Natalie's Journal

Moving

2010-07-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

Wow. I've really neglected this blog. The good news is I'm still posting on my other blog. After some thought, I've decided to only post on the new one. Even though it's technically a photography blog, most of it is personal. Farewell! It's been a really fun journey....I appreciate each and every one of the comments you all have left me:)

A Weekend Snapshot

2010-06-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

I took my SAT test today. It was boring, important, and hard. This sometimes seems to be the worst combination. If a test is boring, unimportant and easy you can twiddle your thumbs and explore the contents of your purse after you finish answering all the questions. If a test is boring, important and hard you can twiddle your thumbs all you want, but you can't get into your purse, read a book, or even leave your chair if you have any spare time before a section ends. If you're like me, you're lucky to have any time left over during a hard test anyway, so that information is really pointless. You are told that calculators are "only to be used for mathematical purposes."
You can't talk in the halls. You really can't talk anywhere. If you want to eat during the breaks, you have to quietly exit the highschool classroom and eat like a squirrel in the hallway. But altogether, it was fun. Fun because I was able to finish something I will probably never have to face it again.

I can't believe that summer is almost here. (Just one more week of concerts and math finals and I will be done until next year!) Now we just need some good weather here in the pacific northwest. I'm terribly conflicted about this. On the one hand, dry weather is undoubtedly a lovely thing. On the other hand, grass pollen likes to attack my face on sunny June days. I like to see my enemy.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Beach Day

2010-05-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

This summer I plan to print out the photos I take and put them in an album. I have thousands of images on my computer that are only- well, on my computer. I miss tangible prints.

A Photo Blog...

2010-05-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not deleting this blog. I just needed a new space to blog the photoshoots I do with people. An "official" link to give inquisitive people who want to see the portraits I take. (Ok, nevermind. That was just an excuse to start a fresh blog...)

So head over to check out my latest shoot at.....

nataliebrookephotography.blogspot.com

2010-05-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hello, blogworld! It's been a bit since I've written about life in general. During the past few weeks I've been working on an end of year essay, attending classes, and planning things for the following months.

I got a new camera (Nikon D90 FTW!!) and finally finished The City of God. I scrambled around trying to memorize Chopin for my piano syllabus test scheduled for this Sunday, and blatantly ignored my SAT prep book.
I'm really excited about the weeks ahead. Two photoshoots with families from school, choir concerts, government testing, SAT, online Summer Shakespeare course, and GB3 summer homework. (Not to mention photography business stuff...) It's going to be fun!
And did I mention that three of my cousins are staying for a week starting Wednesday? I'm very excited. Nine children. Evening Pop-Tart fests. We might even make a movie!
(I know this seems like a kind of hyperactive post....but it's really all I have to say.)

Hope you all enjoy your week!

Camping

2010-05-01T17:58:00.001-07:00

My dad camped somewhat frequently as a child, so my family tries to venture out into the "wilderness" at least once a year. I love camping. I attribute this love, however- to my Oregonian background, rather than that intrinsic passion which so many "outdoorsy people" exhibit. I don't like bugs. I don't like smelling like smoke. But I love hiking- rain or shine. I love sitting around a campfire listening to my brothers educate me on the 50+ ways to roast a marshmallow. (Actually they roast anything they can get their hands on.)

While we were cooking dinner Friday night, Jerome disappeared inside the car and somehow got his sweatshirt hooked on Gabe's fishing line. Have you ever tried to unhook a two-year-old from a line? It's nearly impossible.

We actually camped beyond the lake, right in front of a dam that keeps countless tons of water from flooding the valley. Andre and I spent a lot of time speculating how quickly our campsite would be washed away if the dam broke. That's us, always thinking of the worse case scenario;)

While Susanna and the boys chucked rocks in the lake, I read a book and took pictures.

I'm going to say loud and clear so there will be no doubts: we are hilariously inept campers.
Years ago, one of my brothers (who shall remain anonymous) only brought one pair of pants and ended up in my sister's pink leggings on the way home.
A few years ago a couple raccoons decided to investigate the back of our suburban. THEY TRIED TO EAT MY BAGELS. NOT OK.
Then there was the time we forgot a sleeping bag. Or the time the handle to our frying pan malfunctioned and next thing we knew we were looking at the contents of the pan lying in a miserable little heap covered in dust.

This picture of my sister makes me smile. Susanna loves camping, as long as no fire ant hills are involved. She is petrified of fire ants. And frankly, I don't blame her.

Hike Up The Butte

2010-04-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we went on a short hike. Susanna reminds me of Heidi in these pictures. It's not every day you see a girl climb up a hill wearing her church clothes.
We had had blue skies all morning, but by the time Jerome woke up from his nap and we all piled into the car it was at least 4:00, and the clouds had returned. Still a great afternoon for a walk.

To me this seems like a lovely place to study. Except that on nice days there can be as many as fifteen people at the top just hanging around eating sandwiches, etc. As you can imagine, that would be very distracting. Going up, I overheard a guy mutter something about a "super highway."

Lucy made quite the effort to get to the top. Lucy is basically the definition of a couch potato. Or a "floor potato" as my mom says, seeing how Lucy is never allowed on our couches. (I resent having to share a seat with an animal.)

Jerome's a trooper. He walked halfway up all by himself, refusing to be carried. I mean, if your three brothers were far ahead of you blazing new trails, would you want to be carried to the top? That's just not cool.

iFly to Old Gas Stations

2010-04-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

I love those random little things that make my life a tad bit more exciting. A few months ago I received a Flickr message from "Sebastiaan," who apparently collects photos for iFly, an online magazine the Royal Duch Airline company (KLM) publishes. (Completely random, considering that I have absolutely no stock photo connections.) Apparently the mag team was putting together a spread on Oregon and needed some images to entice their readers to fly halfway across the world.
To be perfectly honest, I was somewhat puzzled. I mean, Oregon is really gorgeous- but out of a multitude of Flickr photos, they selected a shot of a gas station out in the sticks of Eastern Oregon?
Don't get me wrong- I love old gas stations. If I could photograph only one thing for the rest of my life, I'd seriously consider primordial gas stations. It's just that when I took this picture, I wasn't exactly envisioning upscale Dutch traveling magazines. I was just in awe of the dusty, rugged, stunning land that stretched on for miles. (I was also aware of the poor quality of the outhouse behind the convenience store.)

I didn't get paid anything, of course- but looking back I should have tried to get some tulips out of this deal.

A Monday Adventure

2010-04-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon, after my classes ended, my mom and I drove up to Portland for Ree Drummond's book signing that started at 6:00 at a local bookstore. We were both ridiculously excited- both of us are hardcore PW fans. Completely and utterly obsessed.

I'm not usually interested in book signings. Twilight? Harry Potter? Thanks but no thanks- I'll be hiding in the poetry section. You can come find me when the hordes of maniacal teenage zombie zealots dissipate. (No offense to my friends who read these books.)

Drummond, from what I could tell, is just as kind, gracious and funny as she is on the internet. Since over 500 people showed up, my mom and I had to wait a good while to get our book signed. We went and had dinner, shopped a little bit, and found a good frozen yogurt shop. At ten we drove to my aunt and uncle's house- nearly getting lost in the process of navigating urban highways.

But back to the actual signing event. Before the PW arrived, the bookstore staff guy who was organizing the event felt the need to tell a crowd of 500 women that Drummond was detained because of that "cloud over Iceland" and that she wouldn't be able to make it.
If I remember correctly, no one laughed. Until, of course, PW showed up.

Of Tyrants and Tea Parties

2010-04-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."-George Washington

During the past week or so, I've had mixed feelings about the tax day "Tea Parties." Excitement, because I love the feeling of protesting unjust government. Discouragement because I live in a very liberal area of the country. And maybe a bit of disdain, because to be honest I really don't like Sarah Palin or McCain or Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly- a few big names commonly attached to the tax day protests.

After a late-afternoon piano lesson on Thursday, my family and I went downtown to join the crowd that had congregated in the area in front of the old courthouse. Normally this area is the sanctum of hula-hooping hippies (no, I'm not kidding) and former beatnik bums who play the "drums of peace" for an appreciative audience every Saturday.

On this particular night, however- we listened to congressional candidate Art Robinson give a speech.

Robinson is currently president and research professor at Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine and is decidedly pro-life. I know my readers are spread far and wide, but if you live in this area I would highly recommend checking out his website and voting for him in the next election.

(And yeah...I did just endorse somebody on here. I told you this was a random blog!)

I could photograph these faces all day without becoming bored. Intense expressions everywhere.

"Mr. Gorbachev...tear down that wall!"

What do you think of the Tea Parties?

Ranunculi

2010-04-13T19:00:00.001-07:00

Texture here.

A Saturday Drive

2010-04-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

My mom, sister and I went rode out to the country today. My mom wanted to pick up some flowers at a plant nursery, and I wanted to scout out possible locations for photoshoots. I know I've been posting way too often, but I just had to show you these sheep:

I've been down this road countless times, and always enjoy seeing these creatures- some of whom usually seem to be in a comatose state. I really do like sheep, but my attitude towards them can be summed up using the eloquent words of American general George S. Patton: "Follow me or get out of my way." (Technically, he said "Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way," but the idea of being led by a sheep is not particularly appealing to me.)
Looking at the picture above, I remember a civil war reenactment I witnessed a few years ago. To present an accurate picture of a battle during that time, the actors fell to the ground like possums and played dead. They did a remarkably fine job, and so did these sheep.

My favorite color combination.

I want to go sit in this field and read a book. But I might get distracted by the sheep that are probably hiding in the bushes. Terribly distracting situation, wouldn't you agree?

This orchard may look lonely, but in the fall- hordes of children congregate for the harvest festival. The highlight of this event is undoubtedly the free apple cider, although some may argue for the concert given by a couple of middle-schooled girls dressed up in pig suits. One of my brothers made the acute observation that we have no way of knowing the age of these people. My mom was then forced to point out that no other age demographic would do something like that.

Orchards are so much better in the spring, don't you think?

Music Fur Ur Ears

2010-04-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This post is part of a series that shall hopefully be continued in the following weeks. I'm going to be working on new and wild photo-projects soon, but for now you get my harebrained thoughts on music.

Fur Elise is probably one of the most-played songs in recitals around the country (and for good reason). Impressively, Americans can say the name of this infamous song and still avoid sounding like Huckleberry Finn. (Must be the European association.) In an imaginary conversation, however, things can take a disastrous turn:

"You gonna write a song for Becky Thatcher, Tom?"
"Shore. What should I call it?"
"I dunno. How bout, 'Fur Becky?'"

Thankfully, Beethoven did not dedicate many songs.

If I were the dictator of the piano world (provided that position does exist) I would send Fur Elise into exile for just four years. Fur Elise would be the George Foreman of pianoland, and in a mere half-decade make a triumphal entry back into recital halls around the country. If little pieces of music like Fur Elise behaved like the fashions of the '80s, everything would be right in the musical world. They go in, they go out. You might miss the little suckers for a spell, but if you plan on becoming an octogenarian, you are guaranteed to see them make a comeback at least three times. And each time they come into fashion again- you're glad to see them! They are new, refreshing, sensational. (Sorry, sometimes I just have to share my earth-shattering ideas with you.)

Once when I was younger, I watched a dramatization of the life of Beethoven. I only recall a very angry lunatic flinging a plate at an unsuspecting waiter before marching home to write one of the greatest symphonies of all time.
I wish my bad days ended like that.

Unfortunately, composition was the last thing on my mind last Wednesday when I fell down the stairs and later had a grisly encounter with my arch nemesis, the cheese grater. I have come to the grand conclusion, however, that my lack of inspiration and talent is perfectly acceptable. After all, Beethoven once said "There are and will be a thousand princes; there is only one Beethoven."
No doubt Beethoven was a egomaniacal crackpot, but let's all confess: he was a really talented egomaniacal crackpot.

Oh, yeah. And I forgot to mention...shoulder pads are coming back. I'm going to go hide in my closet. If you want to periodically bring me water and food I'd sure appreciate it.

Fun In The Street

2010-04-08T16:06:00.001-07:00

Sometimes when friends come over for the afternoon, it's fun just to wander around the neighborhood and take random photos. These shots were taken just before a hailstorm.

Still trying to get that perfect "jumping shot."

Jessica loves photography. If you haven't already, you should go check out her blog.

Kathryn, her sister, loves all the little kids at our church. (She is always willing to pose for me, too.)

A Commentary On Poetry

2010-04-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

[DISCLAIMER: Despite what I'm going to say, I still love Alice, I don't hate ALL Victorians, and I'm not totally bashing nursery rhymes. So don't freak out;)

When I was a bit younger I was terribly prejudiced against poetry. In my mind, there were two choices. On one end of the spectrum were the mushy Victorian sonnets and stale nursery rhymes. On the other end were the drug-induced (so my original theory went) compositions of Lewis Carroll and his ilk. (If anyone knows where I can find a "Vorpal Sword" please notify me immediately.)

I was mildly interested in poets like Emily Dickinson, but became irritated when one of her quotes was conspicuously hung in the produce section of my local grocery store. "How luscious lies the pea within the pod." I suppose peas are often luscious, but I never feel tempted to lavish sentimentalities on them in the grocery store. "Prithee, mother, look at the charming pea! We ought to purchase such a fine specimen while it is still on sale!"

I don't know what Lewis Carroll was smoking, but it must have been something very strange. Since Sherlock Holmes has never fallen down a rabbit hole, however, we can conclude that visions of imbecilic card guards and harebrained rabbits are not clinically proven side effects of smoking opium.
Needless to say, I nearly gave up on poetry.

A few years ago, however, I discovered the "Raven." I immediately loved it. Ravens are a special part of my life. They have picked apart my garbage almost as often as the family dog has. One rainy day in July, when a horde of hungry crows had congregated around our green dumpster, my mom threw a leftover smoke-bomb firework out into the driveway to disperse the mob.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

I can totally understand why a raven would come rapping at someones door. If I was a large, hungry crow who had been permanently traumatized by a smoke bomb, you bet I would go rapping at a particular person's door. No question about it. Poe was lucky to escape with his life, I tell you!

I recently started reading the poems of Boris Pasternak, the chisel-faced Russian novelist and poet whose career was somewhat impeded by Soviet authorities. My interest was piqued because one of his poems (not sure which) is referenced in Regina Spektor's "Apres Moi," and these days lyrics that assume intelligence on the part of the listener are something novel. (OK, sorry. That was kind of soap-boxy.)
Pasternak's poetic style is indeed morose. But since he is not a Victorian woman swooning over peas, I can forgive a lot.
I could go on about the wonderful T.S. Eliot and Alexander Pushkin, but I won't. You have probably read them and can appreciate their eloquence.

Poetry conveys something that mere prose cannot. Perhaps this is why God ordered sections of the Bible to be in poetic form. Many of the "poems" of David and Solomon are full of the sad and tragic themes we see in the works of the Russian, American, and English poets. But they have a far greater meaning, glorifying God and pointing us towards Christ.

JOB 5
6 For hardship does not spring from the soil,
nor does trouble sprout from the ground.

7 Yet man is born to trouble
as surely as sparks fly upward.

8 "But if it were I, I would appeal to God;
I would lay my cause before him.

9 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.

10 He bestows rain on the earth;
he sends water upon the countryside.

11 The lowly he sets on high,
and those who mourn are lifted to safety.

12 He thwarts the plans of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.

13 He catches the wise in their craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are swept away.

14 Darkness comes upon them in the daytime;
at noon they grope as in the night.

15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth;
he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.

I think I like poetry.

A Walk In The Rain

2010-04-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

My younger brother Gabe and I went for a walk in the rain today and wore rain boots so we could trudge through a muddy cemetery up to the park.

Rainy-day light can be so soft and exquisite.

We met an old guy at the top of the hill walking two small dogs. He noticed my camera and proceeded to tell me how he frequently shoots rainbows and sunrises at the top of this hill.

We soon became wet.

Is our Creator artistic or what?

He didn't find any snakes this time. Perhaps in the summer we'll find some basking on the large rock at the top of the hill.

From here we can see the city and various other hills.

I love my boots. When we were a few blocks away from home, however, I took them off and walked barefoot since my feet were hot.

Naturally, the sun came out as soon as I got home. At least it never hailed.

Of Novels and Scripts

2010-03-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

NOTE: The manuscript below does not belong to me, unfortunately. It is merely being used here to entertain you while the page loads. Or something. Anyway, it fits the general theme of this post. Also, I am not responsible for scandalous epistles reproduced on this website. Read this charming Victorian handwriting at your own risk. Remember the little lectures I gave you, children? Here and here? You never know what these people may do.
Some of you may know of my love for National Novel Writing Month and Script Frenzy, two related programs encouraging the general populace to turn off their TV's for a month and actually write something. No school book reports. And NO scholarly dissertations on the organization of Wildebeest colonies throughout Africa.

I attempted the novel program back in November 08. I never finished- by the time Thanksgiving rolled around I realized it was futile to attempt to finish my 11,000 word manuscript. Part of this was due to the lack of plot. I've always had a difficult time creating a coherent story line. When I was younger I'd frequently skip to the end of books to read the last paragraph. Climactic parts have never been my favorite. Certainly I get wrapped up in novels- but I tend to focus more on the characters and the general style of the book I'm consuming.
Needless to say, when I tried to write myself, I tried so hard to make the characters just as I wanted them- instead of concentrating on the action. I naively assumed that plots were somewhat dispensable. This was a mistake. My novel was a whirlpool in the midst of Editor's Hell- duplicate characters wrecked havoc in a strange new world full of word deadlines and "pep talks" that were emailed out by the writing "staff" to all those brave souls who somehow found themselves involved in this massive literary expedition.

Suffice it to say, I now have greater respect for The Plot- something that would have kept my novel alive.

April '09 came quickly- time for the script writing challenge. I chose to do an adaption of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. I'd never read this book in its entirety, but having read bits of it, assumed it was the ideal book for me to mess with.
The stage script that result was epic. Not epic in the sense of being "awesome," rather epic in that it required a grand total of 70+ actors. I finished, feeling very satisfied, and a bit overwhelmed- due to my massive cast.

Altogether, Script Frenzy had been a good challenge- something to occupy my time. I would go to my theater rehearsals and write while I waited to go on stage.
I'd work on it in the evenings and during the day when I had a spare hour. Since portions of Bunyan's work is actually in "play" format, much of my job was simple organizing words.

So will I finish the script challenge this year? It has been neither confirmed nor denied that I will triumphantly write that last page and receive a insignificant little badge that pronounces me a winner.

But until I find out, it's sure going to be a lot of fun. Want to join me?

Spring Outtakes

2010-03-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

Random springy pictures that were originally discarded. I love the colors.

By the way...I now have a Formspring. Yes, I have succumbed. Sometimes I get questions about where I get my photo textures, etc., so if you have any questions about stuff, shoot away!

A Summer Memory

2010-03-27T21:35:00.001-07:00

I have some fun posts almost ready to be posted, but due to some photo editing problems, I'm going to wait to share them! In the meantime, here's an old Oregon beach photo I found while creating some art portfolios. Isn't the water lovely?

Free Food and a Mini Photoshoot

2010-03-23T20:31:00.001-07:00

Today we took advantage of Starbuck's Free Pastry Day. You buy a coffee, and get a free baked good. A few of my brothers contemplated buying a frappuccino to accompany their doughnut.
My mom and I pronounced this to be an awful idea.
Buying a frappuccino and a donut is worse than drinking a huge fountain drink with your convenience store "biscuits 'n gravy" early in the morning. (Don't ask me why convenience stores sell biscuits and gravy. It was just a bad, bad idea to begin with.)

In the end, we all chose lattes.

But the fun wasn't over yet. A "Free cone" event was happening at an ice cream shop located approximately 1 mile from our house. The deal ended at 8:00 PM.
At exactly 7:55 three children and one adult vaulted into a suburban and were met by a very confused dog who had at some point been banished to her "jail" during the course of the evening.
She never questions why we do things like randomly jump in the car and drive away. No one tells her anything.

She ought to be thankful she has such an exciting life.

A Saturday Commentary

2010-03-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

I think this weekend has been equal parts depressing, terrifying, fun, and inspiring.

Depressing, of course, because this is the weekend when our politicians will most likely pass that unfortunate health care bill that will sink this country into debt and probably transform this country into the New Canada. (Not that it wasn't before- this is just the finishing touch.)

Terrifying, because we watched The Village last night after the younger kids had gone to bed. (My brother and I are still trying to figure out how a movie can be more scary after you find out that the "monsters" are just people.)

Inspiring, because my family and our two young friends attended a protest today against wasteful state spending. Our brilliant governor decided that he wanted to use a quarter-million of our taxpayer dollars to rename a local highway after a philanthropist who just happened to donate thousands of dollars to his campaign years ago. I could bore you with details about legal loopholes and hordes of angry citizens- but I'll spare you.

This weekend has been fun because we made it on two local news stations tonight for standing on an overpass waving neon signs. Unfortunately, as my mom pointed out, no one really watches the local evening news except for hospital patients.

On another note- it is Spring Break next week! Hopefully this will give me sometime to start my script draft....and some other stuff. I can't wait for April. Fun writing projects, a tea party...and probably tons of new photo opportunities.

Sour Cream Blueberry Scones and Blueberry Oat Muffins

2010-03-19T16:32:00.001-07:00

I baked today.

I used this recipe and this recipe.

[That white background, contrary to what you may suppose- it not my flawless white counter. *sarcasm* White office paper to the rescue! Seriously, it makes a fantastic background for tons of stuff.)

These scones actually turned out pretty good. I was disappointed in the dough- it was somewhat tough and leathery. However, I was very pleased with the final product.

Behold the brobdingnagian muffin.

Don't you love the...randomness? My measuring spoons have character!

OATMEAL BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1 1/4 c. oatmeal
1 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. blueberries
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients. Mix milk, oil, egg. Add to dry mixture, stir only until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Put in muffin cups. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

(For scone recipe- see link at beginning of post.)

A Collage

2010-03-15T21:46:00.001-07:00

{Let's just pretend the sun shines all the time. Because we all know it doesn't.}
Hoping you all have a happy and productive Tuesday!

{Damask pattern HERE.}

Aperture

2010-03-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

I understand posting 8-month-old photos is a little like bringing stale cookies to a party. Most everyone has seen and tasted them and has probably assumed they were gone for good- but here they come again!
If I talk about aging baked goods for too long, I remember an unfortunate incidence years ago at a bake sale I was holding with some friends where I immaturely (and loudly) told one of our customers exactly how old the cookies were. The cookies weren't stale in the least, but it just sounded...bad.

But let's face it- both cookies and photos age quite well.

Since I received Aperture 3 last month, I've been flipping through my iPhoto archives finding old photos to fix up. (Almost all the following copies have not been posted here yet, however.)

I love Aperture's "Toy Camera" effect.

Goats- or "I Hope I Can Go To Sleep Tonight"

2010-03-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

[Note: All following photos were taken last summer. They ended up in a rather alarming Facebook album, but never made it to my blog. So I'm using them now.]

OK. I have a confession to make.

I think I may have a phobia.

I don't have "Russophobia," which is the phobia of Russians. (Sarah Palin taught me what to do if they show up at my back door.)

I don't have "Automatonophobia-" the phobia of wax statues. (I am only mildly put-off by them. I wouldn't be scared unless I found a life-sized wax figure of al-Gaddafi in my bedroom closet on a dark and stormy night.)

And I definitely do not have "Papaphobia," which is a fear of the Pope.

But I do have a phobia....

I fear intoxicated goats. Last summer I visited a little commercial farm and saw...

...this.

"Hello, my name is Archibald."
[Lesson #999: Don't show up at Alcoholic Goats Anonymous hungover. This message brought to you by Mothers Against Drunk Dromedaries. Due the the benevolence of these kind ladies, the program has been extended to help care for goats, as well as camels.]

Some goats aren't necessarily scary, they're just plain homely. Like the one above. There is the slight possibility that you might find it lovely, charming, or just plain "caayuuute-" but I trust you side with the 99% percent of the population who thinks this animal needs...something (What that something is I don't know).

I think there is a very good reason why Red Bulls are Red Bulls and not Red Goats. It's just a slight suspicion, of course.

Figure 4: the Mephistophelean goat. "ICH WERDE SIE ESSEN!"

I know for certain that the phobia of birds is called "Ornithophobia." Why do we have a name for the fear of small feathered animals if we don't have one for the fear of large, hairy, uncouth beasts?

My piano teacher once had a friend who lived in mortal fear of birds. She once had the terrifying experience of witnessing a bird slam into her windshield.
Just think how would she have felt if a herd of goats had cavorted around her car before crushing the hood- just like the hooligans did to European cars back in '80s when the French won the World Cup? This my friends, is a great question- and one that must be answered.

These photos may be from last summer, but there are many goats who roam the face of this earth striking terror into the hearts of children (and adults) everywhere. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Poultry Tales

2010-03-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

My family is watching our friends' three chicks this week. They're staying in a crate next to my sister's bed. Pure adorableness.

Despite this big "suburban chicken craze" that has supposedly been sweeping the nation, we don't own any chickens.
In fact, we don't own any "farm" animals- unless you count the dog. I don't.

Needless to say, having three baby chickens upstairs has been quite the sensation around here. I understand that poultry-in-the house is not a new concept for many of you.

But if you are a suburbanite like I am- you'll understand how novel these creatures are.

My siblings were intrigued:

Jerome (2) calls anything with a beak a "duck." He comes into my room and gazes reverently at the chicken-wire cage, occasionally reaching out to touch it.

Gabe (10) seems to think they are baby falcons. "Mom, look! It's perching on my arm!"

Personally, I'm just wondering how little balls of fuzz can be so darn cute. I'm also wondering why they have a tendency to poop on the carpet when we take them out of the cage.

I guess freedom and nature call at the same time.

Last year I visited my cousins and went out to the yard to see their new birds. My young cousin unexpectedly picked up a big chicken, and after letting out a emphatic yell, launched the creature up into the air. It came sailing back down to earth, completely and utterly unperturbed.

I can assure you it went on to get married, have 20+ children, and live a generally prosperous and happy life. (But that is just a very random guess, you know.)

I have no way of confirming that this was the aforementioned bird:

But I think it perfectly captures the mood of that particular chicken that day.

It was indeed one giant step for chickenkind.

Spring Photoshoot With Mikaela

2010-03-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

[Textures found here]

Cupcakes

2010-03-04T21:55:00.001-08:00

I was pretty busy with school today. When I'm under pressure, though- I often do something completely random. Like make cupcakes. Then take photos of them.

I had a City Of God marathon today. I sat down and read about angels and demons and how the demons are different than the angels and how the angels are entirely different from God, etc. It's a wonderful book. But I wanted to fall asleep due to the fact that I've been staying up way too late every night.

I tried listening to various kinds of music while I studied, but in the end it was Vivaldi that jerked me out of my coma. Did you know that it's Vivaldi's birthday today?
Tomorrow I'm attending my very first school auction. Actually, my very first auction ever. My choir is singing at this event. I have to show up in my choir dress. Since the church where the auction is held at is approximately .5 miles from my house, I debated riding my bike down there. But then someone might look out their window and see me riding down the street in a long black dress. I might be mistaken for a missionary. What kind of missionary I don't know.

I think I'm just going in the car.

That's a safer idea.

I'm going to end this post because

a) I want to
b) I am tired of watching the morons on televangelism networks try to extort money from elderly ladies.

And lastly, because all the cupcakes are gone.

A Black And White City

2010-03-03T17:51:00.000-08:00

Powell's Books is a lovely store.

To me this looks like a fun place to read. Fun, of course- until some weird person comes up to the glass and starts to take photos.

Where are the people? Sometimes I'm surprised by the lack of humanity in my photographs.

But then I just think to myself how fortunate I am to have an image that is not marred by some ridiculous looking hipster. And then I am happy.

Photography Books

2010-03-01T21:25:00.001-08:00

I received a mysterious package from my aunt and uncle in the mail Sunday afternoon. Photo Idea Index: Things was put together by Jim Krause. It's full of random, colorful pictures intended to inspire photographers who use standard digital equipment. Krause, as far as I can tell, often disregards typical photography "rules." His pictures are fun and quirky. What immediately endeared my to the book were all his photos of junkyards. He shoots busted up lightbulbs and seems to have an immensely fun time doing it. If you know me, you'll admit that is definitely something I would do:)

I really love this book. It's lying on my desk right now. I don't want to shut it!

Another photo art book I like is Boston's North End: Images and Recollections of an Italian-American neighborhood. Author Anthony Riccio interviewed countless Italians who live[d] in the northern district of Boston. This section of the city is quickly changing as the elderly immigrants die and the hip, urban culture encroaches on this rustic locale. After walking down the streets past the aging brick flats I was struck by the thought that someday soon this little society will be gone.

Riccio's book reminds one of the work of KayLynn Deveney- a photographer from New Mexico who moved to Wales and happened to meet 85-year-old Albert Hastings. With Hastings' permission, Deveney began photographing his daily activities. Her portraits are mellow and unobstrusive.

Deveney also befriended Edith and Len, an elderly couple who resided in a Welsh nursing home together. She tactfully photographed the couple who had been married for 7o years and told their story one frame at a time.
"It was clear that I could not come into Edith and Len's small room and be a fly on the wall. Nor did I wish to be. Nine months after my first visit with Edith and Len we had thoroughly and knowingly blurred the line between a conventional photographer-subject relationship and a friendship," Deveney writes.
The photos of people in the aforementioned books really aren't that glamorous. But in the end they are the ones that are remembered.
Anyway, I find them interesting.

Portland Pictures Part 1

2010-02-28T16:14:00.001-08:00

NOTE: I took so many pictures this weekend I'm going to have to do two posts. Stay tuned next week for more.

Every time I venture into urban environments, I'm reminded how bizarre people can be. The people in my neighborhood don't yell at me to take pictures of them, or comment on my gelato, or give long-winded lectures about the evils of drinking and cigarettes. And they definitely do not walk around with raccoon tails.

But here, they do.

Despite the weird people, I love cities. I especially like walking around with my friends and experiencing strange but delicious things like pear pizza.

We went to a huge old bookstore, which contained everything from Plato's Republic to cupcake-flavored dental floss. We successfully avoided the metaphysics section. I never cared for metaphysics. Maybe I would like it more if I knew what it was.

Since we collectively had three cell-phones, we split into groups and wandered off. Please note that we walked very fast, were very responsible, and had no communication whatsoever with any disturbing characters. This notice is hereby signed by all the girls who laughed hysterically at approximately 4:09 PM at a lady who appeared to have a live ferret hanging out her back pocket.
But then, you know- it was really just that raccoon tail I was telling you about.

I am proud to say I only almost got left behind once. It was probably a good thing I realized in time, because as far as I'm concerned- pay phones do not exist. And hanging out with the angry man on the corner who was shouting at someone (or something) did not sound very appealing.

Autumn was the GPS system.

Mrs. S. and my mom:) I love this picture of them.

Some epic ionicness. (Sorry, that was a homeschooled nerd moment.)

Thanks for spending the afternoon with me, girls! I had an excellent time.

PS: Sorry, Autumn- I tried to get you in that last one.

Sun and Sky

2010-02-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

I think I stayed up way to late last night watching Olympic figure skating because as I sit and type these words I feel sleepier and sleepier. (It was worth it though.)

I have a bunch of fun pictures from last weekend to show you all, but they need some more editing. So I'm posting these ones from a few weeks ago....I miss the sunshine. I forgot where I found the texture. Oh well!

These pictures remind me of happy days, T.S. Eliot, and oil paintings. (Yes, that was kind of random.) Good combination, in my opinion.

I just want to lie under this lovely tree and read a book. Photography has a way of hiding reality, though. If I did decide to do this, I'd probably get run over by a garbage truck. Or get my clothes all muddy. There is no verdant pasture under this tree. (Plus, in the fall it has a malicious habit of dropping rotten walnuts on you.)

The Birthday Recap

2010-02-22T16:00:00.001-08:00

My sixteenth birthday was Sunday. Saturday morning I had a classical singing evaluation, and that evening my parents took me out to dinner for an early birthday celebration. We ate a ridiculous amount of garlic and came home to discover that my sister and brothers had filled the house will balloons and hung streamers while we were gone.
Sunday morning my family went to church. During the potluck afterwards, my friends Ellie and Autumn gave me a rather odd present:

Dish soap and hand sanitizer! They were horrified when I accidentally squirted some into my mouth.
At this point you might come to the conclusion that my friends are very strange and that I am even crazier. So I will explain.
Our church is "divided" over dish soap. I am infamous for wholeheartedly embracing it- others treat it like a harmful substance. So you will now agree with me that this really was an amazing gift;) (Plus...it came with chocolate. Which is edible!) Thank you girls! Now I just have to think of a good gag gift for you....I still have time!

My dear parents gave me Aperture for my birthday. Yay! I love all things Apple. Maybe I'll post a review on it sometime...

The pretty flowers Jessica gave me. And I even remembered to put them in water!

Sunday afternoon I drove my parents down to campus so we could take some pictures in front of some fun old brick buildings. (Yes, that's right- I drove!)

I did alright until I went down a street lined with fraternity houses and almost hit a car with my side mirror. We found a parking spot, and went over to the park area near the art museum to take pictures. (I'm saving those photos for another post.) While getting back in the car, I correctly identified a rather large theta emblazoned on a building situated close to where we parked. I don't know Greek, but after being introduced to trigonometry, I can now randomly exclaim "IT'S A THETA!" while driving around university neighborhoods. That sounds like a really lame thing to get excited about it....but thetas are exciting.

My mom and I watched the Olympics later that evening. I've really enjoyed watching the figure skating and ice dancing competitions this week. If you know me well, you'll remember that I am NOT a sports fan. But for some reason I love the Olympic games. Although I can only handle so much bobsledding....

Happy Friday!

2010-02-19T11:50:00.002-08:00

I woke up this morning to bright rays of light shining through all the windows in my house. After a somewhat drab January and February the sun has finally decided to make a real appearance around here.

Yesterday I went over to my friend Jessica's house to take photos. I had almost forgotten what lens flare was. But I remembered pretty quick.

Good light just makes everything better. In fact, I usually don't even talk about the weather any more. I just complain about the "lighting." Cameras do weird things to you. I think my friends would agree with me.

Have you noticed that I like buds yet?

Glorious sun!

Jessica's sister, Kathryn- who was a willing model:)

I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

On Longfellow and Organizing

2010-02-16T19:26:00.000-08:00

I'm assuming most of you are reasonably familiar with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poems.

Take this one for example:

There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was horrid.

Not a superb example of Longfellow's genius, by any stretch of the imagination- but it's certainly not atrocious. (In my opinion, any poem that does not contain rainbows and unicorns it is not atrocious.)
Anyway, when it comes to organizing- I'll be the first to admit I share a few things in common with the curly-haired imp in the poem.
I am capable of arranging my belongings perfectly. I can shuffle and sort and rearrange just as well as anyone else. But more often than not- I let things slide. Horridly.

Maybe if I had the self-discipline to stay organized, I would not be watching toddlers unpack my school bag only to gleefully discover leftover crackers, random computer cables, and stray post-it notes. (This would assuredly keep me from sticking those post-it notes on the faces of the aforementioned children with the aim of preventing vandalistic acts from being directed at my poor sketchbook.) Maybe if I was more organized I would not wake up to a Mt. Everest- sized pile of laundry on my dresser every Monday morning. Maybe if I was more organized I wouldn't have to heroically deal with my disasters before I move on to loftier things. Loftier things like to-do lists. And poetry.
I have a break this week from a few of my classes. This, as you may have guessed, means I have extra time to do stuff at home. I cleaned my closet and desk the other day, and am now pleased to announce that I am currently a very organized person.

But watch out. Because, after all- well, you know the poem.

Sunday Thoughts Part X- Street Basketball

2010-02-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this is "Sunday Pictures" not "Sunday Thoughts."

Interesting Stuff...

2010-02-09T22:15:00.001-08:00

Hello blog world. Behold the mighty pyroclastic flow:

(more on that later)

I didn't write a Sunday Thoughts post this past Sunday. Bad Natalie. Actually, I am not going to apologize. I was at church in the morning, then came home and successfully avoided the Superbowl by going to see a movie with my mom. There was one man in the theater. A very, very bored-looking man. So you see, I was busy.

I was busy Monday, too. Classes....homework. I'll leave you to imagine the grisly parts of trigonometry.

I spent Monday evening pathetically consuming cough-drops and watching a terrifying BBC documentary/dramatization of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. (The volcano responsible for wiping out the city of Pompeii.)
Even though I was more interested in the special effects, I did learn who Pliny the Younger was. Pliny escaped an epic (epic I tell you!) pyroclastic flow and somehow had the wits to write about it afterwards. I live vicariously through people like Pliny. (That way I never actually have to face a pyroclastic flow.)
I also read that Pliny wrote to Tacitus himself! The Tacitus who beleaguered me with horrid accounts of Roman malfeasance! They were probably in league together. But I still like them. They make my existence more interesting.

So enough of that.... I admit this is a somewhat pathetic post. It really didn't need to be written....just being honest here! But I was just out with a bunch of friends having an impromptu French-fry party. (Or maybe not so impromptu?) I don't want to end the fun by going to bed. But it's necessary.

So.

Goodnight!

The Mind Of A Two Year Old

2010-01-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

Me (putting Jerome to bed): Jerome, what are you going to do tomorrow?
Jerome: Go night-night.
Me: What are you going to do Wednesday?
Jerome: Go to bed.

(Shortly thereafter we sit down to read a story with Jerome's stuffed cat.)

Me: Jerome, what's your cat's name?
Jerome: "Wo Wo"
Me (Showing him the tag): But it's not "Wo Wo!" It's "Tabatha!" It's printed on the tag!
Jerome: Oh
Me: What's the kitty's name?
Jerome: Name's "Wo Wo."

And I did not argue.

Sunday Thoughts Part IX- SQUIRREL!

2010-01-31T20:52:00.000-08:00

I confess- the past few days I have been ignoring the little "SAT Prep Question of the Day" email that magically appears in my email inbox every 24 hours. Or perhaps not so magically. After all, I was the one who clicked the "sign me up for free practice!' button on the SAT registration website.

I love free stuff. I used to have study-related web apps galore. Until recently, my bookmarks folder burgeoned with links to copies of the Lord's Prayer in French, time zone charts, and sketches of ancient Greek apparel. With Wikipedia embedded in my online dictionary, I had millions of files, pictures, and links at my personal disposal. It was great fun bookmarking all that stuff.
I learned practically nothing.

After a while I made the very unoriginal observation that perhaps less information is more. (Actually, I think my mom made that observation to me...and then I just sort of reobserved it. And invented the aforementioned word in the process. I deserve a gold sticker!) But back to the topic...
Unfortunately, the famous missionaries who learned complicated tribal languages with the help of only a few poorly written textbooks and a group of indigenous speakers had no flash card apps on their laptops and smart phones. They had smart brains (an ingenious invention, I must say!) and willing hearts.

The best introductions to classic books I have read were written by people who clearly loved the volume they introduced and were not intent on peppering their readers with facts. Recently I wrote about C.S. Lewis' view on old books. Although I thoroughly respect the stereotypical British scholar (pipe and all)- it was refreshing to read something that was shockingly subjective. Shockingly honest. Shockingly...well, simple.

Honestly, I appreciate nearly all introductions I've read. But after you read a good book cover to cover and suddenly wake up one night and realized it changed your view on life you will probably not care for the introduction very much.

So there you have my view on introductions- those helpful (but often boring) creatures that pack an extra serving of knowledge into your book.

I am reading Augustine for a good part of this semester. I don't care if I haven't read online biographies about Augustine, or missed out on some "amaaaaaaazing study guide." (I dare you to read "amaaaaazing" without bleating like a sheep, by the way.)

Basically, I plan to read Augustine without frantically bookmarking sites about him every hour.

What a simple plan.

Dysfunctional VCR Players and Rototillers

2010-01-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

Normally I feel pretty young. But tonight my archaic VCR player nearly ate an old videocassette tape of my then-three-year-old brother jamming out at the breakfast table to Big Tent Revival band's "What Would Jesus Do?" And then I felt very, very old. Maybe I am old. After all, I was alive when this picture was taken:

[I promise this photo was taking with adult supervision. The rototiller was turned off.]

Quite obviously, this was before child labor laws were enacted.

Spring Will Come

2010-01-24T17:20:00.000-08:00

I love those winter days when weather makes you think it's spring. Those are good days.

I've said before that I wished I could eat bokeh. To me, it looks delicious.

This poor tree has been photographed so many times. What can I say? It's a willing (and stationary) subject. (The stationary bit is the real important part. It doesn't really matter what the tree wants.)

Buds make me happy.

Because soon, God's glorious creation will be blossoming.

I think they should hang pictures of branches and buds on the ceiling of dentists' offices' instead of Looney Tunes posters.

Because honestly, I don't get very excited over Looney Tunes.

I should go start a Facebook petition.

Sunday Thoughts Part VIII- Recalcitrant Animals

2010-01-23T21:24:00.000-08:00

Saturday's weather here was perfect. Warm enough to take a dog for a walk without heavy layers of clothing on, but not warm enough to make one sweat when one is forced to physically restrain one's own animal, and/or correct its shameful behavior. Of course, I never have this problem. (Just try to imagine my innocent expression. Gave up already, eh?)

First off, let me explain something. My labradoodle occasional takes little jaunts through our neighborhood. She's extremely friendly looking, though obnoxious. (She adores strangers.) Unfortunately, she also likes cats. Her attitude towards them is one of her weaknesses.Not an I'm-going-to-hunt-you-down-and-when-I-find-you-I-will-eat-you attitude, more like a I-will-act-like-a-crazed-maniac-and-chase-you-till-I-get-distracted kind. (Does that make sense?)

One lady who lives down the street despises my dog more than you can imagine, because Lucy runs through her yard every once in a while. I can understand threatening to call the animal control office. After all, we are not keeping our property.....on our own property. But I cannot understand why she threatened this afternoon to kill our dog if it ventures in her yard again.

Later that day I decided to take Lucy on a walk. I generally hate doing this. Let me rephrase that- I generally don't do that. (You can throw things at me now.)

But since the sun decided to make an appearance yesterday, I decided to go. I wanted to shoot the grassy park area at the top of the hill. Knowing that my dog, like the Gadarene swine, would probably dive off the side of the hill if I didn't properly restrain her- I knew I only had two options. I could:

a)Tie the dog to a nearby pine tree and continue my photographic exploration, or...
b) tie the dog to my waist.

I chose the second option since the aforementioned pine tree had sap oozing out of it, and it is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl in possession of a dog must be in want of a PINE TREE THAT DOES NOT OOZE SAP. Stupid pine trees.

So, the leash went around my waist. It was a remarkably uncomfortable situation, but I managed to take a few pictures I liked. Even though the dog was lunging in every direction desperate for squirrels...or cats.

After this outing Lucy lounged around the house for the rest of the afternoon. No more death-threats. No more pine trees.

And definitely no more "let's stop in the road to pee" moments.

And the lack of those makes me so very, very happy.

Hybrid Sports, or Why I'm Proud To Be A Conspicuous Pedestrian

2010-01-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

I love hybrid sports. I mean- I don't like participating in the well-known ones, I just like the general creativity behind them.

When I was younger I read a newspaper article about Extreme Ironing- an activity which requires participants to wield an ironing board in deserts, mountain terrain, and other wild places.
I told a few people about this wacky sport, and was met with faces of disbelief. So, if you were one of those doubting persons, behold! My words were true.

Chess Boxing is another hybrid sport. Competitors box for a round, then go to a table where a chess board is waiting. Personally, I think it's brilliant. Teachers have told me that physical exercise has a way of sharpening one's mental faculties. It just occurred to me that getting punched in the face probably does not count as exercise- but at any rate, it's fascinating.

I recently made up my own hybrid sport. It does not involve any violence, and is not particularly bird brained. Ok, so maybe it's just a little birdbrained- I'll leave that up to you to decide.

My sport has no name. Basically, I take pictures whenever I jog or run. Of course I stop to actually take the pictures- otherwise they'd be blurry. The camera is very safe attached to my big thick strap, and I have a small bag to put it in if necessary

Since I'm participating in the 365 project, I need to get at least a photo every day. It's hard to find interesting subjects. So I've decided to take my camera with me wherever I walk- or run. I see a lot of boring stuff through the lens. But sometimes boring things seem interesting back at home when I'm looking through my files after the evening busyness.
Here are some of my results:

There is a small hill about 3/4 of a mile from my house with a cemetery and park at the very top.

I like running up hills. Not.
The following pictures were taken while I was walking to my piano lesson today:

Despite the fact that this dwelling looks makes one suspect a highly-orchestrated marijuana experiment was recently conducted behind the door- I can assure you my neighborhood is quite safe. We used to have "Neighborhood Watch" meetings, led by a local police officer who made jokes about Smith and Wesson. I got my parents to let me go once by myself. Probably because someone made brownies. And because I just liked to be in the know. I always like to be in the know.

I would add more spooky house pictures, but I think I'll end now.

I will add- since my dear mother reads this blog- that on none of these trips did I stop to talk to strangers or enter the realm of drug dealers.

Just wanted, you know, to make that clear.

Road Not Taken

2010-01-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

NOTE TO READERS: I really have no idea who the people are in this car...so if I go to jail for stalking them- send me some mail, will ya? Also, please note I was not driving the car at the time that these photos were taken.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

Then took the other, as just as fair,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Road Not Taken- Robert Frost

Sunday Thoughts Part VII- Why I like Winter

2010-01-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

To be honest, there are lots of things not to like about winter in the Northwest (I'll leave you to imagine) but altogether I think this is a very nice season.

I'm not specifically referring to "Christmas winter," I'm talking about the stretch between January 1st and say, the 20th of March. Often bleak, although we did get a really warm winter a few years ago. (Don't you just love it when people move to your city during an abnormal-weather year?)

So...here are the reasons for liking winter:

There is rain. Lots of it. Your grass won't die. Although my grass seems to be suffering anyway from some bizarre malady, so I don't particularly care.
You get to wear boots. Boots are great fun.
You get to wear fun hats. Let's face it- summer does not exactly have the best headwear. Unless you're the type who can pull off (I mean put on) a really cute sunhat/straw hat, or you are in the habit of wearing cowboy hats (which are indeed good hats)- your options are limited. Knitted beanies, ski caps, heavy silk scarves, berets, and all other sorts of wonderful winter head coverings become uncomfortable when the temperature goes up fifty degrees. (I am speaking of my weather, please remember.)
You can listen to music like Vivaldi's "Winter" and make the excuse that you are "one with the season." In other words, you will not be called eccentric for breaking out of the season you are in.
There is generally lots of awful looking plant growth in the back yard to photograph.
You can drink gallons of hot tea, and add weird things like eggnog, heaving whipping cream, and cinnamon. (Provided you like hot tea. If you don't....then sorry.)
You are able to thoroughly enjoy the lamplight. (I would say candlelight, but that's somewhat impractical.) In the summer it's often too bright outside to appreciate Edison's genius.
Hey! My birthday is in February! I suppose this has little to do with most of you.....but anyway. It's still something interesting I can put down here.
You appreciate summer more in the winter. Suddenly those days when you sat out on a hot deck eating popsicles and predicting the cataclysmic future wherein The Great Swine Flu would wipe out half the population seem so happy...so fairy-tale-like.
You get to enjoy the new calendars you bought after Christmas. At the moment I'm staring at the image of a very mournful basset hound that graces the first page of the small dog calender Susanna gave me for Christmas. Maybe the hound is mornful because its breed was chosen to herald in the new year.

Or maybe because it's just naturally like that.

C.S. Lewis's View On Old Books

2010-01-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

Note: After yesterday's ridiculous post about spiders, the last thing you probably expect is the following. But here it is. Because it was, ahem, an assignment. And because I kind of like the topic.

I'm currently reading On The Incarnation, by Athanasius himself. I love that guy. He'd be a fascinating person to listen to, I suspect. So would his acquaintances, the early monks who spent long periods of time in the desert. But more on all of them later.

C.S. Lewis wrote an introduction to Athanasius' work which I found to be unlike many lofty (and sometimes just plain condescending) introductions to "scholarly books."

Lewis' introduction is blunt, honest, and humble. Shame on you Robin Seagers out there.

To begin with, Lewis advises that “it is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.”

Why does Lewis feel it necessary to remind readers of the need for old books?
For one, he explains, new books have not been tested “against the great Body of Christian thought down the ages."

I often make the mistake of thinking that classic books are only good for their literary merit- but wise readers like Lewis realize that a book cannot simply be judged by the words contained in it. It needs to be studied in light of the thoughts, words and actions it inspired in people over a long period of time.

Also, if we will often find ourselves confused if we only read modern books. Lewis points out that sticking to a contemporary diet is like joining at eleven o’clock a conversation which began at eight. References, jokes, and insults might be missed or misunderstood by the latecomer.
Lewis also mentions that each generation has insights and lessons that can benefit those who come after them- “People were not cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes” (pg. 5). If we only read books written by our contemporaries, who often share our cultural views- how are we growing and challenging our minds?

Another important benefit of reading old books by Christian writers is that we see what Lewis calls the “immensely formidable unity” that is Christianity throughout the ages. Contemporary books may excellently discuss modern debates in the Church- but only reading about present-day situations will leave our culture rather introspective. How encouraging it is to listen to writers who may have lived in a radically different time but still share our faith!
C.S. Lewis warns readers not to neglect Athanasius simply because his book is given the dry label of “theology” instead of “devotional.”
“For my own part,” he says, “I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect the same experience may await many others.”

In the end, Lewis makes a powerful case for reading books like On The Incarnation. Sometimes the "dry," and "scholarly" books in the end prove themselves to be the brightest stars in the literary universe.

The Spider Saga Part I

2010-01-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

[You don't want a picture for this post. Trust me.]

My sister and I have a bunk bed. I'm on the top. As you might expect, I'm in a good position to execute eight-legged creatures who take up residence where the ceiling meets the wall.

I wasn't expecting any spiders until late spring or summer, when they all seem to come out at once.

But, I saw one today, remarkably close to my pillow. There are two choices one can make when faced with a spider:

a) Act like a mature, responsible adult who realizes that spiders are not little devils and deal with THE DARN THING in a timely fashion.

b)Sit around ruminating on the situation before calling the brother....then working oneself into fits when HE DOES NOT CATCH THE SPIDER AND INSTEAD LETS IT GO.

So today, I tried to do the first option. I really did. But then after slamming a wad of tissue onto the wall- the beast disappeared. It was nowhere to be found. Knowing that the appearance of the aforementioned creature later that night would probably scare the daylights out of my sister, and knowing that it would definitely scare the daylights out of me, I knew something had to be done.

I summoned Gabriel, ten-year-old snake and spider catcher extraordinaire. He rushed into the room with a wooden sword in hand.

We stripped my bed and tore the place apart (well, almost) looking for the AWOL spider. It was nowhere to be found. After a while we got bored and started discussing the situation. Gabriel and Sue offered up various theories about Hobo spiders and Black widow spiders. I clearly informed them the spider in question belonged to neither group. (Being the homeschoolers that we are, we're well acquainted with National Geographic documentaries detailing the lives of lunatics who spend their life befriending black widows and baboons. I always want to close my eyes when the spiders themselves appear on the screen, however.)

But back to the crisis.

Eventually we decided we had better things to do with our life. So we made my bed for the second time that day, and vacuumed the floor. Just when we were finishing we spotted the pitiful little spider hobbling across the floor. It was quickly dispatched. Apparently it had been waiting for us in a very obvious place the whole time. My life would make a great documentary.

Or not.

January Days

2010-01-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

So, as some of you may have noticed, I'm participating in the 365 photo challenge. Pretty self-explanatory. This doesn't mean I'll be posting every image one on this particular blog. I must say, January is not the greatest month for taking photos. The twinkly lights have been taken down, the picture worthy Christmas desserts eaten. Few flowers are blooming, and it often gets dark before I have time to take a few shots. I've come up with some very bizarre material- but for now I'll just show you a very uninteresting picture of some Oregon raindrops. Behold:

Perhaps being a native of this area has caused me to not get angry at the rain. Not that I always love it (won't lie!) I honestly don't care. Sometimes I even enjoy it. There are few things I do in the winter that can be spoiled by rain.

Because there is little to write about (besides Athanasius, weird dreams, tea disasters and vocal adventures) I will give you a brief look at what a typical January day looks like for me.

I get up. (Wow, that's an obvious one! You never thought I could actually do that, did you? It's not my fault I have superpowers.)

I eat breakfast and read the newspaper. The liberal newspaper delivered to our front door at no cost that never fails to hold my attention and make me angry. (Actually there are things I like about it.)

On Monday and Wednesday mornings, I get ready for school. For me, this involves doing the necessary things one does before one goes out in public. On any particular day I might be complaining to Andre about some pesky math puzzle or bemoaning the fate of my calculator and red pens, which tend to get lost.

The carpool arrives. Hello school! Most of the time I am ready.

After school, I come home and work on homework, check stuff on the computer, or practice piano for an hour or so. (And yes, this is a new development. For seven long years I mistakenly thought a pitiful 1/2 an hour a day constituted a good practice. And don't laugh you-who-dutifully-practice-five-hours-a-day. I only wish I had the mental stamina you do. Seriously.)

On Tuesdays I go to my voice lesson. These are rather important these days due to the classical evaluation that is waiting for me next month. Oh yay!

Math assignments frequently occupy my afternoons. I've become obsessed with listening to particular kinds of music while I study. Beethoven and Vivaldi are currently my favorites. (I understand that the combination of polar coordinates, deaf Germans and Italian priests can seem rather intense. I assure you it is.) Just so you know- this is certainly no musical snobbery. Symphony no. 5 is basically a cartoon soundtrack. (Of course maybe I just think that BECAUSE SOMEONE LET ME WATCH FANTASIA YEARS AGO AND NEARLY RUINED MY FAVORITE SONGS.) Not that I have anything against cartoons set to classical music. You just have to be....careful, that's all.

My latest night-hobby is taking my laptop up to my bunk and watching homemade documentaries that get me all depressed. But it's a good kind of depressed. The kind of depressed that really makes you think about serious things. Sometime soon I'll do an article with some thought-provoking links. But unfortunately, readers, that will not be happening tonight:)

NOTE: If, after finishing the last sentence, you come to the definite conclusion that this is somewhat of an inane post, you are perfectly right.

Sunday Thoughts Part VI- Cake Surgery

2010-01-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

You may wonder why I posted a picture of flowers instead of the cake mentioned above. The reason is that the lighting was poor and I didn't have time to properly photograph it.

I had two three-layer cakes yesterday to frost for a baby shower that took place at our house this afternoon. I desperately wanted to make these cakes. It would have been so easy to get a Costco or Safeway one- but I was inspired. The first cake turned out fine. The second underwent major trauma. First I frosted all three layers with a terrifically think covering of gloppy icing. The whole thing was literally groaning under the ridiculous weight of that frosting. (My mother warned me.) Soon, the edge of the top layer understandably started to fall away from the cake. There were crumbs in the frosting. I scalped the cake, leaving piles of cake chunks everywhere. After this the remaining two layers were frosted with chocolate icing and covered in chocolate shavings. It looked presentable. The cake and I had fought a fierce battle, but victory was mine.

Thus the story of the Epic (almost) Cake Fail. I'm forever in awe of people who can do it perfectly the first time. But you know what? I was sort of due for a cake adventure. And now my fancy little tips are dried and placed in a box waiting for the next mass of butter and sugar to enter my life. I'm sure it will be great fun.....cake decorating is so rewarding.

Sue: A Winter Photoshoot

2010-01-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

[This is an auto-posted post written last weekend. At the moment I am sitting in class studying- and hoping my calculator is not too lost.]

My mom has been reading the Narnia series to my sister Susanna. As far as I know, she loves it. Recently my mom called home on her cell. Susanna picked up the phone. "Hi, this is Sue!" she said. When asked about her new "name," Susanna told us that she got the idea from the Pevensie children, who called Susan "Sue."

So here is my latest shoot with Sue:

I wanted to do something wild with this set of photos. I know over-the-top texturing can seem tacky, but I was pleased with how these particular shots turned out. I'm constantly inspired by vintage photos and stationery clippings, and I was trying to get that "old painting" effect with these.

Ok- what could be more unrealistic than a fence with a damask pattern on it? Really. It's absurd. But after processing this photo I've decided that you ought to be able to build fences with patterns on them. Life would be so much more interesting.

I only show you photos on here that I personally like. But unfortunately, I have billions (or so it seems) of photos that are really awful. Sometimes I'll take three-hundred photos of a couple kids only to find that ten really turned out right. That's ok- I'm learning.

Susanna is such a patient model, but sometimes I'm so intent on getting the camera settings right I forget to tell her to smile. Not that I object to serious pictures, but I don't specialize in mug-shots. I like the one above though.

Hope you enjoyed this winter glimpse of Sue! I'm sure we'll be back with more portraits, soon.

[completely free textures found here and here]

2010 Reading

2010-01-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

If you're a student like me, you probably have to read certain books.

Here's a bit of what I'll be reading this year for school this year:

Boethius' The Consolation Of Philosophy
Augustine's City of God
Athanasius' On The Incarnation
Clement's The Rich Man's Salvation

Unfortunately I don't know what books will be assigned this fall for my Junior year. I do know they will have something to do with Europe. Milton? Chaucer? If you know feel free to enlighten me.

As well as reading the required books, I want to try to get through a few on my own. I really should read at least one novel. It's becoming harder for me to pick one up and this is a bad sign. I'm a few chapters into the Brothers Karamazov which is just as depressing and philosophical as I thought. (Or didn't think). But I love Dostoyevsky's writing style. I also started Les Miserables, possibly because I felt guilty for watching the movie before reading the book.

One of my Christmas presents was a delicate little nearly 100-year-old copy of Dicken's Dombey and Son. I'd only heard about it once before. Anyway, I love the copy my mom found for me and I started reading it right away. It's really good- I'm looking forward to finishing it.

I'd also like to read some essays.

Here are some interesting ones I've found:

G.K. Chesterton:

On American Morals

The Fallacy of Success

An Essay On Two Cities

Willa Cather:

On The Art Of Fiction

Francis Bacon

Beauty

Atheism

A number of essays I've looked at are remarkably short, resembling book intros. I don't like the many snobby, scholarly prefaces to books- but I like the idea of a small piece containing big ideas.

I don't really care if I get to all this stuff....better to fully absorb one decent book than read ten classics, I guess.

I might add some "fun" books later..but until I find them, I might as well enjoy my adventure with the ones above.

What are you reading this year?

First Post Of The Year

2010-01-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I was babysitting for my neighbors last night so I really didn't have a choice whether or not to stay up. (Technically I could have gone to sleep, but what babysitter risks being found in a stupor when the parents get home? You tell me.)

My neighbors have two very well behaved kids who have become remarkably fond of the Photobooth program on my laptop. But all good things eventually come to an end, and I could tell that leering into a "fun house mirror" was getting old. So I showed them pictures of photo- shopped animals. You know, bits of pictures that have been stitched together to form bizarre creatures. Most were very funny, and harmless. However, I accidentally pulled up an image of a wolf-spider/grizzly bear combo that still creeps me out a bit. Won't be doing that again.

So I put the kids to bed and spent the rest of the evening watching parts of Dickens movies and BBC Narnia clips on YouTube. (Am I the only one who thinks the old Lucy really needs a new hairdo?)

After that I spent the rest of the year reading the last paragraphs of the prophetic books in the Bible and watching the clock. I like good endings. The clocked turned to twelve, and it was a new year. Immediately fireworks started going off and the dog started to whine.

It was a very nice evening, even though I was really tired. Four late nights in a row have convinced me that I never, ever want to pull and all-nighter. Don't try to change my mind. Even though I'm notorious for staying up late.....I could never do it.

In closing, I will post this picture:

Yes, it's me. I'm currently experimenting with taking full portraits of people that include surroundings. Mostly so I can practice with textures. I tried to do a photo shoot with my two-year old brother today, but he became remarkably grouchy. I didn't even ask him to pose! I guess the paparazzi can get tiring after a while.

I've heard that brothers will often critique their sister's outfits. None of this sort of thing has ever gone on in my house. Probably because I am the oldest. Louis, however, has decided that my clothes ought to be compared to......various other garments. Take the above picture, for example. I am wearing, according to the eleven-year-old Louis, a "striped prisoner's suit that has faded so much the stripes have turned gray." Apparently I'm also wearing a hat with a "black rose of death on it." (This is peculiar since my family tends to be unpoetic.) I also own a tan shirt dress thing that Louis dubbed my "girl scout" uniform. (Notice the "uniform" theme....)

In the new year, I look forward to hearing more of all my siblings' profound insights- be they odd, or just plain alarming.

I wish you all a blessed year!

Natalie

End of '09: A Photo Post

2009-12-27T21:24:00.001-08:00

Some of these photos didn't make it into their own blog posts. But I like them anyway. Some of you may find yourselves in a few;)

Brooklyn and Bailey

2009-12-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight, even though it is Christmas, I want to share some photos with you all....

I met these two cute little girls this past December. Their grandma goes to my church:)

I'm still amazed that I actually met a baby who would hold an ornament like this.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas! I am so tired from everything that's been going on here. One more week of break! I have to think of how to use my time productively. (Ok....and just sitting around and thinking of ways to be productive is not actually being productive;)

Anyway, enjoy the last few days of this decade! The new one will be full of all sorts of interesting things, I'm sure.

I've got some fun posts lined up....so stay tuned!

-Natalie

End of '09: A Photo Post

2009-12-22T14:50:00.001-08:00

Some of these photos didn't make it into their own blog posts. But I like them anyway. Some of you may find yourselves in a few;)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

"And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger." -Luke 2

Stuff

2009-12-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

[I understand this is not the most festive picture. I have been photographically-challenged the past few days.]

I feel like I've been ready for Christmas since October. Strangely this fact does not dampen my excitement. I cannot wait for Christmas Eve- my family's church is coming over to our house. (Yes our church is small.)

Today my family decorated cookies with our old neighbors. And that would be "old neighbors" as in kids we used to live next to five years ago, not elderly neighbors:)

I made the frosting.

I have a new policy. I will only make white frosting for Christmas cookies. Nothing is more appetizing then a cookie smeared with bluish-greenish past and crowned with a sorry heap of red sprinkles, right?

White is such a nice color.

I hope you've enjoyed this random post full of photos of dead things found in my backyard. The pickings are slim in winter, when it comes to photographic subjects. My brothers can be squirrels sometimes.

Over and out. Enjoy your Christmas!

-Natalie

Sunday Thoughts Part V

2009-12-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

[lousy cursive, I know.]

And yet again the Sunday Thoughts Post is early. Better early than late, I guess.

I was very busy yesterday. After a morning adventure, my brother and I went to the school party I was telling you about. Before the actually party, all sixty-two of us piled on a bus and went to an assisted living center to carol.

To be honest, it was quite sad. Not sad because the elderly were physically neglected, of course. It just seemed like a lonely place. As a (relatively) wealthy country, we can have all the fancy living centers we want with all the comforts imaginable but depression can still enter in. Certainly there were happy and cheerful people there, but no doubt there were some who felt very friendless indeed. I hope at least some know God. That is definitely a comfort!

The book in the photo above is Clement's Exhortation to the Greeks. (If you didn't already read the title.) I'm reading it for my online lit class.

I love Clement. His writing style is so poetic and lucid.

The funny thing about these old books is that they don't seem very "scholarly." The content in the epics of Virgil and Homer is similar to what you'd find in gory, R-rated movies. (Sorry, but I had to say it. You know it's so true.)

Clement, though the content of his book is very edifying and godly- is not highbrow at all. That doesn't mean reading him isn't work- it's just that he is often clearer than the man who wrote the introduction!

Can I share a secret? Look at the picture below:

Every other page in my Loeb translation of Clement is Greek! (No, I don't read Greek. I wish I could, though.)

This means, of course- that I only have to read half the book! And I am not ashamed to say that. A short book is a finished book:) So direct your wrath at me English people! Hopefully after Clement I can read Augustine. And his book contains no Greek pages....

Well, if I don't post again for a while- Merry Christmas! It's a great privilege to be able to thank God for his wonderful gift we don't deserve. Enjoy the last few weeks of this year!

-Natalie-

[p.s. if you want something funny to read go to this ancient article. I'm still giggling about the fate of those poor reindeer. MIT people are such showoffs.)

What I've Been Up To

2009-12-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

[free texture by peshovski]

Hello friends! It's been almost two weeks since I've posted. It feels like a long time.

Anyway, Christmas break is finally here for me! The last few weeks have been super busy with school music concerts, a Christmas tea party, caroling, piano and vocal recitals, and homework. For my online lit class I just finished Clement of Alexandria's Exhortation to the Greeks. It's an excellent book:) I find it funny how the introductions to these "dry old volumes" are actually more boring than the actually text!

Over break I have work on two Bach pieces...JBF is at the end of next month! Yikes!

I'll be glad to return to studies in January but it is nice to have a little break. I'm somewhat behind on commenting on blogs and filling out tags on here.....oh well! I am still enjoying what you all have to say, even if I don't always make myself known;) I expect to have a few interesting stories to tell on here in the next few days...but for now you'll just have to be content with this short post.

[To see what inspires me this week: click here, here, and here.]

2009-12-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things I could write about for this Sunday Thoughts post. I could write about how much I love the smell of hairspray, or how many times I've played Handel on iTunes or how my dog gets approximately 18 hours of sleep every day.

But instead I would like to discuss a topic that many Americans are familiar with. The Great Family Christmas Picture.

Let it be known to all that I really dislike taking group pictures of people. Don't let this little fact scare you if you and your family find yourself in a Christmas-picture-worthy-place and I am the only one within a radius of ten feet who volunteers to click your camera for you. I like the idea of taking group pictures.

Here are some group shots of my siblings and I. As you can see, things got squirrelly.

Despite what you might think Louis is not singing.

Jerome is clearly unhappy.

I promise you we were not shunning Louis.

And the following picture, friends- is it:

Merry Christmas from the ---------- family! (I have a policy on here about not using my last name. But if you want, we can play hangman!)

Sunday Thoughts Part IV-My Vintage Life

2009-11-29T16:25:00.000-08:00

I love neighbors who put their Christmas lights just a few days after Thankgiving. It's foggy tonight, which makes me happy. I love fog. Those were two very random things, but they go together so well.

My lovely sister Susanna after my mom did her hair this morning for church.

The bookshelf in my room. I certainly haven't read all of the books pictured. And I probably won't get to them all. I do know however, that my meeting with Augustine is pretty certain. Can you spot The City Of God? Bleak House and The Gulag Archipelago will not be finished any time soon. Books from other shelves in our house often end up on this shelf. What can I say? I occasionally pick them up. I'm not really into any books now. (I start a new school book tomorrow.) What books are you all reading?

A photo of piano keys I took while at my relatives' house this past week. My cousin started taking lessons this past year....I have a feeling he will catch up with my brothers and I soon:)

Brick-polaroid! I'm obsessed with textures and soft colors. Sorry.

A few years ago my dad bought the dog you see sitting on our front porch. Funny thing is, it kind of looks like Lucy when her wool is short. (And no, she is not a sheep.)

Thus ends Saturday Thoughts Part IV. I hope you all have a blessed week!

I'll be doing a few choir-related things like singing at the mall and at a church. If I haven't told you already, the gospel choir I sing in is part of my school not my church. I'm loving it, but not exactly looking forward to practice tomorrow since I confirmed this morning that I'm still unable to sing high notes. Although this unfortunate state of affairs should teach this bad alto not to join the sopranos when she can't remember her own part. Ahem, Natalie.

AND......the Cousin Party continues on next week when aforementioned relatives come down to OUR house to watch a big college football game.

Thanksgiving Report

2009-11-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

There are some people in my family who say they "don't want to go home." These people gripe about saying goodbye to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and food- but when they actually do arrive home, they act like crazed madmen who haven't seen their own house in years. It's not that they forget how much fun they had, of course.

We've been up and down this street countless times before. Thanks to my cousins' treehouse (courtesy of my grandpa) it is possible for my family's tan suburban to be spotted before we near the house.

Yesterday, after we arrived, the pyromaniacs built a fire:

After dinner, we had a talent show.

I'd like to introduce you to something new now. This is Nellie:

Nellie, if you have not guessed already, is in reality my brother Louis dressed in a dog suit. I'm not sure how much talent it takes to mope around in a fuzzy costume- but at any rate, he was upstaged by a multitude of children dressed in pink leopard print leotards and sombreros who put on a rousing show.

I am so thankful for my aunt and uncle who had all of us over and enjoyed the chaos. Next year my family will host Thanksgiving at our own house, which will be a whole new adventure.

Well, I guess I'll end this post...I should go get some extra sleep and ditch this nasty little cold/laryngitis thing I picked up earlier this week. I thoroughly enjoyed myself the past few days even though I carried advil and cough drops around with me all the time:) Thankfully I got it this week instead of next week since I have three singing performances I wouldn't want to miss.

Blessings,

Natalie

Thankfulness

2009-11-25T16:05:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and started to make two caramel pumpkin pies. Though the crusts shrunk a bit, I burned the caramel, and splattered pumpkin on my face- I finally ended up with two lovely pies that will be transported up to my relatives' house tomorrow.

I thought it was easy to throw away burnt caramel. It certainly isn't. It's like trying to pry melted, bad-smelling taffy out of a saucepan.

I love Thanksgiving food. Once our turkey went up in flames, but that is another story for another day....

You might wonder why I'm posting more pictures of tree branches and leaves, instead of food. Truth is I didn't bother to take any kitchen pictures today, and the trees outside just begged to be photographed.

Fall is such a glorious season.

There are so many things I'm thankful for. I could go on and on- if I get to specific this post would be ridiculously long! This upcoming Thanksgiving Day is a reminder to me to be thankful at all times. Society today would have us eat a nice dinner, then rush on to the next shopping holiday. But I like how King David put it:

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

Let Israel say:

"His love endures forever."

Let the house of Aaron say:

"His love endures forever."

Let those who fear the LORD say:

"His love endures forever."- Psalm 118

I could spend hours outside taking pictures. However there are more pies to tend to, clothes to pack, and stuff to clean up.

I hope you all have a lovely rest of the week!

Sunday Thoughts Part III- Street Photography

2009-11-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

You know those children's books with all the detailed drawings of cities and towns? They've always fascinated me. Whenever I sketched or painted, I was never very interested in creating large portraits or scenes. I'd pencil out minuscule buildings and hand draw every single brick. (If I was feeling lazy I'd just draw plank siding- so much quicker.) My cities were always neat, orderly places with lush trees, charming window displays, and of course- plenty of bricks. Occasionally a pile of garbage would make an appearance, but I don't ever recall drawing ugly buildings, angry drivers, or aggressive transients. Not that I was terrible opposed to "normal" city life- I just didn't bother to include all the chaotic trappings.

Because I love little details, I greatly enjoy street photography. I'm not afraid to shoot strangers, provided they are a good distance away.

This might sound disturbing, but as far as I know, no one really cares.

Don't ask me why I like this. Certainly isn't the, er- message on the sign. I think it's funny because the guy obviously didn't notice me. Come to think of it, he didn't seem to notice anything. And I think he just might be whistling.

But you know what? There is one thing I really wished I would have included in those old drawings- buskers. That's right, the folks who position themselves on busy street corners and sing or play musical instruments. They are absolutely fascinating to me.

I saw the three men depicted above when I was in Seattle for a day this summer. I think they were singing gospel music- or something of the sort. I wasn't the only one enchanted, as you can see:

Every time I look at these I notice something new. New faces pop out of the crowd, mysteriously hinting that there is more to the story. There is more to the story, but pictures are only pictures- and I'm satisfied with collecting mere snapshots depicting ordinary things.

Back to the gospel singers.

Their feet tap the ground outside a busy Starbucks that is quite possible one of the very first. They have pleasant voices that blend together in a lovely way.

Moving down the street I see these street musicians. The banjo player has a scruffy white beard and is wearing a Hawaiian shirt and tattered overalls.
His band is less polished than the black gospel trio- but enjoyable nonetheless.

P.S. Thanks to my sweet blogging friend Sarah from Sarah Elizabeth Photography who awarded me recently! I'll be filling out her tag in the next few days. Yes, I know I'm rather tardy- you know how it goes..... I'm figuring cramming more into this particular post would be sheer madness;)

End of Fall

2009-11-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hello friends. Today I bring you pictures.

But not just pictures. I always like reading every one's Wordless Wednesday Posts, but I can never post a picture without a few words. (Actually more than just a few words, but I digress...)

I've probably said this before- but I just love fall. This year I was especially sad to see all the beautiful leaves drop from the trees and get shoveled into heaps by loud backhoe-type machines that terrorize the neighborhoods every November.
Actually I should rephrase that- I was glad those machines paid me a visit yesterday. Begone slimy, rotting leaves!

But they are pretty.....

Winter is somewhat dull where I live. We don't get copious amounts of snow or debilitating ice storms. This is not to say I live in the tropics. Living in a valley, we get tons of rain. I like rain. Not when it interferes with my plans, of course.

Though I love rain, I also love those November mornings when you go outside and the sun is shining and the air is crisp and clean. I certainly don't like getting up in the morning, but once I'm up I'm generally happy.

I raked leaves outside this morning before my brother and I left for classes. It was a glorious morning. These pictures were taken a few days ago but I think they capture the feeling of these last few days of fall.

Concerning other things.....

I wish I could really and truly participate in this. But seeing how certain people read this blog, I can't reveal too much about my projects;)

That said, I will probably have more pictures in the next few days concerning homemade Christmas items. I've spent the last few days baking and packaging dipping cookies for a Christmas bazaar benefiting a local pro-life resource center. Thanks to my mom, we also have plates and boxes full of cookies and other treats that will be dropped of tomorrow morning with my biscotti. I hope to get some shots of our projects and post them on here for your enjoyment.

I also want to do a few posts on wrapping paper substitutes- stay tuned! (Now for some good natural light!)

Sunday Thoughts-Part II-Boots and Vodka

2009-11-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

[My new rubber boots, which have absolutely nothing to do with this post.]

I love Sundays. Every third Sunday my church has a potluck. I might have said "communal meal," but some might mistake me for a Spartan, a communist- or both.

There are some excellent bakers at our church, and this particular Sunday, someone had made a beautiful apple pie. It tasted excellent, and as soon as I tried it I made an offhand remark to my friends that it seemed to contain alcohol. Nobody believed me. I said it was probably vodka. They still didn't believe me.

We asked the maker of the pie. Sure enough- it contained a small amount of vodka. VINDICATED. Now I would like to make a few things clear to those who gave me funny looks:

Yes, I have tasted vodka by itself before. It was vanilla flavored.
Yes, I have Lithuanian ancestors. And we all know that Lithuania, for all practical purposes- is RUSSIAN. Just like Canada is really North Montana. At least Lithuania not as obscure as Kyrgyzstan.
No, I am not a closet drunk.
Also, am not any sort of alcoholic whatsoever.

The only alcohol I can really tolerate by itself is wine. (Which, being underage- I do not drink. Communion and an occasional sip at home are not the same as as a full glass.)

I probably don't need to say this, but my family is not opposed to alcohol. (Although we are most definitely not in the habit of drinking vodka and whiskey.) Medio tutissimus ibis. Or, in plain English- moderation in everything.

Back to Russia:

I was somewhat alarmed upon learning that the word "vodka" is a diminutive of the Russian word for water- "voda."

That explains a lot. "

Recently rumors came out that Russian leaders are not adverse to having vodka toasts in the morning. But we already knew that, right?

Drink your orange juice, please. If you do you will earn the eternal thanks of your Lithuanian friend who likes poking fun at Russians. (I will not apologize to the Russians, but I do beg pardon of Canadians everywhere. I have grossly insulted you tonight and trust I am sufficiently

penitent.)

On another note (quite literally)- I saw a musical version of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn this last Friday. It was thoroughly charming and delightful. (I am in awe of good actors and good music.) My mom, two brothers and I went with Andre's English class. It was a long show, but so much fun to watch. I love theater.

I think that's all for tonight.....hope you all have a productive week!

Sunday Thoughts Part I- Of Bathtubs, Current Events, and the DMV

2009-11-08T21:00:00.001-08:00

Note: I must admit I'm somewhat copying the delightful Miss J.B., who posts a weekly "Saturday Stream Of Consciousness." Hope you enjoy my version.

Right now I'm lying on my bed, enjoying this peaceful Sunday evening. Well, mostly peaceful. My two-year-old brother Jerome (depicted above) decided a short while ago that it would be a good idea to join my little sister in the bathtub while wearing polar fleece footed pajamas. A few minutes later, he was a wet, angry, boy standing on the floor mat in a soaked garment. Life can be so disappointing.

On another note- I've been driving with my dad. I got my permit a few weeks ago, and have been trying to accumulate hours so I can get my license next summer.

I hate the DMV. I was willing to "bring proof of school attendance" to get the permit as the handbook instructed- which for me was a signed document from the county Homeschool/Truancy Department stating that I'm in compliance with state testing laws. But no- it was not enough. We were forced to LEAVE THE DMV office and drive to another bureaucratic institution to pick up a special little slip of paper the handbook never said I had to bring.

The other thing I hate about the DMV is sheer inefficiency of the whole thing. My local DMV office is full of tired looking moms, teenagers, and immigrant types all needing important things. But the desks are staffed by irritable people who move very slowly and plan coffee breaks while everyone else in the room just sits.....and waits.

So, thanks to bureaucracy- I spent three hours in Dante's circle of Hell. (The fact that people seem to think homeschoolers and truants are related further irks me.) No, I do not stay in my pajamas and watch Hannah Montana all day.

But you know what? I was being a sort of truant that day. I could have been home working on an essay on Virgil- but no, instead my mom and I had to sit and listen to elevator music (am I the only one who calls it that?) and a DMV employee telling a perfectly normal looking middle-aged woman next to me that she can't have her license because of issues with the "Department of Homeland Security."

I appreciate institutions like the DMV- but what kind of service can you expect from the government?

When I learned that under the new federal heath care plan (which passed in the House yesterday) health insurance will soon be available at DMV- I was ticked.

Speaking of the bill- we watched c-span coverage last night. My mom remarked to my brother that it was somewhat of a historical time. She told him someday he'll be able to remember what he was doing the night the government officially plunged the country into unfathomable debt. I am not ashamed to say at the time I was stuffing myself with licorice and drinking peppermint tea. I probably won't remember that, but then again- I'm pretty sure what kind of oatmeal I had the morning of 9/11.

I think I'll go to bed. But I might possibly have nightmares about this kind of situation......

The Saturday Post

2009-11-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

In honor of the fact that it's Saturday, and now November- I though I'd post some "vintagy" edits.

On Wednesday my cousins came down to visit. They are really fun to be around, although some of them were a bit ornery when we went to the park to take pictures;) During the twenty-four hours they were here, no less than 100 pancakes were consumed, the neighbor's bamboo bush was made slightly smaller, and I heard rumors about a 9:45 trip to Wal-Mart.

They definitely need to come down more often. My family is going up to their house for Thanksgiving this year- can't wait!

Mercy is so sweet. She loves to help, and is willing to stand for long periods of time while I take pictures. Must be a girl thing.

I made her wear my flower headband. I love that thing.

You are all so cute!

The boys were clearly interested in something else- namely my brothers goofing off a few feet away.

Taken a few weeks ago on a Sunday drive to an orchard. Lookin' east!

I like red barns.

And, as if I couldn't get any more random- thistles!

Here's one I snapped of our house yesterday. See that walnut tree? I have more to say on that big sucker later:)

Happy Saturday everyone!

I hope you have a lovely weekend full of beautiful things.....(cookies?)

Photo Shoot With Jessica

2009-10-30T22:04:00.001-07:00

Thursday I my friend Jessica and I got together to take pictures. Here are some of my results.....

Her mom has this really fun chair upstairs. We brought it outside for the shoot.

I want to make a dress out of this chair.

The only thing I like better than chairs is a nice big tree with yellow leaves

And I want to wear these shoes with the chair-dress when I'm done. Brilliant plan. (Just don't tell anyone....)

I like this one....pretty!

And lastly, a silly one for you. (Don't worry, I won't post the really embarassing ones.....)

Variousness (which is a word)

2009-10-26T21:26:00.001-07:00

It's fall. And for me, it's also somewhat of a break week. (For math and choir at least.) Sigh.

[This photo has absolutely nothing to do with the post. Texture by Groundfloor. He's got fabulous stuff, by the way- check it out.]

That means I can spend all day studying to get my driver's permit, or reading Roman history.

(Or just, well you know- hanging around on Twitter.) *blush*

But wait! I don't have a Twitter account any more. I deleted it today. Chances are you didn't notice. It's not exactly the most sensational news- "girl spontaneously decides to delete account on social networking site!"

That said, I am a big fan of Twitter, and it does indeed feel funny not to have one anymore. (All you non-Twitter uses have my permission to stop reading now.)

Anyway, it was just a time waster for me. I'll be honest. I think it made me get ADD. (Just kidding. Sort of.)

I'll be honest- I'm keeping my Facebook because I would hate to loose touch with people. Bad excuse, maybe- but if I cut everything off at once things might go downhill.

Moderation in everything, friends!

But back to the break! I needed this break. Not because I was physically or mentally unfit to continue- simply because I needed to focus on a few particular things.

1. My essay on the Aeneid. Superb book. You must read it immediately.
2. My driving permit. Which involves reading the entire DMV handbook in one week and going downtown to take a test where I will possibly contract swine flu while standing in line.

Essays and people like Virgil are superb things. Driving permits are somewhat superb, but DMV centers and swine flu pandemics are not. But you already knew that, right?

As far as recipes go- I have been making things. My mom and I made an excellent banana cream tart for a church potluck a few weeks ago, but my pictures are really, really crummy. Oh well. It tasted wonderful, despite the fact that I was summoned to the desert table to hack it into pieces. I am ashamed of all of you who could not take on a banana cream tart crust! Wimps!

I am excessively happy because one of my photos made it onto the Pioneer Woman Photography site! I don't have time to explain the details, but here's a link to the post if you haven't seen it already. It was pretty weird waking up that Monday morning and seeing a portrait of my sister up there!

I'm thinking about doing a video blog post. Not exactly sure why.....maybe I should just interview my brothers. What do you think?

Also- what do you think of this video? I was amazed. I'm figuring he really did read it- but I'm not exactly sure. (And don't say I'm just jealous because I could read through the entire Western canon if I had his skills. Savor the words, please!)

Have a lovely week!

Natalie

Autumn!

2009-10-16T16:54:00.001-07:00

What? I left you all with some pictures of blue skies and balloons? Shocking- it's the middle of October and not one leaf or pumpkin has appeared on this blog! Shame, Natalie.

I've been really busy. Not exciting-to-hear-about-busy, just busy. But I'm never to busy to manage to take a few pictures.

I became so excited after I took this one. I was outside today enjoying the gorgeous October weather- shooting random stuff.

I'm expecting some cousins to come visit some sunny day in the near future. We plan to take lots of photos, which I'll be doing a bunch of different things with. Stay tuned!

More randomness.....

I admit I have a poetry deficiency (but not an epic poetry deficiency)....There are so many good ones, though. Like Elizabeth Barrett Browning's The Autumn.

You should read it if you haven't already:)

I've made so many things with apples this past month. Actually I've been baking a lot in general.

I had to make blueberry muffins today because we were out of cinnamon and I flatly refuse to make anything with apples that does not involve cinnamon. It's just wrong.

Here are some apple muffins I made a few weeks ago with cinnamon cream-cheese frosting. I'm sorry I can't give you the recipe....it's somewhere. I'm an expert at loosing recipes.

So go read some poetry and enjoy the nice weather! (If you still have it.)

Natalie-

Balloons

2009-10-03T21:34:00.001-07:00

I took these photos yesterday at an orchard festival we attended. The weather was perfect.

Today is one of those grey, rainy days. I actually don't mind it. I'm happy it's Autumn and I can attend classes, bake "fall stuff," and most importantly, wear winter shoes and coats. (OK, so maybe I got a little carried away this morning when I almost wore a scarf to church.)

So yes, I like rainy fall days. But I also like those days in early fall when the sky is bright blue and the air is crisp. Yesterday was one of those days.

To me these shots scream summer. But they were actually taken in a pumpkin patch with a bunch of people nearby drinking cider and eating apple crisp.

The clouds were so glorious. If I could control one thing about outdoor photo shoots I'd be the sky.

I think photographs are essentially like food and drink. There are dark, sophisticated pictures that could be compared to a glass of red wine or a gourmet meal, and then there are simple photos that evoke things like orange juice and bubble gum. Both are good in their own ways, though extremely different. (Although is bubble gum even considered a food? Never mind...)

Anyway, I like both kinds of pictures. I could never be one of those people who only takes happy pictures or one who produces only serious images.

Oregon Coast

2009-10-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Those of you who live near or have visited this usually blustery, grey, and rainy coast will know that the sky and water are usually not this blue. Actually probably never.....

BUT- we can imagine, right?

Please? Because I'm in love with editing. It makes me happy.

I like our beach. Never in my life have I ever seen the shores crowded with people. It's big, clean and cool. Cool as in- well, usually cold. But if you go in August or September chances are you'll get good weather. We went last Sunday and it was gorgeous.

My dad was kind enough to think the dog might like to come. Usually she gets left behind due to various reasons. But we brought her:) She was happy.

(All pictures depicting me were taken by my mom;)

Casual The Cat

2009-09-30T17:57:00.001-07:00

It's not often that my dog gets a whole post to herself. And I'll dare say that none of my neighbor's pets has ever been featured on this site.

But then I snapped a few good shots of Casual the Cat- and I knew I'd have to show you.

Casual is unlike any other cat I've met. I understand, certainly, that cats are prideful and arrogant creatures by nature. I've owned a few before. (I mean- I still own them. It's a long story you've probably heard before so I won't elaborate.)

I like cats. They are generally soft, polite, and most importantly- clean. (Well, most of them are, anyway.)

Though my neighbor's cat Casual is soft, clean and polite- he possesses a few peculiar qualities.

Casual, I believe, is a Maine Coon Cat. He supposedly likes going to the groomers to get a bath. (It took a shower with a good strong door and a determined adult to scrub gasoline out of my cat's fur.) And once a year Casual is given a lion cut. This means that every spring I'll look out the window and see a large beast-cat with fluffy Ugg boots, skinny legs, and a puffy head. It's quite amusing. But most of the time Casual possesses all of his fur.

Casual is not disturbed by his appearance. Or anything else, for that matter. Casual's tolerance of various indignities may be termed "dog-like," but Casual would never lower himself to the level of a dog. Ever. The world would cease to turn if Casual did not uphold his dignity. There is nothing shameful about furry Ugg-boot haircuts.

I kind of like Casual.

Saturday Night

2009-09-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

I went out with a few of my friends last Saturday night....I'm going to show you a few photos I took. I'm usually not pleased with my night shots, but I liked how these turned out.

I've had a crazy weekend. My family and I went to the beach Sunday afternoon- I have lots of pretty photos to show!

I'm going to wait to post them though- I'm awash in homework since my classes started last week. I'm really happy with my math class, and choir is simply a riot. I love it and am having a great time. My Great Books Class is, as usual- very inspiring.

Carpools have been figured out- public transportation is out of the question due to route problems;)

Mondays for me are now pretty chaotic. Everything just sort of stacked up:)

Anyway, I hope you all have a good week!

Natalie

Jerome

2009-09-25T10:25:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of Jerome I took this August and edited last night. He's such a serious (but adorable) kid.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! I'm sure glad it's almost Saturday- I've had a busy week.

Natalie

A Not-So-Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-23T22:47:00.000-07:00

It's Indian Summer where I live. A somewhat nearby Oregon wildfire is sending smoke and ashes into our valley- which makes for some pretty interesting "weather."

Yesterday we all felt like we were living in a photoshopped image- the light was so strange. I was down at the track this morning running like I've been doing every other day the past few weeks (hi mom!), and I happened to catch an amazing sunrise. The sun was actually pink- from all the weird stuff in the air, I'm guessing. (If I'm wrong feel free to correct me.) The picture I'm sharing with you is not of this amazing sight (it was taken a bit later- I had to run home to get my camera.)

The football team was practicing under this glorious sphere, the sprinklers were doing their job, and it was altogether a lovely (though polluted) start to a good day.

I guess people in typically smoggy cities get to enjoy prettier sunsets and sunrises. The air is usually clear around here, which I appreciate- but I kind of hate to lose this real life "effect."

Tartine+Ice Cream

2009-09-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

I've made more batches of biscotti this past summer than you'd care to know about. Excepting those kind of crisp "coffee" cookies, I'm really haven't been much of a cookie person lately. Not that I don't like eating them- I am firmly committed to loving that variety of baked good to the end of my life.

Lately, though, when I want to new recipe out, I'm more likely to make something like scones.

This summer I met the Tartine Cookbook. And I instantly fell in love with it. Tartine Bakery is located in San Francisco and purportedly has a ridiculous amount of people lined up outside waiting to enter every day. I've never been, but I believed the rumors after I tried a few recipes out.

(This recipe is for lemon bars.)

I think the thing that made me first love the book was the amazing food photography. I follow a number of food bloggers- not because I'm in the habit of making their recipes, but simply because I'm in love with their photos.
The Tartine Cookbook made me want to visit the bakery, take pictures of it- and eat it in its entirety. Er, I mean just the food.

Anyway, I usually don't say this about those outdated things called "cookbooks." I'm an Allrecipes person. I have entered the twentieth (I mean twenty-first) century. Come and join me. I know you'll like it here.

But I cannot resist Tartine's pictures. Or their food.

Yesterday I saw a recipe in the book for chocolate cookies. As I said, I'd been in a major scone/pastry making mood- but I was busy and this particular recipe looked tempting.

We had a lot of leftover ice cream from a pizza party with friends last Friday. I got the idea to make homemade ice cream sandwiches using the Tartine cookie recipe.

Behold: (And yes, I'm sure Tartine's cookies are more photogenic than mine. Sorry.)

Now these are not the prettiest ice cream sandwiches. The edges are not scalloped-rather falling off.

The cookie recipe was a little frustrating. You're supposed to take them out of the oven when the centers are still soft. I learned that I had to trust the recipe, but also use common sense and not remove them from the oven when they're still a pile of hot, gooey chocolate.

Despite their uncouth appearance, these were SO INCREDIBLY GOOD. And it was all Tartine's fault.

You can find the recipe here- on some other person's

blog. I love getting out of "hard" work like typing recipes. Go check it out! (

And remember, LEAVE THE COOKIES on the sheet until they cool a bit. Otherwise, like me, you'll end up with misshapen, bent cookies. Do as I say. Also- the ice cream depicted is mint chocolate chip. It blended nicely with the super-rich cookies.

Love,

Natalie

Old Pictures, New Edits, and Fresh Inspiration

2009-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. It's true that bloggers only post old photos when they really don't have anything new to show. At the moment I'm in that predicament. I have to say though, these ARE new edits. And you probably haven't seen them because they've been hiding away a folder on my computer. Because they really aren't the greatest pictures. You probably guessed that. Too blurry, overexposed....the list goes on. I am, however, currently in love with them.

Messy images often irritate me. I'll admit I'm a fan of all those wedding photography blogs sporting gorgeous pictures so crisp and colorful I just want to faint at my desk.

But I'm also fascinated by photographers who purposefully (or accidentally) allow their photos grainy and shadowy. Or even- gasp- blurry!

It's kind of like art. Polaroids are fascinating. I love 52 Weeks Of Polaroid, a blog maintained by a very talented lady who decided to post a polaroid photo every week for a year. Hardly any of the polaroids are sharp- but the blurriness is what gives them their charm. They have a certain mood to them- somewhat peaceful.

I became ridiculously inspired when I saw Hugh Forte's "travel photography." If you could call it that. There are no famous landmarks (at least not that I could recognize), only shadowy figures going somewhere. All the images look extremely modern. (And sharp, unlike the equally amazing polaroids.)

When I try to apply b&w or sepia effects to my photos, they just look old. As in vintage old. (I'm fine with that. Send me back to the 40's. Old-time Massachusetts would be ideal.)

I do understand the modern cars kind of give away my old feel, of course:)

When I started submitting photos to Flickr groups, I received all sorts of feedback. Sometimes it was very honest- which I appreciated. My pictures were supposedly cropped in the wrong places, had exposure problems, or subject was in the wrong place. I needed (and still do need) this feedback.

But I love just playing with colors and textures, knowing most of these wouldn't be appropriate for a contest. Speaking of which- remember the county fair contest I told you I was entering? I ended up entering this and this and this.

But back to topic.

Maybe I like all my blurry work because it brings back happy memories. (Although I know a lot of these look pretty foreboding.)

What's your opinion on making things look old? Obviously in fifty years our "modern" photos are going to look pretty "dated" themselves. So why age our photos more?

I'm also curious about what my readers think about the no-frills photography that does not deal with cute children, and smiles?

I love smiles and children, and I like pictures of them. I also find the edgier, urban shots fascinating. Perhaps it's because I like to picture all the amazing music I could set to these sort of slides.

I wouldn't say I like dark and creepy photographs. I like portraits of people who are relaxed, happy- even radiating joy.

But I also like urban shots that capture a mood. A hurried mood, a quiet mood, or just a serious one. I think there's an artistic element to "ruined" photos. Instead of appreciating a perfectly balanced photo, I'm forced to concentrate on the mood, the colors, and the movement.

And that's why I'm hooked on this style.

Please excuse my rather disjoined and unpolished sentences. I'm being lazy right now. Anway, hope you enjoyed my ramble! I love all my readers.

For those who asked:

The book is Plutarch's The Rise And Fall of Athens.

And to get my market pictures, I just go to, well- the market! Mine's full of not-so-pretty stuff, but vegetables and fruit never cease to be gorgeous;)

I can't tell everyone where I live...due to privacy issues;) I can say I dwell in the beautiful Northwest.

Honest Scrap Award

2009-09-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

Eeek! It's almost fall!

(Not my apple tree!)

On another topic......

I was award the Honest Scrap Award by Sarah.

So I have to tell 10 things about myself.

Here are the rules:
1. Say thanks and link to the person who gave you the award. Thanks Sarah!
2. Share ten "honest" things about yourself.
3. Award this to seven people who's blog design/content I admire or who have encouraged me, and inform them of their win and of the rules of this award.

Okay....here goes.

I despise cottage cheese. Never liked the texture.

I'm obsessed with quotes by Chesterton, Churchill, and C.S. Lewis. It's become of hobby....collecting quotes and stuff. Odd, I know.

NFL practically puts me into a coma.

Rarely do I like contemporary piano music.....unless it's in a good movie soundtrack.

I REFUSE TO MISUSE THE WORD "AWESOME." Sorry, no can do.

I love thrift store shopping. Most of my favorite clothes are from used places. (Though I've found many things that still have the tags on them.) I love hunting for things and the satisfation of being economical. I've found stuff at used stores that I've never seen anywhere else. Plus there's part of me that says "Ha! See, it is possible to defy the materialistic trend of buying tons of new stuff we don't need!"

I've been singing for a little over 2 1/2 years. Every year I participate in a recital where I do silly things like dress up like a maid, screech Italian, and pick up bananna peels. Strange, I know.

If I could learn only three languages.....I'd pick Arabic, Spanish and German. Or maybe French instead of German. I love the idea of writing all those fascinating Arabic characters. Spanish would be the most practical. And German and French just sound great:) BUT- I forgot! The glories of Greek and Latin! Oh never mind, I'll never narrow this list down......

Only two authors have made me cry or almost cry. Dickens and Homer. And I'm not kidding about that last one. Seriously. The Iliad is so sad....And Dickens? Yeah, that kind of figures. How could you not love his characters?

My perfectionistic attitude often causes me problems. Unfortunately.

Hmmm.....seven people:

Have a wonderful weekend!

Natalie

At The Market

2009-09-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday I went downtown with some friends to the local market. We had a great time eating lunch, looking at vegetables, and drinking the best lemonade ever. (At least in my opinion.)

If any of you live in my city, you'll notice I'm glossing over a lot of downtown aspects. However I really don't want to subject you all to shots of purple-haired goths busking on the sidewalks, porcelain brains, tarot-reading booths, etc.

This is Perugino, a colorful coffee shop downtown. I don't really drink coffee, so I can't vouch for the quality of the drinks- I only know that I love the decorating job. (A lot of the buildings here lack aesthetic grace.....so the few that posses it really stand out.)

Plans!

2009-09-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

I expect my life will be getting pretty busy here in the next few weeks. I'm a homeschooled sophomore this year. It took me half a lifetime to figure out the whole grade system, but now I've got it down. I think.

(Remember when you were little and you'd meet one of your mom's friends in the grocery store who wanted to know what grade you're in?)

Yeah. Those kind of grades. Not the "A,B,C" business. I got my first report ever last year when I started going to a private Christian resource center for a class. (And yes, I did gets A's that year. They were generous, and I was paranoid about becoming a flunking delinquent with no knowledge of algorithms. Those two factors combined essentially meant that things turned out OK for me.)

The "school" is located in a church. The bands and choirs practice in the sanctuary, the math, science, and biology classes meet upstairs in different "classrooms." And the P.E. students? Well the P.E. students go on what you might call forced marches. (Runs, I should say.)

I guess you could call it a private school. But it's more like a place where various homeschooling families in my city (there aren't many of us) pick and choose what classes we want to attend. Some people do everything- I just took math last year. It was quite the experience, and though I had some really bad days, I'd go back in a heartbeat. (Actually I am. Next Wednesday, in fact.)

Not only will I be doing math, chances are I'll be in the gospel choir, too. (I found out about this last week.)

I love Southern Gospel. We listen to it somewhat frequently at home, and I enjoy listening to the rich, harmonizing voices.

I have yet to figure out how ten white Northwestern homeschoolers will ever be able to copy authentic Southern gospel and soul music- but I'll keep you updated on our progress. (Not that I will ever be able to sound like Mahalia Jackson. No way. Sorry. Not even if I sing baroque opera songs so many times I yell the words in my sleep.)

My fourteen-year-old brother will be taking I few other lit/current events classes that I won't need to attend, thanks to my Great Books tutorial service that makes me read sordid history books that I actually end up liking. I mean that with all my heart. (Actually more like 85% percent of my heart. Verdict's still out on Herodotus and Tacitus;)

I feel so blessed to be able to be part of this online class. No matter how many times I balked at reading assignments, or complained about how gory CERTAIN historians were, it was always a pleasure to log into class at 8:00 AM every Monday, hear about people's week, discuss dead folks, and altogether have a profitable morning.

This year we'll be studying Romans instead of Greeks. (And I get to read the City Of God! Someone please keep me from saying "woot!")

Three reasons why I'm looking forward to reading a book written by an early Church Father:

1. First off- how could you not want to read The City Of God?

2. Hopefully Augustine won't describe as many homicides and suicides as Tacitus did in his Annals Of Imperial Rome. (And I thought the French Revolution was bad....)

3. It's large. Large is good. Mostly good.

I'm going to tell you my schedule, though you might find it boring.

-On Mondays I'll attend my nearly-2 1/2 hour GB class, then dash off to math. Twelve o'clock is lunch break, followed by choir practice. Currently I cannot tell you anything about what that will be like.

-Tuesdays I have voice lessons. My teacher's annual winter recital this year will be full of acting and singing students dressed in various articles of period clothing. It will probably look like some bizarre musical seance- Hamlet will be hallucinating, Salieri shouting. I'll be a character from the early 1900's singing a song from My Fair Lady. (If anyone knows anything about hats from that period I'd love any information.) Anyway, I have to start practicing. In addition to the aforementioned song, I'll need to memorize some Italian for another piece I'll be performing. It sounds very glamorous and scholarly indeed, but it's not. You just sort of go to a lesson one day and discover that you remember what kind of strange sounds to make. As much as I wish I knew Italian- I honestly don't want to know the meaning of the words I'm singing. I know it sounds bad, but as long as I stay away from The Boot- I'm basically singing gibberish. Turns out that the words to the Italian song I'm working on now are actually quite decent!

-Wednesday I'll be attending my last math class for the week- as well as another choir practice.

-Until Saturday It'll just be more class homework, and science study.

Simple, eh?

Maybe, maybe not.

I'll keep you updated on the choir. And the costume. And hopefully everything else that might interest you.

So what are you all doing this fall? I'd love to hear.

Ciao. (I'm almost certain that means go eat something;)

Mountains

2009-09-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Mountains are so peaceful. I told you in my last post that a few of my siblings, my grandpa and I went hiking on Labor Day.

Horse Pasture Mountain is situated in the Cascade Mountain range. If you climb to the top you can look at Mt. Washington, the Three Sisters, and various other snow covered peaks. Meadow flowers and grasses cover a good part of it, and the top is bare except for some low-lying vegetation and a few craggy rocks.

I don't know what I like better: being up high or down low. I've never had any outdoor experience more amazing than the Alvord Desert in the eastern part of Oregon- but I have to admit climbing up to the top of something is pretty exhilarating.

Almost to the top!

I really wish I could have a piano transported up here. I couldn't think of a more fitting place to play Bach or Chopin. Or I could just sing "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound Of Music. That would be pretty amazing, too.

If you look over the edge of these rocks, you notice how everything- just disappears. It's a drop-off, all right. Makes you feel slightly giddy. But then you get distracted by the awesome view:

Some of us have plans to climb this mountain next year.

I think one of the best things about being at the top of the peak is knowing that you did nothing to create the gorgeous scenery around you. (Neither did an evolutionary process.)

I'm definitely a city girl. I love concrete, noise, movement and all that stuff. Forests and mountains do not have iPods, laptops, skyscrapers, books, art museums, etc. (Which are all very good.) Instead rugged terrain reminds us of the God who created it all. The land is powerful and harsh, yet delicately beautiful.

Not that there aren't signs of humanity:

There are very few places where I will drink lukewarm blue Gatorade. Not on plane, not on a train....But maybe after a long hike.

It was a good ending to a summer. In the days afterward, we occupied ourselves with getting read for school. (Classes start next week!)

There are still things I need to accomplish, such as finishing a summer reading assignment. But I wanted to take the time to share these with you because I was so pleased with how they turned out.

Blessings,

Natalie

A Preview....

2009-09-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

I have lots of fun pictures to show you.....and a few stories to tell. I've had a very busy extra-long weekend, due to the fact that it's a holiday today. (Albeit a somewhat insignificant one.)

Saturday a friend coordinated a swing dancing class, that many of the young people in our church attended. Sunday we had church, of course, then a full-submersion baptism in the river near the park. This event happily coincided with our annual church picnic. Almost all of us did English Country Dancing barefoot in the rain, which was quite the spectacle to behold. There was also a water-balloon fight that ended quickly due to lack of ammunition.

Today my grandpa, brother, sister and I spent the day hiking in the mountains.....I have plenty of pictures depicting our adventures there, but those will have to wait.

For now, I leave you with this:

What did you do this weekend? I hope you all have a lovely week!

Natalie

Fix-It Friday

2009-09-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

OK, so first let me say that I did not take the photo below. I feel a bit strange posting a picture of a kid I don't even know, but the super-fun team at i heart faces blog is having what they call a "fix-it-Friday." Which basically means they post a photo, and challenge everyone to edit in a creative way. It's so much fun to see what different people come up with- I just had to give it a try.

Because, to tell the truth, whenever I look at unedited photos that aren't mine, I think of how I'd fix them up. I don't use photoshop, instead I take advantage of the free Aviary software, and of course, my beloved iPhoto program.

Here is the original photo. (Cute kid, eh?)

The thing that stands out to me about this photo is the wonderful composition. I'm sure if the photographer would have given us their edited version, it would have been even more gorgeous.

(Actually some of the I.H.F. photographers did. You can see their results on the blog.)

I wish I could go into detail about how I edited this photo, but since I did everything rather haphazardly, I can't really show you all every step.

I took the photo to Aviary, and played with layers- also adding a texture I found on Pixmaniaque's stock library. (I'm indebted to all you stock texture providers- your work makes my hobby fun!)

I brightened various parts of the photo, as well as tweaking saturation, color levels, and tons of other stuff.

All for now!

Natalie

Mini Cupcakes

2009-08-30T18:19:00.001-07:00

Back in 2004, when I was ten, my mom and I took an evening Wilton cake decorating class at a local craft store. The instructor was a brisk, no-nonsense lady who had no qualms about vigorously brushing crumbs of the side of her cake or covering it with what seemed at the time to be a ridiculous amount of frosting. The whole setup was pretty simple- everyone enrolled brought a pre-baked cake to class every week, then learned and practiced simple icing techniques.

The owner of a local Dari Queen restaurant and a few of his employees signed up: I think there was six of us altogether.

Every week a procession of cake- decorating students would file past the craft store registers carrying heavily-iced cakes into the August heat. I think the employees at the cash registers had been wishing that someone, anyone, would have a birthday- because on the night the Dari Queen man gave his cake to them, they seemed pretty happy. (Don't ask me where they got forks.....From the cake decorating isle?)

My mom and I would go home and eat cake while watching the olympic gymnastics taking place that month in Athens. (The boys had to wait until the next day to eat the rest.)

*********

I enjoyed decorating cakes after the classes ended, even though I never learned how to make a perfect rose. (Or any flower, for that matter....)

Truth be known, there's a lot of other things I'd rather make besides an iced cake. I don't like the taste of shortening frosting- but it's supposedly the only kind that is good for complicated decorations.

Pies, breads, and scones are more appealing to me, but sometimes I enjoy decorating a cake. Or cupcakes. Despite the fact that frosting is one of the messiest things I've encountered.

I was reading Bakerella's blog recently, which inspired me to make these mini cupcakes yesterday for after church this morning. (Lately someone's been serving coffee- and often somebody brings something to eat.)

I was ridiculously pleased with how these turned out. I'm happier with simple frosting swirls rather than my flawed flowers;)

These were SO EASY to decorate. A bit time consuming because I made the cake from scratch though....

They were only about an inch in diameter. I have a thing for tiny pieces of food. So does the dog, I suspect.

Yep, I was right.

So I know sprinkles are not the most impressive decoration, but I just fell in love with how they looked on the pink icing. (It's the cream cheese, kind- by the way.)

I sympathize with this cupcake. But seeing how it's calling attention to itself I really can't feel too bad for it.

Shots From Bainbridge Island

2009-08-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

So yes, I admit to changing my template. Drastically. The main reason was that I was frustrated with the size limit for photos on the old one. Not to shove them in your face, but I do prefer to keep things big and simple. My main problem with the old one was that the pictures I took vertically showed up smaller than I wanted. But now- they're bigger than I want them to be. Plus, I can't have a sidebar, which makes me somewhat sad. Eventually I'll see what I can do about getting some sort of blog list back. (Not to mention a profile, hit counter, link list, etc.)

So things will keep changing.

But for now I'm just going to post some photos I took a few weeks ago on the island during our little trip.

Next to Bay Hay And Feed is a little place called Rolling Bay Cafe. We went there for breakfast a few times.....

YUM. Maybe I should keep my pictures large on here. A larger-than-life cinnamon roll doesn't sound like such a bad idea to me....Maybe I should have taken the picture BEFORE it was cruelly disfigured? I probably post way to much of this kind of stuff on here anyway.....contrary to popular opinion I do not sit around all the time and consume baked goods. (Although I do have some amazing recipes to post later!)

The large bird pictured above is the top part of a swan boat.

And another coffee place....

Vintage Edits

2009-08-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

So I told you about the wedding in my last post....

Here are a few more photos I've been editing:

(texture by the super-talented zstheday)

Things

2009-08-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Ellie and Autumn's brother Silas married our lovely friend Elisabeth.(Wow, that's a lot of links!) We were all sad to see them leave after the wedding. But that didn't stop the party. (Some of us have bruises to prove we were rocking out in a dark field after the bride and groom left.)

Anyway, I'd like to post at least one picture, because it is impossible to let hundreds of shots of amazing people sit around on your computer. (But don't worry-I'm in the process of burning a disk for the bride, and uploading bunches to Flickr.)

They all looked so glamorous....from left to right: Ellie, Margaret, Elisabeth, Christa, and Kate. Pardon their "headlessness." Guys never understand shoe shots. But I've never met a girl who didn't like this genre of photography.

Hope you all have a wonderful start to your week!

Natalie

Seattle

2009-08-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

3Hello friends! Thought I'd post some pictures from last weekend. (And yes, I know I'm having major problems with exposure, etc. All white blanks in the following photos are pieces of sky. I promise.)

I was in Seattle Saturday. We'd been visiting my grandma, who lives on one of the Washington islands. Every time we visit her, we all go into Seattle for a day. It only takes thirty minutes to ride the ferry from the island dock to the city port.

I have more photos I'll post later of the actual island, but for now I'll just leave you with the ones from Seattle.

I guess people in large cities learn how to do things anywhere, anytime. I certainly haven't mastered the art of sleeping in public places.

Taken in a small cafe serving Mediterranean wrap-things. The only thing I hate about these places is their lack of restrooms. Several members of my family thought it was unreasonable to have to walk a few blocks to one, only to find that it was shut down for maintenance.

Bottega Italiana is a cute little gelato cafe, as you might have guess from the picture above. They have amazing flavors like strawberry-basil (yes basil, like the herb), and pear. Plus, I love the interior.

How cute....A toddler eating a little toddler-sized scoop of gelato. He felt right at home here.

(Picture by Louis, who wanted credit.)

Sometime later I'll post the pictures of the street musicians. They were quite interesting;)

I'm off to do some reading that needs to be finished before school starts in September....

Natalie

Cookies

2009-08-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Every August for three years I've made a gift basket for the county fair that takes place close to where I live. The rules are simple:

4 kinds of cookies

6 cookies of each kind

None of the contents of the baskets are tasted. The whole gift-basket thing is basically an exercise in packaging. (And making durable cookies. Or at least learning how to glue and tape broken pieces of food together.)

I won't tell you all the rules for cakes, essays, beer, spices, paper-mache sculptures, fudge, quilts, bread, woodcarving, scarecrow-making, gourd growing, blackberry arranging- and goodness gracious, photography!

(Don't get me started on that- I'll discuss it later. The photography part of the fair is my absolute favorite place. Seriously. I think I'll just camp out there for a week until the fair is over.)

Anyway.

The baskets are usually themed.

My theme for this year is "flower garden." Not terribly original, but I'm pleased with the results:

I got these amazing plastic bag gift bags a few years ago. I finally used the last of them to wrap up my cookie pops. (And yes, they ARE cookie pops. I stuck the "stems" into florists' foam hidden in the bottom of the basket.)

OK, so the frosting on the mushrooms got a little squashed. But I still love the color combination. (Plus they taste wonderful with all the cinnamon and chocolate...)

The chocolate biscotti look kind of unappetizing, and I'm still wincing at that squished polka-dot...but I'm done! Which makes me happy.

The fair starts next week, so sometime later I'll get to go and see if my stuff is still in one piece!

The drop-off date is Saturday, and since I'll be gone until Sunday night, my helpful grandpa is going to deliver the basket and my photos.

Speaking of photos....

Never mind.

I need to finish packing. Louis and I had a contest today to see who could pack the lightest. He won, of course.

This is the only bag I'm taking. With a few things on the side;) I love my Pindar bag.

All for now,

Natalie

Happy Monday!

2009-08-10T15:33:00.001-07:00

I guess we could celebrate some other thing besides the fact that it's Monday. We could have a "Happy Natalie-hits-page-186-of-Tacitus'-Annals Day," or a "Happy Messy Room Day." But I'm glad it's Monday- this means that I only have to wait 4 days until I go to Washington, 8+ days before I go to the fair to see my entries, and precisely 13 days till I get to help photograph Elisabeth's wedding.

A few days ago I went over to Ellie and Autumn's house, with our friend Jessica. We made lemon cupcakes for the next day after church, then ate about 1/4 of the finished (or half finished) product. A photoshoot inevitably followed.

I guess that's all- but wait! Meg tagged me recently!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
somewhere in Europe

If you could go to any fictional place, where would you go?
Hmm.....not sure. Most of my favorite places in books are real places!

Do you love to write or do you just like writing? Or do you write at all?

I do love writing, even though I don't do it all the time.

What do you want to be when you’re a grown up?

mom,photographer- maybe writer

Favorite animal?
Dogs- specifically labradoodles, bulldogs, Great Danes, and pugs!

Favorite song?

Handel's Messiah. Although I guess that's more than one song.

Do you like school?
Yes. Most of it.

Are you a people person because I’m getting the idea that you are?
I don't understand this question.

Do you like to talk?
Yes.

Favorite food?
I have many favorites;)

Hobbies?
Piano, voice, photography, writing.

Favorite author?

In no particular order:
C.S. Lewis, Dickens, HOMER.....I could name more.

Favorite weapon?
Don't have one unless you count my favorite target-shooting guns....the most interesting firearm I've ever shot was an AR15. I'm still mortally afraid of a shotgun's recoil, though.

Is this a fun tag or are you getting bored?
Can't decide.

Do you like Hannah Montana and all those girly people and movies like Highschool Musical?
No comment. (Just this once I'm going to keep my mouth closed about the subject.)

What are you scared of?
spiders?

Favorite flower?
Anything that looks good for the camera;)

Do you always use the same password or do you use different ones?
hacker!!!

What is the expression on your face?
Nothing interesting.

Color of your eyes?

Purple. Ha! See, I KNEW you weren't paying attention!

All for now,

Natalie-

Photo Shoots With Susanna

2009-08-02T22:29:00.001-07:00

Taken a week ago....On our porch:

I love love love how these turned out. Isn't she pretty?

Taken yesterday evening around a nearby high-school building. The colors of the highschool are kind of ugly- forest green and white. But there's plenty of space to take photos with all the blank outside walls and grungy steps. I love grunge. Not as much as frilly white dresses though...

I actually don't mind that green in this picture.

I didn't mean for this one to turn out to serious. Trying to avoid "the camera smile" I told her she didn't have to smile.

I think she was trying to pull weeds out of the tulle in her skirt...sometime before this I'd stopped asking her to pose.

And my favorite:

Altogether I was happy with how the last set turned out. A bit moodier than I'd planned, which is fine with me- but next time I'll probably try to lighten things up a little. (Not literally.) The white dress in front of the white building was a mistake, in my opinion, but I got good lighting- the only thing I REALLY care about! ;)

All for now!

Natalie

Cousins

2009-07-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

Our day became interesting when we visited a local coffee shop before leaving town this morning to go see our cousins.

(I always liked buildings that have bars over the doors- gives them a kind of "homey" feel, don't you think?)

This coffee shot purportedly contains some really garish art, houses flies in the pastry case, hires rude people who refuse to have anything to do with Starbucks, and sports an ugly mural on the side of the building. But it also serves some of the best coffee in the area. Not that I drink coffee- but I do believe the rumor. Ugly apples generally taste the best, after all. I've heard wonders about the beans they sell- and if I was a coffee aficionado I'm sure I would appreciate this place.

Our cousins have chickens. The suburban chicken-craze has hit the Northwest, folks.

Gabriel only wishes the chicken-craze would hit our little part of the Northwest.

This is Bob. No one knows whether it's a boy or a girl. Kind of a moot point though, come to think about it. I can't help but notice the rockin' feather-do.....

My four-year-old cousin likes to chuck chickens up in the air. It startled me at first, but then I came to realize that chickens are essentially like balloons and come peacefully back down to earth.

Most of the time, that is.

And then there was the guinea pig....

....Or "Ghee pig," as Jerome dubbed it.

It got a bath:

But no hair-bows this time.

I tried to get a picture of the boys. In typical boy fashion, this is how they granted my wish. "What? You don't want a picture of us stuffing plastic dinosaurs in our mouth and blocking our faces with pillows?"

This is fine portraiture, people. Fine portraiture.

My aunt and cousins are incredibly talented and inventive when it comes to making stuff out of fimo clay, not to mention all the other adorable crafts. So some of use decided to try making animals:

We then played a name game, which soon morphed into a contortionist exhibition.

Or a yoga class. Not sure which.

It got a lot weirder, I assure you.

As you can see from this picture, Gabriella did not like Jerome as much as Jerome liked Gabriella.

I know my posts tend to be on the long side- but all these pictures make me smile. And thus they were posted:)

Natalie-

Jerome

2009-07-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

If you've ever met my two-year-old brother Jerome in person, at church, you know he's not always willing to be held. He's not particularly fond of friendly guys who try to play with him, or teenage girls who try to charm him ("Unhand me, ladies!").

He would rather be putting his small friend in a headlock, or running around outside. He takes life seriously.

But he sure is charming. And look at those eyelashes!

He never smiles for the camera. Ever. But that's ok with me.

Not only do toddler boys have perfect skin and eyelashes, they also appear to have perfect feet. Fat feet, too.

He's a very serious fellow- never disturb his profound train of thought.

The crumbs on his mouth are from the cracker he was eating.

The many faces of Jerome....

-Natalie

Books, Cookies, And Lucy

2009-07-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

To be honest- I have a hard time during the summer staying focused and inspired to do things. After a spring full of essays, theater rehearsals, script-writing, piano recitals and syllabus- everything seemed blank. Which is not to say that I'm always diligent when projects abound- I can and do waste time. (Twitter? Facebook?) But I am the type that either works ridiculously hard on a task- or doesn't do anything about it all. Which is bad, or good- depending on how you see it. I'm thinking it's bad.

My companion for the next two months is Tacitus' Annals of Imperial Rome, assigned to all of Alexandria Tutorial's students who will be entering Great Books II next year. (Don't Roman numerals look more scholarly?)

Anyway, it hasn't proved to be as gory as Herodotus- yet. I've actually never met a book like this that didn't contain some enjoyable parts, though I always do drag my feet somewhat at the beginnings. At any rate, mutinies are always fascinating.

There are good speeches in this book, too. Oh yes. Kind of makes me want to read one out loud, but I'd hate to repeat the Tom-Sawyer-Reads-Patrick-Henry's-Give-Me-Liberty-Speech incident.

"For heaven forbid that the distinction and glory of having helped Rome and suppressed the peoples of Germany, should go the Belgae- Gauls and foreigners- for all their offers. Divine Augustus, I call upon your spirit now in heaven! Nero Drusus my father, I invoke your image that is in our memories! Come to these soldiers of yours (into whose hearts shame and pride are making their way); wash clean this stain! Direct these revolutionary passions against enemy lives instead....Will you give the senate back its delegates, be obedient to the emperor again- and return me my wife and son? Then shake of the contagion. Single out the culprits! That will show you are sorry, and prove you are loyal...."

Oh, ahem, sorry. Just got a little carried away there. And now about the past few days:

---The performance of Handel's Messiah I went to see on Sunday was amazing. Especially "Surely He Has Borne Our Griefs."

---Meg from Our Spare Oom had a giveaway recently, and as I was the only one who entered it- I won! I thought it was really sweet and thoughtful of her to give away a copy of C.S. Lewis' The Horse And His Boy. (And going to all the trouble of shipping it halfway across the world, I might add).

This happens to be my favorite book in the Narnia series. Thanks Meg!

Thursday night my family had another track meet. I decided to stay home and make cookies- Elspeth and Autumn came over. It was more fun than running in circles.

Behold, the Ravioli Cookies- that really do not look like ravioli at all:

And no, my family does not survive on a diet of shortbread (Though some people would gladly accept such a proposal).

I've just been baking a lot this July- it's a cookie/scone/biscotti/pie month for some reason.

I shoot many of my food pictures outside- where the lighting is better. We took these cookies outside forgetting about Lucy who was inside helping herself to the second plate. We dragged her outside so we could resume our photo shoot- and came up with this priceless image.

It's the stuff dogs dream about.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Natalie

P.S. My "readers widget" is up now on my sidebar, thanks to Gabrielle's suggestion. You all can follow me now. Or not;)

Christa's Birthday Party

2009-07-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today at 12:00 this afternoon we all got in the car and drove to Elisabeth's house, to celebrate the sixteenth birthday of her sister Christa, with their family and some friends from church. It takes about an hour to get there, and since our region's annual "hippy fair" was going on near the rout we had to take, we were slowed down considerably. Forty-five minutes were spent crawling down the road pontificating on things like veganism and tie-dye, and staring at the "coexist" bumper sticker that was pasted to a car crawling along ahead of us.

And this is just a section of the "parking lot" of the fair. I shot this picture as we drove by. Nice job reducing emissions, people-who-like-to-attend-an-earth-worshipping-fair. Niiice job. (Not that all of you go to the fair with this worldview- if you love premium unleaded and Buicks I wholeheartedly commend you for driving to get your vegan-burgers.

Finally we reached our destination.....and went down to the highschool field to play softball. It was pretty entertaining to watch Gabriel scrambling around the outfield on all fours, my mom and dad running to home base together, and Ellie miraculously surviving the perils that go along with the job of catcher.

Christa- the sweet and thoughtful hostess.

Ellie- and Gabriel? Posing in the background?

Maggie- so cute.

Autumn! Autumn made a prodigious effort to help her team by catching outfield balls, unlike me, who was too busy making a prodigious effort at scratching my ankles.

We went back up to the road to the house, changed, and jumped in the river.

There were some evil looking alligators in the water, but so far as I know, they bit no one. Except maybe each other. (And no, this photo was NOT taking IN the water.)

Left to right: Autumn, Moi, Margaret, Elisabeth, Ellie, and Autumn.

Hmm. A ubiquitous feet picture. Except in this case our feet are super dirty. (Yes, it IS time to get that chipped pink stuff off my nails...)

Then it was time to eat.

This is Ellie and Autumn's amputee brother Abe, who really isn't an amputee at all. Sometimes I get the itch to stick my arm inside my shirt, too. (Well actually, that wouldn't be true. But we can all sympathize with faux amputees.)

Christa opening her presents.

Aaaand, one of the delicious chocolate cakes. (Which reminds me, I discovered another wonderful chocolate cake recipe online this week. I'll post it sometime soon with my pictures.)

Well, that's all for now. I'm looking forward to going to Handel's Messiah tomorrow with a few ladies from our church, as well as attending a track meet this Thursday where I will yet again exhibit my nonathletic prowess. (Ellie and I really wanted to do the pole vault- it sounds so much more thrilling than just running around in circles. But then we decided we wanted to be alive on Friday.)

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday,

Natalie