hi!

i'm just back from our ward's relief society birthday party.  everyone shared their talents and put up displays of what they were into.  i was asked to do a short presentation on mine.  i'm glad they asked me, otherwise i might not have gone, truth be told.  i did a slide show on lil' lappie of some of my favourite photos from the last couple of years and i brought my blog book.  i talked about getting my first camera when i was 12 and how hilariously bad my first photos were, but how i fell in love with photography from that time.  how i am a recorder.  i want to capture, record and store everything.  i want to always remember and help other people remember our lives and our history.  i said photography inspires me and helps me see the beauty in the world.  to stop and see the little beautiful miracles around us.  that people are so beautiful and they don't know it, and how i love to capture it in them, and in their relationships.  then i danced a jig and put a feather in my cap.  i did.  i really did.

it was great to get to know people better and see the things they are passionate about.  it was also great to get lots of compliments from people (not going to lie!  :) ).  i found out that sister roeder loves to read.  as i was looking through her pile of books, she pointed out one to me and said she thought of me when she was bringing it.  i was surprised. "me?"  honto ni!? she lent it to me and i can already tell i'm going to love it.  it's called the diary of a provincial lady by e.m. delafield.  as sister roeder said "it's a teeeeensy bit sarcastic."  to which i say, perfect!

and i found out that melissa umbach besides being amazing at painting and sewing is also very into photography.  she had a book that she did of a safari that her and her daughter went on.  looked AHmazing!  

weissy chan made these amazing crocheted animals, and monsters, and fruit etc, for toys for her girls. i want to learn how to crochet just for that.  and sister anderson can break a board with her karate skilz... and sister deyell had these awesome stories from when she was a nurse in 1st nation and inuit communities up north...  

ya so anyways, it was cool....

i had an interview on monday.  it's for a job i applied for to do respite care for families with kids who have developmental disabilities.  my co-worker una suggested i apply for it (she's been doing it for a while)  well the interview was an hour long and INTENSE.  i got asked some pretty hard questions but it went pretty well.  then i had to go through a screening process.  a note from my doc.howie that i'm physically and mentally able, a written work reference and two written character references, people who had seen me working with kids aaaaaand a criminal record check.  apparently i got it all done in record time. i have orientation on monday.

this job is cool because i actually work as a contractor.  i choose my hours and who i work with and what we'll do.  i really like the flexibility of it.  after all of this, then kerstin, my coordinator will set up some meets with some families.  

yesterday while i was out being a newsie, (sometimes i listen to the newsie song in the midst of delivering papes too!), i noticed cherry blossoms just beginning to bloom and some weeping willow buds are starting to unfurl their leaves.  weeping willows are always amongst the first to leaf up.

when i got home from delivering papes, i was soaked through and through so i decided to have a shower and do my hair right then and there.  then against all reason, i pinned up my whole head of hair and went to bed.  woke up as a chubby 38 year old shirley temple in no mood for tap dancing.  as sarah says "when will you learn?".  yes, when??  a few people thought i got my hair cut because of how much shorter my hair looked.

my computer might die any minute.  i keep getting these foreboding messages from it.  not cool, little lappie.  not cool.

 

evan and i have just made a pact.  let it be done.

after a month of darkness i finally changed the light bulbs in my bedroom.  thanks to one karey van wieren for talking me through the process.

i leave you with a recent self portrait.  i think my eye looks grey.  once a blood donor clinic nurse asked me if i had grey eyes.  now i see why.

 be afraid.  be very afraid.