May 10, 2005 at 5:01 AM

Today I found out that I have some part time, temporary work which will last through July. I’ll try to make myself indispensable so they’ll hire me full time, but I won’t count on it. It’s not enough to make me celebrate, but it will keep the wolf from the door for a while. I’m also looking into free lance writing, renting a room in my home, and getting more violin students.

When I’m depressed, there are two things I can focus on and forget everything else: music and photography. Playing my violin keeps me entranced. Time goes by quickly and I have to discipline myself to stop after a reasonable amount of time. Playing as part of a group (orchestra), jamming, and teaching violin are also great escapes, and they have the advantage of enabling me to connect with other people. Nature photography, too, transports me. I love to go to places where the scenery is pretty and lose myself there. Since I don’t have a car, this presents a challenge. There is a park I can get to by bus and another park I can walk to. I also take photographs in people’s yards and around the condo complex where I live. One of the things I love about photography is that it makes me see things more attentively. I’ve heard the phrase “contemplative photography,” and that describes what I do, too. I’m going to try to put a small photo here.