Chocolate!

We had our own little party tonight and set up the chocolate fondue fountain. YUM!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!

My Photo on TV!!!

My mom was watching Fox News when she saw this photo that I took for my unit 2 photo project on a commercial for New York Institute of Photography! They had given me a merit award and purchased it to include in their student archives. I never dreamed they'd use it for a TV commercial!!

Chick Flick Anyone??

Anyone interested in coming over for a good chick flick? I'm thinking early January... Like January 6th??? We'll make a party of it. I'll pull out my Chocolate Fondue Fountain and some fruit for it. And everyone can bring a little something to snack on... Maybe we can even order out for pizza!! :) BUT, we also need to decide WHICH movie we are going to watch... A few suggestions were Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, North and South, and Ever After (which I've never seen before!). Anyone game???? If so, let me know your thoughts like when you are available and what you want to watch...

What Did You Get???

I thought it would be fun if everyone shared what they got for Christmas! I got sparkly socks. I collect socks and my sparkly socks got a hole in them so Heather found a new pair for me! :) I also got body lotion and a Chocolate Fondue fountain. Which I'm planning on using for our chick flick night! (I'll be posting 'bout that soon!) And monkeys! Monkey slippers and monkey pj's!! Oh yes... And Brett's parents got me a 2 gig memory card for my camera and a book on lighting. YAY! So... what did you get???

Amanda and Michael

I worked hard this past week putting together an album of Amanda and Michael's wedding. The toughest part was choosing which pictures to leave out!!! Sure would love to know what you all think....

Merry Christmas

I'm a little late.... but I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!

A Family Tradition

Every year I allow my kids to pick out an ornament for the Christmas tree. It makes for an interesting assortment of ornaments!

Tootles and Tinkerbell

Tootles died yesterday. Mice don't live very long... about 2 years I guess and we don't know how old he was when we got him. He was a good little mouse and model too! (After all, it was a picture of him that earned me second place over at Better Photo!) We had a lot of fun with him. In spite of the fact that he was a mouse!











We went to the pet store and got another little mouse for Jessi. They assured us that this one is a baby so hopefully she will be with us a little longer. Keeping with the Peter Pan theme - Jessi named her Tinkerbell. She seems as friendly as Tootles was and Jessi is having fun with her new pet.

I can't believe how much fun I had watching the mice at the pet store. They had just put a wheel in the cage and they were so excited 'bout their new toy. At times there were 3 mice on it at once!!! And one time there was one mouse that was running on it while another one just hung on and spun around and around and around. There was a whole crowd standing around the mice watching their funny antics!!!

Feature Photo!

I discovered today that one of my abstracts was a feature photo in Better Photo's Digital Darkroom newsletter. You can view it here.

My Neighbors

Last night I did a photo shoot with my neighbers. A lovely family!!

The Slumber Party

I had a blast shooting a mock slumber party last week. You can find several of these photos in my stock galleries (though they aren't all up yet!).

And, as there has been a request for Christmas pictures - maybe I'll do a Christmas collage next!

Grumpy

I'm feeling rather grumpy today. What do you do when you are feeling ornery???? I think I'll curl up on the couch and bury myself in a good book!

Abstract Art

I'm not a huge fan of abstracts - but I've had a lot of fun playing around with them the past few days.... It's interesting how completely different they feel by simply changing the colors! This one kinda reminds me of a rose or a silk cloth. But make it blue and it makes me think of the ocean....

Chick Flick Anyone?

What's your idea of a good chick flick???

What would it be???

If you could have anything in the world thrown at you, what would it be?

What would it be???

If you could have anything in the world thrown at you, what would it be?

What would it be???

If you could have anything in the world thrown at you, what would it be?

What would it be???

If you could have anything in the world thrown at you, what would it be?

What would it be???

If you could have anything in the world thrown at you, what would it be?

What would it be???

If you could have anything in the world thrown at you, what would it be?

What would it be???

If you could have anything in the world thrown at you, what would it be?

What would it be???

If you could have anything in the world thrown at you, what would it be?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Like most people in the U.S., I spent the better part of today baking for tomorrow. I was in charge of desserts... So, I made a pumpkin pie (YUCK!), an apple pie, and also cookies cuz I had a special request to make chocolate chip cookies for s'mores. Tonight Heather is going to make a cherry pie and Jessi is going to make a fruit salad and then we are done! It wouldn't have taken me nearly so long except, as usual, I was quite unprepared. I started with the cookies and wouldn't you know, I didn't have any brown sugar. YIKES! You can't make cookies very well without brown sugar. Thankfully Brett was home and very willing to run to the store for me. Just after he left I realized that I only had 2 pie pans (I thought for sure I had at least 3 - but I can only find 2!) and I needed to make 3 pies. So, Brett came to my rescue again and got me some pie tins. Then I made the pumpkin pie. I got halfway through making it when I discovered that I only had skim milk. UGH! I didn't figure anyone would appreciate pumpkin pie made with skim milk - though what do I know? I don't like pumpkin pie anyways so maybe it would taste just as good that way... But Brett decided he didn't want to risk it and off to the store he went yet again!! He really is a good sport and deserves a gold medal for today!! I managed to finish the apple pie without having to run to the store again.... but Heather still has that cherry pie and Jessi has the fruit salad... I'm hoping! But I'm not promising anything!! :)

Now... Since I probably won't get to blog tomorrow I will write 13 things I'm thankful for!

1. God! He really is good to me even when I don't believe it!
2. Brett. He sure does put up with a lot from me.
3. My kids. They are each a blessing straight from God and without whom life would be pretty dull indeed.
4. My church. A place where I am challenged and stretched in my faith and above all loved in spite of all my imperfections.
5. Friends. Thanks for sticking by me through thick and through thin!
6. Digital cameras. I've spent many happy hours snapping away at things I never would have dared attempt to take had I been shooting film.
7. Laptops. I love that I can sit at the couch or up in my bedroom rather than at a desk!
8. Wireless. I'm becoming quite the couch potato!
9. Toe rings. They are just plain fun.
10. Books. I do have to be careful though cuz once I'm into a good book I'm not good for much else.
11. Music. I especially enjoy listening to my kids play.
12. Cordless phones. I can talk and fold the laundry at the same time.
13. Sugar. It just makes everything sweeter!

I'm so incredibly spoiled! It was hard to keep my list to only 13 things.
And I've decided, I really do like all the modern conveniences!! Guess I won't be turning Amish any time soon. :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

The Best Kind of News!!

My grandfather, a professed atheist for most of his life, has accepted Christ! YAY GOD!!!

The Faithfulness of God

I knew Martha would beat me to it - but I thought I'd post my pix from today too. A beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises!!

Turtle Knows Best... Or Does He???

I think Turtles have the right idea - they sleep through most of the winter. What a life!

Okay... So there are some things I would miss out on if I slept through the winter:

Christmas! I do love Christmas. I love to buy gifts for for friends and family and what better excuse than Christmas?! And I love to watch my kids get all excited - especially on Christmas Eve. I enjoy watching them as they look for gifts for their siblings and their dad too. I also love the lights and the decorations. Though I can't say I decorate a whole lot, I do love look at how others decorate!! Sometimes, in my busy-ness I forget to enjoy these things... But deep down I do love them. Oh, and who could forget gingerbread houses?! My kids always look forward to those! How 'bout it Martha? Are you game for doing gingerbread houses this year???? Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol" and all of our other Christmas movies is something else we look forward to each year. We don't allow our kiddos to watch those movies until Thanksgiving and then away they go after New Years so it's something we look forward to each year... Guess I don't want to miss out on all of that!

My daughter's birthday is in January. She'll be 16 - can you believe it??? And I certainly wouldn't want to miss her 16th birtday!!! So I don't suppose I will sleep through that either. Maybe the turtle really doesn't know best after-all....

I never did much for Valentines Day. Maybe I should put more effort into that holiday and that would be one more thing to look forward to in the winter time. Anyone got any suggestions? I'm afraid I'm not very romantic - but I suppose I could work on it. LOL.

Any suggestions for making winter time more enjoyable would be greatly appreciated!!

Well, I suppose I won't sleep through the winter... but attempt to make the most of it. And enjoy those special moments with the family God has blessed me with.

Random Thoughts by Me

Mice really stink!
So do birds.
I love photography.
Hot showers on a cold day feel wonderful until you have to get out.
I don't like mornings.
Sneakers are much more comfortable than high heels.
I like to take naps.
Especially on Sundays.
But it's best to wait until AFTER the sermon to take a nap.
Dogs have bad breath.
Exercising regularly really does give you more energy.
It's easier to forget than it is to remember.
Unless it's something you want to forget and then it's easier to remember.
Being a good friend isn't always easy but it's always worth it.
I like to eat.
Especially ice-cream.
But not brussel sprouts - they are gross.
I get bored easily.
I like change.
I would move every 2 years or so if I could.
I don't have to like sewing.
I don't like the sound the microwave makes when it is done cooking. (My bird taught me that!)
I'd rather sweat than shiver.
Even if it does make you stink.
Biking is better than jogging.
Padded bike shorts really do help!
It feels good to obtain a goal.
But learning the process is often more important.
Rocket was a good dog.
Even if he did annoy me sometimes.
I like to travel.
Especially to far away places.
Cultures fascinate me.
I like lots of lemon in my water.
Lots of ice-cubes too.
Even on a cold day.
I complain about being cold a lot.
Complaining is a bad habit.
Warm socks on my feet really do help keep me warm.
I don't like to wear hats.
I miss my flute.
I don't want a tatoo on my butt.
Or anywhere for that matter.
But it was fun pretending!
I like to laugh.
I don't like to cry in public.
I don't like to eat in public either.
The pineapple in Brazil is the best!!! YUM!
I like toe rings.
I like funky socks too.
Things aren't always black and white.
Sometimes the pat answer isn't really the answer.
We need to hear God!
He really does speak to us.
We just need to take the time to listen.
More often than not God does things differently than we would do them!
But His ways are best - even when we don't believe it.
God allows us to walk through some pretty hard things.
But we never have to go it alone!
I have droopy eyes.
I get them from my mother.
I like that my second toe is shorter than my big toe.
Being the photographer at a wedding is hard work.
I hate having my picture taken.
I love to see my family happy.
Mustangs and jags are cool.
But I'm thankful for my minivan that is paid for!
And that I hardly ever need to take to the garage.
I'm thankful that my husband has a good job.
But having a job that you enjoy is even better.
I'm not a very good shopper.
Blogging can take up a lot of time.
But it's fun.
Being a perfectionist is no fun.
I can't imagine living with a perfectionist is very fun either.
Bad habits can be hard to break.
Good habits can be hard to start.
But both can be done!
It's easier to put weight on than it is to take it off.
Fasting is good for your spiritually and even physically.
People who work at Orbakers STINK when they come home from work.
Waitresses get lots of dollar bills and coins for tips.
The coins in the money jar can add up to a lot of money.
Matt Redman is a good singer and song writer.
Sometimes its a good idea to read a book more than once.
Especially the Bible.
But Graham Cooke is good too.

Well... I was gonna do some more - but I've just been too busy to get back to this today! Maybe I'll have some more another day....

Mary Kay Make-Over

I went to a Mary Kay party today... Beka had a blast making me up. She does love color and gets so frustrated with me. She's desperate for me to get my hair colored and for me to start wearing a little make-up. We'll see. Maybe for my midlife crisis!

Sorry - I don't have any close up 'after pix'....

The Runaway Bride

I'm kinda bummed.... I had two little kids from my neighborhood all lined up to take pictures posing as a bride and groom and another little boy who was going to be the minister. I wanted to do a series of photographs of the ceremony -the unity candle, communion, the kiss, the ring, cutting the cake, throwing the bouquet, etc... I took several 'formal portraits' of my little bride. Heather did her makeup and hair and I took her outside and took several shots and they were really cute and are already selling some over at shutterstock... Well, for some reason, unknown to the mom, this little girl suddenly does NOT want to do the rest of the pictures. Guess she's decided she's just not ready to marry at the ripe old age of 4! I guess I'll have to find another couple to photograph....

Color!

Beka happily painting away and the finished wall. What do you think???

Apology

I'm so sorry everyone for disappearing for such a long time! I have been extremely busy lately and I'm afraid I've let busy-ness get in the way of ALL of my relationships. Why is it that the most important things are the things that I often let slide? And I allow those other things that really don't matter all that much to make me run ragged????

So, what have I been up to? Mostly I've been trying to get my stock galleries built up. It takes up way too much time! And I have no idea how to speed the process up. So... I'm either shooting pictures, fixing pictures that I should have taken right in the first place but didn't, uploading and keywording pictures, and starting the process all over again....

We've also redone our living room. After living here for 12 years we've FINALLY started redecorating. A friend of mine who loves to paint talked me into it. I hate the whole process - but things really are much more fun when you are working with a friend. :) She actually painted the entire living room for me. While she was doing that I was tearing down the wallpaper in the dining room cuz that's next on her agenda.

Other than that I've been taking my kids to and from work, lessons, and other little errands. I do go to the mall once a week to minister there and then I have church activities that also keep me busy. Plus, I'm supposed to be homeschooling my kiddos.... Oh yes, and how can I forget, I'm working hard to get my own schooling done. I got one more photo project submitted and only two left to go! I don't have much time left though so I'm going to have to ask for an extension. I really want to complete this cuz so often I don't finish what I start and well, I don't like that I do that!!!

I know that God's word says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light... right now it doesn't feel light at all. So... I suppose I've picked up burdens that were never meant to be picked up...

I want my friends to know that I do love and appreciate them. And I hope they will all forgive me for neglecting them.... for letting busy-ness get in the way. I will try to once again get my priorities in order!! And make time for the people that God has placed in my life and that I am totally blessed to know!

PS I tried to post a picture of my friend painting the living room... but it's not working today. Will post later so you can see the colors!

No Excuse!

Heather bought an elliptical exercise machine. I guess I have no excuse now. I've done 3 days in a row. My legs are a bit sore - my calves mostly - but it's a good kind of sore. Sure hope I can be consistent with it. I'm trying to do it first thing in the morning before breakfast for a minimum of 20 minutes but want to work my way up to 45 minutes. I'm hoping that it will give me more energy cuz I always feel sooooo sleepy by lunchtime. I know that when I bike consistently I have a ton more energy. So, on the one hand while initially it feels like I'm losing time, I'm hoping in the long run that I will actually GAIN some time in my schedule.

Wigging Out!

Goodbye to a Friend

We had to say our final goodbyes to Rocket last Wednesday. He was a good friend and will be greatly missed. But I'm thankful to God for allowing us to have him for such a long time.

RELEASE GOD'S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE--BY LOVING OTHERS

A Quote to Ponder

Rather than kill ourselves, we can let God live in the area that needs God’s touch…
Trying to die to it makes us preoccupied with what we are not. But living in Christ Jesus makes us pre-occupied with Him. We become alive to God, which automatically makes us dead to ourselves. - Graham Cooke

Mystery Shakers

Brett and I went to Basil's last night for dinner. Was wondering what on earth the green shaker was. It looks like green sugar for Christmas cookies! I tried to taste test it but nothing came out. Is it just for decoration??? There was another shaker I wondered about too that nothing would come out of. Thankfully the salt and the parmesan cheese worked fine! :) But makes me all the more curious 'bout the mystery shakers....

True Confessions

I honestly don't know what got into me.... Maybe it was momentary insanity! But I never in a million years thought that ANYONE would believe that I had a tattoo - especially on my butt!!! I'm just a plain Jane kind of girl. Very conservative and well, yeah, rather blah! I had come to # 13 on my list and I was looking pretty boring and the only things I could think of to say 'bout myself were even more boring! So, to add a little spice to a very boring blog entry... I said that I had a tattoo and to make it even more interesting I added that I had it on my rear end.... That is the boring truth. You can choose to believe whichever blog entry you want cuz I'm not proving it to anyone by dropping my pants! LOL.

A side story about the tattoo... Jessi had a little party on Saturday and a friend of mine was helping me out. She's actually trying to convince me that I SHOULD get a tattoo. I guess she's trying to spice me up a bit but she knows that a tattoo is really over the limits for me. I might get my eyebrows waxed and my hair colored - but tattoos are, well PERMANENT! And very expensive I might add!!! So, I have told her NOPE - I'm not going there!!!! But she was soooo proud of my blog entry. She thought that was very bold of me. LOL. Anywayz... My sister was dropping her daughter and another little girl off at the party and I said to my friend (in my sisters hearing), "I haven't told her about the tattoo yet!" That is ALL that I said... No mention of WHERE it was. My sister looks at me and says (very seriously I might add) - "Let me see it." and then demands, "Drop your pants and let me see it!!!!" I was SHOCKED!!! Not only that she BELIEVED me but that she ASSUMED IT WAS ON MY BUTT!!!!!

Well, it was a stupid thing to do... But I must say it did spice things up a bit! I may be a plain Jane, but I really do have a clown suit in my closet!

I'm Older Than I've Ever Been!

And now I'm even older!

Hmmm... Maybe I should do 13 things 'bout me... I'll try and do some things that you might not know 'bout me...

1. My eyes are the color of the mold at the bottom of a DIRTY pond. At least that's what it said in my baby book.
2. I like deep red and black.
3. I think wayyyyy too much. Okay, so maybe most of you know that 'bout me already.
4. I love music and really wanted to play the piano but my mom told me I didn't have the ear for it. So... I learned to play the flute instead.
5. My feet are the prettiest part on me.
6. When I was little I used to sing everything to the tune of Mary had a Little Lamb OR Jesus Loves Me. Bet you can't do that!!!
7. I've got a tattoo on my rear end.
8. I don't like gum but I'm addicted to breath mints.
9. I always wanted a pet monkey.
10. I once bought a pure bred Arabian but later sold him to go on a missions trip.
11. I'm pathetically shy, though I try and hide it.
12. I like dogs but don't care at all for cats.
13. I have a clown suit in my closet.

Proud Mamma

This is my daughter Heather. She is 15 and quite amusing I might add! :) She is taking her first college course this semester, English Composition, via the internet and I'm soooo proud of her. She has turned in 3 assignments and has an A average!!!!! You go girl!!!!

Now if I could somehow get her to do her math! :)

Mom's Taxi Service

Nothing new to write these days... I mostly take my kids to work and back and work and back and work and back. I've been reduced to a taxi driver. Except I don't get paid and my clients NEVER tip! LOL.

Well, Brian did buy us pizza last night but that's only cuz I asked him to. He reluctantly agreed. And Heather is good about treating us now and again...

Headshots

Seems like I'm doing a lot of head shots these days. (A lot being defined as more than any other type of job, aside from stock, which amounts to 3 in the past month or so - LOL!) Anyone wanting to get into acting, modeling, or theatrics of any sort needs a headshot. These are just head and shoulder portraits, typically in B&W, with very little touch-ups. Pretty straight forward with very little room for creativity. Of course I just can't keep my hands off a picture! And so I play with them anywayz - though the client also gets an untouched version to send off to perspective employers/schools. This young lady needed a headshot for the dance school that she hopes to attend in the near future. (This, of course, is my altered version. :) I also did my niece for the modeling school that she's attending and Janice (the trapeze artist from Seabreeze) for perspective employers. Heather wants one as soon as she gets her hair back to normal!

On the Run!

This is how I've felt lately.... Always on the run, but never getting anywhere or accomplishing anything of value. Sometimes I'm Sylvester - chasing after something (though I'm not always sure what) but never getting "the prize". Other times I'm Tweety - running from things such as responsibility, or fears, or struggles that I just don't want to face.

I spent several hours yesterday afternoon at church, all alone, sitting at the foot of the cross... more was probably accomplished in those hours than I've accomplished in a long, long while!! I went back today for about an hour or so... And God met me there. He is so good to me....

Life on the Edge

I had a lot of fun this afternoon taking pix of a kid from our church. He's a skateboarder who hopes to go pro someday. Though it was a lot of fun to watch and to photograph, I personally think skateboarders are absolute NUTS! Kids were falling all the time - even the good ones seem to fall frequently and it's on pavement!! OUCH!!! But everyone appeared to be having a good time. And I suppose that when they do land an amazing trick it has to be somewhat the same feeling I get from taking a picture that I'm really proud of. I really am glad that God made us all so different! It does make life much more interesting. :)

YIPEEE!!!!!

Finalist Frenzy!!

Toadally Rich
Mousy Maestro

And the funniest of all is Heather's...

Color Blinds

She wouldn't even put it in her gallery cuz she thought it was so ugly! LOL!!! We should find out by the end of the month if we win or not. I have been entering this contest since the beginning of 2004 and haven't yet gotten a win yet... but I'm always having to remind myself that the competition is extremely steep and incredibly talented so just to get a finalist is quite an honor. In July alone there were over 26300 photos entered into the contest!!!!

You can check view all the finalists here if you are interested and/or bored! :)

It's a Circus

Did anyone else see the circus act over at Seabreeze? They were a lot of fun to watch. After the show I talked with some of the performers and they invited me to come take pictures of them before the park opened. I had a lot of fun, though it was pretty tough to catch the action at times. My camera doesn't always want to focus that fast. The park photographer actually wired himself up above the trapeze and took shots from above. Yikes!!! Apparently he has the same philosophy as me - Anything for a picture!

Hot Frogs!

Aren't they a cute couple? These are my mom's neighbors Fire Bellied Toads which she graciously allowed me to photograph in exchange for a print. They didn't like posing for the camera though and kept me quite busy chasing after them!! I snapped this one just before one of 'em hopped away. I submitted these guys over to Shutterstock this morning for review. Hopefully they will sell as well as my big ugly toad! He continues to sell well and is currently the #1 selling toad over at Shutterstock!! I'm pretty proud of that fact - can you tell??? I've sold 220 photos to date... I'm not going to make my goal of 400 by the end of the month, but, oh well! I'm still having fun and I'm making progress and I'm learning tons in the process. So, that's what counts. I'm also trying to take a breather every now and again and spend some time doing other things besides taking pictures - like spending time with the family. I realize that I can get so wrapped up in this that I miss out on what is really important!! As much as I believe that God gave me this passion - I also know that in His book (the only book that counts) relationships come FIRST! A relationship with Him and then with our families and with others.

Field of Miracles

Nicky Cruz (from the Cross and the Switch Blade and Run Baby Run) will be speaking both Friday night and Saturday night. Also Jason Upton will be leading worship on Sunday evening. It promises to be an awesome weekend and it's all free! So invite all your unsaved friends and family and get out to Frontier Field!!

Flying Fingers

Grandma and Grandpa surprised Jessi with a new electric piano. We had it arranged to arrive while she was away visiting them. First we had to find a new home for our beastly old cabinet grand. After checking with friends we finally resorted to putting a sign out by the road - "Free Piano - inquire within". Within an hour or two someone had claimed it and had arranged to move it on Friday morning. She was thrilled to have a piano for her daughter and we were thrilled to have it out in time as the new piano arrived that evening. Jessi came home on Saturday and nearly walked right past it!! But she is absolutely THRILLED with it. It even has her favorite Pride and Prejudice song prerecorded on it. Plus you can download songs from the web and it will play them for you. I almost wonder why you need to learn to play anymore! But Jessi says it helps her to learn cuz you can slow the songs down (or speed them up if you like) and play along with them. We are all enjoying it.

Optical Illusion

Conversations with Heather

Here's an actual conversation I had with Heather today... She mentioned something about my sister giving her the phone # of a voice teacher so she can take lessons.

I asked: Did you write it down somewhere where you won't lose it?

Heather: Yes... but I lost it.

History Test

We've been visiting my inlaws this week in Virginia. The weather seems to be about what it has been for us only they have air conditioning here. :)

On Sunday we went to the National D-Day Memorial. Seeing as I know next to NOTHING about WWII I was a bit bored cuz everything just went over my lil head. But Brett and the kids all enjoyed themselves. Probably Heather most of all as she's is my WWII history buff. We took the golf cart tour where our tour guide filled us in on all of the exhibits. He had me a bit nervous cuz he said that when we got to the plaques commemorating all of the fatalities there was a name on one of 'em that would just jump out at us. He said he'd have one of the ladies (referring to me or Heather) read the names and see if we could pick it out. Of course Heather insisted that I be the one put on the spot. And she knows more about WWII than I ever will! He said it hasn't failed him yet - EVERYONE catches this name.... My heart was thumping. Would I be the first to fail this little test and look like a complete idiot?! You can bet I was wishing that I had paid more attention in History class!! He pulls up to the plaque and asks me to read the names.... And the very second name, and I kid you not, read George W. Bush!!! Phew! I passed the test.... even lil ole me knew that George W. Bush couldn't have been a fatality in WWII! At least not THE George W. Bush. Our guide went on to explain that our president had a relative also named George W that died in WWII. He said that a guest caught the name on the plaque even before he saw it and he hung it up!!

I'm a Mali Uromastyx

Today was HOT, HOT, HOT! I was so hot that I ran out to the store to buy POPSICLES. Thankfully they weren't sold out yet! I also needed ice cuz mine is melting so fast that I can't seem to make it fast enough.

BUT, it could be worse. It could be COLD outside! So, I'm thankful for the heat!

Martha, I guess you could say I feel like a desert dwelling mali uromastyx!!

Where are They???

Things I have a tough time finding around my house....

1. Tweezers.

2. Pens and pencils that work. (I can always find an abundance that don't write!!!)

3. Clean underwear. (Just kidding!)

4. A calculator.

5. Peace and quiet - except in the wee hours of the morning when I should be asleep.

6. Matching socks.

7. The telephone. That never used to be a problem before cordless - remember those days? LOL.

8. The remote! For Brett and the kids that would be the remote to the TV or stereo. For me it would be my camera remote.

9. My KEYS!!!!

10. Mittens/gloves. But I don't suppose I'll be looking for those for a little while yet.

11. Something edible to make for dinner. And it's doubly hard to find something that we will actually ENJOY eating. :)

Hmmm... that's all I can think of for the moment... But I'm sure there are other things. Our house has a black hole that swallows things up.

Shutterstock

Check out my newest gallery over at Shutterstock! I'm finally making a little money with my Photo's.... And it's stress free and so much fun!!!!

Submit Photos to Shutterstock and make $$$!

Invasion of the Toads

I've been putting the little toads that seem to have invaded our backyard to work these days! This little guy wasn't too thrilled with me and kept hopping away. I spent sometime chasing him around our dining room. But once I started flashing he stayed put and let me take several pix.

Broken

Name that Butterfly...

Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Or how 'bout the flower?? I'm attempting to add this picture to a stock photography site and hopefully make a little $ on it - but I need to know what they are! Also any key words you might come up with would be helpful. I already have: butterfly, red, garden, wing, yellow, holding on, outdoors, beauty....

THANKS!