Thoroughly Disturbed

So I cannot fall asleep because of an incident that happened earlier tonight that will not leave my mind at peace. Earlier this evening the DH and I decided to take the dogs for a walk in the park. We put them in his truck and rode over to the park for the walk. Everything went well and the dogs were quite happy. When we came back home we entered the alley behind our house because it is easier to get the dogs in the yard through the back gate than the front gate. The DH also dropped me off at the back gate to go inside the house. Well I went in the house and waited for him to pull his truck around to the street and park. It usually takes a little while in the evenings because it can be difficult to find parking. So as usual I thought his tardiness was due to lack of available parking. Not so!

He came in the house and said he was stopped by the undercover/detective police at the end of the alley. They made him get out of the truck while they searched it and barraged him with questions from "why do you have Indiana license plates?" to "Who is that in the car behind you?" and "Why were you driving through the alley so many times?" Of course my DH did not want to make waves so he innocently answered the questions and let them search his truck.

So why am I thoroughly disturbed? Because I feel my DH's rights were violated. He did nothing wrong and these officers had no reasonable cause to search him or his truck. But this is what happens to so many innocent people around here and throughout our country. They feel they can't say, "no".

The Learning Continues

Today, I woke up and decided I was going to prepare a space in our house to take a "Christmas" photo of the DH and I. Well, it turned into something much more. I decided to set up a makeshift photo studio with lamps and sheets. I bothered the DH several times to be my subject so I could get the lighting just right. I searched the internet for a few ideas too. Eventually, I was ambitious enough to ask the sister in law to come with her family to have a picture taken. But in the end I was lucky enough to take pictures of three different families. All relatives who came to visit and were happy to be my photography subjects.

So here they are. Some are a bit blurry. I need my tripod, but its about 350 miles away at the moment. I guess it'll have to wait.

ArtPrize

This week I went to Grand Rapids, Michigan to visit friends and check out GR's new event, ArtPrize. Apparently this is the city's second year holding the event and it was AMAZING. Artists from all over the world can enter their artwork in the contest and have it displayed at one of the various venues throughout the downtown GR area. Another cool catch is anyone who comes to see the art can register to vote on the pieces they like most. After the first week the 10 pieces with the most votes will then be voted on for top prize. What an great way to involve the people.

But really, it felt like such a breath of fresh air to see so much beautiful art displayed. I was inspired by many and captivated by others. My friend's mother in law even contributed a piece of her art, as did a cousin. So that means I'm starting to get ideas. Maybe next year I could contribute something for the sake of displaying some of my own work. I'll have to think more on that idea but its not beyond me.

I absolutely recommend checking out the website to see some of the art and their descriptions as well as the top 10 picks.

Photos

So I finally purchased my first digital camera. Yes. That's correct. My first digital camera. I went back and forth about whether I was ready for a DSLR to begin really tuning my photography skills or if I just really wanted a plain old point and shoot camera so I could enjoy the everyday moments of life without having to lug around and whip out the big one. I decided for right now smaller is better.

So I went with a Sony Cyber Shot. Its got lots of great features on it including an optical zoom of 10x. The zoom was a must for me. Yes I wanted a small point and shoot camera but I wanted something a little more versatile. So far the camera is doing great. Granted it can't do everything. But for a little point and shoot camera I'm happy. I've been taking panoramic, videos, snapshots here and there. I can't wait for more events to pull it out and test it out.

Here are a few shots I've taken since I've begun playing with it.

Dreams

The DH and I frequently dream about where we would like to be and what we would like to have around us in 5 years. Currently I think our situation is less than ideal but we make it work nonetheless. But some days are just plain hard and stressful when you know the time and energy you put into living is just much more than its worth.

So some of our dreams are...

To buy a piece of land- a few acres outside of the city, but not in the middle of suburbia either

Grow some of our own food without dealing with pesticides, etc

Chickens and maybe a horse or two- the DH insists we must have chickens which makes me glad he at least grew up with them and knows exactly what to do because it will surely be a learning process for me. And horses are a love and hobby of my DH, but that might be in the 10 year dream!

Build our own small home on that piece of land and use reclaimed materials. I never liked the feel of brand new homes. The character of older, worn materials attracts me and maybe just reminds me of my childhood.

The list goes on but those are just a few of the more frequently discussed. I look forward to making the dream a reality, little by little.

Finding the creative energy within

Its been a long time since I've posted anything. I admit I'd like to create perfect little blurbs about the workings of my mind, but the truth is I just don't find myself being creative in writing (I must have missed that class in high school, just like I missed speech. Public speaking makes my body go limp). I would not say I couldn't do it if I put my mind to it, but if I'm not feeling it then what's the point? But the creative outlet I do find myself enjoying immensely is photography. Ever since I was in high school I wanted to get into photography. I even convinced my parents to help me buy a nice camera at that time. I started taking a class at a photography store but quickly found myself lost in the technical terminology that I was not ready for. I wanted the basics to taking good pictures, eventually I would learn the technical stuff along the way. So what happened? I slowly abandoned that endeavor. It lay dormant beneath all the other interests that had taken priority for the moment. However, gradually my interest has been piqued again and here I am, without a digital camera (apparently I missed the fact that we're in the 21st century or maybe I just haven't been able to afford the one I really want?) attempting to learn the basics. So far I'm content with my progress. I've started a photo blog and I've actually been taking photographs. It makes my heart smile.

Photography is how I can express myself without using words. Its a way of looking, seeing, and capturing what is right in front of us. It allows the details to be seen that might otherwise be overlooked. It captures the essence of that thing. It captures the beauty that some at first glance might think is ugly. Photography captures a piece of life in a single shot. The more photos you take the pieces come together. So I'll keep taking photos.