It's Beautiful Here. Life in the eye of a hurricane.

Have you ever done a Google search on yourself? I did a couple weeks ago, apparently while experiencing an onset of attention deficit disorder. I often find my mind hundreds of miles from where it's supposed to be. Recently, while doing research on endowment spending policies...exciting stuff to be sure...I found myself reading an article published in the New Yorker titled "Letting Go." (  http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/02/letting-go-2  ) See! So, back to the point...while digging for dirt on myself, I found my name listed in a blog posting. While not familiar with the blog, MoseMiddleMan, I was certainly intrigued and clicked on the link to learn more. I was blown away! Here is a portion of the post dated July 15, 2014 (used without permission): "Stepping into the Light" "This is the beginning of…well whatever this is. I am sure that I read, or heard somewhere, that every great journey begins with the first...

It's Beautiful Here. A year in the eye of a hurricane. by Joel R Harbaugh | Make Your Own Book Producing and selling this book was never on my radar. Collecting my thoughts and sharing them with my children, family and friends was my only goal. But people talk...and I am asked frequently about how to get one of my 'books.' So, this is how. They are a little pricey, but that's how it goes with small-run self-publishing. Clink the title link directly below the book cover picture.

Lucille has always given the best butterfly kisses. Here she is swimming the 100 Butterfly for the first time. She is awesome! 

Both of my boys are out of the house. Jack likes to say, "I'm in college." That they continue to bloom is a reality I find exciting and unsettling at the same time. So, having all my children in one place at the same time is a moment I truly enjoy. I swim in their laughter and playful sibling ribbing, and sometimes I get a picture.

The evening grows long and my home is full. Noise echoes off every wall, the sounds of teenage girls being teenage girls. I don't attempt to calm them even though I must wake early tomorrow for work. The laughter and giggles they make are sounds of joy, they can't be squelched, can't be bottled, and can't be denied. This noise, this disruption, this laughter must be breathed in, deeply. Embraced for what it is...this moment. Right now they are life!

The exhilaration of deeply breathing crisp, clean, cold air on a winter evening is only made better by catching snow flakes in the camera flash. I use simple adventure and discovery as a mechanism to change my attitude and outlook...on the spot. We are snowflakes.   Photo: January 2, 2012. Included in  It's Beautiful Here. A year in the eye of hurricane. 

I was exposed to a 'picture a day' project by a friend from Florida. I don't particularly recall following her daily posts, which I believe she did on facebook, but I do recall thinking 'that's an intriguing exercise.' Shortly after Mary died, I realized that I needed an exercise. I needed daily reinforcement to keep me focused on the most important work going on my life, raising my children. I also understood that while I was going to struggle with her loss in many ways, for a long time, I recognized at the same time that I was very lucky man. Every journey begins with a single step. On January 1, 2012, I took a picture of a wind chime singing on my patio. I honestly had no plan or idea where this one picture would take me.