Tonight's noticeably-cold-turned-pretty-refreshing run led to an equally refreshing new background for the phone, courtesy of Hyde Park.  (PS, and YES -- these leaves, while a bit enhanced by Instagram, were still bright in the dark.)

I know this quote gets posted quite a bit ... so perhaps some context gives it a little more, or at least new, meaning.  Its from The Great Gatsby, Chapter 7.  Not to get into the plot, but its a response to a question Daisy asks: "What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon? ... and the day after that, and the next 30 years?"  Jordan responds: "Don't be morbid.  Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."


So, with that in mind.  When I'm fussing about what on earth I'm going to do for the next ridiculous number of years when, in reality, I know that by the time that ridiculous number of years comes around, everything will look unexpectedly different anyways ... perhaps I should remember that I get new starts all the time.  No reason to fuss over the next 30 years if I'm going to get to start over every fall. 

It was a bittersweet week for the Bunten family.  Our sweet dog, Belle, passed away after we found a tumor in her stomach.  She was a trooper and made it through the majority of the surgery, but in the end, she was just a bit too old for it and passed away. 

Of course, I have had a very mature reaction to her passing.  I ran out of workout class and publicly cried on the phone with my mother.  I caught myself saying things like: "but if could have just talked to her, told her I loved her."  I cried the length of the tube ride home, and three days later, I am crying again.  I might have also gotten into a fight with the boy about his lack of understanding on the issue-most notably because he mentioned that Belle had, on occasion, smelled.  Well.  

But this is all justified because she was that good of a dog.  Maybe others don't feel a deep-seated need to verbally communicate with their pets, but this was Belle.  And Belle was special.  So the unnatural amount of public tears and reverting back to childlike responses are just a testament to the fact that we had the best dog. Ever.

Losing a pet, though, is a pretty unique experience.  You are protective of them as they are like - I mean are - your children. Yet you don't have the same kind of reassurance that they know exactly how you feel about them.  I think that's part of the reason why losing a pet can be especially discomforting.  So, here's a small thank you our sweet Bella for being such a good dog.  She is so missed and so loved.  And while she had a good life and (in my opinion) a pretty good family, she was an even better dog.

PS, can't leave out this genius ... losing Belle makes me miss my own dog that much more.  She just turned two... so here's to many more years of nutty, zany Vandy.  She is also the best dog .... just not for her smarts.  She has many other talents, though; in particular, an uncanny ability to make everyone around her laugh [at her]. 

And finally, two lovely dog quotes:

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."                        
                                                        --Will Rogers

"For all his life, he tried to be a good person.  Many times, however, he failed.  For after all, he was only human.  He wasn't a dog."
                                                       --Charles Schulz

Martin Parr, a British photographer, recently blogged that photography was the most democratic art form of our time.  I wholeheartedly agree, and it is a pretty neat thought.  My favorite photographer has long been Elliot Erwitt.  For me, his photography brings out the quirks and humor in people and highlight a lightness in our everyday lives.  

I went to the Only in England exhibit at the National Science Museum in London yesterday.  It features the work of Tony Ray-Jones and Martin Parr.  I loved it -- both photographers are candid documentary style, and reminded me of Erwitt.

Ray-Jones, although not well-known, was an influential British photographer.  BBC News has said that he was "arguably the person who shaped a generation of British photographers."  The featured photographs are from his time spent shooting in England from 1966-1969.  He was fascinated with British traditions and lifestyle -- he also thought that it was dying quickly.  So, he tried to capture these on film before Britain became 'too Americanized.'  What I found fascinating in his pictures was how he captured the completely mundane and mildly pathetic lives of people, and yet highlighted its quirkiness -- he found some humor and personality in his prosaic scenes.  Unfortunately, Ray-Jones died at age 31 from leukemia.

Martin Parr's work, though, was apparently influenced by Ray-Jones.  Parr seemed more formal to me -- his photos were candid, yet seemed to have a more professional composition than Ray-Jones.  On a technical note, they were also bigger.  Many of the photos featured from him were from his work in a small British community (Hebden, I think it was called?) during the 1970s.  He also reprinted several of Ray-Jones's photos from the 1960s, which are featured in the back of the exhibit.  It was a really neat mixture of the two photographers' work.  I enjoyed Martin Parr's style, yet the subject matter captured in Ray-Jones's photos, so the mixture of the two in Parr's reprints were my favorite part.

A little culture for the day, and a few of my favorites, to remember:

(Above -- Tony Ray-Jones)







One of my favorites from Tony Ray-Jones.  And a quote:

"Photography can be a mirror and reflect life as it is, but I also think it is possible to walk, like Alice, through the looking glass and find another world with the camera."

(Above -- Martin Parr)








The photo to the right was one of my favorites, although the quality here is not fantastic. And a Martin Parr quote:

"With photography, I like to create fiction out of reality.  I try and do this by taking society's natural prejudices and giving them a twist." 

And FINALLY, just to bring this full circle.  Some quotes from the devotional today about everyday life seem perfectly in sync with the themes behind both Ray-Jones and Parr photography.  Good to think about. 

"The vision of the Angel of the Lord came to Moses (Exodus 3:1-2) while he was involved in his everyday work.  That is exactly where the Lord delights in giving His revelations.  He seeks a man traveling an ordinary road, and 'suddenly a light from heaven' (Acts 9:3) shines on him.  And a 'stairway resting on the earth' (Gen. 28:12) can reach from the marketplace to heaven, transforming a life from one of drudgery to one of grace. [...] Some Christians think they must always be on the mountaintop of extraordinary joy and revelation, but this is not God's way. Those high spiritual times and wonderful communication with the unseen world are not promised to us, but a daily life of communion with Him is.  And it is enough for us..."

A good prayer for today: "Beloved Father, help me to expect you as I travel the ordinary road of life. I am not asking for sensational experiences.  Fellowship with me through my everyday work and service, and be my companion when I take an ordinary journey.  And let my humble life be transformed by Your presence."

All excerpts from Streams in the Desert, from the October 22nd devotional.  By L.B. Cowan and edited by Jim Reimann.

A run through Regents Park during the pop-up Frieze Art exhibit.  A brunch party (yes, that nighttime picture was actually taken around 3:30pm) ... with fire, champagne, and Halloween goodies.  A Cafe Americano and macaroon on a rainy afternoon.  And a run through Hyde Park on a pretty fall day (right before getting caught in the rain... of course).   Good weather is simply not essential to love a good fall weekend in London.

Good for every morning.