Photogenic Friday: Back to Basics

Andy is the real photographer in this family. It was part of his major in college and, though he isn't usually artistic, he does have a talent for photography as an art form.

I, on the other hand, have always been artistic and creative, but never managed to find a camera useful in terms of an artistic instrument.

It seems like everyone is taking gorgeous pictures these days. I'm being left in the photographic dust. For a while now I've wanted to remedy that situation.

Which is one of my major reasons for joining Project 365.

Having an eye for photography (and patience, not something I'm famous for) is a major part of taking beautiful pictures. The right equipment, however, also makes a big impact on the outcome of the photographs a person takes.

Right now I take all of my photos with a Nikon Coolpix point and shoot. It has served me well for the nearly two years I've owned it. But I'm afraid it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles. The camera is good for snapshots and not much else. Which is exactly why I bought it. I could take it out of the box and start using it, instructions be damned.

But now I have this entire year looming in front of me armed with a tiny point and shoot that is beginning to have some hitches in its get along.

This morning, while we were making breakfast, I was telling Andy about Project 365 and that I'd like to have a slightly more advanced camera in my arsenal. Nothing too major, because fancy cameras are expensive and also because dropping a lot of cash on something that could be a passing whim is irresponsible. Not to mention that we don't have the kind of cash that would need to be dropped.

So I told him that for my birthday I'd like to have something in between the coolpix and a "bells and whistles" camera. (You see how camera illiterate I am? I don't even know what they're called. DSLR sounds right, but what does that even mean?) I have about three months until then and I think I can manage with my small camera until then.

Then Andy suggested that I use our Nikon film camera that he used in his photography class.
Personally I think that suggestion is a little stroke of genius. The camera is complicated enough that I can learn something and simple enough that I can still use it. Also, there is something exciting about using a film camera. Every time you have a roll developped it's a surprise. In this digital age I think film cameras have gotten a bad reputation.

So here it is, the first photo of Project 365.


I took it with the coolpix, obviously. I took about 20 photos to get this one and I'm not real pleased with it. Sometimes the coolpix can be difficult to use and even a novice like myself sees all its shortcomings.

I have a lot to learn, but that's kind of the point, isn't it?

***********************************************************************************

I said yesterday that I wasn't sure which blog I would use to document my Project 365 journey, but now I know. Photogenic Friday is already a tradition on this blog, so on Fridays I will post the previous week's photos. It just makes sense.

But that's not all.

Who can only take one photo? If I'm going to go to the trouble of hauling a camera with me every day I'm going to take more than one picture when I turn it on.

Go here to see what else I have in store for 2010.

2009 - Blog Year in Review

Here's a look back at what 2009 was like on my blog and in my life.

January brought lot's of excitement.

First I set a goal that would take an entire year to fulfill.

Our country turned over a new leaf by inaugurating a new president. I'll keep my personal feelings on his progress to date under wraps; as is the tradition on this blog and in my personal life.

Also, my very best friend found out she was pregnant. She told me the same night she told her husband and then swore me to secrecy. So I didn't blog about it and we all know how much I like to keep secrets. There for a while I thought I might implode.

February was a quiet month, but I managed to overcome a personal battle I'd been fighting for some time with my first successful pie.

In March I was allowed to tell the world about Julie's pregnancy and her ever growing belly. Also my newest niece graced us with her presence. It's been a big year for babies. And I celebrated one year of blogging by blogging every day for a month (almost).

Next up was my all time favorite month of the year, April.

First up was my birthday. I turned 27 and got geared up for another fantastic year of ME!

Eleven days after my birthday, on April 14th, came the day that changed my life. That fateful day where I said goodbye to my car and hello to a lot of new doctors.

May found me on the sofa all.month.long. Blogging in an inebriated state. Trying to find the silver lining in the situation and evaluating my new reality.

By June I was ready to shed my cast, but shortly after escaping my sofa I found myself imprisoned there again after a second surgery.

But after my short recovery period I was able to get up and start walking again. Rebuilding my strength. This also allowed me to take a good hard look back at how far I'd come.

Along with walking came getting out and rejoining society. It was truly splendid.

When July rolled around I was ready to show my face to the world again. Also, I took over as primary driver of The Hulk. And by the end of the month we took our first road trip together to see Julie and celebrate her first baby shower!

The first week of August we found ourselves at the beach. Me, for the first time in several years. The rest of the month I took a break from blogging because there was a dismal lack of activity that month. It was pretty fantastic.

We rang in September by celebrating three years of marital bliss and then I took another long break to enjoy the last lingering days of summer. I also spent some time in Raleigh with Julie and Frank helping them welcome baby Mina into the world.

The spooktacular month of October wasn't scary at all, but it was very busy.

We spent a good bit of time enjoying the outdoors because the warm weather stayed around for a good long time this year.

I took a moment to reminisce and be grateful for the blessings I'd received.

The end of the month took Andy away from home and on a great cross country adventure. When he came back I gleefully welcomed him home.

November, another busy month, but a good one.

First on the agenda was Julie's baby shower. If I do say so myself it was a hit and I so enjoyed seeing them again. Mina changes daily and it's going to take some effort on my part to keep up.

Andy and I declared war on the gnats that had invaded our home.

We celebrated Thanksgiving. The first in our home with our family with me as the chef. Which is something that made me very, very grateful.

By December we were ready for the year to end, but 2009 was sure to go out with a bang.

I kicked off the month by entering a cookie contest. I didn't win the whole shebang, but I did win a prize and so did one of the lovely ladies that voted for me. That's something I'll fill you in on during the new year.

The holidays are always an adventure and our house was certainly no exception.

Half way through I took another trip down to Raleigh to celebrate the season with Julie and some of my internet friends.

The next weekend brought snow, snow and more snow. We also had to say goodbye to a good friend. Something that is always difficult but when it comes during this special time of year it seems brings and extra bitterness.

Christmas week was bittersweet. And Christmas day can be best described as hellish; thanks in large part to the ice storm that tore through the area on Christmas eve.

That brings us up to date.

I can't remember another year that had such a big impact on my life and how I live it. Nor can I recall a time that I was so happy to see the new year roll around. It's fresh, new and full of possibility.

The year's lessons are something that I will carry with me always. I have been forever altered by the turn my life has taken in 2009. I can't say that I would change any of it, but there are many things that I certainly wouldn't want to do over.

I am so very grateful for all the friends I've made - through this blog, on my medical journey and by happenstance. The love and support I've received from everyone, family and friends, is a priceless piece of joy that lives in my heart.

I'm ready for the new year.

From now on change is something I welcome, and I know that with so many people standing by my side me I can handle whatever comes.

For "Anonymous"

Yes, retentive is misspelled in my blog header.

Let me also point out, Oh Great Spell Checker, that there is another mistake that you didn't seem to catch. Can you find it?

I knew these mistakes were there. I didn't change them because by the time I realized it I was tired of dealing with the damn thing. I've admitted before that I'm not exactly technologically savvy and after spending so much time trying to get the sizing right (which it still isn't) I couldn't make myself look at it in photoshop anymore. I'm also not a patient person.

But please, go ahead and keep hiding behind your anonymity if that makes you feel good about yourself.

There are more important things on this blog than my header. I'm not getting paid to write it and no one is forcing you to read it.

While I am anal "retantive" I'm not perfect and I enjoy my flaws.

I'll admit that your comment got under my skin at first and I wanted to tell you where you could stick it, but please keep coming back and posting your little quips. You are, after all, my first troll which means I'm moving up in the world. Thanks.

I would like to thank the academy...

I've been trying to think of something good to post today because this post is a mile marker for this blog. This is my 300th post! Whoa!

What on earth could be good enough for number 300?

Then when I logged into blogger this morning my question was answered for me by Jamee.

She dropped me a line to let me know that she'd nominated me for an award. My first ever on this blog! Awesome!


Background: This award is given to bloggers that are "Back in the Saddle" of life. This may be someone who is undergoing medical treatments, restarting his/her life, resurfacing after a tragedy, or someone who is just trying to sport a new attitude. Recipients have an attitude of a fighter, strive to be a winner of the battle, and show determination.

Rules: Post the award's graphic, background, and rules on your blog. Explain how you are "Back in the Saddle" again, and then pass the award on to at least four other bloggers who are "Back in the Saddle" just like you. Make sure you let them know that they have been given this award, and ask them to pass it on.

Jamee wrote some really sweet things about me on her blog, so head on over there to read her comments. I'm truly honored that she thought of me for this because some days I feel like I've fallen off the saddle again. Staying positive through the aftermath of my car crash is often a real challenge. It's so nice to have someone acknowledge my effort. Thank you Jamee!

My nominees are:

Megan The picture of a wonderful wife and mother. Megan shares her personal struggles and triumphs on her blog, making those who read it want to strive to be better.

Susan She and her husband overcame their struggles with infertility to welcome their sweet little boy last March. Though life isn't perfect her blog is a constant reminder that every day offers something to celebrate.

Amber Where do I begin. This family is such a pillar of strength and Amber has made such an effort to reach out to me these past six months even while dealing with her own personal tragedy. She is handling life one day at a time and reminds us all to hold our loved ones dear.

Casey Between her struggles with infertility, helping her husband through law school and battling her inner demons, Casey is still a rock star! She is honest about how hard life is and that is what makes her so endearing.


It's amazing how an online community can mean so much to a person. People you don't know personally put their lives on display for you every day. I often find that it's a lifeline for me when I've exhausted every other outlet.

In case you haven't already figured it out...

I'm taking a blog break.

Creativity eludes me these days, so I'm officially taking some time off from trying to entertain the masses.

I'll see you in October.

Happy Blogiversary to me

That is all.

Have a good night.

Cabin Fever

Wow, six posts in February. I've outdone myself

So in honor of nearly a year of blogging (and to get myself back into the swing of things) I'm planning on posting once a day until my "blog-o-versary" on March 26th.

Why are you laughing?

Stop it!

I can do this... really.


Anyway. It snowed today. It's still snowing as a matter of fact.

I knew there was supposed to be some kind of inclimate weather, but this time of year you really can't count on anything. With spring right around the corner you never really know what's going to happen. So when I woke up this morning to a dusting of the white stuff on the grass and not much else, I wasn't so surprised.

I have spent the last two days cleaning my apartment. Which hasn't been this clean ever. Including when we moved in. No kidding. To treat myself I planned on taking a little trip to town this afternoon and picking up a few things. Not really necessities, but things we could use none the less. I decided to wait to leave until lunch time to give all the stores a chance to open since it's Sunday. At around 12 I sat down to use the computer and the weather was the same as it had been hours ago; soggy with a mixture of precipitation.

Thirty minutes later I get up to leave and look out the window. Sometime in the past half hour it snowed at least half an inch and there were no signs of stopping. But I'd been locked in my apartment with Comet and rubber gloves for two days and no amount of snow was going to stop me from getting to town. I briefly went over various family member's reactions to my resolve.

My step dad: "Oh no you're not going out in this."
Andy: (knowing me better, but hoping to discourage me anyway) "I really don't think it's a good idea."
My mom: "OK, will you bring me (insert product) back from Walmart?"
My grandmother: (who thinks I'm capable of doing anything) "Well, be real careful and call me when you get back."

I decided to go with my grandmother's imagined seal of approval and set out on my journey. Now, by "town" I mean the nearest place hosting more than a grocery store and a Riteaid. At least a 15 mile hike. I knew it was going to be slow moving, as I live in a tourist town and it's the weekend. Lot's of out-of-towners who don't know how to drive in snow. Not that I'm all that adept myself, but I'm not as chicken as I used to be.

On the way to town

My trip there was relatively uneventful. I made it without incident. The people behind me didn't tailgate and I kept a wide berth from the people ahead. I made it to my destination. No one had what I was looking for, but I made a few purchases and used a coupon, picked up some lunch and got back in my car to make the trek home. My cabin fever was satisfied.

This is where things get tricky. Remember when I told you my alternator was acting up again? Turns out there was just a bad connection that was easily fixed with a saudering iron. My car has been doing well ever since then. Doing well until today that is. I guess Andy didn't make the connection quite as strong as it needed to be so when I got back in my car to start it up my check engine light was on. Fabulous. All I need is a broken down car in a snow storm. But it was running so I stiffened my resolve to make it as far home as possible before I was stuck.

Driving back home

I won't go into all the details of my trip. I'll just say there was only one incident where I was sideways in the road, but luckily there was a car in the other lane that had run off the road so there was no oncoming traffic. It's not lucky that they ran off the road, but it's lucky that they were stopped and I managed to do the same and not collide with them. Then some idiot decided to pass everyone in my lane, nearly causing a multiple care pile up. People like that deserve to have accidents. And if you are one of those people I'm not sorry I wrote that.

My car did make it home, barely. I'll be surprised if it starts next time I go out. We'll probably have to put the battery in Andy's Jeep to charge it up and he'll have to revisit that faulty connection. But I'm pretty happy with the outcome of my trip. Mostly I'm happy to be home again in one piece.

That needle should be up around the 14

Next time it snows like this and I want to go out in it please remind me to come back here and read this.

Also, could someone bring me some hot chocolate? Like, right now?

On a break...

Ok, so really it's more like I bought a new book that I've been reading in my spare time and in my spare-spare time I'm reading another one. I have some things milling in my head to tell you about and I promise to finish the flaming oven saga before the week is over.

For now, you'll have to be satisfied with a preview of what my mountain is going to look like soon.

Lush, green, beautiful
Spring can't come soon enough

I'm at a loss...

At a loss for blog material, that is. I just haven't done anything since Christmas, and my vacant head isn't giving me any good material. It's fried from all that baking. Remember the baking?

I can tell you that I went shopping on Friday. I haven't been shopping since February. At least not for myself. I got some extra cash for Christmas though, so I took advantage and treated myself nice. Real nice. Lots of deals were found. Shinny new things were bought. I even went on a wild goose hunt for a new pair of shoes. A specific pair recommended to me by my little cousin. According to her I just had to have a pair because they are so comfortable. They'd better be worth all the trouble. I had to order them. They'll be here within the week, so I'll have to let you know.

I went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button today. Going in I have to admit that I was a little skeptical. I was not looking forward to spending nearly three hours in a dark theater and I was unsure that the story would satisfy when it was all over. I'm here to tell you that it was worth the drive behind slow tourists there and back. I'd even go again. The movie left me feeling sad and happy at the same time; if that's even possible. You should go see it. For sure. It's a winner.

I think it's supposed to get cold again tomorrow. The weather has been bizarrely warm the last week. The cold will be a welcome change, but give me a week and I'll be begging for 50 degree temps again. I have a love-hate relationship with the conditions up here on this mountain.

That's all I've got for you right now. I'll try to come up with something fun and entertaining in the days to come. Until then, enjoy the last days of 2008.

Gratitude, Day 29

For the first half of the day I told people that it was the 28th and even printed it on some documents that I had to go back and fix once I figured out that I'm an idiot. If I'd written my gratitude post this morning like I meant to do that wouldn't have happened now would it? Live and learn.

***************************************************************

Getting down to business: today (and every day) I'm grateful for all of my readers. Some of you are people that I know personally and you read my drivel because you know me and you get where I'm coming from. I try to make it obvious to everyone, but it's hard to convey certain emotions in writing. What astounds me is that I seem to have picked up quite a few readers that I've never met. I think that's awesome.

I started this blog as a way to keep friends and family updated on my life. I'm sure many of you have experienced the pain of growing up and growing apart. People move on and don't stay up to date with the ones that really matter. This was my way of avoiding that. It has turned into something else entirely. I've never been a diary keeper, but something about letting the world wide web know my innermost thoughts keeps me posting. Not to say that there isn't a certain level of censorship in what I write. There is, but if we are honest with ourselves we can admit that we censor even the most intimate of relationships. Is there any one person that knows everything about you but yourself? The real answer to that is no.

So thank you for taking this journey with me. I plan to continue to keep things as real as possible around here, and if I can entertain you or cause you to stop and think about an issue along the way, then I'm happy with that.

If you like me then stick around, and feel free to leave your comments. I do love waking up to a comment in the morning.

If you don't like me then just go away. Not that I don't want you to stick around and try to like me, but life is too short to force yourself to like someone. There are plenty of other blogs out there and I'm sure you'll stumble across one that is just your cup of tea.

For the record

If you leave a nasty comment as "anonymous" but your email is attached, and it has your name in it, I can still see who you are.

Don't be stupid trolls.

Writer's block?

Um, not so much. As a matter of fact I have anything but writer's block. I wake up daily with all kinds of crazy thoughts swirling around in my head.

So what's the problem? In my head all these thoughts link. They connect and it makes sense. But writing them out and publishing them for the interwebs to read? That is a little tricky. I have seriously considered sitting down here at my blog and just letting my stream of consciousness have it's way with a post. Then I remind myself that I can barely sort through my own thoughts, much less expect anyone who reads this mess to understand how I got from what to make for dinner that night to the current state of the economy to how I can get both of the bunnies to use their litter boxes all of the time.

I usually spend my time in the shower trying to sort it all out. I know. Crazy right? I promise myself that as soon as I get out of the shower I'm going to sit my ass in front of the computer and give you all what you want: The inner workings of my confusing brain. No? That isn't what you want? Well, then I guess that's why I haven't shared my thoughts with you in a while. Or because I confuse myself and by the time I get out of the shower I can't remember what I was planning on writing about.

These days things seem so uncertain. Once upon a time that would have been exciting to me, but now, not so much. I want to know. What is going to happen with the world we are living in? What is going to happen in my own life? If any of you can see the future please feel free to share it with me. It might help put my mind at ease. Or not. Either way, I'd like to know.

One thing I am certain of is that change is coming. I'm not just talking about what is happening with the presidential election or with our economy. I mean in my own life; change is coming. I can feel it. It isn't often that I get such a conviction, but I know that somehow something is going to be different in my life. Good or bad I can't tell, but different for sure.

*************************************************************************************

On a completely different note! I need to take a moment to wish a happy anniversary to Julie and Frank. Julie is my best friend and has been for nearly eleven years now. She and Frank got married exactly two weeks after Andy and I did.

I don't have a picture of them at their wedding. My beloved friend is not so good with sharing pictures online. I do have this one though, from the first time Julie met Frank's parents. I'm not sure why I have this. Perhaps it's because Julie forced me to do her makeup for the evening and stole my diamond hoop earrings (just for the night) and she thought I should have a memento for all of my hard work. Or it could be because she looks so damn cute and she knew that many years later I would have an outlet to share their picture with everyone in the world . So here you go world, Julie and Frank six and a half years ago:

Now, while I don't have a picture of Julie and Frank on their wedding day, I do have a picture of she and I on her wedding day. Because really, is the groom that important? I did her makeup this day too and her hair to boot. Really, you flatter me with your applause.

Happy Anniversary you guys!!! I hope you have many, many more.



**I read this post in my actual blog after I published it. I thought my eyes were going to pop out after trying to read the white on black. Why didn't someone tell me? Ouch. Sorry guys, that won't happen again.**

So much better

Many thanks to Megan and Alethea for introducing me to this site! I love my new look!

I promise I haven't died...

I'm here and I haven't forgotten you. I'll update soon.

New look

I got bored and decided to try out a new color scheme and a different layout. Let me know what you think. I can't decide.

We took Brunswick today to have his nails clipped. He's never had it done before and he was long overdue. Andy and I have lots of battle scars to prove that. I meant to take pictures, but it went so quickly I didn't even have time to get the camera out. And he was surprisingly well behaved. He sat completely still and let the lady at the pet shop hold him and turn him every which way and he didn't fight her one bit. It was quick and painless. He never ceases to amaze me. He's such a good bunny. But he hates the car and he's been hiding under the bed since we got home. He has only come out to eat his evening vegetables. He won't even give me kisses. Oh well, it was a necessary trauma. He'll be over it soon enough. Until then, I'm going to go see if I can make a peace offering with a bunny treat.

New to this, be patient with me

So I've never done this blog thing before, but with my friends and my family scattering further every day, I thought it'd be a great idea to start one. I'll try to do my best to keep up with it, but I'm not makin' any promises. I'll also try to make it as interesting as possible so I can entertain you. I'm watching Gilmore Girls right now and I'm being distracted by the TV. Gilmore Girls is possibly the best show ever made, so I'm going to feed my addiction and end this blog entry. I'm also going to go attempt to make pizza dough. I've never done it before and I've heard some horror stories about cooking with yeast. I'll let you know how it goes.

I jumpped

I have come to the dark side and created a blog