Forgetful Me

So, I received my new Knit Picks catalog on Friday. To my delight, there was a photo of a kit for making some beautiful mittens. Aren't they lovely?

When I saw the picture, I suddenly remembered that I already ordered this kit! I'd better pull it out and get knitting on those if I have any hope of making some for holiday gifts!

Also, we attended my best friend from college's son's wedding yesterday. I got to be the photographer and I took one of the funnest shots I've gotten at a wedding yet of the gals in the bridal party.

My friend (& mother of the groom) sewed not only the bridal gown, but the two ruby bridesmaids dresses and her own gown for the occassion!

I think she's amazing!!

Monday, Monday

Today was a typical Monday.

I didn't sleep well last night because my mind was racing with all the things on my "to-do" list for work. You know the list. It's the one made up of things you either didn't get done at the end of last week or the things you put off doing last week until the moment when you realize you've hit the wall on procrastination. Because I was worrying about my lack of ability to complete one project, I found myself mindlessly staring at this computer screen until after 1 a.m. this morning.

(And no, I was not going to jump in and actually do the work stuff at that time of day. What I might have written in that indigo haze would most likely have had to have been scrapped and started over anyway. I played Solitaire and Mahjong.)

I roused myself from slumber *promptly* at 8:15 and sat to write. Amazingly, the words came and two hours later I took a break for coffee after completing two thirds of my task.

I do not know how this next part is actually possible, now that I am writing it out, but after the coffee break progress on work items actually slowed. (Isn't coffee supposed to rev you up? get you going? energize you?) That's how it seems in retrospect anyway.

By 1:30 p.m. I had actually completed and emailed all first drafts to the proper destinations. I had arranged for a 3 p.m. photo shoot. By 2 p.m. I had collected and processed the mail, including a postal letterbox, an LTC tracker envelope with 15 cards, two postcards and a hitchhiker. I had packaged and collected all outgoing mail to take to the post as well.

It was a genuine roll, and I was on it!

Left home shortly after 2 p.m. for an errand to the pharmacy and post office and made my photo shoot right on time.

Emailed work colleagues regarding the progress of my assignments for the day and awaited word from folks on those first drafts I had sent out.

For some reason, and I'm blaming the short night's sleep, I just haven't been able to get the creative mojo going. I don't know if it's because I used up that energy writing copy for advertorials. But as I looked at my carving supplies, my knitting basket, my journal and my camera....I just couldn't get fired up to take up any of them this evening.

I did watch a new episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. The sights, sounds, and imagined smells and tastes of Naples, Italy inspired me to get in here and blog.

So I edited a photo.

And I penned these words.

How was your day? What did you do? What did you create today?

Between Showers

Dodging rain drops here and running outside between showers to try a few shots of the iris. Still trying to learn to ropes on the new camera!






[Note: all drops on flowers are entirely real. And I think there are more headed our way!]

Summer

Have done a lot of traveling the past two days for medical stuff with kids. I sat for 3.5 hours yesterday while DD had her infusion treatment at Blank Children's Hosp. and did not do even one stitch of knitting, even though I had taken a sock project.

Since I didn't knit, I'll just share this summery photo I took on the Iowa Central Campus last weekend.



It reminds me that I did see a TON of butterflies (and dragon flies) while out driving the roads of Iowa.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Higher Education

I've been shooting photos of the new building on the campus of our local community college. It's a very cool building....and green too! Here is one photo, four ways.
(Gotta love Photoshop!)

Lemonade

When life hands you cloudy skies and skid loaders in front of the building you're supposed to photograph, shoot the robin in your driveway.




I'm trying to get a photo of a new bank here in town. It's still under construction, but they need a shot for an ad and promotional piece that is in the works.

The weather is not cooperating for that lovely "blue sky and fluffy white clouds" picture-perfect background!

And the contractor has left big equipment parked all around the exterior of the building. (I am not kidding! There is no angle on this building site that doesn't have some sort of equipment screwing up the photo!)

I pulled into my driveway feeling a bit "harumphy" (that's the mood which accompanies the sound "hhrmph!") This robin flew up onto the fence and stared at me through the windshield.

When I failed to exit the vehicle immediate (s)he began to sing. So I snapped a quick picture [not the best focus, to be sure!] and felt at least I captured something!