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I love the intricate details on old vases and glassware. It is a forgotten art.

Work has been very busy this month. Thanksgiving week is always a juggling of kids, work, and planning and prepping for Thanksgiving dinner. My energy is running low. The kids will be leaving tomorrow for a long weekend at their dad’s. It is always difficult when they are gone, and especially difficult when it is over a holiday.

Julia, Ethan, and I put our Christmas tree up tonight along with our stockings. This is a closeup image of a snowflake on my Christmas stocking.

My dad taught me a long time ago that you need to learn to see like your camera sees. Using my 85mm prime lens with a huge aperture opening of F1.4, I was able to make the green pine trees in my backyard look like a completely black background as I made this image on my back deck. I am proud to be a part of a 4th generation Anheuser-Busch wholesaler family, so I made this image to honor my family.

Happy Thanksgiving! Or at least it’s supposed to be “happy.” I received a call this morning that Joshua (and all of us) are quarantined due to close contact with COVID-19. Not only are my kids gone, but now I am spending Thanksgiving alone. Sometimes it seems like life hits you harder when you’re already down. Thankfully, I have the material needed for Kasey’s hamster cage; it will give me something to keep my mind busy.

After delivering a few large canvases to some customers in Pentwater, I noticed this old church and started photographing it. The historic building is now a museum. I look forward to taking the time someday to go through the museum.

After several days of staying in the house, I left tonight and headed into Custer. I knew they had Christmas decorations up. Even though my photos don’t show it lately, I have still tried to put my whole heart into it. There are just some days your heart feels small, and that’s all you can give.

For years, we would call my dad “Mr. Safety” and poke fun at him about it. Well, today I was glad some of that preparedness rubbed off. Two young men fell off the breakwall into Lake Michigan. I had three life jackets and 300 foot of line in the back of my truck that the police and firemen used to help rescue both men. After that craziness, I found this picture in front of where I was parked at Stearns Drive

The last two days I have focused on working on Kasey’s hamster cage. I found this heart at the bottom of her cage. I am ready for the kids to come home tomorrow. It has been a long several days. COVID-19 has hurt those that struggle with mental illness. It has not been an easy year for most.

I took time to just enjoy having the kids home tonight. Kasey made a delicious meal she calls “Kasey’s combobulation.” It was great just to concentrate on them and nothing else. It did mean I was on the search for a photo later in the evening, but to me that was worth it. We received this jar as a gift. Kasey keeps her tea in it.

The kids and I have still been at home quarantining, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get our Christmas tree up. It is filled with a lot of special ornaments, including my very first Christmas ornament. I always must put this one on the tree, and it must have a light behind it for it to shine bright.

Our assistant manager, Hannah Ruhlig, recently told me about a home near her house that was decorated in tons of Christmas lights. Tonight, while trying to figure out what to photograph, I remembered the house. I drove there and struck up a conversation with the owner, Bill Olson. Then I went to work making this image.

We have been on pins and needles waiting for our COVID-19 results. Hoping that we don’t have it, and more importantly, that we didn’t spread it to others before we knew Joshua had been exposed. David’s results have come back negative. Crossing our fingers, the rest of ours do too! David was so excited to hang Christmas lights up all around our dining room, kitchen and living room today.

I think these modern Christmas lights are really cool. This home on West Ludington Avenue, a few blocks from the beach, looks brilliant and festive.

Finally, our results have all come back negative. What a relief! The anxiety of waiting for these results has pulled all my energy. I used what little I had left to make this image of the top of a gift box that is designed like a snow globe..

Pat Shinn took me on a hike on their property along Lake Michigan today. We found all kinds of treasures, including this giant heart-shaped rock. The rock was so shiny it looked like it was spray painted with chrome paint.

We celebrated Kasey’s and David’s birthdays tonight. They will be at their dad’s for their birthdays this coming weekend. One of David’s gifts was a sling shot, the handle was wooden and carved to look like a bear..

As I was wrapping Christmas presents tonight, I realized I still hadn’t shot my photo of the day. I bought this snow globe for Rachel’s parents. Mason County Eastern’s mascot is a cardinal and her parents have been staples at that school for over six decades. Also, cardinals remind them of their late son, Kevin. This photo was technically harder to capture than I thought it would be. After many attempts, I finally got one to work.

My kids love decorating the house full of lights, and Christmas décor. This wreath made its way to the boys’ room this year.

William R. Charette was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts as a Navy Hospital Corpsman while assigned to a Marine Corps rifle company during a Korean War battle that occurred on March 27, 1953. He was born and raised in Ludington. In 2017, a sculpture of Charette was placed in the newly updated Veteran’s Mall in Stearns Park at the Ludington beach.