He Takes After Me

This is my Pentax ZX-M 35mm camera with a Pentax-A 50mm lens that I used in high school.  I resurrected it recently and have been enjoying the concept of film again. It's difficult to get used to film when you have been using digital for so long.  My biggest challenge has been not being able to immediately see the picture in the camera or not being able to download pictures onto the computer right after taking them.  I'm not sure how long it will last.  But for now I am enjoying it.

Empty

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving here at Adventures in Wonderland was pretty nice.  The Cheshire Cat, The White Rabbit, and The Caterpillar joined us for a feast that could have fed 80 people.

But before we could dig into the turkey and fixins I took The Cheshire Cat and The Caterpillar out into the vineyard for a photo shoot.  The pictures are going to be a gift for The White Rabbit for Christmas and since he doesn't read the blog I can show you some of the shots from the day.

Those two are pretty photogenic, dontcha think?

Then we dove head first into our dinner.

All in all it was a wonderful day full of friends, family, and photography.

I hope your Thanksgiving was just as wonderful!

Falling Leaves

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Views From A Winter Morning Walk

He Has No Trouble Relaxing

Lonely Tire Swing

Cold Snap

It's been a tad chilly here recently so Arrow broke out his winter garb.  He asked that I tell you that he is aware that the hat and scarf don't match, but he's working the mismatch trend.

Possibly The Cutest Blog Comment Ever

This is what The Lion had to say (as dictated to her Mommy) in the comment section of my video post of her dancing at the wedding.

"I love Meghan because she is so funny and she is silly and she is entertainment. She is so really funny and she gave pictures of me"

I'm sorry, but that is the cutest thing ever.  

Now I can put that on a t-shirt. Me? I'm entertainment.  

Autumn In Paradise

On Saturday I took a walk through town to get some good pictures of the leaves turning.  Usually when I drive through I am rushed and don't take the time to stop for photos.  So this weekend I took advantage of the good weather and had some serious alone time with my camera.

Here are the results.

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others

Arrow has an astounding collection of stuffed toys, which we call BoBos.

I have never seen a dog get as excited as he gets when a new BoBo comes to live with us.  When he was a little puppers he was rough with them and went thorough quite a few toys.  Now that he is mellower he can keep a BoBo around for a long time.  He also enjoys resurrecting long forgotten BoBos and he gets as excited as if they were new.

This dog buries any kind of bone or dog treat, but stuffed animals are the way to his heart.

Time Change Sunset

Very Incredibly A Lot Redundant

I answered the phone while the receptionist was out.

Big Mistake.

"Good morning X Organization this is Meghan."

"Yes, hello, um is this X Organization."

"Yes."

For annoying press 1.

For redundant press 2 and then press it again.

For stupid, hang up.

Major Fun! Like, Totally!

Last week I was helping a colleague clear out an old toy closet and we came across this game.  It's the second edition and was for sale in 1988.  I can't tell you how much fun we had reading through the questions.  I brought it home because I saw its potential as a fabulous drunk party game.

Doesn't the box alone tell you so much?

The only place you'll find hair like that today is on an FLDS compound.

And here are a few examples of the cards.  These are the kinds of things that make Gloria Steinem cry.

This is a conversation I imagine happening during this game back in the day:

"But Tiffany, like, what if I want to be an engineer?"

"Eww Becky, that's grody.  That's totally a boy job."

This last one was deemed important enough to put on the box.

Also, why is Friend's in italics?  Probably because if you are putting an ice cube down her shirt she is more of a Friend than a Friend.  Dontcha think?

Red Veins

A First For Me That Should Never Be

Her mom called to cancel that day's appointment.

Her tears could be heard falling from her eyes onto the phone.  Her voice barely audible above the crying.

They saw her daughter's doctor, it wasn't good.

It was difficult to understand her through the tears.

Fatal.

Nothing can be done.

Won't be able to learn.

Slowly deteriorating.

Die between 6 and 12. 

Siblings with a chance.

Won't know for a week.

The doctor hung up the phone and crossed the little girl off her schedule. 

She looked up the disease.

Dementia.

Feeding tubes.

Neurons.

Lipids.

So hard to understand.

So young. 

Then the tears came to her too.  Flowing freely over a child not her own. 

Falling onto the girl's chart, thick with reports of lost skills. 

The tears came to me too.  Slowly at first, because I have no experience.

It's a foreign concept. 

Children die. 

In a few weeks, when the shock has worn off, we will see her again. 

We will play and sing and enjoy every moment.

Because we can be sad later.

Quintessentially American

I decided to make some microwave popcorn the other day, and just before I stuck it into the microwave  I noticed something on the bag.

Under "Helpful Hints" it said "Do not use popcorn setting on microwave".

Excuse me?  Am I getting this right?

Someone in this great country was trying to figure out how to sell more microwaves.  So he said to his

boss, "what about a button that is perfectly timed for microwave popcorn?"

Perfect!  So simple.  So American.  I can shave 3 seconds off my time pressing buttons so I won't miss a second of Gray's Anatomy.

But the makers of popcorn were all "No No No.  Not Okay!  Thou shalt not disrespect the sacred and precise cooking time of the popcorn.  Thou shalt listen to the popping and when it doth stop for 2 seconds thy popcorn is done."

I thought about the little things in my daily life that would be so foreign to anyone living anywhere else.  Like this popcorn button.  So unnecessary, yet such a great idea.

So I put the bag in the microwave and hit Popcorn.  

Because I really needed those 3 seconds.