Good reads

I just returned from the CK Convention in Mesa, Arizona this past weekend. On the way out I began the 3rd book in the "Twilight" series that's taken the country by storm, and finished it way too early in the day on my return. That left me no choice but to bury myself in the only other book I had with me that I've been avoiding: a software manual.

I started the Twilight series hoping to be able to talk to our tween a little. I was also intrigued when I saw my pal Cheri get so lost in it that she ignored us all even though we rarely get together!

The lightroom book, well, let's just say I like the way Scott Kelby writes. For a software book, it was actually pretty good.

Next: gotta get my hands on book 4 and finish up the twilight series. Not sure whether to save it for our beach vacation. And, time for Scott's Photoshop book, which I guess I shouldn't save for my next cross-country flight.

Out of sight out of mind

Ok so I've been very absent from my blog . . . sorry guys . . . I've been overwhelmed by life and the pursuit of pro photography . . . taking classes, researching, WORKING. My "free" internet time is over at facebook nowadays . . . anyways, thought I'd share this shot of my 3-legged rescue kitty who is getting on my last nerve these days. He was the first cat in our house a year-and-a-half ago. We found him in the road just after he'd been hit by a car. I took him to a vet and after a couple of weeks we brought him home. He was such a sweet, friendly kitten, purred all the time. A couple months later we brought home a wild kitten Ken found outside his shop. Neko harassed her at first, but they quickly became pals. Fast-forward to now when we brought home my sister's cat, Luna, approximately 10-11 years old, used to being alone. Neko is obsessed with Luna, won't leave her alone, keeps starting fights with her. I made the mistake of extricating him on one such occasion, and I have several scars to remind me of that. For now, Luna has the run of the upstairs, and Neko and Kiki are masters of the basement level. How will we ever integrate them?

The aftermath

So, it was lots of fun playing in the snow with the kids, weren't those photos great? Everyone got a good laugh and I didn't hurt a bit from busting my tail so many times . . . . at first . . . My back was a little sore a couple days later, and a week-and-a-half later, it "went out" on me. I went to a chiropractor for the first time in my life, who fixed me up with a snap-crackle-pop and made a believer out of me. No drugs, no cutting, less expensive . . . what's not to love about that?!

86

Ok so one week ago yesterday we were playing in our 5-6 inches of rare snow. Yesterday, we hit a record-high temp of 86 degrees. The record before that was 83 in 1974!!

No wonder the kids are sick . . .

State Capitol Field Trip

I took advantage of one of my sick days to create a quick photobook of my son's field trip to Columbia, which I chaperoned. I used Memory Mixer 2 to create the book, and then uploaded it to Heritage Makers for publishing.

The graphics were all from Krystal Hartley's "East Coast" collaboration with Libby Weifenbach, available at Funky Playground Designs.

631

That's how many photos you get when you mix two scrapbook moms with digital cameras with 10 kids and a very rare snow.

We got a good 5-6 inches, which happens maybe once per decade where we live.

So what happens when mom tries to engage in a snowball fight with the kids?

I think I fell 6 times. I was soaked. And this the day after I began penicillin for strep. Did I mention we get this chance maybe once a decade? I only get a couple of chances in my children's childhoods to do this. Who can pass that up?

I can't believe she's gone.

It makes no sense to me that at the age of 36 I have outlived my grandparents, parents, and sibling. I know that life is for the living, and I have to get back to it, but there's such a hole in my life now . . . I miss my sissy . . .