And that's when I "Snapped"

I was at Target this evening and there was a t-shirt with a camera on it with the saying..."and that's when I snapped!"  I thought that was funny...and meaningful!

There have been a few things that have happened lately that lead me to believe that my "second" career(photography) is beckoning me..."come on over....snap to it...don't be negative..."  Okay..those were pretty corny but it's late and I'm tired as I write this...

I've been finding more and more photography blogs and websites and bookmarking them.  I found one the other night on facebook that just fascinated me because the woman is from Atlanta and she's Hispanic.  She has three kids and has some beautiful shots of her kids.  In fact, she in halfway through a year long project where she is taking a photo a day and telling a story of her kids.  I've seen this done before - the 365 photo project theme - but this one is just different.  I'm so drawn in by her photos and the stories they tell.  I am just wanting to devour her website and see what I can learn from her.  Of course, I need the time to do this so I'm just getting it in small doses and pieces. 

Meanwhile, another photographer on facebook - in Birmingham - has just offered a second day long workshop with another photographer where they bring would-be photogs together to talk, exchange ideas and then photograph children and a newborn.  The workshop they just had was well attended according to the pictures online and cost $500.  The one they are offering in February has gone up $25.  Not sure why there change in such a short period of time but regardless, I was excited to see something like this offered locally!  I would love to be a part of one but I know the Feb date is not a good one for me.  And the cost... I'm not sure if this is a good price for something like this or not.  I have to do a little more research into that for sure.

Another part of me is a bit scared to take part in something like this for stupid reasons.  For one, when I saw the photos of the women in the first workshop, they had some amazing camera equipment on them.  I was a bit envious and intimidated, to say the least.  Another reason is that I'm not that up to speed with flash and lighting and shooting manually.  I think you need to have a better understanding of that so you don't go into something like this and feel like you've wasted your investment.  Nothing worse than going into something where "language" is used and you have no clue.  So, it would probably be best to take a class to learn all the bells and whistles on MY camera before setting out to participate in a workshop like this.

At any rate, it's good to know workshops like this are out there and going on...I really need to work that into my schedule soon. 

Miguel and I had a good conversation last week about the photography business we want to start.  He said we need to set some dates and goals or we will never do this.  He's right.  He, of course, if about to have child number two in October and then we get into the holiday season.  Not the best time to get something like this started so we've made a pledge to move on this the first part of 2011. 

Of course, that doesn't mean we can't take a few opportunities as they come along to us.  I've been asked to take photos at an event in September.  I'm sure this would be for free but it's an opportunity nonetheless and it wouldn't hurt to be seen with the camera in a room full of people I know.  And...I've begun taking my camera everywhere I go anyway so what's the harm.  I'm also looking forward to taking photos of Miguel's newborn.  That will be a new experience.  I'm sure he'll be all over that subject too!  And he wants me to take his family photo for their Christmas card like I did last year.  I need him to take ours this year too.  We never got around to it last year - or rather - we never had time last year!  My family is harder to round up than his!

The biggest need right now is getting a better flash for my camera.  Guess I'll be doing a search tomorrow to see what I can find.  And I really want to try creating a 365 photo blog and see where I can go with that...  Now I just need a catchy title...or not...

Emergency Room Adventure

My entire week (last week) was a roller coaster ride of sorts.  I never felt like I was able to finish much and at times every step forward was met with a few steps backwards.  Too many situations/circumstances to mention at the moment and when you get right down to it and what happened on Friday afternoon, it all seems meaningless...let me explain...

I arranged my day to leave around 1 to run a quick errand and then pick up mother and take her to the airport by 2:30 for her flight to Chicago to visit my sister and her family.  As I got into my car I listened to a message from a missed call.  It was the nurse at the high school saying she had Emily in with her and asked me to call her back.  She told me Emily's heart had been racing for about 20 minutes at about 160-180 bpm.  She said Em was calm and not upset or anything and they were trying to bring it down but not having much luck.  She said the next step would be to call the paramedics and see what they could do to help the situation.  I talked to Em and she seemed normal/fine - not excited about it so I wasn't too worried at that point.  I told the nurse I would have the cell phone with me and would wait to hear back on what the paramedics reported. 

Just a few minutes later, one of the paramedics called me and said they thought it would be a good idea to take her on in to the hospital through emergency.  Her heart rate was at 200 bpm so they were making preparations to take her wherever I wanted her to go.  I said St. Vincents since her pediatrician is there.  I was driving that way as we spoke so I said I would go and wait for them to arrive.  Meanwhile, I had a missed call from husby and we finally connected.  He had been contacted too by the nurse and already knew what was going on but didn't know they were about to take Em to the hospital. 

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot at St. Vs...got another call from the medic saying St Vs said to take her directly to Childrens Hospital.  By this time I was getting panicked because I still needed to get mother to the airport and I wanted to be at the hospital when Em arrived.  I called Eddie and told him to go on over to Childrens and I would take care of mother and meet him there. 

The drive to mothers and then to the airport seemed to take 3 hours...on my way there I tried to call Eddie but he didn't answer his phone.  I got mom taken care of and went on to Childrens...didn't know where to park because of all the construction so just went to the regular deck.  Turns out I could have parked right outside the emergency room but wasn't sure how to get there.  I say all this because it just added more and more time to getting to my daughter.  Tried Eddie two more times on the cell and got no answer.  By now I'm REALLY worried because "why isn't he answering?"  Did something happen and did it get worse?  I stayed calm and got to the emergency room and was told Em was in room 10. 

I walked up to the room and there was an empty bed - no Em...no Eddie.  Talk about your heart rate jumping...  There was a Hispanic woman and her son in the same room divided by a curtain.  She saw me walk in and must have sensed my panic and motioned down the hall.  I spoke to her and she said the girl was down the hall in the bathroom.  Okay...starting to calm down now. 

Blood had been taken and other tests ordered and we then were playing the waiting game to see if there was a problem.  I got the full story of Em's adventure and how it started, what the paramedics said and the fact that the emergency room doctor was a hunk.  As soon as she was settled into the emergency room, her heart rate self-corrected.  The paramedics took an EKG while she was in the ambulance so they had something to send the cardiologist.  The one they took when she was at the hospital was normal. 

The hunky doctor (aka "McLovin") came in and said everything looked fine and she would be released as soon as the paperwork was finished up.  We were surprised since the paramedics said she would probably be there overnight.  We were told to schedule a cardiologist appointment - with the one who received her EKG - within 10 days and he would check her out.  Meanwhile...all seemed fine.

Amazing how quickly something - like your day - can change...we went from thinking the worst to driving her home and then on to her musical rehearsal.  She was more worried about missing that rehearsal than anything... It was probably a good distraction for her so she wouldn't worry about her heart rate.  My head was meanwhile spinning with everything that had just happened and trying to shake all the horrible scenarios I had conjured up in my mind that "3 hours" before I could get to her at the hospital.  And all those "other" things I had worried about all week?  Gone from my mind...not important...pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things...

On the way home the clouds were dark and dreary and a little rain was falling.  But I looked up at one point and saw the sun peeking through...it matched my mood at that moment. 

The year so far...2010...

I was looking back on my previous posts and ran across one I called "the year so far..." at the end of July 2009.  After posting a few weeks ago about school starting for the kids and how I use this time of year to get myself organized for the second half, it seemed like a good time to recap and see what has happened to date.  Shall we?

*  Husby and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary to get the year started.  We headed for a weekend away at Callaway Gardens in Georgia.  Everything was pretty deserted at the gardens because it was right after Christmas and New Years but that made it all the more special - like we had the whole place to ourselves!  We are planning something big for our 25th....the discussion continues...

*  Cousin drama reared it's ugly head again...long story short...my cousin and her husband managed to squander over $50K that was supposed to help them (and their 3 small children) stay in my aunt's house for 2-1/2 years.  My final act of assistance was really geared toward my mother in the form of helping my cousin clean out her garage so mother could go through my grandmother's things that were in there.  What an ordeal...but it gave my mother some closure on what should have happened when my grandmother passed away.  And who knew we would find my kids' changing table in there?  I thought we had gotten that back...

*  I took a backwards tumble down the basement stairs the end of January and walked away from what could have been a disastrous situation.  I still don't know how I didn't break my neck and I still have a mark on my neck where I landed. 

*  Decided in February this was the year to have a partial hysterectomy after discussion with my gynecologist at my annual visit.  Luckily I was able to plan this for a time when the calendar was somewhat clear.  I was off from April 26th - surgery was April 28th - until June 14th....and it was wonderful.  Although I feel much better I'm still waiting to feel like that "new woman" everyone said I would feel like.  Maybe I was expecting too much.

*  My mother is having a rough year...some physical but some self induced with her tendency to worry and also her feelings of loneliness.  Seems like all this came to a head with the need for a new roof.  Mind you... there was a storm this spring and then the roofing companies came out of the woodwork going to homes in our area and "looking" for work saying there was hail damage, etc.  Most of mother's neighbors are getting new roofs and she isn't...her insurance company said she didn't have damage.  Of course, this flew all over her because she has had leaks and damage to her ceiling for some time now.  Another long story short... everyone is getting something she is not and there is a feeling (which I can understand) that everything is always so hard for her to come by.  I would feel the same way.  But this seems to have been the tipping point for her in worrying about her future and the thought she should move to an apartment to get out from under house repairs, etc.  Oy.....  The reality is her house payment is so much less than apartment rent would be and she also has equity which she will need later once she can no longer live there.  There is more, of course, but too much to say here.  It's been a bit trying...

*  Took a step forward in creating a photography business with my friend Miguel.  We shot a wedding in May as a favor to a friend of mine.  That was fun...and a little nerve-raking all at the same time!  I've shot pics of a friend and her newborn at the hospital and then created a video to go along with it.  That was fun and rewarding.  I know Miguel is looking at equipment we might need to get this business going - hopefully not too much.  The immediate need for me would be a better flash for my camera.  Meanwhile, I take my camera everywhere I go and take photos, post them and let folks see what I can do.  I get great feedback...and it makes me feel great too!  It may be the beginning of the year before we get this off the ground.  Miguel and his wife will have baby number two in October and I'm sure it will be an adjustment going from one child to two!  I remember THOSE days!  But at least we are talking about this and making plans.  We both have our day jobs which pay the bills...this would be our passion job and we'll map out the time.  It's important to both of us.

The family at Charlie's 21st Birthday

*  We had two milestone birthdays this year. Charlie turned 21 in March and we had a surprise party for him at La Brisa.  It turned out great and I know he was excited about the turnout.  I was able to create 3 videos - one of his early years, one of the "second" half of his life and one of his sports life.  We showed them throughout the party and then Maria and Juan at La Brisa surprised him with a birthday "shot" - it was rather amusing.  I was so grateful for facebook throughout the planning because I was able to get in touch with his friends and extend invitations without his knowledge.  Worked out great!  Then in May (while I was off on medical leave), I planned Emily's Sweet 16 birthday here at the house.  She had a great group of friends here and thankfully, I had Anna Marie and Eddie here to help get everything pulled together in the basement for this event. 

Emily with her Sweet 16 Birthday Cake

*  Not to leave Anna Marie out of this recap...she started her second year at Troy University on July 30th - actually that was move in date and sorority rush started that evening.  It was just me and Anna moving her in but she had everything so organized that we got everything taken care of rather quickly!  We celebrated her 19th birthday the week before she left and she enjoyed her actual birthday at Troy with a visit from Ryan.  Things are just getting started at Troy but she was happy to be back and I'm glad she loves college so much.

Anna with her new RayBans!

*  I am in year 8 of the Hispanic festival that I helped create back in 2003.  The board of directors decided to move the festival from downtown to my town this year but it took awhile to get the move confirmed and all.  We also did not rehire the firm that has handled the event for us since its inception - another long story, but we did hire someone from their firm to manage the event for us in its new location.  The event has been scaled back due to the lack of time to seek sponsorships - but people have been contacting me for months wondering what is going on and when it's going to take place.  We are 9 weeks from the event now...I have panic attacks every other day but I know we have a good plan in place and we are working it....  Meanwhile, we deal with rumors and people who have no connection to the event, spreading rumors that it isn't going to take place.  This isn't good for sponsorships, of course, and it borders on sabotage at times.  It's just the nature of the beast I guess, but it DOES get old.  Sometimes I'd like to be like Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes and just back my car into some of these folks because "I'm older and have more insurance"...  Other times I'd just like to slap some folks...

These are the highlights...4 more months to go and there is a LOT going on too.  Looking forward to a short trip to Savannah with husby and a few couples over Labor Day Weekend.  Then there is my 10th annual cookie exchange party!  That will be loads of fun...plus there are quite a few folks who want to be invited this year because of the pics I posted on facebook last December. 

See...I take great photos!

From Chaos to Order...every 6 weeks or so...

What a week it's been...school started Wednesday for Emily and Anna Marie - of course Anna is at Troy so it was just Em going through the "back to school" traditions.  Charlie doesn't start for another week and a half.  Our traditions have always been to set the table the night before and make waffles for the kids the first day of school.  Then the night before (as hard as I try I never seem to get it done earlier!) I make each child a personal card about their school year and also find some keepsake item to surprise them with.  For many years they got a keepsake along with a beanie babies when they were all the rage.  This year for Em it was cute notepads and musical dvds including "A Chorus Line."  The other tradition is the pictures on the steps and then at the bus stop.  In this case though, Em got in the car and drove off today.  Times have certainly changed.  Both first days for Em and Anna went well...both seem to like their classes and so far so good...

Through all this I've been trying to find the time to go through several bags of paperwork, stacks here and there...it's overwhelming and I kick myself every time it gets to this point.  Then, as I was going through my calendar to figure out when my last haircut appointment was...it hit me...I go through this every 6 weeks around the same time I get my hair cut!  WEIRD...  It's also about the time I schedule Lucy's grooming appointment.  I wonder if she feels disorganized too?!!

Adding to this is the fact that the weather has been close to 100 every single day for several weeks.  It's really getting old.  I'm just SO over this heat...upstairs in the house it's hot - the second floor never seems to get cool enough and yet the new roof was supposed to help with this.  I'm not sure what the situation is with that but husby has a call in to the roofing company about that and a couple other things.  But we aren't holding our breath for a quick resolution.  I hate to stereotype but like most of these contractors they get your money and move on and the "little" things that they promised to do - like fix the screen they poked holes in - gets put WAY down on their "to do" list. 

Oh..and add one more change in scheduling too...I've decided to start walking at night with Lucy.  This is my second week and it's been going pretty good!  Despite the heat and humidity, Lucy and I really need this and we walked for 30-45 minutes most nights last week.  This week we even had an hour walk!  Tonight we walked earlier because I HAVE to switch to mornings and tomorrow morning is the first day to try this.  Getting this out of the way first thing in the morning will also free my evenings up for other things.  Of course, it means going to bed earlier and that's going to take some getting used to!

As an added incentive I've found an online website to track my food and exercise and help keep me accountable so I can lose some weight.  It's been liberating the past two nights sitting down at the laptop and typing everything in to this space.  I felt a complete shift in how I'm thinking about my weight and instead of looking at how much weight I want to lose, I'm looking at what my goal is and how much I'm chopping away at it!  Of course, from one day to the next it was just 1 pound but maybe tomorrow it will be one more and then one more the next day...  I can pull up a chart with this site and see my progress.  It's amazing what you can find online these days...

Part of what I wanted to do this year was get my health in order and I think this is a good and serious start - after the surgery I had.  Now I need to get that hair appointment tomorrow and all will be right with the world!  Lucy already had her grooming appointment on Wednesday.  She's a little ahead of me in this process!

Another school year about to start...

School is about to start again.  I know the kids always say the summer went by too fast but for once I would have to agree with them!  I always loved this time of year, the organizing, buying school supplies and getting everyone back on track.  It's also the time of year when things really start to crank up for me at work and with my nonprofit work....well, more than usual anyway.  I'm trying not to get back on that treadmill though.  It's a challenge every day!  I still use it as an excuse to get myself organized for the second half of the year.

Anyway, back to school starting...Troy and Hoover both start on August 11th.  Sheldon State not far behind...  Everyone will be back in a routine - or so I hope...

Rachel and Anna in their newly decorated sorority house room!

I moved Anna Marie back to Troy on Friday.  It took two cars but I was surprised that we weren't packed to the hilt!  She did a great job of organizing everything and making sure containers were packed with the right stuff so all she had to do - for the most part - was place them in the correct spots in her sorority room.  The nice thing was knowing she would be back in the same room as last year and this year she has her friend Rachel rooming with her.  They are like two peas in a pod, they have similar style and so the room looked terrific when I left.  I don't know if she has seen the photos I've taken because she had to deactivate her facebook page in anticipation of sorority rush.  I had no sooner left her sorority house when she called to tell me this so I wouldn't be shocked!  I'm sure I would have figured it out but still...it was nice of her to call and tell me personally!  She has been excited about going back to school for over a week now.  I'm so glad she likes it at Troy.

This was definitely different than the move last year...when we ALL went down to Troy and helped her with the move into her dorm.  At one time - between Anna Marie and her roommate - I think we had about 15 people in that little room trying to get things organized!  This year it was just me and Anna and Rachel and her parents.  And when I left she didn't cry...she hugged me about 5 times but there was no crying...well, SHE didn't cry...

Charlie works on his car transmission.

Eddie registered Charlie for Shelton State this week.  Charlie took last semester off from Jeff State to figure things out.  He is now registered for the automotive program at Shelton and he is very excited about this.  Finally...studying something he wants to do for a living.  He has spent so much time this summer working on cars for friends and also his own - if he isn't tired of it by now then this is the right route for him to take!  He lives for cars!!!  And he will definitely have an early drive each day to Tuscaloosa for class - leaving the house at 6:30 a.m.! - but I think in this case the routine will be good for him.  I'm anxious to see how this goes for him.  I know he's ready...

Emily performs at the MCAT Showcase in July

Emily...Miss Emily...she is going to be a junior in high school this year.  She has an exciting and busy year ahead of her too.  She auditioned for Chamber Choir again and will be part of the TNT program at school.  This is also her first year to take a theatre class.  In addition, she is waiting to hear (by tomorrow) is she will be in a musical she auditioned for a few weeks back.  If she is, then rehearsals will start on Monday before school starts!  So the school year will start off with a bang for her...  I do hope she gets a part in the musical.  She spends so much time practicing and working on dance and music in her room.  She just cranks up that stereo and goes at it!  Sometimes I can hear her singing along and I just love that.  Meanwhile, we have some back to school shopping to do this weekend.

Yes...summer is about over.  I wish someone would tell Mother Nature though because this 90+ degree temperatures are really getting old!