worth remembering










Flowers 12.26.08


Lake Tahoe 12.25.08


Rainboots 12.24.08


Drafting 12.23.08


Rainbow 12.22.08


"Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone. And do not be troubled about the future, for it has yet to come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering." - Ida Scott Taylor

Love and Anniversaries










Mr. Man Cupcake 12.21.08


Trenton Fence 12.20.08


Water 12.19.08


Stormy Branch 12.18.08


Frosted Ivy 12.17.08


Sonoma County Snow 12.16.08


Raider 12.15.08


Double Rainbow 12.14.08




“When I say, "I love you," it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are.” ~ Joss Whedon

“Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third” ~ Marge Piercy

“Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep... wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky his is to have you.... The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her.'” ~Author Unknown

“Love is saying 'I feel differently' instead of 'You're wrong.'” ~Author Unknown

“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.” ~Author Unknown

“You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” ~Author Unknown

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig

An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow. ~Author Unknown

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year." -- Paul Sweeney


This past week jchilton and I had our 8 year anniversary, so I dedicate this blog entry to him. He supports me each day, in things he loves about me and in things he just accepts about me. We have been on a crazy road together, but we are at each others sides on this journey. Thank you for all you do to support me, encourage me, accept me and be with me. I love you!

-Monique Jervan-Chilton

why










Cloudy Sky 12.13.08


Silver Sunflower 12.12.08


Green Car 12.11.08


Frosty Morning 12.10.08


Ducks in flight 12.09.08


Moonlit night 12.08.08



Rusty Fence 12.07.08


During the course of this project, I have had the opportunity to observe many things, some leave me in awe, some make me dream, some leave me filled with happiness and some make me wonder.

I was watching some children recently and I was so impressed with how full of kindness, joy and love children are.

Children tell each other how beautiful they look, without feeling like if they compliment each other they are taking from themselves.

Children show each other kindness with something as simple as holding each others hand, and it does not mean anything more than “you are nice, I like you”.

Children accept each others differences and do not think anything of them, they accept that they are not all alike, that they are different shapes, sizes, have different backgrounds, feelings and beliefs and they still all manage to get along. Sometimes we adults do not accept differences, we have issues if someone thinks something different than us, feels something different than us, believes different than us, looks different than us, acts different than us…. is different than us.

Why? I wish I knew why.

Are we not told to celebrate our differences?

Do we not know that everyone has their own path in life and no two people are the same?

Why do we take offense when someone asks us to do something differently?

Or for that matter when they just plain do something differently than us, why do we get peeved, perturbed or put out at each others differences?

Would it not be horrible if everyone was exactly the same?

What would we ever learn?

Why do we have to make odd awkward moments to recognize their differences, highlighting them in a strange way, when we could just be grateful in that moment for those differences?

Acceptance gives us a chance to display our own inner grace and our thankfulness that we do have variety in our lives, that we are not all exactly a carbon copy of each other.

I will probably always question why our differences affect us the way they do, I know at times I even find myself stuck doing some of the same things I am questioning here. But I am working on that.

But in the meantime, perhaps I can encourage all of us to keep in mind the words of Stacey Charter.

“There comes a time when you have to stand up and shout:
This is me!
I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel, love the way I love!
I am a whole complex package.
Take me... or leave me. Accept me - or walk away!
Do not try to make me feel like less of a person, just because I don't fit your idea of who I should be and don't try to change me to fit your mold.
If I need to change, I alone will make that decision."


-Stacey Charter (adapted)


Have a great and wonderful week.

-Monique Jervan-Chilton

PS - The artwork that I photographed this week can be found at Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, they have a great exhibit on the winery grounds, so go have some wine and take in some art.

charming gardeners












San Franciso Sunset 12.06.08


Bird in Tree 12.05.08


Backyard Sunset 12.04.08


Inspiration 12.03.08


Morning Fog 12.02.08


Red Leaf on Hood 12.01.08


Car Wash 11.30.08





Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.- Marcel Proust

This post is my 25th post, it takes me 156 days into this project. I have shot well over 3000 photos since I started, but that is a conservative estimate, it may be more like 5000. Part of me does not want to know, because that would be admitting that a simple desire has become more than simple. I thank everyone for the kind support they give me, if you have been lurking around and have not dropped me a line, please do so. It is fun to see how many people are watching this project grow. There is a comment button on the bottom of each post, feel free to use it. I promise to read them.

Have a great week.

-Monique Jervan-Chilton

glitter of green and golden wonder










Lake Don Pedro 11.29.08


Sunset at Yosemite 11.28.08


Valley View 11.28.08


Yosemite Beauty 11.28.08


El Capitain 11.28.08


A river runs through it 11.28.08


BW Half Dome 11.28.08


Fence 11.27.08


Pine Mountain Lake 11.27.08



“Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space.”—Ansel Adams

I feel like I must make a confession here, I have lived most of my life (except for a few years spent in Oregon as a child) here in California. I have traveled all over the world and yet.....here I must admit...... I had never been to Yosemite.

I am not sure why, I always thought it was further away than it is, by LA perhaps. My brother said he thought it was in another state, I think he was confused with Yellowstone Park from all of his cartoon watching as a kid. I asked my Mom why we never visited and she said they did not really know that is was so pretty there, they just thought it was a park, so they never took us. I guess growing up in a rain forest, if you have seen one forest you have seen them all was the mindset running around in our household. An excellent household, just minus some knowledge on Yosemite.

If you are shocked by my confession, I am not alone, there are others, my husband jchilton, had never been there as well. So with that, we decide to go to see Yosemite.

I see why Ansel Adams found such inspiration there. How could he not.

Whackadangdang, that place is AMAZING!!!!!!!!! It was glorious. I shot over 300 photos in one day there, and that was because I was awe of everything and just wanted my eyes and brain to take it all in as well as my camera.

If you are planning a visit, I would suggest Hwy 120… of course this is the only way I know to suggest… via Groveland, Pine Mountain Lake and Lake Don Pedro. We stayed at a nice little vacation rental on Pine Mountain Lake and we are already planning a return some time soon.

Enjoy the views!!!

-Monique Jervan-Chilton