This week’s theme: Hope
God’s love. What greater hope is there?
Find out the next Photo Hunt Theme.
photohunt
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Author: Karen
Hi! My day job is a CMA in the Precertificiation Department (I work with insurance companies). I'm a mom to two young men. I've been married to the same man for 34 years. I have a lot to say about nothing. Lucky you.
Immortalizing Memories
Remember when you had to actually put film into your camera? You had to slip the cartridge into the camera, grab a hold of the tab, thread it around the advancer … thingie … hook it on and then advance it forward several frames and hope it caught?
Remember whenever you took a picture, you held your breath and hoped it turned out all right? Remember whenever you had finished a roll of film and you had to open it in a dark area because you were afraid that if you opened it too soon, or in a well-lit area you would ruin the pictures you spent quite a bit of time setting up and sweating over?
Remember the anxiety and anticipation of getting that package back from the processing place, opening the sticky tab and pulling out your pictures? Remember thumbing through them and feeling either very pleased, or very disappointed (sometimes both) about how they turned out?
Aren’t you glad we don’t have to worry about any of that stuff now?
Now, we can aim, shoot, and not have to worry about wasting film or what kind of shots we’re getting because if they stink? We can just delete them and start over.
We can even delete the less-than flattering pictures – thank goodness.
Now we can manipulate our photos – make them brighter, make them black and white, make them old, take the red out of our eyes, make our teeth just a bit whiter, adjust the brightness …
Isn’t the digital age so cool?!
The only problem with digital photos? Is LOOKING at them. Sure, you can transfer them to your computer (and you should! And don’t forget to burn them to a disk!!), but carting your computer around is mighty inconvenient when you want to show your photos off.
My parents have been using a digital camera for quite some time now. In fact, I think my dad was one of the first people to use one of those digital cameras that actually took floppy disks – remember floppy disks?? Anyway, that camera actually took some really great pictures.
So, they’ve been using a digital camera for quite a few years. And when it came time to buy them something for Christmas it hit me – a digital picture frame!
Duh, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that sooner. (You really need further proof that I’m an idiot?)
So, we bought them a digital picture frame for Christmas. And my sister bought them a digital key chain for Christmas. And my dad bought my mom a digital picture printer for Christmas.
Can you tell we’re related? We’re all on the same wavelength without ever consulting with one another. It’s a good thing we all ended up getting different things and not the same thing.
I think my parents really liked their frame. We put in their camera card and scrolled through their pictures. Then, I brought out the SD card that I made them. Well, I’m still making it, but it had enough pictures on it that it was still fun.
I’m currently converting my parents’ old photos into digital format. And when I get done, they will be able to stick the card into their digital picture frame and look at them. Their albums are old, and they are falling apart and the photos themselves, well, they’re also falling apart. We need to convert them to a format that won’t disintegrate when we pick them up. Our memories can’t turn to dust.
When my parents inserted the SD card into their frame and we started scrolling through their old pictures, they transformed before my eyes. Their faces softened and they became animated as the images whisked them back to forgotten years. They laughed and told us the story behind the photos.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching, and listening, to them reminiscence about the early years. It gave me a glimpse into a part of my parents’ lives that I didn’t know a lot about. And it warmed my heart that I had the technology available to give them those memories back.
That’s just another reason why I adore photography. The fact that it freezes time – that it’s a visual reminder of our past.
My mom is probably going to kill me for posting this picture, but I love this picture. I think it perfectly captures the essence of my mom. She’s such a beautiful person – inside and out – and I think this picture shows her beauty, her strength, her determination, her compassion, her sense of humor, her optimism, and her independence.
This is my mom, all rolled up into a black and white snapshot.
I’m really looking forward to immortalizing more memories.
Thursday Thirteen – 2009 Anti-Resolutions/Goals
Update: What happened to the Thursday Thirteen hub? Are they quitting or have they just not renewed their web lease?
Because I’m kind of a stinker and I like to do things differently at WFK, I thought I would list 13 things I resolve NOT to do in 2009. Followed of course, by a more serious, doable list. *grin*
By the by, I did not come up with the anti-resolutions idea. That credit would lie with my good friend Dale. He posted his for this year and of course, I’m simply not original enough to think of these things on my own.
Sad, isn’t it.
1. I will not glare at my gluttonous, lazy, sloppy neighbors (as much)
2. I will not forsake my beloved blogs to work on paying gigs.
3. I will not volunteer my life away (as much).
4. I will not tell people the truth (even if it kills me).
5. I will not stop eating chocolate (even though chocolate hates me).
6. I will not stop obsessing over the size of my butt.
7. I will not stop obsessing about submitting my writing.
8. I will not consider my computer my best friend (as often).
9. I will not promise to stop cursing stupid, inconsiderate people.
10. I will not turn into a she-devil every time I’m asked “When was the last time you exercised?”
11. I will not stop riding my oldest son’s butt about his appearance/personality/moodiness/lack of interests.
12. I will not stop drinking Starbucks coffee even though I could save a pile of time and cash doing so.
13. I will not, for one moment, even think about turning this blog into something entertaining.
Humpf.
Okay, let’s get serious for a moment and list the things I really would like to accomplish in 2009.
My goals (because calling them resolutions just seems to set them up to fail in my book) are:
1. Spend more time with my family. Though we spend a lot of time now, I’m talking about the time spent AWAY from the computer/games and outside – going for bike rides, hikes and on another awesome family vacation (because we’ve had some REALLY good vacations).
2. Plan on taking the family to Disney World in August for vacation. The boys are not excited about this venture, but that’s because they don’t fully “get” Disney World and think it’s just for little kids. Oh contrare. We will go and we will have a blast.
3. Continue to exercise. Notice I didn’t say lose weight – too much pressure. I will continue to exercise thereby making my clothes fit better and as a result I will look and feel better. What more could I ask for?
4. Conquer my digestive problems. Yes, this will probably mean I’ll have to go see a doctor. *sigh* After dealing with painful/bloating cycle for two years I’m ready to throw in the white towel.
5. Chew my food better. I know this sounds silly, but honestly, eating is simply a means to an end for me. I don’t enjoy any part of it. I eat to exist. As a result, I virtually swallow my food whole. Which could account for a large part of why I’m having digestive problems.
6. Let go of my boys. This is so hard for me because I’m a control freak. They are getting older. They NEED to make their own decisions and yes, their own mistakes. MK will start high school this coming Fall. Good lord, just writing that makes my heart hurt. I have a feeling this will be a big growth year for both boys – and not just the physical kind.
7. Pimp myself out. I don’t do any sort of advertising for my web design work – mainly because I’m painfully shy (there’s a reason WHY I prefer to work behind a computer monitor). It’s all been word-of-mouth at this point. I will get my professional site back up and running and I will focus on drumming up more clients and more money this year.
8. Adult interaction. That said, I really do need adult interaction. I work from home; I’m a homebody. I never leave my home, and some days, it really gets me down. I get so lonely and just a bit depressed. I’m seriously thinking of getting a part-time job just so I can get out and be around other adults. Who knows, maybe I’ll make a friend.
9. Focus on getting my writing noticed. Seriously. What am I waiting for? Death? I am really going to concentrate on treating my writing as another job and submit some work this year. I have places I want to submit. I have ideas for stories. I even have a ton of work I could polish up and do something with. I just lack the discipline to WORK on any of it.
10. Take more pictures. I adore photography but I lack the patience to really train myself to SEE the possibilities around me. I really want to take pictures everyday, of all things mundane and definitely more portraits of my family.
11. Do a better job of responding to comments here as well as leaving comments on the blogs I follow in my Google Reader (which is at about 50 now). I read all of these blogs on a daily basis but I rarely comment. I would like to do a better job at corresponding with the blog-o-sphere.
I think that’s about it. Lofty goals. I’ll check back at the end of 2009 and see how I did.
Happy New Year, everyone!
(New blog design coming shortly).
And don’t forget to leave your name in the comment pot for a FREE book of your choice!
Four Short Years Ago …
… I began blogging. I started on Blogspot, discovered wordpress.org and set up my own web space and finally moved to wordpress.com when my web host started giving me headaches.
And just think, you thought it wouldn’t last. *grin*
As of this date, here are my blogging stats:
Published 537 articles (though it’ll probably be more by the time I post this entry).
I have nine posts scheduled.
I have 42 drafts saved for future posts (that probably won’t end up being used because I always forget I HAVE drafts saved – I’m really quite pathetic).
Now keep in mind? I’ve only had this wordpress.com blog since May 2008. Go ahead, check my archives – I’m not lying. So, I’ve posted over 500 articles in six months.
If only I could be that productive in my REAL writing. (Which I could be, I just choose not to be because I’m scared of failing – or succeeding – and I’m too lazy to actually drum up the discipline necessary to Git ‘R Done).
In summary? I post. A lot. Because it’s who I am. Because I have a lot to say. Because I’m impulsive. Because I don’t know how or when to shut up.
Here’s to many, many more blogging years.
You poor readers, you. 😀
Happy New Year!
Update: 10:07 p.m.: We watched Journey to the Center of the Earth. As predicted, it was pretty lame. We just finished watching Hancock and all I will say is, “Will Smith is freaking hot!”
We’re taking a short break and then we’ll watch the grand finale – The Dark Knight. The boys are really looking forward to watching that one. I plan on taking a break and taping a short video around midnight and then if I’m awake after the movie, I’ll write a short note about any resolutions I might, or might not, make. Stay tuned 😀
Update 2: 12:56 a.m.: We finished The Dark Knight and it was … dark. I think the boys really enjoyed it. The husband snoozed through most of it. Heath Ledger did not disappoint and it makes me even more sad that he’s not around to enjoy his success.
No video. I’m just too tuckered out to push the play button and then upload the sucker. But I’m sure you’re not all that disappointed anyway. *grin*
My number one resolution this year? To get my writing published. I’m ready. I will BE ready. This will be an exciting year for me, professionally.
Thank you for sticking around. I look forward to spending 2009 with you!
Uncomfortable? Get Over It
New Year’s Eve. Another year gone. Another year on the horizon. Life is full of unexpected joys and tragedies. Blahblahblah …
I won’t bore you with yet another post about another year ending. I’m not trying to trivialize time or memories here, I’m simply not the type of person who dwells on the past. What’s done is done. I tend to look more toward the future – in fact, too much so. I am usually so focused on the future that I forget the past.
And that’s not necessarily a good thing. Hence, this blog. 🙂
Though I have no intentions of writing a deep, meaningful post (as if I’m capable of that anyway) about how it’s so important to savor every waking moment we have on this Earth (and it truly IS important), I would like to share what’s uppermost on my mind: my body and how it’s aging.
How narcissistic of me, I know. But really, when your body betrays you and you have pain, pain that you can never quite get rid of no matter what you do, no matter how much medication you take (which I don’t, normally), or what position you try, it’s hard to think of anything else. It’s so hard to distract yourself, or fool yourself, into thinking or doing anything else.
Like right now. I’m sitting here and I’m semi-comfortable. It hurts less if I sit. But the pain is there, just beyond my reach and occasionally, a ripple travels down my back and pools into the base of my spine and I not only see stars, I see their moons, too. And my head feels like it’s floating just above my shoulders, like a balloon bobbing above a distracted toddler who barely has a hold of the string.
But then it passes and my vision clears and I’m granted a slight physical reprieve until the next ripple rips through me.
I’m an old woman. Oh wait, that’s already been established. But I’m FEELING like an old woman today. I’m hobbling. I’m unable to walk upright. And I’m spontaneously jerking in response to my body trying to tell me to get off my feet and rest.
*snort* As if THAT was going to happen.
It does this periodically though I like to fool myself into thinking I have this aging body under control, alas, it occasionally rebels against me. It’s rebelling now and I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if I let it get me down – literally.
However, I AM so very, very, thankful that I work at home and can grit my teeth and swallow my humiliation in private as opposed to working outside the home. I’m so very, very thankful that I have a husband who supports what I do and is okay with me staying home and doing it. Enduring this physical discomfort is hell out in public.
And I know this. Because I’ve endured this when I did work outside the home. Because when my back went out, I didn’t call into work sick. I didn’t take the time to feel sorry for myself. I simply ignored it and went about my business and waited until I got home to collapse into a painful coma.
Ah, memories.
I’m very stubborn, if you haven’t picked up on that by now. *grin* I’m a pretty easy-going, fair-minded individual when it comes to my family and the people around me. I even have (some) sympathy for the pain of others. But when it comes to me, to my own body, I have no patience for my own weakness. In fact, it just disgusts me. I have no idea why I’m like this, but like this I am.
I was craving Krispy Kreme donuts this morning. I was craving them so badly that my mouth actually watered thinking about them. (Like now, for instance). But I hadn’t taken a shower yet so I thought, “I’ll take a shower and then make a donut run.”
Until I stripped off all of my clothes and looked at myself in the mirror.
Now we all know when it comes to looking at ourselves naked there’s the glance and then there’s the look. Most days, I’m distracted, thinking about my day, thinking about what I need to do next, what’s for dinner, yaddayaddayadda and when I strip down I glance at my body, not really seeing it.
But then, like today, there are days when I’m forced to pay attention to my body and I really take a gander at this lump of flesh I like to call home.
I am not fat. I am not skinny. I’m … gropeable, if that’s even a word. My husband has a little something to hang onto, let’s put it that way. When I sit, I have a roll. In fact, I’m a perfect pear shape when I sit down. My torso stays intact, the bottom half of my body sort of spreads out and pools, like a teaspoon of oil on a hot skillet.
It’s not exactly nasty, but I won’t be modeling for Victoria’s Secret anytime soon.
I’ve always been a bit bottom heavy – genetics. I can get my torso in pretty good shape with minimal effort, but my hips and abdomen take A LOT more work. And even then, it’s never really “in shape.”
It took me years, and countless hours of working out and tubs full of sweat to finally figure out this is just how I’m built. I can tone, I can improve, but I can not change what I am.
I stood there, critically giving my body the once over and tried to look past society’s definition of beauty and find my own beauty; the beauty that is uniquely my own.
For example, the weird/cute/strange bump on my tailbone. A bump that probably shouldn’t be there but has been there ever since I fell off a six-foot ladder and landed squarely on my back.
Or how about the fingers of bleached out, stretched out skin that curl and embrace either hip or the sagging, wrinkled skin just under my belly button, or the dimples in my arse, just under the roundness of my buttocks – all battle scar reminders of bearing two children.
Or the curious little pouch of skin just above the area where my pubic bone meets my thigh bones and has just appeared in the past few years.
As I stood in front of the mirror this morning and analyzed every possible angle, I concluded that my body is … rather nice even with all of my flaws. It’s average. It’s been a good home to me over the years. Sure, there have been times it’s broken down (like now) or needed a tune up (like after I had children), but overall, it’s been good to me.
It’s disease free. It houses healthy organs. It cradles a strong heart. It safely gets me through each day. So what that it gives me the occasional ache and pain – when compared to so many people who are in serious physical trouble, what I’m feeling is inconsequential. The least I can do is grin and bear it.
The thought of so many people who have SERIOUS problems with their bodies, the thought of these poor people is what gets me through these uncomfortable days. So I have sinus problems, so I have back problems, so my digestive system is flawed, so what? At least I don’t have AIDS. Or cancer. At least I can see, hear and touch my loved ones. At least I have organs that function and never fail me.
And that’s the sorts of things I think about at the beginning of a new year. The fact that I have my health and that though my body is imperfect and occasionally gives me problems? I thank God for my health and I thank God for the health of my family.
The new year will begin. I will get over this back pain. And life will go on.
Right?
