Friday, February 27, 2009

And the winner is...

Big dog!

For her ability to sit / lay still when I am on photography class deadline!

Congratulations Sadie!


(You'll probably never see another picture of Nala unless all her pads get ripped off again. Every picture I get is a blur of black fur with additional legs thrown in for good measure.)

Thanks again, Sadie!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Working, Schooling and Everything Else

Working
Work is going great. I'm getting amazing hands-on marketing and design experience. My boss even wants to pull back from her marketing responsibilities, hand them to me, and work fewer hours a week! You know you're making a good impression when your boss gives you too much to do! :)

Schooling
I'm having a hard time engaging in my classes this semester. Everything seems to require less effort, less studying and less concentration. Either I'm getting smarter in my old age (HA!), or really becoming unmotivated the closer I get to graduation. We'll see if the grades expose my lack of effort!

Everything Else - I
Eric and I have been B-L-E-S-S-E-D lately in our finances. We finally took the plunge / made the decision / committed / to tithing on a regular basis. We used to be "casual" tithers by writing a check every so often to church and then deciding there were more "important" things to spend our money on, we wanted to eat out, etc. We were not very faithful.
On January 1, we made the commitment to "just do it!"

God says in Malachi 3: "Bring your full tithe [tenth] to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers." That strikes me as pretty straightforward. He says, "Try me, and watch what I will do."

So we have been, and have been humbled and amazed by the ways that God is showing us His faithfulness.

Everything Else - II
The decision has been made. We will not be living in the middle of Omaha forever and have our goals in place to live somewhere we can hear the crickets at night and let our dogs run during the day. It's exciting, daunting and tiring all at the same time. The first step in this long-as-my-arm plan is to finish the laundry room remodel. The cabinets are ready to be installed and pictures will appear soon.

Everything Else - III
Recently, I have been working on being very open and honest with the people in my life. This has been very difficult for me as I like to keep an aura of mystery about my thoughts, life and emotions. So, be forewarned, the honesty may not be finely tuned yet, but I'm working the gentle truthful balance. I have felt more at peace in my relationships now then any other time I can remember. From actually voicing my opinion about where I'd like to eat lunch to telling someone very close to me something that I should have said four years ago (and yes, it's been eating me up for THAT long). The first few times were really tough, but I'm slowly getting more comfortable.

I'm ready to see what else is in store for me this week! I'll keep you posted!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Aesthetically Pleasing

I'm not the greatest photographer in the world.

I love taking pictures, but draw the line at breaking out the camera at each and every function of which I am part (note: awesome use of grammar!).

I am currently taking a photography class and am learning A TON! Aperture, ISO / ASA, Shutter speed, etc. I've always been able to tell what looked good in a photo, but did not have the skills or education to duplicate the effect. Until now...


Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Feeling Uncommunicative

I'm studying communication. Writing, pictures, design - it's just great. However, I'm getting tired of spilling my soul all the time.
Do you really want to know every thought that pulses through my scattered brain?
Do you really want to know about the green tea I had for breakfast?
Do you really want to know that I'm working on being emotionally healthy?
Do you really want to know that I'm sick of school?
Do you really want to know that I don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life?
Do you really want to know that I haven't balanced the checkbook in two weeks and it's haunting my every step?

Really?

So I'll spill a little about someone else. Here's a picture of my Grandma.
She's straight-forward, simple and one of the most generous people in the world. You can tell she cares for others and not herself. She never smiles in pictures, but is kind in a million other ways. Wisdom, kindness and care. Not a bad way to live your life.

Monday, February 09, 2009

Photo Tag: You're It!

The fourth picture, in the fourth folder of my fourth photo year (my computer sorts them by year) is this very sad photo:


Last summer, on the Sunday before Labor Day, poor little Nala tore all the large pads off each of her four paws! She was unable to walk for 2 days, and then, woke up the third day as if nothing had ever happened. We left her pads unbandaged while she was in the house, but because the grass was dry and crispy at the end of a horrendously hot summer, we bandaged up her feet for bathroom breaks.

I learned that I can indeed carry 60-pound dog, then a 70-pound dog and a camera up and down four steps in 100-degree weather.

I photo-tag the following:

Andi
Courtney
Stephanie
and Renee.