Good Life Project

One Word for 2011

2011-01-19T17:31:00.000-05:00

I am a very task-oriented person. I derive so much satisfaction from checking things off my to-do list...sometimes it's scary. So, at the suggestion of Christine Kane, I decided to approach 2011 from the standpoint of ONE WORD, instead of a laundry list of resolutions.

I picked the word ENJOY, because I feel it aligns me with my most desired priorities, and will help steer me away from my task-oriented nature a bit. Even if I am working at my to-do list, at least I can remind myself with my one word to enjoy each task as much as possible and focus on the moment at hand.

At our New Years Eve celebration, my friends and I sat by the fire at our friend's cabin and discussed our chosen words for 2011. It was fun and fascinating to hear what word each person's desires conjured up. Words like HOME, STAY, FAITH, INNOVATE, and BOLD were mentioned. All of us are at so many different points in our lives (and many of us live all over the country), so it was interesting to see how each person's word coincided with their current situation.

The great thing about picking just one word is that it allows for its infusion into all aspects of your life. Instead of saying, "I am going to be better about practicing the guitar," keeping the word ENJOY in my mind's eye encourages my brain to approach my guitar playing with joy, instead of something I "need" to do. This, in turn, will (hopefully) inspire me to practice more.

And, how much easier is it to remember one word as opposed to a whole list of "shoulds"?

So, what is your word for 2011?

Winter Pause

2010-12-10T15:32:00.001-05:00

This morning on my run, as I listened to the crunch of partially frozen earth beneath my shoes, my brain was filled with its usual ramblings and concerns. At one point, I actually thought to myself, "Have I even thought this whole time about what I'm doing right now, or am I just completely in my head?" Why can't I just put my brain on pause for once?

Well, this morning, mother nature paused it for me. As I trudged through the recesses of stored up memories and worries, a few flakes started to fall from the sky. I took note of this, but kept up with my brain-centric ways. Then, all of a sudden, it was as if the sky took a breath. The scant flakes that had been floating to the ground, tentatively, ceased, and there was a pause all around me. Even the dogs seemed to take a moment. And, like the beginning of a beautiful song, the sky released a symphony of huge flakes that fell to the ground with true intention.

I breathed out a big sigh as I watched my surroundings take on a new identity, a hint of snow dust slowly turning into a solid covering.

Then, finally, my brain was quiet, hushed by this blanket of new snow, our first of the year.

Thank you for that, Winter.

Happy and Grateful

2010-11-24T17:48:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
I am so grateful for so many things, but this year I am thinking the most about the following:

The health of my little cousin, Chandler, who has been fighting leukemia for over a year now. She's kicking butt and I'm so grateful for it!
I am a very social person, and I am thankful every day for all the people I meet being in a band. I make new friends every weekend, and I am so happy to have this renewable source of good people in my life.
The great fall we've had with our business. We've been busy, have gained some great new clients, and feel like we're really working toward better and better things. I am so thankful to be able to wake up each day and be my own boss.

I wish you the best this Thanksgiving. Here's to good health and merriment!
What are you grateful for?

Must Love Dogs

2010-11-17T17:03:00.000-05:00

I attract dogs. I must walk around sending a message to the universe that I want to be surrounded by dogs, all the time, and lots of them. We always have somewhere between 1-5 dogs running around our house at one time.

Sometimes, they make me want to pull my hair out. Chuck, one of our current "live-ins," has many endearingly irritating qualities. One of his favorite pastimes is to walk out to the horse barn behind our house and munch on horse manure for a leisurely half hour. This is often followed by a return (on his own schedule, of course) to the house for some much-needed "face time" with his human housemates, where he puts both paws on your front and breathes heavily in your general direction.

Chuck is a Labradoodle, with lots of gray, unkempt curls and a huge block head. While our dog, Sadie (prissy as she is), generally avoids getting too dirty on walks, Chuck insists on trotting through as many patches of burdock as possible, claiming an innumerable amount for himself to take home and deposit all over the house. Not to mention his dedication to finding at least one swampy area during our daily jogs. Needless to say, he takes the longest to towel off once we return home.

But there is something about the sound of two dogs snoring at the foot of your bed that makes the burdock-covered carpets and horse manure breath all worth while - how they choose their place to rest for the night as close to you as possible. Something about the complete and utter trust that these creatures put in you that makes the human-canine bond so extraordinary.

And when morning comes and they eagerly await for you to fill their bowls with the thing in life they love the most (aside from us, of course), prancing about and huffing in gratitude, I know one thing is for sure. We need them as much as they need us.

I Miss Writing Here

2010-11-10T17:44:00.001-05:00

So, I miss writing. And I miss writing in this blog. Nowhere else can I write for the sake of writing, so I hereby reinvigorate my motivation to contribute to this blog. The title is still relevant, as is my goal - to explore the workings of this life and try my darnedest to live it well.

I thought I had given up on this blog. I thought I was too busy with two photography brands, a small business, a gigging band, songwriting, trying to even get through just one darned library book, having time for my marriage, friends, family, I'm sure you know how it is. And maybe I still don't have time for this. But I keep coming back to the fact that I miss writing for the sake of writing. And, I must admit, I miss you. I did, at one point, have a nice readership here. So, if you're still out there somewhere, come back! Let me know you're there and you still care (I realize it's been since May that I've posted)! I won't let you down this time...

And I'm not going to be such a perfectionist here. I'm just going to write for the sake of it (I'll say it again so I remember). Just like I try to live for the sake of it.

Yours,
Larissa

My Band Has a New Blog

2010-05-07T14:44:00.002-04:00

Introducing Love, Pulp, and Murder Ballads: The Hello Strangers in the Blogosphere - my band's new blog! Here's a little blurb about it:

We’re excited to share with you the inner workings of our band on our new blog – from biographical nuggets, road stories, studio secrets, to other juicy behind-the-scenes stuff!

I will be cross-referencing quite a bit from this blog since I will be doing most of the writing. As I have mentioned before, my band is a major part of how I spend my personal time nowadays, so much of my writing will be about the band. I'm excited to share my experiences as a musician with all of you!

Home...Revisited

2010-03-19T10:39:00.005-04:00

Pabst Snow Picnic with my siblings

I am writing this on the last day of Winter, 2010. I have been thinking about Home this week. Home in the sense of people, places and things.

A year ago, I prepared to fly down to Austin with my sister to revisit our old town and attend the wedding of friends. I had not flown in several years and had since experienced a slow, creeping anxiety about flying. I wrote about my experience getting back on a plane in my blog post, "Why I Am Not at Home On a Plane." Strange that a year later these feelings are resurfacing, spurred by a dream I had several days ago about flying to China with a friend and not being able to board the plane out of sheer fear and panic. As mentioned in my blog post from a year ago, before getting on the plane again, I had to come to grips with why I really, truly, and honestly am afraid to fly.

My mind treats flying as if it is a treacherous journey full of peril, like going to the moon. Many people I know treat flying with the same ease as riding a sleigh "to Grandmother's house we go." Why my mind can't see flying as what it is - one of the safest ways to travel - is a mystery. But it is not just about the act of flying on a plane for me, it is ultimately my fear of dying manifested in a tangible form - something that I do while living that reminds me of my vulnerability and the fact that, yes, I am going to die one day, and so is everyone around me.

It's no wonder then that I cling so fiercely to things that seem constant, stable, and true: my simple life in our farmhouse with my husband and dog; the thought of sleeping in my own bed with just them in the room with me; my siblings, friends, and family who live close by; trips to visit my parents, sister, Grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, in places that I've known my whole life. There is nothing unusual about just wanting to be home, whatever home is to you in that moment.

So why do I seem to revisit these thoughts of home every year when the world is just awakening again after a long winter? Perhaps it's just my recent dream that happened to spark these feelings again. Or perhaps it's hormones, a passing mood, a last moment of reflection and introspection as the pensive season of winter dies again.

I do know one thing for sure: I cherish these places and people more than anything, and more than ever, as adulthood forces me to face my own vulnerability and fragility in this world, and the mortality of those around me. I never let a day pass without spending time in face-to-face, meaningful experiences with real people (not the computer screen) - and animals - doing real activities: sampling new foods, romping around outside, sharing a laugh around the kitchen table, playing music together on a stage, toasting life over glasses of wine, taking walks with my dog and husband, giving hugs, being honest, sharing emotions and memories, playing board games, writing songs, having picnics in the snow, hosting dinner parties with almost more dogs than people...

...and for now I just want all these things in my little corner of the U.S. I travel quite a bit with my band and because most of my family lives 3-5 hours away. I lived and traveled around the world as a child (Norway, France, Europe, etc.), and all over the country in my 20s (Boston, Idaho, Austin). I do love to travel and experience new things, but my instinct at this point in my life as I enter my 30s, unpredictable as instincts are, is to simplify and focus on things that are close, immediate, constant, and that I've known my whole life.

As Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros sing: "Home, yes I am home! Home is wherever I'm with you."

Good Intentions

2010-02-03T14:00:00.010-05:00

Do you ever feel like you're trapped in your day the moment you wake up? Like you can't quite grasp what it is you really want to do or accomplish, so you go through the motions of obligations or things you feel you should do? You spend most of the day with a vague sense that you're not really doing what you were meant to do, just what you're supposed to do.

Today was, for once, not one of those days. It easily could have been. I awoke feeling aimless and adrift. I got up and walked mindlessly down to the kitchen to let my dog out and observe the fresh blanket of snow that had been deposited overnight. Then I stared blankly out the kitchen window as I drank a glass of water, wondering if I would spend the entire day as I did the day before, unfocused and slightly dissatisfied, but not knowing why. And then it happened - a moment that shifted the trajectory of the entire day.

It was so simple. From my window, I spotted a neighbor's dog far off in the field next to our house. And he was absolutely delighting in the snow. He was alone and unattended, but completely immersed in running in circles and hopping around in the white fluff. His ears and posture were perked and eager, his tail wagged as he strutted about.

Suddenly, my day had intention again. Watching the dog for just a few moments reminded me of the essence of being. It was one of those rare glimpses, that seem to come so few and far between, of something akin to the meaning of life. How do we forget so easily? I set my glass down on the counter and ran upstairs to change. I knew I had to get outside and play, too.

So, I took the dog's lead and traipsed outside through the snowy woods with my dog and husband. We often venture out for morning walks or jogs, but because I had been given a lesson in intention, this morning felt different. I knew I needed to have this much intention each morning before I start slogging through the day.

Later, at my desk, I chanced upon an article by Christine Kane about the importance of having a morning ritual. I usually have somewhat of a routine in the morning and already do many of the things she suggests (yes, I do use a Neti Pot habitually), but have yet to make these things part of a ritual. So I took her advice and wrote out my morning ritual. Now I can begin each day with intention and focus, and not have to rely on the neighbor's dog to remind me!

I give thanks to that little dog for giving me these insights today. I have been so much more focused and happy ever since.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of intentions, you can see that I haven't contributed to this blog since October. I've had "intentions" to, but have been thinking too much about my band of late. And I think that's a great way to spend my time. So more and more you will see posts specifically about The Hello Strangers, music, and creativity. These will eventually be linked and posted on our band site: www.thehellostrangers.com.

While you're at it, check out my friend Jamie's recent blog post about us!

Two Bands, a Makeshift Studio, and Murder Weapons Make For a Great Halloween Portfolio

2009-10-28T10:59:00.002-04:00

Once again, it's time for our Halloween photo project!

In past years, we've done spooky attic shots and murder in a field. Here's what my husband and photographer, Ryan Smith, had to say about this year's project with my band, The Hello Strangers:

I'm not particularly crazy about horror films and scaring the living daylights out of myself, but there is something so intriguing and inspirational in creating images of a darker nature. I've always said that I like to make beautiful pictures and that is still very true. I strive to make great pictures every time I pick up the camera. Sometimes even the darkest subjects can make beautiful pictures when interpreted in a certain way.

This is the third year in a row that Larissa and I have created "Halloween" photos. The previous two years involved Larissa and I murdering each other in various ways. This year, the opportunity presented itself to photograph The Pale Barn Ghosts and The Hello Strangers(Larissa's band) in preparation for their Halloween show.

We knew that we wanted to shoot tight portraits of each band member against a black background. I had been thinking about this year's Halloween shot for some time and already had the lighting planned in my head . . . dark shadows, high contrast and mysterious light. We set up our studio in our neighbor's barn, which worked perfectly. I set up in the afternoon and had everything ready for the evening of the shoot. We were able to shoot 8 portraits between 6:30pm and 10:30pm. Pretty damn efficient!

The ninth portrait had to be shot the following week because Brechyn from The Hello Strangers was not able to make it to the previous shoot. We decided to try something a little different with this one by utilizing the spooky closet in my attic. I lit the scene almost identically to the other portraits to keep the mood consistent.

I wanted each band member to really bring his or her ideas to each portrait, and everyone came through. The goal was to show a little bit of each band member's personality while emphasizing our darkest human fears.

Here are a few images from this year's Halloween shoot along with a short video I created to help promote the October 31st show. To see the other 5 images from this shoot, go to theHorror portfolio on our website. To see more of the video shorts, add us as a friend onFacebook.

All photos and video © Ryan Smith Photography

What are you going to be for Halloween?

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

2009-10-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today is Blog Action Day! For the past several years, my blog has participated in this great event. According to the website,

"Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web. One day. One issue. Thousands of voices."

Topics in years past have included the Environment and Poverty.

This year's topic of Climate Change is as daunting as it is urgent. Unless you are truly living under a rock, we can no longer ignore the fact that our planet's climate is changing at an unprecedented rate. While fingers point to myriad sources of blame and excuses, the effects of climate change are already being felt all over the globe.

Take this recent Photo Essay on desertification in China by photographer Sean Gallagher as an example. For nations all over the world, climate change is now a part of their daily lives.

Complacency, Urgency, and Denial

Three narratives that seem to be prevalent in such a massive threat as climate change couldn't be more opposite in nature. I spend most of my time in the first two of these paradigms, rarely in between.

Most of the time, I find myself distracted by the "urgencies" of everyday life: paying the bills, keeping a small business afloat in a shaky economy, trying to fit in time and motivation to stay healthy by exercising and not eating out of convenience. My husband and I are generally "green" in our lifestyle choices: we compost, recycle, keep the thermostat low, avoid over-consumption, drive a low emission vehicle, purchase green products, use CFL light bulbs, turn off power strips...you get the idea. But beyond these nanoscale actions, a whole force beyond our understanding is at work in the atmosphere around us. So, in essence, we are COMPLACENT in that we are hardly able to fathom what "climate change" really means on the grand scale. It's not that we don't care, we just find it hard to focus on something so intangible and colossal when there are more immediate matters to take care of on a daily basis.

Then there are those heart-pounding moments of URGENCY when I hear something on the news about climate change that makes me stand up from my seat, say something like, "We have to do something!" and proceed to stumble through the house like a lunatic, running into walls. This reaction seems to be just as unproductive as being complacent and detached. What am I supposed to do with this information and the emotions it conjures up? How can I have any effect on something so massively beyond my control? How are we supposed to sleep at night knowing that everything we see and know around us could be destroyed in 100 years? Ahhhhhh!

Maybe all we need is for someone to tell us WHAT TO DO - supply some concrete answers or explanations to this incredibly convoluted topic. Easier said than done, obviously.

And then there's DENIAL, and we all know how productive that is. This is an ideology that many in our country have pledged their allegiance to, and have thus set aside any urgency to dwell on the topic of climate change altogether. This is most certainly the worst, most detrimental approach possible. After all, the potential consequences for not acting on the threats of climate change far outweigh the time, effort, and money we should be putting into preventing them in the first place. We can't afford NOT to put our best feet forward, regardless of who is to blame or whether or not you believe the scientists' premonitions.

Besides, it wouldn't hurt us to be a little more responsible with our natural resources, regardless of whether or not we "believe" in climate change.

So, do I have any palpable answers for you today? Unfortunately, no more than I would have a few years ago. I just hope we find more concrete ways to change the fate of our planet - and soon - before I run into a wall and knock myself out.

For more Blog Action Day posts, click here.

Turning 30: I'll Cry If I Want To

2009-09-27T17:13:00.009-04:00

I lay on the lawn chair like a sack. My head was heavy from a happy-birthday cold and a few too many last-night-to-be-29 drinks the evening before. Was this really my 30th birthday? Shouldn't I have been feeling at the pinnacle of health and vibrancy on this day of days? Could the day have snuck up so quickly, and why couldn't it wait until I had time to shake this stupid cold?

The morning sun twinkled against the white plastic chair slats as I smashed my cheek against them, staring languidly down through them to the grass below. At least it was warm in the sun, and I didn't have to accomplish anything in particular today. I had grown accustomed to this feeling of listlessness over the past several days; I barely had the brain power to contemplate my passage into 30-dome.

I suppose the old and wise would tell me that this is exactly how life is going to be from now on. They would say, "Life is full of disappointments. Just accept that things aren't always going to turn out how you want." I tell you, no matter how many times I turn that adage over in my mind, it still remains unacceptable to me. There has got to be more to life than surrendering helplessly to every disappointment.

I never planned to be anywhere else than the lake for my 30th birthday weekend. And despite my cold, and the fact that several people who planned to come to my party had to back out, I (underneath the gloom) was utterly content to be there surrounded by my family. I had had more than a few moments of feeling sorry for myself during the week preceding the big day, and my family members, in their undying effervescence, cheered me greatly. After all, wasn't 30 when you stopped crying over people not coming to your birthday party?

The next day, at my party, my husband surprised me with a sparkling, retro, baby blue and cream reissue 1950s electric guitar. In the midst of my wallowing, I had almost forgot that there was going to be celebration - and presents - with my family and friends surrounding me. There was no longer any room, or time, to feel despondent. When I pulled the wrapper off that shiny guitar, I wept into my hands, completely taken by surprise. Everyone had stopped what they were doing when they saw the large, wrapped package emerge from the cottage. And now, as tears streamed down my cheeks and a big smile began to form on my face, they watched expectantly and then applauded as I held the guitar up exultantly for all to see. I gave my husband his well-deserved hug and stepped out of the gloom.

Perhaps this is exactly how life is going to be from now on (and always has been). Just when you think life has completely trashed the party, through the mess come the most beautiful moments in the shape of shiny electric guitars, elderflower liqueur, tears of surprise, those darling faces of your family around you, or a friend driving through the dark for 5 hours to see you in the last hours of your birthday. We must never take these things for granted. Luckily for us, life will never let us.

For your enjoyment, here is the series of photographs of me opening my guitar (taken by Ricky MacPherson):

Ryan gets his hug

My Danelectro

Ryan even made me a sweet card with my face superimposed!

Roadside Kitsch to Rugged Landscapes: Photo Review of Creative Highways 2009

2009-08-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

Now that we have had time to look over the hundreds of images Ryan took on our Northwestern tour this July, we have hand-picked six that stand out as truly capturing the story of the Great American road trip.

Ironically, all these photos were taken within the first quarter of our trip, when we were most hungry for creative inspiration everywhere we looked. We are excited to see these images come together to represent our experience.

What are your favorites?

"Ben Biking" in Sparta, Wisconsin

Jolly Green Giant, Blue Earth, Minnesota

Picnic Shell, Badlands, South Dakota

RV in Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming

Summer storm on the Snake River Plain, Idaho

Bivouac camping at Smith Rock, Oregon

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Creative Highways Project: Closing Remarks

2009-08-21T11:28:00.000-04:00

(posted by Larissa)

These last few weeks since we returned from our trip have had us immersed again in our domestic/business lives: sales calls, laundry, marketing, reorganizing, socializing with friends and family, weddings, budgeting, and so on. We have easily allowed the time to go by without collecting or writing any closing thoughts about our epic Northwestern tour this July.

Did we actually just do that? Did we really drive for 7414 miles in our tiny car, with our fairly large dog, and a few spare belongings?

Yes, we did. And though it seems but a blip in the grand journey of life, its importance to our creativity, emotional and physical health, and lives is paramount. We will never feel the same sense of freedom we did on that trip - no children, no major liabilities or responsibilities (aside from a small business) waiting for us at home. We may never feel the same sense of patriotism we did when traversing the vast expanses of our country's geography. We will not as easily feel the spirit of the road in our bones, even if we write about it and try to capture it in photographs. "I don't want to lose this sense of spirit we've been reminded of on this trip!" I exclaimed while on a beach in Idaho overlooking one of the deepest river canyons in the Northern hemisphere. I haven't lost it, but I find it harder and harder to really grasp now that I'm back in the East, amidst my tasks and responsibilities. And it may get harder unless we seek it out in new ways, again and again.

When we wrote a summary of our Creative Highways Project on our website prior to our trip, we described our purpose as "searching for the last bastions of Americana." What does this mean, and is Americana really disappearing? I believe our search uncovered more than a yes or no answer to this question.

In essence, Americana is reinvented every day in this country through greasy diner culture, RVs crawling along precarious precipices, 5 cent coffee in Wall Drug, SD, being recommended a live reggae event by a Japanese sushi chef in Boulder, Colorado, and streaming indie rock via satellite radio in the middle of the Utah desert. Americana is a clash of tradition and contemporary artifacts and associations. It is at the same time disappearing as it is being recreated.

What does Americana mean for each of us? Where is that sacred space of nostalgic national identity we each hold in our hearts? For us, we searched for the "last bastions" of Americana but found, in many ways we did not expect, that Americana is alive and well. We found it exists for the collective as well as within our own individual experiences. So, it is what you see outside your car window, or from a high mountain trail, and how you see it in your heart and mind simultaneously.

Americana is the essence of all great traditions, fads, oddities, rituals, songs, poems, vistas, highways, and ideas that make up this great country, all rolled into one word. Americana is what we make it, and it's always there to experience whenever we want.

For now, we see it every morning when we look out our farmhouse windows at the mist shrouded hills of Pennsylvania. We find it around a table at an Irish pub, passing the guitar, and swapping stories and songs. We hear it in the strains of church bells floating up the road, and taste it at our favorite Mexican taco joint, with all the 'fixins.

We found it on the road, and we discover it again and again right here at home.

Thanks to all our friends that greeted us along our route this July - you are our Americana, and our true inspirations!

Creative Highways: The Last Leg

2009-08-05T14:55:00.002-04:00

We are sad to have our road trip come to a close. We have seen many joys and beautiful things and people; we even had our endurance tested to a certain extent, living out of a Honda Fit for a month. It was surprisingly easy and simple. The simplicity of it all is something we will take with us back into domestic life. Paired-down meals, living quarters, and belongings have reminded us that living with only the bare necessities can enrich our lives and teach many lessons. We are better able to live in the present moment, without being bogged down by petty busywork and material items that we really don't need. This is just one of the many gifts this trip has bestowed upon us.

Here is a selection of images from the last few days of our Northwestern road trip for the summer of 2009:

Sadie has now settled in to her spot in the car. She naps as we drive for hours, occasionally poking her head up front to check in. She's a seasoned traveler, and knows when it's time to rest, and when it's time to play.

A stop at Shoshone Falls State Park in Twin Falls, Idaho to meet up with our friend, Katie. It was blazing hot down on the Snake River plain in Southern Idaho, but it was great to see my old roommate and friend (though I'm still kicking myself for not getting a photo of the two of us!).

Elegant Aspen and Lupine greet us on our way through the Manti-La Sal National Forest and Joe's Valley in central Utah.

Joe's Valley also affords fun bouldering opportunities along the San Raphael River. Ryan makes a move on this river-side boulder. The water was the coldest of all the Northwestern creeks and rivers we visited. As desert-hot as it was that day, we couldn't manage to get in past our feet.

Larissa traverses another boulder down the way.

At our bouldering spot, Ryan performs our ritual of car cooking that we did so many times during the month. Just pick a spot along the road, pull out the camp stove, and go to work. On the menu that morning: Migas, a Tex-Mex concoction of eggs, corn tortilla, salsa, and cheese.

Along Highway 70 in Utah - not how rest stops look in Pennsylvania.

Then, it was on to Colorful Colorado! We drove over Loveland Pass, one of the highest paved drivable passes in North America at 11,990 feet in altitude.

In Boulder, we completed our long-lost search for a sushi roll we ate 9 years ago, when we were first dating and Ryan was attending Colorado Mountain College. We found it at Sushi Zanmai: the Green Hornet Roll - still the most delicious roll we've ever had. We were extremely pleased that our memories had preserved the experience of eating that roll so precisely. We had a grand time drinking Katana sake and talking with our friendly sushi chef. Larissa also had a delicious sake cucumber martini. We finished the evening with live reggae down the street at the Draft House. It was our last big hoorah on our amazing trip.

Larissa and Ryan savor the last moments of their road trip trail running and hiking near Loveland Pass in Colorado. See you next time, Rockies!

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Coming up: Closing Remarks from our grand American tour!

Creative Highways: This Is What Sand Makes Our Dog Do

2009-08-05T14:02:00.001-04:00

On the Salmon River, camping in central Idaho on our road trip, our dog Sadie neurotically dug hole after hole in the sand at our camp spot. Every day she got up, stretched and "got back to work" on her holes - important work to be done. If only our daily tasks were so simple and focused!

See her in action:

Creative Highways: Video Recap

2009-07-30T13:13:00.004-04:00

The following is a selection of the many videos we took along our 7414 miles during our Creative Highways project. They can't possible capture everything we saw, but they do show how many different things we experienced along the way:

DRIVING HIGHLIGHTS:
This first video is a montage of many video clips combined into one video of highlights, showcasing the great variety of geography we crossed. I think it demonstrates the vast and diverse beauty of our country (song credit: "Scare Easy" by Mudcrutch. This song became the soundtrack to our trip). Can anyone identify where some of these places are?:

THE THREE ELEMENTS OF ROAD TRIPPING: WATER, AIR, MUSIC

WATER:

Underwater in Warm Spring Creek, near Bonneville hot springs, Idaho:

Sadie braves the gnar on Gedney Creek in central Idaho:

Soaking in Glenwood Springs Pool, a commercial hot springs pool, Glenwood Springs, CO. It was a gorgeous evening, and we noticed how mellow the crowd at a public hot springs pool is compared to those typical at public chlorine pools - ah, the magic of geothermal - so relaxing after a day of driving!:

AIR:

At 8000 ft. in elevation in central Idaho, along the Seven Devils Mountain Range, Sadie (our dog) and I (Larissa) stopped after hiking and running the Narrows trail to take this video:

Sadie hikes at around 8,500 ft. along the Titus Lake trail near the Sawtooth Mountain Range in central Idaho:

MUSIC:

Salsa Celtica performs in Hailey, Sun Valley, Idaho. An interesting mix of salsa and traditional Celtic music. We had lots of fun hanging out with the people of Sun Valley and our friends, Hallie and Julia. Check out the crazy dancers in this video:

And live reggae at the Draft House in Boulder, Colorado. This was recommended to us by our sushi chef at the great Sushi Zanmai. Just one night in a fun town and you never know what you'll get into:

Coming up next: the last photos from our trip, and some closing remarks.

Creative Highways: Our Own Private Idaho

2009-07-22T12:24:00.000-04:00

In the entire state of Idaho, there are only 1,523,816 people. That's an average of 18 people per square mile. It's hard to want to share this "gem" of a state with others who think it's only potato fields, but here's a sneak peek at our 8 days of camping and seeing old friends in Central and Southern Idaho. How sensational to be able to turn our cell phones and computers off for 8 straight days - definitely no cell service where we were headed:

Our journey from Moscow, Idaho on Sunday, July 11 began with a night camping on Gedney Creek just off the remote and beautiful Selway River. I had camped and hiked the trail before and wanted to find the spot again. We hiked, Ryan fished, and we swam in the chilly, roaring mountain creek.

Selway River, Idaho

Selway Falls, Selway River, Idaho

The next day was spent camping along the nearby Lochsa River and soaking at Weir Creek hot springs along Highway 12. We were pleased to find a lively and hospitable group of young people already soaking, with which we swapped wine, beer, and stories of our travels (we represented Pennsylvania, Montana, and Minnesota). Idaho hot springs have their own subculture, attracting bucolic bon vivants of all backgrounds seeking one thing only: that geothermal wonder pouring out of the earth, bubbling over rocks, filling up pools, and warming the senses in a way no domestic bath can (see the photo below from Bonneville hot springs).

Ryan fishing on the Lochsa River

The next stop was three nights on our favorite river in the world, the Salmon River. We had our own private beach on which to camp, and spent a good part of the day swimming, reading in hammocks, and playing frisbee with Sadie.

Our camp spot on the Salmon

The Salmon River canyon is the second deepest in North America next to the Snake River, which also traverses Idaho. You can't tell from the bottom, but the canyon extends up and out for miles and miles.

Sadie loved our time on the Salmon, leash and worry free!

An abstract of Sadie from underwater

On one of the days along the Salmon, we met up with our friend Mark and drove up to the Seven Devils Mountain range just West of Riggins, ID. Sadie and I drove up as high as we could drive to revisit a trail called the Narrows, which extends along a ridge overlooking Hells and Salmon canyons on either side. We ran, hiked, spooked a bull elk, and enjoyed the beautiful wild flowers scattered about the slopes and meadows. The Seven Devils range is always a sight to behold.

The Seven Devils

Meanwhile, Mark and Ryan climbed at a nearby crag. I eventually joined them and had fun watching Ryan jug up the rope with his camera so he could get some shots of Mark in action.

Ryan loves this stuff

One of Ryan's shots of Mark climbing. Mark is an excellent climber, so it was easy for Ryan to get the shots he wanted.

On Friday, July 17, we said goodbye to the Salmon (that was tough) and made our way down through McCall, Idaho, and along the South Fork of the Payette River. We camped at Bonneville hot springs and enjoyed a wonderful evening soak.

Larissa enjoys the kind of serenity only found in the wilds of Idaho

The next day we headed further East along the Sawtooth Mountain range. We stopped in Stanley, Idaho for breakfast, where they were having their busiest weekend of the year, what with their archery and craft shows going on at the same time!

Our car, which has now traveled close to 5,000 miles on this trip, with the Sawtooths looming beyond

We continued on toward Sun Valley to stay with our friend, Hallie (in Hailey, Idaho, to be specific). On the way, we stopped for some trail running and hiking along the Titus Lake trail, near Galena summit. Sadie enjoyed chasing rocks and swimming in the mountain lake.

Titus Lake is nestled in the mountains along a beautiful trail

Larissa and Hallie in Hailey, Idaho, reunited after 6 years! We stayed at her house overnight and enjoyed catching up and going to the park to see a live salsa/scottish band called Salsa Celtica (I was skeptical at first of this combo of genres, but they were quite good...video updates from this concert to come).

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

After a wonderful stay in one of our favorite former home states, we said goodbye to Idaho and moved South to Utah, where our adventures continued. Stay tuned for more video and photo updates!

Creative Highways: Morels and Old Friends in Moscow, Idaho

2009-07-20T02:54:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, July 9, Ryan, Sadie and I crossed the Washington/Idaho border and drove up the Lewiston, Idaho grade to our old town of Moscow. For me it had been since 2004 that I had visited this place; for Ryan, since 2003, when he graduated from the University of Idaho. We both were very quiet, except for the occasional sigh of, "Wow," from one of us, as we drove into town and past familiar locales and scenery. Over the course of the next 3 days, we observed how many memories from Moscow were locked away and could only surface by being back there. It was fun to reminisce about the early years of our relationship, having moved out to Idaho without ever seeing it before, taking a big leap together, and accepting the place for all its foibles and charms.

We were able to appreciate the area with new eyes this time around, and we left knowing that we will return to this place again and again.

Sadie was born and adopted in Moscow. Here she is surveying her old stomping grounds at Philips Farm just outside of town.

I worked at the U. of Idaho Early Childcare Center during our two years in Moscow. Here I am pictured with a family I was close to. The eight-year-old to my far left was 3 when I left. The strangest part of it all was how she didn't remember me, but also how quickly we all became friends again.

We were able to make a quick stop to see my old colleague Stacey, her husband, Jeff, and puppy Gracie.

We stayed with friends Leanne and Mark during our visit, and were greeted with hand picked and battered morel mushrooms, freshly caught fish, and plenty of wine and beer!

On Saturday morning, we made sure to make a stop at one of our favorite haunts from our Moscow days: the expansive farmers market.

Moscow is situated on the Palouse Prairie, a very unique landscape, and just on the edge of the Bitterroot Mountains. We had a picnic on Moscow Mountain on Saturday evening and caught the Palouse in all its glory just as the sun was going down.

Ryan aims to get the perfect shot.

That's the one.

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Soon to come: updates about camping for 5 nights in the wilds of Idaho, and meeting up with old friends in Central and Southern Idaho before moving on to Utah!

Creative Highways: Climbing at Smith Rock and Walla Walla Wineries

2009-07-11T17:39:00.001-04:00

With heavy hearts we said goodbye to friends Kendra and Adam (and their dog, Jake) on Wednesday, July 8, and turned our backs toward the West coast and headed East. It's always hard to know that you have already reached your furthest point West, but thankfully we have much left to explore out here. Our first stop on the other side of the Cascades was Smith Rock, one of our country's rock climbing meccas, where we spent the afternoon climbing and hiking through the beautiful Crooked River canyon. We found a great camp spot for the night, and enjoyed cooking and socializing with the long-term campers and climbing bums at the bivouac camp ground at Smith.

Smith Rock with Mount Jefferson of the Cascade Range in the background

Sagebrush feathers the landscape along the Crooked River canyon

Smith Rock and the aptly-named Crooked River

Our camp spot overlooking Smith Rock and the desert sky

The following day, on the way to Moscow, ID, our old Idaho hometown, we stopped through Walla Walla, WA to visit two wineries, L'Ecole Nº 41 and Three Rivers Winery. It was fun to explore, albeit briefly, an area we have never spent much time in, nor associated with good wines.

L'Ecole Nº 41, our first winery stop, features beautiful architecture and decor

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Coming soon: photos and updates about our three days in Moscow, ID, as well as from the Lochsa, Selway and Salmon River Regions of mountainous central Idaho, where we will be camping and hotspringing for the next week. We will be off the map now for about 8 days, but we will post updates as soon as we can - maybe we'll find some random free wifi somewhere. You never know these days!

Creative Highways: Newts, Dunes, and Sasquatch Sightings on the Oregon Coast

2009-07-08T01:38:00.000-04:00

Since this past Friday, July 3, we have been spending marvelous, long days with our dear friends, Kendra, Adam, and their dog, Jake. We arrived in Corvallis, Oregon on Friday afternoon, where Kendra and Adam currently live. Both are originally from West Virginia, but are now spending a few years in Corvallis while Kendra gets her Masters. Since they don't live in the next state over from ours anymore, it was quite a pleasure to reunite once again.

We spent the Fourth of July weekend camping along the Oregon Coast, sampling local beers (mostly Rogue brewery), eating seafood, hiking along the dunes and coastal forests, and having long coffee and chatting sessions every morning. It was a wonderful time with old, great friends.

Here is a sampling of the fun times we had:

Sadie loves digging along the sea shore. She chases rocks we throw to her, then digs them into holes and finds them again.

Sadie waits with bated breath as Adam prepares to launch a rock down the shore.

Fishery doorway in the bay of Newport, Oregon

Local beers and fresh seafood at Local Ocean Seafoods in Newport, OR after two days of camping.

Adam, Kendra, Larissa, and Ryan in Newport, OR

Sasquatch sighting in Newport!
Warning: this video may contain images that will shock and awe.

Our hike near the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area south of Florence, OR. The trail started at our campground and wound through dunes, forests, the beach, and a freshwater lake.

Rough skinned newt along our hiking path

Ryan's self portrait in the Oregon coastal woods

Big Trees, Little People

Kendra, Larissa, and Sadie fly and skip down a dune leading to Three Mile Lake, just off the beach - so many diverse ecosystems on this hike.

Larissa, Ryan, and Sadie on the Oregon Coast

Kendra hiking on the trail leading to the beach

Larissa and Kendra in the dunes

The dunes encroaching upon the forest

Adam and the tidal pools along the coast

Cliffs and coves along the beautiful Pacific coast

Kendra, Adam and Jake relax at our camp spot.

A tough decision at Rogue Brewery in Newport, OR

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Tomorrow's adventure: say goodbye to Kendra, Adam, and Jake, and on to Smith Rock near Redmond, OR for some climbing and camping. Then, on to Moscow, Idaho, our old hometown for a few days!

Video Update

2009-07-04T14:13:00.001-04:00

Here is just a quick video update of our recent travels. The first is of Sadie crossing the border into Idaho, her home state. The second is of us driving along the Columbia River Gorge approaching Mount Hood yesterday on our way to Corvallis.

Today we're on our way to the Oregon Coast for a few days of camping with friends. Happy Independence Day!

Creative Highways: Storms, Windy Tents, and Mountain Peaks

2009-07-03T02:29:00.000-04:00

After two days "off the map", we are shacked up in a motel in Baker City, Oregon - a bit off course from our original plan (which was to go through Bend on our way to Corvallis, OR), but we got a little behind so we are taking the fast track to Corvallis.

Here is a sampling of all the amazing things we've seen during the past 3 days. We've covered so much ground, it's become a bit of a blur, so let's review:

The Badlands of South Dakota:

Bighorn Sheep

Picnicking in the Badlands

Ryan's self portrait near our picnic site
(tilt shift lens extravaganza)

Big Horn National Forest, Wyoming:

Our campsite by Crazy Woman Creek

Don't let this serene scene fool you;
we slept through extremely high winds and rain that night.

Yellowstone National Park:

West Thumb Geyser Pools in Yellowstone

Geothermal activity flowing straight into Yellowstone Lake

Teton National Park:

This was taken from our camp ground - a beautiful sunset over Jackson Lake;
once again, we awoke to a thunderstorm and rain at 5 a.m.

A stop in Pocatello, ID to see our friend, Christina, her cute house, and cute dogs:

Marley and Obe keep cool in the yard

Another terrific Western storm on our way across Southern Idaho

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Tomorrow's adventure: Corvallis, Oregon and July 4th weekend on the Oregon Coast!

Creative Highways: South Dakota Sunsets and Jolly Green Giants

2009-06-30T00:53:00.002-04:00

(posted by Larissa)

As I stood beneath the looming shadow of the Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth, Minnesota, I observed the soothing flow of traffic on I-90 several yards away, and the cars slowly pulling in and out of the Dairy Queen parking lot across from the neatly trimmed lawns of Jolly Green's domicile. After months of anticipation, I knew in that moment that we had finally reached what Ryan so aptly describes in the current intro on our website as the "space in between."

It is this liminality that makes road trips so salient to our personal experiences as individuals and as a couple. We have officially and successfully separated ourselves from the doldrums of our day-to-day, our to-do lists, appointments, and social obligations. I am not implying that our lives are hard to bear by any means. But we realize how hard it can be for us, as members of our society, to truly travel/move/flee from our daily routines. It is the space in between that one must find from time to time that speaks to and galvanizes our lives when we are living our "normal" everyday existences. And the further and longer we travel from the routine into the space in between, the more cogent the effects will be on our well-beings.

In the following photos, we narrate the voices of Americana that we have been discovering along the way - those ironic, iconic, and campy artifacts of our lives as humans in this country.

Jolly Green beholds his vast prairie empire in Blue Earth.

Always seek a different perspective.

What defines a man?

The roadways of America are a clash of kitschy tourism and vacant businesses.

"Ben Biking" greets motorists just off I-90 in Sparta, Wisconsin, the bicycle capitol of the world.

Snack time at the Love's truck stop in Wisconsin where we ran into travelers from Chambersburg, PA, a town just 30 minutes from our own...all we could say was, "Small world!"

All there is left to do now is drive off into the sunset...

A South Dakota honky-tonk sunset

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Tomorrow's adventure: The Badlands of South Dakota, Wall Drug, SD, Devil's Tower in Eastern Wyoming, and camping in Bighorn National Forest in central WY!

Creative Highways: Cleveland and Chicagoland

2009-06-29T08:58:00.002-04:00

Our trip has begun! We pulled out of our driveway at approximately 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 28 and drove away from our cozy abode. It felt strange to be leaving a place we always used to travel long distances to visit. Now, it is our home and (most likely) permanent dwelling place, so this time we take to the open road not to go home, but to test our mettle at traversing the open highways of our country again. We take to the open road to make sure we aren't getting too comfortable at home.

The trip yesterday was very smooth, and we were even able to make a last minute stop in Cleveland to see our friend, Kathryn, who we had not seen in 3 years. We had a nice salad lunch, ate gourmet chocolate that Kathryn gave us as a gift, and walked down to Lake Erie for a few minutes while our dog played in the whitecaps lapping the shore.

Kathryn's apartment

Sadie in Lake Erie - she loves road trips!

Kathryn and Larissa
(all photos © Chace + Smith Photography)

Outside of Cleveland, and headed out into the plains of the mid-West, we hit some wind gusts that sent our gas mileage plummeting. Our Honda Fit normally gets excellent mileage for a non-hybrid, but since we have a roof box the winds seemed to grab it and push us in the other direction.

We arrived safely in Chicago at my best friend, Emily's, apartment around 8 p.m. last night after a long day of driving. We had a lovely dinner with her and her boyfriend, Jon, at Hopleaf Bar (mussels, wine, craft-brewed beer, yum) - and then went straight to bed!

The open road is like a long-lost friend you forgot you had. Once you are finally with it, you realize how much you missed it. Ryan and my relationship began on the road, so when we return to it, it stirs up memories and emotions from almost a decade ago. With your dog and spouse as your only companions, and your car, packed to the hilt, containing only possessions you truly need, one can't help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction and exhilaration at what lies ahead.

Today, we head to the Badlands of South Dakota...

Creative Highways Project 2009 Itinerary!

2009-06-22T18:11:00.004-04:00

It's official, folks! The trip itinerary for our Creative Highways Project 2009 has been published. It is, of course, subject to change on a whim (we may make a left turn instead of a right way out there in the desert), but we will certainly be keeping you updated on our stops and photos along the way. Here is a summary of our trip:

June 28 – depart Mercersburg, PA for Chicago, IL to stay with Larissa’s best friend, Emily Adair Peterson. Urban fun, Vespa rides, perhaps a stop at The Hideout - and dinner out.

June 29 – Chicago, IL to Kadoka, SD, the gateway to the Badlands National Park and Wall Drug, both common stops on our past trips West.

June 30 – Kadoka, SD through the Badlands, and on to Bighorn National Forest, WY. Though not yet in the “Rockies”, this recreational area rises straight out of the central Wyoming plains and offers beautiful and dramatic vistas and higher elevation relief from the heat below. We’ve camped there before and love everything from the drive up to the explorations above.

July 1 – Bighorn through Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone in the summer is a bit much to take. We can only take the bumper to bumper traffic through a wildlife area for so long - try it in the winter, it's glorious!), and on to Grand Teton National Park for more camping. The Tetons take our breath away.

July 2 – Breakfast in trendy Jackson, WY, then a drive to Bend, OR (via Pocatello, Twin Falls, and Boise, ID). Don't know if we'll have time to stop off for some climbing at Smith Rock, but it would be sweet. We were there in the fall before, though, so it might be a bit toasty to climb there in July.

July 3 – Bend, OR to Corvallis, OR to stay with friends, Kendra and Adam. Their dog, Jake, just had knee surgery, so even though he and our dog, Sadie, love to play, we'll have to make sure they only have so much fun! Kendra and Adam moved out to Oregon last fall so that Kendra could attend Oregon State University's graduate geology program. We're excited to see where they've been shacking up for the past year.

July 4-5 – Celebrating our furthest point West and our nation’s naissance on the Oregon Coast with Kendra and Adam. Mmmm, the misty Pacific sea cliffs, a camp fire on the beach, wine, the dogs, good friends - nothing like it!

July 6-7 – Bumming around Corvallis and Vicinity - hangin' with the dogs and Kendra and Adam.

July 8 – Corvallis to Walla Walla, WA for some wineries and Palouse Falls.

July 9 – Walla Walla, WA to Moscow, ID, our old Idaho hometown, where we lived from 2001-2003! We will spend two nights staying in downtown Moscow and visiting old haunts such as John’s Alley, the Moscow Food Coop, friends, University of Idaho (Ryan's alma mater and Larissa's former employer), etc.

July 9-11 – Moscow, ID and Vicinity

July 11-13 – Moscow to Lochsa and Selway River regions for hotspringing, camping, and general no-man’s-land-ing.

July 13-15 – Lochsa/Selway area to Riggins, ID for camping on the white sand beaches of the Salmon River, our favorite river in the world! You get a whole beach to yourself! Hope to find French Creek hot springs way up along the canyon walls where we went for Ryan’s birthday in 2003.

July 15 – Riggins, ID to the South Fork of the Payette River near Lowman, ID. More hot springs and beautiful vistas of the Sawtooth Mountain Range await! Just the drive alone is gorgeous.

July 16 – To Redfish Lake, the furthest point East that salmon swimming from the Pacific Ocean along the Colombia River travel - a gorgeous lake near Stanley, ID, nestled along the Sawtooth Mountain Range.

July 17 – Redfish Lake, through the Sawtooths, south through the Snake River plain of Idaho, and on to Provo, UT for a motel, clean-up, and gearing up for more camping.

July 18-20 – Provo to Joe’s Valley in the Manti-La Sal Mountains, and the San Rafael River - a climbing and bouldering mecca and a place we remember loving to camp – gorgeous.

July 20-22 – Joe’s Valley to Moab, UT area for some explorations of Arches National Park and the Canyon Lands.

July 22 – Moab to Boulder, CO in search of the Green Hornet sushi roll, which we ate there way back in 2000 (our first year together). We think we might be able to find it here. Will it taste as good now as it did then?

July 23 – Boulder to St. Louis , MO – we’re truckin’ now, haulin' home.

July 24 – St. Louis to Mercersburg, PA - home at last!

Click here for an interactive map of our trip.

Creative Highways Project 2009!

2009-06-12T08:59:00.004-04:00

We have a wonderful trip on the horizon! Starting on June 28, we will be packing up our Honda Fit and driving from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania to the Oregon Coast in 5 days, followed by several weeks of touring through Washington, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado, and many points in between. From 2001-2003, Ryan and I lived in Moscow, Idaho, so this is our chance to return to one of our hometowns with our dog in tow (she was born and adopted out there), as well as explore some of our favorite haunts and new vistas along the way.

Though a personal trip in its majority (this was going to be our honeymoon 3 years ago, but we went to Maine instead), we will be using this opportunity for business purposes as well. Ryan is very excited to get back out to the Wild West and take photographs of all the wonderful things we'll see along the way.

The simple nature of driving across the country will allow us to step away from our daily logistics and focus on a few small tasks each day: drive, stop, take pictures, explore, drive, stop, camp, get up, drive, stop, etc. Our creativity will be re-energized as the artifacts of Americana and open highways of this land unfold before us. Some we have seen before during our many trips across the country while we lived in Idaho and Texas, and many we will look at with new eyes. Others will be new to us, but all will be stimulus for our creativity. Whether as inspiration for a new collection of photographs, or some new songs for Larissa's band, we are so excited to be able to spend four weeks outside our office, home, and town, and get out and explore our beautiful country.

We plan to document our trip on this blog, as well as our photography business blog, Playing Work. We hope you will check back periodically to watch our progress and see some of the beautiful photographs Ryan will be taking.

We're making our travel itinerary now, so we'll keep you posted as things develop.

May your summer travels be gleeful and creative!

Good Life Project: where does my blog stand?

2009-05-31T17:14:00.006-04:00

Dear Readers,

I have been thinking about this blog as of late, and how I see it fitting into my life at the moment. Sometimes I wonder if I should dissolve it; my priorities have shifted and I find I have less time to really sit down and write. I originally started the blog (in April 2007) as a creative outlet for myself during the time when my husband and I first started our photography business. He was the photographer, and I was the manager, so I wanted to make sure I was able to have a way to express my self as well. Now I have a band, which has been one of my dreams for a long time, and has thus taken a higher rung on the ladder than my writing.

When I look back on my first several posts, I am reminded of the inspirations for starting the Good Life Project:

"New Beginnings": this introductory post highlighted my simple goal of living a good life and what it might mean to do so (it means something different to everyone).

Over the past 2 years (wow, my blog is 2 years old!), I have discussed everything from fears:
"What I am afraid of admitting I'm afraid of"

to celebrations:
"Today I find Inspiration in Everything"

to more existential narratives:
"I Want to Matter (The Anthropology of Living)"

I feel that I have consistently stayed on course with my theme of living a good life, and writing this blog has given me many peaceful moments of introspection, as well as the chance to make some new friends!

So the big question now is, what does this blog mean to you?
Should I keep writing, or should I dissolve it? Are we all too busy to connect via blogs anymore?

Please, if you have never or rarely commented, now is your time to let me know what you think about the Good Life Project. I would like to get an idea about the role my blog plays in your lives. After all, why else do people post their thoughts on the internet except to connect with other people and get feedback (well, that's why I do it anyway)?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Here's to a good life,
Larissa

Long Time No Blog

2009-05-15T16:28:00.001-04:00

Friends,

I have not been blogging as often as I'd like, and I am sorry for the inconsistent posts. I have no other excuses aside from having a band, an arts council, and a business to run.

Tonight, I will join many other area teams in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in Greencastle, PA. I am on a team with my husband's mother, aunt, and several other friends and family members. It is very important to me to participate in this event. Our team usually raises around $10,000 for cancer research, so you can imagine how much money is raised by all the teams combined, just from our one local event! Though I cannot spend as much time on raising money throughout the year as I'd like - the Arts Council takes up a big portion of my volunteer time - I love being able to participate, walk the track, and see everyone out supporting a good cause. It is always fun, emotional, and well worth it!

I plan to write more often, so I'll see you back here soon!

Please read and rate my business story!

2009-04-23T22:02:00.001-04:00

Hello friends,

I have written a story about my husband's and my business, Chace + Smith Photography for a contest to win a small business grant (up to $25,000!). With your help, we could get the attention of the judges who will make the final decision. Please follow this link to vote and leave comments. The story won't take long to read (in fact, I would have liked to have had more of a space allowance). We would really appreciate your help. A grant would mean a lot to our relatively new and blossoming business!

http://community.intuit.com/contests/cPtqO8lR4r3QVhacfA8pyY

Many thanks!

Why I Am Not at Home On a Plane

2009-04-17T14:51:00.016-04:00

What is home to you?

I am a nervous flyer. That is to say, I am now, in my late 20s, a nervous flyer. I have flown my whole life, with company or by myself, with confidence and ease of mind. When I was a toddler, my family lived in Norway, flying often across the ocean and around Europe. Then, when I was ten, we moved to France for a year. I remember those plane rides more vividly, and while I may have experienced some air sickness, I never felt afraid for my life.

Now, some 19 years later, I have developed a fear I cannot explain. I recently flew back to Austin, TX, where I recently lived for 4 years. It had been over 3 years since I had flown, and while it was unacceptable NOT to take the flight, since it meant going somewhere fun and exciting, I was, nonetheless, apprehensive about how the experience would be. It's hard not to build something up in your head that you are afraid of if you haven't done it in some time.

I worked hard with my acupuncturist in the weeks prior to my trip to try and discover where these feelings might originate. One concept that came to light was my strong allegiance to "home." By this, I mean "home" in the literal sense, but also the visceral sense. Home is grounded, safe, and full of personal meaning. It can be in multiple places, and with various people. For instance, Austin is one of my homes, and so is Mercersburg, PA, Highland Lake, Moscow, ID, and Bainbridge, NY. Home means being with my loved ones, my husband, my dog. Home means having two feet on solid ground.

"Home" is not careening through the air at 30,000 feet.

My fear generates partially from the idea of "leaving" home, whether physically (i.e. getting in a plane and going somewhere far away) or figuratively (i.e. well...dying, and having to leave everything I know behind forever). Getting on a plane opens up the possibility for both. Of course, part of my fear is irrational, and I realize this, but it makes it no less potent and real experientially.

Another element that ties into my need for "home" is the idea of buoyancy. Think about the saying, "I feel light as a feather." I immediately picture Charlie Bucket and Grandpa Joe drinking "fizzy lifting drinks" and floating merrily up, up, up! The saying has positive connotations; it means you are happy, free-spirited, and unaffected by the trials of the world.

But buoyancy can also involve feeling so disconnected or untethered to any sense of "home" that you actually experience vertigo (picture that spinning fan at the top of the ceiling that suddenly turns Charlie and Grandpa Joe's experience into a nightmare). This is how I feel on a plane. If the pilot has to lower the plane in altitude to avoid turbulence, for instance, I easily lose my sense of groundedness and control, and mentally feel afraid that something is wrong with the plane (i.e. we're "going down"). Not a pleasant feeling. There is a reason I don't ride on roller coasters either. I have never enjoyed feeling like my stomach is in my throat. If only I could just burp away the fear, Willy Wonka style!

My recent flight experience ended up being somewhat fine, and somewhat distressing. On the way to Austin, I was determined to make flying a positive experience and focused on my reverence for the amazing flying machine in which I sat. I venerated the mechanical precision of the wings and engines, and the miraculous buoyancy of this gargantuan contraption. In those rational moments, I knew that planes are built to be in the air, and are actually safer when in flight, and that air travel is the safest form of travel. The return flight, on the other hand, was a bit bumpy, and I was faced with having to admit to myself the reality of my fear. Looking out the window, travel-weary from our crazy week in Austin, I just wanted the flight to be over and to be safe on solid ground, to regroup, and continue to work on this new fear of mine. Luckily my sister was with me, and handles flying quite well. It was nice to have her reassurance when the plane would make sudden dips in the sky.

My goal in working on this fear is to achieve a "buoyancy balance" (catchy, huh?), wherein I am rooted in self-control, mental ease, and confidence, but have a lightness in spirit, and a bounce in my step. This concept is helpful in everyday life, as well as in addressing any of the fears we may experience, whether they are ingrained or new ones surfacing without warning. Hopefully, I will achieve some balance with my fear of flying. After all, I have a lot of traveling left to do!

Do you ever feel like your "buoyancy" is unbalanced? Have you experienced new fears as you grow older that you never did before? What gives you a sense of "home"?

Photo Shoot for The Hello Strangers

2009-03-21T21:01:00.003-04:00

I am really excited about the recent photo shoot my sister and I did with my husband for our band, The Hello Strangers. I am cross-referencing a blog post from my husband's and my photography business blog, Playing Work. Ryan describes the details and processes from the shoot. He also asks for opinions about black and white photos versus color. We'd love to hear your opinions!!

My sister and I are recording with the band all this weekend. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

I have learned over the years that being a photographer is not just about taking pretty pictures, but more importantly is about solving problems. It could be said that I am not really a photographer, but a problem solver who figures out the necessary steps to complete a photograph. Some photos come easily, while others may involve various equations that must first be interpreted before the image can be captured.

I’m not talking about calculus here . . . I’m talking about problems like how I am going to get power out to the middle of a field, or what type of light I am going to create that will best tell the story I want to tell.

Larissa and her sister have a band called The Hello Strangers. They are an alternative country band and have a very distinct sound combining beautiful harmonies, fantastic melodies, and, often-times, haunting lyrics. You may think I am biased because Larissa is my wife, but I have a feeling if you listen to their music or see them live you won’t be able to disagree with me.

Last weekend, weeks of brainstorming and planning came together for a few hours of creativity and photography for The Hello Strangers. Brechyn, Larissa’s sister, arrived at 4 p.m. with makeup done and wardrobe in hand. Earlier in the day I had picked up the retro chair from her apartment and borrowed a 5000 watt generator from my Dad. While Larissa and Brechyn finished getting ready I loaded up the camera, strobes, light stands, sandbags, chair, generator, ladder, props and beer into my trusty old Nissan Pathfinder.

As soon as they were ready, we loaded up three very special dogs and the remaining props and caravanned back the lane and into the field about 1/2 a mile from the house. Nestled in the middle of a tall patch of grass, we started by creating our set. Once we had the chair and small table in position, Larissa and Brechyn stepped in. We shot for about 15 minutes with natural light before setting up the strobes. A front moved in just as we were beginning the shoot, and a cold, damp wind blew across the set, causing Larissa and Brechyn to tense up and look very cold in the photos. They warmed up in the car with some beer while I set up my preconceived light formation and cranked up the generator. After a few tests, I was ready to go and they took their positions on set while the 3 dogs were busy working on finding something to eat.

Having the dogs along creates a fun, but slightly chaotic obstacle
Larissa and Brechyn try to tame the chaos

We shot quickly because the temperature was dropping, the wind was picking up, a few sprinkles were beginning to fall, and one of the dogs disappeared. Not the best circumstances to shoot in, but we knew we wanted a cold winter feeling to the images so it worked perfectly.

I knew we had the shot so we quickly packed all the equipment back into the vehicles as the rain came down. Once we were back at the house and had located the missing canine, we began to setup for the second half of our shoot. Although I am primarily a location shooter, I love shooting in a controlled studio environment from time to time. Brechyn had the idea of doing a shot of their boots lined up in a row with the two of them on each end. We wanted this to be a square format for the possibility of being the cover of their next record so we had to exclude a few pair of boots. I played with the light until I had the look we wanted and then took a series of shots with boots in different positions and the girls in different colored skirts. Once we had the shot, we decided to improvise a little and shoot close-ups of the instruments and some details of the Hohner Accordion that is featured occasionally in the band's repertoire.

The total production time for the day came out to be about 7 hours and in this time we were able to capture some fantastic images. These are the kind of shoots that I absolutely love to do. Not only do I get to photograph and collaborate with two beautiful, talented women, I also get to fully exercise my problem solving abilities to create intriguing, polished images.

Below are a few shots from the The Hello Strangers photo shoot. These were originally intended to be in color, but after some thought, I decided to see what they looked like in black and white.

Here's where you come in: What’s your opinion? Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about the images in general, as well as which versions, either color or black and white, you like better.

Happy Problem Solving!

Livin' the Honky Tonk Life In Yankee Territory

2009-03-04T15:49:00.009-05:00

I have been meaning to write this post for several weeks, but ever since my sister and I performed this past weekend at a Hank Williams Tribute in Baltimore, I am even more inspired to do so.

What does it mean to live a Honky Tonk life? More and more, I find that it is a good description for the ideology under which I live. While Honky Tonk means many things to many people, I thought it would be fun to parcel out what it means to me, particularly after living for 4 years in Austin, Texas and 2 years in Idaho. There is a unique sense of freedom to be found in these parts of the country that is quite different from living in the Northeast. Don't mistake my pride for these areas as somehow trumping my love for my Yankee roots (though I was born in the South, in North Carolina). But I have found ways in which to live in the blue-blooded North, while still celebrating the lifestyle of the great open spaces, honky tonk bars, and raging rivers.

Here are some Honky Tonk guidelines:

Smile and tip your hat at people you pass, particularly if they look doleful and cross. It might make them feel special, and it'll make you feel even more cheerful.
Kick up your heels and dance, hoot, and holler. Northerners sometimes have trouble with this one, so show 'em how it's done!
A little gluttony goes a long way. My husband, sister, and her boyfriend get our kicks by hiking with our dogs 2 miles over to a local biker bar on the top of a mountain ridge, drinking 3 pitchers of beer, playing some pool, putting some Merle Haggard on the jukebox, eating some wings, and hiking the two miles back. You can walk off your buzz, view some beautiful vistas, and have tons of fun!
Lighten up! No one is going to take you as seriously as you are. Your happiness is just a shift in perspective away.
No matter your race, creed, or sexuality (this is the Austin version of Honky Tonk), every person (and animal!) on this earth deserves fair treatment. Unless you are buying the next round, stay out of people's damn business and let them have their rights!
Avoid turning up your nose at people; it just makes you ugly. And it only means you're uncomfortable with yourself.
Don't fence yourself in. Try something new and uncomfortable. Add some spice to your life; put some color in your cheeks! Experience it for what it is, and you'll wake up the next day glad that you did it. I was terrified before our performance at the Hank Williams show because we hadn't practiced with the house band until we walked up on stage in front of 200 people. But once we were in the midst of the performance, I was so focused and enjoyed every second of it.
Do things for the joy of it! Every day is a blessing, and we live in a fascinating time. Stop and enjoy the wonderful details along the way: the strains of lap steel guitar floating up your sunny staircase, the happy cups and plates stacked in your cupboard, the little bird holding on for dear life at the feeder blowing in the winter wind, two young boys walking down a long, lonely city alley, lovers dancing and kissing as if no one is watching, a glance of communication from one musician to another. What is your reality? What do you see in a day?

Now go and have yourself a honky tonkin' good day!

My sister and I (The Hello Strangers) perform at the Hank tribute
Photo at top: Our new friends C.W. and Lindy Loo

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

Longing for Winter

2009-02-19T12:50:00.009-05:00

I love winter.

I am befuddled by the tendency to wish for spring. What would spring be without these long, cold, dark, wistful months? It is easy to overlook the beauty of this season:

Bare bony trees running the edges of the rolling hills and dales.

Cold creeks under stone bridges, their black banks contrasted with patches of white snow.

Even the frigid winds are beautiful, as are the warm, cozy houses when you stomp in out of the cold. It is a time for introspection and creativity. It is full of mystery and death, but its stark beauty warms my heart.

All photos © Chace + Smith Photography

I wrote a song about it today, called Caribou. It is a song about the season, but also about the fear of someday possibly losing winter, either from global warming or my own passing. It is about a longing for winter and normalcy.

Oh, winter, have you left me?
Oh, winter, have you left me?
In the ash black dirt beside this creek
Next to the body of this Caribou
I will lay this body down to sleep

Oh, winter, will you promise me?
Oh, winter, will you promise me?
Will you visit me in my next life?
Will you offer me some good advice?
I can see it in your pale skies

Oh, cold wind
Will I never see your darkest days again?
Will I never hear you silent nights again?
In your gloom I watch my life unfold
I see my courage in your quiet streams
And all the beauty in your deepest snows
(Come again snow, come again snow)

© Larissa Chace Smith, 2/19/09

Someday, maybe I'll share this song with you. Or should I say, The Hello Strangers will.....

Introducing, "Playing Work"

2009-02-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to Chace + Smith Photography's new blog:

"Playing Work"

Here's a snipet about the blog:

Since starting their photography business in 2006, Ryan Smith and Larissa Chace Smith have often described their vocation as "playing work." Particularly when they first started out, and had little money to their name, it truly felt like a pretend job. Now, with surer footing, they can more aptly enjoy "playing work" out of their home in rural Pennsylvania. This blog follows their adventures, projects, processes, stories, and insights as they traverse the precarious world of entrepreneurialism and photography.

Visit their website: www.csphotographs.com

My husband and I are very excited to document our work life and share it with you. I hope you will check it out!

Best Friends and Neko Case

2009-01-23T12:38:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone!

Today, I am pleased to participate in a charity drive through ANTI- records, with whom my favorite musician, Neko Case, is associated. They are donating $5 to Best Friends Animal Society for every person who reposts on his/her blog Neko's song, "People Got A Lotta Nerve" off her new album, Middle Cyclone, out in March.

So please, have a listen for a good cause and download the song here:

More information about this campaign can be found at www.antilabelblog.com/?p=1301.

Happy listening!

Larissa

Our wonderful and silly Best Friends:
Maggie, Sadie, and Charlie (Chuck, or Chuckles)

Chuck with my sister, Brechyn (his mom).

Outtake!

All images © Chace + Smith Photography

Gastronomy and the Divine Creative Impulse

2009-01-16T10:35:00.011-05:00

What drives us to create? What is the explanation for something formulating in one's mind, like a melody or a verse, and what drives one to want to manifest it in some tangible form? Artists whom I have interviewed seem to agree that creating is something you feel you must do, and if you don't, then you are denying your mind and body a basic nourishment, like food. Though my need to create ebbs and flows like many of my other impulses, I am always struck by the almost cathartic nature of this drive.

How can we explain creative impulse? Why do I want to bake a pie, just out of the blue? Perhaps I wish to see the magical transformation of tough stalks of rhubarb melding with strawberries and sugar, or the crust rolling out just right, and the lattice top cutter rolling merrily through the dough. Perhaps I wish to experience the simple satisfaction of admiring a work in completion as it comes out of the oven, smelling like all the comforts in the world. Of course, unlike writing a song, one of the many perks of baking is that you get to put your creation in your mouth and savor it.

Unlike baking, songwriting allows for a longer-lasting savor. Sure, I don't get to put my song in my mouth and chew on it. But I get to sing it, which is another oral (and aural) experience altogether, and I can do so as many times as I want, indefinitely. Singing is one of my favorite things to do. There's great mystery in being able to open one's mouth and release air and vibrations to form notes wrapped in words. No other instrument can accomplish this. Moreover, unlike many other instruments, the voice is not man-made. We were created with this instrument already built into our bodily functions. How divine!

Recently, my sister and I brought in new members to our band, The Hello Strangers. I have been compelled ever since by the need to create once again. To be honest, when I am not focusing on running our photography business, it consumes my thoughts. Melodies greet me upon awaking, prompting me to grab my guitar and bring the song to life, so to speak. It seems effortless; in just a few minutes the song is alive and ready to share with others. Visions and ideas about the future of our band inspire me during many of my waking hours. All of a sudden, the thought of touring sounds marvelous, whereas before it seemed intimidating and somehow out-of-reach.

My sister and I, having talked about playing with a full band for years, are amazed to watch things falling into place around us, as if they were meant to happen right here and now. The energy of our new band mates is contagious, and the support of our small but growing fan base is humbling. I know that my creativity is spurred by this new context in which our music exists. I am grateful for it everyday, because my life has become enriched with the textures, melodies, and visions of creativity - that divine, mysterious force that we cannot rationally explain or deny.

Our first gig as a band is tonight, and I cannot contain my excitement about sharing this energy with others.

I Want To Matter (The Anthropology of Living)

2009-01-08T18:40:00.014-05:00

In the woods, just off the C&O Canal,

a derelict house stands like an old tree about to fall.

My friends enter and climb the steep and dark staircase;

I stay outside (too many fears in there).

Signs of an old life are found in a strip of wallpaper.

Pink roses on yellow with a white lattice,

once brilliant on a sturdy wall, sun shining on it

through the window pane - a lovely room for someone.

The wallpaper is brought down the stairs to me

and I look at it in the stark winter forest light.

For these brief moments, the mystery

of the inhabitants' lives mean something to us.

We form their ghosts in our minds, and I lay the wallpaper

back in the house with a nod of respect.

What remnants will remain of me?

Who will I matter to when my wallpaper peels off the walls?

I Want To Matter

In 200 years when none of this matters, I want it to matter

My young life in full swing, no kids and a rock band

I can hear a Divine voice in my creativity; I know it is good.

Am I wrong for not wanting these days to ever end?

I want everything I experience to count for something.

Like the ache in my heart when I watch

the birds at the kitchen window feeder.

Little robot heads looking side to side,

their daily business an important matter.

Or crying over finding my dog

after her second time ever running away, spooked by a firework

The comfort of my life broken for those twenty minutes of hunting for her,

such unadulterated relief in my tears when she returns,

which she licks excitedly from my face.

Like listening to an old friend from Austin

sing on a CD in West Virginia, the miles and time between us

spilling out onto the table in front of the stereo.

Everything I do is important, even the simplest of things.

This year, I will pay close attention to the messages and lessons in every experience, good or bad, big or small.

What are you thinking about differently in the New Year?

Christmastide

2008-12-17T08:36:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, the freezing rain in the forecast suddenly turned to snow outside our window. In Southern Pennsylvania, snow is often more of a blessing than a common occurrence, so we settled back to work thinking it wouldn't last. But it continued, and our first real snow of the season covered the trees that line our road. The lantern outside our back door wore a little elf's cap of snow, and our dog stepped tentatively out the back door sniffing the new white stuff.

A year ago, we had just moved into this house and were barely able to get unpacked, wrap presents, and, of course, throw our holiday party. Hosting is one of my favorite things, so that was top on the priority list. It acted as a nice housewarming as well. A year later, we are very settled here. It has been nice to get started earlier with the Christmas shopping, and the planning of our holiday fête, which we hosted last Saturday.

I remarked recently to my husband how often over the past year of living back home I have looked around me and thought blissfully, "Gosh, my life is so great." I think a major reason for this feeling is that so many of our visions have come to fruition. Living on the other side of the country was an adventure I would never give up, but it made us yearn for things, some of which we couldn't quite put our finger on. Being back home has shown us that many of those things were waiting for us right here in our own hometown. I believe Ryan and I make a good life for ourselves no matter where we live, but this place has allowed us to put many of the puzzle pieces together that were once a bit scattered.

We see our grandparents frequently - even my grandmother and relatives in upstate New York are in very close proximity compared to when we lived in Texas or Idaho. We see our parents and siblings as often as possible; two out of my three siblings live here in town now. They are part of the core of our social network. As are our friends, some who live in our town, but others who come from nearby cities and remind us of our past city lives.

Even my dream of having a band has been coming together in the past month. My sister and I have added two lead guitarists/mandolin/lap steel players, bass, and drums to our outfit, The Hello Strangers. This is something I'm really looking forward to in the coming year.

I love the Christmas season for many reasons: the cheer, the little gifts and treats to pass around, the special times with family and friends, and the magic of bigger things we cannot quite explain. I love the feeling of looking back at the past year and counting blessings, while also looking ahead to the next year of life and being given a fresh start. I am grateful everyday for the things that I have, and try not to take any of it for granted.

This Christmastide, may you look back in fond remembrance and look ahead to a year full of promises and surprises.

Happy Holidays!

***************************

Christmas sweaters bring Christmas cheer!
My sister and her beau spread the holiday spirit at our party this past Saturday:

Free of Ego, Free of Regret

2008-11-26T09:40:00.005-05:00

I have had it in my mind's eye over the past week something that was a supplemental resolution of mine for 2008. I wrote it in my journal almost a year ago. Somehow, over the months, I let it drift back into the recesses of my brain to sit unused. But I have revisited it recently, and somehow my understanding of it has changed. Something has "clicked" for me.
It is three simple words:

Free of Ego

I do not say "Free from Ego" because our egos are intrinsically a part of us. I don't wish to be free from my id, as if separated from my it. But "Free of Ego" implies a freedom from the constraints of the Ego as aggressor, competitor, and negative entity that guides us through our daily actions.

Free of Regret is something I have added to this mantra more recently as I have come to terms with the fact that I am a "Ruminator." I allow negative events and associations to drift into my psyche in the present moment, where they continue to fester like a boil on my memory. Even reminiscing and talking about these events with other people is, I have learned, no more constructive than dwelling on them internally. I wish to free myself of the Regret that at any moment can surface and change the course of my thought patterns and my day.

When I was in grad school, one of my fellow classmates accused me of cheating. I knew in my heart that I had not cheated, but he was a good friend and someone I had come to trust and confide in over the years. Realizing that he did not fully trust me in return for some reason (and I believe this was more about his personality than mine) was very hard to deal with or forgive. We made our amends, but to this day I know there is a tiny part of the situation that I have not exonerated. I may never completely forgive him for something I truly thought was poorly handled and downright wrong.

Being Free of Ego, Free of Regret means that in this moment, here and now, I will not allow myself to ruminate on this experience. I count to 3 and vow that after 3 seconds I move onto more positive, constructive thought patterns.

Other negative reminiscences such as this come up from time to time in my daily thoughts: disagreements I've had with a family member whose core beliefs are much different than mine, or things left unsaid that I wish I had said to win my case (there it is, the big EGO!). I'm sure we all have experienced similar things. When I am under the influence of Ego the Aggressor, I am allowing myself to think that I need to prove this person wrong, as if I am most definitely right and she is definitely wrong. With all the subjectivities in our great world that make it so multidimensional and fascinating, why would I make something so paltry as being "right" my main goal?

When I am Free of Ego, I speak with my own forthrightness and character, but I do not allow the aggressive ego to turn the situation into something negative: a competition or a bad experience. There is something to be learned in every circumstance. Only if the ego is quiet and calm can we see what is to be learned.

What is present in the space made available by being Free of Ego, Free of Regret?
Gratitude, Peace, Poised Self-Confidence, Joy, and Love.
This Thanksgiving, I will ruminate on these things, not the others.

This photo I took of our beloved Highland Lake this fall brings me much solace and gratitude.

How do you free yourself from Ego and Regret?

Waking Up In a New Political Landscape

2008-11-09T22:06:00.003-05:00

I have tried, in the past few months, to keep politics at a good distance from this blog. In a political race, it is easy to alienate people who may not be rooting for the same candidate you are. Particularly in the farming community in which I dwell, thrusting my Obama sign into the grass in front of my house seemed somehow bellicose. I had to put my more apologetic tendencies aside and remind myself that this was, indeed, a competition, and I had every right to root for my team.

This past week has been monumental for me, as I'm sure it has for the majority of Americans. Even those who did not vote for Obama are surely realizing the historical importance of this election. If they're lucky, they will have at least experienced a flutter in their hearts upon viewing people all over the country and the world dancing in the streets and waving American flags. To know that people in countries all over the world are actually celebrating one of our decisions is truly spectacular. Regardless of how swiftly the Obama administration is able to carry out its promises, our whole political landscape has changed over night. America is transitioning into a new brand of country.

I woke up Wednesday morning with hope and excitement in my heart, and those feelings remain with me now. I feel fortunate that I have not fallen victim to the paranoia and xenophobia that caused many people to say "NoBama, No Way." After all, what has my generation of Americans experienced thus far that we can be truly excited about? Two gulf wars? 9/11? Hurricane Katrina? I think not. This is the first sign of positive progress we have been witness to. I never got to see Neil Armstrong walk on the moon for the first time, or desegregation in schools. But I did get to witness the first black president elected into office, winning the popular and electoral votes, and humbling stepping onto the stage in Chicago to greet the world.

Certainly, this election does not prove that we are "color blind," or that we have demolished all racial barriers in this country in the matter of one day. I hope we don't begin to think so; there is still much work to be done. And neither will every election from this day forward go my way. But I have a renewed confidence in the power of grassroots movements, our rights as voters, and the constitution. As my friend Liz wrote very poignantly to me in an email this week:

"On this post-election day 1 (i.e. "the beginning"), I am making a
promise. Just as I typically, in the throes of a hangover, promise
never to drink again, I may be making a vow that I cannot keep. But I
am at least pledging to try…I will not lose faith in this country
again. I will not forget this day or this feeling, and I'm hoping
that you won't either. I will not let my guard down, and when this
country starts to mess up again, I will stay calm and hopeful, and
work to change it. And finally, although I can't promise not to
threaten it again, I won't actually move to Canada, no matter what."

May the energy from this week carry on over the next big steps in our country's progress, and into our everyday lives from this day forward.
And may we all learn great things from being part of our nation's great history.

Boo

2008-10-29T10:01:00.006-04:00

It's that time of year again! Time for cozy evenings with friends watching cheesy horror flicks (tonight's special: In the Mouth of Madness), and making our annual horrific photograph, complete with props, a full moon, and wardrobe. Last year's project was a ton of spooky fun; Ryan and I think that someday we may be able to have an exhibition with all our years of Halloween photo projects. We shall see...

On Halloween night, we will be joining friends in Baltimore for a night out dancing at Lithuanian Hall and other haunts. What are your plans for this fun holiday?

Ryan and I call this year's project, lovingly, "Cleaver Death:"

Happy Halloween!

Blog Action Day 2008

2008-10-15T11:29:00.003-04:00

Today is Blog Action Day - a day when thousands of bloggers write about the same topic! I participated in it last year, and while I don't have the time to participate this year, I want to encourage you all to check out the site and read what other bloggers are writing about today. This year's topic is Poverty.

Happy reading and enjoy your week!

More to come soon, and thanks for checking in,
Larissa

In the Blink...

2008-10-05T12:04:00.003-04:00

...of an eye:

Your friends have children that walk and talk. They point to something in a book and speak the words to you describing what is on the page. How did they grow so fast already? They have a full head of hair and teeth! And now a baby sibling. Sigh.

You're looking at your husband's clothes hanging in the closet - slightly wrinkled dress shirts hanging in a row. Your marriage is over two years old already. How you thought about these beginning days of adulthood and marriage when you were small! Now they've arrived, and with you barely noticing. You fold socks and underwear on the bed, and put them neatly in a drawer, eyeball the little tufts of dog hair gathering in every corner of the house. You'll get to that later. Your husband pecks you on the mouth as he leaves to play tennis with his Dad down the road. You walk the dog, brush her, and do some laundry. This adult life falls into place in the blink of an eye, and then...you're living it.

Ode to a Grandmother

2008-09-22T21:21:00.005-04:00

When there is laughter in the heart, what joys can remain stifled?

Few words can describe my Grandmother, Marion, as well as this photograph can. She's the life of the party, the bubbles in champagne, the mischievous twinkle in an eye. She loves penguins, Irish Cream, and peanut butter and sweet onion sandwiches. She putters around the kitchen, humming like a trumpet out of the corner of her mouth (Yes! We have no bananas!). She loves all things QVC. She has eleven grandchildren, ages 2 to 29. Christmas is still magical at her house. She sews, knits, quilts, bakes, and stays up all night reading just one more chapter. She has a million house coats! She cries when she laughs (so does my Mom), pushing her glasses up onto her forehead so she can wipe her eyes.

She defines the word whippersnapper. She's one of a kind!

What more can I say? This picture says it all!

Remember today who you love the most, and take them not for granted.

30th Year

2008-09-04T10:59:00.005-04:00

I am writing this on my 29th birthday, heading straight on into my 30th year on earth. It is hard to ignore the swift passing of time when you are nearing 30. But it is, after all, just a number, so I will enjoy this day just as I do each day, noticing as many wonderful details as possible.

This morning I jogged with my dog along the back side of the Mercersburg Academy campus, my favorite place to run.

I passed by and said hello to my 1st grade teacher, who was walking along the road, enjoying the beautiful morning sunshine. I am still reminded in so many ways of my childhood, living in my hometown.

I continued on my run and watched Sadie chase a few little creatures, her tail spinning with delight.

Upon returning home, I was served a lovely breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and coffee, by my husband. I enjoyed every morsel.

Ryan's Mother called to wish me a happy birthday, then his Grandmother stopped by with a card and sang to me in my kitchen. I smiled the whole time.

Tonight is sushi and sake with friends and family.

I look forward to another great year, filled with all the great details of life. And I look forward to sharing it with you.

Cheers!

My sisters and I, having a chuckle.
Being goofy with family is one of my favorite things!

Allston Revisited

2008-08-13T10:20:00.002-04:00

We as humans are always moving forward, on a linear path toward the "bigger and better." We look to the past on occasion for nostalgia and comfort, but we also use the past as a reference for how much we've developed as individuals. We look back and thank the heavens that we no longer live that life, or with that person, or in that place.

Have you ever returned to a place that represents a darker time in your life?
I did just this past weekend.

When I was a sophomore attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, I moved from my inner-city dorm on Massachusetts Ave to the community of Allston, just West of downtown. I moved with my roommate from freshman year, along with a friend of hers, into the third-story apartment of a house on Harvard Terrace, just off of Harvard Avenue. I only lasted a semester there before I reached an all-time low, which resulted in my taking a semester off from school that Spring.

Even during my freshman year, I never felt that I was nurturing any permanent or long-lasting friendships, and that I was almost falling into groups of people by default, just happy to be hanging out instead of searching for people I truly connected with. Though my friends were fun, they didn't embody the kind of lifestyle that suited me (and they weren't always kind); I partied more than I created or exercised, and rarely found occasions to escape the "pit" of my apartment and Allston (being car-less and without much expendable income). I was busy with my cool city life, socializing, singing, and trying to ignore my increasing unhappiness.

A very urban district, Allston seemed, and still seems today, like a pothole of sorts. I am sure my impression of it has much to do with my associations and memories of my life back then: being so young, vulnerable, and naive. To its merit, Allston is a very ethnically diverse, young neighborhood, with a plethora of good eateries and interesting shops. It teems with activity, a throughway for the "T" light-rail line, and a major intersection between Boston and points West. Until this past weekend, I had not returned to this neighborhood, or Boston for that matter, since 2001.

A friend of mine recently moved to Allston. His first time living in Boston, he arrived in the neighborhood with no prior associations. I made a point not to talk too much about my negative ones with him before he moved. Ironically, he happens to live a few short blocks from my old apartment. Since I was in the Worchester area for a wedding this past weekend, I made the trip into Boston with my husband and sister.

As we drove into my old neighborhood and found a place to park, I reflected on the adult version of myself that stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk that I had so often walked almost 10 years ago. I am almost 29 now; I was 19 then. Everything I have done since then was stamped onto my identity in that moment, and I viewed my old neighborhood, and house, with a strange sense of awe, coupled with insouciance. Living there seems to me now like it did then - some sort of "boot camp for life." Live unhappily in a trench for several months and you'll come out wiser for the wear. The bruises will fade, but the lessons never will. To this day, I'm not sure if it was worth it.

Ryan, Brechyn, and I walked the streets on our way to meet up with our friend, Fred, as I recounted various stories about businesses along the way that I frequented during my séjour there. "This is the building where I took Ninjutsu;" or, "This is the bar where I sang with the reggae band every week." It was amusing to see that it was all still there. When we entered Fred's apartment, I was struck by the similarities between his Allston abode and others in that area that I recalled frequenting, including my own. The worn, hardwood floors; trim painted twenty times over with white paint; old, tall windows wafting in the musty Allston air - the thick smell of city life almost knocked me over as I stared out the window into the alley below. My feet were glue for a moment as waves of heady nostalgia hit me. An old familiar knot formed in my stomach, and I carried it with me to lunch.

(Aside: We had a delightful time with Fred. I don't mean to imply that the day was all gloom and doom. We ate at a wonderful organic sushi restaurant in Coolidge Corner, just next to Allston. One of many great eateries in the district, these are the opportunities I miss out on by living in the country. I will admit that.)

The sooty memories from that era still haunt me. I have not completely made amends; perhaps I never will. Boot camp left scars, not bruises.

I wonder now if these "dark times" are naturally imbricated in the experience of transitioning from teen-hood to adulthood. Must we all go through the boot camp of life in order to be truly happy as adults? How can we squelch the residual negativity from those bygone eras that continues to ring in our ears?

What was your darkest time? Or, are you in it now? Do tell!

Me, in front of my old apartment building, trying to make amends as a young adult in Allston

A Professional Dabbler: Deconstructed

2008-07-10T18:17:00.008-04:00

In the middle of a busy week, I sit and ponder one of life's big questions. Well, at least one of MY life's big questions: am I spending my time doing what I really want to be doing? And what do I really want to do?

Do I want to be a professional musician?

I have a gig tomorrow night with my sister as The Hello Strangers in Gettysburg. Luckily people like the way we sound since we have no posters, sound equipment, or any recordings beyond a 6-song demo to speak of. We have other gigs coming up that have been falling into our laps without any effort (which is good). But at what point are we going to take the next step? Or are we going to stay in this liminal pseudo phase forever?

Do I want to be a writer?

I will be teaching at a Young Writers Camp in two weeks, which I have to plan for and convince these young middle school souls that I have some sort of legitimacy under my belt. I have thus put my writing for Hagerstown Magazine on hold for the time being. But yet I dabble...dabble, dabble in writing like everything else it seems.

Do I want to help run the photography business my husband and I own?

I'm not the photographer - that's Ryan. But I do help out in many other areas such as accounting, production, creative input, etc. Yet, most of the time I am rushing through tasks at my desk before I run off to...

My part-time job at a screen printing and embroidery shop downtown, where I continue to show off my dabbling skills, doing anything from packing and hauling boxes, to ordering t-shirts and promotional products, to designing art on Adobe Illustrator.

Some days I just don't feel like a true musician, writer, business owner - a true anything.

Some days I feel like a fraud, really. We all have these days, don't we? Don't worry, I'm not falling into a pit of self-loathing and despair. Some days are just primed for such reflections.

I know there is a reason why I'm a professional freelancer and dabbler. I enjoy not having to do the same thing every day. But as a true perfectionist, I certainly reach moments when I feel like I have to do everything 100% with a 50% timeframe, energy, and focus level. At what point am I dabbling in too much?

Ah, life's big questions...

One thing I DO love doing: dancing with my girlfriends at Lithuanian Hall in Baltimore to old school soul and reggae!

It's summer, man, I gotta chill!

Gardening for 1 (and a dog)

2008-06-26T19:20:00.004-04:00

I am nearing the end of my two weeks sans-husband. I long to see Ryan, but I long to still linger in these slow, independent, flying-solo days I've been having. The weather has been perfect. Sadie (pictured above) and I did some gardening, planting peppers and keeping an eye on our enormous tomato plants. She has been a great companion, almost completely eliminating the need for another human's company.

Of course, these days have also been filled with many social engagements, including two nights in a row of performing with my sister at our local tavern-on-the-square. We had a grand time seeing familiar faces and getting to know the bands with which we shared the bill. Tomorrow night will be a night out in Baltimore dancing with girlfriends. And then...he's back. I wonder which habits I will fall back into and which I will attempt to maintain from my weeks alone. I've definitely made the best of these days, as if they were a gift - something new to cherish.

What do you do differently when you are alone?

Flying solo for one more day!
Larissa

Is 1 the loneliest number?

2008-06-16T23:42:00.004-04:00

I am alone tonight for the first time in a very long time. Being completely alone is a feeling that I always have to adjust to, like stepping into a hot bath. I grew up in a family of 6, and have always relished the feeling of having many people around me. Even now, I thoroughly enjoy having overnight guests and hosting parties.

My brother got married this weekend, and our farmhouse became the hub for almost every activity, aside from the wedding of course, including the bachelorette party, the bridal preparations, the after-party, and the after-picnic. I said hello to many, then said goodbye to many. Most people left yesterday, including a dear friend who is moving out of the area. The rest left today, including my husband who is working as a rock climbing photographer for 2 weeks. On top of all this, my sister moved out of our house and into an apartment with her boyfriend. I knew this would eventually happen, but didn't expect all these elements to happen at once.

Therefore, it goes without saying that the transition from "in good company" to "just me and my dog" was a bit abrupt. My fridge is full of wedding leftovers (beer and cake galore), and I have no one to share them with. I cannot look forward to my husband sleeping beside me. My friend, Fred, will not be coming over this week for our usual Thursday night music rehearsal (he is the one who moved). My sister won't be coming home from work at the restaurant late at night and making a pot of ramen noodles.

I am alone. But I am not lonely. I am surrounded by family and friends, have fun plans for the week, and will inevitably reap the benefits of being forced out of my comfort zone and doing things that my husband tends to do (like mow the lawn). Life goes on even though I have said so many goodbyes in the past two days. New eras begin as others end.

And as I fill my shopping cart with meals for 1, I look forward to uninterrupted hours all to myself...and to the next party.

Do you think 1 is the loneliest number?

My Favorite Things

2008-06-01T20:59:00.001-04:00

"We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry." - E.B. White

I experience great joy from the simplest of things in my life. This spring has been lovely in so many ways. I find myself telling people who ask how things are going that I really feel like I am living the life I have envisioned for a long time. This often results in an expression of surprise from the person, since these questions can often elicit a laundry list of woes. I really am superbly happy with how things in my life have been unfolding, notwithstanding the occasional hurdle or moment of drama (life would be boring without these things!).

Thus, I am inspired to make a list of some of my favorite things at the moment - things which, upon thinking about them, make me stop and smile. I hope you, too, will ponder your favorite things and go out and experience them for all they're worth.

Breakfast - this is my favorite meal of the day. It is the simplest of meals, tastes splendid after 8-10 hours of fasting, and gives me time in the morning to contemplate my day and avoid getting off to too hurried of a start. I feel sorry for people who think that breakfast is unimportant and they "don't have time" for such a basic part of life.
Sweetsies Eats and Treats - this roadside wonder sits along Route 40 between Clear Spring and Hagerstown, Maryland, which is an oft-traveled route for us when running errands, etc. It offers the best soft serve that I've ever tried (barring Sandy's Frozen Custard in Austin, TX). I love a good soft serve cone, particularly plain vanilla. One lick of Sweetsies' soft serve and I melt!
Bustling around the house - I love to "tidy". It is my way of making sure that my little space in the universe is orderly and free from clutter so that I can go out into the messy world with a clean slate, ready for anything. The process of straightening things up is meditative and refreshing for me. I often think of Mary Poppins snapping her fingers as she tidies up the nursery, everything magically folding and falling back into its proper place. Did I mention I'm also a Virgo?
Playing music with Fred and Brechyn - this has been a weekly tradition since this winter, and it will soon cease to be since our good friend, Fred, is moving to Boston. But we have played several gigs together, enjoyed weekly jam sessions, laughed and guffawed at talking in silly accents, and had many enriching philosophical and musically-charged conversations. I'm glad I'll still have my sister, Brechyn, here as we continue on as The Hello Strangers.
Gardening - this is an activity that both my husband and I enjoy together, now in particular since we have been living in apartments for the past 4 years and never had a house, per se, at which to start a garden. The other evening we started a new bed of orange marigolds, purple verbena, and white astilbe. I love to clear out the weeds and plant fresh growth, then stand back and admire our work.
Sadie - I have written a lot about our dog. But let me just say that she continues to surprise and amuse me daily. I can't imagine life without her.
Riding my bike to work - I fly down the hill into town, my hair blowing behind me, my backpack on. I feel like a teenager again, as I retrace many of the routes I rode on when I was young. Then I ride back up the hill after work, knowing that I avoided pumping at least a little carbon monoxide into the air that day.
The Burning Spear live album "Live at the Zenith, Paris, 1988" - this is my favorite reggae album that I most often crave and blare throughout the house. After writing my Masters Report on reggae in 2006, I try to make sure I remain in touch with my knowledge and appreciation of the genre. Despite being recorded in 1988, the musicianship and arrangements on this album are timeless in the way that Winston Rodney (the frontman) does it best. I love playing this album for folks that are reticent about reggae or have only heard the cornier (and there is a lot of it) side of the genre.

What are some of your favorite things?

MCFA Mixer!

2008-05-22T09:52:00.003-04:00

Dearest Readers,
I am still reeling from a recent event that I organized with my fellow council members of the Mercersburg Council for the Arts. I recently wrote about it on the MCFA blog. Please check it out! It affirms that the Arts are more and more important in this day and age!
All my best!

Larissa

Shoshone Sage

2008-05-14T21:53:00.003-04:00

Shoshone sage crawls up a hill
where a skinny house with
horror film spires leans
against a clouded moon.

I find a spot behind my
motel gravel lot to take
this strange picture.
RV hookups, dumpster
But an owl too floats quiet,
my dog watches.

I raise my camera for
another good one,
but am startled by
a figure that appears in
my frame, like a tree
I hadn’t noticed yet.

The shutter flashes
against the ground. A young
person, curious to make
an acquaintance asks me
if I’ve heard the chimes
way up in the
Hitchcock tower.

The owl moves, the wind shifts
and we greet each other
between worlds.

Larissa Chace
Wapiti, Wyoming
6/26/02

My Morning Walk

2008-05-03T16:27:00.005-04:00

On many mornings (and afternoons), I enjoy a walk or jog with my dog, Sadie, along the lane beside the horse barn in our back yard, down into the the little dale where the stream trickles along, and through the fields beyond. Each time, I take note of how fortunate I am to have this land accessible to me, so that I may walk peacefully or run as fast as I can, and so that Sadie can be off-leash, running free through the tall grass. Below is a series of photos from a typical stroll.

Where is your favorite place to stroll or jog?

Our backyard, with the fire pit Ryan built in the yard beyond.

Sadie is ready for her walk.

One of the horses strolls along with us for a bit.

Looking back toward the barn and house, the horses munch on grass.

The "dale" and stream have been bursting with life as of late.

Sadie loves the open fields.

She says, "Let's go again!"

Animal Instincts

2008-04-24T08:12:00.001-04:00

I saw my dog shake a groundhog to death yesterday evening. This seemingly gentle dog, the one who when inside with her toys merely prods them tenderly with her nose as they squeak joyfully; the one who can pick up a fly with her lips, barely wetting its wings as she lifts it in the air and then drops it back onto the rug.

But this is also the animal who knows how to go right for the jugular, shaking a squirrel or groundhog until its neck breaks, and slinking back to me (as I scold her) panting, a drop or two of vermin blood on the bridge of her normally innocent black nose.

If only I could understand her instincts – what it might be like to feel my muscles spring into action upon the scent of a moving creature in the brush, eyes locked in a missile launch, wanting so badly to sink my teeth into helpless flesh and fur. Perhaps I would then understand other mysteries, too, such as why humans can become so absorbed in petty things when a universe that continues to grow exponentially surrounds us. Or, why we seem to have so many resources available to solve the foreign oil crisis or "find a cure," but politics, greed and money (the most intangible tangible thing) thwart our progress.

I write this as I sit in my backyard, admiring the earth transformed by spring. That these plants boldly come forth year after year reminds me that there is method and melody to our cacophonous lives. I hear nothing but birds, a rumbling tractor, and the hum of a far-off roadway. I see nothing but green (that lovely, virgin green), fearlessly greeting the world we have preserved for it during the winter. This is how I greet each day, or at least try to. Sometimes I deal with the unpredictability of daily life by going for the jugular. Sometimes it requires a little more finesse, like picking up flies with your lips. We learn from instincts we will never truly comprehend.

Happy Birthday, Blog!

2008-04-17T07:48:00.007-04:00

It was exactly a year ago today that I started the Good Life Project with my post "New Beginnings." In it, I pondered what it means to have a good life. If you've been following along with me since then, or even more recently, you'll know that striving for a good life involves process, focus, patience, forgiveness, and perseverance. And it's a choice we all have the ability to make if we desire it.

A lot has happened in my life since April 17, 2007. I am sure the same goes for you, my noble reader. This morning, I awoke to the sound of springtime birds and a clear blue April sky. A soft morning glow filled my room as I peeked over my downy covers. "I have arrived," I thought, thinking on the steps I took to get where I am now - in this house, in this life.

Giving up our life in Austin and making the bold decision to move home to Mercersburg wasn't easy. Likewise, building a new life here has been an interesting process to observe and experience. As you saw in my last post, living in a small town does not necessarily mean that life is going to be as simple and free as I thought it would be. But frankly, it is up to me to create the life I want and that is what this blog has always been about. It is up to me to create that simple and free life, if that is what I want. Easier said than done, this goal is something I still employ patience (as much as I can) and perseverance to obtain. Sometimes, life just gets away from us and we often need a reminder (like my episode with the voice lessons last week) that we have stretched ourselves to the limit or have headed down the wrong path.

In the year ahead, I know this process will continue, and I plan on enjoying it. Looking back on a year is an interesting way to observe the steps and processes of my life's adventure. Looking ahead allows me to learn from that process and prepare to take new steps toward greener pastures. But really, folks, what is more important than right now? The Good Life is right here and right now. So let's raise a glass to the birthday blog!

Thank you all for your support, comments, concerns, and thoughts. I look forward to another good year with you!

Cheers!
Larissa

Confessions of an Overachiever

2008-04-10T07:24:00.003-04:00

I have officially stretched myself to the max. After all my musings about time management, saying "no" to certain obligations, and balance, I have gone against all my suggestions and am thus at my tipping point.

How did I lose the balance in my life and time that I was so close to attaining? When I said "yes" to not 1, but 4 new voice students at our local private school. I feel I am a talented musician, but am not prepared to share my knowledge with four students. I currently have 3 different sources of income. Taking on 4 students seemed the best way to make extra money. But because I am essentially teaching myself how to teach others, I realized (last night in a moment of terror at the realization of what I have gotten myself into) that this would be a much larger endeavor than the amount of money I will be paid for it.

How do I know I am stretched? Because I have noticed a significant change in the way I complete other tasks and projects (such as writing in this blog). I am not able to put as much effort into just one thing because I have so many other projects going on at the same time. I freelance write, volunteer for our local arts council, help my husband run his business, work for a screen printing and embroidery shop downtown, and now have taken 4 voice students.

I fill my time with all these things for two main reasons:
1) Money - we are working hard at making our photography business succeed and I am trying to take every measure to help supplement our income.
2) Fear (here's the clincher) - fear of not being important because of having too much time on my hands or not accomplishing enough.

I thought I was making headway in the way of #2, but I realized last night that, almost without knowing it, I surpassed the boundary of what is "enough" for me and my time. I am confessing this to you this morning because I have to face my mistake today and make the necessary arrangements to bring my list of students down to 1. This is the amount I know I can handle with grace and focus. This is the balance mark.

I will learn from my mistakes and move on to a more balanced life.

We all have our tipping points and our balance marks. Have you had a similar experience to this one?

Update on Time and Priorities

2008-04-02T10:22:00.005-04:00

Hello dear friends,

I have been feeling quite successful at focusing on my Life Priorities that I mentioned in a previous post. I have been focusing more on my music and creativity, which has been very rewarding. My sister and I have been working on our musical repertoire with a great guitarist friend, and I am in the process of taking a few voice students. Making time for creativity fills me with energy and fosters a sense of purpose in my life. I have also been busy with the Arts Council, as well as writing for Hagerstown Magazine. All of these creative endeavors give me joy and a sense of accomplishment. For example, all day Monday I visited with several artists in the area for a Hagerstown Magazine article. Ryan and I were assigned to the same article, so he took the photos while I interviewed the artists, all of various mediums and ages. We made some wonderful connections, and on top of that were able to share the experience together.

Of course, making room for certain priorities inevitably involves putting others on the back burner, and I am trying hard not to dwell on those or feel guilty. I have had less time to focus on my blog, but I am still committed to the Good Life Project and all my loyal readers, whomever and wherever you are.

Do give me a shout out, if you so desire, and let me know what you have been ruminating or prioritizing on!

Announcement: Mercersburg Council for the Arts

2008-03-19T18:28:00.003-04:00

Hello dear readers,
I am pleased to announce that my husband, myself, and several other wonderful people have successfully created an arts council in our lovely town. We are currently working under the auspices of the Mercersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, but plan to be our own entity within the next two years. We are very proud of this accomplishment! I thought I would share this happy news with you and direct you to our links:

MCFA Webpage

MCFA Blog and Event Listing

Cheers!

Top 5 Good Life Priorities

2008-03-17T11:44:00.008-04:00

In my post "Time on my Side, Part 2," my great friend Laura left a fantastic comment listing her priorities in life. Her time is spent mostly on these priorities and everything else falls into the "I'll do it if I can" category. I think this is a great way to think about time allocation. She suggested I make a list of my top 5 priorities and focus on them above all else. So here goes:

Larissa's Top 5 Good Life Priorities:
(In no particular order)

Personal Connections (with humans and animals)
Music, Art, and Creativity
Good health through wholesome food and exercise
Learning and Discovery
An uncrowded schedule and living space that encourage peace of mind

These are, of course, subject to change with my ideals and moods. But I think they create a good groundwork for my goal to reevaluate my relationship with time. This project has been ongoing and I continue to make advances; I think my list will be another great step in the process.

I encourage you to make your own list (even if it's just in your head), and as things come along in your schedule, evaluate whether or not that activity falls into your top 5 priorities.

Let me know how it goes!

Enjoy Your Town

2008-03-04T08:14:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was one of those days you wish you could seal in a bottle and reopen whenever you want.

We have been living in our hometown for almost 8 months now, after living away for 10 years. I have been wary of the possibility that the novelty of it all would wear off eventually. But yesterday reaffirmed that I really am happy to be here. It also taught me, once again, that you can be content anywhere as long as you have the right attitude. It is a simple concept, but one that can be convoluted and difficult to uphold. In fact, it was the simplicity of the day's activities that made it so special, and I believe that simplicity is at the crux of maintaining the right attitude about where you live.

This season, our business, Chace + Smith Photography, has had the opportunity to shoot for the nearby Whitetail Ski Resort. Because the day was supposed to be clear and mild, Ryan (my husband) decided to head up to Whitetail before dawn and try to capture some great sunrise shots for the company. I met him there around 9:30 a.m., as he was finishing up, to snowboard with him for a while. Mind you, we both snowboarded for free since Ryan works in the repair shop at the resort, and I have managed to get my hands on a few vouchers. If this weren't the case, we definitely wouldn't be able to take advantage of the resort's proximity to our home.

The sun was out and the first signs of Spring were in the air. We whipped down the mountain, filled our lungs with the fresh air while riding the lift, and felt 20 years old again (I always feel very connected to Ryan when we snowboard together). Around noon we decided we had better get back to town (and to work), but since we were feeling free and spontaneous, we thought we would stop for a pint and split a sandwich (keeping in mind that we are trying to live below our means) at the tavern on the square in Mercersburg. We drove the beautiful drive back with the windows down, sat at the bar at Flannery's eating our lunch, and talked to the various people we knew there. My sister, who works at the restaurant, happened to stop in. She joined us at the bar for another beer. I felt very connected to my community, enjoying its slow pace as the sun streamed through the tavern windows.

The rest of the day was balmy and relaxed, partially because of the weather, but also because I had allowed myself to get away from my routine for a bit. Everything seemed to flow; the fun was cheap, adventurous, and whimsical. It was a great day.

We live in a town with two stoplights, with under two thousand residents. Fun can be had anywhere (even on a Monday). Enjoy your town!

What makes your town or home special and fun?

Today, I Find Inspiration in Everything

2008-02-28T07:52:00.008-05:00

Today, the sun rises triumphantly over the fields next to my house. We have had few sunny days this winter, so the sight is breathtaking.

Today, I enjoy watching my dog chase a ball once or twice, then prance off to sniff more interesting things (she is not much of a ball dog).

Today, I notice the cool, soothing feeling of the milk as I eat my cereal.

Today, I silence the alarm bell on my email and respond to emails when I am ready, not every time I receive a message. I am not a slave to technology.

Today, I let the warm water from the shower linger on the back of my neck for just a few extra seconds.

Today, I dwell on happy thoughts and moments. I am present, relaxed, and alert, acknowledging the blessed life that I have.

Today, I give someone I love a hug and tell them how much they mean to me.

Today, I enjoy the sound of the scissors as I get my hair trimmed. The new, healthy strands make me feel refreshed and confident.

Today, I watch the birds at the feeder outside my kitchen window, grateful for their little noises and bodies. The world would be a very dull place without them.

Today, I Find Inspiration in Everything I can.

How do you find inspiration in your daily life?

My Budding Writing Career

2008-02-18T00:20:00.004-05:00

Friends, today I wish to share with you my most recent article written for Hagerstown Magazine. It has been a pleasure to write for this outstanding publication, and to find a vehicle to enhance my budding career as a writer. I had the great fortune to do a dining story on the James Buchanan Hotel, Pub and Restaurant in my own town of Mercersburg. My husband, Ryan, was assigned the photography, and we had a great time working on an assignment - and eating delicious food - together. I highly recommend this restaurant to any of my readers in the area. The article will appear in the May/June issue (and it may be slightly different than the version below). Hope you enjoy it!

New Orleans Finds a Home in Mercersburg:
The James Buchanan Hotel, Pub and Restaurant
By Larissa Chace Smith

It is a clear, cold night on the cozy streets of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania when I step into the handsome foyer of the James Buchanan Hotel, Pub and Restaurant. For a moment, I feel as though I am stepping into someone’s grand home one hundred and fifty years ago. “Home” is exactly what owners John and Deniz Celestin want your experience at their establishment to feel like. “We want people to feel they have a stake in this place,” says John, as he sits next to his wife at the table with us. This is, in fact, their home – they live in an apartment attached to the hotel – and they are thus accessible to their restaurant and hotel patrons around the clock. This profession takes a special person, or people, and the demands are unceasing. But Deniz and John are tireless, greeting customers with curious, heartfelt smiles. They even take the time to sit, chat, and eat with my companions and me.

As the food is served, the owners’ attention to every detail, ingredient, and gastronomical emotion gives me pause. Their love for food, and the experience of dining, is reflected in the thorough descriptions of menu items by the wait staff, as well as the delights that arrive from the skilled hands of Chef Andrew Thornton. Thornton was recruited by the Celestins, having grown up in New Orleans working in kitchens since the age of fourteen, and attending a top culinary school. The soft candlelight and air of antiquity in the room slow my thoughts and allow me to focus on the food alone as I try the first dish, a Roasted Corn and Crab Bisque, sprinkled with fresh herbs. Time is irrelevant in this place; the weight of austere tables juxtaposed with lofty pushed-tin ceilings give me balance as the rich bisque fills my stomach. This is what makes dining at the Pub better than home.

Deniz Celestin sits next to me with her hands folded, recounting the serendipitous tale that brought her and her husband from New Orleans to Mercersburg. Her deep, Turkish eyes add to the intrigue as she describes the sequence of events from the moment when Hurricane Katrina hit, to the couple’s decision to move to Maryland to be close to Deniz’s family. When they began to research potential properties in the area, the couple stumbled upon Mercersburg. They were immediately struck by its charm and semblance to a “Norman Rockwell painting,” and decided to look into buying a condominium at nearby Whitetail Ski Resort.

This is where they met Judy Bonciu, real estate agent and owner, at the time, of the James Buchanan Hotel, Pub and Restaurant. Judy suggested the Celestins eat at the Pub, and they were enchanted with how the building’s late-eighteenth century architecture and décor reminded them so much of New Orleans. While they were dining, they discovered that the establishment was for sale, and the wheels immediately started turning. “The idea happened fast,” Deniz says. “The conviction was strong.” Before they knew it, the Celestins were proud owners of the James Buchanan Hotel, Pub and Restaurant. They officially opened on May 30, 2007, offering a new menu, infused with New Orleans and European flavors.

The velvety strains of Bossa Nova dance around the warmly lit, but moody dining room, giving it a cosmopolitan air. Fleur-de-lis emblems on menus accent the room with a New Orleans flourish. Meanwhile, statues of monks, heavy candlesticks, drawings of wild game, and antique portraits in gilded frames provide old-world charm and the comfort of tradition and historicity. One really does get a sense of how many different beings and cultures have left their mark on this place. After the delicious Bisque, a cornucopia of appetizers are brought to our table, complimented by a basket of German ryes served with fresh-whipped butter and a dish of balsamic vinegar in olive oil for dipping, sprinkled with fresh parsley. It is the use of fresh herbs that makes each dish so outstanding, whether they are sprinkled on top or incorporated into the dish. Chef Andrew employs a host of local, seasonal foods, rarely using anything from a can; his attention to detail and respect for food are eminent in every morsel.

The Seafood Gumbo is my next epicurean sampling. Made with a dark, rich tomato-bacon roux, this New Orleans tradition features shrimp, oysters, crawfish, and fresh herbs and spices. A mound of white rice and fresh chopped scallions rests in the center. The restaurant offers a Gumbo Du Jour, synonymous with many New Orleans households wherein a different gumbo is made each day using whatever ingredients happen to be available. This delicious stew is followed by the Barbeque Crab Claws. Grilled focaccia triangles are angled artistically on top of the heap of claws, ready to be dipped into the perfectly spicy rosemary butter sauce. This finger food offers a medley of flavors that blends marvelously with the tender Blue crab claws, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

The Celestins offer me a glass of wine, and I decide on a glass of the Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc, based on the Chef’s recommendation for a crisp white to compliment the smorgasbord he is preparing for us. I eye the small platter of homemade Gnocchi Parmaggiano, sitting in a reduced cream sauce - a dozen or so round puffs of potato-y goodness. One by one they melt in my mouth, the shaved Prosciutto di Parma and pine nuts adding a welcomed bit of crunch to each mouthful. This is one of Deniz’s favorites; having lived in Italy for a time, she enjoys these hints of Italian authenticity in the menu. My own personal favorite – and one of John’s as well – is a special that evening: the White Wine Poached Eggplant. No ordinary eggplant dish, this delicacy is poached a creamy, ochre color, surrounded by a butter sauce. Crab, shrimp, and fresh parsley sit purposefully on top of the lovely eggplant slice. The flavor is utterly surprising – the eggplant provides a hint of melon to the rich sauce. It is a perfect mélange of European and exotic elements.

I am still swooning from the appetizers when three salads arrive: a classic Caesar with a peppery anchovy and raw-egg dressing, sprinkled with shaved Parmesan and crunchy croutons; a baby spinach salad with a light, creamy gorgonzola bleu cheese vinaigrette, topped with red onion, grapes, crispy bacon, and candied pecans; and a Mediterranean salad made with field greens, olives, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts, topped with large squares of feta and a light, fresh Cacik dressing – one of Deniz’s mother’s famous recipes. All the dressings are homemade, and the greens are fresh and brilliant. But there is more to come!

Our entrees arrive piping hot from the kitchen. We sample a delicious Bouillabaisse, made with shrimp, clams, scallops, and monkfish, sprinkled with fresh herbs. Accompanying toasts, drizzled with a zesty red cream sauce, are perfect for soaking up the buttery saffron broth. The Crab Cakes, served with a roasted red potato mash and buttery green beans, are made with huge lumps of crabmeat, with just a bit of crispness on the outside. A platter of Tri Tip Sirloin is served on a bed of sweet potato risotto and green beans. The meat, seared to perfection, has a hearty, natural flavor that blends wonderfully with the hint of sweetness in the risotto.

Meanwhile, our vegetarian companion enjoys a mouthwatering plate of Portobella Mushroom Penne in a pesto cream sauce, not yet aware of the surprise that awaits her. One of the many highlights of the evening is a beautiful vegetarian dish Chef Andrew has created just for her: a polenta cake topped with grilled tomato, beet cooked two ways, and fresh parsley, surrounded by a whimsical drizzle of a dark balsamic reduction. It is truly a sight to behold, and our friend cannot stop smiling as she finishes every last bite.

This is just one of the ways in which the Celestins – together with Chef Andrew – make the Pub a unique place to experience the joys of food and life. Though reception to the new ownership has been warm and welcoming, John and Deniz continue to work ceaselessly to quell any misconceptions people may have about Cajun food. After all, “Cajun” need not imply hot and spicy. A child and family-friendly establishment, John and Deniz welcome everyone to come to the area’s “home” for New Orleans fare and give their offerings a try. As Chef Andrew poignantly remarks, “Come with an open mind, and an empty belly!”

Need to Know…
James Buchanan Hotel, Pub and Restaurant
15 N Main Street
Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
717-328-3008
www.jamesbuchananhotel.com

Hours of Operation:
Lunch: Tues. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 2 p..m.
Dinner: Tues. – Thurs. 5 – 9 p.m., Fri. – Sat. 5 – 10 p.m.
Brunch: Sun. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Closed Monday

Where Is Your Water?

2008-02-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire begins: "This is the most beautiful place on earth. There are many such places. Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary. A houseboat in Kashmir, a view down Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, a gray gothic farmhouse two stories high at the end of a red dog road in the Allegheny Mountains, a cabin on the shore of a blue lake in spruce and fir country, a greasy alley near the Hoboken waterfront, or even, possibly, for those of a less demanding sensibility, the world to be seen from a comfortable apartment high in the tender, velvety smog of Manhattan, Chicago, Paris, Tokyo, Rio or Rome - there's no limit to the human capacity for the homing sentiment."

When I was attending Berklee College of Music in Boston in the late 90s, my lyric writing teacher, Pat Patterson, began every semester by asking each of his students where his or her “water” was. He would explain that salmon have a homing device inside their nasal cavity that collects a tiny bead of water from the stream in which they are born. As they make their way to the ocean, then begin the long journey back to spawn in fresh water, this bead allows them to know when they have reached their home waters once again. Though I am not sure as to the scientific evidence of this, I am still drawn to the idea of each human having a “water.”

During the two semesters I took lyric writing with Mr. Patterson, I would invariably say “Mercersburg, Pennsylvania” when asked where my “water” was. At the time, I was dreadfully homesick for my hometown, and the life I had left behind, and these emotions only strengthened my homing instincts toward this place. Since then, I have had the great fortune to add several other locations to my list of “waters.” I am open to the idea of having several, though if I had to pick one, Mercersburg would be it. It is my one true home.

This place holds all the dear memories from my childhood, growing up in the most wonderful family, with siblings I enjoyed playing with (so much so that when we would have a snow day and got to stay home from school, it was the thought of getting to play together all day that made us squeal with delight, not necessarily the snow). My mother would have classical music playing, or my father jazz. The smell of cooking food floated through every cranny of the house. All was right in the world when we were together in our house on California Street. This was before the tough years of college, when I couldn’t understand why I should leave my family who I wanted to spend every moment with, and the town I loved so much. It was before the realization of many big dreams, and enormous responsibilities. It was the simplicity of living that I have sought ever since. It is the reason I returned again and again, and now the place in which I wish to stay, possibly forever. But I had to swim to the sea to know this.

Other locales that are near and dear to my heart?

Highland Lake, Warren Center, PA - a magical summer home for my whole family, relatives, and cousins on my mother's side. I have spent whole summers there, or just a week at a time, throughout my life. This place is literally and metaphorically one of my most precious "waters." It's a close second to Mercersburg.
Bainbridge, New York – hometown of my Mother, and the place where I continue to spend my Thanksgivings and Christmases. It is the Currier and Ives, picture-perfect image of Yankee winter holidays, and a place I continue to develop a relationship with.
Walton, New York – hometown of my Father, where my Grandparents’ big, white house was the muse for big imaginations, lots of baseball games, picking blueberries, and walking through sunny fields and gardens.
Moscow, Idaho – where I finally escaped the confines of city life in Boston and experienced for the first time the vast, natural beauty of the Northwest, met wonderful friends, explored my hippie/outdoorsy side, and learned about the many inner workings of the two-year-old (12 of them at a time, actually).
Austin, Texas – my second “hometown,” where I still live in my dreams, longing for the excitement of this charming city when life on the “farm” seems slow; where many long-term friendships were formed, and where my relationship with Ryan was given the room it needed to blossom into a marriage.

Of course, I can think of many places I have traveled to or visited that sparked a flame in my heart, but never had a chance to get to know beyond a brief, albeit lovely, encounter. Regardless, I am continually piqued by the instinctual nature and influence of the homing sentiment in our lives.

As Pat Patterson would say, “Where is your water?”

Poetry For A Cold February Day

2008-02-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

Sadie and I hiked the Gedney Creek
trail today right off the Selway
after riding through potholes behind
a big truck of woo hoos, each guy
with his girl, chubby hands
holding – thighs groping.

Finally at the trail head – walking
deeper into solitude, the smell of
green filling me so much I could
climax – and the glacier white creek
flying reckless over humble boulders –
I could smell that too.

And suddenly I see the mountain,
ghostly and making me hold my breath,
wanting to reach it but deciding instead
to stay in this rainforest and waterfall
land, plunging into more of that green.

© Larissa Chace Smith
Selway River, Idaho, May 25, 2002

Time On My Side, Part 2

2008-01-24T08:34:00.000-05:00

When I made my resolution about reevaluating my relationship with time, and lowering my standards of how much I get done with my time, I was on vacation and had less on my to-do list. Now that I am several weeks into January, and have much more on my list, I have found this goal to be much more of a challenge than I had foreseen.

I think the big issue at hand is that I still “assign” myself too much. I am fighting my perfectionist urges (remember, I am a Virgo and first-born child) and trying to keep up with what “needs” to get done all at the same time. It’s a vicious cycle. And I often end up approaching certain tasks joylessly such as, “Oh god, I still need to send a baby gift to so-and-so, and I never seem to have time to sit down and knit that baby washcloth that I am making to give a meaningful gift and save money.” Do you ever have these thoughts? I mean, I seriously stress about this petty stuff!

I think this morning I am heading into my day with the urge to “pare down” my list to what I really feel will truly add value to my life and take me further toward my macro-goals.

I wish to let go of all the micro-management tasks that seem to pile up and send me into a frenzy of “I have so much to do,” which is not a pleasant feeling and often entirely untrue. My husband will often catch me walking through the house with furrowed brow, sighing while deep in thought about all the things I “have” to do. My stress often gets passed on to him, and that is not something I am proud of.

But can I just take things off my list without feeling guilty about not doing them? I know I have control over my thoughts and how I perceive things. But it’s often very difficult to harness those runaway, reeling thought patterns and focus on what is important – to focus on what I have accomplished, not what is left on my list.

Resolutions take time, so I will keep you posted on how I take on this challenge for the sake of bettering the quality of my life – and those around me.

Do you have any thoughts to share about how you perceive time? How do you pare down your list?

When A Song Is A Place

2008-01-17T23:51:00.000-05:00

When one lives out West, in the open spaces, one can develop a curious appreciation for country music, even when country music used the be the only kind of music one did not like. Now, when I hear the call of the lonesome steel guitar and a voice that sounds like it’s haunting a desert, I long for places in which I used to dwell.

I miss the hollow, steel cold beauty of the winding Columbia River where I drove more than once through the night to get to the Oregon Coast, the Seven Sisters of the Cascade mountains looming in the distance like great ships. It was on one of these drives that I first fell in love with the music of Neko Case - and in the desert along the Green River* in Utah, where I first came to understand that a song can be a place. I was on a five-day river trip with friends when I poked my head out of my tent one cold morning to find Neko Case’s song “Deep Red Bells” staring at me across the parched landscape. A skeleton tree stood windblown, and the land stretched beyond it, hues of dull pink and gray hanging on the horizon. I froze, like the dead tree, as the song lured me toward the edge of something I still cannot fully explain. I could call it misery, but it was something I longed to be a part of forever. I felt as if I had seen a unicorn, as if I was one of the fortunate few to be able to see a place that was a song, even for that brief moment of my life. That vision followed me for the rest of the trip and for many years since. Whenever I hear the song today I get an ache in my gut to see that mythical animal again.

One always longs for something that can never truly be grasped.

How has music mystified you?

*Ironically, it was the Green River Killer of the Seattle/Tacoma area that inspired Neko to write "Deep Red Bells".

A New Year, A New Start

2008-01-09T10:48:00.000-05:00

Dearest friends and family,
I am finally ready to sit back down to my blog after weeks of holiday fun. I have great feelings about 2008, and I am excited to share my thoughts and ideas with you over the coming year. I have truly appreciated your readership and comments during the past 8 months, and hope to continue hearing from you this year.

I will start my blog entries for 2008 in a simple manner. Without question, this time of year is defined by the resolutions we make, maintain, and discard. I have been reading many blogs lately offering advice about resolutions. Some of us don't make them, some of us do; it is a very subjective and personal decision, and no matter how big of a deal our society and media make them, resolutions can be the simplest of wishes. I won't offer advice about making or keeping them, I will simply share mine for this year. I have learned that focusing on one macro-goal, in lieu of a plethora of micro-goals, is the easiest way to keep the resolution alive over the months. So here it is:

To set lower expectations for what I do with my time, and be OK with what I choose to do with it. What I do and accomplish is enough.

I have been enjoying this fresh perspective as I settle into the new year. Focusing on this larger goal allows the little things to fall into place more naturally. This particular one works well for me because I am a bit of a perfectionist and often feel that I should be doing something else with my time. Enough, I say! And that is what it will be...enough. I will ask myself what I really want to do, not what I think I should do, or what would be the best or coolest thing. I will not apologize for what I choose to do with my time; what I choose to do is the right thing for me.

Do you have any goals for 2008 to share?

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays, One and All!

2007-12-18T16:42:00.001-05:00

Hello to my dear friends and readers,

I will be taking a brief hiatus from my blog writing due to the constraints of the Holiday Season, my business, etc. I am presently working on an entry about liminal stages, since I feel I am coming out of one as of late. However, would you agree that the holidays are a bit liminal as well? This is the time of year when we push things on the to-do list to 2008, let bygones be bygones, and busy ourselves with other things for a while - getting ready for the rituals of the season, and the big transition into the New Year. It is a very, very special, almost surreal time of year, no doubt.

I will be back at the beginning of January with more anecdotes about life for us to ponder together. I wish you all the best of the season, whatever your traditions or beliefs. Enjoy the Winter Solstice, and the shortest day of the year! Don't forget to eat some unhealthy food, allow your hugs to last a bit longer than usual, and savor every last moment of 2007. After all, this is the only 2007 we'll ever have.

Peace, Cheers, and Merriment,
Larissa

(I love this photo of my sister in our kitchen, decorating Christmas cookies.)

Migrations of My Youth

2007-12-11T15:48:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have made some relatively significant transitions in our young lives thus far. Apparently I had a secret yearning to live the life of an Army brat - though my parents are teachers - considering that I have moved all over the country since leaving home after high school. First came Boston, then Moscow, Idaho, then Austin, Texas. I feel fortunate to have sampled so many diverse regions of our great country; I have rubbed elbows with cowboys and cowgirls, Mormons, Mass-holes, hippies, and yuppies. From the East Coast to the Third Coast, I have become well-versed in moving my life around and making big transitions.

What does it mean to move? To migrate? To transition? I have found that it has most often refreshed my spirit and forced my eyes to see new things I may have missed before - about life, people, my country, etc. Any notion of a schedule goes out the window for those days/weeks/months during which you make the transition. It is also a perfect way to break down any semblance of a comfort zone one may have instituted during a settled period.

Likewise, in migrating, I have met many migratory people. These people, including myself I'm sure, seem to view life from a wide-open perspective, allowing people into their lives with ease knowing that to make the time in a certain location memorable, you must "love the one you're with," so to speak. My migrant friends also seem to be very good at staying in touch, perhaps more than my more settled friends do. We are invited to each others' weddings, send each other Holiday cards, and make the occasion phone call just to talk. Oftentimes, I end up speaking with a far-away pal more frequently than one who lives just down the road.

What is an aspect of moving that I am not so fond of? Potential for years of something best expressed in Portuguese: saudade, an amalgamation of longing, nostalgia, homesickness, yearning, particularly in regards to a place one may never return to. I knew that I would return to my roots from time to time, for visits and vacations, but would this place always linger in my heart in such a way? Would I ever be successful in moving back for good? And would it be all that I had hoped an dreamed it would be? For there is a certain romance and mystique surrounding a place for which one might experience saudade. I feared that I might return to this place and find myself wanting to leave again, forever searching, longing, and migrating.

So far, my transition home to Mercersburg, PA, to this place I have longed for, though I cannot always explain why, seems more resolute than others, especially now that we are moved into the farmhouse. It is a rental house, but a house nonetheless, one where we could grow a family, live below our means, and save for the future. There is much promise in this house. Whether my Army brat tendencies will start to itch, only time will tell. For now, I just want to be here, sit in this quiet, spacious house as the world spins around me, walk along horse pastures and watch deer as they watch me, unblinking - let my late 20s be a time to contemplate migrations of the past and the stillness of today.

Ryan and I play with Sadie during our first snow

Our new home!

Tiny Snowflakes in the Air

2007-12-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hello friends,

Please excuse my brief entry for this week as my husband and I make our move from his parents' house to a farmhouse down the road. We have a lot to sort through and organize, but are very excited to have found such a beautiful place to live. Every window has the most breathtaking view, I just have to stop and stare.

Last night was the first time we slept in the house. The wind howled all night and it was very dark compared to his parents' house in town, so it was a bit of an adjustment. This morning was quiet and peaceful as Ryan and I shared our first breakfast alone together in a long while. We sat at our little, blue kitchen table, drank our coffee and tea, and looked around quietly at our new living space.

I will give you an update next week as we get settled in.

All the best to you all during this Holiday Season!

Larissa

A Time and Place for Unhealthy Foods

2007-11-27T21:59:00.000-05:00

My family hails from upstate New York, specifically the rural areas of Bainbridge and Walton, East of Binghamton. This is a land where nut-brown wood paneling and maroon vinyl adorn the bowling alleys and bars where my family gathers over the holidays. It is often bitterly cold outside during this time, the sun slanting early over the hills and the snow dust swirling like a lace curtain over the winding roads. Thus the cozy, dark corners of my Grandmother’s house and the local bars beckon us to gather there and linger for hours. This is vacation, after all, so I am always primed for a respite from my tidy routine. Good timing, since glistening popcorn balls, ribbons of strudel, scrumptious cakes and pies, succulent bacon, buttery mashed potatoes, golden fries and spicy hot wings suddenly besiege me. My sensory organs are piqued, my stomach ready to be commiserated and cheered.

I try to allow myself these few days away from my normal standards, but I am inexorably facing feelings of guilt deep in my psyche all the while. Why? Because I know too well the potential havoc these foods can wreak on my anatomy, and the environment to a great extent. But does it ever strike you as unfair that some of the best tasting foods are the worst for you?

No, I say, I will not be a patsy to my country’s gross obsession with fat and calories. It obviously has done nothing in the way of halting the spread of obesity and greed. Therefore, when faced with a platter of fried chicken tenders and fries that someone has ordered at the bowling alley my family often haunts during the holidays, I indulge in the name of tradition and celebration. It wouldn’t be fair to deny myself the full package of this experience, to not allow the wonder of comfort food to work its charm! The smell of the wing sauce, the glass rim of the beer bottle on my lips, the bowling saddle shoes on my feet, the sight of my family gathered together – the whole throw-my-reticence-to-the-wind experience must be fulfilled and relished; or these artifacts and scraps of nostalgia that illuminate my present life will fall prey to the wolves of dereliction. The scaffolding of my past will begin to decay with neglect. Thus, I indulge with reflection and gratitude, taking only enough to keep the wolves at bay, and leaving room for new memories to grow.

So go ahead, throw caution to the wind! Put an extra scoop of whipped cream on your hot cocoa and let the memories in!

How do you indulge and reminisce?

(Photo: My mom and I enjoy some holiday libations this Thanksgiving)

Creature Comforts (Part 3): Paring down, Thankful Eating

2007-11-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

This topic happens to fall on the week of our national Thanksgiving celebration. I write this from my Grandmother’s house in upstate New York, where my family has gathered over good food and drink to give thanks for all of life’s bounties. I was initially going to entitle this post, “Mindful Eating,” but upon realizing that Thanksgiving is but a day away, I will deliver my simple message via a short prose, so that I can get back to celebrating with my family, and so can you.

I love to eat. Food is undoubtedly one of my favorite things. I admit, however, that I don’t always “respect” everything I put in my mouth, most often because I am aware that the ingredients may not be all that wholesome for my body but at that moment I am too tired, too hungry, or too transfixed by the sweet, glorious crunchy sugar coating (for example) to care. What follows is usually a mindless devouring of the food in front of me, briefly satisfying as it goes down my throat. But in the end, I am left with an empty hole in my gut, as if the food I just held in my hands was only a mirage in a vast, empty desert. This is a habit I work hard to change, but I can't always expect perfection. Special occasions such as Thanksgiving, however, are great opportunities to put change into practice.

This Thanksgiving, as you sit down to this special meal with your family, take a moment to look at each delicious item on your plate. Imagine the time and energy that has gone into each bite. Think about the people you love who have prepared it, and if you took part in the preparations, give thanks – to God, to the universe, whatever your preference – for your ability to help. Be not just mindful of each bite, but thankful as well. Consider this your one chance to enjoy each bite, chewing slowly with focus and intent. Consider this likewise your one chance to observe the people who surround you, giving thanks for each of them as you enjoy this meal together. Do this today and everyday after.

After all, taking one day at a time, one bite at a time, and one celebration at a time, is the essence of paring down. It means choosing simplicity, but never accepting an empty hole in your gut – the great paradox of balance. So if you love your mother’s pumpkin pie that you get to eat but once or twice a year, don’t deny yourself that extra slice. Being thankful means relishing as well as slowing down. It means filling the void with simple gifts.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Larissa

How do you give thanks everyday?

Creature Comforts (Part 3): Paring down: SHOPPING

2007-11-12T14:52:00.000-05:00

Continued from Paring Down, an introduction:

In regards to shopping and material possessions, how do we pare down without denying the happiness that can come with abundance?

I’m not going to deny it; sometimes money can provide happiness. As much as I am proud of my frugality and aptness at paring down, buying new things does provide a certain satisfaction when it comes to embracing and expressing my identity. But it is the simple enjoyment of each item I acquire that allows me to be mindful of when I have enough and when I just have too much.

I know a lot of people who buy something just because it is on sale. This is an easy way to quickly attain too much. I try to go shopping with a list of things I need (and “need” is subjective isn’t it?) and only buy those things. If something is on sale, great! If not, I usually base the level of need on the price and either take it or leave it. I try to be a selective and mindful shopper; as I hear my products beeping across the scanner at checkout, I pretend I am a kid in a candy store, ogling at what I am able to buy.

Ultimately, balance is the goal here: my $300 pair of cowgirl boots from Austin, Texas is one of my most prized material possessions. But though they sit on a shelf to be admired, I wear them (and dance in them) several times a week and have them repaired and cleaned often. Lesson: splurge when the time is right, but cherish the heck out of the purchase and admire it daily. Once you stop admiring or wearing an item, which often happens, give it away. This will de-clutter your mind and your closet, providing a new perspective on the wonderful things you still hold dear.

Also, take the time to go through that overflowing attic or that spare room full of stuff you’ve been meaning to sort through. Donate or recycle anything you no longer wear frequently, or that no longer serves an aesthetic or emotional purpose in your home. You will hopefully find that paring down is even more rewarding than filling up your shopping cart. Don’t save it for a rainy day! There’s no better time than now to initiate positive change in your life.

P.S. This also applies to buying gifts. Give fewer, more meaningful gifts – be excessive with warm complements and good cheer!

What are your most prized possessions and in what ways do you cherish them? What are your shopping habits and how do you pare down in regards to material possessions?

Creature Comforts (Part 3): Paring down, an Introduction

2007-11-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

“In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy of sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways.”
- Edith Wharton

After a brief interlude, I continue my Creature Comforts series with another idea about how one might find a happy medium between comfort and precariousness. This topic will be presented in several parts since it is one worth deliberating on. Within these parts, I will hash out the notion of paring down: What does it mean to pare down in a society where more equals more? How can we pare down in a way that doesn’t deny us our happiness? And what’s the point? This section will serve as my introduction, followed by several posts that provide specific examples of how one might pare down.

“Simplify Life” is a notion that has gained more and more prevalence during the twenty-first century thus far. With all the choices available to us, and our burgeoning consumer habits, we are crying out for simplicity in the hopes of finding a more wholesome way to nourish our souls. As a culture, we often look back on the “good old days” as examples of how simple and easy life used to be. Things tend to seem as though they were better back then. Problem is, the people living “back then” looked to their pasts for the same inspiration. Thus, we must find ways to carve out simplicity in our present lives, lest we trap ourselves in an endless web of nostalgia. This can involve giving up some of our creature comforts, but in the end I truly believe it is worth the sacrifice.

Despite the heralds of gloom and doom about the shrinking middle class and lack of sufficient health care, my life as a North American feels downright cushy. Perhaps part of the reason I feel this way is due to my sunny disposition; I don’t often want for much and am generally satisfied with what I have. But I did indeed grow up in a country where it is easy to live comfortably, speaking subjectively of course, on teacher’s salaries. My parents, both teachers, had four children, and though I couldn’t always get the outfit or toy that I wanted, my basic needs were met and I had a blissfully happy childhood (no lie!). Essentially, I learned to rejoice in small ways and dream about big things (like the quote above). I believe this is the crux of the debate about frugality, prosperity, and simplicity in our abundant and plush society. It is the moral to this story.

So, what is the point of paring down?

I am going to be a bit extreme here and say it is our responsibility to pare down in everything we do day to day. It is our duty to limit in any ways we can the strain we put on our natural resources. Sure, spending bolsters the economy and we, as consumers, are what drive this capitalist machine. But it is easy to get more than we need or ask for in our society, e.g. whopping helpings at restaurants. Gladly, it isn’t hard to break the habit of accepting blindly what is placed in front of us. The point? Paring down is the simplicity we’re searching for, and it is not as hard to attain as we might think.

I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments about this topic in this and the following posts. Enjoy this great day!

Halloween!

2007-10-29T13:11:00.000-04:00

There's something about Halloween that really brings out the creative juices and the urge to be downright scared. I put more horror flicks in my Netflix queue than usual, visit a haunted house or two, and get excited about handing out candy to ghoulishly clad youngsters and attending our town's Halloween parade. This post is a tribute to this fun-tastic holiday and the crazy things it makes me do!

Haunted House

On Friday night, Ryan and I went to the Leitersburg (Maryland) Haunted House for their final weekend of fright before closing down after 30 years. It was a cold, rainy night and the town looked perfectly spooky with its old houses and semi-bare trees. The haunted house experience started with a terrifying show put on by the staff, which made me clutch Ryan's arm and hide my face in his sleeve...you know, the fun kind of scared. The second half of the experience, however, was a bit more intense for me psychologically. They ushered us into a pitch-black maze where we were forced to feel along the wooden walls, people searching blindly for a way out behind and in front of us. As soon as we entered the maze, I realized that I must suffer from a bit of claustrophobia. I started to hyperventilate and get light-headed, and had to remind myself that this was supposed to be fun, orienting myself by keeping an eye the whole time on the rafters at the top of the building that had a bit of light on them. No one jumped out at us, and there really wasn't much to see. It was just pitch black and tight spaces for a dreadfully long 15 minutes. Several times we actually ran into dead ends; that really almost sent me over the edge. Then we were ushered down a dark, metal tube slide that shot us out into the open air...finally. Phew! I could taste the fear and adrenaline in the back of my throat as we walked toward the car. I was a bit unnerved at first, but I must admit it was still a lot of fun to be that frightened. It can really take you out of your comfort zone, and highlight your most potent fears and how you might handle yourself in dangerous situations. My fight or flight instincts were on high alert!

Speaking sociologically, the haunted house afforded an interesting perspective on the cultural artifacts of what humans deem scary. For instance, someone dressed up in a hospital gown and a mask was enough to send a domino cascade of screams through the line leading to the haunted house as he walked through trying to scare people. How did these two simple props come to be considered horrific in our society? How did the concept of mummification from ancient Egypt come to be such a dominant presence in grindhouse and horror flicks over the years? It was fun to look around at the costumes at the haunted house and think about their historical adaptations and how fear-inducing they have come to be.

Photo-ween!

Ryan and I usually like to send out a little Halloween photo created especially by Chace+Smith Photography. This year's spooky photo project was especially eerie since we had Ryan's parents' attic at our disposal. I found his mother's old prom dress up there and Ryan put on one of his suits. We powdered our faces white and painted dark circles around our eyes. Then we sat up in an abandoned corner of the attic and scared ourselves silly. Keep in mind when looking at these photos that the flash went off at the very beginning, but the shutter stayed open for a good 30 seconds while we sat in the dark with crazed looks on our faces. So for an hour and a half we basically sat in the dark attic donning strange clothes and facial expressions. In the end it was a real hoot (Ryan's parents got a big kick out of it), and certainly a fun way to scare ourselves a bit. Have a look. Some of these are downright spine-tingling!

(Don't I look like a little girl who's been locked in the attic for 100 years?)

(You never know what strange artifacts you'll find in the attic to enhance your creativity)

(For this one, Ryan used his headlamp to trace the letters during the 30 seconds the shutter stayed open. He turned it off, then turned it back on to cross the T just before the shutter went off.)

All photos by Ryan Smith©

How have you been ghoulishly expressing yourself lately?

Another Poem to Enjoy

2007-10-23T22:10:00.000-04:00

It's funny, I read through my poetry and often feel like I am such a different person now. Then I look at the date and it just doesn't seem that long ago. Time is impalpable.

Here is another poem, untouched since the day I wrote it.

I live on a river beach
just for one day
the wild Salmon river has turned
into my bedroom fan
just for one night
and smooth round worry stones
formed by the dancings of
such a river
they are my linoleum for today.

What of the rest of the world
when I can watch the sun light
this treasure chest beach,
hear canyon wrens laughing
way up the walls,
see a proud osprey on his loft
after a fresh catch dive
and the stars of Idaho spinning
just for one night.

Salmon River, Riggins, ID
May 12, 2002

©Larissa Chace Smith

I hope you're having a wonderfully creative day. Do share your creative endeavors with all of us!

BLOG ACTION DAY: “How Many Planets?”

2007-10-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

Today is Blog Action Day, a day in which bloggers from around the globe blog about one topic only. This year’s feature topic is the Environment, one that is certainly not untimely since it is becoming more and more the hot issue. It is a topic that can induce a plethora of reactions and emotions: spirituality, love, fear (global warming is what really keeps me up at night worrying, not money or work stress), happiness, etc. Thus, there are many angles from which to approach such a theme. For me, the obvious direction in which to take my Blog Action Day post is from a conservationist perspective.

How many planets do you think would be required if everyone lived like you or me? Have you ever asked yourself this question? My youngest sister recently performed an exercise at her high school that allowed students to estimate how many planets would be needed depending on each person’s lifestyle. I’m sure many of them were surprised to find that they would need several per person! What we often forget is that not everyone on this earth lives the consumptive lifestyle that we North Americans do. We are taking and using more than our fair share of natural resources, plain and simple. We may often forget this fact since it is natural to think of ourselves as tiny specks on an enormous planet, not fathoming that the ecological impact of just one individual is astronomical. What is often referred to as our “carbon footprint” should perhaps instead be called our “carbon crater.”

The emergence of the American Dream and the rise of our capitalist society as a “superpower” in the global economy have cultivated deep in our psyches a certain standard for what we think we deserve and have a right to as citizens of the earth. Recycling is not required (as it is in some countries), nor is a certain fuel economy for our vehicles. Thus, trash cans and landfills overflow and Hummers run at large on our highways. Why would our government ever take away our “freedom” to consume as much as we want? That would be un-American! Though I see many examples of this trend slowly changing for the better, it is ultimately up to us as citizens to make our own choices to decrease our global carbon crater back to a footprint.

In my recent Creature Comforts series on this blog, I discussed the idea that comfort is a default for many people in our society. Likewise, reducing our carbon footprints can involve initially going out of our comfort zones, making more of an effort, and potentially spending a little extra money. But if we can make spending and consuming a priority, there is no reason why we cannot tweak the ways in which we do so in order to give back a little of what we take. Small changes create large effects in the long run, and it doesn’t have to be as hard as one might think. Unfortunately, the resources and messages to conserve are not nearly as accessible as those encouraging rampant consumption and materialism. The media is greatly at fault for this as messages of “bling” and flashy cars are touted as the ultimate status symbols. But there is hope in that the media and technology can also be used to spread new, grass-roots messages. Blog Action Day is a terrific example of this.

Of course, we must be proactive in any way we can to start the process of shrinking our global footprint to a smaller shoe size. We have to constantly be mindful of the possibilities available in every day, as well as the hypocrisy and irony involved in being a conservationist in a materialist society. After all, I am sitting at my desk as I write this, using an Apple computer whose construction involved toxic materials and waste, and whose usage requires me to suck energy from the grid hour after hour. Indeed, I feel guilty about this, but perhaps a little guilt and humility is what we as a society need to shift the pervasive message of take-whatever-you-want that has seeped into our psyches over the decades.

Here is a list of simple things you can put into action every day to keep your footprint as small as possible. All it takes is common sense and creativity. This list is in no way comprehensive, so please share ways in which you reduce your impact.

If you are able, walk. Why do you think we were given two feet?
Go shopping! That’s right, go buy several canvas bags and keep them in your car for your trips to buy groceries. You can even put plastic or paper grocery bags that you already have in the canvas bags to take with you and reuse as well. Do it now, there is absolutely no excuse not to.
Shop locally as often as possible. Check out Local Harvest for more resources.
Eat at home as often as possible. Restaurants often serve too much and give you leftovers in Styrofoam containers to take home and throw away. To-go meals often result in a ton of waste in your garbage can that end up sitting in the landfill for decades. Eating in and packing your lunch are also healthier since you can control what ingredients you use and how much you consume (this also goes for children's school lunches).
When shopping ask yourself, “Do I really NEED this?”, even if it is on sale. Material items give us our identities and ground us to the realities we create for ourselves. But they also take energy to make and many end up in the landfill so just pause and think before you buy. Keep a list of things you really need (groceries, clothes, etc.) to have on hand if you ever need a reminder.
Be aware of marketing schemes. Now that fuel economy in vehicles is the selling trend, companies are touting new “low” mileage numbers on their advertisements. This is a standard they are setting to make you think these numbers are impressive. Always demand better fuel economy when purchasing or leasing a car, or buy a used car that has a good reputation for gas mileage. Compare mileage through reliable sources that give you the facts. If you really want to make a difference, get rid of your car altogether. This is easiest in urban areas, but it can be done anywhere you live with a little resourcefulness.
For heaven’s sake, don’t flush every time you pee! Shut the lid when you are done to avoid seeing or smelling anything unsightly and clean often with vinegar to deodorize and sanitize the toilet. Number 2 is another story. Go ahead and flush that down. Let guests know of the house rules and spread the word about this simple, money-saving tip. You can also invest in a low-flow toilet that uses less water when flushing.
Carbon Offsetting: donate money to organizations that fund projects such as reforestation and energy conservation to offset our vehicle emissions and other polluting habits. Carbonfund.org is just one of the many organizations that provide such a great service.
Be aggressive and unapologetic about being a conservationist. I am not suggesting you go out and get arrested for it. But if a cashier says he has already bagged your item but you don’t want the bag, don’t let him force you to take it. Just say no thanks and give it back. If someone is helping you bag your groceries, make sure they don’t double bag or put too few items into each bag. I can fit a week’s worth of groceries in no more than 3 deep canvas bags. Always ask if someone has recycling in his or her home or building.
Rewash plastic baggies and hang them to dry for future use (this also includes produce bags from the grocery store). I am proud to say that my husband and I have had the same box of baggies for the past 4 years! Also, check out this wonderful product!
This may be a sensitive topic, but you are responsible for how many children you bring to this earth and how much they consume while they are here. If you must have a large brood, please teach them to be good stewards of the earth and how to keep their impact low. Everyone deserves a happy life on this great planet! That means we have to leave it the way it was when we entered it for future generations to enjoy.

After all, how many planets do we really have? One. One planet is all that has been bestowed upon us to support it as it supports us. This is Blog Action Day, so let’s commit to ACT today to make big changes for this one planet that we have before it’s too late.

Favorite Song Update #3

2007-10-09T15:21:00.000-04:00

Even with the inherent problems found in pop culture and the media, there are still so many instances during the day when I say, “Thank goodness for music, technology, and culture!”

I keep coming back to this clip. I just can’t shake how this video makes me feel: so happy to be alive to experience such things. I’ll let it speak for itself.

Creature Comforts (Part 2): Be a Pioneer!

2007-10-03T16:13:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I asked the following questions: How can we help but opt for the comfort that surrounds us? And is there a happy medium? Ultimately, at the heart of these questions lies the purpose of this blog: to live each day to the fullest. I got some wonderful comments in response to this topic, and I invite you to peruse them and supply your own thoughts. In this post, I will continue my Creature Comforts series and offer insights and personal experiences in order to explore how one might find a happy medium between comfort and precariousness (several proceeding posts will feature more on this topic, so please stay tuned).

BE A PIONEER!
The first time I ever felt like a true pioneer was when I moved with my boyfriend-now-husband from the East Coast to the wilds of Idaho. This would be the first time I would live in a place where none of my family members (or probably even ancestors) had ever lived. Likewise, I couldn’t help but feel like a pioneer in Idaho, knowing that so many settlers had traversed the central plains of our nation to reach this wonderful land of extremes: big spaces, towering mountains, and rushing, icy rivers. Vulnerability took on a different meaning going from city life in Boston (where I went to college) to a state whose entire population hovers around 1 million. I could dare to do things in Idaho that I never would have back East: snowshoeing to the top of Moscow Mountain just outside of our town and snowboarding back down through fresh powder, barely seeing another human all day; rafting across the Salmon River with friends and hiking to hidden hot springs up the side of the canyon, then rafting back down the river in the dark to our private beach where we slept in the open air; traversing 60 miles of river through the Labyrinth Canyon of the Green River with three friends (OK, that was Utah) battling spells of cold rain, slower than expected currents (therefore lots of rowing), reading stories to keep our minds off the slow pace, and living out of a small raft equipped with only a cooler, some gear, a Groover, and my guitar. I might add that none of these activities cost very much money, though good ol' resourcefulness was required to make them happen.

The thing I took away from these marvelous experiences, and the lesson I wish to impart on my readers, is that I was in fact opting not to be comfortable in all three of those scenarios (actually, very uncomfortable in some circumstances). The uncertainty and precariousness of each situation allowed me to define myself as an adventuress, a pioneer, and a more fulfilled person. Ultimately, we do have a choice in the matter, and choosing to challenge the boundaries of our comfortable lives as often as possible is the wisest option if you are interested in seeing how full your life on this earth can be. It is certainly not easy to go beyond one's zone of comfort, but I'll never forget how it felt to slip under crisp, white motel sheets after 5 days on a cold, murky, and dreadfully slow river. For it is the juxtaposition of vulnerability and safety that make being inside and outside of comfort so worthwhile. Indeed, the great part of living in a society that is so navigable is that you can find a happy medium and live a comfortable, daring, and meaningful life. It all depends on what "meaningful" means to you.

Of course, you don’t have to go “into the wild,” so to speak, to be a pioneer or adventurer. The goal is to find opportunities or circumstances that will spark that ember of bravery that lives inside of you, master it, and put it into action. This can involve an enlightening personal journey through nature or paving the way for change in human rights, cancer research, or environmental policies, to name a few.

Being a pioneer is not something that is necessarily accomplished in one day or sitting, so it is important to think of small steps to take that will allow a pioneering goal to come to fruition. And don’t think you have to climb Mount Everest to be a pioneer. The smallest acts can often make the biggest difference.

My latest pioneering achievement was moving with my husband and business from Texas to our tiny hometown in Pennsylvania. It was a risky and precarious decision but I have already noticed the benefits that came with it. I feel more connected to my community, family and friends and see small but wonderful things happening everyday.

What are your pioneering achievements or goals?
In what ways do you opt to go "outside" of comfort?

Creature Comforts: allowing and denying ourselves in modern society (Part 1)

2007-09-27T17:59:00.000-04:00

I lay on the floor of my best friend’s apartment, my cheek resting on my left hand, the other hand clutching a hair dryer. On the floor beside me, swaddled in a green fleece blanket, lay my friend’s six-week-old daughter, Louisa. My husband and I were taking the baby’s portrait and were amused to learn that the heat and white noise from the hair dryer would calm her enough so the camera could capture her in a peaceful moment. I held the hair dryer about a foot from her head and gently coaxed the warm air back and forth. Her soft hair lifted in response to the dryer as she wrinkled her brow, a reaction to this new sensation. Then she closed her eyes and cooed. We all laughed, reveling in her comfort. Louisa was still and peaceful as the camera shutter fired loudly. Not even the large soft-box flash could stir her now. As I lay next to her on the floor, I realized that as an adult I yearn for the same creature comforts of warmth and white noise. Watching this tiny infant beside me confirmed the notion that we as humans instinctively yearn for, indeed demand, comfort from the moment we leave the safety of the womb.

For all that, there are these little things we like to call “rites of passage” that we must go through in order to grow as humans. Whether society, family, or our egos mandate it, undertaking these rites undoubtedly involves facing a fear or multiple fears, and coming out on the other side a stronger, more capable adult. For some, the simple act of leaving the house and going into public is a rite. For others, it is climbing Mount Everest.

Several days ago, I happened to catch an episode of “Oprah”. The topic of discussion was the story of Chris McCandless, the young man who journeyed into the Alaskan wilderness to abandon his capitalist roots and live off the land alone, an act many of us in North America would find bold, if not asinine. Incidentally, he did not survive for long in this state, dying of starvation. To find out why, I recommend you read the book about Chris’ journey called “Into the Wild,” by Jon Krakauer. It is truly riveting. Incidentally, Krakauer was a guest on Oprah’s show that day, as was actor Sean Penn, who has recently made a movie based on the story. When asked what they wanted people to take away from the book and movie, both Krakauer and Penn emphasized the need for our society to let go of our comfort addiction and do something meaningful with our lives. The idea of comfort addiction gave me pause, and led me to ponder the paradoxical nature of allowing and denying ourselves comfort in modern society.

Undoubtedly, the sheer popularity of the Chris McCandless story and the can’t-shake-it reactions to it are a result of our growing need as North Americans, during such unstable times, to get back in touch with our natural state - that primal moment when our warm, sopping wet bodies entered the frigid air of the delivery room. Some destiny was waiting for us “out there” in the wild, and we went for it, and have never gone back or been the same since. This is essentially the first of many rites of passage that we must surpass throughout our earthly existence. Beyond this point, however, we generally have a choice as to which and how many risks and adventures we wish to take. And this is what Krakauer and Penn were getting at: that many of us are opting for the cushy comforts of our modern lives in lieu of living full, daring lives.

The paradox in this argument lies in the baby’s reaction to the hair dryer and my empathy with it. If we instinctively yearn for comfort, why should we deny this instinct and purposefully force ourselves into murky waters? After all, in our plush society (and yes, those were very plush chairs the guests on Oprah were sitting in), we actually have to make an effort anymore to be uncomfortable. Going into the wild (or other such daring acts) can actually cost a lot of money these days! So how can we help but opt for the comfort that surrounds us? And is there a happy medium?

I will continue this discussion in my next post.
In the meantime, please share your thoughts on this topic!

Blog Action Day

2007-09-24T12:33:00.000-04:00

On October 15, this blog will take part in Blog Action Day. I will be posting, with thousands of other blogs, about one topic: the environment. This is a fantastic movement within blog culture to focus our communication efforts on one issue. According to the website, the participating blogs and websites will reach over 3 million people!

If you have a blog of your own, I highly recommend participating in this great effort. Just visit the website to sign up and join me on October 15 in writing about this important issue. And make sure to check back on that day to find out what aspect of the environment I have chosen to write about.

Happy Blogging and Reading,
Larissa

Favorite Song Update #2

2007-09-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks! I will be periodically posting my favorite song(s) of the moment. Since I have such a strong love of music, I thought it would be fun to share not only what I'm doing and thinking about on my blog, but also what I'm listening to!

One of my favorite songs of the moment is Jason Isbell's "Shotgun Wedding" from his new album entitled Sirens of the Ditch. A former member of the Drive-By Truckers, Isbell has created a solo album worth listening to, and investing in. Whether or not you already enjoy the sounds of alternative country, I suggest giving Jason Isbell a try.

I couldn't find a suitable site from which to sample the whole song, so feel free to search the artist and song title through your preferred browser or music site (itunes, amazon, etc.). Happy listening!

Uncovering former talents can embolden current ones

2007-09-08T17:53:00.000-04:00

When I was in my early twenties, I loved to write poetry. While I still love to write, poetry has been a medium I have pushed to the back burner over the years. Since I always seem to have a plethora of projects going on at once (i.e. knitting, blogging, songwriting, reading, fitness, qigong, etc.), I do not worry about becoming lazy or passive about my creative urges, or about letting one or two fall by the wayside.

Yet, it is important to revisit these talents that we once nurtured, whether it is from 5, 20, or 50 years ago. Everything we do leads us toward something else. We may retire old talents or hobbies, but they will always stay with us and continue to influence our current projects and interests. When I read the poem I have featured below, I remember the young woman I was then. At the same time, the person I am today is reflected in these words as though I am looking at an old photograph of myself. Ironically, Fats Waller is an old-time jazz musician that I have listened to with my father since I was a child. So the influences in this piece (and all our creative endeavors) are innumerable and timeless.

I have not modified this poem or its structure in any way. This is exactly as I had typed it 5 years ago:

WALKING WITH FATS

Fats Waller has been my
soundtrack since the days got balmy.
I feel he would sing
about the cottonwood spores floating
as he walks down the lane with me;
about the wheat fields growing
and churning as we drive past
farms of joy.
He’d say “You’ve got it good here,
Sister, ain’t no other place like it.”
As the sound of his twinkling piano
tickles me something, I shed
my skin for another summer.

Summer on the Palouse Prairie, Idaho
6/5/02
©Larissa Chace Smith

Tell me, what are your hidden or forgotten talents, interests, and loves?

What I am afraid of admitting I am afraid of

2007-08-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

Today I made a list. For those of you who know me, this would come as no surprise. But this was no ordinary clean-out-the-fish-tank-filter type of list. I started compiling a list of everything I could possibly think of that makes me afraid.

We all fear things; fear is one of our most basic emotions and it fuels our paths through life, whether or not we decide to use it to our advantage. But we are often afraid (puns come free with this post) to admit the things we are afraid of. Many of us try to perform activities that conquer our fears, or take us out of our comfort zones. Yet half the time I feel I am afraid of so much, from the mammoth to the minute, that I don't know how to go about conquering anything. We are told to "face" our fears, but how do we take this metaphorical advice and turn it into something tangible, something we can hold in our hands?

Make a list, of course!

So I did, and the results were enlightening to say the least. I suggest you try this exercise: either type or handwrite (whichever you feel more comfortable with), stream-of-consciousness style and without stopping for 5 minutes, a list of anything that you are afraid of...anything! I started my list with the phrase, "I am afraid of," and went down the page from there. See what you come up with; you may arrive at some interesting conclusions. I won't share with you my whole list, since some of it is intensely private - and that's the point of making the list - but I will feature a few items that I found to be of interest to demonstrate the variety of fears my brain conjured up with only a bit of coaxing:

I am afraid of:

My dog chasing a squirrel into a busy road
Cellulite
Global warming
Not helping other people enough
Worrying too much
Responsibilities
Being too much like myself (??)

Can you relate to any of these? I have found, since compiling my fears into somewhat of a tally, that I can now try to connect the dots and see which fears directly affect the others and so forth. I hope to be able to make some concrete observations about how I react to forces that influence my every-day life, then make a plan of action to work toward either letting some fears go, or using them to my advantage. I also suggest adding to the list whenever something pops into your head. Or try the exercise from time to time and see how your fears change or disappear.

Please feel free to share any of your findings if you try this exercise. I'll be interested to see if anyone else benefits from it as I have. Don't be scared, give it a try!

(Aren't free puns great?)