Art and life

There's a lot of things in my life that are up in the air right now. It can feel quite overwhelming. It is overwhelming. I saw this photograph at the MET yesterday and was immediately fascinated by it. The picture, The Leap Into The Void, is actually a photomontage taken by Harry Shunk of the French artist Yves Klein leaping into the air. I stood there for a few minutes taking it in, looking at his face and realizing how much I feel like this man. He looks free, he looks scared, he looks bold. Arms stretched out and looking out ahead of him, he falls into the void.

Oh how this picture captures my life right now. I, too, am leaping and looking out ahead of me as I fall. Risks are being taken, decisions made and while I'm not quite certain of any of them, there is one difference between my life and this picture. I am not falling into the void. I am falling into the everlasting arms of God. Oh what comfort that is to me now, what reassurance.

I have decided to end my time in New York City. I gave myself the month of September to find a job and while I had a couple of job opportunities to come up, I quickly felt that I couldn't fully commit to them, nor did I want to. I feel like my heart is being pulled down South and I want to be closer to my family. I will be moving to Charlotte to live in a house (a house!) with two other great girls and this is such an answer to prayer. I will look for a job once I get there and already have an appointment to start volunteering with a children's hospital in Charlotte. I've also had thoughts of joining the Junior League and excitement for what is to come in a new town, with old and new friends.

While I rather quickly made this decision, and while I have had second thoughts, I feel like this is where I should be. It's the next step in my life. I'm not sure who it was, perhaps Elisabeth Elliot or even TK, who said, "Just do the next thing." Simple as it is, in my chaos of moving and uncertainty, I find myself trying not to think too much but to do the next thing that has to get done. But oh how I will miss my friends here. What community, acceptance and fun I have had in New York. Some of the best times of my life.

So, here's to what's to come. But at least I know that I am falling, ever so blindly, into the arms of God. And that's the only place I ever want to be.

Blogging and cotton candy

Well I just passed my one year anniversary of blogging. Hooray! Not that this is a huge milestone, but probably worth a blog post shout-out if you ask me.

Yesterday I had a LeeAnne day! I hit up the NJ Transit after the wedding weekend and arrived to a beautiful September day in the City. LA and I ran a few errands and then met up with Pamela in Central Park where we enjoyed, along with everyone else in Manhattan, cool weather, blue skies and a relaxing Sunday afternoon. When LA and I got back on the subway, I looked over and saw that someone had a ton of cotton candy at the end of the train!! I'm not especially fond of cotton candy but this made my day! What a happy subway ride.

**Updated**

I just found this video of the boys, and since we were talking about cotton candy already, and since they're just plain adorable and sweet themselves, I thought I would share.

Introducing: Matt & Lauren Jacobson!

What a fun wedding weekend it was celebrating the marriage of Matt & Lauren! It was the perfect day ("the 11th most beautiful day in Jersey" -the groom, MJJ himself) and we had a blast! Amongst our friends, I was the designated photographer, so I have a million pictures to put on Facebook and they will be up tomorrow, most likely. Congratulations to the happy couple and hope yall enjoy your 3 week honeymoon all around the world!

Happy Birthday Ginna!!

Happy Birthday to you!!!

It is that Ginna girl's birthday today! I am just thrilled that I have been able to share in her 24 years of life, being the older, wiser sister that I am ;). Gin, I hope you had a wonderful day today. I have compiled a lot of very random pictures for your viewing. I love you!

If you've ever wanted to know what a birthday cake looks like when you have two young children running around, a trip to pack for and basically life is crazy, here's exhibit a. I made this for Gin in 2006 to trick her into thinking I was celebrating her bday with the boys and neighbors when really I surprised her by flying to Boone for a birthday/girls weekend celebration!










Life is certainly never boring with Ginna. Here she is in 2007 in NYC!












Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters









Oh my gosh. This is CLASSIC Ginna. Classic.









We are so silly.









But at least we love each other!

Ginnawin, Jeffiepoohfefferson and Petals

My favorite recent picture! What fun we have together!

Original FG

Once upon a time there was a fellowship group, started by some of my dearest friends in the summer of 2007. I joined towards the end of that summer and it was one of the best things I've ever done. The FG multiplied like crazy after that because we kept growing and growing. Now there are probably 35 people who are/were apart of it and I think from that original FG stem 6 groups.

Anyway, this past Labor Day a couple of the current FG groups got together for a little picnic next to the Brooklyn bridge. When I got there they were playing Catch Phrase and I sat down and introduced myself to the people I didn't know. I met this one guy who asked me how I knew everyone. I said that I was in the original FG and he said something how I was one of the few! I then realized how special it was to be a part of that group and became quite nostalgic thinking about the good times we had. (Pictures below)

What does that mean? It's Friday night in NYC and I'm so excited to get back to FG!

I found it!

One of my dreams is to have a piece of art from every place I've lived (Greensboro, Boone, Long Island, NYC). I don't have any pieces yet but that doesn't mean I haven't been looking. These decisions take me a while as I want to be sure that I really love something before it becomes a permanent fixture in my home. I also have to have one of my famous "Ah-ha!" moments, where I know completely that this is IT. (Does anyone else have those moments or rely on them to make decisions?)

I've been looking for oh so long for my Long Island piece. Occasionally I would search LI paintings on the internet or window shop in Huntington. It wasn't until last week when I was visiting Ginna that I found it! While she was at work, I went into DC to visit museums and art galleries. I was at the Smithsonian American Art Museum exploring an exhibit featuring paintings from the Public Works of Art, a recovery program FDR formed in the Great Depression era.

It was an excellent exhibit and I was in there for quite a while listening to Bach and Yo-Yo Ma on my iPod, which was pretty much amazing. Then I happened upon it: a painting called Racing by Gerald Sargent Foster. He was an avid yachtsman and in this work, he painted a yacht race on the Long Island Sound. I stood there for a good, long while looking at it and just knew that I wanted this to be my LI painting. I raced (ha) to the gift shop and information desk asking if they had a print for sale, but no such luck. I'm hoping I can find it online somewhere. But isn't it grand? I would often take the boys to the beach and we would pass over the Sound on our way to Lloyd Harbor, so this seems appropriate.

I'm back!

After a week of couch surfing, I am finally in my apartment in Brooklyn! While I have to catch you up on everything, I have a busy day of laboring as I unpack and see my NYC friends!! After not having the internet for a good 5 days, I will hopefully update on recent events/news soon. But here are a few pictures in the meantime! :)

My roommate is so lovely, and so is our apartment!

What an awesome rooftop view.