Happy Not Dead Day 2024

Posted on Feb 2, 2024Jan 31, 2024 Posted in Family Life, UncategorizedTagged Adult Birthdays, Appreciation, Begrudgingly Accepted, Birthday Cakes, Birthday Celebrations, Birthday Craze, Birthday Evolution, Birthday Gratitude, Birthday Memories, Birthday Nostalgia, Birthday Reflections, Birthday Traditions, Bittersweet Journey, Cherished Memories, Childhood Birthdays, confession, Culinary Transformation, Deeper Exploration, Enduring Power of Family and Love, Engaging and Humorous, Exhaustion, family, Family Birthdays, family bonding, Folles Journées, Forced Fun, France, Growing Older, Heartwarming Conversations, Humor, Humorous Perspective, Ian Myers, ijm photography, Immersive Engagement, Insights on Changing Nature of Birthdays, Intimate Gatherings, Introspection, Journal Writing, Life Journey, love, mass, Mixed Emotions, Monday Morning, nostalgia, Personal Experiences, photographer, photography, Relatable Anecdotes, Saint Nazaire, Self-Deprecation, Shared Meals, Specific Details, Sprinkle of Fondness, Strong Narrative Voice, Teenage Birthdays, Thornton's Toffees, Thoughtful Conclusion, Thoughtful Insights, Unexpected Turns, Vivid Language, Well-StructuredLeave a comment

As the years go by, birthdays become less about childish excitement and more about a blend of nostalgia, forced fun, and a dash of introspection. My recent birthday weekend was a testament to this bittersweet evolution, a journey that took me from childhood memories to present-day, all while grappling with my inner aversion to “my” birthday celebrations.

A Childhood of Festive Delights

I’m still not good with birthdays. After 52 of them they have turned from an exciting day with wonderful birthday parties organised by my mother and Aunty Colette helping out, with a homemade and home decorated cake, various bottles of pop, and hula-hoop crisps. This was the 1970’s after all.

Adolescence: A Shift in Celebrations

In the 1980’s this evolved into being asked what kind of cake I wanted by Matron, choce of fruit or chocolate, that would be shared amongst all the boys at school, and receiving Thornton’s toffees sent in a parcel by my grandmother, to going out to the cinema with a friend, and getting run over crossing the street, but thankfully not injured, to preparing a dinner for friends.

France: Embracing a New Cultural Tradition

Everything changed when I moved to France in the 1990’s. Birthday celebrations evolved from lively parties to intimate gatherings amidst friends, where the focus shifted from just cake to the simplicity of shared meals and heartwarming conversations.

The Familiarity of Family Gatherings

The 2000s and 2010s saw a familiar rhythm to my birthday celebrations, with the occasional variation in cake flavours and dining arrangements. However, the arrival of my own children introduced a new dimension, as they now eagerly embrace the role of party planners, injecting their unique energy and enthusiasm into my special day.

A Begrudgingly Enjoyable Birthday Celebration

My most recent birthday weekend was a testament to the bittersweet blend of forced fun and begrudging acceptance. Friday night found me in my favorite pub, sharing stories and laughter with my son, an attempt to appease his desire to celebrate. Saturday was a day of family bonding, as I took my daughter and her boyfriend into town, dropped them off, went throught two rolls of film, and then enjoyed a quiet evening at home cooking with my son.

In between indulging in my passion for photography, capturing fleeting moments of joy amidst the forced festivities. I also sought a moment of reflection during confession, seeking solace amidst the overwhelming attention. The night ended with a hearty meal prepared with my son, a small act of rebellion against the excessive birthday fanfare.

Sunday dawned early, as I embarked on a day of exploration, venturing to Saint Nazaire for an early 6am start and performance at the Folles Journées, a celebration of clasical music. The day concluded with a heartfelt moment at mass, surrounded by the love of my family.

Monday Morning: A Gratitude for the Past and a Renewed Perspective

As Monday morning approached, I carried a mix of emotions – the warmth of cherished memories, the exhaustion of forced celebrations, and a growing appreciation for the love and attention from my children. I was ready to face the workweek, armed with the knowledge that birthdays, despite their uncomfortable nature, could be occasions for reflection, connection, and a touch of forced fun.

Older and Wiser, Yet Still a Grouch

Do I feel older and wiser? Definitely the former, and to some small extent, the latter. Children, and especially older children, have this uncanny way of reminding you that you are evolving, despite loving every bit of you. It’s a humbling experience, and at the same time a display of love. I am veritably lucky to have them.

As I write this, a part of me still cringes at the thought of birthdays, but another part cherishes the memories they create and the love they represent. So, while I may never fully embrace the birthday craze, I’ll continue to participate, albeit with a touch of begrudging acceptance and a sprinkle of nostalgic fondness. After all, birthdays, like life itself, are a journey of mixed emotions, unexpected turns, and the enduring power of family and love.

Happy “Not Dead Yet” day to me! Still there to annoy the shit out of you, be really foul mouthed, and be completely inappropriate with everyone…
But I do love you all! Some of you I even like!
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The last Saturday before Christmas

Posted on Dec 31, 2019Jan 18, 2020 Posted in Architecture, Bikes, Black and White Photography, Café Culture, France, Nantes Photography, Street PhotographyTagged Architecture, atmosphere, Bicycle, bicycles, bike, black and white, Black and White Photography, blog, Bouffay, Bretagne, britanny, Café Culture, Cafe, cafes, cake, Castle, Catholic, chateau, chateau des ducs de bretagne, cheesecake, Christmas, christmas shopping, church, confession, France, French, friend, fuji, Fujifilm, Fujifilm X Series, fujifilm xt2, Ian Myers, ijm photography, ijmphotography, John Mc Byrne, la Reine Margot, Nantes, photographer, photography, pub, pubs, restaurant, Street Photography, Sugar Blue Cafe2 Comments

I have said it on here before, and I will say it again. I have moments of folly, where lucidity says bugger this, I’m outta here punk! And so it was the Saturday before Christmas. I had agreed to meet a friend in town and help her choose presents for her nephew and niece in Switzerland. I also thought I could get to confession and prepare my soul for the feast that is Christmas.

I was slowly getting used to the Fujifil XT2, and thought, right, I’ll go out early and try and get a space before everyone else has the same idea, and get used to it even more. I arrived at the car park and had to wait at the barrier, but was patient.

I phoned my friend to say that I had managed to park the car and felt slightly smug. I texted her and she said she was still in pyjamas and having her coffee. Ah… Well I wasn’t expecting that. But that gave me some time

Whilst learning photography back in the day when I had hair, I used a 50mm lens, and learnt how to use it through and through. It was years later that I acquired a 28mm lens for my Praktica MTL 3, and really got into it. Later I continued when I got my X100F (35mm equivalent), my Canon 6D Mark II with the 16-35mm zoom lens. So it seemed logic to get a wide angled lens for the XT2. I ended up getting a 16mm which is a 24mm equivalent. Not too much distortion but still nice and wide.

Parked in Feydeau, and just next to the Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne, or Nantes Castle, I thought why the heck not, and headed up there. I just went with no specific goals, and waited for the photos to present themselves whilst walking around. I discovered a little art gallery that I hadn’t seen before and it was a real inspiration.

I walked towards the Fnac where my freind said she wanted to meet me. She was getting a record player for her girlfriend and wanted my help to choose. We chose, and headed to Sugar Blue Café for lunch, which was one the good ideas I had that day. A vegetarian salad, and for the desert we got to cakes. One was the Christmas cake, which had red fruit, crème de marron (which is a huge favourite of mine), and covered in Marscapone icing, the other cake was a Stracciatella Cheesecake, which was sooooo naughty. That’s wrong, both were amazing, and I’ll just have to go back after they get back from their Christmas break.

I told her that I wanted to go to confession and she said she would go and try and find an Ugly Christmas Jumper for her Christmas meal. We stopped off in a shop that does paper crafts for the presents for the children. We parted, I went to church, and we met up after the rain to go to the Comptoir Irlandais to get all those Christmas goodies that you can’t get anywhere else. I needed bickies, and cake for all the tea that I would be drinking over the holidays. We finished up in the Pub, and I was able to present her to my friends there. The restaurant across the road had no tables left!!!! O disaster! I had a plan B. My plan B was the Reine Margot and although it looks like a fast food joint from the front, the menu tells a different story, and when you get past the initial corridor, you enter the restaurant. We started with snails, then duck, and I finished with a chocolate cake, then back to pub for a swift drink before heading home.

All in all a lovely day, with a lovely friend, and I was happy with the catch of photos for the day.

Lourdes.

Posted on Oct 17, 2019May 30, 2024 Posted in Black and White Photography, Landscape Photography, Reportage, Travel photographyTagged architechture, basilica, black and white, Black and White Photography, candles, Catholic, catholicism, church, confession, countryside, forgiveness, France, French, french countryside, Fujifilm, Fujifilm X Series, god, healing, Ian Myers, ijm photography, ijmphotography, lourdes, mountain, mountains, nature, our lady, photographer, photography, pilgrim, plants, prayer, procession, Pyrénées, rural, statue, Travel photography, X100F8 Comments

For those of you who don’t know Lourdes, let me tell you about it. It is no ordinary place, and there is a feeling of profound hope, and healing, that strikes you immediately. There are mountains, souvenir shops for Catholic pilgrims, and the sanctuary itself.

Oh. I said that “C” word again. Except this one doesn’t rhyme with “punt.” I am unashamedly Catholic, and had drifted from the church, but I wanted to drift back.

When people go on pilgrimages, even unofficial ones like this, we talk about the voyage being almost as important as the destination. This is, of course, not just the physical journey, but the mental, and spiritual voyage also. I’ve wanted to return to Lourdes since I was 9, and this time I took my son with me.

As a parent you can only do so much, and part of my faith is to know that I can’t control everything in my life, let alone in the lives of others, and that there is something else that is beyond my comprehension. I wanted to help my son in his life, and despite maintaining a dialogue, I had done as much as I could. I could do no more, so I asked Our Lady to look after him. We all need a mother, and most of the Jewish people that I know, seem to agree that a Jewish mother is the best. And you don’t need to be a Jewish to be a Jewish mother. It’s a state of mind. And if God decided on a Jewish mother for His Son, then it was good enough for me. As a Catholic, we see Mary as being a mother to all of us. So when the proverbial **** hits the fan, you ask your Mum if she can help, before you ask your (heavenly) Father. Mums have a way of talking to Dads that help make things alright.

That’s something I understood once I became a father myself. God has that relationship with us. In Judaism, and Christianity, He does anyway. A father loves his child. Even when that child is “naughty,” we still love them. We might punish them, but we always want to forgive them. God is the same with us. You could argue that it’s a way of showing humanity through divinity.

Wow, this got heavy all of a sudden!

Anyway. I went to Lourdes to try and reconcile myself with God. To ask forgiveness for my many sins, to make reparation, to heal, and to try and return towards my Father. We do this with our own fathers here on earth, and so it was the same process for my soul. Does that make sense?

My son was my carer, and he did his job admirably. He also benefitted from his trip. In the Sanctuary there is an overwhelming sense of peace. We went to the grotto, and prayed. We did the night time procession and recited the rosary holding our candles. We bathed in the baths with the water from the source that appeared when Mary asked Saint Bernadette to dig. That source is still there and provides water for the many pilgrims. We put some of that water into bottles to take home with us. I went to Confession.

We also went up a mountain, and came down again. It was almost as much a religious experience as the rest of the pilgrimage. When Moses goes up the mountain to receive the ten commandments it is to be closer to God. At the top of that mountain we saw a nun talking to a young friend. They were laughing and taking selfies. We saw a priest praying from his Brievery. It was a moving experience seeing the cloud coming over the summit. We saw the clouds clear, and we looked over the valley to the other mountains. I still don’t understand how people can look at that scenery and doubt the existence of a creator.

Anyway. Let’s talk about the photos. They were taken with the X100F which is compact enough not to be noticed, and a little less heavy than my DSLR and all the lenses that I use with it. It limits me, but makes it all simpler. No unnecessary questions about which lens to use etc. Feel free to comment on the article or the photos. Any feedback is always welcome.