Advice ~ and then she snapped

Since we are on the subject of improving photography skills, I thought I would give the meme  and then, she {snapped} a shot today. 

In this meme we are to give advice about photography. Now remember, I am not one to give advice often. I know my photography skill needs much improvement. To be totally honest about advice, there are many days I don't want to hear it at all. But you see, the advice I have for the many novices out there, like me, is not my advice at all. So I figure, today, it might be okay. 

So listen up and pay attention! 

First tip of the day: 

Comes from my cousin Anne. She has a delicious little blog she calls Simply Sweeter. She not only takes great photos, her cookies, cakes and fudge are just to die for. 

Anne's word exaclty: "Sometimes your photos are blurry." 

I remember being stunned. I remember saying " Blurry? They are? Really?  She gave me many tips that day like: using your continuous button when shooting the kids, using the intelligent face button detection and lighting and boy did we talk about lighting.  

The tips were very helpful. But, there was one thing she said to me that really blew me away. 

You ready for this one? She said: "Have you had your eyes tested lately? " WHAT!?! Well, she says "Your pictures are blurry." 

So, I had my eyes tested and yes, I need glasses. I even had the prescription filled. But, there are times I just don't feel like wearing them.

Then there was that day Liz and I were at the park. 

Elizabeth and I met friends of ours, Ellie and her daughter Tia. You may know them from the blog Shine. Her photos are just beautiful! Ellie knows a lot about cameras and I think she is a real photographer. She was asking me questions like "What is the aperture in your camera set on?" 

My response was an very intelligent  ~ "Huuuu. . .?" She goes on to explain sometimes my photos are just to bright and I can adjust the settings. "Oh!" I say. . . "adjust the settings." Just so I didn't appear stupid, I pretending I knew exactly what she was talking about.   She then started throwing questions at me like: What settings are you on? What speed are you on?  What this? What that? 

She made me dizzy. The only response I could come up with was. . .What???? And then she says . . ."You know, Lisa, you really should read the manual to your camera." 


"Woooo! Okay what a minute.....What??? "Read the manual to my camera??? Uhhhh?" That will help??? I mean, I have seen people read manuals. I live with people who read manuals all the time. . . But. . .mmmm, I wonder where it is?  

I went home and searched. . .I found the manual I had in French. I even found the manual I had in Spanish. It's to bad too because, I can't read either one of those  languages. 

Weeks went by. Finally I went to the internet to find a manual for my camera in the only language I know. 

So here's Ellie's Second Tip of the Day: 

Read your manual. 

I guess when it comes right down to it, I do have photography advice. . .Are you ready for this? Do not throw out the manual that is written in your language.  They are so much easier to read that way. 

I Heart Her Face. . .

In the attempt to improve my camera skill. . .Or . . . The lack of my camera skill.  I thought I would play the i heart faces weekly photo challenge:

This week a face and a heart was required for the picture. I have been reading directions and instructions and watching tutorials on how to take a nice photo in hopes to improve. Is my skill better? I don't know. I'm more confused then ever. Maybe that shouldn't matter, I'll tell you this. . .Mary Elizabeth sure loved it when I drew the lipstick heart on her face. You would think the child has been modeling her whole life.  She was so excited it was hard to keep her still just for a few seconds. When I went to wash her face she was stunned and she asked if she could leave it there forever.  When I told her we had to wash it off she said. . ."BUT! I want to show Nana. . .She will love my face with a heart on it." 

 

When I Grow Up

The morning started with Matthew coming down the stairs at 8:00 A.M. all dressed and ready to go. Ready to go??? Where are you going? I asked. I knew he went to the "Spanish" Mass last night with his friend. And, I also knew he went to his friend's house to watch a movie after.

 How do I know this you ask? I know the friend's parents and they told me. 

So anyway, back to this morning: Where are you going I asked? Matthew's response was, "I'm going to the Soup Kitchen." I look at him and say very irritated: "I wanted you to take your sister." He says to me, "Oh! I forgot." I then go up to his sister's room and tell her to get ready in a hurry. I then fuss at her about what a mess her room is. I just can't believe it! 

I go past Matthew and Stephen's room and see Stephen's things are in a mess too. The room looks like a bomb went off.  I tell myself, when he comes home from that Young Men's Discernment Retreat I'm going to really let him have it. 


I go down stairs and I see my teenage children happily getting ready to go and serve the world. I start to ask very irritated again "What time will you be back to clean up your mess?" Instead I look at them and say, "I'll see you later."  

As they drive down the driveway I think. . .Gee, What's wrong with me? These kids are great! My 18 year old son got up and was ready to go out the door at 8:00 on a Sunday morning to serve his fellow man at a Soup Kitchen. He took his 13 year old sister and for the most part they get along. 


That other kid of mine,Stephen, is at a Young Men's Discernment Retreat: playing, praying and learning about God. Tuesday's these  young men of mine teach a third grade religion class. There is a Bible Study on Friday nights they can't wait to get to; they never miss the Youth Group on Sundays.  And now, I see them spending their free time doing things for others.  And I think. . .Where did these kids come from? Their mom is such a witch. GEEEEE!!! I hope when I grow up  I can be more like my kids. 

But, there is just one thing though. I still want them to clean their rooms. 

Kathryn & The Link

 Do you remember in September I told you Kathryn fell down the stairs?

She sprained her ankle and as the doctor said, "tweaked " the growth plate.

She walked around in a boot for weeks and she was miserable.  

Well. . . IT happened again! 

My poor girl! 

Same stairs. Same ankle. Shorter boot. Different story. . .NOT as bad! 

This time she jumped over the last three steps on our stairs.

OH!!!! 

She jumped over the last three steps on the stairs. Now see. . . That makes sense.

So here we are: going back to the same doctor, the same building. .  different night. 

AND 

I wonder, when are they going to ask me. . . "Who's pushing her?"....Mmmmm

It seems like every couple of months Kathryn is  sporting some kind of brace, a cast or stumbling around on crutches. As my father would say, "Much like her mother." You see, I was always "sporting a cast, in a brace or stumbling around on crutches".

My father had this theory: He thought, tall girls must have balance and joint issues. He would say, "It seemed the height, age and the brain of the girl were not quit making the connection that the girl is young and tall." He would often say I was growing so fast I didn't understand the length of my body. I came crashing down more often then. . most. Much like my daughter.   I guess you could say, "The apple does not fall fare from the tree." 

AND 

Then we should just put a splint on it and take her to the doctor. 

So, here we are again. . .Back on a couch. Back in a boot. Back on crutches. This time there is a difference. . . not only is our boot shorter

we have Jen.

Jen is our Physical Therapist. You see our doctor mentioned: There is a new study being done on tall girls. They are finding tall girls fall and hurt them selfs more often then anyone else there age.  The study is showing a link between height, loose joints, and the brain not quit making the connection of the height and age of the girl. 


Mmmmm. . . Where have I heard that before? 

The doctor said, "Kathryn needed to strengthen those ankles." After all,  "If Kathryn was going to be a 13 year old girl, she was going to do things like jump over stairs AND she needed to stick those landings."  









Hosted by Cecily and Lolli
                

Once More...Black and White...Boot

This must be feature Stephen week: Sunday I posted about a bench he is making me. Today, I find myself in perfect awe at his talents again. 

Once more, I want to show you a little thing the son I call Stevie Wonder made. Last week, after one carving class, Stephen was able to come home and carve this little cowboy boot on his own. 

It may just be me, but, I'm beginning to think the kids got yet another gift.

Also Linking up with The Paper Mama and A Beautiful Mess and A Jolly Mom

Paul Bunyan's Bench

I know I have already told you about my Stevie Wonder. But, sometimes a mother just can't help but say more then once....

WOW! Where did this kid come from?

Stephen is always doing. 

So, this Christmas I noticed Stephen was dragging trees up from the woods. ((Yes, I said dragging trees up from the woods.)) And wouldn't you know,  every time I tried to grab my camera to take a shot of this funny site, someone distracted me.  Every time I would move towards the garage door to go outside to find out what the heck all the sawing was about. . . Someone distracted me. 

This game went on for the month of December. I knew that what ever Stephen was doing  it was special, and that it was for me. For once, I stayed out of his business. I left him alone and let him work. I silently held my breath every time I heard the saw being turned on... wondering, hoping, praying, like only a mother would. . . Does he know how to use that thing? 

He worked in freezing temperatures in our unheated garage through the early morning and into the night. After he cut the trees down, he cut the branches off, shaved the bark from the trunks and then cut the wood to size. He is truly a wonder. 

It is after Christmas and he is still working on this labor of love. This bench for his mother. A Christmas present for me. . .or Mother's Day. . .maybe my birthday. Who knows? But, he will finish it.  


Now here's the funny part. The bench is as big a large couch. Notice in the picture: to get out the garage door a step up is needed. The top of the couch bench hits the middle of the door frame. 


This Stevie Wonder as I call him. . .Is 16 years old and stands over 6 feet 4 inches.  This bench will be a perfect size for him as we sit on it and talk about his bright future. I always say, "He needs a big body to carry that big heat of his."


This little boy of mine makes me wonder, "How did I get so lucky?" and then I wish Everyone could have a Stevie Wonder in their life." They are just so great!

For All My Cousins in New England

You know I have been thinking:

 My husband really loves the Pittsburgh Steelers. His father really loved the Pittsburgh Steelers.

My husbands Grandfather was a Pittsburgh coal miner.

Mark's Dad and Matthew

Christmas 1993

So, I thought I would make a simple plea and ask ALL my New England family to Cheer for the Steelers this weekend. 

I mean after all. . .The New England Patriots are OUT of the play offs for the Super Bowl.

Did you all know that? 

If you did this simple thing..."IT" would  will make my husband so very happy.

Love and Kisses,

Lisa

http://christopherandtia.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday ~ Baby Aubrey

               Ruh Roh                                                                     

Snow Angel

When it snows, you have two choices:  shovel or make snow angels. 

 ~Author Unknown

Christmas and More

You know, I have been away from blogging for a little while and now even my kids are asking me when I'm going to post something again. There has been so much going on most of time it's been hard to catch my breath, sit down and just post. 


I have so much to tell you. I have so many pictures to up load and edit.  I really don't know where to begin. Maybe at the beginning of December is a good place to start. . . 

Belmont Abbey College N.C.

We started the month with another college trip,  for Matthew to Belmont Abbey in N.C.. The school is private, small and close to home.  

There was the day we went to see the Ginger bread houses at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville 

and then of course we were off to the Biltmore House.  

There was the day Mark's family came for a visit. We had a great big party and celebrated the season. 

 Christmas came and went

with presents,

presents,

and more presents.

Christmas this year brought so many things:

Karen had the best laugh she has had in years AND she even gave her new friend a name. 

"Bernie"

 The conversations were stimulating . 

But, not to be out done by the first White Christmas in 48 years. 

The pony express came to town bringing with it Mary Elizabeth's favorite "Big William"

and "the BEST Football game ever!" 

The game was rough!

AND Tough!

But, they were ready! 

Hey!?  You wanna play?
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The time was great! After a wonderful feast fit a Kings and Queens alike

it was time to put our best boots on and call it a night.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!  and "Ya'll come back now. Ya Hear?"


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There was great sadness in the family too. . . unexpectedly, Linda's only brother died .  With this great sorrow the year ended. 


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