Lens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USMAperture: f/4.0
Speed: 1/50 second
ISO: 400
Speed: 1/50 second
ISO: 400
Lens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USMAperture: f/4.0
Speed: 1/50 second
ISO: 400
Speed: 1/50 second
ISO: 400
13 years ago
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Two more photo shoots!
I've gotten the other two photo shoots edited! Here are my favorites from each, and they link to their respective albums.
Lens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Lens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Lens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USMLens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USMFriday, August 22, 2008
Lusk Photo Shoot
The first of three photo shoots are up! Click on the photo to get to the rest of the photos from the shoot.
Lens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Lens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USMAperture: f/5.6
Speed: 1/200 second
ISO: 400
Speed: 1/200 second
ISO: 400
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Garage Before and After
The key to a good After pic is a very bad Before pic! One might use this to their advantage and "stage" their first pic, but usually that's not necessary. It certainly wasn't in our case. Here's the before:
As you can see, the garage had become a maze of mess. What you can't see is that our attempt at organization--big plastic boxes stacked on top of each other in the back corners--had put our boxes to the test, and they had failed. One was crumpling completely in on itself from the weight of the others on top of it. Plus, every time we needed to put something in one box, it was inevitably the bottom box, which meant we just dropped the item in the garage "to put in the box later." Later never came. Until today!
Jon constructed three heavy-duty shelves that would house big boxes and paper office boxes alike, as well as allow for some room to stash odd-sized things like my photography backdrops. He also got rid of THREE boxes of books! (And if you know Jon, you know that was quite a sacrifice for him.) On my part, I parted with all my fall and spring decorations (because I only decorate for Christmas. anyway), and all but one of my beloved crafts. I also went through house decorations from my college days. AND (sigh...) the ghetto-fabulous cat tree is seeing its last days. It's going out with the next trash run.... It's in the house now for its last hurrah, though I must say these cats are not nearly as enthralled as Friday had been. Hmph. Spoiled on store-bought toys, I guess.
The one big thing left for me to cull through is fabric. I've collected quite a bit of it, and it's just so dang useful I can't see getting rid of it. I have a trunk full (that would make an excellent toy box for Caleb...), bags full, and even more stashed inside the house. However, several of my friends have picked up the sewing bug lately, so I might just bestow some fabric on them as a way to encourage their efforts. It would make me feel better about parting with it. Some of my fabric, however, I'll probably never part with!
Something else I feel like I'll never part with are my memory boxes. A tradition we started as kids, my parents would give us a box to hold the memories of our year: awards, drawings, stories, and many many many random things. I guess John did it, too, but I would also guess it the idea was for me, the pack rat with way too many memories. (Hey, when you're as forgetful as I am, you need physical things to remind you...and I just happen to want to remember everything.) So, sad to say, I have numerous memory boxes. Big blue bin, two large Rubbermaids...all housing memories from grade school up. It's embarassing, really, but that's one thing I cannot look at objectively.
And there are still some things in the garage that seem like I will never be able to get rid of them--namely, my darkroom photography equipment. I just can't seem to get motivated to put it up on Craig's list, and the sad truth is that I'm afraid most of it will go in the trash. However, I'm ALMOST ready to accept that truth, because I refuse to move it one more time. I have to get it up on Craig's list, and what doesn't sell, I'll leave at the front door of the local camera store in the middle of the night. :)
So, without further ado, the After!
As you can see, the darkroom equipment is in the front left, and that will hopefully be gone soon, which will clear up even more space. What you can also see is the floor! And the lawnmower! Where did that come from?? And almost every box (excepting a couple of book boxes) are accessible on the shelves, with no stacking and piling (and crumpling) to worry about.
What you can't tell is that one of the big blue bins is completely empty (all decorations relegated to the garage sale pile!), ready for stuff from our back storage closet, when my mom comes and helps me organize that area. And maybe she'll help me with my memory boxes?? (Pretty please with sweet smile and puppy dog eyes!)
All in all, I'm so proud of what we accomplished today. We made some organizational advances that will help us wherever we go, and we got a good start on our overall clean-out as we prepare for Caleb.
NOTE: Notice that Jon's accomplishment was to clean out some book boxes. For as much grief as I give him about collecting so many books, I obviously have the hoarding problem in our house! :) Hence, I've labeled this post "personality" because I think it speaks quite clearly to the type of person I am.
As you can see, the garage had become a maze of mess. What you can't see is that our attempt at organization--big plastic boxes stacked on top of each other in the back corners--had put our boxes to the test, and they had failed. One was crumpling completely in on itself from the weight of the others on top of it. Plus, every time we needed to put something in one box, it was inevitably the bottom box, which meant we just dropped the item in the garage "to put in the box later." Later never came. Until today!
Jon constructed three heavy-duty shelves that would house big boxes and paper office boxes alike, as well as allow for some room to stash odd-sized things like my photography backdrops. He also got rid of THREE boxes of books! (And if you know Jon, you know that was quite a sacrifice for him.) On my part, I parted with all my fall and spring decorations (because I only decorate for Christmas. anyway), and all but one of my beloved crafts. I also went through house decorations from my college days. AND (sigh...) the ghetto-fabulous cat tree is seeing its last days. It's going out with the next trash run.... It's in the house now for its last hurrah, though I must say these cats are not nearly as enthralled as Friday had been. Hmph. Spoiled on store-bought toys, I guess.
The one big thing left for me to cull through is fabric. I've collected quite a bit of it, and it's just so dang useful I can't see getting rid of it. I have a trunk full (that would make an excellent toy box for Caleb...), bags full, and even more stashed inside the house. However, several of my friends have picked up the sewing bug lately, so I might just bestow some fabric on them as a way to encourage their efforts. It would make me feel better about parting with it. Some of my fabric, however, I'll probably never part with!
Something else I feel like I'll never part with are my memory boxes. A tradition we started as kids, my parents would give us a box to hold the memories of our year: awards, drawings, stories, and many many many random things. I guess John did it, too, but I would also guess it the idea was for me, the pack rat with way too many memories. (Hey, when you're as forgetful as I am, you need physical things to remind you...and I just happen to want to remember everything.) So, sad to say, I have numerous memory boxes. Big blue bin, two large Rubbermaids...all housing memories from grade school up. It's embarassing, really, but that's one thing I cannot look at objectively.
And there are still some things in the garage that seem like I will never be able to get rid of them--namely, my darkroom photography equipment. I just can't seem to get motivated to put it up on Craig's list, and the sad truth is that I'm afraid most of it will go in the trash. However, I'm ALMOST ready to accept that truth, because I refuse to move it one more time. I have to get it up on Craig's list, and what doesn't sell, I'll leave at the front door of the local camera store in the middle of the night. :)
So, without further ado, the After!
As you can see, the darkroom equipment is in the front left, and that will hopefully be gone soon, which will clear up even more space. What you can also see is the floor! And the lawnmower! Where did that come from?? And almost every box (excepting a couple of book boxes) are accessible on the shelves, with no stacking and piling (and crumpling) to worry about.
What you can't tell is that one of the big blue bins is completely empty (all decorations relegated to the garage sale pile!), ready for stuff from our back storage closet, when my mom comes and helps me organize that area. And maybe she'll help me with my memory boxes?? (Pretty please with sweet smile and puppy dog eyes!)
All in all, I'm so proud of what we accomplished today. We made some organizational advances that will help us wherever we go, and we got a good start on our overall clean-out as we prepare for Caleb.
NOTE: Notice that Jon's accomplishment was to clean out some book boxes. For as much grief as I give him about collecting so many books, I obviously have the hoarding problem in our house! :) Hence, I've labeled this post "personality" because I think it speaks quite clearly to the type of person I am.
Friday, August 08, 2008
All in a word (Tag)
The Rules: Answer the questions using only one word. Then tag three others.
1. Where is your cell phone? TABLE
2. Your significant other? FUNNY
3. Your hair? SHORT
4. Your mother? GO-GETTER
5. Your father? ENCOURAGING
6. Your favorite thing? CUDDLING
7. Your dream last night? WEIRD
8 Your favorite drink? SONIC
9. Your dream/goal? ENTREPRENEUR
10. The room you’re in? BRIGHT
11. Your hobby? PHOTOGRAPHY
12. Your fear? STAGNATION
13. What do you want to be in 6 years? PEACEFUL
14. What you’re not? CONFRONTATIONAL
15. Muffins? BLUEBERRY
16. One of your wish list items? MASSAGE
17. Where you grew up? TEXAS
18. The last thing you did? SHOWER
19. What are you wearing? COMFY-NESS
20. Favorite gadget? CAMERA
21. Your pets? FUZZY
22. Your computer? MAC
23. Your mood? QUESTIONABLE
24. Missing someone? NO
25. Your car? MARSHMALLOW
26. Something you’re not wearing? MAKEUP
27. Favorite store? TARGET
28. Like someone? YEP!
29. Your favorite color? GREEN
30. When is the last time you laughed? YESTERDAY
31. Last time you cried? 7/1/08
I tag: KarenD, KarenN, Carolyn (keepin' it in the family!)
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
The Big Snip
Yesterday, Bonnie & Clyde went to the vet for the Big Snip. We tried to warn them about it, but I don't think they were prepared. Neither were we!
The cats still waltz straight into the cat carrier when we bring it out. At some point, they'll start associating it with the vet, but for some reason they still do not. (Even after yesterday, they've gone in it several times.) So, there they go into the carrier, and off we go to the vet. We drop them off and feel very guilty about the pain we've left them to.
By 2:30pm, I was ready to know how the cats were doing. Poor kitties. After our own doctor's appointment (about 5:00), we called to see if we could come by and pick them up. No, we had to wait until 6:00 for a consult with the vet. Oh, okay, we didn't know about that. So we went home for 30 minutes, then back to the vet, where we waited.
Finally, someone brought B&C into the exam room. They were in the carrier and pretty frantic. They pushed their noses into the wires and would never settle down, which made the wait for the vet that much longer. Jon even broke into his own rendition of "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" hoping to remind the people outside our room that we were still there! He always makes me laugh!
The vet finally came in, and his first words were, "Well, Clyde really had a hard time of it, so he'll be pretty groggy, and for longer than Bonnie."
The (slightly funny) truth is that Clyde has a condition called cryptorchidism. Crypto: Where is it? and Orchid: testicles. (I just lost my G-rating right there.) That's right, Clyde has a missing ball. It never descended like it should have, which meant that his surgery would be as extensive as Bonnie's. The vet would have to make an incision in Clyde's abdomen to go searching for the missing...orchid. Well, as it turns out, it was quite a hunt, and Clyde's incision ended up being about 4 inches long, compared to Bonnie's half-inch incision. Poor guy!
When we made it home, we had two ravenous kittens, with the disadvantage of still being slighty drugged. They swayed and wobbled their way to the food bowls, and proceeded to make a huge mess of everything! Food and water were everywhere as the cats pushed their noses into the bowls and snarfed away! Most people would probably laugh at their antics, but I just can't. Maybe I'm too sensitive. I've never found drunk people to be funny, or people doing crazy stuff under the influence of something other than themselves. It's just sad to me. I do, however, recognize that I'm the exception, so if you find yourself giggling over my sad story, I'll forgive you. :)
Then Bonnie would not settle down. She carried her jingle ball around for about 30 minutes with no stopping. She never put the ball down, and she never actually played with it; she just did circles around the house. Now we know Bonnie does not handle drugs well! :) We tried to hold her to get her to settle down, but she would have none of it!
Clyde was fastidiously cleaning himself. Thankfully, he was staying mostly away from his incision, but it did start to bleed again for a short while.
Needless to say, Jon and I were basket cases. Coming out of surgery is one of the hardest things to see, I think. You think the hard part is surgery, so you expect things to be right back to normal afterwards, and it's always a shock to see that they're not.
Today, things are much better. Both cats have slept the entire day. Bonnie expressed slight interest in a string, and Clyde tried to pick on his sister once, but otherwise, they've just traded off who got to sleep in my lap (and at one point they were both in my lap!). I finally moved to the bed to work, to let them both cuddle up to me and still enable me to get stuff done.
I must say, in the past I've only had male cats with no shy orchids, and that surgery is a breeze. They usually come home a little wobbly, but are running and playing by the end of the day. This has been no walk in the park, and it's been as hard on Jon and I as on the cats, I think! We take them back on Thursday for their checkup, and I'm sure they'll be back to their crazy selves before then!
The cats still waltz straight into the cat carrier when we bring it out. At some point, they'll start associating it with the vet, but for some reason they still do not. (Even after yesterday, they've gone in it several times.) So, there they go into the carrier, and off we go to the vet. We drop them off and feel very guilty about the pain we've left them to.
By 2:30pm, I was ready to know how the cats were doing. Poor kitties. After our own doctor's appointment (about 5:00), we called to see if we could come by and pick them up. No, we had to wait until 6:00 for a consult with the vet. Oh, okay, we didn't know about that. So we went home for 30 minutes, then back to the vet, where we waited.
Finally, someone brought B&C into the exam room. They were in the carrier and pretty frantic. They pushed their noses into the wires and would never settle down, which made the wait for the vet that much longer. Jon even broke into his own rendition of "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" hoping to remind the people outside our room that we were still there! He always makes me laugh!
The vet finally came in, and his first words were, "Well, Clyde really had a hard time of it, so he'll be pretty groggy, and for longer than Bonnie."
The (slightly funny) truth is that Clyde has a condition called cryptorchidism. Crypto: Where is it? and Orchid: testicles. (I just lost my G-rating right there.) That's right, Clyde has a missing ball. It never descended like it should have, which meant that his surgery would be as extensive as Bonnie's. The vet would have to make an incision in Clyde's abdomen to go searching for the missing...orchid. Well, as it turns out, it was quite a hunt, and Clyde's incision ended up being about 4 inches long, compared to Bonnie's half-inch incision. Poor guy!
When we made it home, we had two ravenous kittens, with the disadvantage of still being slighty drugged. They swayed and wobbled their way to the food bowls, and proceeded to make a huge mess of everything! Food and water were everywhere as the cats pushed their noses into the bowls and snarfed away! Most people would probably laugh at their antics, but I just can't. Maybe I'm too sensitive. I've never found drunk people to be funny, or people doing crazy stuff under the influence of something other than themselves. It's just sad to me. I do, however, recognize that I'm the exception, so if you find yourself giggling over my sad story, I'll forgive you. :)
Then Bonnie would not settle down. She carried her jingle ball around for about 30 minutes with no stopping. She never put the ball down, and she never actually played with it; she just did circles around the house. Now we know Bonnie does not handle drugs well! :) We tried to hold her to get her to settle down, but she would have none of it!
Clyde was fastidiously cleaning himself. Thankfully, he was staying mostly away from his incision, but it did start to bleed again for a short while.
Needless to say, Jon and I were basket cases. Coming out of surgery is one of the hardest things to see, I think. You think the hard part is surgery, so you expect things to be right back to normal afterwards, and it's always a shock to see that they're not.
Today, things are much better. Both cats have slept the entire day. Bonnie expressed slight interest in a string, and Clyde tried to pick on his sister once, but otherwise, they've just traded off who got to sleep in my lap (and at one point they were both in my lap!). I finally moved to the bed to work, to let them both cuddle up to me and still enable me to get stuff done.
I must say, in the past I've only had male cats with no shy orchids, and that surgery is a breeze. They usually come home a little wobbly, but are running and playing by the end of the day. This has been no walk in the park, and it's been as hard on Jon and I as on the cats, I think! We take them back on Thursday for their checkup, and I'm sure they'll be back to their crazy selves before then!
Friday, August 01, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Roomie Reunion 2008
Last week, three other girls and I got together for Roomie Reunion! We were all roommates or friends during college, and we try to get together once a year. Here are the photos!
My favorite is our "stages" progression. We are in four different stages of life: single, married, married & pregnant, and married w/baby. So, we set up a shot (okay, a ton of shots) with that theme. Here is my favorite:
My favorite is our "stages" progression. We are in four different stages of life: single, married, married & pregnant, and married w/baby. So, we set up a shot (okay, a ton of shots) with that theme. Here is my favorite:
We had a blast, and I can't wait to do it again!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Silly Sophie
Today I went to lunch with Holly, Sophie, and Holly's mom, Sue. Sophie had a song in her head. You probably all know it:I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart
(Where?)
Down in my heart!(Where?)
Down in my heart!I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart
(Where?)
Down in my heart to stay!!Well, it took a bit to figure out that the "joy joy joy joy down stay...." coming from the back seat was actually a song, but once we did figure it out, Sophie thought it was great fun for us all to sing together. Which we did.
When we were enjoying our Endless Soup & Salad at Olive Garden, Sophie would break out in her hearty rendition of the joyous song. "JOY JOY JOY JOY DOWN STAY......" Some things you just can't sing quietly, you know?
Well, on our drive home, we were all singing. We came to the end of the song, and Sophie said to Holly, "Do it!" (As in, start singing again, Mom!)
Holly replied, "You do it!"
This went on four or five times, until finally Sophie said, "No, YiYi do it!!" (That's me, by the way.)
It was so funny! It might have been the first time she put 4 words together in a sentence, too! She's potty training and starting to look more and more like a little girl and not the baby I've known for two years. I'm so blessed to have her (and Holly!) in my life!
Monday, July 21, 2008
What's going on with us? Pt. 2
After our discussion the day of the church planting meeting, I did my best to not be so impatient. I waited on Jon, and he waited on God. We have all experienced God's timing, and know how different it is from our own. Usually, I'm okay with that, but having so much come to fruition in November and December (baby, graduation, job, move?) has shaken my faith a little.
So a few weeks ago, I requested a coffee date where Jon and I could sit down and discuss our options. Put everything on the table and see what we might find. The purpose wasn't to make any decisions, but to figure out what we were each thinking.
Armed with our Starbucks frappuccinos, we started talking about options. It quickly became apparent that our possibilities are wide open. We could still be here and going to school, or we could be in South Dakota planting a church (that's for you, Cliff!). However, as odd as it may sound, it had not occurred to me that we might still be here. I figured, whatever we did would require a move. In fact, I was preparing myself to move, and looking forward to going somewhere where summers never saw 100 degrees (or 90 degrees!). So to think that we could stay here was a revelation to me.
Jon has had a dream of teaching military history in a military academy or a university. To do that, he needs his doctorate of history. So, he might still be in school for awhile, though probably working full-time as well. He is going to be doing some research to see how feasible that is, and what steps he needs to take.
My dream is to be a stay-at-home mom. Jon and I would like to switch our incomes, basically, so he would bring home the full-time check, and I would bring home part-time pay, hopefully through photography.
However, these two dreams of ours are surpassed by God's dreams for us. We don't know what those are, yet, or if He has given us these desires for His purpose. We don't know if church planting will come back on the table, or some other sort of bivocational ministry, or perhaps Jon will be a light in the dark world of liberal academics.
Our coffee date ended when we both hit the realization that we could talk about our plans all night, but we can't actually make any plans until Jon's closer to graduation. Unless we have clearer direction from God, in September, Jon will start sending out applications and resumes to universities to continue his education, to public schools to teach, and to churches and BSMs looking for ministers. We'll just see where that leads us!
So, to end this tw0-part series of where we're headed in life, the answer is that we don't know. We're back to square one and waiting on God's timing. Please pray for patience, peace and openness as we wait!
So a few weeks ago, I requested a coffee date where Jon and I could sit down and discuss our options. Put everything on the table and see what we might find. The purpose wasn't to make any decisions, but to figure out what we were each thinking.
Armed with our Starbucks frappuccinos, we started talking about options. It quickly became apparent that our possibilities are wide open. We could still be here and going to school, or we could be in South Dakota planting a church (that's for you, Cliff!). However, as odd as it may sound, it had not occurred to me that we might still be here. I figured, whatever we did would require a move. In fact, I was preparing myself to move, and looking forward to going somewhere where summers never saw 100 degrees (or 90 degrees!). So to think that we could stay here was a revelation to me.
Jon has had a dream of teaching military history in a military academy or a university. To do that, he needs his doctorate of history. So, he might still be in school for awhile, though probably working full-time as well. He is going to be doing some research to see how feasible that is, and what steps he needs to take.
My dream is to be a stay-at-home mom. Jon and I would like to switch our incomes, basically, so he would bring home the full-time check, and I would bring home part-time pay, hopefully through photography.
However, these two dreams of ours are surpassed by God's dreams for us. We don't know what those are, yet, or if He has given us these desires for His purpose. We don't know if church planting will come back on the table, or some other sort of bivocational ministry, or perhaps Jon will be a light in the dark world of liberal academics.
Our coffee date ended when we both hit the realization that we could talk about our plans all night, but we can't actually make any plans until Jon's closer to graduation. Unless we have clearer direction from God, in September, Jon will start sending out applications and resumes to universities to continue his education, to public schools to teach, and to churches and BSMs looking for ministers. We'll just see where that leads us!
So, to end this tw0-part series of where we're headed in life, the answer is that we don't know. We're back to square one and waiting on God's timing. Please pray for patience, peace and openness as we wait!
Friday, July 18, 2008
What's going on with us?
This post is long overdue, as I'd given my faithful readers a glimpse of where we were headed a few months ago, and then never followed up on it. I've spoken to many of you about it, but, for posterity's sake, here it is in writing.
The last time I mentioned "our future," it was in the context of church planting. We had started to take steps toward gathering a team and heading to the northwest to plant a church and make a difference. A few things happened in quick succession after that. The day came when those who were willing to commit would be meeting at our house. We did the typical frantic house cleanup, and a few hours before the meeting, Jon confessed, "I don't think this is where God is calling me."
What?? After all this? Well, it turns out I was partly to blame. In my eagerness (or fear?) for the future, I wanted to DO something. I didn't wait for Jon to step up as the spiritual leader, and he let me lead the way down this path. By the time we'd gotten to this point, he'd realized that it really wasn't where God wanted him right now.
The time for the meeting came, and no one showed up, which was further confirmation that our timing was not right. We came away from that day with a better understanding of our roles...and a clean house.
--More in the next installment!--
The last time I mentioned "our future," it was in the context of church planting. We had started to take steps toward gathering a team and heading to the northwest to plant a church and make a difference. A few things happened in quick succession after that. The day came when those who were willing to commit would be meeting at our house. We did the typical frantic house cleanup, and a few hours before the meeting, Jon confessed, "I don't think this is where God is calling me."
What?? After all this? Well, it turns out I was partly to blame. In my eagerness (or fear?) for the future, I wanted to DO something. I didn't wait for Jon to step up as the spiritual leader, and he let me lead the way down this path. By the time we'd gotten to this point, he'd realized that it really wasn't where God wanted him right now.
The time for the meeting came, and no one showed up, which was further confirmation that our timing was not right. We came away from that day with a better understanding of our roles...and a clean house.
--More in the next installment!--
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Domain Worth
I just checked out a new site today when I was looking around for my work site. Domain Crawler lets you type in a web address, and it tells you information about it: ranking and estimated value, etc.
I typed in lmnovations.com--my photo site--and I think it was worth $96 or so. Whoopee. But I typed in my blog address, and it's worth $7605!! So, if anyone out there wants this blog address, just let me know...I'll even lower the price to $6500 for you.
I looked up google.com, but there must be some kind of fluke because it's only worth $625. Or maybe my blog is that much better than Google. Heehee.
Look up your favorite addresses and tell me what you find!
I typed in lmnovations.com--my photo site--and I think it was worth $96 or so. Whoopee. But I typed in my blog address, and it's worth $7605!! So, if anyone out there wants this blog address, just let me know...I'll even lower the price to $6500 for you.
I looked up google.com, but there must be some kind of fluke because it's only worth $625. Or maybe my blog is that much better than Google. Heehee.
Look up your favorite addresses and tell me what you find!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Cleaning Out
Yesterday, I canceled all my magazine subscriptions. No more Real Simple organization tips, no more Martha Stewart Christmas ideas, and no more (tear!) Country Living. Country Living holds a special place in my heart, because I've been taking it since freshman year in college when I just wanted mail. But no more! I'm too much of a hoarder to have three hefty magazines coming to me every month. Plus, I haven't had the time to read them, and I've been a couple months behind for awhile.
As the straw that broke the camel's back, I've had some ethical issues with a couple of the magazines: Real Simple is so careful not to make any judgments on anyone's lifestyle, but in an article on budgeting, the first thing they suggested be eliminated was a person's tithe. Sure, it's okay to spend money on a feng shui specialist to come to your home, but heaven forbid we tithe. Anyway, that kind of ticked me off. And Country Living has always been a proponent of the homosexual lifestyle. They showcase a home almost every month that someone and "his partner" built together, and it's finally gotten on my nerves enough to cancel.
So that's that. In one day, I feel like I've significantly decluttered my life. Next to tackle: my piles of papers that reside in the house.
As the straw that broke the camel's back, I've had some ethical issues with a couple of the magazines: Real Simple is so careful not to make any judgments on anyone's lifestyle, but in an article on budgeting, the first thing they suggested be eliminated was a person's tithe. Sure, it's okay to spend money on a feng shui specialist to come to your home, but heaven forbid we tithe. Anyway, that kind of ticked me off. And Country Living has always been a proponent of the homosexual lifestyle. They showcase a home almost every month that someone and "his partner" built together, and it's finally gotten on my nerves enough to cancel.
So that's that. In one day, I feel like I've significantly decluttered my life. Next to tackle: my piles of papers that reside in the house.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Still crazy kittens...just bigger!
Today I came home from an impromptu lunch with Holly (aka Sunshine in the blogging world) with many things in my hands: keys, drink, purse, etc. I made it in the door, but couldn't take my sunglasses off. So, I slowly made my way in the dark to the table, so I could set my drink down and free a hand. Drink down, I pulled my shades off, only to find before me two cats watching with disinterest at the blind lady in their home. They must have thought I was blind, because they were sharing a placemat on the table for a little catnap. Sheesh! Not even a bit of fear that they might be caught! Granted, they usually aren't able to get up to the table because we keep chairs pushed in tight and they're too small to jump all the way up, yet. So they usually don't get on the table to even get punished, which is probably why they didn't think they would be today when they found my chair at just the right spot for them to make it to the table. What a surprise for them when they both got a good squirt from the water bottle!
Anyway, that was just my adventure for today. Every day is entertaining with these two! They certainly live up to their names! Here is a pic of my hoodlums that I took today. Taking pics of one cat is hard enough, but I don't think I'll ever get both of these guys in focus in the same shot! I'm surprised they're even both looking at the camera!
Bonnie (l), Clyde (r)
Anyway, that was just my adventure for today. Every day is entertaining with these two! They certainly live up to their names! Here is a pic of my hoodlums that I took today. Taking pics of one cat is hard enough, but I don't think I'll ever get both of these guys in focus in the same shot! I'm surprised they're even both looking at the camera!
Bonnie (l), Clyde (r)Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Bekah's Cakes
I just thought I'd give a plug for one of my good friends, Bekah. I've been chowing down on quite a bit of her cake, lately, and realized the world needs to know about Bekah's Cakes!! Pictured here are all the cakes I've had from her, ranging from chocolate to checkerboard to vanilla and even to mint! Every one of them are beautiful and delicious. And I have two more on the way in the next couple of weeks. Woohoo! So, if you're in my area and are looking for a way to give a personalized cake, I would highly recommend Bekah. Check out her site for all her cake designs (and she'll customize for you, as well!), and scroll to the bottom for her contact info.
Friday, June 27, 2008
About a year ago, I was turning off of I-35 to Waco when I saw a kitten in the grass. I pulled over to check on him. He was very feisty, and for all his 1 pound worth, he hissed and tried to be as big as possible. I called Leanna, asking what should I do. I was from out of town, it was a Sunday afternoon, and I had to be at a dinner meeting in about an hour. My options didn't seem very good. I called Jon and talked it over with him. Among the three of us, we decided that the kitten's mother was probably around, and either way he seemed like he could fend for himself. So I left. As I headed to the car, the kitten ran after me, meowing a pitiful plea. Every week I turn that same corner, and I've never seen the kitten again (though I always look, even now). Whether he made it or not, I don't know, but I've regretted my decision ever since.
So, I decided that I would never again pass up helping an animal, and leave hoping someone else would do it or things would just work out okay. I've turned around for a turtle I saw on the highway. (It turns out cold-blooded beings don't last long on hot pavement, even when they haven't been hit.) I've gone back to lead a puppy back home. The "puppy" ended up being full-grown, and he probably knew what he was doing, and he certainly knew where home was. I've driven the access road to check on a dog, though by the time I got there he was gone.
So all my past efforts have failed, but tonight they did not. Tonight, I was walking to the truck and noticed a toad making its slow way to the other side of the road. As I turned on the truck, I wondered how long it would take him to cross. By the time I got to him, he was only about a third of the way, and I couldn't be sure he'd stay put while I went around him. So, true to my decision, I got out and gently returned the toad to the curb. Hooray! I saved an animal...at least until he goes back out into the road. I can't know what he'll do, but I do know that I did what I could to keep his life going a little longer.
And that's something I won't regret.
So, I decided that I would never again pass up helping an animal, and leave hoping someone else would do it or things would just work out okay. I've turned around for a turtle I saw on the highway. (It turns out cold-blooded beings don't last long on hot pavement, even when they haven't been hit.) I've gone back to lead a puppy back home. The "puppy" ended up being full-grown, and he probably knew what he was doing, and he certainly knew where home was. I've driven the access road to check on a dog, though by the time I got there he was gone.
So all my past efforts have failed, but tonight they did not. Tonight, I was walking to the truck and noticed a toad making its slow way to the other side of the road. As I turned on the truck, I wondered how long it would take him to cross. By the time I got to him, he was only about a third of the way, and I couldn't be sure he'd stay put while I went around him. So, true to my decision, I got out and gently returned the toad to the curb. Hooray! I saved an animal...at least until he goes back out into the road. I can't know what he'll do, but I do know that I did what I could to keep his life going a little longer.
And that's something I won't regret.
Cats Stats
We went to the vet today for Bonnie & Clyde to get their booster shots. They got a regular checkup, as well. This was the first time for them to go to our vet--the Animal Shelter offers the spaying/neutering at only one office in town, so we had to go there for their first checkup so we could set the date for their "alterations."
Everyone was so glad to see the little guys again. They all oohed and aahed about how much they'd grown, and how they were lighter than everyone expected. The mama cat was still in the office, so they brought her by. The meeting was friendly, but she didn't seem too interested, and wandered off after a couple nose touches.
Bonnie was a champion patient. She weighed in at 3lbs 11oz, everything sounded great (breathing, etc.), she stood very still for the thermometer, and didn't seem to notice the shot too badly. We were a little concerned about the chub she's starting to develop on her belly, but the dr. wasn't worried at all. He promotes free-feeding until about 6 months, at which time their energy levels and growth rates wane, and it's time to start measuring out food. This was different from what the Animal Shelter's doctor said. He believed in regulating food amounts right at the beginning. I didn't really agree with him, though we did watch a little better that we just fed them enough for them to eat in a day, instead of leaving it full all the time. So I was happy to hear that our vet thought that was fine.
Clyde was up next. He weighed in at a whopping 4lbs 5oz (no wonder he wins all the fights!). Dr. M detected a small heart murmur and suggested it might be caused by parasites. (The parasites thin the blood, which makes it swoosh through the heart faster, causing noise.) He assured me that this murmur was not on the same scale as Friday's, and if the cause is parasites, it will go away when the parasites are taken care of. We have been directed to collect a stool sample (and yes, my pregnant self has a big rubber glove for the occasion!) so they can test it. Clyde didn't do so well with the thermometer. By the time it beeped that it had registered, he had crawled on to my arm and heading up my shoulder, trying to get his booty as far away from the dr. as possible. He's going to be our problem child at the vet, we can already tell. :) After that he did fine with the shot.
All in all, the cats did very well. They were content to let everyone come by and pet them, and Clyde even purred while Jon held him. They remain our laid back kitties.
I'd like to put in a huge plug for my vet. If you live around here, I would really recommend them. They go above and beyond in their care for our cats, and have been great to us, as well, as we've dealt with some hard blows in the pet arena this year. They honestly care about each animal, and the vets (Dr. M in particular) are very thorough. The vet techs are huge animal lovers, as well. When Smith & Wesson were so sick, they needed a certain tube of vitamin goo; the office didn't have any on hand, and one of the vet techs went to her house and brought back her own tube for us to use. They've also sent us a rose for each cat we lost, and cried with us and hugged us, assuring us we were still good pet parents. Then, best of all, they called us about Bonnie & Clyde, and boarded them for 7 weeks at no cost to us, because they really wanted us to have them. Those kinds of things just don't happen at every vet office.
I would also recommend the vet that will be doing the spaying/neutering, but for different reasons. My vet is a small establishment and pretty laid back, and this one is larger with more sparkle. They took pictures of the cats to put in their records, the ear scope is connected to a monitor so the pet owner can see what's going on, they have an online portal so I can view the records, and they send out periodic e-mails about pet-related stuff, including appointment reminders. The building is very clean and nice, and much closer to our house. If we weren't so happy with our vet, I would probably switch to this one for the convenience. So for that reason I recommend both.
Obviously I've kept the names anonymous because I have this idea that I've somehow managed to keep my location unknown from random people online. In reality, that's probably not true, but, oh well. If you know you live near me, ask me about these places and I'll tell you. :)
Now, Bonnie & Clyde are sacked out, and probably will be for most of the rest of the day. That seems to be what happens with shots. We like it because then they're cute and cuddly. :)
Everyone was so glad to see the little guys again. They all oohed and aahed about how much they'd grown, and how they were lighter than everyone expected. The mama cat was still in the office, so they brought her by. The meeting was friendly, but she didn't seem too interested, and wandered off after a couple nose touches.
Bonnie was a champion patient. She weighed in at 3lbs 11oz, everything sounded great (breathing, etc.), she stood very still for the thermometer, and didn't seem to notice the shot too badly. We were a little concerned about the chub she's starting to develop on her belly, but the dr. wasn't worried at all. He promotes free-feeding until about 6 months, at which time their energy levels and growth rates wane, and it's time to start measuring out food. This was different from what the Animal Shelter's doctor said. He believed in regulating food amounts right at the beginning. I didn't really agree with him, though we did watch a little better that we just fed them enough for them to eat in a day, instead of leaving it full all the time. So I was happy to hear that our vet thought that was fine.
Clyde was up next. He weighed in at a whopping 4lbs 5oz (no wonder he wins all the fights!). Dr. M detected a small heart murmur and suggested it might be caused by parasites. (The parasites thin the blood, which makes it swoosh through the heart faster, causing noise.) He assured me that this murmur was not on the same scale as Friday's, and if the cause is parasites, it will go away when the parasites are taken care of. We have been directed to collect a stool sample (and yes, my pregnant self has a big rubber glove for the occasion!) so they can test it. Clyde didn't do so well with the thermometer. By the time it beeped that it had registered, he had crawled on to my arm and heading up my shoulder, trying to get his booty as far away from the dr. as possible. He's going to be our problem child at the vet, we can already tell. :) After that he did fine with the shot.
All in all, the cats did very well. They were content to let everyone come by and pet them, and Clyde even purred while Jon held him. They remain our laid back kitties.
I'd like to put in a huge plug for my vet. If you live around here, I would really recommend them. They go above and beyond in their care for our cats, and have been great to us, as well, as we've dealt with some hard blows in the pet arena this year. They honestly care about each animal, and the vets (Dr. M in particular) are very thorough. The vet techs are huge animal lovers, as well. When Smith & Wesson were so sick, they needed a certain tube of vitamin goo; the office didn't have any on hand, and one of the vet techs went to her house and brought back her own tube for us to use. They've also sent us a rose for each cat we lost, and cried with us and hugged us, assuring us we were still good pet parents. Then, best of all, they called us about Bonnie & Clyde, and boarded them for 7 weeks at no cost to us, because they really wanted us to have them. Those kinds of things just don't happen at every vet office.
I would also recommend the vet that will be doing the spaying/neutering, but for different reasons. My vet is a small establishment and pretty laid back, and this one is larger with more sparkle. They took pictures of the cats to put in their records, the ear scope is connected to a monitor so the pet owner can see what's going on, they have an online portal so I can view the records, and they send out periodic e-mails about pet-related stuff, including appointment reminders. The building is very clean and nice, and much closer to our house. If we weren't so happy with our vet, I would probably switch to this one for the convenience. So for that reason I recommend both.
Obviously I've kept the names anonymous because I have this idea that I've somehow managed to keep my location unknown from random people online. In reality, that's probably not true, but, oh well. If you know you live near me, ask me about these places and I'll tell you. :)
Now, Bonnie & Clyde are sacked out, and probably will be for most of the rest of the day. That seems to be what happens with shots. We like it because then they're cute and cuddly. :)
Goin' on Vacation!
This summer has been kind of hard for me, because my work doesn't give paid maternity except for the vacation days I already have saved up. So, considering I only have four weeks saved up, and I want to take six weeks maternity, every day I take off is yet another day unpaid in the future. Knowing that I have NO days off has been very...depressing. No vacation, no visiting family or even long weekends. All I have are the company holidays, which is one day every two months. Ugh.
But I'm still getting to go on vacation! After work on Wednesday, I'm heading to the most relaxing place I know to spend a few quality days. Yep, I'll be at my parents house. And since I work at home, and "home is where you pick up internet," I'll be able to work on Thursday like normal, and enjoy Friday and Saturday with my family.
I'll miss Jon while I'm there, and I told him he'll think my belly's grown so much when I get back--maybe not from Newbie but from good cookin'! I can't wait. My parents have made their home--inside and out--such a peaceful place, and I'm looking forward to the visit.
But I'm still getting to go on vacation! After work on Wednesday, I'm heading to the most relaxing place I know to spend a few quality days. Yep, I'll be at my parents house. And since I work at home, and "home is where you pick up internet," I'll be able to work on Thursday like normal, and enjoy Friday and Saturday with my family.
I'll miss Jon while I'm there, and I told him he'll think my belly's grown so much when I get back--maybe not from Newbie but from good cookin'! I can't wait. My parents have made their home--inside and out--such a peaceful place, and I'm looking forward to the visit.
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