Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Top Ten Tuesday Halloween

Per GR's request, I am going to conduct a Top Ten Tuesday. Seeing as it is Halloween, let's stick with that topic...

You must pick the costume that you most likely would, at your current age, pick to dress up as and go trick-or-treating in if a big group of your friends decided to go.

Top Ten Halloween Costumes
1. The color white
2. A giant bowl of popcorn
3. Beast from "Beauty and the Beast"
4. Big Bird
5. A rainbow
6. An elephant
7. Lloyd
8. a blue M&M
9. Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon
10. A Christmas tree

Pick one... just one, now. I know the choies are good, so try to narrow it down. :) I had the help of some of my friends in coming up with the choices. Vote away, and have a great day!

Love you all. T

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Fall Photogaphy

I rolled over in bed this morning and glanced out the window, only to let an overwhleming sense of bright sunny blue envelope me and tempt me to get up. If I was a crowd of people watching fireworks, I would have "Ooed" and "Ahhed" about the amazing contrast of the vivid orange and yellow leaves against the Fall day sky. My joy was not yet over...


After a bowl of Golden Grahams, I took my camera outside to finish a photo lighting assignment, but I couldn't resist. I grabbed my Canon and begtan snapping away, capturing close-ups of the Fall flowers prospering in my mom's garden. The aroma of pumpkin was evident in the air, and the crisp day cooled me and allowed for a very refreshing feeling as I made my rounds in the backyard.

I felt in my element as I shot photographs of flowers. There is something about zooming in so deeply on a tiny little colorful flower and bringing vibrance and life to its presence that would have never been captured with a scanning, un-assuming eye. I thrive off of bringing something spectacular out of ordinary objects. It is my passion, not only with flowers but with any picture. I often look out the window of my car and see scenery and objects in terms of pictures rather in terms of what is really there.

Photography brings for me an outlet, and it's an important one, because it lets me capture memories and visuals. The other day, someone said to me, "I noticed you take A LOT of pictures. I think that's great-- but, what are you going to do with all these pictures when you're older?"


I love questions like these! I told her that first and foremost, it is essential for me to take pictures in order to liven memories. Often, if I don't take a picture of the event, I don't remember it very well. Pictures allow me to "re-live" the exciting times again and again, and this reinforcement in my mind helps my memory. Also, I don't just print my pictures and then let them sit and collect dust in shoe boxes. I hang them up, share them, give them away, print them in bigger sizes to be framed, archive them in albums, use them in movies, and sometime in the hopeful near future, sell them.


I am not going to school to be a photographer. I feel like it comes as more of a hobby to me, and it is there to enhance and add to what I AM learning about- media, design, and communication.

I thank God for His beautiful creation, from everything to the tiniest flower to the most vivacious and friendly person. It is all picture-worthy, and the beauty of it is owed to Him!

I love you all, T

Monday, October 09, 2006

Our Hope

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

A good perspective to keep...

Day by day, we are being RENEWED on the inside. When we die, what will we take with us? What will count? Where do we spend most of our time... nurturing the materials that will burn and rot away, and that will not accompany us to Heaven, or practicing and bearing fruit that will produce for us treasure in Heaven?

Love you all, T

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Back

My blog is stale.

I have let it sit in the cupboard too long, and now it is dull, flavorless, and ignored.

It has been awhile since I last posted because my time is precious these days, and unforunately, or perhaps fortunately, blogging has fallen to the bottom of the to-do list.

Today started off cloudy and cold, and has now developed into a blue sky beauty. My spirits are high because my afternoon class has been cancelled, which frees up a whole afternoon for me to enjoy. I just finished peanutbutter and honey with banana slices on toast, all while talking to room mates and friends and listening to jazz.

Since it just so happens to be a Tuesday, I am going to throw in a Top Ten for everyone...

On Monday night, we had game night at the Willow House (new name for the previous T House + Steph and Abby). We started off with a couple of board games and ended up bringing the whole group together at the end for a game of "I Have Never." Most of you know that this game is played by starting someone off in the center who says, "I have never..." and then fills in the blank with something they have never done. Everyone who is seated who HAS done this must get up and find a new seat, all while the person in middle frantically tries to find a free space to sit down. One person will always end up in the middle, and then has to make a new "I have never" statement. This is one of those games that is fun to play, sometimes even aggressive, but really has no end goal or final winner other than someone brave enough to say, "I have never been so sick of this game" and ends it.

Anyway, my theme for Top Ten will be 10 "I have never..." statements by myself, and you can all pick one that you HAVE done and tell a story about it. Essentially, we are playing the blog version of the game. Except that you don't have to worry about finding a seat.

I have never...

1. Been to Hawaii

2. Received a speeding ticket

3. Enjoyed mushrooms, olives, or seafood

4. Had younger siblings

5. Gone sky diving or rocky mountain climbing

6. Had permanantly straight hair

7. Missed a trip to DQ in the summer

8. Lived without a pet cat

9. Seen Forrest Gump all the way through

10. Been to Heaven, but someday I will go there...

Love you all. T