just Smile darn it!

I'm beginning to wonder if my obsession desire to learn as much as I can about photography and taking a decent photograph is over whelming slightly bothering one of my favorite models. 

It has come to my attention ~ when I ask her to simply act natural and smile I'm getting a lot of strange faces.  

 I may be over thinking this thing, but lately I've been getting a lot of poses like these. 

A few weeks ago, when I asked her to smile like she always does. . . she did this

and said, "I don't remember how."

In my frustration, I want to say "Just smile DARN IT! and Be Happy while your at it!" but, that never seems to work. 


 All this got me thinking. . . Could it be ME???  Could I be the problem???  So, I put my camera away for a few days. . .  I thought of how I really had to change the way I'm approaching this photography thing and just relax a little. Because maybe it's me and not my subjects.      So I took a good look and wondered . . .

Could I possibly be making her nerves??? 

When I pulled my camera back out . . .  I came up with this photo.  I  realized we were having fun and I wasn't making a big deal out her perfect smile, she was just doing it. 

Now if I can just remember this,  maybe, just maybe,  I won't have to find a good therapist to reverse all the damage I have caused by saying "SMILE" ~ "No! not like that!" 
"Be Normal ~ Just smile darn it!"

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ABC Wednesday

Black and White Wednesday with like Christmas every day
Me as a mother 

♥ The Paper Mama ~ Photo Challenge

Without even thinking

I know this picture is a bit blurry,  I know it's hard to see her face,  I know it's really not even a great picture. What you don't know is, I was almost running to keep up with them.  She was falling a sleep on his shoulders and it just tickled me so,  I had to snap this shot. Now that I think about it all, maybe this is why I wanted to share this little moment in time with you. 

The beautiful fall colors. The warm sun beaming down. 

It was just one of those perfect days. 

We spent a full day hiking in the mountains that day.  She was so tired after all the walking and climbing, she finally had had enough.  Like most good men, Mark carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.  When he is with her, ''the apple of his eye'' his burdens are light, his worries are few. Without even thinking, he swept her up, placed her there without missing a beat and we kept moving on.  ~ Just like we always do. 

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                                                                Communal Global

My 3 Boybarians

52 weeks of happiness

ABC Wednesday

Ice Cream & the Mexican Hat Dance

Tomorrow is Alexander Micheal's birthday. He will officially be 11.

11!!!

So yesterday, we took him and started the celebration the only way we knew how. . . 

 by eating ice cream while he learned the Mexican hat dance. 

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my Sunday Snapshot

Unknown Mami

"Hey! Occupy Wall Street guys!

If this blog is anything, it is NOT a political blog. I have never once mentioned my point of  view  here.  Today, I have to tell you. . . This morning I was listening to NPR. They were doing a story about Occupy Wall Street . The spokes man on the news talked about this great Occupy cause. I listened with empathy and interest.  While I listened,  I thought Yes! Yes! Yes! Insurance companies and Banks are taking over the world. It's about time someone spoke up and did something.  


When it comes to politics, I have become one of the cynical ones. I feel, the reason gas is so high is the oil companies have some Washington big wig in his or her pocket. It seems to me everyone involved is making a lot money. So way lower the prices?  We'll pay. My cynicism has gotten so bad, I rarely listen to the news anymore. 

As I listened today, for the first time in awhile, the Occupy Wall Street spokes guy came on and told his story in a rally cry. As he spoke his words the crowd repeated word for word after their beloved spokesman of the day.  

~ The chants went like this ~ 

"I'm unemployed." The crowd chants "I'm unemployed" "I can't find a job" again the crowd chants "I can't find a job" in my mind I think "Yeah! Yeah! You tell'em! It's tough out here! I know so many people looking for work, people without insurance, fighting to keep their home! You Go Guy!"  The guy goes on to say "I live with my parents." the crowd cries "I live with my parents." and in my mind I think ~ "Wow! that's tough..." and I wait for the rest... the guy goes on to say "and I'm 25" I think huuuu??? the crowd chants... "and I'm 25!". The chant ended there. . . in my mind I hear the scratching of an old record player coming to a halt and I think ~ 

THAT'S IT???  

 . . .THAT'S IT??? 

THAT'S THE BEST YOU'VE GOT??? THAT WAS YOUR BEST GUY WITH THE WORST STORY???

THAT IS OCCUPY WALL STREET?!? 

??? WHAT??? 

Why don't they have the uninsured construction worker guy who's wife is sick with cancer chanting that rally cry? Why don't they have the single waitress mom who's trying to raise her children alone speak for america? How about the man with two part time jobs, with a chronic illness, struggling to keep his family together and keep the family home?

Oh! Yeah! those guys have real problems and need to keep going so they don't fall over from exhaustion. They can't take time to occupy wall street. 

and I think . . . GEEEEEE! 

THAT WAS THE BEST GUY THEY COULD GET??? a guy that's 25 who lives with his parents? 

"Hey! Occupy Wall Street guys! I'm sure you have a great cause and all but, I don't get it. I know I told you I don't follow the news. . . but I have to say,  What's your cause ???  Maybe you should get a leader for crying out loud! Then get someone to speak for you with a real hardship story. Get someone that has been through something. Not a 25 year old who lives with his parents. Get someone with kids to do those chants! Find someone that has really been through it. Maybe someone that has to worry about how they are going to feed their family, keep their home or just take care of simple medical needs." You won't even have to look hard. We are out here.  


I also want to tell that guy that lives with his parents. "Go home! Clean your room! Do the dishes in the sink while your at it. Stay off facebook and find someone you can help!." Stop wasting tax payer money on your silly issues.  Your mother would appreciate it. 

Yicks!

Did you know. . . Thanksgiving is next week!??! 

She's ready. . . Are you?

Favorite Photo Friday

Because you Need to Know

Did you know November is Lung Cancer awareness month? 

All over the country there will be fundraisers to raise much needed monies for Lung Cancer research. November 12, 2011, was the Caine Halter Lungs4life 5K  run  in Greenville, S.C..  It's a great little run.  If you live in Greenville and went down to support Lungs4life, We would like to thank you. If you don't live in the area and you find there is a Lung Cancer 5K or a one mile fun run that supports lung cancer research ~  please help by signing up for  this race.  You may think it does not matter, but surprisingly patients of Lung Cancer  and those who have lost loved ones to Lung Cancer need you to be there to hold them up and to keep them strong. Most of all, Lung cancer research needs your money to find a cure. 

Don't worry about being in shape or even being a runner to do this fund raiser. ~ The thing you need most is a loving heart.~  

Surprisingly, Lung Cancer does not get the support it deserves. You don't have to be a smoker to get lung cancer. 

 Lung Cancer is out there and it is a killer.

People that shouldn't even have Lung Cancer die from Lung Cancer everyday . Did you know: Lung cancer remains the leading cancer killer in men and women in the Uniting States among every ethnic group, yet still receives the fewest research dollars. Lung cancer causes 1 in every 3 cancer deaths and took 156,940 lives in 2010.

Let me repeat that. . . Lung Cancer Kills more people in the United States then any other cancer. . . and receives the fewest dollars.

 I wonder. . . how could that be? 

Is it because smoking and Lung Cancer have a stigma?

 It shouldn't.

Did you know ~ Over 60% of new lung cancer cases are never smokers or former smokers, many of whom quit decades ago. One in five women and one in twelve men diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked. 

Never smoked! 

These are hard the facts: 

Lung Cancer is the Leading Cause of Cancer Death in Women and Men

• Lung cancer surpassed breast cancer as the #1 cancer killer of women in 1987. Twice as many women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.
• Lung cancer will kill more women this year than breast, ovarian, cervical, uterine and vaginal cancers combined.
• Lung cancer will kill more men this year than colorectal, prostate, pancreatic, and melanoma cancers combined.
• Women who have never smoked appear to be at greater risk for developing lung cancer than men who have never smoked.
• Women tend to develop lung cancer at younger ages than men.

We know these hard, cold fact personally.  Lung Cancer hit our family like a fright train six years ago.  Lung Cancer killed our father. Lung Cancer killed my mothers husband of 56 years. Lung Cancer changed our lives. Lung Cancer burned a whole in our hearts.  

My father never smoked. He never lived with smokers. He exercise everyday of his life. He even exercised  in bed when he couldn't get up anymore because the lung cancer took over his body.

 Don't think just because you live a healthy life style you won't be affected. Lung Cancer doesn't care. Anyone can get lung cancer. 

So as I said before, if you hear about a Lung Cancer run this month. . .get out and support. It really doesn't matter if your a runner or not.  We just need you! 

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 my Sunday Snapshot

Unknown Mami

~ the question ~

"Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror or the painter?  " ~ Picasso 

iheartfaces/black

and it was Magical

The best nana ever took Liz, Alex and Brian to see the play Peter Pan this week. 

It was a magical night. 

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Unknown Mami

 Ni Hao Yall