Faces, faces, everywhere!

I think, because I'm a photographer, I see things others don't. Perhaps it's an order in chaos thing, maybe it's just part I the human brain that looks for the familiar in the unfamiliar. Whatever the case, it happens to me.

For example, lately I've noticed that I see "faces" everywhere in completely random objects. We'll be driving down the street, and I'll notice a car that looks like the back end is a face, or this:

Most of us know what this is. It's the symbol for Microsoft Outlook. I've been looking at it for years, and never thought anything of it. But just the other day, I noticed that it resembled a smiling face. Do you see it? The "O" is an eye, the clock is the nose, and the flap on the envelope is the smile. A totally abstract image, but now that I've seen it, I can't unsee it. 

Am I crazy? How about here? Do you see a face? 

Again, I can't unsee it now. Maybe I'm having a "Beautiful Mind" moment? Anyway you look at it, my mind works differently than some, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. 

Attack of the senseless

Why must people bathe in their perfume/cologne? 

I've wondered, lately, if as you get older, your olfactory senses diminish and you cannot smell as well as before? If that's the case, then why don't people around them tell them they smell? 

I've had two today that were so strong I could taste it in the back of my throat. I enjoy good aromas as much as the next person, but people need to use a little restraint. 

Since I'm on the grateful kick, I'll just say that I'm grateful to be able to smell and taste and hear and see. I'm grateful for all my senses and the fact that they work, mostly like they're supposed to. 

Every journey begins with one small step

Recently, I feel like my life has been turned upside down. There has been a lot going on, some of it not good. Unfortunately, this is the stuff I chose to focus on. I had a real "why me" attitude and felt extremely isolated and full of despair. 

Well, I posted some pretty negative stuff on Facebook, and my mom kind if freaked out. In one of my lowest moments, it took her to remind me how blessed I am. 

So, I'm starting a gratitude journal. Each day, I'll list three things I'm grateful for that day. Some days it may be hard to find something, but I will just change my

perspective and find something. Today, I'm grateful for my mom for helping me and loving me, I'm grateful to have a decent job to go to everyday and where they appreciate me, and I'm grateful for a roof over my head every night when I go home. 

I hope you'll follow me on this journey and please feel free to share the things you're grateful for every day! 

I love photography!

If you know me, you know I love photography and being a photographer! One day, when I grow up, I want to do it for a living :) Well, right now I'm really fired up because, this year, I get to attend my first ever Photoshop World conference.

This conference is 3 days of workshops, networking, learning and, let's get real, hanging out in Vegas! I've been trying to get to this thing for 3 years now, and this year I get to be there, learning from and meeting people I've admired for a long time.

I know I'll get back home with a brain full of knowledge I'll have to work through, but I'm willing to have a headache from all the knowledge.

My photography skills are good, my editing skills are good, but after this conference those skills will be so much more enhanced. And, I'll also be learning some new graphic design skills that will be used in my day job.

This training is going to be awesome and so much fun. I'm ready to jump on a plane today!

These dreams...

Why do we dream? And even knowing why we dream, I still have to wonder why we dream what we do? 

As long as I can remember, I've dreamed very vivid dreams. Some good, some not, but always vivid and usually very memorable. Usually, my dreams are also varied with more good or strange than bad, but lately I've been dreaming, what I'd consider, bad dreams.

The last few weeks, the dreams have been about my children and harm befalling them. Why am I dreaming this way? I love my boys with all my heart and these dreams have me waking up crying, sweating, and with a rapid heartbeat. What the heck is up with that?

Because none of my dreams have ever come true, I am not one of those who believes that dreams are a portent of the future. I do, however, wonder if dreams are a way for your brain to work through everything you're thinking and feeling.

I've been thinking about my boys a lot, and like most mothers, I worry about them. They are both out of the house now, and kind of on their own. I want them to be successful and independent, but there's always going to be that part of me that worries and I think, perhaps, my dreams are mirroring my worry (albeit in rather odd ways).

I guess the only way to dream happier things about my children is to have faith that I've done the best I can to raise them to be the men I've always hoped they'd be. I hope they know how much they mean to me and that I want them to be happy and successful, even if I don't say it every minute of every day.

Hug your kids, tell them you love them, raise them with good morals and manners, and then when the time is right, let them go to spread their wings! And, remember to value every moment and be in that moment because, before you know it, they will be grown and things will be different. Just remember that they still love you! (that last bit is as much for me as for you!)

Zumba: Love it or hate it?

Let me just put this out there right away. I HATE EXERCISE! Whew, okay, now that it's off my chest, let's talk about Zumba.

My workplace has an employee wellness committee and one of the offerings is a twice weekly Zumba class. At first, I wasn't interested AT ALL. Like I said, I hate exercises. But, as time went on, and my waistline continued to grow, the dreaded exercise became something I had to do.

It's been several months now, and if I'm totally honest, the Zumba thing has grown on me. In fact, it's grown on me so much that when I hear a song that we use in class, I can envision the routine in my head. If I'm not careful, I will do the moves, even if I'm in public. Yes, I've gotten a few looks.

In addition, I can't help myself, but when I hear other songs I listen for the beat and try to figure out if I could do our Zumba moves to those songs. And, you know what, you totally can! Even country music, which I love, has the right beats to do some of the Zumba moves.

So, next time you see someone just break out in dance - first, it might be me, and second, maybe they are subconsciously exercising. Just keep walking and wish them well :)

Patriotic to a fault

Never let be said of me that I'm not patriotic. In fact, I may be patriotic to a fault.

I come from a long line of military Veterans, and I've always said that I bleed red, white and blue and every day that feeling gets stronger. I still cry every time I hear the national anthem, I was thanking Veterans for their service before it was the "thing" to do, and although I'm a photographer, you'll not find me taking photos during the National Anthem or the Pledge of Allegiance.

Why do I tell you this? Well, when I say I'm patriotic to a fault, I mean I can get really irritated when I feel that someone is disrespecting our nation and our flag.

For instance, we have A LOT of American flags around here, and while I love to se Old Glory waving, I get so upset when she's ragged and flying. I just think that, if a business or homeowner wants to fly her, they should have enough pride to retire their flag when it gets torn and/or faded.

It also bugs me to see photographers using the flag as "prop". Don't get me wrong, if it's a little flag on a stick, I have no problem with that at all. It's when the flag is wrapped around someone like a blanket, or touching the ground, or (and this one REALLY pisses me off) tied around a child's neck like a cape and then "flying" behind the running child. To me, that's REALLY disrespectful.

That flag symbolizes, for me, a pride I can't always put into words, but I know when I see it that I'm home and that, no matter what I may feel at certain moments, I live in the greatest country I know!