Day 251: Kitchen Experiments

Pasta Alla Norma

A few days ago Christine and I saw this awesome episode of Kitchen Boss where Buddy taught us how to make two Sicilian dishes: Pasta Alla Norma and Steak Pizzaiola.  We had just finished dinner when we watched the episode, and we were starving by the end of it.  He made the food look really appetizing.  

So tonight, Christine went online and found the recipes for the dishes and got all of the ingredients.

I have two things to say of the experience:

1. Buddy makes EVERYTHING look way easier than it is
2. Christine is an amazing cook

These recipes were so much harder than they looked and Christine tackled both of them simultaneously, without any help (I was there at the end of the prep and was dismally absent for the most stressful part, but I did pitch in a tiny bit by the end).  And even though she was sure all of it was going to turn out horribly wrong, both dishes were AMAZING.  We were both dying over the food as we ate it and freaking out at how yummy it was!

Day 250: Breakfast for Dinner

My dinner (part of it)

I don't know what's wrong with me lately, but I am so stressed out!  It's not like I have a great excuse as I did at Christmas when everything was hectic.  I mean - yes - I'm swamped at work, and I have my church calling that I'm behind on, and my vacation prep that I'm behind on, and my household chores that I'm behind on, but all of that is the result of me being stressed to begin with.  I'm behind on everything because I couldn't face half of it at the time - for no good reason - so, of course that means that I'm even more stressed now because I've let everything slip and because I'm just playing catch-up on everything.

But how did it start?  What made me so wary of my every-day tasks in the first place?

It's things like this that unnecessarily keep me up at night.

Day 249: Errands

Some salsa, and my glass of water

Today was such a busy day!  We are gearing up to go on our cruise in a few weeks, and Christine and I had to run a bunch of errands in preparation.  In the middle of our crazy day we stopped to eat at California Pizza Kitchen.  It was a great break to be able to sit and relax for a while before the craziness started up again...

At least, that's what I thought at the time.  But, then we got home to finish our chores and found we had no energy left after our busy shopping morning.  So, even though we started the day at gun-shot-pace, we really kind of ended the day in a spluttering fizzle. 

But at least we had a productive morning!

Day 182: Symbols and Reminders

Don't forget...

I've been thinking of the different symbols we use to help us remember things, and the different symbols behind objects.  For instance, my friend Kim posted on her blog the other day about a lucky penny she found.  A penny isn't worth much, until you find it all alone on the ground, waiting to be picked up.  Then it suddenly possesses great power and charges us with luck.

The same goes with a bit of string.  Alone, it's nothing but a nuisance that gets stuck to your clothes.  But tie it on your finger, and it suddenly becomes a needed alarm clock.

I think it's all about perspective.  Like maybe if we look at things with a different eye, we'll see the worth in them.  Then something that once was a negative in your life could turn out to be a positive.  I think it's always a good idea to find the positive side of life because then you become the powerful object.  Because if you can find a bright side to a bad situation, you have the power to make any outcome a good one.

Day 177: Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Yesterday may have been a bit of a nightmare, but I was worth it just to be here with the family.  We had a great day today hanging out, watching a little football, watching some movies, and eating our yummy turkey dinner!  The food was so good and I ate way too much, as happens on Thanksgiving, and I loved the whole day.

Today I'm thankful for cars that work, safe journey's, and the ability to visit family - even in tough economical times. :)

Day 173: Great Grandma is My Friend

Mom and Baby Davis.

Robert and Lindsey came over to visit tonight, and mom got a hold of little Davis and wouldn't let go.  He was perfectly content to stay on Mom's lap all night as we made faces at him and visited with one another.  I was lucky to get this shot, when he suddenly  leaned in to Mom and grinned right at me!  What a happy boy!  He loves his great-grandma.

It was so fun to hang out with the family tonight and talk about nothing, really.  Sometimes the best evenings are spend doing the most normal things.

Tonight, I am grateful for quiet evenings at home with the family.

Day 172: Play Time

Maleah (sp?)

"Take a picture to me!"

That's what she kept pleading as we sat on the stage in the cultural hall today.  We were waiting for her brother and sisters (and the other children) to finish their Primary activity, and she was so happy to be running around and playing in freedom.

Every time I took her picture she would want to see it on my camera, and then immediately start again with her plea, "Take a picture to me again!"  It was so fun!

When I tired of taking pictures of her with the same expression on her face, she got tired of me and moved on to Christine.

"Do airplane to me!" she cried, and Christine would swing her into the air and spin around while she had her arms spread wide.  She giggled and squealed and grinned against the wind as she spun over and over again.

What a joy little children are!!!!!

Day 171: White Trees

A tree with a few leaves left at the top

Tonight I went out to dinner with my family before heading back to work to finish a project (I know, really fun Friday).  When we walked out of the restaurant, we noticed this awesome tree!  I did not use a flash on this tree.  It was literally glowing white with what looked like flaming red tipped branches.  I wish this shot better emphasized the red leaves, because they were really what made this beauty stand out, but I still like the way looks.

Since Thanksgiving is on it's way, I've been trying to keep in mind the things that I am grateful for.  Even the little things that make up each moment of each day can be really good.  And well, today I'm grateful for freakishly white trees and family time.  I may have to work late, but I don't mind at all because I got to hang out with the family a bit and take a break. :)

Day 131:

A Halloween decoration.

Technically, this is not an old thing.  I bought it 4 years ago for a school project, but I was staring at it today thinking how it would photograph well, and I decided to put it in anyway.  I really wanted to get a shot of an old person to add to my "old things" theme this week, but I couldn't bring myself to ask any older people if I could take their pictures for such a thing without making it sound like an insult.

So, here we are with yet another object from my house.

At least it doesn't feel as banal or hackneyed as it did last month.  I think these themes are really helping me find my focus right now.  But as any of you with ADD will be able to attest, that won't last long.  I'll soon have to find some other gimmick to keep me engaged in this project.  And I'll find one, because I'm too invested to back out now! :)

Day 130: Old Reliable

An old truck outside the State Street Grill in American Fork.

I've passed this old truck a half a dozen times in the past month, and every time I want to stop and take a picture of it.  Today was the first time I actually did it, and I think that's only because my sister was driving.  I don't know why I always chicken out when I want to get a picture of something truly cool, but it happens all the time.  It's one of the reasons I end up with so many pictures of things around my house. :)

I aged the photo quite a bit to get this look, so I should point out that the truck is much better off in person.  But this is how I see it in my head.  Old, rusty, and full of character; this truck speaks to me on a level that no one else could.  It says experience, bad treatment, age and neglect don't render something completely useless.  But rather, it renders a thing more valuable because of its staying power.  When other, flashier cars would have been sent to the scrap heap decades before this one if they had undergone the same treatment, this car became art.  

Day 129: Memory Lane

Some old photos.

It's funny how these things get started.  I pulled out an old photo album tonight to take a picture of it (the ugly red thing in the photo above), and 2 hours later I was surrounded by piles of photographs and photo albums with stiff limbs and a head full of forgotten memories.

I always assumed that my love of photography started when I first discovered the digital camera back in 2002.  But after looking through the stacks and stacks of old photos that I've taken over the years, I realized that my love of photography began long before that.  I have entire photo albums of pictures I took when I was no older than 10 years of age (probably younger).

Somehow this realization about my love of photography makes me feel a little more credible as a photographer.  I guess I always put myself in that category of people who bought very expensive DSLR cameras on a whim, and instead of calling it a hobby, go around telling people they are "professional" photographers just because they have a nice camera.  But now I can confidently say that I've always had a love of photography, and that it's not an expensive whim that I'll get bored of soon.

This thing will last.

Day 128: The Power of Sharpie

Nothing says Security like a hastily scrawled, 5-inch high, "Keep Out!" sign in Sharpie on the door to your garage.

I love everything about this house.  The peeling paint.  The random folding chair next to the garage door so old, it has to be hoisted up by hand using a handle that seems to be falling off.  The randomly-placed, tiny reflector circles to mark when to stop your car, in case you missed the giant white wall they're stuck to.  The boarded-over windows-turned-cork-boards with butterfly decorations on them.  And although it's not in the picture, the tiny "Proud to be an American" bumper sticker above the garage door that was only legible when I zoomed in to the highest setting.

But, I have to say my favorite part about this house is the "Keep Out" sign written in Sharpie directly on the garage door.  It was made all the funnier when I noticed the For Sale sign in the front yard.

I think they may be sending mixed messages here.  "Buy this house, please! But stay away from it!"  What do they say to interested buyers when the want to have a tour of the place? "Sure you can look at it.  From the curb.  Now git!"

Awesome.

Day 127: Deja Vu

A view of ceiling at the Tanner building at BYU.

Before you start freaking out, let me just say that I realize this isn't a picture of an old thing, but I will explain.  Well...there's not much to explain.  I took this picture tonight when I was at BYU for an institute class.  I wasn't planning on using it for my picture today, but I didn't have time to take any other pictures.  Plus, I have a story to go with this one.

Here's the story:
When I was 19 and going to school in Virginia, I had a very involved dream full of meaning and significance.  When I woke up I wrote the whole dream down and the impressions I got from it.  The basic gist was that I needed to slow down and enjoy life, and that I needed to be patient.  The dream had such significance for me at the time that I have never forgotten it.  I can still picture the scenes from the dream when calling it to memory.  So tonight, when I walked into the Tanner building to go to institute, I was shocked to see that the interior of the building is identical to a building in that dream from 10 years ago.  What's even weirder is that in my dream I was trying to find my institute class, but kept getting lost in the huge building.  So, 10 years later, never having stepped foot in this building before, I was having flashbacks from this dream with the identical scene and identical circumstances.  The only difference was that I found my institute class tonight, and in my dream I never found it.

So, I guess if you think about it, this picture still follows the theme of Old Things, because it is a picture of a dream I had when I was just stepping into adulthood and waiting for my life to begin.  Now I'm almost 30 and I'm still waiting for my life to begin...I'm just a little more grown up about the way I wait. ;)

Day 126: Ring My Bell

An old hand-sized bell from my parents.

My Grandpa Haskin died of colon cancer when I was very young.  Towards the end of his illness he stayed at our house and my mother acted as his hospice nurse until he passed.  I don't remember much of Grandpa, and the memories I have are scattered and piecemeal.  But I do remember this bell.

Because he was unable to leave his bed, we gave him this bell to use whenever he needed anything.  I remember him ringing it a lot.  I'm sure he didn't ring it that often, but the ringing stands out most in my memory.  Probably because I loved to run to his room and help him when I would hear it.  He would have me do simple things like turn his TV on or change the channel, or fetch my mom for the more complicated things.  I doubt he would have asked me to do much more since I was only 5 or 6.

I can't remember what Grandpa looked like, or any one conversation I had with him, but I do remember how I loved to help him in my silly way.  I loved to tell him all about whatever was going on in my head and I felt like he really cared.  I'm not sure that is true since I can't rely on my scant memories, as disjointed as they are, but whatever he was like I can be sure of one thing:  I loved my grandpa and I felt loved by him.  I feel lucky in this knowledge since I had so little time with him. And really, I don't think I could ask for more.

When I leave this world, I hope that I can leave my mark in the same way: by making sure my family knows how much I love them.

Day 125: Forgotten Treasures

An old house in my neighborhood.

I've been itching to photograph this house for months, but I've never had the guts to do it.  It belongs to a grouchy old farmer in my neighborhood, and I'm always afraid he'll catch me taking pictures on his property and yell at me.  This house is old, and probably condemned, so I shouldn't have been so worried that he'd be hanging around.  Anyway, when I saw it today, it gave me the idea for this week's theme:

Old Things.

I love old things - antiques - and I love the way they photograph, so this week I'll try to include something of the sort in every shot.  I'm excited to see what I find next!

This doorway reminds me of forgotten things, that once found, become treasured or important once again.  Like old journals or photographs that remind us of our past selves.  It usually brings life into perspective again.  We look back on times when we were really struggling, and we can usually say, "I had no idea how bad it was really going to get."  And we can appreciate how strong we are now in comparison.

Sometimes forgotten things are reminders to think outside the norm again.  Ironically, sometimes they help us reset our thinking and look at life with fresh eyes.

Day 124: Bright Eyes

Jack and Christine.

Well, thanks to all for the supportive comments.  :)  I was being more than a little dramatic last night when I wrote my post, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't still frustrated. heh...

Anyway, I was planning on skipping the whole "bling" idea tonight, but when I looked through the pictures from today and saw this one of Jack I realized I wouldn't have to.  I love taking pictures of children!  I wish I had more opportunity and less inhibitions because they are my favorite subjects. My nephew commented tonight that I could probably make money taking pictures of babies and children, and I responded that it might be possible if I weren't so shy around children who aren't related to me.  Nowadays you have to be so careful with other people's children because of all of the sickos out there who abuse and mistreat children, so I'm always so afraid to approach someone else's child if they aren't family.  Even though I have the best of intentions.

But then again, it seems I live my life by fear, so that's not really news.

Still, I never take as many baby pictures each month that I'd like to because I only have 3 or so nieces and nephews in town that I can photograph.  And I have unspoken rules in my head about how many times a month I can take a picture of someone before it becomes excessive.

I'm so neurotic sometimes.  Ha!

Day 123: All Is Lost

The three-layer cake I made today...with a little bling.

Oh, how I am lamenting my thoughtlessness today!!!  I broke the streak.  

I. Broke. The. Streak.

At 12:09AM I realized I hadn't taken a picture today.  Twelve Oh Nine!  Nine minuets past the deadline, and I was too late. I went ahead and took a picture anyway, even though I technically missed it.  

I'm hanging my head in shame right now.

How could I do this!?!  I made it 122 days without forgetting to take a picture!  Sure, there were close calls, when I remembered mere minutes before midnight, but I always made it in time.  

I BROKE THE STREAK!!!!!!!

I'm so frustrated right now, I don't know what to do with myself.  I won't quit the project;  you could argue that it didn't really count since I hadn't gone to bed yet and it was just a few minutes past the deadline, but I feel like the momentous-ness of the project has withered under my colossal memory lapse.  I will have to work extra hard now for the next 212 days to keep my motivation and stop myself from continuing to slip past the dealine.  I'll be honest.  This is a blow.

I broke the streak!

Day 122: Seeing Stars

Mom's bling. :)

Ok, first thing's first.  That is NOT a cross on Mom's neck.  I did not intend for the lens flare to look like a cross.  Had I noticed BEFORE I downloaded this picture, I would have fixed it.

So....today is the end of month FOUR!  Yay for me!  I'm pretty proud of myself, but also face the next 8 months with a little trepidation.  I'm not sure how I'm going to keep myself interested in the project for another 8 months, but I'll think of something...and probably several more times.  :)

Thanks to the few of you out there who not only read my blog, but comment on it every once in a while.  It always helps my motivation to know that someone out there is interested in reading my (sometimes) pointless thoughts.  And even if you don't usually read my posts, but you just check my new pictures, I appreciate that as well.  Although, I suppose that if you don't read my posts, you'll never see this thank-you so it's kind of pointless.

Anyway, it's late, I'm tired.  So I'll just leave you with this.  My beautiful mother is a great sport for changing into her beautiful dress shirt at my request just so I could take a picture of something sparkly.  And I love how it turned out!  I don't know why, but I always seem to prefer mom in black and white - even when her face isn't showing.  I guess she just has that classic beauty about her that makes me feel that black and white is the only appropriate medium.  :)

Day 121: Paper Flowers

A home made birthday card.

Tomorrow is the last day of month 4, and I've hit a wall on the creative front.  Last night when I was struggling to find something shiny to take a picture of, I complained to my mom and sister about it.  Jokingly, I said I wanted to quit the project because it was getting too boring.  I was mostly joking, but part of me really did want to quit because I feel like my pictures are so BORING.  Don't worry, I'm not going to quit.  Seeing this to the end is much to important to me to stop just because I got bored.

Still, I went through and looked at the last two months of photos tonight, and out of 60 days, I only like 13 of the pictures.  And most of those 13 were from August.  That means, that in the last 2 months, I've posted 37 crappy pictures.

At first I thought the photos were boring because I lacked direction.  So I asked all of you to give me ideas of what to shoot next.  You came back with a few really good ideas that I tried to implement.  But I'm struggling still.

I think my problem comes down one of to two things, really:
1. Instead of getting better at photography, I'm getting worse, and my mediocre pictures have turned downright ugly.
or
2. I'm so bored with my own photography style, that I can't see what looks good anymore.

Either way, I need some motivation.  Unfortunately, that's not something I can ask for help with.  That's something I need to find on my own.  I need a little INSPIRATION.  I need to think outside the box, and then go two steps beyond that.

I need a change of scenery.

But most of all, I need to stop taking pictures of things around my house, because it's killing my groove!

Day 120: Metal Tree

My necklace tree.

I went a little crazy on the post-processing tonight, but I had fun with it.  I've been reading a lot of Emily Dickinson the past few days to help with my writers block.  I'm still not having any luck on the poetry front, but I did find this little treasure in my search:

A word is dead
When it is said,
    Some say,
I say it just
Begins to live
    That day.

I love this poem not just because it's short, but because I love words, and I love thinking of them as living things once they are put to use.  What a great way of describing the power of a word!