Bokeh & Baby: Life trumps the best of intentions!!!!!!

I have realized this week that sometimes life trumps the best of our intentions. I have missed all but 1 of my 365 photos this week.
Our son was hospitalized early, early Wednesday morning in respiratory distress. It took 24 hours worth of breathing treatments every 4 hours, steroids to pump up his bronchial tubes, & inhalers to get him home.
In 36 hours he slept the most of the 3 of us at a whooping 3 hours. Since then we have been dealing with a doped up baby & nausea from all the drainage from his nose. Our next step is the allergist to find out what the triggers are. It has been a long & exhausting week & as much as I hate that I have missed 7 days at the beginning of my challenge, it is part of life.

Bokeh: 365:1-7

So week 1 of project 365 went well. For the most part I really found myself, not only looking for things to capture, cut also looking at normal things in a different light (a few times literally). Honestly, I only missed 1 day, yesterday day 7, but since I took so many pictures I decided to plug in a day 6 on day 7. Yes it's technically cheating, but its my 365 & I'll manipulate it as I please.

Here's the results...

Day 1: Dinner Light (since I already explained this one, please refer to the previous post.
Day 2: Foggy Morning (also refer to previous pot)
Day 3: Shopping with Mommy (same)

Day 4: Laundry Day
B is really, really attracted to laundry baskets, I say he is "helping" but honestly how much does a toddler ever help. He is fascinated by pulling everything out of the basket & sitting in the pile, then throwing the pile around him. Daddy stopped him in his tracks this morning on his way to help, gave him his hat, & plopped him in the basket. He sat there happy as a clam till he realized he couldn't pull things out from under him & he tipped himself over.

Day 5: Woke up early & Sticky Fingers
I had 2 pictures that I couldn't chose between because they both told a story so well. The first was from early monday when I had to wake up B from his afternoon nap that ran long. He is so snuggly & cuddly & sweet when he's still sleepy. Lucky for Dad he was home & was the recipient of those snuggles. The second came after B did an avocado face & hair mask at dinner (already concerned about his looks). He got an early bath & got to play around in his PJs & since it was raining outside Chevy was inside & after playing with her & chasing her & tugging on her collar (his favorite thing about her), he slide up next to her, sweet & innocent & stole her ball right out from under her nose.

Day 6: Pink in the Fall
One of the many things I love about fall is the colors in the sky during sunset (I'm sure they are great in at sunrise too, but I never see those). On this particular night it was a fiery, almost neon pink. Before this project I would have just admired it, but since B went to bed early I decided to take my time & photograph it. One of the things I'm working on is capturing landscape through my camera the same way my eyes see it, this was a pretty close result.

Day 7 (technically 6, but oh well): Stalker the Squirrel
Chevy kept barking furiously outside & running like a herd of wild elephants across the back yard, when I got up to see what her deal was I noticed a hawk up in the tree. Now I don't know if the hawk is attacking the squirrel or the squirrel is trying to protect whatever is in the nest from the hawk, but I got a kick out of watching the squirrel peer into the nest. I got as close as I could with my biggest lens & its still hard to see, so here's a bigger version.

So far so good for week 1, hopefully I can keep up the spunk for 358 more pictures.

Bokeh: Project 365: Day 1

I was reading a blog this morning that was talking about 365 Projects (0r 366 projects this year, with leap year & all). A Project 365 is committing to take one picture every day of something. Some photographers do it of their kids, some of things through out their daily lives, some try to find something interesting every day. Whatever the reason behind it is is a commitment to do & to remember, even for a photographer.

I thought about it earlier this year around New Years, but for whatever reason never did more than think about it. I am a person who in a way has issues committing to things. I have self imposed issues about tying myself to things that aren't required. Its a good thing because I can say no, but I don't like it because I feel like I often give myself the easy way out.

In the article I read this morning, which you can read here, the women said that she wanted to commit to finding the special part of every day life. Not just taking a picture of her kids, but finding the beauty or interest or unique qualities about every day & simple "normal" moments. I was inspired by her view & decided to do the same.

My little guy just turned one a few weeks ago & the toddler years (or days in our case) have already been an adventure, so I thought "what better time than to start now?!". So I did & here is Day 1. I don't plan to post a picture a day, but I hope to show all 7 pictures at least once a week. The pictures won't always be of Little Man, but there will always be some significance to them.

The setting sun comes right through our kitchen windows every evening & there is something special about the sun during the fall & winter that is just different than other times. It casts this very orange, warm, streaky glow through the kitchen. I was unloading the dishwasher & looked up & Little Man was eating his noodles & smiling away & his hair just glowed. It was beautiful!

Project 365: Day 1....in the books!

Misc: Find your calling in a world that is all about "me"!

Have you ever read Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis? You should! In the book Katie Davis is telling the story about how she gave up everything & went to live in Uganda & adopt 14 local children & taking care of literally a village, all because God made a calling on her life. I highly, highly encourage you to read it, great perspective.

I'm not all the way through the book yet, about half way, & I have been so moved by how sold out Katie was on her cause for Christ. Her life assignment. Her calling! I can't say that I am feeling a call to move to a desolate land & give up everything about my life, but I am being challenged to look at my life & evaluate the place that Christ has for me. What's my specific purpose? What direction does he want me to go in?

Christ has placed a calling on every Christian's life. Some, like Katie Davis, figure it out early. Some take a bit longer & make mistakes that lead them to their calling. Some know their calling & choose to ignore it.

I have heard to many people think that the only way to answer the calling for Christ has been to go out on to the mission field & leave your life behind. This is not always the case. Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men". Whatever you do. This is not permission to do whatever it is your heart desires & say your doing it for the Lord. This isn't sitting at a bar getting drunk with the locals & saying your "ministering" to them. This isn't saying go minister to the women at the Magic Mike movie or the girls down at the strip club. Not at all! Vs. 23 is saying that whatever job or life situation or class your in, work at it & do it the best of your ability as unto the Lord. Bust your tail there, because you would for Christ...work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.

We are all placed in different jobs, situations, life circumstances, physical locations & our ultimate calling is to live & work & share in the place we are. 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11 says that we each have specific gifts & talents to use in our daily lives, no two are exactly the same as are no two people the same; "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to teach one the manifestations of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he demands."

Those verses are specifically talking about spiritual gifts but a little lower in my bible, the commentary says "Specific gifts, places of service, & activities vary but they all have their best effects when they build up the body of Christ. God creates a unique place in the body for every believer. Part of the exciting adventure of following Christ involves discovering one's service contribution & then making it available to God."

We each have a calling a place God wants us to be, a place to serve him, but where is it? How do we figure it out? Luke 10:27 says it very clearly, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all strength & will all your mind". Do that, love Christ with every part of your being, & He will lead you to the place He has for you. It may be Uganda. It may be across the country. It could even be in your own front yard, but He will lead you to it if you love Him with your entire being & you use your life to serve him.

We all have a mission field & you wake up every morning to your mission field. Our calling can be our jobs or at our church. It could be in another country or it could be helping those who need it in your own town.

I've found my calling....behind my lens. And I will shoot (photographically) as unto the Lord.

Misc: Good Things Come To Those Who Wait: Incorporating biblical principles into our daily lives.

I was pulling out of the local coffee shop drive-thru & a thought crossed my mind...Good things come to those who wait!

But, I wonder, what does the bible say about waiting/patience? The first verse that comes to mind is James 1:2-3: "Consider it pure joy my brothers, when you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (NIV)
Now, most people apply this to the BIG trails in our lives, the life changers, but what would happen if we applied it to the smaller areas of our lives?

When I am tested, big or small, short-term or long-term, I repeat over & over "Consider it pure joy. Consider it pure joy. Consider it pure joy." Just the first four words remind me that pushing through & not letting negative emotions dictate the outcome will produce good things, blessings big & small.
Slow traffic or worse stop & go- Consider it pure joy.
A room is dirty you just cleaned- Consider if pure joy.
Boss asked you to stay late, again- Consider it pure joy.
Now I'm not saying these things won't get to you & tick you off, but by saying or thinking "Consider it pure joy", you are shifting your thoughts to another area. Your reminding yourself that good will come, maybe not from the situation, but from chilling out & breathing.

Proverbs 14:29 says "A patient man has great understanding, but quick tempered men display folly."  [lack of good sense-Webster] (NIV).

Very few good decision or results are made from hasty decisions. Anger or frustration is not wrong, the actions that come from it tend to be though. When we become impatient, decisions are not thought through & in the end we are usually more frustrated.

A perfect example is the scene if Office Space when Peter is on his way to work in the right lane, but the left lane is the lane that moving. He makes a snap decision & gets in the left lane, which promptly stops & the right lane starts moving, so again he switches. He isn't getting anywhere any faster switching back & forth, he just gets more frustrated.

But that is part of life, isn't it? A series of frustrations, disappointments, & irritations. It is how we deal with them that make the difference.

Proverbs 19:11 says "a mans wisdom gives him patience, its to his glory to overlook an offense." (NIV)

Sure your offended that you were cut off, but try to teach that person a lesson & your the one in the fender bender.  Yell at the check out person for moving to slowly; they feel bad & you feel worse.
Patience is not just meant for the big areas of life, it translates very well into lives smaller, everyday areas too.

Proverbs 16:32 says "Better is a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." (NIV)

I use the Life Application Study Bible & I love it. There are great footnotes at the bottom to give great insight & explanation when you need a little more. Under the notes for vs. 32 it says "Success in business, school, or home life can be ruined by a person who has lost control of his or her temper. So it is a great personal victory to control your temper."

Victories & rewards come in different way; some are tangible, some come as a lesson learned, & others are the ability to handle a similar situation better next time.

My experience with patience today was after waiting for % minutes in the drive-thru after ordering (which is an ETERNITY in drive-thru time), I considered pulling out of lines, as others had & going about my day. But I didn't, I decided to wait, wait without complaining. My reward for waiting & exercises patience was a coffee on the house because the wait was so long. And it was good.

Bokeh: Picture Snob

Ever since I started in photography I have become a little, shall we say snobby, when it comes to pictures as decoration in my house. Overnight it seemed I didn't want anyone else's "art" hanging in my house. All of those New York skyline pictures I wanted to hang in the kitchen where a want of the past. I apparently adopted an "it must be mine" attitude.

That attitude has made it a little difficult to decorate because it has penetrated to other parts of my decorating which I'm having to talk myself off of the ledge of "I must make everything myself or it be a one of kind piece". I simply don't have the kind of money to maintain that fostered attitude. However, I can adopt my attitude for pictures.

The NYC skylines pictures will have to wait a while, as will the Parisain pictures. I did get some great New England pictures though on a recently trip to Maine. I wanted a lighthouse picture for my kitchen. So far it's lighthouse on one wall, Boston on the other.

These are the two that so far have made the cut...

Butter: Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta

- 3 chicken breasts, boiled & diced
- 2 cups pasta of your choice
- 1 tablespoon Oliver Oil
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1/8 cup franks hot sauce
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

- While chicken is boiling, cook pasta according to directions in separate pot.
- In the meantime, add onion, garlic, carrots, & celery to a saute pan with 1 tble of olive oil. Saute 10-15 minutes over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Remove from heat & set aside.
- Combine ranch dressing & hot sauce. Set aside
- Remove cooked chicken from water, allow to cool until it can be handled.
- Drain pasta, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water (the pasta water allows you to thin out the sauce without diluting the flavor.
- Chop chicken into small bites.
- Combine chicken, pasta, vegetables, & dressing. If pasta is too thick add  a 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time until creamy.
- Serve hot & top with a little ranch dressing & hot sauce.

*the more hot sauce you add, the spicier it will be.
*to make for children, omit hot sauce & substitute 2 tablespoons of vegetable or chicken stock