Category: Photographs

Dream Big

~ oneletterup ~ 7 Comments

Every time a woman runs, women win.

Geraldine Ferraro

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Did you see the news? Kristi could be president someday!

The phone tucked under my chin, I had the long coiled cord stretched tight as I stood in the kitchen…as close as I could get to a 12″ television in the corner. I had the news on that July day in 1984 when Democratic Presidential nominee Walter Mondale announced his choice for running mate.

For the first time ever, the Vice Presidential candidate was female. It was blowing minds everywhere. Mine included. Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro of NY was joining former Vice President Walter Mondale on the Democratic ticket for the November election. My mother was the first to call me.

I did see the news! I can’t believe it…Yes she could!

I was as excited as Mom was, if not more so. My daughter Kristi, then just 2 years old and covered with remnants of lunch, was smiling and banging a spoon. A long way to go to the White House, but now it seemed possible. In my opinion, she showed great promise.

I’ll never forget that moment. It triggered my involvement in politics. Parenthood is a powerful motivator for action; but never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine a woman being elected President…or Vice President. Not that I ever doubted a woman was capable of doing the job and doing it well. That was never a question – in my mind at least. Perhaps I didn’t dream big enough – or didn’t know I could – but that day in 1984 opened the door of possibility in my mind. And in the minds of many others.

I worked on the Mondale/Ferraro campaign in NH and, when possible, on future campaigns for candidates I believed in…for my daughter and my son who came along 3 years later. For children everywhere. We all know how the 1984 election turned out, but ground had been broken.


I have a box of both local and national political tidbits and swag going back to 1984…

1984 Presidential election collectibles

And then yesterday…36 years later…it happened.

Breaking News…

Former Vice President Joe Biden will be our next President.

Senator Kamala Harris will be our next Vice President.

A highly qualified woman.

Finally.

But while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities and to the children of our country regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they’ve never seen it before.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris
November 7, 2020
  • Portsmouth NH - November 7, 2020 - 2:30pm
    Portsmouth NH – November 7, 2020 – 2:30pm
  • Portsmouth NH - November 7, 2020 - 2:30pm
    Portsmouth NH – November 7, 2020 – 2:30pm

Peaceful groups of joyful citizens gathered throughout the USA yesterday. Mask wearing was evident in Portsmouth, but even so, I could tell everyone was smiling.


Ragtag Daily Prompt: Tidbit

Fandango’s Flashback Friday: November 6

~ oneletterup ~ 3 Comments

Fandango’s Flashback Friday: November 6

Wouldn’t you like to expose your newer readers to some of your earlier posts that they might never have seen? Or remind your long term followers of posts that they might not remember? Each Friday I will publish a post I wrote on this exact date in a previous year. How about you? Why don’t you reach back into your own archives and highlight a post that you wrote on this very date in a previous year?

~~~

The following post was published on November 6, 2018. It was election day here in the United States. Mid-term elections don’t usually involve as much drama as the presidential elections do, but they are important nonetheless. As all elections are.

I am struck by the contrast between then and now. No pandemic. No uneasiness about the process. An atmosphere free of tension. The results were not questioned or contested (at least as I remember it). The system wasn’t vilified.

I have to believe it will be that way again.

********

I Voted

ivoted.jpg

As I drove towards the polling location this morning, I was thrilled to wait in a long line of cars to turn in to the parking lot.

Up and down the packed rows of cars I went, looking for an open parking space. Unlike the usual me, I felt no aggravation or need to complain under my breath.

The clouds and misty drizzle didn’t dampen my spirits as I parked. And walked by crowds of supporters holding campaign signs. Peacefully. Democrats on one side of the walkway. Republicans on the other side.

I was smiling as I waited in line behind other voters once I got inside the building…the town’s former high school. Tables side by side divided up voters via the alphabet — first letters of last names.

There were men, women, children, babies – all patiently waiting. Rows of red, white and blue curtained voting booths also waiting throughout the old gymnasium. I made it to the check-in person, showed my driver’s license and received my ballot – yes, here we have paper ballots as long as your arm. A black sharpie also waited inside each booth. To fill in the empty circles beside all the hopeful candidates’ names.

I am always filled with a sense of awe at this moment. At the privilege – and the right – of having my voice actually count. It is only one voice, but it is as important as that guy in front of me in line. And as important as the young mom holding the curly headed baby in the line to my left. The perfect equalizer. That not everyone in this world has.

Just before I turned 18, the voting age was changed from 21 to 18, courtesy of the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution (which followed the crucial 19th Amendment 51 years earlier…also making my vote possible). When I actually turned 18, I registered to vote at my high school. We had passionately discussed the significance of this change in History class and amongst ourselves. After all, there were 18, 19 & 20 year olds headed to Vietnam who should at least be able to vote.

I haven’t missed an election since.

When my two children turned 18, I took them soon after to our city hall to register. My son registered on his actual birthday – the next day was election day. And we both went together. “Did you get your absentee ballot?” I’d ask each of them every year when they were in college. We are lucky in this country, I tell them. We have a voice.

Use it.

Lens-Artists Challenge: Focus on the Subject

~ oneletterup ~ 18 Comments

Lens-Artists Challenge #121: Focus on the Subject

…we invite you show us an image that uses leading lines, patterns, color, contrast, selective focus, freezing the action, doorways or arches, or the eyes of humans or animals to draw our attention to the subject.

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The window in my computer/writing room faces the woods in back of our condo building. It also overlooks our tiny porch. I removed the screen from this window a while back, so that if the mood struck I could quickly open it and click away.

Last month, one such moment took place – a glorious tree decked out in Autumn colors framed within the outline of the porch railings. Leading lines and patterns contribute to the frame…

View from the window

Selective focus is perhaps my favorite photography technique. A cluster of “baby apples” at a local orchard caught my attention….

Baby Apples

A walk in the woods at the end of a beautiful fall afternoon led to this discovery. Lines everywhere courtesy of the late day sunlight…

Tree lines

Our local park is surrounded by a paved pathway for walkers like me. However since the pandemic began, social distancing signs and directional arrows were added. The two way path was now one way.

You can’t miss that yellow…

Go this way

Last but not least….when I was taking this shot I initially intended to capture a lake view where my family was enjoying our “covidcation.” I liked the scene with a lone figure sitting off to the side. At first I didn’t notice one very observant pup looking straight at me, but I soon did. His name is Taco and he doesn’t miss a trick.

Taco

Macro Monday: Ablaze

~ oneletterup ~ 11 Comments

This time of year, each walk in the woods is different. The path gets wider as the trees drop leaves. Colors, of course, are changing. Reds. Oranges. Browns. And all shades in between.

The path becomes crunchy with fallen leaves, pine needles, twigs and all that is nature.

I recently discovered a leaf basking in the afternoon sun.

It had fortunately escaped a crunching foot.

Macro Monday: Look Out Below

~ oneletterup ~ 9 Comments

BeckyB’s October Squares: Kind
Photo a day challenge: Autumn trees, leaves

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We were blessed here in the northeast a few days ago, as Mother Nature was kind enough to shower us with a bit of rain. I do prefer sunny days, but the current drought now takes a higher priority over bright blue skies.

Yesterday I ventured out to see what was going on in my small patch of woods.

The path, now almost spongy, was disappearing under fallen leaves, twigs and pine needles. Puddles were still visible and I stepped carefully to avoid soaking my shoes.

However, as I glanced down (and I try to remember to do just that)…I noticed a few of the fallen leaves looked kinda strange. Time for closer inspection!

I was not disappointed.