TRANSFORMATION

How quickly and radically things can change in a few short days! This is a very personal blog entry today. Many of you know that my mom passed on unexpectedly 2 years ago August 4th. It was a shock and an event that I had dreaded as far back as I can remember. My mother was awesome, my best friend and the person who was always in my corner and vice versa. She was so sweet and giving, more often than not putting others ahead of herself. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Every coin has two sides and every personality characteristic has a positive and negative component to it. Anyway, my mom was my greatest role model and I miss her beyond description.

Since then my dad has been having some health problems and we have had to go through some very rough changes together. He too is very sweet, exceedingly generous, with a great sense of humor and on the other hand can have moments that are challenging to deal with. We have had the opportunity to discover each other and develop a relationship without the buffer of mom. It has been one of the hardest and most wonderful, rewarding, and heartbreaking times of my life. It has been stressful to be a caregiver, coordinate other caregivers, and generally take care of every aspect of his life, and to watch and worry as he daily makes a decision to participate in life to varying degrees. I have resorted at times to teasing, cajoling, screaming and crying to motivate him.

Many situations I have handled beautifully, many I have not, mostly from fear. As I was juggling this and all responsibilities and obligations in the other areas of my life I know I have been alternately stressed, sad, exhausted, stoic, hysterical, loving, giving, sometimes fun, and sometimes not. Through it all I have had the most wonderful support (particularly if I stretched out of my comfort zone and asked for it) from a precious relationship and dear friends.

Since life is full of change and transitions when you least expect it I am now a single woman again!


I find it fascinating how we are all such a product of our parents and environment. For better, for worse, how we are formed and shaped forever by our families. My greatest wish for all of us is to find that someone, our safe place where we can be accepted for who we are and become more of who we want to be because of each other. To have the strength and vulnerability to go through the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful and the mundane together. Just my humble opinion.

GoMag Pride Issue 2008

I am so rarely in front of the camera, but I needed a photo of myself for the Pride Issue of Go magazine. All I can say is Thank The Gods for Photoshop! I am included in their 100 Women We Love Issue which I am so excited about. Check out my page!

Same Sex Marriage in California!

I remember in 1989 looking at my girlfriend and saying, why can’t we have children together and she said, we can’t even get married! Today is one of the most historic and exciting days in my life! I am thrilled that California has recognized same sex marriages. For years I photographed my straight friend's weddings and then began only photographing civil union and commitment ceremonies...those were some of the most touching and uplifting events I’ve ever captured on film. I am thrilled to announce I will be offering wedding photography from this day forward!!!

One Minute of Beauty

Here is a beautiful sunset for your enjoyment taken with my new white Flip camera. I was in San Diego last weekend at Torrey Pines for an outdoor HBO screening of BACK NINE AT CHERRY HILL. It is a great documentary about the 1960 U.S. Open that pitted three golf legends: Hogan, Palmer, and Nicklaus against the same course.

San Diego Sunset from Judy Francesconi on Vimeo.

New Naked Women

A blog is not a blog if you don't blog more frequently than twice a year! So, for now my "blog" is a "Hi, I'm thinking about you and dropping you a line."

I have been very distracted with what eventually becomes a pivotal time for many of us...taking care of an elderly parent. My father just turned 91 years young! That is pretty amazing. He has had a difficult time emotionally and physically since my mom passed on about a year and a half ago. Come to think of it, so have I. He is now facing another surgery, so I have been focusing on very time consuming parental obligations. Fortunately, he has a great sense of humor and never wants me to worry about him so he always says he is 'great.'

I have made time to shoot and wanted to share some of my latest images with you.

There will be more, so stay tuned!

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! There are so many things to be thankful for.

Here is my gratitide list:

Family-

Friends-

My amazing girlfriend who after 2 1/2 years of sharing some life changing events is still around! -

Memories and great photos of my mom and Roxie-

 

The opportunity to create my photography, particularly the lesbian fine art series

 

Laughter and Love-

 

The one week I was blonde

Music

One Coach and all the wonderful people I've come to know and love

 

Animals (particularly Boxers, horses and polar bears)-

 

Hair Dye

To being a brunette

To be self-publishing my product line

To stores that cook and deliver full Thanksgiving dinners!

Maxxwrap

Recycling

For all of you who have supported my vision and work through the years

and...Underwire Bras!

 

An Idea To Help

Looking outside my father's home in Mission Viejo at the charred and barren hills of Rancho Santa Marguerita is so disheartening. The loss of wildlife and the devastation to so many families is just so sad. To know that this tragedy stretches from Malibu to San Diego and that many of the fires were caused by arson, is almost too much to comprehend. I am beyond angry, a feeling I'm sure that is shared by many.

In addition to continual prayers and positive thoughts, I want to do something for the most helpless and innocent of victims--the animals. Those shelters that are open are filled to capacity and in dire need of assistance. Since I am personally unable to rescue Bambi, I thought the best thing would be to support two of the hardest hit shelters.

With your help, I will be donating 25% of every sale through my website of my 2008 calendar to the North County Humane Society and SPCA in Oceanside, CA, and the San Diego Humane Society in San Diego, CA.