04-30-11

My early Mother's Day gift is several mini photo shoots this weekend.

My photo class is wrapping up, so I took about a million photos today. Over 20 that I like, and I need to narrow that down to two to send to my instructor. This one doesn’t make the grade, but I like it.

In addition to incorporating all the techniques we’ve been covering, I’ve been focusing on trying to get more interesting backdrops. This is just a random building downtown I noticed.

04-29-11

“I still have a coupon for breakfast in bed. I’d like breakfast in bed tomorrow. Oh, I have to do it on a weekend, huh? I’d like a grilled cheese sandwich. How about lunch in bed?”

I have a lot of photos from the inspection, but this one is more fun. The inspection and 7am earnings call threw my schedule off, so I had time to deliver Xander cinnamon toast and chocolate milk. No tray, but classy flower included.

This property has a green light- FINALLY!

04-28-11

The Relay for Life captains meetings inspired me to try two fundraising “gimmicks” this year.

They suggested a skunk, but I could only find a pig. So I got the pig, made a sign, and started moving it around the office. We’ve raised $175 so far for people paying to move it, send it to the others, and buy insurance to keep it away.

Well, the pigpen made it’s way to my cubicle this week!

People aren’t catching on to my other friends and family fundraiser, Bruce’s Phantom 5K. Yet?

04-27-11

Swarthy.

Bruce says he’ll keep the hair on his face as long as I let him. It got to a critical length where everyone is commenting on it.

Enjoyed spending the evening with my man, hairy or not.

04-26-11

Photo class is working on self portraits, groan.

Thankful for my health and energy.
Thankful about getting things accomplished at home and at work.
Thankful that things are coming together on another rental property.
Thankful for the sun, even if in sporadic bursts.
Thankful that I didn’t give in to a cup of cocoa this afternoon.

Really thankful that I have a hair appointment this week!

04-25-11

It’s a food pyramid!

I’ve been slow to open my packages lately. Getting confirmation e-mails for each delivery takes some of the excitement out of packages. I know what books bookins has delivered, know which sundresses have been backordered and which one arrived today, and I knew exactly what’s in the big boxes from shelf reliance that arrived a few days ago – more emergency supplies!

Grandma Fischer can rest easy now – we can make cookie dough with the dried eggs and eat ourselves sick (figuratively instead of literally) on the uncooked dough.

04-24-11

We observed a 24 hour Sabbath for Easter. “Sabbath” comes from the Hebrew shabbat, “to cease”. Our intent was to intentionally not do things our usual ways. We unplugged from our computers, phones, music, and TV. We played board games by candlelight. We didn’t shop or go out to eat. We went off roading in search of a geocache. I didn’t exercise. We read scripture, prayed, and discussed our upcoming mission trip. I didn’t read novels. We looked at scrapbooks and laughed over recorded memories. We didn’t discuss the rentals. We attended a powerful Easter play. I didn’t take any photos. We walked to church. I feel like we did it: Took a break. Called a timeout. Found some balance. Recharged. Melted some bunny ears, ate some jellybeans, honored God, and survived without our technology.

04-23-11

“I forgot to add visual triangles yesterday; we’ll have to do the photo shoot all over again.” – Me, trying to get a rise out of the guys

I need to post my blog early, before we power down for our Sabbath. Bruce declared my camera technology, so guess I won’t be trying out my candlelight setting.

“You’re my guinea pig today, hon.” – Me to Anastasia

My focus today was pulling in those visual triangles, and trying out the baby, beach, and pin hole scene modes to find a favorite. Pin hole (darker photo with soft focus) isn’t for every day, but it’s a favorite and captures the teenage vibe perfectly.

“So you are enjoying your photography class?” – Anastasia

04-22-11

Week 2 of my photo class culminated in a photo shoot assignment. Anastasia was having dinner with Brad, so I “tricked” the guys into walking to the big trees at the other side of the lake as a neat background.

I was trying to work on backgrounds, nature as props, different angles, and getting closer. At the end Xander grabbed the camera and got some good photos of Bruce and I, and I took some fun self portraits of all of us. Happy Easter weekend!

“I don’t like this class much.” –Bruce, not in the mood to walk

04-21-11

I was thankful for sunshine instead of rain for the first track meet of the season. It was still a cold, windy, miserable day.

Anastasia did four events, including the 1600 meters (AKA the mile). Her time was 9 minutes, second place. Shhh, we won’t mention that she was lapped, the last one on the track, and there were only two girls in her grade running long distance.

This was my first time trying to capture action on my camera. Still not sure if burst mode or sports mode is best, but pleased with my photos.

04-20-11

“Want me to take some photos of you?’ – Xander
“No thanks, I want to take my own for my photo class” – Mom
“When does your class start, anyway?” – Xander

I learned a valuable lesson today. Take photos of working out before the workout. After lifting weights, my photo taking arm and dumbbell holding arms were very shaky. Mom’s been taking self portraits for her photos, so I decided to try that today for my “use props” assignment.

Experts say the secret to successful workouts is varying the routine, but I seem to be in a self imposed rut. 30 minutes of running and 120 sit-ups in the morning, 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill with a good book in the evening. Doesn’t leave room for my weight training, which I know is really important too.

04-19-11

Today was my first of consecutive get up early travel days. Which means I don’t put many demands on myself other than keeping my eyes open all day.

When I got home from work (after extra running around for real estate signing and produce shopping), I was restless to get out in the sunshine. My photo class assignment is to practice the rule of thirds, which is intersecting the focal at the thirds.

First I walked around the yard snapping photos, then I decided to walk to the Japanese garden to exercise and get different photos. This “almost there” landmark jumped out at me along the way.

04/18/11

Another day of waiting. Maybe that should have been my word for 2011, instead of refine.

Waiting for Xander to feel better.

Waiting for any news on our property.

Waiting for the contractor to tear our kitchen apart.

Had lunch with a friend, so at least I was waiting for quitting time to come!

04-17-11

So what is your view on stockpiling food in case of catastrophe? Head in the sand, focus on 72 hour kit, or months of food on hand?

I’ve been getting serious about spending some time and money getting a 72 hour kit together. Last Saturday I wandered around the camping and food sections of Walmart filling my basket to brimming. Today I made more progress. To Walgreens for water, to Home Depot for duct tape, tarp, and dust masks, and to shelfreliance.com to order a few things including 25 year self life freeze dried Broccoli, Potato Chunks, Sweet Potato, Strawberries, and Raspberries.

My assignment for my photography class today was to take photos form a lot of different angles – above, below, side, tilted. Xander’s in bed sick today, so here’ the rest of the crew. From below.

04-16-11

Don’t tell my ‘to do list’, but today was a great day to lay in bed with my book. I needed to get it read for book club discussion. And it helped ease the disappointment of not doing an inspection on our latest house. The process is like molasses; the utilities didn’t get turned back on.

Today also brought:

- Driving all the way to the new donut shop, and being rewarded with bacon maple bars!

- A jog at the lake

– I’m up to 40 minutes of solid running! Training for a real 5K, unlike Bruce…

- A neighborhood watch meeting where we sampled freeze dried food for our 72 hour kits that we are all working to assemble.

- Playing with my camera. Photo class assignment is using our feet to zoom. Get closer, closer, closer.

The best part? It’s only Saturday!

04-15-11

Welcome to the man cave. The boys just keep coming and coming and coming. Xander’s voice is all cracked and he feels like crap, but he’s partying. With all their man food.

I’m just happy to get some time on the computer.

04-14-11

Happy birthday dear Xander, happy birthday to you! You are officially a teenager now! Too bad you felt too bad to go to school today and didn’t want to take the tissue out of your nose for photos. But nice you could find energy to get dressed to go out to Coldstone. Hope your teenage years hold more promise than this first day!

04-13-11

Today we hit another hurdle with buying our next rental house. It doesn’t seem like it should take this long or be this difficult.

Today I attended an insomnia webinar. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I could sleep anytime anywhere.

Today Anastasia got home from track practice shortly after I got home from work. It seems like along time ago when I was a middle schooler with boyfriends, straight A’s to worry about, and parents to resent and ignore.

And life just keeps rolling along…

04-12-11

Today was a travelling day, to Aberdeen and back.

I hate visiting my cache alone, but it is in dire need of maintenance, so I stopped. I had trouble opening the ammo can, but I cleaned out the unwanted loot, added more signature item plastic cameras, swapped out the information about the Toledo statues, took some photos and rehid the cache.

So Dominic Gospodor, the eccentric millionaire who installed the statues, died last year. He reportedly wrote in his will that upon his death a nonprofit organization had to be found to take over ownership of the monuments. But he also reportedly left no money to maintain them, or even to pay for the electricity that lights them at night.

Happy trails…

04-11-11

I started buying red onions, after a co-worker raved about how good they are.

But that doesn’t mean that Brue started cooking with them. Abandoned and forlorn, they started sprouting in the produce bin.

Tonight’s meal was from the under $5 website, Chicken Wraps with Balsam-melized Red Onions. We all agreed that it is a keeper.

04-10-11

Playing with light. Not very well, plenty of room for improvement. Ice cream sundaes at home for dessert tonight instead of Dairy Queen, then a quick photo shoot. Winding down from the weekend. Not quite motivated to tackle the last thing on my to do list. Looking forward to snuggling into bed.

04-09-11

Having a blog is a great way to get at least a photo a day. Taking a photography class is a great way to get 75 photos a day. So many choices, just one for the blog…

Focusing on blessings rather than annoyances today:

Grateful to jog the lake, have another chance at a better scenery photo, and spend some time outdoors today.

Grateful to have made an offer on another property, with decisions rather obvious. Grateful that God multiplied my time today; I got more done than I set out to, including sitting on the porch enjoying a book.

Grateful to finally get another family photo, even if I haven't figured out my new camera and it’s not a good hair day for me. And that the kids went through old scrapbooks and we laughed about memories.

And still another day of the weekend left!

04-08-11

Happy to have made it to another Friday, wishing my life was just a little bit different.

That I didn’t have to nag Xander to get off the couch.

That Anastasia would participate in our family more and not be so sneaky.

That dinner would be a sit down affair instead of a hodgepodge.

That I felt like I had a restful weekend ahead instead of two days to scurry at getting caught up on life.

That the sun would stay awhile instead of such a fleeting gift.

That sugar didn’t have such a strong hold on me.

Here’s my landscape photo. Also wishing it was a little bit different.

07-07-11

Here’s an action shot for my photography class. I also walked down the block to get a foliage shot. Six prompts down, four to go. Nice to have the sun shining, such a rare thing lately! Anastasia has started track, but I don’t get off early enough to capture her in motion. So here’s Xander looking into the sun to catch a football. I like how everything but his face and upper body is soft focus.

04-06-11

My on-line photography class starts Monday.

I have pre-class assignments. Mostly photos to take, probably to see improvement through the class.

So one prompt is a favorite object in your home. My home is full of favorite objects, that’s what home is. I thought of the willow trees of my rooster in the kitchen, or various items hanging on the wall. Then I realized it had to be our swan painting. A treasured belonging that reminds us of our early poor years. Rent was $385/month, dinner was Rice-a-Roni, and this painting was a huge indulgence that I knew I’d always regret not having.

I’ll use a color version for the class, but I really liked this result from the Film Grain mode. This camera even has a Food mode!

04-05-11

My new camera is here!

Bruce is teasing me about getting a blue one, but I actually had multiple criteria: much smaller than my current beast, a powerful zoom, good megapixel, rechargeable battery, a good feel, and a different color was a creative bonus. I ended up getting a Panasonic DMC-ZR3, hoping that sticking with the same brand would make the learning curve easier.

Had fun walking around the house shooting photos, and looking forward to my on-line photography class starting Monday.

04-04-11

Monday. A busy day at work closing the books and chasing storm damage bridge spending, a busy day for Bruce chasing tenant issues, a busy day for Anastasia learning new anatomy terms in Science class, and… Xander drooled over the brownie in his TV dinner.

Attended a dinner party with friends. Thumbs up to the house with wonderful paint colors and decorations (nativity scenes up year round!), to the fellowship and laughs, and to their interesting barn. I wasn’t packing my camera, so a coatless Bruce got soaking wet to get me this photo.

04-03-11

Not sure whether to blog this as a sister day or a rental day.

We spent from lunch to dinner on rentals non-stop. Finalized paperwork to not buy the latest house, tenant verification phone calls, e-mails and web searches, unit walk through and rental agreeement signing, taking advantage of good weather and electricity to prune and garden, and rushing to get procrastinated projects done before new tenants move in.

On the sister front, today is my sisters 40th birthday. Happy birthday Shanna! And our other sister was discussing e-readers with her brother when the flashing lights appeared in his rear view. "Get a headset!" was the officers advice. I say learn to let it ring, let it buzz, and stop making excuses.

04-02-11

Here’s a house we decided not to buy today. Just not at all what we were expecting once we got inside. It has existing tenants, so we waited for inspection to see it. Scrap the offer, scrap the loan, walked through a fix-up project, regroup.

On the existing rental home front, we have not been successful in catching any cats today despite multiple attempts, but they seem to be gone fromt he porch, which is really the end goal. And we are cautiously optimistic about quickly finding new tenants.

04-01-11

With feeling crummy, I’ve been curling up with a good book lately. Not my Bible, devotional, or mission trip assigned reading like I should be, but another Jane Kirkpatrick read about Oregon trail wagon trains being wiped out by cholera.

Here’s hat I read first quarter. Historical fiction about WW2 in Hong Kong and Oregon settlements in Lewis & Clark times, more books about real estate investing, book club picks, and books on my shelf forever.

Most Intriguing: The Art Thief by Noah Charney

Characters who are like old friends: A Mending at the Edge (Emma Geisy of Aurora colony) and Morality for Beautiful Girls (Mma Ramotswe of Ladies Detective Agency) Authors who feel like old friends: Orchard Valley Grooms by Debbie Macomber and Vanishing Acts by Jodi Piccolt.

Happy reading!