It's hard to believe that bad things even happen on a day like today. The sky couldn't be any bluer and the dogwoods are all in bloom. Even those pesky dandelion seeds take flight and actually give a beautiful surreal effect to the air. 
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Beautiful Day
It's hard to believe that bad things even happen on a day like today. The sky couldn't be any bluer and the dogwoods are all in bloom. Even those pesky dandelion seeds take flight and actually give a beautiful surreal effect to the air.
Monday, April 10, 2006
tornado pictures
Here is a couple of links to pictures of the tornadoes that swept through our area on Friday.
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/ts/040306smidweststorms/p:1
this one has links to pictures on the bottom right:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/NEWS01/60410009
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/ts/040306smidweststorms/p:1
this one has links to pictures on the bottom right:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/NEWS01/60410009
Friday, April 7, 2006
We're not in Kansas anymore
Today my life is the same and will continue to be the same. But that's not true for alot of my friends and other people in my community. It is rumored that the tornado that touched down about a mile and a half from our house was an F-4. That won't be confirmed for several more days, but truly some of the biggest homes in the county were blown completely away. They say that as many as 8 people died here. Volunteer State Community College, where my husband and I met, is terribly damaged. The car dealership where I got the first car I ever purchased on my own is gone. The stables where my daughter works were hit, but weren't damaged badly. And I saw it. In Tennessee, you don't see them very often. They usually come at night, are so wrapped in rain, and hidden by trees and hills, that you usually don't see them at all. This one...well, I saw it from my daughter's school as I picked her up. It was OBVIOUS that it was a tornado, but I don't think any of us had any idea of what we were looking at. I mean, we KNEW it was a tornado, but it was almost like it was entertainment. We had no idea the destruction it carried with it.
We spent most of the afternoon getting in touch with those we know around town to make sure they were okay. Many were not. I don't doubt that over the next few days we will learn of all the connections we have with people who were deeply affected by this storm. With each hour that has passed, we have had the truth of the situation slowly sink in. From thinking of the sight of the thing as cool, to feeling sickened that we were actually seeing people we know lose everything they had.
I truly don't think that anyone, escept those who were actually hit by it, realized how bad it was. Although most everyone was affected by the traffic-you couldn't hardly get anywhere north of Nashville. So much of the damage occured in high traffic areas that it made for a lot of headaches. But that made it hard for the majority of us to realize how much damage there was. Traffic was either stopped from going through the areas altogether-the main road through the county was shut completely down-or they routed it around the damaged areas. Only those who needed to be there were allowed in. Even the news services were stuck in traffic trying to get to it. So we didn't even get the first images of the destruction for 3-4 hours. We were hearing eyewitness accounts, but it wasn't until those first images were aired that it began to dawn on us. Tomorrow, when the shock wears off and the road blocks lift, I imagine there will be droves of people going to see for themselves. The photo bug in me wanted to go immediately, but it is respect for my friends and neighbors that keeps me home tonight. After talking to some, I realize how much they are hurting. I will wait a couple of days before I head that way and then it will be to offer help. The south is nothing if not friendly and neighborly. As my New Yorker best friend says, we talk about each other behind their backs, but when it comes to helping, we are right there. When it comes to caring, we are always able to put aside any differences or gossip. We are capable of unmeasurable love and compassion. And I'd be willing to bet that over the next few days, there will be a huge outpouring of just that.
Oh, as a sidenote: William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys, had his home torn up really bad. The house right next to his isn't there anymore. I guess no one is immune.
We spent most of the afternoon getting in touch with those we know around town to make sure they were okay. Many were not. I don't doubt that over the next few days we will learn of all the connections we have with people who were deeply affected by this storm. With each hour that has passed, we have had the truth of the situation slowly sink in. From thinking of the sight of the thing as cool, to feeling sickened that we were actually seeing people we know lose everything they had.
I truly don't think that anyone, escept those who were actually hit by it, realized how bad it was. Although most everyone was affected by the traffic-you couldn't hardly get anywhere north of Nashville. So much of the damage occured in high traffic areas that it made for a lot of headaches. But that made it hard for the majority of us to realize how much damage there was. Traffic was either stopped from going through the areas altogether-the main road through the county was shut completely down-or they routed it around the damaged areas. Only those who needed to be there were allowed in. Even the news services were stuck in traffic trying to get to it. So we didn't even get the first images of the destruction for 3-4 hours. We were hearing eyewitness accounts, but it wasn't until those first images were aired that it began to dawn on us. Tomorrow, when the shock wears off and the road blocks lift, I imagine there will be droves of people going to see for themselves. The photo bug in me wanted to go immediately, but it is respect for my friends and neighbors that keeps me home tonight. After talking to some, I realize how much they are hurting. I will wait a couple of days before I head that way and then it will be to offer help. The south is nothing if not friendly and neighborly. As my New Yorker best friend says, we talk about each other behind their backs, but when it comes to helping, we are right there. When it comes to caring, we are always able to put aside any differences or gossip. We are capable of unmeasurable love and compassion. And I'd be willing to bet that over the next few days, there will be a huge outpouring of just that.
Oh, as a sidenote: William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys, had his home torn up really bad. The house right next to his isn't there anymore. I guess no one is immune.
Monday, April 3, 2006
As With All Things Chapter 1
(This is a story I am in the process of writing. I am posting it here in hopes of some feedback and with the understanding that I have so few visitors to this blog that it is most likely safe here. I am fearful of copywrite infringement so I won't be posting more than a little at a time. I want it to be like a bedtime story, but for grown ups. I don't have alot of time to write so be patient with me for the next chapter.)
As with all things, it had a beginning. And this began long ago, in a kingdom so distant that no one who goes there ever returns. It had a king with great powers and a house of princes. The princes all served the king in ways that pleased him except one.
The one had found favor in the eyes of the king and through the use of his powers the king had given him great beauty and a voice that sounded of sweet music. The king gave this prince authority so that only the king himself and the king’s own son who ruled at his side were above him. The prince’s name was Lucien.
But the authority given to Lucien had gone to his head. He began to see himself as a greater ruler because with that authority had come power over man. As his ego grew, so did his resentment for the king and his son and he began to spew venom over the other princes to cause strife in the house.
The king saw the rebellion grow in the heart of his favored prince and his heart broke. He said nothing, but waited, knowing the day would come when Lucien would rise against him. Lucien had no power over him, but had become arrogant with greed and lust for the throne. The king could crush him with a single blow, but had no desire to harm the one who had brought him so much joy.
The day finally came. The entire kingdom was divided and Lucien had persuaded an entire third to follow him. The king listened as Lucien screamed accusations of weakness and carelessness at him. The other princes shouted in agreement while those that favored the king begged release to strike them down. With one word the king wiped them all out of his court and into the wilderness. Guards were posted around the castle so that those cast out could not return. The king sent orders to Lucien and the exiled princes that they were free to roam the earth. They were given the power of the air, but beyond this, they would never again enjoy the king’s favor nor the luxuries they once had. A season was given them to roam and do as they pleased, but when the season was over…judgment would be passed.
The king in his great power established a city just outside his castle walls. He ruled the city justly and the city flourished. The people of the city loved the king and served him wholeheartedly. In return, they were given everything they needed. There was no want. For hundreds of years the people had prosperity, health and immortality. This incensed the anger in Lucien. The people of the city now enjoyed what he was promised to lose at the end of the allotted time-life.
Lucien plotted to take control over the kings city and to build himself an army comprised of the king’s own subjects. In order to do this he knew he would have to turn the hearts of the people away from the king.
Mpix Rocks!
If you want your pictures developed right, go here. I don't get a dime for this by the way. No body reads my blog anyway. I am just in an Mpix rocks kinda mood I guess.
If you want your pictures developed right, go here. I don't get a dime for this by the way. No body reads my blog anyway. I am just in an Mpix rocks kinda mood I guess.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Pictures are worth a thousand...hairs that I just pulled out over them!
*This is a boring post that explains why I haven't written in a while. I will save you the trouble of reading it if you don't understand photography or computers. But if you know about computers, please read this. *
Oh here I am. After being home from my trip, that I wrote so fondly of, for over 2 weeks. I had all this neat stuff to write about and I still want to, but I got hung up on the one thing...my pictures. I must have taken 700 pictures on the trip. Did I mention that I LOVE my digital camera? But uploading, sorting, organizing, resizing, sharing and trying to get so many of the dang things on the internet is, well, time consuming at best. I have literally taken the last 3 whole days to get them all uploaded to a printer of choice, and order the ones I want. Throw in a photo shoot and an upcoming trip to my Dad's that I realized I also needed to order about 50 pictures from the last year to take to him, and putting together photos from a women's ministry event and you have a mess. It takes so dang long to upload just one photo. There is no really reliable way to do it more than one at a time, and I have probably had to upload over a thousand of them over the last 3 days. I spent the 2 weeks before that poking at the job, but not really doing anything about it. Well, between about 4 different printers, I am only going to end up with about 200 prints. Some are duplicates, some are for that photo shoot I did today, and some are for the women's ministry. I got in on some free deals by ordering them from different labs-although I paid extra to have my photo shoot from today and some nature pics done by my pro lab. No, had to be more than 200 cause that only came to $38 (+or-) and I know I've spent over $60 today on photo developing. I can't tell you how many times I have stared at an "upload failed" message and pulled my hair out over it.
So if any computer developers out there read this. Please develop a program that does quick fixes on pics like red eye correction, lightening and saturation, a good sharpener, that you can upload pics in batches from a thumbnail browser, TO THE PROCESSOR OF CHOICE. UGH! I had to use a different program for each of these tasks and each processor has a different way of uploading. I like the thumb browser at Mpix.com, the correcting tools of Picasa2, the detailed corrections of PS7 (although quick fixes are hard because the program is so involved and well, it just takes forever to load the darn program), and the fact that I can order pictures and pick them up in an hour at Wal-Mart. Wal-Marts BIGGEST drawback, is that the processing is cheap looking, even the paper is flimsy. Picasa does great quick corrections, but I have yet to figure out how to save them. You have to send those corrections to THEIR developers and while I chose Wal-Mart, I would like to have sent some to Mpix.
Okay, this is really a gripe session that no one but a photographer or a programmer will understand. Thank you for allowing me to do it. I will move on now.
Oh here I am. After being home from my trip, that I wrote so fondly of, for over 2 weeks. I had all this neat stuff to write about and I still want to, but I got hung up on the one thing...my pictures. I must have taken 700 pictures on the trip. Did I mention that I LOVE my digital camera? But uploading, sorting, organizing, resizing, sharing and trying to get so many of the dang things on the internet is, well, time consuming at best. I have literally taken the last 3 whole days to get them all uploaded to a printer of choice, and order the ones I want. Throw in a photo shoot and an upcoming trip to my Dad's that I realized I also needed to order about 50 pictures from the last year to take to him, and putting together photos from a women's ministry event and you have a mess. It takes so dang long to upload just one photo. There is no really reliable way to do it more than one at a time, and I have probably had to upload over a thousand of them over the last 3 days. I spent the 2 weeks before that poking at the job, but not really doing anything about it. Well, between about 4 different printers, I am only going to end up with about 200 prints. Some are duplicates, some are for that photo shoot I did today, and some are for the women's ministry. I got in on some free deals by ordering them from different labs-although I paid extra to have my photo shoot from today and some nature pics done by my pro lab. No, had to be more than 200 cause that only came to $38 (+or-) and I know I've spent over $60 today on photo developing. I can't tell you how many times I have stared at an "upload failed" message and pulled my hair out over it.
So if any computer developers out there read this. Please develop a program that does quick fixes on pics like red eye correction, lightening and saturation, a good sharpener, that you can upload pics in batches from a thumbnail browser, TO THE PROCESSOR OF CHOICE. UGH! I had to use a different program for each of these tasks and each processor has a different way of uploading. I like the thumb browser at Mpix.com, the correcting tools of Picasa2, the detailed corrections of PS7 (although quick fixes are hard because the program is so involved and well, it just takes forever to load the darn program), and the fact that I can order pictures and pick them up in an hour at Wal-Mart. Wal-Marts BIGGEST drawback, is that the processing is cheap looking, even the paper is flimsy. Picasa does great quick corrections, but I have yet to figure out how to save them. You have to send those corrections to THEIR developers and while I chose Wal-Mart, I would like to have sent some to Mpix.
Okay, this is really a gripe session that no one but a photographer or a programmer will understand. Thank you for allowing me to do it. I will move on now.
Friday, March 3, 2006
STRESSED...! I always get that way when packing for a trip. That's how I am tonight. No one is complying with what I am telling them to do. The house is getting turned upside down trying to find last minute things we want to take. I can't find any of my CD's that I want to take because the kids always take them out of MY cd player to play their own and leave mine laying around to get scratched and lost. Where is that car charger for the cell phone?!?! No I want that up front in the car with me! Where is my tripod?!?! Someone just asked me where their headphones are. Oh gosh I need the socks that are still in the dryer, no the suitcase is NOT ready to go out. Put that cat back outside! UGH!
I need sleep. I need peace.
Tomorrow, I will walk out the door, leaving my house in chaos for me to come home to, for a 12 hour road trip. San Antonio. I have never been to Texas. I have always wanted to see it. I am biting my tongue to keep from screaming that I don't want to go. I hate the craziness, but this is a trip that I have wanted to make for so long. I made this trip happen. I want to put on my Sarah Groves CD and watch the prarie go past my window. I want to see a longhorn, bluebonnets, even armadillos and tarantulas. I can't wait. I don't want to just see Texas, I want to live it.
Till then, I am being told about another problem from first one and then another of my wonderful family. I must put out all the fires and find solutions to all the dilemmas. Lord, please help me survive the preparation.
Imagine what it must have been like moving kit and kaboodle across the country by wagon and having to plan for everything along the way. No CD's to listen to or DVD players in the wagon to entertain the kids, no cell phones to call loved ones that you may never see again....I have it made!
I need sleep. I need peace.
Tomorrow, I will walk out the door, leaving my house in chaos for me to come home to, for a 12 hour road trip. San Antonio. I have never been to Texas. I have always wanted to see it. I am biting my tongue to keep from screaming that I don't want to go. I hate the craziness, but this is a trip that I have wanted to make for so long. I made this trip happen. I want to put on my Sarah Groves CD and watch the prarie go past my window. I want to see a longhorn, bluebonnets, even armadillos and tarantulas. I can't wait. I don't want to just see Texas, I want to live it.
Till then, I am being told about another problem from first one and then another of my wonderful family. I must put out all the fires and find solutions to all the dilemmas. Lord, please help me survive the preparation.
Imagine what it must have been like moving kit and kaboodle across the country by wagon and having to plan for everything along the way. No CD's to listen to or DVD players in the wagon to entertain the kids, no cell phones to call loved ones that you may never see again....I have it made!
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