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Judy and I were married in July of 2002.
In May of that year, the day before she moved out of her house,
I was out with my camera to investigate several photographic opportunities.
I had a bad day - I was totally uninspired wherever I went.
Thinking that the day was an artistic failure,
I went to Judy's house in the middle of the afternoon to wait for her to come home from work.
As I sat quietly and considered all of the wonderful changes that were taking place in our lives,
I was filled with very bittersweet feelings.
On the one hand, I was sad that she was moving.
This house had become a haven for me,
and it was a place where I had many fond memories during the 3 years that we had been dating.
On the other hand, she was moving in with me!
So I began to wander around her house to see if I could capture my feelings with my camera.
Judy's kitchen was always a very special place for her.
She loves to cook, and many of my memories of the time I spent with her centered around the kitchen.
And here it was, empty and lacking in warmth.
The only food was a box of Cheese-Its and some Pecan Sandies.
The letter from the moving company sat next to her ever-present to-do list.
The shelves were empty.
It was a bittersweet scene: the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another.
The reflection of my camera can be seen in the cabinet door,
and seems to represent a part of me that is in this place too.
The photograph captures what I was feeling,
and is both a pleasant reminder of times that are past, and of the beginning of something even better.
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