I'm going to have fun this weekend - we rented a 50mm f/1.4 and an 85mm f/1.8, a Canon 580EX flash and we bought a LightSphere diffuser! All of that for $112 USD.

For as long as I've known her...

...she has been creative. She has always had an eye for the beautiful, for the non-conventional, for the extraordinary. She has been my best friend since forever. Ok, at least since middle school. She recently took up photography and as I would expect, her pictures are awesome. Check out this young lady who is in search of being here.

You learn something new every day

I used to crack my boiled egg on the corner of the sink and start peeling from there. My aunt told me to make a crack and then roll the egg. Then when you start peeling the little broken pieces come off a whole lot easier. I tried it and it works. Amazing.

Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid...for the Lord they God is with thee.

Joshua 1:9

Next year this time I will have a testimony like no other. I have no worries for the future. I'm concerned about the present. If I can get through this there's not much left to phase me.

It's a good day when...

...you finally get your income tax return! *whew*

...you see that justice may be served to the scum that screwed you AND made tons of money off of you.

Got to get back to writing.

TODAY is my 7 year anniversary! Yay!!

My Latest Idea

Stories of Redemption
A collection of anonymous testimonies of youth (ages 18-30), where they talk about one experience/trial in their lives, how they dealt with it, how it has brought them closer to God, and words of encouragement to others in a similar situation.

I think this would make a great fundraiser for the Youth Department of my church. It would be a book written by the youth, about the youth, for the youth. I wonder if I can get the youth leader's (and the youth's) buy-in. Would they write about their experiences? Would they make the effort?

A Mother

I have no respect for a woman who can consciously or otherwise put her own needs above those of her child.

I look at my children and can't imagine being able to leave them while they are still dependents. What would make a woman able to do that?

School Pix

Project #2 - School Class Pictures and Yearbook

We took over 400 pictures yesterday. Phew. It was hard work keeping those kids entertained and coaxing them to smile. We got there at 9 am and didn't leave until 1 pm (which fortunately included a half hour lunch break). We took pictures of every child on the premises - from age 1+ to fifth grade. We had two setups - one was a makeshift green screen, and the other was a print fabric that we'll probably use for the yearbook. The green screen will just make it easier to extract the kids and put them on different backgrounds.

After going through all the pictures yesterday afternoon we narrowed it down to 100+ really good pix to put in the yearbook and to offer to parents in packages.

The last time I worked on a yearbook I was in middle school - remember that, Ardean?!

I'll post some pix soon.

I wouldn't call it a fiasco exactly

I did a pro bono wedding this past Sunday morning and a 40th birthday in the afternoon. Needless to say it was a looong day. I got to the bride's house minutes after 9:00 am. I didn't leave the bday party until 9:00 pm! The next day I was a zombie.

"How did the pix turn out," you ask. Well, let me photoshop them first and get back to you. For sure I'll take some good oens and put them on my company website.

I'm nervous about this whole 'business' thing. What if after all my efforts I end up less than mediocre and it all flops? I have a grandiose vision of owning a photography and video production studio, with real employees, and a training/seminar/meeting area, and hosting local club meetings, etc. What if it doesn't work? What if it does?

Me and Hubby

Working on Lighting

Pic one is the tomato without any special lighting - only a camera set to auto and a flash. Pic two (80+ shots later) is the final tomato. Much better, I'd say. After all was said and done the tomato was a nice addition to our dinner.

When Is 'Enough' Enough?

Where is the line between not settling and setting your standards so high that you miss out on great opportunities??

That question could be applied to any facet of life but today I'm specifically talking about relationships.

Here's an excerpt from a previous post...
"I was engaged once...for over a year. Here's a tip: If you're engaged over a year, I'll bet the farm you don't really want to be with the person you've chosen. Get out before you waste more (of both of your) time. Not sure what I was thinking with this one. Everyone knew he wasn't for me (including me and, of course, my mother). According to my mother, we were always fighting. I wasn't in love with him either, but he was (is) a really good person. Not a love lost, but we learned a lot from each other. I credit myself with making him a better man for his current wife."

Yes, every situation is different, blah, blah, blah. But how are they alike?

I stayed with a 'good' man even though I knew the relationship would not be enough for me, I assumed I could make it be enough. I asked myself why I would need more than a perfectly good man.

It wasn't that the guy wasn't good or good enough or good for me, he just wasn't for me. He (may) have thought that our personalities clicked but from my perspective they did not. Of course you can't expect the person you're with to act 100% according to your expectations. Probably not even 75%, but what is the 25% like? Is that 25% tolerable? I wanted to believe it was. It wasn't.

The man I have now is a 'good' man also. Granted, some of the 25% are things that get on my nerves but the other 75% make it so much easier to deal with.

I still say, when in doubt, don't.

So what is the answer to the initial question? For me, the answer is when that 25% really is tolerable, things that you know you can live with...forever

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Anyone participate in NaNoWriMo this year? I started. I even got my step-daughter into it. We attended our first write-in and I came out with over 700 words! That was three weeks ago. (No yay.) The deadline is midnight tonight. My hopes of completion are fading fast. One thing they have on the NaNoWriMo site is how to donate when you're broke. I particularly liked the first option that talks about getting sponsored by family and friends. This would be a good way to ensure participation and maybe even completion. Don't be surprised if next year I come to you with a special request. ;)

Kindle Some Things

When they perfect this, i.e. make it more “book-like,” then I want one.

By book-like I mean that:
1. It opens like a book which will help with evening the weight distribution
2. There are two screens so it looks like two pages

By the way, check out this cute 'usability' short.

I've been working late nights lately, which sucks but is kinda cool at the same time, only with respect to how productive it has made me. Not only have I been fixing problems left and right at work, but then I get home, say at 11 pm, and I still have energy to wash bottles, get kids' clothes ready for the next day, talk to hubby, and watch tv. Amazing.

The epiphany I had last week when I got home after midnight was Thursday was this: I am darn good! All these years I knew I was 'ok' but now? Now I know differently. This realization could change my life!

Grenada

I visited Grenada last week. It was my first time there. Got there late Monday night and left early Friday morning. The purpose was to take part in the surprise festivities being bestowed on my uncle for his 60th bday. My attendance was the last in a string of surprises. I went without hubby or babies. A whole week without any of my babies is a looong time, BUT I did surprisingly well. Thank goodness for technology. Anywho, I met a ton of family and family friends, and got to hang with girl cuz AND boy cuz, among others. The trip was intensely relaxing - much needed. We slept, we ate, we beached and beached some more. Definitely one of the best trips I've ever had. I came back with a renewed sense of family and ambition.
The real star of the vacation = my baby cousin.
You see these people are crazy!
A flower outside the hotel where we stayed.
The plane I was forced to take between San Juan and Grenada.
Real Grenadian chocolate.
My first taste of local food was at The Nutmeg in The Carenage. The chicken sandwich was mmm mmm good.
A goat similar to the one nicknamed "Christmas Tree."
Part of the cocoa factory my grandfather used to run.
Some hors d'oeuvres at one of the dinner parties we attended.
Me and Auntie.

Couple of Pix

6 Years

No, hubby hasn't done anything out of the ordinary, he's just mine.

Yesterday was our anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's been six years already. Time really flies when you're having fun! :) Where would I be if I didn't get married? Maybe I would still have my BMW, but that's besides the point. lol

We didn't have any plans for the day. In the morning we took the kids to the beach. The day was perfect. In the evening my mother-in-law took us to dinner. We chose Indian food which turned out to be an excellent choice.

(If you want to see Shelby half buried you'll have to check her blog!)

My Hubby

I wouldn't trade him for the world.

Leftover Cake

There was way too much cake leftover from Saturday's surprise "party." I brought two-thirds of the cake in to work today because there is no way it would get eaten fast enough at my house.