Author Archives: Amanda Raney

{Quarantimes} Volume Two

Another installment of my early pandemic era photos…

These photos at the zoo were actually taken on the Friday before the whole world shut down. I’m including them even if they weren’t taken while we were observing “safer at home” measures, because my family and I look back on this day and realize how eerie everything felt. I’m not trying to be dramatic by saying that! Things were beginning to close in around us, and you could feel it in the atmosphere.

Onto the actual early quarantine pictures!

Several times during those days, we went to a local park to eat outside and get some fresh air. My memories of those meals are mostly of our napkins flying off the tables because it was so windy outside around that time of year!

The next set of photos were taken on Mother’s Day 2020, when we ventured out to the deserted town square in Holly Springs, Mississippi. I will always remember this outing because my mom happened upon a TERRIBLY out of tune piano outside on the sidewalk, and as I always said “She never met a piano she didn’t play.” The piano sounded horrible, but it was still so fun of Mom to do that. I have a video of her playing and singing that day, which I will include at the end of the post. Since Mom passed away, these things mean the world to me and those who love her.

If mom were here, she’d probably fuss at me for posting this picture. But she was trying to take photos of some flowers that day, and I wanted to snap a photo of her!

Canon AE-1 • Agfa Vista 200

 

I’ve watched this so many time since we lost Mom…

Untitled

 

 

{Quarantimes} Volume One

I tend to end up waiting too long to send off a batch of film to be developed. That’s the case with film I shot during the beginning of the pandemic. I just got them developed this year, and I didn’t really know how to categorize some photos taken during that time. We were very careful back then, so we mostly stayed home (or cautiously went to coffee shops!) But, because I still had the desire to take photos, I have rolls of film filled with just shots of things around the place where I live. I wasn’t sure if anyone would want to see all these random photos so long after they were taken, during a period that now feels as if it were a lifetime ago. However, I will share the photos anyway in case someone might enjoy or find value in them. They definitely preserved memories of how life felt back then!

Consider this to be the first installment of a short series from “quarantimes.”

The galaxy insulated cup my sister got me for Christmas a few months earlier. 

Quarantimes indeed

Strawberry jam my mom got from an Amish community she and my aunt visited a few days before the world shut down

A rare outing to Area 51 ice cream – not eating inside, of course!

Wild blackberries growing on our property

Funny story. I saw this from a distance, and thought “Wow! What a perfect toadstool! Let me grab a camera!” When I approached the scene, I found that it was not a toadstool, but it was a candle holder my mom was spray painting red *face palm*

Everyone got on the banana bread train during lockdown, but I’d already BEEN on it!

ACTUAL toadstools 

Minolta Stsi • Fuji Superia 400

Birthday-ish Week 2022

More pictures from birthdays last. Not as prolific as my 2021 birthday week photos that I just shared, but it was my last birthday with my mom, so here the photos are anyway! (Also my blurriest birthday week photos yet. Womp womp.)

Lunch during my birthday outing: Pho Bihn lemongrass tofu outside Crosstown Concourse – I didn’t want to eat outside, but at least we got to overhear a conversation a man was having on the phone about raising hunting dogs 😂

Mural next to where we were sitting

Blurry mirror self-portrait

Sofa inside the Concourse

 

We went to Vice & Virtue for coffee after lunch. That looks like some sort of beer in my sister’s glass, but it was an iced coffee beverage with cold foam!

Okay, I get that this photo is blurry and useless, but it makes me laugh because my niece’s blurry face is smiling and I know what’s happening is that she’s annoyed that I’m trying to take a picture of her with her coffee rather than just letting her drink it!

Mom and her cafe au lait at Vice & Virtue <3

Pho Bihn was the day before my birthday, but I requested Taco Bell for my actual birthday lunch. Just keeping it real!

We went for lunch and coffee in Oxford for my sister’s birthday the weekend after mine

And I’ll share the rest of the shots from the roll that were taken the week after birthday week…

Coffee Central Squared when my brother was in town. We all enjoyed our time together! 

Lunch at Huey’s the next week. Mom commented that she really enjoyed her kids burger 😂

Lomo LC-A • Kodak Gold 200

Birthday-ish Week, 2021

Since my birthday is this weekend, I thought I’d use that as an excuse to post photos I took in the week between my birthday and my sister’s in 2021, since I just got them developed a few months ago!

We had my birthday lunch downtown at Pyro’s Pizza Pies – most memorable was how we were all DYING because my mom was being really chatty with the college students who were sitting next to us. The students seemed to love her though, of couse!

A short walk downtown

My birthday Bourbon Mocha at Vice & Virtue

I knocked a cup of vodka sauce at Aldo’s on to the table, my arm, and my pants. That’s the orange part on them.

Little strawberry cakelettes I made to wrap up my own birthday shenanigans that week. They looked so fancy! 

My sister’s birthday – we had lunch at R.P. Tracks – I sat across from my niece 🙂 Memorable moment from this lunch: we’re pretty sure that’s where my sister and brother-in-law contracted Covid, which they tested positive for a few days later. 

We then went to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens after lunch. As it happened, there were exhibits on that featured dessert-themed art. Perfect for ME!

And finally, the birthday dessert I made for my sister: lemon cheesecake topped with lemon curd, by her request

Nikon N80 Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D Kodak Ultra Max 400