Peek-A-Boo

 

 

 

DJ, our Chinese Dwarf Hamster.  Someone needs to define "dwarf" for him, because he hasn't stopped growing in the past year and a half we've had him.

 

 

 

 

The Return of Wordless Wednesday

In the RAW

{ahem}

 I am now shooting photography totally in RAW and in M!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

{chirp, chirp, chirp}

 

Maybe I should explain. 

 

Today's digital SLR cameras come loaded with various modes for taking pictures.  You can have as much or as little control of the images as you want.  For years, I shot in completely automatic mode (AUTO), which is fine. But many photographers prefer the freedom of manual mode (M), which requires a decent understanding of lighting, exposure, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, blah, blah, blah.  (It's more like a rite of passage).  One of the first images I was able to capture in M was the fireworks shown above - something I never would have been able to pull off in AUTO.

 

Shooting in RAW was another huge step for me (not to be confused with shooting in THE raw *blush*). In RAW, the image captured by the camera is basically pure and unaltered, which means I have better control of the final product during the editing process.  I can tweak to my taste without the opinion of the camera.

 

But some of the most fun has been learning how to rid pictures of random objects that weren't noticed before the snap of the shutter.  Like this fence post that photobombed Baby Brownie.  A few YouTube tutorials later and my Lil' Unicorn was no more:

 

 

 

 

                                 

 

 

And it didn't hurt him a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obama, Aspie; Aspie, Obama

The Oldest Brownie had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama last year at a special White House screening of "Men in Black 3".  Although this picture doesn't depict it, she has come far in maintaining eye-contact in social situations.  It is an enormous challenge for someone with Asperger's.  I'm just relieved she didn't pull out the germaphobe softball glove she carries around in case of emergencies.  I guess the Leader of the Free World gets a pass.

Fake it Until You Make it

Truth is I’m weak
No strength to fight
No tears to cry
Even if I tried
But still my soul
Refuses to die
One touch will change my life

"Take Me To The King" ~ sung by Tamela Mann


People don't ask me how I am doing as much as they used to.  At the beginning of my transition, it must have been written all over my face.  Truth is, I was battling debilitating depression and struggling with daily anxiety.  Looking back at photos from that season in my life is both striking and sad. A profound, full-color, and startling personification of a broken heart and yet a reminder of the the sheer will to live.

Some days I could barely function.  Life became a series of "must-do" tasks.  Eating, sleeping, and any activities that brought even the most remote possibility of leisure was not a priority.  Keeping my kids fed, clean, and clothed was Job #1.  Smiles were forced and usually accompanied by a nervous giggle. It followed just about every sentence that came out of my mouth - appropriately punctuating it or not.  I was scared.  I'm a glass-half-full kind of gal.  Of course there were reasons to smile, but faking it was the only way I knew for sure.

Then one day while we driving home from school one of the Brownies made a hilarious quip - and that's when I heard "it". A familiar, gut-busting laugh coming from deep inside of me.  It started in my belly and worked its way up and out of my mouth with the effervescence of soda bubbles. Once I realized that joy had been inside of me all long, through even my darkest days - I began to weep.  My bewildered children must have thought their poor mother had finally lost it completely.  (Not only that, but I've developed this habit of snorting after a belly laugh, but not with any warning.  So yeah, that was a fun ride).

From that day, I knew I was going to be OK.  My nervous laughter disappeared as noticeably as it had appeared months prior.  Replacing it was real laughter - the song of my soul.  Reminding me that yes - some days it's harder to do it than others, but every single day holds the promise of delivering a real smile...

...and a sinus-clearing, child-frightening, ear-shattering, "Did my Mommy just do that?!" snort.

Stressed Backwards is "Desserts"

I am officially finished Christmas shopping. Yes, the Holidays have come and gone and I am just getting around to scratching the last person off of My List. 

December is typically a busy month , especially with the Middle Brownie's birthday smack dab in the middle of The Season.  Not to mention the added stress of mediation and court dates last month.  So in an effort to unclutter my mind, I brought simplicity back.  Instead of running around at the last minute, I made the surprisingly easy decision to skip Christmas cards and purchase "New Year's Treats" for the army of folks in our lives at after-the-holidays prices.

The best part?  I overcame my apprehension of parallel parking and snagged a space with time left on the meter - right in front of the gift shop.  Score!

A free dark chocolate truffle never hurts either.

Happy New Year

Well hello there.  It's been a while.  Four months to be exact. This year is shaping up to be quite the sequel to 2012 - a year that far exceeded my expectations.  Things didn't go as I had planned; they went much better than that -  thanks to God's Plans.

So away we go...

Breaking My Silence...Sort Of

Many times I have wanted to post a Blog Entry entitled "Me:  Exposed".  But I felt like too much of me was already "out there".  So I started to pull back from my regular blog writing.  I never really stopped writing.  But it was in old school paper-n-pen diary. For months, that was my safe place.

I'm back now.  It has been an epic journey for me.  A journey that may offer enlightenment to someone else. Maybe not unique in the overall picture, but tailor-made to teach me, strengthen my resolve, and help me grow. 

Eye-opening events. 

Life-altering moments. 

Lessons learned. 

Life being lived. 

Love being shared. 

New Vision

Since you've been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on,
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to  you
Now I get, I get what I want

~ Kelly Clarkson
"Since You've Been Gone"


Have you heard that song, "Somebody I used to Know" by Goyte?  I don't even know the correct pronunciation of "Goyte", but I do know that his/her/their song gets me going.  I'm finding myself into all kinds of music these days.  Classical  Music is becoming one of my favorites. A song without lyrics can be just as revealing as haunting lyrics.  And it's subjective, kind of  like photography.

This summer I've been conducting my Photography 101 home school course.  My goal is to learn something new every day.  The Internet has some great places to research and study the rules, mistakes, and enthusiasm for Shutterbugs like me.   I read somewhere that the only photographer I need to compare myself to is the one I used to be.

I think that can apply to life in general.

Missing in Action

PINTEREST.

 That's where I  have been. 

:)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Recent Life in Pictures - Part 2

The Sweetest Thing

This grainy, out-of-focus picture taken of me presenting Isaiah with his Special Olympics "Challenge Day" medal this past spring helped us win our own prize. Sweet.