Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Bluebonnets!!





Every Spring the great Texas tradition is to have photos made of your family, kids, friends, and pets in the beautiful blue (or purple as my kiddo has decided) fields of flowers. All along Texas highways you can see families hopping out of the family truckster and tip toeing to the perfect spot in the middle of the flowers. Usually someone has been before them so there is already an empty space where the flowers have been trampled for a picture. Not sure this is really the best approach to this tradition.

Making a pretty picture of your kid in the bluebonnets seems like a simple thing to do, plop them down, get them to smile and snappity snap!

The reality is more like bribe the child to sit into the middle of the flowers where there are certain to be fire ants or bees. Having found a bug free spot, you need to then tell you child, if they are old enough to understand you, not to pick the flowers or not to eat them if they are under two. The child is now wondering why he is sitting there in the middle of itchy flowers with mom and dad trying to make him smile.

As a photographer and a mother, I have learned that patience is key, yet you have to be ready for that instant when a smile appears. Miss it and mom and dad are annoyed that they have to keep trying to make Mr.Fussypants laugh or smile. Of course they are keeping a brave face for you, the photographer, because they do not want you to know that their child is anything but lovely, smart and happy all the time.

I take my own shots of my kiddo. I also let him take some of me. He shot a good one last year! We trade and it makes him feel like it is a game for both of us. Since digital cameras are so small, easy to use and have tons of memory, there really is no such thing as a wasted picture. Remember that sometimes the "no smile" pics are cute too. Have them try a silly face. Be a clown. Be a princess. Use your surprise face! All fun for little ones to try. I try to get him closer to me so I can actually see his face, then I can fill the frame with flowers.

My other tricks include not going to the side of the highway. It is dangerous: traffic, snakes, fire ants. Look around neighborhoods and parks. The Wildflower Center has a designated spot to help you out. I also heard that the Mueller Development has some lovely areas.

My neighborhood has a bunch blooming along the easements. I can frame the shot so they look endless. You can alway plant your own patch as well but think ahead. Plant this Fall for possible blooms in Spring. I have found that the second year is usually better.

As for a diversions...yes, bring bribes, bubbles work will too or a ball to toss. Anything to keep those little eyes up.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

My job future

All the newspaper closings and layoffs have left everyone in the industry nervous and on edge. I have to say, me included. I AM usually the optimist. I am going to continue to do my job the best I can and not be sad about the veterans who all took the early retirement. Their last day was yesterday.

I can't help but wonder if I need a plan B away from journalism.

I know it will not be teaching, Texas is flooded with teachers now that folks have lost jobs. Teaching what they know (or don't know) seems the most obvious. The medical field needs folks but I don't think I am cut out for that.

Would I want a job that ties in with something I love doing? That is what I did with photography. Sometimes my job takes away from my love of the craft. Something I did not expect and that I am not crazy about. I have become a jaded somewhat and at times fail to appreciate the beauty of the art of photography. Teaching at UT helped me get some of that passion back.

I love to bake. If I go to culinary school to become a pastry chef, will I continue to love to bake or will it become a chore? I love to garden. If I get a degree in landscape design or horticulture, will my garden become an evolving thing of beauty or an overgrown mass of weeds? Career with horses? Mine would be neglected and horse people either have tons of money or none.

I wonder if I should learn a trade. A plumber or electrician? They do some nasty dirty work but get paid well and will always be in demand. I don't even know how to go about becoming skilled in a trade.

The hospitality industry seems like a good fit for me. I love making people happy and feel welcome. The pay is less than desirable though especially when you consider the fact that you have to work weekends.

Speech therapy sounds fulfilling but I don't have time for that much school. That also goes for most therapy where I could help folks get well.

For those who know me, I would love suggestions. I am sure there is somethink I have not thought of. Maybe I will not even need a plan B. I hope not. It has taken me 20 years to become good at what I do. I am much too impatient for that agian.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Rain, Blessed Rain

It has been raining for the past 2 days here in Central Texas. We have needed it. And while it is 45 degrees and raining, miserable weather by some standards, I am happy to see it. I dumped about 2 inches from the horse feed buckets this morning. I got their blankets on last night so they are damp but toasty. I am sure they would like to be in the front pasture but that is closed in hopes that some grass will grow. I am tempted to go by some grass seed and put it down today, except that I have a sinus infection and feels like my head may explode at any moment.

I got some plants put in over the weekend so now they can have a nice drink and not get fried.

I am trying an orange tree and a lime tree. I have seen rather large citrus trees in the area. I planted ours near sprinkler heads and on the south side of the house. I am also going to put in a fig tree this weekend.

Our fruit tree totals will be this: 5 peach trees, 2 plum trees, 1 apricot, (not sure how many pecans survived the summer) one for sure, 1 pear tree, maybe 2 apple trees (again not sure if they survived the long hot summer, 1 fig, 1 orange tree, 1 lime tree and then 2 lemon trees in pots and one lime tree in a pot. I want kiddo to be able to pick fresh fruit as he grows up. The orange tree is right outside my office window. I am looking at it along with the sandbox, roadrunners, and happy birds playing in the rain.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Central Texas Bucket List

When you live in Central Texas in the Austin area, there are certain things you MUST do before you leave or die (assuming you never leave Austin to live somewhere else). My short list includes:
1. Swim in Barton Springs
2. Go to the Capitol
3. Dance at the Broken Spoke
4. Eat at as many local, non restaurant chains as possible.
5. have a Mexican martini at the Cedar Door
6. See something at the Paramount
7. visit the UT campus (extra points if it is during a football game)
8. hike the greenbelt, especially when there is water flowing
9. See a live music show anywhere (too many places to select just one)
10.Hang out on South Congress, visit the shops and bask in coolness.

I crossed off #3 last week. I had a friend from way back visiting. In fact, he was my first prom date. I went to six proms over four years so that is how I can have a FIRST prom date. He wanted to go to the Broken Spoke to go dancing. I am one of those people who thinks I am a good dancer but really am not because I constantly try to lead when I am dancing with a partner. I am working on this.

Dale Watson was playing and the hubby was home so it seemed like a good opportunity to cross something off my list. We got there and paid the $5 cover (I should have paid the $8 cover so I could get a dancing lesson or two). Tim got us a couple beers and we got the lay of the land. The dance floor is long and rectangular. On either side, there are tables up a step, then up another step on each side there are more tables. A basketball player would have issues because the ceiling are very low where the table are. Maybe this encourages sitting and having a beer.

We watched the dancers spin in a counterclockwise motion around the dance floor. There were good dancers and not so good dancers. No one seemed to mind either way they were just happy enjoying the music. I am not going to describe the pain I put Tim through trying to dance with him. But I clearly needed to let go of my need to lead so I looked at the ceiling to try and feel want his body was telling me to do. I suggested he ask other women to dance while I watched.

An older gentleman asked me to dance. He was tall, had a grandpa belly and a kind face. I explained that I would love to but I was not very good. He showed me some steps off to the side and worked with me until I got the rhythm. Then we tried it on the dance floor. After several dances I got a little better. He held me firmly and guided me around the floor. Pressed against his belly, I felt surprisingly comfortable and went with him as we two stepped our way though the crowd. He was, in fact, a grandpa who was taking the night off from watching his grand kids who were the same age as my kiddo.

After a couple beers, I was ready to try and dance with Tim again. He didn't give up on me and finally we had a good dance to a fast-ish song. It was so much fun and everyone was there to dance and listen to Dale Watson. We met a couple from Norway, a young woman from Australia and one from London.

I had to go to work the next morning so around midnight, I asked if he minded if we got going. I think he would have liked to stay but came with me just the same. I would like to go again some day and pay $3 extra for the dance lessons.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Blog about work? Never

While I would love to blog about work as a means to vent, I have a few reason why I will not.

1. I really may regret something I type and publish

2. when someone with more clout than me reads what I write and publish, I may not have the opportunity write about work anymore because there will be no more work.

3. I just don't want to re-live the stress.

I really don't why they keep creating new cop and hospital shows when a newspaper would be great. What was the last one...Lou Grant? They could even make a good soap around a newspaper. Lots o drama. Maybe I'll go into script writing and that will be my project. The only problem is that I am queen of the unfinished project. My children's book started a few blogs ago being a prime example.