The Chaikins of Bellingham

If my calculations are right Blipfoto thinks this is my ninth anniversary of blipping. It isn't really, but there is no reason not to celebrate my time on Blip. I actually began to blip in January of 2010, so it's been a few months over seven years. But then I started backwards and blipped a bunch of my earlier photos. I think I'm back to 2005 now. And someday I'll start doing that again.

It has been quite a time since I began blipping. When I started I'd been retired about five years and was in the midst of a very happy and busy time doing all the things I'd always wanted to do, painting, spending time with family and friends, traveling with Arvin and other family members. And that time continued until a few years ago when things got a bit more complicated. If you follow my journal you know that includes my husband's diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Now he is living at Silverado, a really fine memory care facility. His daughter Helena lives in Bellingham too and together we are "Team Arvin" spending some time with him almost every day. I knew that for today's celebratory blip I wanted a portrait of the three of us. Helena and I visited Arvin for lunch today and another frequent visitor took a bunch of photos of us sitting on a bench in the Silverado courtyard.

I have been chronicling my and Arvin's journey with his disease and you have all been so kind and supportive as we've navigated this difficult and complex territory. Your kind words and thoughtfulness have made a huge difference for me, especially since I've not had much time to make comments myself. I really appreciate those of you who have stuck with me through thick and thin with not much coming back your way. Thank you so very very much!

Of course I'm going to continue to blip. How could I not? Blipping has become an ingrained habit for me. Recently I've shifted a bit from an emphasis on photography to an emphasis on my journal. Sometimes I take whatever I can find just so I can do my journal entry. I do plan to broaden out again and find some really great subjects to photograph. But for now, my journal is the focus, and my journey with Arvin and Helena at the heart of it. Thanks to you for coming along.