February 28 2009 A Task Accomplished

So the photo I really wanted to take today is impossible. I found my rechargeable batteries I've been mourning the misplacement of, but I can't take a picture of them if I'm using them. Kind of a paradoxical dilemma. So I chose the location all my burned up batteries go, because they go to recycle. What? One of my handles is "Imarecycleitall" and not for no reason. Geesh, I knit plastic bags. What more can you ask for?



I'm not tall enough to get far enough away from this box to get the picture I wanted, but I did alright. I'm learning the limits of stand-back-and-zoom. My height seems to be one of those limits.

February 27 2009 A Usable Shape

I'm working on my joint strength so I can study saber set. "You have swords?" They are more knives than swords. I'm looking for a picture. Dang it! There is nothing like...what...I... "A photo a day." Oh, yeah. I'll just take a picture of my own. Thanks. The top one is a practice saber, once used by a youngin to hack weeds. The bottom one goes in the sheath, and is lighter. Both were gifts.


I stood on the table and turned the camera upside down because the ascetics of the curve was better from that side. I could have flipped them over but the other side of the sheath isn't as attractive. I could have turned them around, I guess. Anyway, I only got one shot on who-knows-what-setting before my batteries died again. Must...find...rechargables....

February 26 2009 A Sign of the Times

You know it's a recession when:


Had a few great moments in the day. However, the one that kept me laughing was this picture my husband went back into the store to snap with his cell phone and email to me. Because it was just that funny.

February 25 2009 A Bit of Work

Double whammy today: I got new work from two of my jobs. Quite satisfying, actually. I'm only discussing one tonight, though. Since it is a new year and I learned a million little things about working with parents of students in the past year, I composed a new contract. A million little things on one small piece of paper. Cover my rear, if you know what I mean. You don't get to not pay me. You don't get to cancel or not show up. And you are not my student, your child is. If you want me to teach you too, that's extra. Geesh people. Let me do my job.


In this photo today, I aligned my artist-made stamp with my contract so you can't see my name and really, not much of my terms either. If you want more specifics, you have to hire me. However, the stamp is personal. If you can track that, you know everything. There's only one like it in the world. It took me about ten shots to get this right: focus, lighting, and anonymity. Still came out a bit dark.

February 24 2009 A Place to Hang Your Mug

The blacksmith at his forge created hooks, chain ends, and brackets to hang under our drinking vessel collection on the shelf. Today they are up, just in time for Mardi Gras festivities, which revolved around eating everything in sight and marveling at the new forge. The kids did some digging in the dirt, and there was plenty of society. It was a good day.

There was a bit of peeking around angles to get this shot, as the winerack stood in the way of my head, but trust in the concept allowed a little point and click. I like the balance in this shot, of all white wall on the right and the darkness on the left, divided down the center by the bracket in the foreground.

February 23 2009 A Kneaded Bake

After a night of poor--very, very poor-- sleep, I hopped up bright and early to trot around town for groceries to help my son make the King Cake he earned by finding the baby last year. I read the instructions, and what the hey, it's not Cake at all, but Bread. Okay, I don't cook, and I sure as heck don't make bread. Apparently, today, though, I do. Though not after nearly losing my mind as a 4 year old proceeded to make a mess out of everything. Oh yeah, that's what they do. We'll ice the thing tomorrow, but finally, the bread is baked and I am no worse for the wear.



Look, I messed around with this cake-bread-thing all day, and then cleaned my house. I am in no mood for photography. Take the picture and be happy with it. Some days, I guess, are like this.

February 22 2009 A Motivational Photolog

I do this every year: December rolls around. Thanksgiving, gift making, cards, letters. Christmas Eve, Christmas, an anniversary, New Year's Eve. A birthday on January 1, a birthday just after, and another just after that. Things don't really slow down around here, and I just let everything go. Then Mardi Gras comes and BAM who needs spring cleaning when you have a Mardi Gras party to prepare for? Stay tuned for the new mug chain going up under the drinking vessel shelf there in the back.


I have been putting off before-and-after shots for a long time. Well, a month at least. This, though, has got to be why they were invented. In the first shot, I was just going for as much crap in the picture as possible. In the second, as much of the room as I could get. I was all scrunched up in a corner. I was probably something humorous to look at. Anyway, just normal auto with flash, no zoom. Apparently I'm not likely to have closed cabinets in my life.