I Could Get Used To This

Back in February, I offered my unprofessional-serious-hobbist photography services to my niece for a baby shower gift (so she'd have something to put in the photo collage we got her.) It was so much fun to photograph a newborn! It was also a great learning experience as well, and if I were to do another one (I hope I get to!), I know what I'll do differently and where I can improve.

Of course, all I had was one backdrop, and the apartment wasn't "moved in" yet, so that limited where I could shoot photos (like who wants photos of their baby and them with half unpacked boxes in the background, ya know?) But I was OK about the challenges, since it allowed me a chance to prove to myself that I could adjust to the situation.

Tony was a mere 11 days old when I shot these photos, and I was reminded of how small and precious newborn babies are. Tony was so perfectly sweet and constantly smiling as he slept, so I know the angels in Heaven must miss him, since they were playing with him so much! :-)

Don't judge the photos harshly; it's my first photo shoot of a child not my own!

This is a favorite verse of mine from the Bible, and I have it written in both of my children's baby albums along with their ultrasound photos.

Honey Bun

Back in my senior year of high school I had a thing for Honey Buns.....those oval-shaped-cinnamon-donut-like-confections drowning in white icing. I'd buy one in the morning for breakfast and was usually slumping from the sugar crash by the end of 2nd period. While on one of my favorite recipe sites, I happened upon a recipe called Honey Bun Cake. I had an opportunity to make it this past week, and although it doesn't taste exactly like a Honey Bun, it was a tasty cake anyway.

Honey Bun Cake Recipe

The only changes I made were to bake it for about 45-50 minutes in a Bundt pan, and I used a lot less glaze than it called for.

Be Who You Are

A couple days ago during dinner we were talking about college. Mike and I figure it's never too early to plant those seeds into our children's brains. Eric has stated in the past that he wants to grow up and be a carpenter like his Dad. Awwwww......I know, that is so sweet, and a testament to how much he looks up to his Dad. But even Mike doesn't want him to grow up to be a carpenter; it's a hard life, and quite honestly, there won't be much left to build in 10-15 years when Eric's in the work force full time. So knowing he has a "thing" for building and creating, I've planted those college seeds by whispering "Beeee an engineeeeeeer". Or something along those lines.

So we were having dinner the other night where the"college" conversation was going on. Mike and I were saying to the kids that once you decide what you want to be, you go to college to learn how to be it. Quick as you please, Eric stated, "I just want to be my own person and not study for it."

Mike and I were stunned into silence. How do you come back from that?

Chocolate Trifle

About a dozen years ago I found a recipe that I really wanted to try out. I didn't have the right bowl in which to prepare it, so I drove to Service Merchandise on my lunch hour and bought a trifle dish. I've made it several times over the years, and I've gotta say, with a bit of sadness, that I've never come home with leftovers.

1 package (18.25 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 package (6 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup strong coffee
1 (8 oz) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
6 Heath bars (1.4 oz each), crushed


Bake cake according to package directions. Cool. Prepare pudding according to package directions; set aside (I recommend you use half & half or whole milk to make it richer.) Crumble up the cake; reserve 1/3 cup. Place half of the remaining cake crumbs in the bottom of a 5 qt trifle dish or decorative glass bowl (if using a smaller dish, use smaller portions for each layer). Layer with half of the coffee, half of the pudding, half of the whipped topping, and half of the crushed candy bars. Repeat layers of cake, coffee, pudding and whipped topping. Combine remaining crushed candy bars with reserved cake crumbs; sprinkle over the top. Refrigerate 4-5 hours before serving. Serves 10-12.

Tsunamis

Eric is into reading books about natural disasters. It's almost alarming how he rattles off the death tolls and gazes at the photos of destruction and exclaims, "WHOA! Look at that ! Oh my gosh, SIXTY THOUSAND people dead!" Where's the compassion? Are all 8 year old boys like this?

So today he's reading a book called World's Wost Tsunamis. The world's worst is a rather recent one from December 2004 in Thailand. I explained that he was not quite 4 years old and how I remember that awful natural disaster. Eric went on to read about the Lisbon, Portugal tsunami, and he asked me a question about it: "So Mom, were you around in 1755 for this tsunami too?"

In My Spare Time

For several years I've volunteered at a local no-kill animal shelter. I love all the animals, but my passion is cats. Shortly after I started to volunteer at the shelter, I fell in love with the often forgotten "FIV Cats". These are cats who, in general, live a normal life, but who unfortunately have contracted the feline version of HIV. FIV is not contagious to anyone else except cats, and most likely all these cats got it from being "outside" cats. They need daily meds, but other than that are, like I said, normal cats. The shelter where I volunteer offers FIV cats as "permanent foster" (meaning you are the "pet owner", but they pay for and provide the meds.) I haven't been into the shelter in a couple of months, but was happy to have a reason to stop in there yesterday to take some photos of a few of the newer FIV kitties, as well as spend some time socializing and petting the gang.

************************

Niko, a beautiful, friendly long-haired kitty. Unfortunately he gets picked on by the other cats, perhaps due to his gentle nature. He was found surrounded by a pack of dogs, but calm as could be. A kind stranger heard the barking and rescued Niko. He was extremely matted, dirty, and had a cold so he was probably lost for some time.

OK, this guy isn't new, but he's just special to me. One of the side effects of volunteering at an animal shelter is you have your favorites, one or two that just melt your heart. Tiny Tommy (I just call him Tommy) is "my" cat. Isn't he magnificent?



This big boy with the chipmunk cheeks is Frat. He's a total love bug, friendly and would do well in a home with lottsa love and attention! I can't even imagine what cruel person would "dump" (illegally leave in some manner on the shelter property) this cat on a frigid night. He nearly froze to death before he was found confined in his cat carrier.


Did I mention that Frat is a polydactyl?



Cottonball has been around for a while, but what a camera hog! And the camera loves him too! Cottonball was found as a stray.



Campanelle is another lover boy. Soooo friendly, and a total lap cat hiding in a big tom's body.


This is the most I've ever seen of Big Smokey. And I used the zoom lens at that. He's not too keen on people; not sure why, don't know his story, but he was humanely trapped as a stray by a good samaritan.


This is one of the newer FIV cats, Santa. I'm betting he arrived in late December. I don't know what his story is, but he's missing his left ear. Super friendly cat, though, and would quietly wait for me to come pay him some attention!

Another Casualty of Facebook

Sigh.

Charlotte received some Webkinz for her birthday and Christmas. She has four cats, and we were finally getting around to officially adopting the last one. She initially wanted the name Violet, but the Webkinz site finds that name offensive in some way (even Violette.....vile, violent.....not sure how to stretch to get to the offensive word, whatever it is.) Anyway, belatedly Charlotte adopted her last cat after renaming it Rosie. As we got everything set up and got to her rooms to visit with the other three cats, Charlotte's excited little face fell to a sad frown as she realized that her cats were unhappy and starving to death. She hasn't been online much lately to play with and feed them. I hung my head in shame as I realized that Mommy's Facebooking has nearly killed her Webkinz cats.

Charlotte always lines up her Webkinz animals so they can visit their virtual selves online.

Snail Mail

In the continuing series, I Love...Part III (Part I and Part II), I want to dwell for a moment on "snail mail". One of my favorite things to receive is a letter or package in the mail. What got me thinking about this again is a package I received on Saturday from a friend of mine. She had read below about me being unable to locate a certain candy that I love to snack on, and she found it by her and dropped a whole bag of it in the mail for me. Imagine my surprise to not only receive the candy, but to know she had been thinking about me! We all receive plenty of bills, junk mail, magazines, and advertisements. But how often do you receive an honest-to-goodness letter or package in the mail? Email letters from friends are nice to receive and certainly convenient, but I can't hold it in my hands as I walk up the driveway from the mailbox, feeling how many sheets of paper might be inside, or if a photo is contained therein. There's just something about the whole surprise of seeing personal mail sitting in amongst the junk and bills that instantly brightens my day.

Just 20 years ago there was no internet, no email for the masses. I used to be a decent letter writer "back in the day" and had an assortment of stationary (I still have the remnants of some in the original boxes. They're probably considered relics these days.) At one point in my past, I was located on the east coast and my best friend was on the west coast. We kept our friendship renewed by writing letters, buying stamps, and going to the mailbox. We didn't have money for long distance phone calls, but we could swing the cost of a stamp once or twice a month. We carried on long-distance debates, the latest on our families, the trials we were facing, and the joys we felt. So it's no wonder to me that when I receive something personal in the mail, it instantly brings back good feelings.

I've also kept in touch with a pen-pal I was paired up with back in 7th grade. We've managed to stay in touch all these years.....boyfriends, graduation, college, marriages, careers, children, etc. However, she refuses to get on board with email. At first I was annoyed, because a stamp to Finland is about $1 and an email is free. But I tell ya, whenever I see one of her envelopes in the mailbox.....with her familiar hand writing....I'm thrilled, wondering what news she has to share with me. In a way, I'm glad she's content to keep writing "snail mail" letters. For sure, emails are quick and efficient and I admit I'm guilty of overusing it, but it will never take the place of a hand written note. That's probably why I hang on to them and even have notes from friends that were passed back and forth in the halls of high school.

Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy

A friend of mine shared this on Facebook, and since at the moment I'm all dried up on ideas to blog about, I'm going to post this short video clip. It's so funny, probably because there's a lot of truth to it! (Just remember to first hit the pause/stop button on the "radio").