A Simple Life In Fuji Photographs

Fuji Journal Wrap-Up! - The Matchbook | 3.13.26

February is a strange month.

It’s shortest, but feels longest. It’s right after the holiday bustle and hustle so you’re still a bit worn out and worn thin from all that hullabaloo, and if you live where I live, the weather is a bizarre mix of hints at Spring and then brazen slaps on the f’ing face from the Winter That Still Is. Weird month, over all, filled with whatever it is we choose to fill it with. Mostly stillness, mostly routine, mostly in-between before things launch into frenzy again.

Let’s peek at what February was for me, here, through the eyes of my little Fuji that never quite leaves my hip.

Click on the first and it’ll let you see them bigger and scroll through each one :)

More than most things, February was clouds. So many different skies seen on so many different walks with the love of my life. How strange to walk the same circles above and below our home, over and again, wearing our footprints into the dust and rock, and always find something new. Life changes every tiny millisecond, only we forget to look that small. We’re trained to see big, I think, and when we do this we miss so very much. I’ve a suggestion for you all you can take, or leave. Find a little digital camera that is not your phone, carry it everywhere, and even if you must pretend you are a photographer, do so. Photograph ANYTHING you find beautiful, strange, wonderful, interesting, whatever. Do this for a month and it’ll become habit, make it a habit and you’ll have a journal of your little life too. The start of this month was a lot of walks, a lot of beautiful skies, and a lot of Sarah somehow always looking like she was on her way from a model shoot in some fancy country. I don’t get how in the beans I convinced her to marry me, but I ain’t gonna tempt the fates by asking.

February is also a month of birthdays. Lots of them. Sarah and I’s Dads were both born on February 10th, only one year apart, Sarah’s brother Pete on the 17th, and my brother-in-law Pat on the 22nd, and Henry on the 25th. Lots of celebrating. Sarah and I have started a new tradition for gifting on our family and friend’s birthdays: We get them something small, but then we go down and buy everything needed for a small birthday celebration—cake, frosting, decorations, etc—and donate it all to the Food Share as a “Birthday Kit.” Then anytime anyone less fortunate comes in for shopping, if they have a birthday around that time, they take the bag and have all they need for a party for free. Rad. Everyone we’ve given this on their behalf has loved it, and we’ll keep it up. We also watched the Super Bowl which was football so yeah, whatever, but Bad Bunny’s Halftime show was ASTONISHINGLY great and full of so much heart and love and so many messages of peace and solidarity. Touchè BB. Well done and I love you.

We actually got to celebrate Pat IN PERSON this time, as my sister McGraw and Pat drove into Helena to spend a few days. It was, as per usual, magical to be able to spend time with them, as well as take them to the brand new Montana Heritage Center, the massive museum just completed and opened here. It’s spellbinding and beautiful and I showed you a few shots of it when Lynzee and Lauren were here I believe. We headed back to the store to buy more cereal for the Food Share, as I firmly believe it’s our duty to give to those who have less than we do, even when we don’t have much to begin with, that keeps this whole place spinning. IF only that lesson somehow found its way up, and up, and up, to the top of the financial food chain where a bunch of billionaires could wipe out global hunger and still be billionaires. Sigh. We also made cake and dinner for Sarah’s brother Pete, a bit late as he was out of town, and got to hit two mini pinatas. Well, they did, it was broken before anyone else got the bat. :) Oh, and shocking: Sarah baked stuff.

Wrapped up a lovely, simple month with more walks, more weird weather, and our deer friends constantly coming to visit us. I love them, love how closely they connect you to the wildness right outside our doorstep, and hate when the city decides they are a nuisance. Your f’ing flowers are the nuisance, stop planting treats for them if you don’t want them eating them you weirdos. Saw some beautiful moonrises, settled in for more stillness, and awaiting the return of movement that March and certainly April (IRELAND!) will bring.

I love sharing these with you all, little peeks into a simple life. I hope you do, too.

I love you all.

Be good.