1 Day, 2 Family Photo Shoots

I had two family photo shoots on Wednesday, and let's just say I now have a new appreciation for the enormous reserves of energy required to be a parent! Hats off to all you out there who are constantly changing diapers, bottle feeding, rocking little ones to sleep, chasing toddlers around a room, and all other activities associated with child rearing. You guys rock.

Although I was tired at the end of the day, it was all worth it. When I look through the viewfinder and click the shutter on that PERFECT shot, the one I know will make grandparents coo and mamas cry, then I have this enormous sense of satisfaction, that I am doing what it was that I was created to do. There is nothing like creatively and artistically preserving moments in time that will be gone all too soon.

To see a few of the pics from Wednesday, click the title of this blog.

No Longer A Drain on Society

I am happy to report that I am no longer jobless. I started working at a local camera store about two weeks ago, which is a really good fit for me as I take the next step towards professional photography. They offer major discounts to employees, which will allow me to buy the equipment I will need. I am also working with and learning about new technology as it appears in the store. For awhile now, I had been wanting to network with other photogs to share knowledge and experience and I now have that opportunity on a daily basis. Although the hours are long and standing on my feet all day is an experience that takes some getting used to, I know this is the right place for me to be at this time. God is really preparing me to run my own business and I am patiently waiting for His perfect timing.

A HUGE lesson in faith...

As most of you already know, I was recently laid off from my job due to the slowing economy. Most of the time, I know this is God's way of forcing me out of the comfort zone of a regular paycheck to pursue my dream of a career in photography, something I may have only talked about but never seriously pursued as long as I had a regular job. But every now and then I get really nervous, like when I hear on the news that only 1 in 45 applicants to retail positions will get hired this Christmas season (I have only applied to 5 places; does that mean I need 40 more for a guarenteed job?), and the constant knowledge that my severence payments will stop in exactly 45 days (not that I am counting, or anything). It is only when I see my nervousness for what it really is, an attack against my faith in God's promises, that I am able to return to a state of calm amidst the storm of uncertainty.

Most people wouldn't post all this craziness until they can tangibly see God coming through for them. But I have been assured by Him these last few days that He knows my needs and will take care of me. So even though I have no earthly assurance of having a job when I need one, I am posting with the certainty that in God's perfect timing, I will be able to pass along the knowledge that I have a source of income that will cover my expenses. God hasn't promised me riches, but He has said He will take care of me, and I choose to have faith and ignore those niggling little nervous moments that attempt to destroy my faith.

Congrats Shannon and Randy!

My sister Shannon became engaged to her boyfriend Randy this past weekend. Below is a slideshow of their engagement pics (I could claim that I have mad-fast photography skills, but the photos were actually taken a few weeks ago).

A Saturday Morning Photo Shoot

I had a photo shoot Saturday morning, which was a little chilly, but this family were such good sports! They were so much fun to photograph, and their little boy is downright adorable. Click on the title of this blog to check out his blue, blue eyes.

Cows, Cameras, and Campfire Pizza

This past weekend was my annual fall camping trip. Unfortunately, fall is so late this year that I mostly saw a lot of green. But, Val and I did see and do a lot of fun things to make up for the lack of color. We meandered through the country and found the town of Avon, MO, which is a cluster of 4 farmhouses, a herd of cows, 2 llamas (yes, I smiled!), and a bunch of bison. We saw a lot of abandoned things, which makes for really messy yards, but pretty cool photos. We also learned what a hoo-doo was and that there is in fact such a thing as a farkleberry. Together we perfected the recipe for campfire pizza, giving us the opportunity to move on to campfire popcorn next year. And, no trip is truly complete without breaking the law, which I did in the form of trespassing, as Val looked on and threatened to drive away if the cops came. Good times were had by all. Except for maybe the cows who were not thrilled by my presence or my camera.

Llamas Make Me Smile

I came across a picture of a llama today and it made me smile. Why? I think because llamas just look so darn happy. Take these guys for example:



Don't they look like they were just told some sort of llama joke? It makes me happy just to look at them.

When you feel sad, just look at a llama. I bet you can't help but smile too.

Autumn Glow

One of my favorite fall activities is to traipse around Forest Park, camera in hand, on the night of the Balloon Glow. There are so many photo ops that you can pretty much point your camera anywhere and get a good shot. I took a total of about 400 pics (thank goodness for digital), but I will spare you the details and only post a few of my favorites.

Deep Thoughts Along the Apple Picking Trail

I was supposed to go camping with my friend Val this weekend, but due to the rain and flooding and 150% humidity, we decided to forego sleeping on the ground and instead drove up to Grafton for some apple picking fun. We always seem to come across extremely random things and/or conversations when we road trip together. For example, I present to you two actual conversations from our trip:

Conversation 1:

E: Is a “barge” just the part that carries cargo, or does it include the part that pushes the cargo, too? And if the barge pusher part is not actually part of the barge, what is the real name for the barge pusher?

V: I always thought a barge was just the cargo part.

E: So what do you call the barge pusher part?

V: We’ll have to do some research on that.

Conversation 2:

V: Which way should we take?

E: We should probably take the long way.

V: Why?

E: Because the short way takes us through a bad part of the city.

V: Well, it’s daytime. Surely we’ll be OK.

E: Well…OK. Just try not to look so white.

Just What I've Always Wanted...???

This weekend I received a surprise in my mailbox: the “Pyramid Collection: A Catalog of Growth and Exploration." I wasn't sure exactly how I was placed on the mailing list of this fascinating company, but I thought I would go ahead and take a look anyway.

Among the fine offerings of this esteemed establishment are: a t-shirt that reads, “I feel sin coming on” (also available in a wall mounted canvas), the Lady Moonbeam velvet cape (“reversible!”), and a wonderful array of costumes (my personal favorites are the Dark Faerie Dress, complete with tights “striped in a sprinkling of glittering thread,” and the Lady Capricorn sorceress hat). The Pyramid Collection will also outfit your home, with high quality items such as skull paper weights, dragon glass ornaments (with ruby eyes), the scent of sage kit (“everything you need to perform the aromatic smudging ceremony of purification”), and, of course, a crystal ball.

Now, don't be sad because I have landed on this mailing list and you have not. I refuse to be stingy with my new catalog. If any of you fine folk out there have a hankering for, say, paten leather pointy-toed witch shoes, I can totally hook you up.

Life Goal #4: Accomplished

Two posts in one day? You bet. I have to do a little dance of joy because one of my "bucket list" goals has been accomplished: #4: Get published.

Shameless plug? Of course. To view my grandiose piece of fiction, see the "Links to Other Things About Me..." section to the right.

(Actually, it's not really all that grandiose. It's only a two minute script. It's not much. But it's mine. And that makes me happy.)

Jury Duty

I spent yesterday waiting around in a courtroom to see if I would be picked to serve on a jury. Definitely not anything like tv, because it was the MOST BORING DAY EVER.
We weren’t allowed to read when the judge was in the room, which was at least 65% of the day. The prosecuting attorney was really young and seemed to not always know what he was doing. The defense lawyer was kind of a condescending jerk, asking the exact same question over and over because he thought we might not have understood the first 10 times he asked (I actually overheard the lady behind me say, “Get on with it already,” which made me giggle). There were so many sidebar conversations between the judge and lawyers that I was tempted to start counting the lines in the ceiling to stay awake. Also, the chairs were really, really hard. My behind is not happy.

I did learn something, though: I am very naïve. I was a little surprised, and somewhat disturbed, by the sheer numbers of people who have been arrested, think drugs should be legalized, and/or are in general distrustful of police. The girl next to me was arrested for something so serious that she requested a sidebar with the judges and attorneys to explain her story. I kind of stayed away from her. Just to be safe.

Other things I learned: I am addicted to the Internet, which I really missed yesterday. I am a fan of the jury dress code (jeans allowed – yeah!). The location of the Civil Courts Building, in case I have need to return (hopefully not as a defendant). And I am way too much a product of the always-doing-something-must-constantly-be-entertained generation.

Anyway, after a full day of questions, in which I actually only answered one (my occupation), I was not selected to serve on the jury. Good thing, too. Otherwise, I would be breaking the law just by writing this blog. Also, I now officially get 2 years free before I can be called again. That makes my behind (and internet addiction) feel much, much better.

Camping Fun

I went camping this past weekend, which was a lot of fun, in addition to being a learning experience. Here are a few things that I now know:


•Never hike on a trail that is shared with horses
•Ex-flooded areas of Missouri still smell like dead fish
•My camping buddy Val is extremely patient when I take 100 photos of the same thing
•Barges must go through locks and dams in pieces
*The No Stealing Camping Code apparently does not apply to marshmellows, graham crackers and chocolate
*Do not leave marshmellows, graham crackers, and chocolate on the picnic table while you walk to the bathroom
•No matter which campsite you pick, you will inevitably be surrounded by campers who disobey park rangers so many times that the cops must be called to the scene
•There is a man just outside of Troy who sits on his lawn selling pocket knives (in case you are in the market)
•It is in fact possible to be almost killed by a speeding house
*Picking the most gorgeous weekend of the entire summer for your camping trip more than makes up for fishy smells, horse trails, stolen S'mores, obnoxious campers, and speeding houses.

Patience Rewarded

Spent the better part of last night leaning out my living room window watching/photographing the storm. Here's what I came up with:



Things I learned from the experience: photographing lighting is much harder than it looks. The lighting must a: be exactly where you point your camera at any given time, b: be spider lightning, and not that hiding-behind-the-clouds-and-just-lights-up-the-sky lightning, c: snapped at the exact second it appears. Also, towels keep your camera dry for about 30 seconds, until they are soaked through, your cat will always attempt to dart through the open window screen when she thinks you are not paying attention, and wood floors are very, very hard to sit on for more than, say, 30 minutes at a time.

This Sounds Familiar...

I came across an article today that sounded WAY too much like my life. Just change "Johnson" and "Boswell" to "Lizzy" and "Rufus" and you will have a fairly accurate description of my own kitchen wars...

Kitchen-Floor Conflict Intensifies As Rival House Cats Claim Same Empty Bag

An Anti-Valentine Love Story

I hate Valentine’s Day. Yes, I am one of “those” people: a cynical, “this-holiday-is-nothing-but-a-commercialized-excuse-to-make-single-people-feel-bad-and-coupled-people-guilt-buy-presents-for-their-significant-other” kind of person. I detest stuffed teddy bears with hearts, roses ordered off of the internet (thanks for really putting yourself to the trouble of sitting on your butt and typing in an order), and I especially hate those cheesy, baby-talk couples on tv commercials (the buy one get one free cell phone commercial springs to mind). If there was a club for people who annually set all Valentine paraphernalia on fire and dance gleefully around the flames, then I would be the first one to sign up.

My holiday-hatred is no secret to those who know me personally. It is definitely not a secret to God. As we all know that God has a sense of humor, it should come as no surprise that my no-specific-date-attached daily Bible reading schedule should find me reading the love story of Isaac and Rebekah on this day, February 14th, the “official” lover’s holiday.

Now, I may hate Valentine’s Day, but I am a romantic at heart. I have always loved the story of Isaac and Rebekah because there is nothing quite so awesomely romantic as a servant who travels miles and miles to find a wife for his master’s son and “before he had finished speaking” to God (Gen 24: 15), the perfect bride appears to give his camels some water. This beautiful young girl Rebekah, who had never been anywhere in her life, is now asked to go with a strange dude with lots of bling to be married to an unknown man in a far-off land. Of course she has nothing to go on but that this plan very strongly appears to be the will of God. As God’s will always wins out in the end, she accepts, rides a camel miles and miles back to the servant’s land, and sees her future honey from afar. And here is the best part: Isaac comes to meet her and instantly “loved her.” Talk about a match made in heaven!

Rebekah and Isaac have always given me that needed reassurance that God is completely Sovereign and that His plan is perfect. But today, I especially needed to hear that the love of God is perfect and pure and beautiful. No wilting flowers or gas-station-bought cards for His children. No siree. God has such an awesome plan in place for us, far more than we can imagine, far more than a singing stuffed animal or box of chocolates can convey. His blessings will never fade, die, melt, be eaten, or stuffed into a box of love letters from ex-boyfriends. All he has to give is a perfect, unchangeable, overflowing-with-true-love plan for His bride. Forget about Valentine’s Day. I’ll take that kind of gift any day!

Help Wanted: Printer Repair Man

Dear Printer Repair Man:
Please come to my house and check my printer. Every time I use the printer - and I am away while it prints - my papers are wrinkled, even shredded. Sometimes the ink is blurred I hope that you can find the problem!! -- Sincerely, Concerned Computer Owner

Dear Concerned Computer Owner:
While you were gone today, I checked your printer, and I found your problem. Please click below for the answer. -- Sincerely, Your Printer Repair Man

A Digital Girl in a Digital World

I love gadgets. I love that my entire music library can be downloaded onto my MP3 player and taken on the road. I love that I can watch movies on my laptop. I love that I can take a picture on my cell phone and instantly send it to anyone (great for long-distance bragging when you are on vacation and your friends and family are at work. They love that.) Well, I can now announce a new phase in my digi-mania: my obsession has crept into my most treasured, favorite pleasure in life. That’s right, folks. My library has gone electronic. All the books I could ever want are now in the “Palm” of my hand.

I know what you are thinking. A true bibliophile would never willingly relinquish the feel of the page-turn or that distinctive book smell. No purist could be fulfilled by a cold, indifferent electronic reading device. Each book is like a friend, with a history, a personality. The idea that modern technology can replace friends is ludicrous and practically sinful, punishable by a complete shunning by booksellers and librarians alike.

Now, before initiating a world-wide rejection by the literary world for all eternity (or at least until the literary world goes digital), hear me out. I currently have 4 books on my Palm: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Middlemarch by George Elliott, Queen Isabella by Alison Weir, and John Adams by David McCullough. This list represents a total of 2,528 traditional paperback pages, at a weight of 10 pounds (for those of you who remember Jerry McGuire, that is the weight of a human head) and a cost of $55 at paperback retail price. In digital electronic world, these same four books (along w/ a version of the Bible, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, and the Webster Dictionary), occupy less than half of the total 24 MB usable memory in my Palm (which weighs 3.4 oz) and cost me $28. Take that, literary world!

That’s all well and good, you may say, but what about the actual reading part of a digital library? What good are e-books if reading them is a pain? I just finished reading the e-book versions of Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough, a total of 512 paperback pages, and I am happy to report no lasting book-withdrawal effects. I was able to increase the word font to larger than regular book size and turn each “page” w/ one click of a button. The screen is back-lit, so I can read in the dark (if I should so choose). And my wrists are well on the way to recovery, having been relieved of the several-pound books I usually lug around in favor of a device roughly the size of a deck of cards. What about highlighting? Yes, I can do that. Taking notes about a passage? Yup, that too. I can also instantly look up any word in the dictionary. But my absolute favorite part? The e-reader automatically opens up to the last page I was on. You know what that means, don’t you? That’s right. Stop-light reading. No more seething at red lights. I can read while I wait. Awesome.

Before I sound too much like a salesman or techie review writer (its probably too late for that), let me reassure the folks out there that my new love affair with e-books does not mean I shall henceforth shun the material-written word. The free library will always hold a special place in my heart. I will still enjoy picking up a traditional book to remember my first love. Don’t worry, musty book shelves! I will not forget you!