avatarChristine Morris Ph.D.

Summary

The website content is a personal narrative detailing the author's experiences and passions through a series of photos and stories centered around the letter "D," including daisies, dance, daughter, damselfly, and a beloved dog named O'Driscoll.

Abstract

The author shares a heartfelt exploration of their life's joys, captured in a collection of photographs and anecdotes. Each image and story is tied to the letter "D," showcasing the author's love for daisies in their garden, their daughter's passion for dance, the beauty of damselflies, and the deep bond with their late dog, O'Driscoll. The narrative weaves through the author's creative endeavors, from developing black and white photos in a shared darkroom to crafting dance costumes for their daughter, highlighting the personal significance of each subject and the memories they hold. The author reflects on the simple pleasures, such as the muted light in a damselfly photograph, and the profound impact of their dog's playful and gentle nature, revealing a tapestry of life's moments that are both ordinary and extraordinary.

Opinions

  • The author has a deep appreciation for the natural beauty of daisies, particularly enjoying the variety and colors found in their garden.
  • Developing black and white photos is remembered fondly, with the author expressing enjoyment in the hands-on process of manipulating contrast and texture.
  • The garden is a source of pride and tranquility, requiring minimal maintenance and providing the setting for capturing nature's beauty, such as the damselfly photograph.
  • Dance is celebrated as a significant part of the author's daughter's life, with the author actively supporting her through lessons, exams, and performances.
  • The author takes pride in their resourcefulness, making dance costumes without traditional sewing skills and relying on their ability to cut patterns and use alternatives like glue and safety pins.
  • The author cherishes the memory of their dog, O'Driscoll, recalling his unique personality and the joy he brought to the family, and expressing the enduring grief of their loss.
  • Photography is not just a hobby but a means of expression and remembrance for the author, who has also sold and exhibited their work.
  • The author values the community aspect of creative pursuits, as evidenced by sharing a darkroom and costume-making skills with friends and fellow parents.

WRITING CHALLENGE

Daisies, Dance, Daughter, Damselfly, Dog

Photos for D

photo by author

I took this photo in black and white. It makes the daisy stand out. I love daisies, and have various types in my garden. Not all of them are pure white, some have small pink stripes.

I used to develop my own black and white photos. I shared a darkroom with a friend. It’s fun to play with contrast and texture.

I love my garden. It is established now. All I do is pull the odd weed. I planted two fruit trees last fall. Cherry and apricot. I also have a fig tree. I love figs.

photo by author

Dance is my daughter’s passion. I was fortunate to discover it when she was almost three. She started with ballet and went on to do tap dance, modern and jazz.

I went on to drive her to lessons, exams, and rehearsals for shows, and then the show until she was seventeen when she drove herself. I am so proud of her as she has many talents. She’s become a very good driver too.

I made her costumes by sharing skills with other moms. I can cut out very well, but I glue or double tack as I can’t use a sewing machine. Safety pins were useful too.

photo by author

Damselflies are a favorite of mine. I was very fortunate to get this photo. It’s up on a hill near where I live. I love that it looks like moonlight when, in fact, it’s the sun and that’s why everything looks so muted. It took a lot of shots to get this picture. I was a hobby photographer and sold some as well as exhibiting them.

photo by author

This is O’Driscoll, my dog who passed away. I am only just beginning to talk about him as I was so grief stricken. He gave us so much fun and love. He was inquisitive, vain, playful, very gentle, and cheeky. He would finish my cup of tea if I went quickly into another room, he ate my daughter’s socks and would regurgitate them later. He would lie on anything belonging to me, and the clean laundry. He would steal my knickers if I walked out of the bathroom after a shower. He could catch a ball in his mouth like a baseball player (I know he isn’t a catcher for baseball). He ran like the wind but always came back to check I was still walking. I miss him so much.

Allisonn Church tagged me to do this challenge. You can read her story here:

Letter D
Dog
In Living Color
Dance
Writing Challenge
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