Lisa Carey - Lisa Carey Nature Photographer

Are You Mastering Your Day?

Posted on June 2, 2025November 5, 2025 by Lisa Carey

Parenting teenagers in their last years of high school isn’t for the weak or weary. Especially when you want to keep them on track. It's a balance of telling them you want them to do better than you and not to do what I did… yet without actually telling them what you did! We try to give them space to spread their wings and bring them back when they stray a bit. Yes, I got in trouble like most teens but I was a good kid, and my kids are good people, too! I just need them to realize the good that they have to reach their full potential in their life as they reach adulthood!

One morning as I drove my youngest to school I was keeping an eye on my older twins as they drove themselves to school. For some reason my daughter's Life360 tracker got “stuck” in the high school parking lot. And I knew full well that most of the time the app program didn’t glitch, but she had turned it off. So my radar turned on!

Now the thing that my daughter didn’t know is that while she shut off Life360 her iPhone was still in tracking mode and through the powers that be… I could see right where she was! And that’s right where I headed! To McDonalds, for a cup of coffee, I went!

I pulled into the parking lot and saw her friend's car. Yep, they were here! I parked and went inside and my daughter seeing me coming in headed straight for the bathroom. As I entered McDonalds I saw the women’s bathroom door close. I approached her friends who were standing in the McDonald’s lobby with their mouth’s open, staring at me, with goofy looks!

I asked them in a surprised voice “what are they doing here?” I said I was getting some coffee and what a coincidence! But they were supposed to be in class at school. Yes, they replied but they needed some food first.

And then my daughter appeared out of the bathroom with a silly look on her face. What a coincidence, I exclaimed! She was totally embarrassed. And I realized this moment was a great teaching moment for them. I asked them who they were hurting by not being in class, it certainly wasn’t the teacher. They said it was themselves.

And then I came up with the saying, “Are you mastering your day?” No, they confirmed they were not. And so the saying stuck and her friends will now text me or tell me when they see me their successes they are having and that they are mastering their day! I actually love where it has gone and I’m pretty sure I left a pretty big impression on them about doing the best they can in all they do!

So, I ask you, too! Are you mastering your day? It doesn’t take much, just do the things you should be doing! A regular day or off on an adventure, are you doing the right thing for yourself?

What People Share with Me

Posted on May 21, 2025November 5, 2025 by Lisa Carey

Welcome to my Multiple Sclerosis Blog! This is my first entry and will be a place where you can find my thoughts about ms and my life! One of the things I’m sort of taken back by are people sharing with me their own life journeys. But I recognize that people like to share, find common ground and understanding and that’s a beautiful thing!

I was fortunate enough to launch my new book at a wonderful venue in Eau Claire called 2 Roots Wine and Art Gallery in April of this year. A great place to check out our local art and music scene and enjoy wine on tap. Before my program began, I was setting up and a man came up to me with a glass of wine in hand and asked what the program that night was about.

I explained who I was, a photographer who just published a book and I’ll talk about my ms and cancer journey. After he asked a little more about me, he exclaimed that he had stage 4 colon cancer. He had a not great prognosis but had defied time and he was still here and was cancer free! How wonderful I exclaimed. He said he was waiting for his daughter to get done with her hair appointment next door and thought he’d come over for a glass of wine…. Because he can! Yes, he can!

That is what it's all about! Finding the good in your everyday life and not wallowing in the struggles! It’s hard to do in the middle of the storm, but we must fight to climb up and overcome.

I’ve had a few other people tell me they have survived cancer. Although I’m an almost stranger, people want to relate especially when faced with their own mortality potential. And I’m glad they can open up to me. We find our common paths and the people we meet make all the difference in not feeling alone. And we thankfully live in a time when it's not looked down on to talk about.

I try to have an open mindset when talking to people and I especially like the stories of people overcoming their struggles and doing something to help others. It truly makes a difference and it's a gift to the giver and the receiver. My work and purpose and connecting with the MS community in Eau Claire is important. Telling my story in my photo book and my second book due out later this year is important. I never thought I’d be publishing a book or two and talking to people about making their lives better. We all need to look for joy and happiness and have a confident attitude to make a difference in our lives. It's a choice!

My son asked me to help him present his final exam presentation for his Advanced Anatomy class in college. He had decided to have MS be his topic and boy, did he knock it out of the park. He told his class all things MS in his power point. Afterwards he and the class asked me some very good questions. They were amazed at my attitude towards having ms. Honestly there are no guarantees in life, so why worry and have anxiety over it? I hope they found it uplifting for their own lives.

I’m learning I really like talking to people about my journey. I guess I’m an expert on it at this point!! And I’ve learned I have a few things to say and I want to express the importance of finding joy! What have you done today to make you feel proud?

Lake Wissota Island in the Fall Photo Favorite

Posted on May 4, 2025November 5, 2025 by Lisa Carey

Welcome to my Photography blog on my webpage. I want to spend time talking about photography! My favorite! Whatever comes to mind is the topic of the day and I hope you find it useful and inspirational and a good read!

One of my favorite photos is of the Lake Wissota Island in the fall that I took two years ago. I’ve learned over time that photography is very much in the moment. If you pass by a moment it may never happen again as you see it in that exact time. The Lake Wissota Island is a perfect example!

I always drove my son to school before he earned his driver’s license. I loved the drive and spending some time with him in the mornings. We drove by Lake Wissota that morning and it was encased beautifully in fog. The problem I usually had is that by the time I drove my son to school and had time to circle back most times the scene had changed and wasn’t dramatic enough to warrant the photo. The thought crossed my mind that it would be okay if he was late and I could call him in, but he would’ve hated that!

I had my eye on the tree at the end of the sandbar on the Island the autumn before. The tree gets this bright neon yellow in the fall and it only lasts for a week. And it stands strong in its beautiful yellow by itself at the end of the sandbar. One of the things I look at with photography is how I can make the scene or subject something that has a wow factor. Many people have taken photos of the Lake Wissota Island. I knew to get a wow photo I would need to capture that yellow tree. And I waited all year after I first saw it the year before!

When I raced back to the foggy scene after dropping my son off at school, I was in luck! The fog had not dissipated all the way and the morning sun was shining beautifully through with a touch of blue sky above. I had noted to myself that in order to get a photo of the angle with the morning sun shining on the tree I was in for a little adventure. Knowing the scene will go away and soon the bright yellow will fade, I did a u-turn and went back. There is no more waiting, this is it!

I parked on the side of the highway, hopped the car guardrail, crossed the railroad tracks carefully looking both ways, maneuvered over big rocks without spraining my ankle, went down an embankment with a few brush scratches to the edge of the lake. A nice little worn area was presumably there by a previous fisherman. The scene was incredible! It made me stop and just soak it in for a moment!

The fog was lifting gently. The bright yellow fall tree on the edge of the sandbar had light beautifully shining through the leaves and lighting it up. The blue sky was peeking through above and reflecting in the lake water below. I was gasping at my grand adventure and was taking photos at the same time. It was crispy cold out in the fall and I was thinking of heading back to my truck. I’m sure people passing by in their cars were amused to see me making my way to the lake with my camera strapped around me! Just as I realized my fingers were getting cold and I was probably not quite dressed appropriately for the colder weather, I saw a fishing boat ever so slightly emerge from the fog to the left of the island. Wow! It is the little treasure of the photograph that if you don’t look that close you’ll miss it.

I’ve used this moment as an example many times since then for my photography. That if I don’t stop, it won’t become a photograph. Photography really is about being in the right place at the right time and stopping time with a click. So when opportunity knocks, you take the snap! It's a good motto to live by!

Volume One Review 4/2025

Posted on April 4, 2025May 15, 2025 by Lisa Carey

How exciting it was to be included in this feature article in our local free entertainment guide, Volume One!!

Photographer Lisa Carey and fiber artist Mary Decker are the featured artists for the months of March and April at Chippewa Falls' Bridge Street Arts & Gifts (304 N. Bridge St.). Next weekend – Saturday, April 12 – the shop will host an artist reception for the duo from 1-4pm, where Lisa will be signing copies of her just-published book, entitled Living in the Moment on Nature's Time: A Photographer's Perspective of Wisconsin's Landscape, Wildlife, and Flowers.

Recently released by Inner Peace Press, the coffee table book is meant to be opened and perused at one's leisure. The 200-page hardcover features extraordinary full-color photographs through the prize-winning photographer's eyes – and the lens of her camera.

Click here to read more...

Press Release

Posted on March 4, 2025May 15, 2025 by Lisa Carey

I can't believe it is actually happening! My book is published! Click the image below to see the press release!

I'm open for speaking engagements -- in person locally and over Zoom. Please reach out!

Living in the Moment on Nature's Time, March 2025-sm

MS-Take Charge

Posted on February 26, 2025February 26, 2026 by Lisa Carey

The following article was written by Lisa Carey on how the non-profit MS-Take Charge was founded and formed in the Chippewa Valley.

When Shelly Sutley of Eau Claire found herself recovering from a multiple sclerosis major relapse, she discovered there was not a strong MS medical community when she was looking for local support. The National MS Society had canceled their annual local MS Walk in Eau Claire and there are few local medical options for those with MS without traveling to Marshfield, Minneapolis, or Rochester, MN. In an effort to gain momentum she attended a few Eau Claire Fresh Hope MS Support Group meetings that meet once a month. While she relished the connection with others also finding their own paths with MS, she wanted more and saw an opportunity to provide needed resources to others like her. Valerie Bogumill, a long-time friend and assistant, has been a steadfast supporter of Shelly's vision. Together, they embraced the challenge of turning Shelly's ideas into a reality to empower individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis, giving life to what has become MS-Take Charge.

Community engagement is big on Shelly’s to do list. She was grateful for her parents' support to start the non-profit, and get it off the ground. There was a lot of behind the scenes work to do to establish connections and resources for the community. Shelly and Valerie garnered recumbent bikes for exercise as that’s a key component to a healthy person living with MS. So many good things come from exercise, while the MS fatigue tends to stop many. Shelly’s Garage became a hang out for biking while zooming in with the established MS-Just Keep Moving non-profit in Waukesha, WI, who for 12 years has provided a gym and activities for those with MS in the area of southeast Wisconsin. Once a week MSer’s in Eau Claire can join us in the power of virtual connection via Zoom, as we participate in the cycle classes happening in Waukesha!

Shelly leaned on her connections within the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire to offer community project proposals to the Service-Learning students who are required to participate with local nonprofits as a part of graduation requirements. Utilizing the UWEC student(s) has been vital in creating MS-Take Charge. Shelly assigned roles to students to help with marketing, financial and technology knowledge that is needed. A win-win was established as the help for the non-profit was essential and the students learned about MS as well as what’s needed to run a newly formed non-profit.

Lisa Carey, a local MSer from Chippewa Falls, began attending the bike zoom classes in Shelly’s Garage and ideas for the non-profit began to form beyond Shelly’s ideas. Yoga for MS was formed with local yoga therapists, Lucinda Kemmet and Nichole Cerrillo who meet once a week for stretching and core balance strengthening activities. The Fresh Hope MS Support Group in Eau Claire, led by Jody Christian, meets once a month to provide those living with MS a place to find others dealing with similar issues and offer mental health healing and diet ideas. Progress is being made to help those both newly diagnosed and for those struggling with MS for many years.

Fellow MSer, Shannon Tanzer, also from Chippewa Falls, attended a Fresh Hope meeting to promote Lakeland Therapy’s physical therapy and home health. As a new business Lakeland was having a grand opening and Shannon is a physical therapist who has also been living with MS for many years. So many idea’s began about creating a Neuro Gym in the Eau Claire area for those suffering from MS, Traumatic Brain Injuries and other neurological disorders. New hope was being spun as people began coming together to promote and provide wellness for an underserved MS community!

Partnering with Evolving Wellness in Eau Claire has been another resource offered to those with MS. Also a local non-profit, Laura Bernt at Evolving Wellness provides connections to providers, services and resources that best fit you. They offer a holistic approach to your well being and have PEMF healing treatments available which Shelly found useful for her own healing.

At a SteadiStride Lakeland Therapy event for those living with MS an idea sparked which eventually led to our collaboration between MS~Take Charge and Lakeland Therapy Clinic. Together, we created the MS Walk & Roll Celebration held on Saturday March 29, 2025 as a way to meet fellow MSers and fundraise. The funds raised will 100% stay in the Eau Claire area benefiting those afflicted by Multiple Sclerosis.

Long term goals of all involved include building a gym devoted to those who suffer from neurological diseases as a safe place to work out and find resources and community fellowship. Exercise therapy, physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic therapy, reiki therapy, music therapy and energy therapy are all resources that are needed for those living with chronic neurological issues that impact the body in so many negative ways. With the Chippewa Valley community in need of such services, that is the goal for MS-Take Charge. Taking charge is what’s happening as the program gains awareness and strength for those with MS in the Eau Claire area!