My Mother's Wedding Dress and Veil

On this Valentine's Day, I find myself reflecting on my parent's marriage.  Last year my family gathered with dear friends to help my parents celebrate their 50 year anniversary.  It was due to that celebration that I had my mom's dress at my house and decided to take the opportunity to get some pictures of it.  I think that may have been the first time I had seen the dress in person.  I was impressed at how pretty it was and how well it was preserved.  The veil had some stains, but the dress was still in nearly perfect shape.

My parents' marriage has not always been the best, but I have learned a lot from them which has helped my own marriage.  I appreciate their example of dedication to each other over so many years.

Solar Eclipse

 I'll admit I wasn't planning to post anything, but I realized I at least want to document this for myself, so here's my story and some of my favorite pictures that I got.  

Joe and I have been talking about this Solar Eclipse since 2017 when one passed over the United States.  We couldn't travel to see that one, but we knew then that we didn't want to miss this one as it would be so close to us that it'd be ridiculous to not see it.  In 2023 we began making solid plans for where to go since totality would miss us in Fort Wayne.  We weren't sure that Joe would have the day off, so I took to studying maps of the path of totality.  I was looking to find a spot that would be no more than an hour away (in case we couldn't leave until after his plan period started at 1:35), that should be easy to get to because it's near highways, and that would offer as much totality as possible.  My search lead me to the little town of Rockford, OH which would get 3 1/2 minutes of totality.

In January, the eclipse came up in a family chat and I mentioned that we had made plans months prior.  Shortly after that, my parents asked about our plans and let us know that they intended to join us.  I realized that while I had picked a town, I still hadn't picked an exact spot, which was necessary if my parents would be meeting us there.  Initially my goal was that Joe and I would take a road trip to Rockford to check it out beforehand, but as time passed, it was clear we weren't gonna fit that in.  So I went to Google maps to see what I could find in Rockford, OH that would make a good viewing spot.  I spotted the cemetery, a park, and a school pretty quickly.  But then I saw New Horizon's Community Church.  I went to their website and found that they would be holding an event in their parking lot with activities for kids and a food truck.  I decided that sounded like the best option although I was worried it would be too packed or something.  But I didn't have any better ideas, so that became my plan.

As the day approached, I brought up my plans to our friends and offered for them to join us.  They were struggling a bit to figure out work stuff and then we missed a couple weeks of getting together with them.  Before I knew it, it was the weekend before the big day.  We were trying to figure out when we could get together with our friends and I told them again of my plans for the eclipse and they decided to join us.  By this point we knew Joe didn't need to work and I could easily get out of work too, but didn't think I needed to skip my morning work at church, so instead of leaving from our house, we would be leaving from our church.

The nights beforehand I had trouble sleeping as I had bad dreams of missing the eclipse entirely whether it was somehow my fault or something complete outside of my control.  I was getting increasingly anxious as I realized that these had always been my plans and now they would affect my friends and some of my family who decided to join us.  I was so worried something would go wrong and I'd let everyone down for this once in a lifetime opportunity.  I also was struggling to decide on what equipment to take for photos or video.  Something I had been planning for over many months was suddenly almost here and I felt so unprepared.

My parents, uncle, brother, and his kids were already there when we arrived at New Horizons Community Church at about 1:30 pm on April 8.  We got our chairs, special glasses, and equipment set up as we chatting and snacked (I brought an obnoxious amount of food with us).  The parking lot was not that full and I realized that it probably wouldn't get very full at all.  As we got closer to totality, we compared pictures as we observed sun spots in our images.  Around 3 pm the light began to look strange.  It wasn't bright and the color temperature seemed off.  The air felt colder and colder without the full heat of the sun beating down on us.  And then totality started.  The horizon glowed with colors like at dusk, the air grew still, the temperature dropped, and we could look right up at the sun with our bare, unprotected eyes.  It was stunning.  

   I snapped pictures and took a quick video in between looking around and trying to take it all in.  And then as quickly as it started, it ended.  We immediately talked about how fast those 3 1/2 minutes went by.  We didn't want it to end so soon.  It was amazing.  We stayed until about 4 pm and then packed up, said our goodbyes, and headed back to church.

I wasn't in a rush to look at my pictures because I didn't think they had captured how incredible it was.  And truthfully they don't even come close to capturing the full experience.  But they do capture what happened with the sun and moon, and you can see the progression of the prominences.  They may be a bit lackluster compared to the images coming out of NASA, but these are mine.  I took these.  I was there with friends and family and got to witness and experience a total solar eclipse for 3 1/2 minutes.  It was perfect.  ❤

Thank you so much to New Horizons Community Church for hosting this event!  I'll never forget it.

https://www.nhccrockford.com/

Prints Available to Purchase

Photographing animals is a passion of mine!  One of the projects I have been working on is going through the photographs I've taken that aren't for clients, but are for my own enjoyment.  I've picked out my favorite photographs, sorted them into galleries, and made them available for purchase.  These galleries represent many years of work, much of which has been published on one of my blogs.  You can find all the galleries under Hobby Work on my website by going to: https://www.rachelwilhelmphotography.com/hobbywork

You can be creative in what you design!  Get framed prints for you walls as well as magnets, cards, books, ornaments, and more!  Thanks for looking!  😊

Big Cats

This gallery is filled with pictures I have taken of big cats in zoos.  I love cats of all sizes, and the numerous photos I have meant that the cats needed their own gallery.  You can see this gallery by going here.

Mammals

This gallery is the one that will likely see the most growth until it needs to be sorted again and split into smaller categories.  You can see this gallery by going here.

Birds

I haven't always enjoyed photographing birds, but recently I have been focusing on them and felt they needed their own gallery.  You can see this gallery by going here.

Sea Life

I have to admit that I sometimes feel uncomfortable around some of the sea life you'll see in this gallery, but that hasn't stopped me from trying to get the best possible photo of them.  You can see this gallery by going here.

Tarcil

This gallery is definitely the most unique!  Within this gallery you will find the results of what started as more of a hobby for me and then become so much more!  I have over a thousand pictures of my hamster, Tarcil, so it was difficult to narrow it down to my favorite, but you can see them here!

Fine Art

This gallery is a small gallery and is a bit of an assortment of pictures.  It is mostly made up of my favorite photographs I have taken of flowers, but there is also a small collection of instruments and other things.  Check it out by going here.

Thank you all for your support!  💓

Radiant Roses

Sorry for the long absence.  Even though my studio has been closed, I did not intend to take such a long break from taking pictures and blogging.  I was looking forward to pushing myself to be creative and find new subjects to photograph.  I settled into a new routine that was working well for me, including adjusting my schedule for the fact that my husband, Joe, who is a teacher, was working from home.  Unfortunately, in the middle of April, Joe slipped and fell outside.  Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal, but Joe has a metal rod in his leg to replace the bone that was removed from having cancer as a child.   Even though he simply landed on his butt, he broke his tibia, fibula, and the metal rod where it was cemented into the bone.  He was sent to the ER, and I was not allowed to accompany him.   It was determined that he should see the orthopedic surgeon in Indy who had done the original surgery 17 years ago to remove the cancer in his leg and put the metal implant and artificial knee in.   The surgeon couldn’t see him right away so he was sent home that night in a splint.  The following days were long and tiring with neither of us sleeping well, but they were also uneventful in the best way possible.  Joe was on crutches, but I had to carry his leg for him because the splint wasn't enough to hold his leg together.  

My parents loaned us their van, and I drove him to Indy later that week.   His doctor said that he has seen this happen before, and that only the simplest surgery would be approved right now.  Joe’s understanding was that only the metal rod would be replaced and that he would not get a new knee or the rod lengthened so that his legs would be the same length.  He was actually really happy to hear that because he knew that would be a very fast recovery time.   He was sent home from Indy in a cast which was better, and we both slept fairly well for the next few nights out of pure exhaustion from the previous nights without sleep.  I still had to hold Joe's leg for him as he moved since there was nothing preventing his foot from rotating.

The following Monday, we went back to Indy for a pre-op appointment and then spent the night in a hotel across the street from the hospital.  I dropped him off at the door of the hospital at 5:30 am on Tuesday for his 8 am surgery.  Back at the hotel, he texted me saying that the plan was to replace his knee as well as the rod (but still not lengthening the rod to the full extent needed to get his legs to be the same length).  He wasn’t sure he was ready for that, but apparently that was already the plan from the beginning, and he must have misunderstood.  At 10:21 am, I got a call from the doctor saying that the surgery went well and according to plan.  I grabbed my stuff, checked out of the hotel, and drove home.

Two days later, I drove back to the hospital in Indy to pick up Joe.  He was in a full leg immobilizer so that he couldn't bend his knee.  He was very uncomfortable in it which has meant that we still weren't sleeping well.  However, he could finally move on his own without me holding his leg for him since it was finally set properly.  He said using the crutches was like riding a bike and he found that he was quickly able to figure out how to get around without assistance.  We returned a week later for his post-op appointment.  We thought the staples would be removed at that point, but the doctor felt the incision wasn't healed enough.  Joe did get his leg cleaned and new bandages put on which helped immensely with the smell we had dealt with since the surgery.  Then we headed back home to continue waiting.  We endured more nights of not sleeping well as Joe constantly struggled to get comfortable and stay comfortable enough to sleep for more than a couple hours at a time.

A week later, we were back in Indy for another appointment.  This time Joe got all 73 staples removed.  He was sent home in the immobilizer, but was told he could take it off whenever he wanted.  I think it came off that evening and was never put on again.  The following week was the beginning of PT for Joe and of numerous phone calls to try to understand the bills we got from the ambulance company.  He really likes his therapist, Aaron, but Aaron's opinion was that Joe would be in therapy for 6-12 months, and Joe wants to do it in 3 months, so we will have to wait and see who is right.  Hahaha!  So far, Joe is doing PT 3 times a week and making incredible progress!  He quickly got down to using just one crutch, and I often seeing him walking without anything.  Since his legs are closer to the same length now, he finds it a little easier to walk without shoes on, especially since all his shoes have a lift that is too tall now.  Joe will continue to have follow-up appointments in Indy, but they will not be weekly.  His next appointment is in June, and they will be checking to make sure everything looks good as well as getting a measurement of the new length of his leg so we can get new shoes ordered with the correct size of a lift.

As difficult as this has been, we have SO much to be thankful for!  From the beginning, even when Joe was sitting in the grass holding his broken leg as he waited for the ambulance to arrive, he experienced almost no pain, just discomfort.  We continually felt an abundance of calm and peace knowing that God was and always is in control.  We noticed God’s perfect timing working in many ways.  We have felt so loved and well cared for by friends and family.  We are continuing to trust in God’s perfect plan for us as we navigate these strange times.

In the midst of all the struggles, Joe surprised me with having this GORGEOUS bouquet of roses delivered to our house.  It was such a sweet, thoughtful gesture, and of course I had to take a lot of pictures of them!  Joe is an amazing man, and I am SO blessed to be married to him!

Prints and Products!

For those of you that may be just finding me or for those that have been following this from the beginning, I don't talk about this much, but I do have a variety of prints and products available for you to purchase.  I currently have three galleries of photographs that are for sale!  These galleries are made up of my favorite pictures from two of my blogs and are now available to you!  You can be creative in what you design!  Get framed prints for you walls as well as magnets, calendars, cards, books, ornaments, and more!  Thanks for looking!  :)

Wildlife

This gallery is filled with pictures I have taken of wildlife seen in zoos.  Photographing animals is a passion of mine, and this is the result of many years of work!  You can see this gallery by going here.

Fine Art

This gallery is a small gallery and is a bit of an assortment of pictures.  It is mostly made up of my favorite photographs I have taken of flowers, but there is also a small collection of instruments and other things.  Check it out by going here.

Tarcil

This gallery might be my favorite!  Within this gallery you will find the results of what started as more of a hobby for me and then become so much more!  I have over a thousand pictures of my hamster, Tarcil, so it was difficult to narrow it down to my favorite, but you can see them here!

Thank you all for your support!  :)

Growing Through the Cracks

We have yet another Winter Storm Watch. And this one looks like it will be pretty nasty. They are saying 6 to 10 inches of snow. I think the snow is beautiful. Seeing tiny, frozen crystals floating down from the sky can be mesmerizing, and yet when I see the simple beauty of this flower growing through the cracks, I am reminded once again of the warmth that I find myself missing so much this time of year.

Charcoal

I actually took this picture about 3 and a half years ago, but I haven't grown tired of seeing it yet. I don't remember what that assignment was that caused me to initially take this photograph, but I always thought it was neat that I was able to combine two projects by taking a photograph of a charcoal drawing I was also working on at the time. I had completely forgotten about this picture for about a year until I was looking for a photograph to submit to Wassenburg Art Gallery for a contest they were hosting. I stumbled across this and was caught by its simplicity mixed with rich textures. I submitted it in the Still Life category and this won first place! This was the first time I had entered anything into a contest so it was very exciting to win. And now I have this beautiful photograph hanging on my wall. :)