Basically, because free-time is not-so-much lately, most of the photography will be posed on my deviantArt account (link to which is in the sidebar), and most of the writing will be over here. Which is not to say that this will always be true, that's just what will generally happen. To anyone who finds themselves visiting, hope that's not confusing.

Over the past few months, college has felt far more distant than it actually is. Waiting for the letters that would lay out my future didn't worry me that much: it was all months away and I had more pressing issues to be concerned with. Having received those letters, I realize now just how much it all meant; just how much it all still means.

Update: *sigh* The only good news about a rejection letter, is that now I can move on. Of course, finding out that I'm valedictorian of my class the next day probably helped... ;)

So, now that it is about time for summer to be arriving, and I'm not so sure I'm enjoying the 90 degree Fahrenheit weather, I've found some time to dig up the pictures from last summer (and soon maybe I'll make time to find the ones from the summer before that, because California was fun).

Basically, I spent an unexpected amount of time working... the summer which I so carefully reserve for reading, writing, photography, etc, turned into an unexpected job at Camp. If I had ever before underestimated the skills involved in teaching 100 girls how to make something in ceramics, and to glaze it (with the two required fires thrown in), I never again will. Possibly the most hectic schedule I'd handled at that point, and certainly a massive amount of work, I can't say I regret any of it.

I don't regret all the time I spent wedging old clay to make it useable. I don't regret the early mornings, or the (occasionally very) late nights. I don't regret all the tedious work involved in making sure each girl's piece would last, or the extra effort it took to be sure everything was dry within the time constraints. Tough as it was at the time, and as displeased as I was over being put under such pressure, looking back now, I can't regret it, and I have two reasons.

First, though I was the teacher, I found myself a student. Not to any particular person or craft, but to all the myriad difficulties of life. I learned about accommodating young girls who don't have the focus to recall instructions, and older girls who weren't listening anyway. I learned to expect mishaps, and to be endlessly grateful to the friend who taught me years ago, and who helped me pull off my own instruction. I learned to expect the rain, even when you really need the sun to be shining bright.

Second, I love to make people happy; to see their faces light up with life, and watching each girl receive back a finished piece of ceramics and their wonder at having made such things themselves, was something entirely worthwhile.


Me in the middle. ( cut for more pics )

Just a quick post, because this video should be preserved (especially somewhere I can find it ;) )


THAT IS SO SOMETHING I WOULD DO!!

The latest for the creative writing class. Newest rule was to write a story alluding to something, without actually coming out and saying it. We read several short stories by Ernest Hemingway as references for the style. The result is a story called Rue, which I'm actually quite satisfied with.

Another for the Creative Writing class, but this one was waaaaaay back. Or it feels like it anyway.

Basically, everyone got a picture and was asked to write a story about whoever was in the image. Unfortunately, I don't have my photo, but it was of a teenage boy, Middle-Eastern descent. He was wearing worn clothes a few sizes too big and sitting on what appeared to be the remains of a very ruined stone building. There were no rules really; we had permission to do just about whatever we chose with the image.... I'm not entirely satisfied with the resulting story, but then again it's sort of rare for me to be satisfied with assigned writing. Anyway....

This is the place for all the pictures I don't feel like placing into any other categories. Chances are, it'll be updated every now and then. As usual: Most of the photos have not been edited in any way, and the few that have saw only minor edits to correct lighting or camera noise. To anyone viewing these pictures; please, don't reproduce them.

( cut to the pics )

I've been sorting through some photos lately, and figured the best might as well go here. Most of the photos have not been edited in any way, and the few that have saw only minor edits to correct lighting or camera noise. To anyone viewing these pictures; please, don't reproduce them.

This is sort of a continuation of my last post, but this time the following set of photos are of landscapes. I love taking pictures like these, and I happen to live in one of the most perfect places to find the opportunity for such photography.
( cut to the pics )

I've been sorting through some photos lately, and figured the best might as well go here. Most of the photos have not been edited in any way, and the few that have saw only minor edits to correct lighting or camera noise. To anyone viewing these pictures; please, don't reproduce them.

The following set of photos contains all flowers....which isn't usually my thing...but sometimes they make it tough to resist.
( cut to the pics )

This is the latest addition to my creative writing class. This time the prompt was to create a fairy tale that includes at least some of the traditional motifs of a fairy tale. I'm not sure I'm entirely satisfied with the result, but I'm not really sure what to do with it to change that. Anyway....

11 December, 2008, a vast storm of snow and ice and rain broke across the eastern part of the United States. To some, it was just weather; no big deal. To others, the storm left in it's wake a swath of destruction and chaos.

At my house, the storm largely brought destruction. Trees that had stood for years bent and broke beneath the onslaught. Splintered branches and stumps are not an uncommon sight. The land will take a long time to repair itself.

Next to the destruction however, can be found incredible beauty. Parts of the land have become images from a child's book; every branch and blade of glass coated in shimmering ice. Beneath the skies of blue days and starry nights, a destructive force becomes beautiful.

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Something that came to me out of nowhere and insisted that it be written down. It's largely vague and open to interpretation, but I still rather like it.

Sometimes, people get so caught up in surviving, that they forget what life is about. They forget to take time to enjoy themselves. They forget to take time for family and friends. They forget to take time enough to truly LIVE.

Because sometimes writing is more difficult than it should be, and because sometimes staying focused is even more difficult than that......the following is a link to Dr. Wicked's Writing Lab...home of the Write or Die application.......go ahead. Try it.

The rules of the contest were simple really: photograph a structure over 75 years of age, and write something about it. I'm actually quite pleased with the results....

Another piece for my creative writing class. The prompt was 'your memory of September 11, 2001.' Having written this, I am once more reminded that such events never really do fade away....but perhaps it is wise not to forget.

( Remembering 9/11 )

Another piece for the creative writing class. This time the prompt was 'create a series of journal entries from the point of view of a character with a secret.' The story feels vaguely rushed still, but overall I feel both satisfied and nervous about it.

Since one of my passions is writing, and it looks as though my creative writing class should yield plenty of decent work, what better place to keep my writing than right here? To that end, this is the first of what I expect to be many entries containing work done for that class. The prompt for this particular piece was 'write a monologue as though it was by an historical figure.' So here goes...