good taste and Katy is my calming influence. Jonathan, my accountant and Zara, my book-keeper both bring me back down to earth on a regular basis. Then there’s Chris, my Framer, who creates such beautiful products for my clients and is always open to my ideas. And my friends and collaborators in the industry, both in real life and in the internet world. My friends and family in the real world, who encourage and support me in so many ways and finally, last but by no means least, all the people who consider my work worth some of their hard-earned money, and who make it possible for me to do what I do.

That’s a whole load of thankfulness for Day 10!

]]> http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/no-woman-is-an-island/feed/ 0 project5o STOCK - Seaside (24 of 25) http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/a-dawn-a-new-day/ http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/a-dawn-a-new-day/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:22:53 +0000 Jo Blackwell http://project5o.wordpress.com/?p=3535 ]]> DAY 9 of my (rather patchy – did I promise consecutive days? Well did I?) Gratitude project and I’m ashamed to say that I’m having to think hard about what I’m thankful for.

Maybe it’s the grey weather, or the overwhelming pile of work that needs to be done, but here I am in a first world country, in my lovely (if 100% mortgaged) home. There are green fields and trees a few steps away and I have the kind of neighbourhood where even the teenagers nod and smile and say good morning. I’m typing this at the dining room table by patio doors which look onto a garden and a pond – my own little patch of Heaven on earth. There’s food in the fridge, tea on tap and central heating. I don’t live my life in fear for my safety, or under coercion to do anything I don’t want to do. I’m healthy, loved, I have things to look forward to. None of my loved ones are in immediate peril (though Beth confessed via Skype last night that, owing to her loss of peripheral vision caused by a series of concussions, she actually finds herself skiing a little too close to the edge for her instructor’s comfort… but as I say, no immediate peril…)

And in writing the sentences above, I realise, dear reader,  that TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR THE LIFE I HAVE. 

It’s easy to allow petty anxieties and the sheer drudgery of the day to working day to let us lose sight of what we do have, isn’t it? I think I’ve just taught myself a lesson – next time I “can’t think of anything to be thankful for” I’ll write me a list.

I’ll leave it to the incomparable Nina Simone to sum up. I’m off to have a therapeutic sway…

I AM THANKFUL FOR MY GOOD HEALTH

It’s easy to take for granted when you’re young, isn’t it? Then, as you get older the niggly little aches and pains start to get more plentiful, the energy levels start to dip and all things formerly pointy become droopy…

My body never ceases to amaze me. I neglect it, abuse it, ignore it, yet still it has the capacity to bounce back to (relatively) full functionality if I give it the slightest bit of TLC. Frozen shoulder not withstanding, my daily 30 minute march has been paying dividends – less creaks in my knees, less stiffness in my hips, less puffing and blowing up “cardiac hill” (on the home stretch). Dammit, today I even ran, on the treadmill, for 10 uninterrupted minutes, covering over a kilometre.

Ok, so that’s not much to all you sporty types, but I think that for a 50 year old female body going from couch to 10 minutes on the treadmill over a few short weeks is pretty awesome. “We’ll just keep it to this nice little trot,” said Becca, my Personal Trainer (oh yes, dear reader – I have become posh enough to have my own P/T. Because I’m worth it.)

Anyway, she said “trot”. TROT. I’ll have you know, Becca Mclachlan, that what YOU call a “trot”, I call a sprint, complete with sweat and everything. And I’m grateful, really, really grateful, that I am well enough to break into a sweat.

Happy Tuesday all!

DAY 7 – TODAY I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY FRIENDS 

Thick or thin, (the times that is, not the friends!) there have been people there for me over the past couple of years who have variously

planned

shared

laughed

cared

cried

grieved

comforted

believed

 chivvied

commiserated

applauded

celebrated

supported

shoved

helped

loved

You know who you are. “They” say that some people are in your life for a season, some for a reason, some for life. I have learned over the years that that’s ok – friends can come and go, our relationships are no less valuable. Others become family. I am  just thankful that my circle of friends has expanded to include so many talented, kind and giving men and women. And I look forward to meeting many, many more.

What are YOU thankful for today?

]]> http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/glad-to-be-back/feed/ 2 project5o http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/hard-times-thankfulness/ http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/hard-times-thankfulness/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:59:43 +0000 Jo Blackwell http://project5o.wordpress.com/?p=3517 ]]> One of the first letters my husband opened this New Year was from a firm of Administrators telling him that yet another of his customers has gone bust. In addition to the tragedy for that company and its staff, it sent shivers through the office and battered morale as his staff contemplated the hard work that will now remain unpaid and wondered how it would affect their own job security.

DAY 6 – I AM THANKFUL FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR BUSINESS

A seam of optimism in the rocky road ahead

Happily, business has been such that the design team was expanded only recently and our risk is sufficiently spread so that we were not dependent on this one client. Losing 20% of income owed will inevitably hurt, though, and there have been sleepless nights and raised blood pressure on the other side of the bed to me.

Many people (ignorant people) think that running a business is a ticket to easy street. They think that being “one of them” (a Boss) as opposed to “one of us” (an employee) automatically makes you a greedy, ruthless bastard, living off the sweat of the “working” man. Fact is, the staff are always paid first, the Boss works longer hours and all the financial risk is his and his alone. He might drive the 20,000 miles a year he covers in a Jaguar, but the car belongs to his business. He might take four weeks holiday a year, but he’ll work back almost every day of that at weekends and over bank holidays. And he’ll pay for every recession in stress-related attacks on his health and peace of mind.

I seem to have veered off the gratitude track there and moved onto a rant…

So – I am thankful today that my husband’s hard work and fortitude, coupled with his loyal staff’s hard work and talent is helping the business weather this awful recession and keeping them all in employment. I know that I am fortunate indeed, and to anyone reading this who is looking for work, I wish you a speedy return to financial security.

]]> http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/hard-times-thankfulness/feed/ 0 project5o STOCK - Seaside (4 of 25) http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/a-shared-history/ http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/a-shared-history/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:02:04 +0000 Jo Blackwell http://project5o.wordpress.com/?p=3505 ]]> I am both blessed (and cursed ) with two younger sisters. Every year, we say we are going to make more effort to get together. This year, we actually made a January meet-up and spent last night in the cinema (watching Meryl Streep’s version of Margaret Thatcher).

As they chatted in the bar (over cappuccinos in polystyrene cups – oh yum!) I realised that these girls, 5 and 7 years younger than me, are getting older. I say “they chatted” because I find it difficult to get a word in edgeways. It was ever thus – in our house, she (or he) who shouted loudest and talked the fastest got the most attention and I never did have the energy to compete, preferring to bury my nose in a book (“stop wasting your time reading, Jo, and do something useful!” – Hang on – how did Mum get in here? )

Anyways, they were talking about their various aches and pains and the latest new diets embarked upon. And I thought, you know what, if we had been sitting here last year, or five years ago, or ten, we would probably be having the same conversation. That’s the thing about sisters – love em or loathe them, they are part of your history.

I just read back over the preceding paragraphs and realised the tone could be read as quite tetchy. So I ought to say right here, right now, that I love my sisters, that I actually wouldn’t change them for the world, and that now we are all getting older, I really would like us to sustain the effort to see each other once a month!

This image snapped at my 50th birthday party last year probably sums us up, though. The photographer said: “Come on ladies – pout for the camera!” (Honestly, Ian, have you EVER seen me pout?) Caz was there in a flash, Sal played along gamely, and I was caught checking them out with a “what the-” expression on my face.

image © IPS Photography

 Which brings me, way down the page, to my 14 Day Thankfulness Project:

DAY FIVE: TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR MY SISTERS

Because, the point is, like my brother, they were at my 50th birthday party, along with

image © IPS Photography

their families. They have been at almost every family celebration, helping with the food, washing up, burning up the dance floor, showing that they might not always like me, but they love me, just as I do them. That’s a pretty powerful certainty to carry through life and forms part of my bedrock.

These women are strong, funny, talented and loyal. They have each faced life’s ups and downs with fortitude and grace, being there for each other through cancer, divorce, loss and struggle, yet they can still sit quite happily and discuss, at length and in detail, exactly what they had to eat today and whether their bowels are working properly.

Because that’s what sisters do – they bring you back down to earth. You know they remember you as a scrawny kid with her head on the clouds, and will have no hesitation of reminding you of that fact should they ever deem it necessary. And by the same token, they are at the front of the crowd when it comes to applause and encouragement. I am grateful for both of them.

DAY FOUR – TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR THIS BLOG AND ALL ITS READERS

I derive so much pleasure from sharing a little of my life with you and reading your comments and opinions. What started as a meditation on getting older has turned into a continuing source of inspiration and nourishment. Setting out to “make something happen” in my life has been even more rewarding than I could ever have hoped and I am so grateful to everyone who contributes, reads and connects with me.

Now I have a confession to make (don’t hate me!): I am not a great animal lover. I don’t have pets (I have enough trouble looking after myself) and don’t like being bitten by needle-sharp teeth (“he’s only a puppy – he just chews!”) or scratched. On the other hand, I would never stand  by and let any animal come to any harm, plus I don’t eat many of them.

However, because I am grateful today for all of you, and because I know that many of you love your animals, here’s a photo of a cat. Honestly now, does this one look cute – or evil?

]]> http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/confessions/feed/ 2 project5o CATS (3 of 3) http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/one-bears-faithful-vigil/ http://project5o.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/one-bears-faithful-vigil/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:14:12 +0000 Jo Blackwell http://project5o.wordpress.com/?p=3492 ]]> DAY THREE – TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR MY BABY GIRL’S INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

No Place Like Home - where a warm welcome always awaits you!

I have been blessed with four wonderful children and I am immensely (and vocally!) proud of them all. Number 3 sent me this text recently: “Hey – In my apartment! Check out the webcam! So much snow!!! It’s amazing! Wish you could see it! Its like icing sugar!” Counting the exclamation marks, I could tell she was happy. Happy and confident miles away from home as she started a new job in the French Alps. So today’s gratitude post is dedicated to her.

I am so thankful that we, as her parents, have been able to provide a safe haven to which she can retreat whenever she needs. I am grateful that she has the confidence to follow her dreams. And I am exceedingly grateful that she remains safe, despite the avalanches that have claimed lives in Val d’isere.

I hope the photos will make her laugh (not cry!) Poor Teddy Blackwell – he’s little more than a head now on a threadbare, unstuffed body. Teddy and Beth were inseparable until quite recently. I guess he’s just too frail to follow her on her travels any more. Maybe I should try re-stuffing him again so that he can withstand the next adventure?

As you can see, he quite enjoyed modelling for me (he has all the moves) and is currently in negotiations re. appearing on a greetings card. Teddy Blackwell clearly misses Beth, but wants her to know he is warm and safe and looking forward to seeing her. A bit like her mum.

Which brings me back to my reasons to be thankful. It doesn’t matter where she is, or how long it will be before I can kiss her dear face, I have a daughter who fills my heart with joy* and I am so proud of her for having the chutzpah to live life to the full!

Mostly Glad................................. Sometimes sad........................... Ready to visit!

*other daughters are also available, and very precious!

I thought I’d injured my arm whilst second-shooting a wedding n the summer – as I wasn’t the primary photographer, I ended up using a heavy, long lens (like the one in the photo, left) for 10 hours straight. It turns out that I have a frozen shoulder – the pain in my arm is a referred pain, so all that massaging the physio did was no more useful than mopping up the water left by a leaky tap.

Apparently, the average lifecycle of a frozen shoulder is 18 months – 6 months “freezing” (the excruciatingly painful bit) 6 months “frozen” (immobility but less pain) and 6 months “defrosting”. It seems that I am just moving into the central phase. Which brings me to today’s thankfulness record:

.

DAY TWO – TODAY I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY OSTEOPATH’S SKILL

Osteopathy can’t cure a frozen shoulder, but hopefully it will speed the process. On the table yesterday, Helen worked on all the muscles that have locked in my back and shoulders and manipulated my arm. She also eased the stiffness in my right hip that has been triggered by the way I’ve been holding my shoulder.

24 hours later and my arm will move just a little bit more. The pain doesn’t wake me up as often since I started treatment, and when I’ve aggravated it (such as when playing Twister with my grandson on Boxing Day!) Helen has been there to put me back on track.

The thought of not working fills me with horror, but there’s always a way round these things if you look. I’ve bought a longer camera strap to support the weight of my camera and a wheelie camera bag to act as a second pair of hands. On bigger jobs, where normally I work alone, I’ve taken an assistant with me.  Fortunately for me, the worst phase has been during a quiet period of an on-location photographer’s year. Thanks to Helen, I am moving inexorably back to full fitness in time for the Spring.

Finally, I’m thankful for the lesson this frozen shoulder has taught me – I need to pay close attention both to my posture and the way I deal with stress and emotion. As soon as I can raise my arm above my head regular stretching will become a non-negotiable part of my daily routine! Look after yourselves! x

Anyway, as you know, I can be a bit of a gloomy bugger, so my project is all about gratitude. I figure that if I can find something to be grateful for at the start of each day, then maybe I stand a chance of being a bit more cheerful through January. If you’d like to join in, feel free to add your daily gratitude in the comments below. You mustn’t cheat – it can’t be a retrospective thankfulness: you have to state what you’re grateful for in the here and now, this day. Who knows? Maybe you’ll cheer up a bit too!

So here goes:

DAY ONE – TODAY I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE SUNRISE

We walked down to the reservoir this morning and were greeted by a palette of reds and oranges and yellows, all splashed onto a canvas of icy blue. Every twig of the naked trees was outlined against the sky like geometrical brushstrokes. The herons fishing in the lake and the swans gliding silently by were all silhouetted against the fiery water as if caught in a painting. Walking into that scene after a restless night settled my soul (or whatever it is that decides one’s mood). Now for a shower before I leap into the day ahead. Have a good one!