Thursday, December 31, 2009

dec. 31: resolution you wish you'd stuck with.

I never have made New Year's Resolutions.

The last few years, I have written down a list of goals (rather shallow ones too) and well into the following year I have gone back and crossed stuff off the list.

This year, my goals are a little more hefty. If I reach them, awesome. If I don't, there's always the next year. I won't give up or beat myself up.

I have also decided to choose a word for the next year, and I will share it tomorrow.

I am so glad I got through this challenge! That makes three challenges started and finished! That's just quite an accomplishment for me, considering what all is going on in my life.

Thank you so much, Gwen Bell, for hosting this challenge. I am so glad I discovered your blog this Fall.

day 112: this is new year's eve.

Taken with my iPhone and processed with Format126.

So, this holiday is dank and dreary outside just like Halloween, just like Thanksgiving (if I remember correctly), and pretty much like Christmas. Wet holidays. At least none of them felt like wet blankets. They were all fun.

New Year's is not so much. We're facing a small (or not so small, really) crisis at my home. I confess I have not been doing well with trusting and resting in the Lord this week. I really want to be an overcomer and come out of this stronger. We shall see.

Today I have been reminding myself of the truth of who God is. He is good and He does good. Always. That has helped.

I hope all of you enter this new decade full of hope.

Digital Field Guide: page 37, Adjusting ISO sensitivity

Images: viva la vibs' on Flickr

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

dec. 30: ad.

"What advertisement made you think this year?"

The one ad campaign on TV that I remember seeing and thinking it was cool is an ad that I didn't even recognize as a commercial at first. It really held my attention for that reason. Then, at the end, I thought, "Wow. Cool commercial. I didn't see that coming."

It was the Levi's "America, Go Forth" commercial featuring a poem by Walt Whitman.

And since I don't know how to post it here, just click on the link to go watch it.

day 111.

So, this is the inside of my local Kroger.

I took it with my iPhone and processed it using the "Color Hint" setting on this new free app that I got called Format126. Cool.

Digital Field Guide: page 57, White balance

Images: The Barefoot Photographer on Flickr

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

dec. 29: laugh.

The best laugh I had this year was more than one. There were several. Deep, belly laughs. Laughs that shook me so hard I would almost choke. Laughs that left me needing to catch my breath. I love those kinds of laughs. They are so much more than just "lol" or "haha," or even "Bahahahaha!"

They came at the hands of my beloved family.

The time my husband and I were horsing around and he rolled completely off the bed.

All of those times I watched my daughter dance, and those times before she could jump, and she would try SO hard. To no avail.

Every time my four year-old son informed me that he is not a baby, he's "a kid." And every time he would ask me who I was texting when he would watch me on my phone those first few months. Then asking me if he could download such-and-such game because "it's got good graphics. See, look, Mommy. I really like this graphics."

Watching my daughter grab my phone and scroll through my photos, or scroll through all of the apps, or scroll through my iTunes, tapping her foot every time she skipped to a song she liked. (Funny, every time she hits a song that I want to hear, the minute I start getting into it, she skips to another one!)

And those few "Bobbyisms" that my oldest son still manages to produce at times.

Every time we sat and watched a funny movie together, such as Kung Fu Panda, for instance.

Man, there were a lot of laughs this year. I am so glad I had each and every one. And thankful for the faint lines forming around my eyes.

day 110: i like a little train with my sun.

Taken with my iPhone, processed using CameraBag.

I wanted to get a shot of this moving train mainly because of the invading sun. I love the sun. The little graffiti that you can see was a bonus.

Digital Field Guide: page 56, White balance

Images: bloom-grow-love on Flickr. (It's Alicia Bock, one of my favorite photographers. Her photography looks like it stepped out of a beloved memory. I greatly admire her work, and have favorited most of it.)

Monday, December 28, 2009

day 109: meh...

So, this is not exactly a stellar picture. I've been playing around with the metering and flash settings on Niki, and still have yet to see a difference between all of them. I am slow on the uptake when it comes to some things. I'll figure it out sooner or later. For now, this is my favorite coffee/tea cup.

Digital Field Guide: I read an article on Nikon School.

Images: These images from Scotland on the National Geographic site. Breathtaking.

dec. 28: stationery.

My stationery find was actually a gift. It was the set of awesome thank you cards that I received, and they came with a bunch of other goodies in some neat packaging that was the subject of my Dec. 15 Best of '09 post here!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

day 108.

Before we take down our Christmas tree...
I decided to whip out some construction paper and try something.


Yay! It worked!

A bit primitive and messy, but it worked.

Digital Field Guide: Went back to the sections on in-camera flash options and metering, trying everything out. Honestly, I did not see the difference between any of the settings.

dec. 27: social web moment.

I have not met any of the bloggers that I follow in person (with the exception of the bloggers I knew before they started blogging), but I would like to. If I could go to that Alt Summit, that would be completely awesome, because many of the bloggers that I follow will be there. Alas, 'tis not to be.

Will I meet any online friends this coming year? I hope so!

I did discover Twitter this year, and it has been incredible for me. I have found out about so many great artists and photographers through Twitter. And it's great to be able to share one's work and see what others are doing and saying and creating.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

dec. 26: insight or aha! moment.

My epiphany this year was this realization: I have held myself back from so many things in my life because of fear.


day 107: one sky, four remixes.


We went to La Madeleine's (one of my favorite places) for my son's birthday dinner, then we went and saw Avatar in 3D. Just in 3D, not in IMAX. But it didn't matter; it was still AMAZING. I said afterwards that it is a game changer, the way The Matrix was a game changer.

On the way to the restaurant, we saw this lovely sky.

I love lovely skies.

The original photo is already dreamy, with all of that pinkish goodness in the clouds, but I love playing around so I put it through a few apps. The top two are CameraBag, the bottom left is MoreLomo (free app) and the bottom right is Photoshop Mobile.

Digital Field Guide: I went back to the section on aperture to review, and I think I'm gonna get crafty tomorrow.

Images: Yvette Inufio on Flickr

roberto's birth story.


My son turned thirteen today.


Thirteen.

It's a bittersweet moment for me. He's a wonderful son, a beautiful person, and I am excited about who he is becoming, but I kind of miss this...


He's come a long way, and I can honestly say that I can't remember it all "like it was just yesterday" anymore.

I never did write down his birth story, so I figured now would be a good time to do so, with the details that I remember. Today my husband is going to pronounce a blessing on him, sort of like what is done at bar mitzvahs, symbolizing his passage from boy to young man.

~~~~~~~~

My beautiful little Roberto Luis was born 26 December, 1996.

I remember that there was speculation (in my mind as well) that he would come on Christmas, so when Christmas Day came and passed with no sign of him I felt kind of let down. "Oh well, I guess he's going to wait until his due date and be a New Year's baby," I thought.

When I woke up around five-something the next morning with contractions, I just figured they were more Braxton-Hicks contractions like those that I had been having for a few weeks. When the next contractions came ten minutes later, I knew that his birthday had come.

I spent most of the day at home, got in the tub and tried to remain calm, although inside I was quite frightened. Although we had gone to Lamaze classes and I had read books and watched videos, I still did not know what to expect because it had never happened to me before.

By four-something that afternoon I did not feel like I could stay in my apartment one moment longer. We drove to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in the snow, and I got out of the car and was met by attendants with a wheelchair. They escorted me to the Birthing Pavillion.

Yes, Birthing Pavillion. They had given the maternity ward a fancy name so that they could get written up in U.S. News and World Report as one of the top ten places in the country to have a baby. I had toured the place a week or two before, and felt like I was in good hands.

What happened next is a bit of a blur. I remember getting undressed, putting on a gown, being hooked up to some kind of monitor-thing, taking a few sips of apple juice with crushed ice, and moaning through the contractions. Long, slow, deep moaning to ease the pain, or at least progress through it. It seemed to be working. Until it wasn't working anymore.

Then I remember going to the whirlpool tub, and that really helped. I was able to commence the moaning again, and that coupled with the jets in the tub seemed to be working handsomely. Until it stopped working. Abruptly.

I managed to make it out of the tub and back to my suite (it looked more like a suite than a hospital room), but just barely. The pain was scary. I felt a sudden urge to go to the bathroom, and while on the toilet, all of a sudden it felt like I was going to self-disembowel.

It was horrifying.

I knew that it really meant that the baby was coming, and I needed to get to the birthing chair, quick. By this time I was begging my midwife for drugs. (All idealism and "I-can-totally-do-this-I-don't-need-any-drugs-drugs-are-for-wimps-I'm-Superwoman" feelings hastily flew right out of the window, never to be seen or heard from again.) She informed me that the baby was coming too quickly for me to take any drugs, and I secretly wanted to kick her. I made it to the bed, grabbed the bar, and got into the squatting position.

At some point during all of this they broke my water, but I don't remember exactly when that was.

I began pushing/straining/moaning/screaming, and didn't stop until forty-five minutes later. That seems like a long time, but at the time it actually seemed to pass quickly. I pushed just about non-stop, because I felt a little less pain when I was pushing, and when I was in between pushes it felt like the world's worst hemorrhoid EVER.

My son was born at 8:47 p.m. He was seven pounds, seven ounces, and I believe 19 inches long. I have it written down somewhere.

I've lost his first pictures at the hospital right after he was born, but I do still have his newborn picture, you know, the one they take for you with the pretty background. I have yet to scan it though, so I can't share it.

Suffice it to say, he was white as a ghost. I was not prepared for just how pale he would be. I even joked that no one would let me leave the hospital with him because no one would believe that he was mine.

But he was mine. All mine. And I remember his first few days of life. I remember his first smile. I remember his first steps. I remember watching him feed himself, all by himself, for the first time. All precious moments that I hope to never forget.

And now, he's not quite so pale, but he's still all mine. At least for a few more years, which I hope will pass a little more slowly.







some goals for 2010.

grow my hair out even more (it currently is a Jill-Scott-ish-afro length; but I'm going for an Erykah-Badu-ish-afro length)
save up for stuff for my kitchen (a Kitchen Aid mixer and some All-Clad cookware)
start making art with my photographs
record some songs (or at least figure out how to use Garage Band)
begin some method of getting in shape
get my piano tuned
get a new loveseat for the living room
buy some Etsy art
believe God for mind-bending miracles

dec. 25: gift.

Today's question is, "What's a gift you gave yourself this year that has kept on giving?"

It's a gift that my husband gave me actually. Quite unexpectedly, toward the end of January. So it's been part of my life all year.

It's my iPhone.

Yes, I make calls with it. I text with it. I Facebook and Twitter with it. I read books. I play games. I listen to my iPod. I record things. I listen to my iPod. I use it as an alarm clock. I type out my mental notes. I listen to my iPod. I play quick tunes on the little piano. I keep track of my schedule. I let my kidlets play their games. I listen to my iPod.

And I take pictures.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

dec. 24: learning experience.

"What was a lesson you learned this year that changed you?"

It's a lesson that I had previously learned, but had a timely reminder this year. It has really helped me change my mindset on several things.

The lesson is about fear; specifically, not fearing, as laid out in Philippians 4:6-7...

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace (shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace) which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Amplified Bible)

The last quarter of this year has been the absolute worst. Job woes, financial difficulties and uncertainties, and health issues have left me facing a strong temptation to do what I usually do: worry and fret, then buck up and try to "deal with it" all in my own strength. I am just not going to do it anymore. Either I believe God's Word or I don't.

I choose to believe. I choose to be a doer and not a hearer only. And experience that peace that passes all understanding. Which means, I will fear not.

day 105: Christmas eve.




It's Christmas Eve! And I am so enamored with this time of year.

This December has been a month full of gifts and surprises from the Lord, and we are so thankful for every good thing and glimmer of Hope and reminder of His grace that we have received! Just about every day has brought something with it that has warmed my heart. And now for the next couple of days I get to unplug (almost completely but not quite) and settle in with my family and celebrate what Christmas is really all about.

Last year I bought a dove to put at the top of our Christmas tree. I just thought it was the perfect tree-topper, and I still do.

I had a hard time deciding which one of these I like best, so I posted all of them. Next year if I do a December Daily album a la Ali Edwards, I'll probably take some more shots of this dove to include! It is just so pretty. Which one do you like best?

In the spirit of the holidays and taking time to rest with family, I am taking today and tomorrow off from reading my manual and searching for new images. I am just going to shoot to my heart's content, trying out some of the many new things I have already learned! And hoping for not too many fails.

I hope this Christmas Eve finds you blessed and comforted, with hope in your heart, joy in your spirit, and peace in your home.


Wednesday, December 23, 2009

the twelve days of Christmas: december.

Whew! I made it through a whole year in photos! And I went from mostly photos of my beautiful kidlets to a much more varied selection! Yippee!


dec. 23: web tool.

"It came into your work flow this year and now you couldn't live without it. It has simplified or improved your online experience."

Definitely has improved it.

Given me the ability to meet and begin forming connections with some great people.

Helped me digest an awful lot of information.

Led me to awesome content that I may not have otherwise found.

In a word, twitter.

day 104: oh my gosh even MORE flowers??

Yep this is definitely a first for me.

My husband bought me roses on our anniversary Sunday, and today I took a picture of them sitting on my piano. I hadn't taken the plastic wrapping out from around them, so I wanted to get a shot of them without that.

I will NOT be posting a flower picture tomorrow.

They sure are pretty though.

Digital Field Guide: page 72, Light admitted by the shutter

Images: National Geographic website

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

dec. 22: startup.

Okay. How geeky is this?

The startup that I have enjoyed the most this year is...wait for it...

bitly.

Yes, bitly.

That's bit.ly.

I started using Twitter in March, and it took me FOREVER to figure out how to retweet. I know, lame. I mean, really. Durrr.

So, since it took me THAT long just to learn how to retweet, imagine how long it took me to learn how to share links?

Okay...it took me a little less time, but still. I desperately wanted to be able to share links to stuff that I found and liked, not so much for the benefit of my tens of followers, but for me. It would save a lot of bookmarks.

I started with tinyurl, with which there's nothing wrong by the way, and then I discovered bit.ly.

And I was hooked.

It not only shares my links and lets me go back and find them myself, but it also gives me stats on how many times my links have been clicked by others! I just think that's really cool.

the twelve days of Christmas: november.

November. I participated in the Art Every Day Month challenge, started doing photo shoots with people other than just my family, and tried many new things artistically. It was great.

Since I posted some Thanksgiving photos here, I did not add them. Also, I withheld photos that came from photo shoots so that I could use them in future "would-be portfolio" posts. Which are now becoming just portfolio posts, I think.



day 103: more flowers.

I'm grateful that I've had the chance to go someplace nearby the last few days and get some pictures of pretty flowers.

Gosh... I hardly ever shoot flowers, and certainly never two days in a row...

But they sure are pretty.

Digital Field Guide: pages 70-71, Light transmitted by the lens

Images: my own, as I had a crapload of shots to edit from a fun shoot that I did for some friends on Sunday.

Monday, December 21, 2009

dec. 21: project.

The project that I started this year that I am proud of (and has changed my life, really) is the 365 photo project. I would not have started that had I not started the 30-day photo challenge hosted by Tasra Dawson, which began in September. I went from being just an avid picture-taker (which I've always been actually) to an aspiring "for real" photographer. My dad would be so psyched for me right now.

I have learned more about photography in the last three months than I ever have in my life, and see the world with COMPLETELY different eyes.

That is not an exaggeration.

I hope that in this next year my photos can be inspiring to other people, just as so many have inspired me.

the twelve days of Christmas: october.

October was a fun month, chock-full of activities. I did not include Halloween pictures because I posted them in five parts here, here, here, here, and here! I've also been trying diligently to not include photos that I have posted in the 365 challenge.


day 102.


Digital Field Guide: pages 69-70, Light produced by a scene

Images: B&C Mamma on Flickr

Sunday, December 20, 2009

dec. 20: new person.

Today's question is, "Who is your unsung hero of 2009?"

I thought of a couple of people for this, but I will mention just one. Here is her story.

It hits home for me because I have been through a divorce and I know what it is like to have your husband leave you. It sucks, big time. There is just nothing right about it. And when you have a family, well...the pain is amplified more than you can imagine.

This friend of mine had six children when her husband left. They divorced, and she found herself a single mother raising these six children, the youngest of which was three.

I don't know exactly when it happened, but when I met her she was single. Soon after I met her, she had remarried, and seemed very happy. Not long after that, she found out she was pregnant with her seventh child.

A couple of years after meeting her, I have gotten to know her better this year. She has a new beautiful baby who is walking around in unadulterated cuteness, in addition to her other beautiful children, and she is facing another divorce.

The details of what she has been through and is going through are just about insufferable. And those are just the details that I know. I am not going through it; she is. I thought what I had been through was painful, and it was. I have a hard time fathoming her situation. A broken heart/marriage/family one time in life is too much; twice is...well...it just shouldn't be. It is wrong on every level.

And yet, every time I see her, she is...I won't say chipper necessarily, but definitely calm and doing something a little more than just coping. And she has a lot to cope with, including the effects of her situation on her children. But it doesn't keep her from smiling or even laughing. She's trying to hold down more than one job to keep her household afloat, and still manages to be able to laugh and play with her children and laugh and joke with others. I pray for her and her family quite often, and I admire her resilience and resolve. Here's hoping this next year is a much brighter one for her.

the twelve days of Christmas: september.

September, the month in which I began what I later found out was my 365 Project.


day 101: burger inn.

I snapped this with my iPhone on the way to church this morning. I processed it using MoreLomo and CameraBag.

I have always been intrigued by this sign. I guess it just feels so...1978.

Digital Field Guide: Pages 67-69. I really need to start this section over.

Images: Nicole Gerulat's portfolio. She tweeted that she had lots of new photos, so I went and looked. Wow. Just...wow.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

the twelve days of Christmas: august.

Ah, August. The month in which I started blogging again. Wow... if I hadn't I would not have ever started a lot of things that I have done these last few months! How different my life seems now...


dec. 19: car ride.

Well, the drive home from Chicago was nice. My husband drove down with us instead of flying, and it made the whole trip so much better.

I can't pinpoint what exactly made the trip spectacular...

We ate some really exciting food--Wendy's and McDonald's. We pulled over to see the sights at several gas stations in different states. We spent the most time in Indiana, due to some accident that left traffic at a complete standstill for about an hour. When we got moving again, we marveled at the corn. And the corn. And the corn. And then, the corn.

I regret that we didn't take more photos of the road trip.

Actually, I think what made the trip awesome was being together and listening to music and playing silly games the whole way. And of course eating in the car is always fun.

day 100!


I have made it to the 100th day of this project! And since I started with a self-portrait, I decided to do one here too.

Yep, it's a fuzzy iPhone picture. And I'm almost checked out for the night.

Today was a whirlwind from start to finish. Getting a piano moved to my house, my son's 13th birthday party (his birthday is the day after Christmas but I really wanted to get the party with the friends done before that) and driving an hour and a half to see my in-laws, then back home. I did not read my Digital Field Guide today. I did browse some new photos from my contacts on my Flickr app while I was out.

Friday, December 18, 2009

the twelve days of Christmas: july.

We went to Chicago in July, and I took a gazillion photos. I've decided to leave those out because it would take me FOREVER to add them all here. I'll just take the next few months and slowly select several to be a part of my "would-be" portfolio series.



dec. 18: shop.

"Online or offline, where did you spend most of your mad money this year?"

Well, during the first half of the year, when I had mad money, I spent it at Etsy. It is one of the best places online everrr. I found my cute camera strap cover and my extra cute coupon organizer, and I've got pages upon pages upon pages of favorites.

Offline...I think I frequent the local Tar-zhay more than any other place (other than Kroger for groceries).

WOW wouldn't it be like aMAYzing if they sold goods from different Etsy shops at Target? Like a whole Etsy section or something? That would be soooo...

Wait I am really letting my imagination get away from me.

day 99.

Woo Lawd! What a nasty day! Cold, dreary, rainy, cold, icky, cold...

Digital Field Guide: page 72, Light admitted by the shutter

Images: luvpublishing on Flickr

the accidental tourist episode!

Here's my FABULOUS NYC story! WITH all of the craptastic pictures! I wrote it on 13 November 2008.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to Be An Accidental Tourist for Free (or Cheap Anyway)

Just make sure it's somewhere you want to go, and have talked about visiting, but make no concrete plans to go there.

Do no research on where attractions/sights are located.

And go in the middle of the night. 3 am is good.

That's what we did.

Scott and I had talked about taking a side trip somewhere while in Albany--to Niagara Falls (too far) or Montreal (forgot...no passport) or New Hampshire (to Dartmouth where I went to college and where Bobby was born) or to New York City (Manhattan). We never got our ducks lined in a row (or whatever old colloquialism one uses when one wishes to say that plans were never organized or solidified) so we just let it go and decided to "one day" go "somewhere."

Scott's job in Albany ended last Friday. He'd been up there for at least six weeks. Honestly, I lost count. I had driven up there twice with the kids, and am pretty darn proud of myself if you don't mind my saying so. After getting on the road this last time to head home (well, actually, to Charlotte) we took a different route to New Jersey. Accidentally of course. I just couldn't remember what I had done the time before when I drove home.

So we get to the New Jersey coast, and see the George Washington Bridge. I informed my husband that it was the George Washington Bridge.

"Does that take you into Manhattan?" he inquired.

"Yes, but it's the...non-tourist-y part of Manhattan. Upper Manhattan. Harlem. Not where all of the let's-go-see-that things are," was my response.

To which he responded, "Let's go!"

"Honey, it's the middle of the night! I'm not at all familiar with Harlem. I don't know where to go, and don't WANT to go."

That was basically the end of the discussion, as he talked me into it and I went along happily, because, hey, what could happen?

So we pay our eight dollars and cross the George Washington Bridge. Scott was a little bummed that we weren't on the top level of the bridge, but we could still see everything. It was lovely. We got into New York, and were instantly non-plussed with what we saw. I told him it would be this way. We were heading to the Bronx. I let him know that if we continued on this path we would end up in Connecticut, and needed to turn around. We did.

Coming back toward the bridge, we decided to take the last exit before it, which was the Hudson Expressway or something like that bridge. Scott was determined to see SOMETHING of New York City. I didn't blame him. I wanted to see, well, something, too. And if it didn't lead to anything interesting we would just turn around and head back.

What it led to was an expressway that goes down the entire island, with Manhattan on the left and the river and New Jersey coastline on the right. It looked almost like the river would come right up to our vehicle. It was awesome.

We're basically gawking at the coast and all of the buildings and every block we pass. The street numbers are decreasing...fifty-something street, forty-something street. "Hey! We're heading toward the touristy part! The street numbers are getting lower!" I exclaimed. Scott got really excited, as did I. "Woohoo" and "Yay" were things I said a lot. I've been to New York about five or six times, but it was years ago and it was Bronx, Brooklyn, and Harlem. I had never seen any of the things that come to mind when one thinks of New York City, save the Brooklyn Bridge. I was very excited at the prospect of maybe seeing at least one popular spot. Of course, neither of us knew where any of the popular spots were located.

This is a craptastic picture of a ship.

We come to a red light, and on the water is this HUGE ship, all lit up with red, white, and blue lights. (I'm now wondering if it was the Intrepid.) I told Scott to just make a left there, since we were wondering where and when to turn and head back. We make the left.

We then realize, upon noticing the street sign, that it's 34th Street.

Craptastic photo of Macy's.

"Thirty-fourth Street! We're on Thirty-fourth Street! We're on miracle-on-Thirty-fourth Street!" I exclaimed, and immediately looked up to see the Macy's building. "Oh my gosh! That's where they have the parade!"

That was just the beginning.

What else did we see?





Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, that really fancy McDonalds, the New York Times Building, the Chrysler Building, the Flatiron District and the Flatiron Building, Broadway, Madison Avenue, Park Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Battery Park, Times Square, the Chelsea Meatpacking District, and Ground Zero.






We even ran into mega-music producer Swizz Beats, as we ended up pulling up behind his Maybach at a gas station in the Financial District.

All at 3:30 in the morning!

We couldn't believe it. We couldn't have managed to do that if we had planned it! We were so psyched. Bobby was pretty amazed. Even Ian woke up and was fascinated by all of the buildings and lights.

We went through Lincoln Tunnel and got back into New Jersey, and as we got onto the Turnpike, we looked over to the left and saw the freakin STATUE OF LIBERTY.

We drove for about five minutes with our mouths just hanging open I think. We had just seen, in an hour, New York City. For eight bucks. We did miss few things--the Empire State Building, Central Park, Wall Street, Lincoln Center--but we couldn't have asked for a better "side trip."

And now I'm sitting here looking at Natalie, wearing her little onesie with the cupcakes on it. It says "Mommy's Little Sweetie." Indeed she is. She makes me smile.

I know that had nothing to do with the subject, but I don't care. I'm smiling.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

the twelve days of Christmas: june.


day 98.

Taken with my iPhone; processed using MoreLomo.

There is a blog that I have in my Google Reader called "Free iPhone App Alert" or something like that. Every day I check their post to see if there's a good free photo app to try. Today I downloaded MoreNoel and MoreLomo. MoreNoel is a bit craptastic, but this one is aiight.

Digital Field Guide: As an aside, I think I finally understand aperture! haha

Just about got the white balance thing figured out. Reading that section on pages 56-57 again.

Images: Carl Zoch on Flickr. Very cool iPhone photos.

dec. 17: word or phrase.

A word or phrase that encapsulates your year. "2009 was ______."

I'm supposed to fill in the blank.

How do I choose one word when the first half of my year was amazing and the second half of my year was borderline-depressing? What word fits all of that?

Fun?
Grand?
Joyful?
Heinous?
Sad?
Emotional?
Terrifying?
Schizophrenic?

I think I'll go with this one...

2009 was...uncertain.