Travel Trauma

Whew!! We just got back from Florida and boy, what a trip!! Don has been planning it for months – we went down for the WEVA Expo 2009. WEVA is Wedding & Event Videographer’s Association. We went down Friday night and spent Saturday and Sunday with Dad and Marilyn in St. Augustine and then Katie stayed with them Sunday night – Wednesday afternoon. I took classes with Don. He mainly did editing and composition type classes and I mainly did business management and marketing… especially focused on Social Media Marketing since I’ve gotten completely hooked on Facebook, Twitter and blogs… I wanted to help Don understand how he could best utilize Social Media.

I’ve said this two or three times in the past month and it’s starting to worry me a little… but I really am starting to feel older!!

We always travel GREAT together as a family but this trip was just HARD! The trip down was fairly uneventful except we didn’t get in to Dad’s until after midnight.

We had a great time with Dad and Marilyn over the weekend… even though there were typical Florida showers, we got in some great ocean time!! It was great seeing my dad so much stronger than he was last year at this time. Last year, the waves knocked him over and he could barely stand 5 minutes in the ocean. He was much better this year!

Don and I were excited about WEVA but we were also excited about having a few nights – just us!! We get that occasionally when we are at Mom’s – Katie will stay with Mom and MomMom and we stay in a hotel but it’s usually just one or two nights. This was going to be THREE nights!

WEVA was great, we got a lot out of most all the classes and both of us have come home with our minds spinning with ideas. Katie did great with Dad and Marilyn and we met close to Daytona on Wednesday, which was half way and picked Katie up and had lunch.

We did enjoy the first two nights of it being just us but by Tuesday night, we were looking forward to having Katie back.

Well, two things made me feel pretty old this past week. First, like overnight, I need bi-focals. All of a sudden, I can’t read close up with my glasses. It was so frustrating being in these big classes and taking notes and using my laptop but also needing to see the screen at the front. So, I need to call Monday morning and make an appointment.

The other thing that made me feel old… coming home!! First of all, as great as the trip was, I was SO READY to come home! I missed our bed, even though we were in a brand new Hilton with a nice cushy bed. I missed Hogan and Brinkley! I missed Lakota! I missed my friends! I just missed home!

Second, the trip home was hard! We got to the airport, returned our rental car and when we were checking our luggage, somehow, even though I had not done ONE BIT of shopping, my suitcase gained 10 pounds!! How is that possible? So, Allegiant Air was nice enough to not turn me and my suitcase away but they did charge us $50 for taking my now marked “HEAVY” suitcase.

We got through security with no problem, boarded the plane with no problem… seemed like a typical trip home… until we sat, and sat, and sat…. the plane started getting warmer and warmer. The stewardesses kept trying to get people on the right side of the plane to keep their shades down on their windows…. hotter and hotter. Maintenance men coming on and off the plane… the pilot announcing that there were discrepancies and that they were trying to get an air conditioner hose out to the plane. Hotter and hotter… we were just about to make them let us off the plane because of the fact that Katie can’t handle extreme heat when the air conditioner hose arrived.

After almost an hour of this, the pilot finally announces that they can’t fix the discrepancies and the plane wasn’t worthy of flight and so we were going to have deplane and board a spare. Like my Facebook and Twitter friends pointed out, basically the plane was broken… but at least they realized it before we were airborne.

Well, all of this put us getting home 2 1/2 hours late… which compared to stories you hear on the news is really not that big of a deal. But, Don had a rehearsal to get to and we get to baggage claim and again… it’s a waiting game. We waited for over 30 minutes before our luggage ever started coming down the baggage thingy.

We finally get our luggage and we head to the parking garage and something is wrong with the elevators. The sensor that normally senses when a person or object is in the elevator doorway was broken. People and luggage were almost getting eaten by the elevators.

I turn to Don and say “What else could possibly go wrong”… Don’t ever say that.

We get to the exit, Don inserts the ticket to the un-manned machine to pay for our parking by credit card and the machine eats our ticket. Meanwhile… a line of cars has developed behind us.

We finally got an attendant who fixed us up and we were on our way and my lips were sealed. Don literally dropped Katie and I off at home and kept going and made it to his rehearsal in a ball cap and jean shorts. Something, he never would ordinarily do… but at least he made it.

The good news in all of that… the staff at Allegiant, the passengers, the people at the airport… everyone was very pleasant. I never got frustrated but man… all the travel trauma wore me out!!

So proud of my little horse gal!

Katie has been practicing all summer for the STAR Horse Show Party… It wasn’t a party but she kept calling it that.  Well, it finally arrived today and she was so excited.  She found out yesterday that she wasn’t going to get to ride RB, her normal horse but that she’d be riding a horse named Breeze.  She was a little frazzled by that at first because Katie is a lot like me… she connects with horses and doesn’t just hop on their backs.

But, she got all dressed up in her pink cowgirl boots, braids with pink ribbons (thank you so much Lisa!) and we set off for the show.  Lisa went with us and I’m so glad she did!  It was a special day and I’ve not gotten to spend much time with her in the past couple of months so it was great for her to be a part of today!!

We got there and it was hot… not terribly but Katie doesn’t have a normal “temp gauge” and she was in jeans, boots and a helmet… but she seemed to do really well.  And, there was a lot of waiting and Katie was very patient.  So grown up!!

Anyway, she won three ribbons. She won 2nd place in the obstacle course, 3rd place in futures and 3rd place in equitation.

She was so excited!!  I think the photo says it all!!

This particular volunteer had never worked with Katie before but she was just fantastic!!  Such a vibrant personality and just thrilled for Katie!!

Katie has already had me show her on the calendar approximately when the next horse show will be so we could count down how many weeks she has to practice for the next show.

She actually decided that she really liked Breeze, even though she she’s sad to learn that RB is 24 years old and probably fixin’ to retire.  Wish we had that farm already for him to retire to… he’s an incredibly sweet horse.

Don had a wedding today… well it actually just turned out to be a wedding reception because the venue wouldn’t allow videography.  So, he was able to go after all… we’d been worried he would miss it!!

Such a happy day!!  Hope everyone had a happy Saturday as well!!

A Wedding Photographer I’m Not

So you know I photographed Mary’s wedding a few weeks ago.  Mary is a good friend, she was my first horse trainer and it was her farm that we had Sunny for over two years and Belle for a year.  I so enjoyed being a part of her special day and trying to capture it.

However, there was so much I wanted to do – artistic shots with the rings, her boots, the dress and I didn’t get any of that.  Things moved too fast and I was shooting by myself.  I was disappointed… I felt like all I really got were “snapshot” type photographs but it was my gift to her and she wasn’t even going to hire a photographer so hopefully, she will be happy with the photos.

I think I’ll stick to horses, children and location family portraits.

Mary and Shay make a wonderful couple and seem to really be in tune with one another!!  I’m wishing them MANY years that are full of laughter, love, fun and joy!!

Very Low Key 4th & More Bookings

We were suppose to go to NC this past weekend and we were all looking forward to it so much! My cousin is home for good from Kuwait and I was looking forward to some time with her and Katie couldn’t wait to see Sarah!

Well, of course, Katie got sick on Wednesday night! We were suppose to go on Friday. So, we’ve postponed until the end of the month… only we will have to go mid-week because Don’s got weddings and I’ve got horse shows.

So, since we stayed home, we had a very low key 4th. Katie felt yucky most of the weekend so Don and I just used this weekend to try and get caught up. Don had five weddings, a recital and a training video and I had to finish up my last horse show and Mary’s wedding.

I truly don’t know how Don does what he does and enjoys it. I have so much more respect for the hard work he puts into a wedding after photographing Mary’s. I care greatly for Mary and I very much enjoyed being a part of her special day… but a wedding photographer I’m not!! It’s a lot of stress and you can’t get a shot a second time. I should have had someone help me… most “wedding photographers” do have several photographers. I did the best I could.

I’ve gotten several more bookings for photographing more horse shows. I booked four on Friday and another today. I’m loving it so much!!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th!!

Happy 4th!!

It’s my favorite holiday!!  There is usually no “pressure” with gifts and cooking huge meals!  There is sun, swimming, fireworks, usually relaxed time with family and friends… Maybe Christmas and Thanksgiving WOULD be better in Florida by the ocean or pool….

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their CREATOR, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. (July 4th, 1776)

Good Times & What To Do?

Don and I went out with Rick and Lisa on Saturday night!!  It was a much needed break!!  We hadn’t been out with them in a while and we had dinner and went to Side Splitters… a local comedy club!!  We had too much fun!!!  So glad to have such good friends!!!I had so much fun photographing the horse show this weekend… even though I got scorched!  I got sunburned almost under my arms… how does that happen?  I have over 5000 photos to go through and narrow down to a few hundred.  But, I love it!

Now I have a dilemma.

I’ve been referred to shoot a dressage show on July 11th, which I am so excited about!!  But, Arthur told me this morning he wanted to enter Lakota and I into racking show on July 11th.

I guess I will shoot the dressage show.  Don has an “India”n wedding on July 11th that will have him tied up from 8am til midnight.  So, he would not be able to go and that would be my first show.

I guess that’s my answer….?

Heading Back Out & Please Don’t Bother

I’m heading back to Friendsville this morning to the beautiful farm Westwind Etc to shoot jumpers!  Hopefully today isn’t going to be as hot as yesterday!!  It was BLAZIN hot yesterday but still so much fun!!  Don is heading out to do a wedding this afternoon.  It’s just the ceremony so it wont be a long day for him.  Katie had an absolute blast at Lucy’s 9th birthday party yesterday, which happened to a pool party!!

We had a great evening out last night with our best friends!!  We had some much needed laughter and such fun!!  We went out to dinner, then headed to a comedy club and then back to their house and played cards!!

Just a little note: to whoever is in Kingsport, TN with charter cable that doesn’t enjoy reading my blog…. please don’t bother and stop reading it!  It’s simple… you don’t have to try and post nasty comments!

Have a happy, hot Sunday!!

So excited – I have to share!!!

I have had so much fun with my photography lately!!!  I enjoyed every minute of shooting the Coytee Farm ETHJA show back on June 6th and I am so excited about the Westwind Farm ETHJA show this Saturday and Sunday…. not thrilled about the heat forecast but excited about the show, nevertheless!!  I also enjoyed shooting my good friend Mary’s wedding this past Saturday, even though it made me realize that weddings are probably never going to be my thing.  I love Mary and shooting her wedding was fun, I loved hanging out with the girls that afternoon while she was getting ready but once the ceremony started, it was stressful and one person CAN NOT shoot a wedding successfully… you just can’t cover it all!!  So I should have had a second shooter.  But, hopefully she will be happy with the photos I provide.  I was disappointed that I didn’t get to do more artistic things but there again… it was just me and there just wasn’t time.

I had done so much research the past few months on shooting horse shows and the common theme I was finding was that in order to get really good shots, you had to have a love of horses and a love of the sport.  Well, everyone knows how horse crazy I am so that definitely was/is in my favor.

But I’ve gotten some really nice feedback from the riders who ordered prints from the Coytee show earlier this month and tonight I got the sweetest email telling me how much she loved her prints and how much fun I was to have around that day shooting pictures.  She is recommending me for a whole new branch of horse shows and I am walking on air!!

Also, I’ve just been contacted to do my first Equine Portrait session!!  YAY!!

Today was a very stressfull day so it was nice for it to have such a nice ending.  Nothing really in particular other than encountering other people ALL DAY LONG that were having bad days and it was very difficult not to let it rub off on me.

I even got a brand new Canon 50D that shoots 6.3 frames per second and getting that camera was a fiasco at a local camera shop… wont name names but it’s named after an animal!!  It was a nightmare trying to buy that camera from that store and I was dealing with the 40ish year old manager!!  So finally, I said FORGET IT and went to Best Buy, which I normally don’t like going to… and I had the nicest 18-20 year old kid help me.  Go figure!  There were many other stressers, things beyond my control… but one thing that was odd…

Took Katie to STAR and maybe it was the heat but several encounters there with grumpy people and normally STAR is one of the happiest highlights of our week!!  So that was like the straw that broke the camels back… ALMOST!

But, instead, as a family, we tried to end the day on a happy note.  Even before I got my emails that got me so happy….

Katie and I stopped at Outback on the way home and got Katie’s and Don’s favorite dinner and came home and surprised him with a belated Father’s Day dinner.  We were all so tired and I didn’t feel good on Father’s Day… we didn’t really do anything special.  So, we ate dinner outside with the tiki torches lit and then jumped in the pool and swam and played and ended it all by chilling in the hot tub.

Katie was asleep before her head hit the pillow!!

Keep your fingers crossed for me that this weekend’s show proves to go as well as the one earlier this month because I love, love, love doing it!!!

OH, OH, OH… and I almost forgot!!!  Such great, happy, wonderful news!!!  My cousin Kim and her daughter Sarah and son Jacob are HOME!!!  Home to stay!!  They’ve been in Kuwait City, Kuwait (well, right outside of the city) for almost THREE LONG years and Katie and I are ecstatic to see them next week!!  Katie and Sarah already have their multi-evening slumber party planned!!  So happy they are home!!!  I’ve missed them so much!!

What stressful day?  What grumpy people!!?  Too many things to be happy about!!!

So Very Thankful

My dad got his PET scan results a few days ago and things have just been crazy busy and I haven’t posted… but it came back clear.  His wonderfully thorough and aggressive surgical oncologist even removed a few new places and one lymph node he was concerned about and biopsied them and they came back negative.  So, big sigh of relief and my dad gets a 3 month reprieve.  He’s still not okay, he still has cancer and according to his doctor, it’s not a matter of “if” but a matter of “when” another tumor will appear and treatments options will again be up for discussion.

But, when you are 67 (almost) and have Stage IV Metatstatic Melanoma and have already beat the odds of surviving more than a year and you are given the all clear for three more months… that’s truly a gift and a blessing!!

I think Dad and Marilyn are doing their best to enjoy every day to the fullest!!

Thanks for your prayers and love!

Family, Fun & Photography

The past several days have been hectic but wonderful!!  On Saturday, I shot my first horse show in Greenback, TN at a beautiful farm and I loved every minute of it!!  It was hot and my scalp got scorched but other than that – it was great!!  Considering that it was my first show, I think I got some pretty good shots.  I’ve done a low resolution you tube video but if you want to see higher resolution better quality photos, you can at my website… Dragonfly Photography.

Don had a crazy busy weekend too.  He had a wedding rehearsal on Thursday night in Greenback, a wedding Friday in Greenback, a recital on Saturday in Lafollette, a rehearsal Saturday night and then another wedding Sunday in Maryville.

My dad got here Saturday night and it was so good to see him.  He had his PET scan last Friday and gets his results tomorrow.  Prayers please!!  He is in good spirits and his attitude is wonderful!!  Sunday, Dad, Katie and I headed to Rockwood and Kingston and we spent with Gran and Jack & Sue.  Minus a heated political discussion with my second cousin – it was a great day!!

Politics, religion and family just don’t mix!! 

Monday my dad just needed to take it easy and I had 3,800 photos to weed through to get that number down to >600.  So my dad hung out with me while I worked on photos.

Yesterday, I packed up my laptop so I could still work and went to Chattanooga with him because he had eight business calls to make.  We had such a great day together… but several times, we’d be laughing and having a great time and it’d get quiet and I’d get a lump in my throat and my stomach would flip and I’d think “Gosh, I’m so blessed he’s still here but each day is a gift… he’s already exceeded the odds”.

I’m always aware that there are many things that I take for granted in this life.  I try not to… but I get so wrapped up in things that I know I do.  Yesterday was just another reminder to slow down and enjoy the things that really matter in life!!

Please pray for my dad that his PET scan comes back clear tomorrow!!

I hope that I can really build on the horse show photography!!  Don has truly found his passion and loves every minute of what he does – whether it’s wedding, commercials or corporate training videos.  He LOVES editing!

What’s that old saying….”find something you love doing and figure out a way to earn a living doing it…”

Well, I haven’t figured out a way to get paid riding horses or scrapbooking… so photographing horses and people who love horses is pretty darn fun for me!!

My next schedule show is June 27th & 28th in Friendsville.  I can’t wait!!

I also have Mary’s wedding on June 20th.  That will be fun too… I hope!  My first wedding with more than 25 guests…