What do I carry in my handbag?

At http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/ the writing prompt was for what do you carry in your handbag. Today was not a good day to have to list all the contents as this is my handbag for the next 4 weeks. Various hygiene items reside in there and after slepping them all over the airport let me say, there is not enough deorderant. I'm also carrying my MP3 player, my netbook and all my electrical cords to make them all work. Some snacks, I wish for more chocolate, sadly no peanut butter m&m's, mostly almonds and drink mix. My pajamas and underwear, various varieties of ear plugs and meds for malaria, insomnia, seasickness and one other that you can guess. My red silk pillow cover (couldn't fit my pillow). Anti-embolism socks and more. Quite a load for a gal that usually makes do  with a wallet, a business card and a lip balm. Oh, and did I mention a hat?

This post is from Atlanta....

This is officially DAY ONE of my grand adventure. I had my husband take this picture just before we left for the airport. My son will grow like a weed in the next 4 weeks so I wanted to measure just how tall he gets. At the airport I met my new best friends, tonight we are having an adult slumber party, four of us sharing 2 double beds. It's been a very calm day, my flights have been awesome and my companions so nice. My greatest concern is tomorrow when I have to slepp my 45 pounds of humanitarian kits aboard the ship because the wheels won't do me any good up and down the stairways on the ship. I'm expanding my horizons, I love you all. I will post as often as I'm able. In about 11 days I will be headed for the Panama Canal, tomorrow is Jamaica.

Day 13 Photo assignment- food

I know there are "nay-sayers" out there that will claim this is clearly photo-chopped. Truth is this anomaly grew in my very own garden, I've always wondered about my soil content as my property sits on an old fruit farm. This is what happens when you let your cucumbers get too cozy with your crook neck squash. There was obviously some serious bee pollination going on here. The caption should read...."split-personality.  Enjoy all of the other food pictures at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/

Day 12 - Motion

This is my crazy nephew showing off at Lake Powell. These are some of the pictures he chose to use on his senior announcement. It's always safe to behave this way when you have a nurse documenting the degree of trauma with her camera. I'm happy to report no significant injury and all of his faculties are still in tact, well at least as intact as they ever were. Check out the other motion pictures at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/ and have the best day. 

Day 11 Household Item

Today's photo challenge at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/ is to capture a household item. Since I have a strong aversion to all things with a power cord I wondered what I could post that would be representative of my favorite household item. I tell my family all the time that if any item needs to be dusted, washed, folded or vacuumed then it's not a gift, it's a chore. Yes, I really am that difficult to buy for. As many of you know, my family is currently in different parts of the world and I leave soon for the Carribean Sea. Therefore, these are my favorite household items whenever  I can gather them home.

Day 10- Technology

I'm not the most politically correct Disney officianto but I believe this icon is located in tomorrowland. Therefore I am including it in the April photography Challenge to represent technology. You can check all the other entries at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/. Hope you are having the best day ever.

More senior pictures!!

Oh the places they will go and the things they will see. Part of the fun of being a photographer is the posing. I had to talk a little bit fast to get her to lay across the train tracks, I mean because that's a totally normal natural position right? But she worked the pose and looks great. I stop and ponder whether I was ever this young?

Senior pictures!

I like to take pictures, but I love to do senoir portrait sessions. It's almost as if their youth and enthusiasm washes over me like a fountain of youth. Their faces are so fresh, their future so full. Ignore any blurred areas near the edges of the pictures, I always remove the names so my senoirs can have a moment of anonymity.

Day 7- TEXTURE

These are the portraits I chose to represent texture. They are taken from a local landmark that is receiving a face-lift. It will be three years before I can discover what changed and what stayed the same. Check out other views on texture at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/

Day 8- Where I live .....

I had hoped to take a picture standing in my yard, but as the snow of spring continues to fall, I lost my motivation. I live in an amazing place with tall tall mountains, amazing red rock formation and the bluest, deepest water. THIS IS THE PLACE that I call home.

Can you guess where I live? Check all the other photographs @ http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/

Day seven- MACRO

THese are my two favorites in the macro division. I love taking pictures of thistles and briars and such because I find them to be so beautiful. I mean who got to determine that weeds were negative after all? And the second picture was one of those serendipitous moments when the sprinklers turn off and the sun reflects just so and you happen to notice something you might normally walk past. Check out the other photos here....

If you really knew me...you would know....

     If you really knew me you would know my father served in the military so I'm punctual and patriotic to a fault. I value and respect the sacrifice that allows me to live free.
     I married my friends high school sweetheart. Her loss is my gain.
     I'm the mother of 3 amazing daughters and 1 awesome son.
     I remember television (one per household) that didn't come with a remote. I remember rotary phone dials and I wore bell bottom pants before they were retro.
     I like peanut butter with my chocolate unless it's dark chocolate, then I prefer peppermint.
     I don't have a split personality but I am a registered respiratory therapist/registered nurse/ photographer etc. I just can't decide who I'll be when I grow up.
     I conquered my fear of heights on a zipline in Puerta Vallarta. I'm looking forward to challenging my fear of water, seasickness and claustrophobia while serving aboard the USNS Comfort.
      And like all creative people I crave feedback, expecially adoration. So don't be shy. Leave a comment and check out the other writers @

Day 6 -SHADOW

This has been a tough assignment because I usually do portraiture work and avoid shadow. That and it has been overcast here for days and days. This is kind of a "where's waldo"? kind of picture because it's not immediately clear what you are looking at. Just a fun composition. Check out all of the other shadow shots at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/

Day five- SPRING

I'm ever hopeful that our spring will look this good, but I've learned enough about Utah weather not to  hold my breath. These pictures are from last year. The first photo (tulips) I call "adversity". I put the dandelions in blur because you need to always keep your "focus" on what's most important, in this case the beauty of the tulips. And who doesn't get that warm tingly feeling when you see a fat bumblebee going about his job?

Photography Challenge- DAY FOUR; water

Since I live in a desert state it's amazing to check out all the different kinds of "water" we are exposed too. Just yesterday we had rain, hail and snow. Never a dull moment. I like all the different varities. This art was created by the drip system. As the sun warmed up the hanging icicles it dripped to the ground to form stalagmites. Check all the other "water" interpretations at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/ Tomorrow the focus is "spring".

Day Three challenge...FIRE

This photo is part of my "ballooning" weekend. My husband gallently offered to burn something in the yard. You'd have to know my husband and his family and the disease of pyromania that he has passed to all four of my children. Many years ago, a large fire blazed out of control near the historic family farm in Idaho. It was contributed to my father-in-law even though he was 2 states away and had a valid alibi. Yes, I keep a loaded fire extinguisher at my home at all time. Enjoy the other "fire" pictures at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/

Day TWO photography challenge...

 Today's challenge is "flight". Here are 2 of my best flight pictures. Not birds, not planes but Hot Air Balloons. Follow other flight pictures at http://www.blessedbeyondwords.com/ Have a good day unless you have something better planned.

Blessed beyond words photography challenge.

Today's challenge is "self-portrait". Since we all know I'm far more comfortable behind the camera instead of in front... I had to get creative with my picture. This is my youngest daughter, she's always been too cute for her own good and smart enough to know it. This is the only way to control her. In my defense she wanted to lick my face. And who knows where her tongue had been...

It takes a timer or a husband to catch this shot.

More what I know for sure....

Okay, I've been caught. I wanted to keep up with "mama kat's" writing prompts so after a grueling 12 hour day that started at 3 a.m. I wrote a few words and moved on. Made the deadline with every intention of rewriting it today. Who would know? Well, I got comments! That's a big deal and I don't want to delete them. So here are the additional things I know for sure.
       1. What you do consistantly, you get better at. Even bad habits. If you do it everyday, then you want to do it every other day too. Since I'm confessing you should know the things I'm best at are ignoring dust, hoping my fairy god-mother will finally show up and do the dishes and eating chocolate.
       2. Be nice or the universe will get you. What goes around, comes around. Be unkind and I promise it will come back to bite you in the behind. You can make the world a better place by being better. Be a better spouse, parent, sibling, neighbor, child and reap the reward of good karma.
      3.  Plan B is almost always more successful than plan A. Why? Because you have more experiance. Because failing doesn't mean you did something wrong. It just means you figured out how not to do something. So move on to plan B.
      4.  Few things require you to get your panties in a wad. Take a deep cleansing breath and move on. Life is short. What you focus on is what you get. Focus on all the things that are right in your world.
     5.  People will always surprise you. Don't trust a bad first impression. Everyone is entitled to a bad day. Avoid labeling others and just let them be. If you expect them to be jerks, you'll be right. So instead expect the very best of them and you will be a better person for it.

Smile because it makes others wonder what you have been up to.