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1,000 Awesome Things...

I found this blog today on the web, 1,000 Awesome Things It got me thinking of awesome things. Then I wonder what things my kids would say were awesome off the top of their little heads, so I asked them and here is what they came up with... (note I am typing their answers in without any edits or comments on my own).

Macey says these are her awesome things:
Rainbow Sherbet or Cookie Dough Ice-Cream
Playing outside
Daddy's hugs
Estella
Colored pencils
Kentucky
High heeled flip flops
Playing in the rain
Marshmallows
Jumping on the trampoline

Gavin's list of awesome includes these:
Pickles
Jack
Video games
Sports cars
My mom
Talking on the phone
Annoying my sister
Family
Girls
Nerf guns

The Paper Mama Contest - Colorful

Mamoo (my mother-in-law) does not like yellow flowers, but I think she would agree that they look really great on her granddaughter!

Macey bought these with her own money this weekend, and wore them all around town while we did our shopping. She was the star. Everyone would stop and comment on how cute she looked.

Only she could pull these off!

iheartfaces weekly contest - Pets

My favorite picture of our Jack!

Moody Macey's Mad Monday!

Grrr...it is Monday, and I didn't win the golden egg in the family Easter egg hunt yesterday! And my two aunts and Grammy don't play fair at Old Maid!

A Perfect Zoo Day

Today we took Macey to the zoo. Yes, it was raining...but not hard. Yes, it was cool, but not cold. Yes, it was lonely..hardly anyone was there. Yes, it was smelly, but not as bad when it is a hot sunny day! I think from now on I will only visit the zoo on rainy days! It was wonderful!



This little giraffe is three weeks old! How cute! My fave. Macey finally got brave enough and touched the sharks in the Ocean area. It was awesome!

Hope you had a great Easter day. We did family things too, but it was fun to do something a little out of the norm.

Happy Easter

Happy Spring

Happy

Happy

Everything!

It has rained so much that our Macey

has grown flowers!

Bubbles....

Washable Crayola bubbles, ah..not so much!

Just in case you are tempted to buy washable bubbles take my word and don't! Someone (and it is always a family member) bought Myrt some purple bubbles. They even come in a spill resistant bottle. However it is spill resistant, not splash resistant...and it does just that, splashes every time you take the wand out of the bottle.

Tonight I got to reading the warning and care information on the back of the bottle which just made me laugh. Here they are:

For best results keep bottles tightly capped after use. Dip wand into bubble solution and blow bubbles. Do not mix colors or add water to the bubble solution. Before use, test on an inconspicuous area and let dry. Wash off to make sure bubble solution does not stain. (Are you laughing yet?)

Washing & Care Information: Wash from skin with soap and water. Normal laundering removes stains from most children's clothing. Wash immediately in hot water. Do not use prewash, as they may set stains. Repeat laundering may be required. Rinse colored bubbles away from asphalt and concert sidewalks and driveway using the water pressure from a garden hose.

Stain Advisement: Crayola Washable Colored bubbles are designed for outdoor use. Do not leave bubbles solution on surfaces longer than 1 week. Do not use on surfaces less than 6 months old. colored bubbles are not intended for indoor use as they may stain household surfaces. Keep away from brick, vinyl, finished and unfinished wood, wallpaper, painted walls, and carpeting, draperies, and all other materials that cannot be laundered.

Obviously these people do not have a white dog either. All I can say is that I see payback in the future.

Sunset Avenue at Sunset

Very productive day here. So now we are all just chilling out in the back yard by the fire. Notice our oh so very Martha Stewart chair covers that mostly Paul made today. Very funny! Gavin had to do yard work. Macey went to a friends birthday party.

Camera Lesson #3

What is ISO?

I have a handful of friends who own cool cameras, have a good eye, and a little knowledge. I have to admit they take some great images. However, they openly confess that they get stuck on things like shutter speed, aperture and ISO.

This week we are going to focus on ISO. Remember that I am keeping this very basic…these are not exact definitions from Wikipedia, but my version of the terms, and more importantly what they can do for your images.

With a film camera an ISO is an indicator of how sensitive a film is to light. This is measured with numbers. I am sure you have seen them. Have you ever purchased a disposable camera? You would have noticed these such numbers: 100, 200, 400, 600, or800.

The lower the number, the lower the sensitivity to light, so if you are going to shoot outside in bright light you only need an ISO of 100 or even 200. If you are going to attend an event that is inside, and chances are there will not be much light you would want an ISO of 600 to 800.

In digital photography ISO works much the same, however since there is no film involved this number is the measure of how sensitive light is to the camera's image sensor. The same rules still apply.

ISO at 100


ISO at 800


Another thing to keep in mind when choosing your ISO setting is the grainess of your image. The lower the number the finer the grain, and the higher the number you will notice what photographer call noise. So while 100 will give your image a smooth look, the higher the numbers can make your images look grainy, or when shooting digital this seems to come off more as smudged or murky.

So why do you need to know this you ask? Well consider these things when setting your ISO.

How much light is available to you? If you have lots of light then set your ISO low for a smooth clear image. If there is not much light bump up that ISO.

What are you shooting? Is your subject in action? If you need to stop motion then consider a higher ISO. However this is not nearly as effective as setting your aperture and shutter speed which we will touch on in the next couple of weeks.

Do you have a tripod? Depending on your lighting situation if you don't have a tripod you might have to shoot at a higher ISO to reduce the chance you might move when taking the picture and cause a blur.

Do you want some texture to your image? If you do desire that sort of grainess then try working with a very high ISO. Although this is much harder to do accomplish with a digital camera.

So break out that camera manual and look up how to set your camera's ISO setting. Play around and take notice of what a big difference this single setting can do for your images.

Gavin's Homework

I found this while cleaning Gavin's bag out tonight...made me laugh a little. Oh the mind of an eleven year old boy.

"That's Not Fair!"

I am happy to introduce guest blogger Paul Payne, my husband. He shared this story with me this morning, and after a long laugh and me comparing it to the book and show "S*@it my Dad Says," I asked him to replay the conversation in his words. I love how our kids think the most of simplest things are SOoooo "unfair!"

so here it is...please make my guest blogger feel welcome and show him the love...!

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So I have the pleasure of picking Gavin up from his father Sunday evening...not a bad thing as I love to drive and I can get in, get him, and get out pretty quick. Once I had him in tow, I called his mom to tell her I had the "package" in the car and would be home in an hour and forty-five. Immediately after this conversation Gavin informs me that he has yet to have dinner. I redial his mother and add the unexpected expected stop at McDonalds at the Mount Comfort exit on I-70.

Once the Chicken McNuggets disappeared, it was time for home. I took my beverage and went to the car, Gavin refilled his. Once I was in, I put my cup in the console cup holder and I started the car and waited for his return. Once in, he crawled over his bags of stuff in the front floor board of the Cheese Stick. He started to put his 32 oz beverage in the cup holder behind mine. I stopped him....there really isn't any room for a second cup. The conversation went something like this....




ME "dude, just hang on to your cup...."

GAVIN "Awe, that's not fair"

ME "Well, I AM the driver, and I own the car.... both of my hands are on the steering wheel..."

GAVIN (obviously disgusted)

ME "You know, if the worst thing that happens to you in life is that you get shafted out of a cup holder, you should consider yourself lucky...."

Gavin's First College Class - Game Boy in Hand

So while most kids are getting a break from school, Gavin got to sit in with his dad on his first college class. At least he could play his game!

Happy Birthday Paul

Today is my husband's birthday. We've kind of made it a tradition to go away on his birthday. This year we stayed here...Burlington's & Willis Graves Bed & Breakfast. This was our 2nd time, and was just as wonderful as the first visit.

Just outside of Cincinatti, so there is so much to do! Hot tub, robes, fireplace, cookies, romantic rooms, outstanding breakfast, steam shower... I have not one single negative thing to say about the place. I don't even have a suggestion to make it better. It is just wonderful. Thanks for having a birthday Paul, so we could have a reason to go!

Waiting

Mamoo and Papsy were coming to get Miss Macey today to go shopping, out to eat, and a sleep over. Macey was so excited that she went outside to wait. This was the scene.


With her over night bag and special blanket she stood by the driveway and kept a look out for them. The wind was cold, and I could not persuade her to come in, or even leave her things by the front door.



I think sometimes you just love someone so much that you just can't wait!

The indulging bliss of food

I’ve been listening to Julia Child’s “My Life in France” on an audio book and what struck me was her and her husband’s pure bliss for food. Food truly defined her life. And the more I listen to her story, the more I think how many meals have defined my very own life, or left a lasting memory long after the day or occasion has passed. Maybe it’s not so much what you do, but what you eat, and who you share your meals with.

It got me thinking of my most memorable meals, and not all of them were extraordinary good mind you, some were downright disasters, or just plain ordinary. Unlike Julia I cannot recall the foods I consumed at these meals, but these are the places and meals that stick out in my mind.

#14 Capers. Every year we go to Derby Indiana and while we are there we visit our favorite little spot in Tell City, Indiana, Capers. While the food has not been as great the last few times we have been there it is still a great little pub, with good pizza, and some ok entertainment on the weekends.

#13 Zaxby’s. Our new found favorite. We stopped at one on our way home from Disney last year, and have even made it a day trip to go back to one a handful of times since.

#12 Pizza Joints. My favorite pizza joints are no longer around. When we were younger it was a pretty big treat to go to Pasqualies. Paramount Music Place was also a great pizza joint. When we were kids were loved to go and watch the show, and the organ pipes would not only belt out tunes, but bubbles and smoke. I remember one of the last times I went there was for my 16th birthday party. My friends and I packed the upstairs balcony.

Another favorite pizza memory was having a really bad day with my husband. I don’t remember why the day was so bad, but the only way we thought we could redeem it was to pop open a bottle of really expensive wine we were saving for a special occasion. We did just that, and drank it over a cheap pizza.

#11 Farrells. Another old place that is no longer around. My sister Kelly and I always wanted to go on our birthday’s for the ice-cream Sunday that they decorated as a clown. However, on one of sister’s birthday she had a change of heart, she was so distressed that they were going to deliver the Sunday to her while singing happy birthday that she hid under the table for most of the meal.

#10 Frosty Boy. How can I not mention an old New Palestine standard? Cherry slushies and hot fudge sundaes.

#9 The Moosejaw. My husband and I got married in the Wisconsin Dells with our immediate family. After the nuptials we all went to eat at the Moosejaw. It was a Thursday afternoon and there was a ton of us. The waitress didn’t believe that we had just gotten married. We were all dressed to go ride go-carts and play putt-putt, plus we each were sporting a set of paper moose antlers that the restaurant gave out. Taylor still has her antlers. I am so jeal that I didn’t save my own. Was the food great, nah, but it was such a silly place to be after such a monumental event that it still makes me laugh.

#8 Eating for Two. Ask my sister Katie about cold cut sandwiches in the Meijer Parking Lot. When I was pregnant with Gavin I was ravenous starved all the time. At that time in my life hunger could drive me to do all kinds of things such as opening up unpaid food while doing grocery shopping only to pay for empty contains at the checkout….or not even being able to make it home before making a sandwich in the parking lot.

Foods I didn’t even like tasted good to me when pregnant with both of my babies. With Gavin I devoured cartons of cottage cheese, tubs of ice-cream, Big Mac’s and Skyline Chilly cheese dogs. With Macey it was Taco Salad and Chinese Food.

#7 Bob Evan’s Turkey Dinner. I was so hungry after I had Macey, and Paul was so good to me. He brought me one of my favorite meals, an extra large ice tea and a big slice of coconut cream pie to wash it all down. All husbands should take lessons from him…buy that pretty wife of yours, whatever her heart desires after all that hard work.

#6 Of course the Bierstuba. I’ve mentioned them on here before.

#5 Lamberts in Missouri. It was a little out of our way…but so worth the drive. They are known for their thrown rolls at which they fling to you from across the dining room. Sometimes they hit the light fixtures or take someone out, but they are big enough that they are easy to catch and still toasty warm. A very fun and tasty dinning experience!

#4 The Beef House. One of the best meals I have ever had in my life!

#3 Hollow Hamburgers. Sorry mom, but it is still one of the funniest meals I remember as a kid. And I know when my sister’s read this they will laugh and remember too. We did not think my mom was the best cook growing up, or maybe we were just like my kids now…and were very picky. My mom would try to make something new and we would choke, gag, feed it to the dog, or flush it down the toilet. There were some real flops, but one of the best was not my mom’s fault at all. She and Dad had purchased some kind of pre-frozen burger to cook out on our little grill. My mom loves a good burger on the grill so I can only imagine her dismay when she placed them on our hamburger buns that they had a liquid slosh sound inside them. We bit into the hamburger and they were completely hollow on the inside and all the juices had pooled and then spilled out onto our plate, soaking our hamburger buns leaving them soggy. I think my sister Kelly and I got in trouble for laughing so hard about it, and we still had to eat them regardless of how disgusting they were.

#2 New England Lobsters Fresh From the Boat. When you go to Maine you must have lobster! There is an incomparable difference to what you will find in these parts, to what you can purchase fresh off the boat. A few times we have visited and my Uncle was in the know of who to call to get live lobster straight off the boat. It takes a very large pot, and a bit of nerve to put something living into a pot of boiling water. But they are so deliciously good that no one can be content with just one.

And there is no better way to work off a full belly of lobster then with a walk on the beach. Oh, and how can I forget a Whoopie Pies for dessert?

Another New England restaurant we favor is Federal Jacks, and the Maine Dinner!

#1 BEST....Memphis Tennessee. When I was six months pregnant with Macey I took Paul to Memphis Tennessee to celebrate his 39th birthday. The best parts of that weekend were mostly all about food, and lots of it, southern style. I cannot even tell you where we ate at, which is sad. When we got to Beale street we walked it up and down, reading all the menus on the store fronts and finally picking one. For being the best meal of my life I seriously don’t remember exactly what we got, but my guess is that it included most of the following. Southern fried catfish, sweet potato fries, ribs, fried green tomatoes, okra, and greens. I just remember being completely satiated after that meal!

Later that night I had researched a ribs place that was off the beaten path. When I say this I mean that we were the only white folk around for miles. We go inside and order an entire rack of ribs….and we finished them all. We were practically lying down in our booths across from each other when we were done…so full! The waitress came to clear our table and said to us “Well, I ain’t never seen nobody eat the whole rack before.” In her very southern drawl. We still laugh about this.

Some other noteable places we have dinned at:

Stone Hill Winery Vintage Resturant

The Old Talbott Tavern

The Overlook Resturant

Karl Ratzsch's

Camera Lesson #2

A Few Helpful Tips

There were some things I had to learn the hard way! Let my mistakes be a lesson for you!

You must reformat your camera card. This is important, find your manual and find out how to format your card. Do not delete each single image from your camera card one at a time. Not only will this take forever, but you are leaving a tiny bit of information on the card each time you do this. Don’t format your card until you have backed your images up on your own computer, or taken them to be printed. When they are gone they are gone. Most importantly, ALWAYS make sure your camera is turned off when you are taking a card out, or putting a card in!

When you become sassy enough to try out some different lenses on the SRL cameras. Again, make sure your camera is off when changing lenses! If it is on there can be a static electrical charge that can cause dust to stick to your lens. Sometimes this can be fixed, sometimes it cannot which would ultimately result in a new lens. It might not seem like a big deal, but trust me when you spend the time to take great images and pull your day’s work up on the screen you don’t want a dust bunny there that you will have to edit off in every single image you will give your client.

Protect your investment! Put the caps on your lenses if you are not using them. Buy a clear filter to fit the top of your lens. These are inexpensive and if you happen to drop your camera smack it, scratch it, you are only damaging the filter, not the hundred to thousand of dollar worth of lens you have behind it. Think about where you put your camera, especially if you have small children. Be mindful of where you store your camera and equipment.

Don’t leave or store your camera in extreme temperatures.

Don’t loan your small fortune camera to your friends! Enough said…unfortunately I have had firsthand experience in this one. No matter who they are, or what they promise just say no!

Invest in the camera bag, and especially the costly, but sturdy tripod!

Hope you have gotten your camera out, dusted it off and have been taking pictures.
Next week we will work on some important vocabulary words that are a must for photographers.



Keep snapping!


To see assignment #1 click here.