You can find me at my other two blogs: Out of the Cave and Simply Life Photography.

…but then I end up finding a good portion of them so all is well. I found these at Hopscotch, a cool toy store in McMinnville.

Despite the fact that I’ve not been very good at updating this blog, there has been progress that I am very pleased with. Let’s get on with me tooting my own horn, shall we?

First of all, I finally got up the gumption to deal with all the boxes of books and piles of books and piles of papers and pockets of miscellany tucked here and there. Now when my guests walk into my home there are not boxes and piles, their eyes can rest easy. I didn’t think I had enough shelves for all the books, but with a little decluttering and compromising everything fits just fine. I do have 2 boxes left that are past/future homeschool materials.

[I need to get on the ball and plan homeschool for January! Augh! Breath...deep breath...okay, and again]

I have been doing a pretty good job keeping up on the daily household cleaning. Although, at the moment I do have sinkful of dishes and over flowing laundry baskets. I plan on today being a housecleaning day. Not fun, but much needed.

I have a goal to be in bed by 11 pm on Sunday-Thursday and to get up by 5:30 am on Monday-Friday. Today I will be working on formulating a routine for myself. I have an assignment to figure out exactly what it is I want to work on right now to move toward becoming the woman I want to be. I chose my weight to be the first thing, but in order for me to lose weight I’ll have to be disciplined. After spending some time writing in my journal about this subject it came down to the point that it ALL hinges on my relationship with Jesus. So much change is needed and desired in my life. In order to move toward this change I need a plan. Yes, the Lord changes people, but I don’t think lying in bed all day is very conducive to this change. (Yes, I still find myself lying in bed when I get scared and overwhelmed.) My conclusion comes down to routine, just as it does every time. Getting out of bed the same day every morning, getting in tight with Jesus, armoring up in my battle gear, and face the day. I think I may need to make sure my armor is on all the time. I think it will make opening my eyes and rolling out of bed much easier.

I will try to post my routine schedule by Monday.

Anyway, I am very much a list girl. I like writing lists. I like marking them off. I like looking at them. They look so nice. I don’t always finish what is on my list, but it give me a place to start. A while back I put together this beautiful household notebook that had all my routines and schedules in it. Each page was in a page protector so I could still mark things off, but later could clean up the page. Naturally, with any good system, it takes consistency and the ability to be flexible. The thing that I loved about my notebook is that when I was having a bad day and didn’t know where to begin I could just look at my book. Of course, there were some things that had to be done that aren’t part of a routine. I would put them on a post-it note on the day it needed to be done. I’m thinking that I need to get back into this notebook. I’m not sure why I didn’t keep on with it. My life is very different than what it was almost 2 years ago so the many things will be changed, but at least I have a starting place.

I won’t be home until Wednesday, but when I get there I’m going to drag it out and start working on it. The first thing I need to work on is finishing up the decluttering of books and school stuff. I’m going to be ruthless. I’ll have to do it while the kids are either napping or down for the night so they won’t whine about keeping some random piece of paper that they can’t even decide what it is or who it belongs to. I’ll post pictures of the progress with my binder and the cleaning up.

Not a whole lot is happening that is blog worthy. Well, it may be blog worthy, but not 35×35 worthy.

Volunteering: I will volunteer every other Thursday through the end of the year then we’ll fill out a new calendar. The gym smells the same. The Asteroids arcade game isn’t there. It’s probably a good thing ‘cause I rock at Asteroids.

Photography business: I received my business cards, registered my business name, finished the family photos from last week and delivered them, finished up a wedding reception and will put them in the mail today. I have 2 senior photo sessions to do…then I need more work. I can’t really do any editing today because I am merging all my photo libraries into one library. Then I’ll go organize them better. So far I have over 16,000 photos in 3 years. Amazing.

I think I need to write a business plan, but I don’t know what that is or how to do it. It sounds good, though.

Reading: I was able to read Les Mis without interruption and I find it quite interesting. I still am not sure about a lot of things, but that’s okay. I’m also reading a book by Evan Morris called The Word Detective. It’s a humorous little book on word meanings. Do you know what bloviate means, by the way? And yes, it is a word!

I got a much needed oil change yesterday. I’m not sure why that made me feel so grown up. I used to actually change my own oil, but that was on my lovely Bertha- a 76 Dodge Dart slant 6. She was green with one yellow door and the gas gauge barely worked. Just ask Rob Porter. He ran out of gas in my car on the way to Cornerstone in Chicago.

My checkbook is balanced, my bills figured out, my laundry mostly clean, and I am showered and dressed. I feel accomplished.

Enjoy the Journey!

Here’s a clue: if I’m not posting that means I’m not doing well or at least I don’t perceive that I’m doing well. That’s when I need your encouragement.

As to date, I’ve only asked 2 women to hold me accountable. It is so hard to ask people for help. I think they’re all too busy.

Well, I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much, but perhaps I’m not looking in the right place. So, I’ll list what I have accomplished as opposed to what I haven’t.

Volunteering: I contacted Meredith and will be attending a meeting to talk about volunteering 2 shifts a month to supervising at the Tina Miller Teen Club. There are so many levels to this. First of all, there is no “convenient” time for me, but I’ll have to sacrifice something. Still, I want to do this. Second of all, and more importantly, I haven’t stepped foot into that place since I was 10. I grew up directly across the street from it. We called it “The Old Gym”. At one point it was a one-room schoolhouse that my dad attended in the 20’s and 30’s. Perhaps, I’ll write more about it in my other blog. I can’t get into here for fear of becoming a blubbering puddle of tears.

Photography: I’ve finally finished up a wedding and family photo session. I need to get the family photos onto CD and into the mail. I’ve been working on another family photo session and senior photos. I’ve ordered business cards from Vista Print. I’ve started my photography blog, I think. I can’t remember if I’ve posted anything on it. I also started a storefront at DotPhoto, but have had trouble uploading my photos. I did design the header, though. Oh, I just remembered that I need to take pictures a newly built house so they can get it in the papers for the weekend.

Decluttering: I’ve made some progress. My house is still a mess. I’m trying to organize all our homeschool books and papers.

Reading: Well, not Les Mis. I’ve been working on photos so much. I have been reading more of my Bible and digging for jewels. I’m currently in Exodus, reading 4 chapters a day. This is the schedule for the Mandate Students so I’m doing it also. I’m in a little group where we commit to reading the same scripture, confess sins, pray for one another, and for the lost.

Being joyful isn’t currently happening, but I almost felt joy one night.  Also haven’t made soap, but will probably make laundry detergent today since we’re almost out. It equals out to cost about $.02 per load and it’s an easy process. I’ll post pictures and directions on my other blog.

That’s all. Now I need to write another blog post, shower, and get ready to run into town to do errands.

I have pretty much been working on editing photos. I’m 2/3 done with the June wedding. I told the bride that it was really to her advantage that it has taken so long. I know so much more about photoshop now. I’d like to be a purist and never use photo editing software, but I’m not. I’d have to invest in filters and such to create some of the cool effects, anyway. Now I am working on the ceremony pictures. Rachel and I took over 400. Wow. Then I have 2 family photo sessions I need to get done by the weekend. It has taken me far too long. After I finish those I’ll only have 3 more sessions to finish up before being done. Hopefully I’ll have more work to do. It is good to work for money. I ordered business cards yesterday. I did it as inexpensively as I could so it’ll probably be 3 weeks before I actually get them.

I had an eye exam recently. It is good to see. It is also good to see without pain. I had forgotten what that was like. I also had about 6 inches of my hair cut off.

So many things are changing around here. I feel like I’m in a whirlwind. The appearance of my house is slowly changing. My heart and spirit is being stretched, challenged, and smashed on a daily basis. In fact, I think that’s the biggest challenge right now. I know good stuff is happening. I know that I’m not alone and that I have the Holy Spirit. I like that Jesus calls it our Comforter. I’ve asked a friend to meet with me weekly to pray. I’ve never done that before. I’ve also agreed to be part of a group where we will hold each other accountable and pray for one another. We’ll also be praying for the lost. I don’t relish the idea of being so transparent with others. It is easy to look good on the outside, but to reveal my thought life is a totally different matter! And yet, I have asked Jesus to make me more like Him. I have asked Him for deeper relationships in the body. This is where the rubber hits the road, I guess.

I am excited for Oct. 3rd. Okay, I’m excited for October in general. That’s when the leaves are really red and golden, the wind is blustery, and the rain has yet to really set in. I love walking down 3rd Street in McMinnville swooshing my feet through the fallen leaves. I’m not sure that there is anything better. I bet I would even choose walking through crispy leaves over eating Ol’ South Fudge Pie ice cream. Okay, so October 3rd I will be scrapbooking with a bunch of gals from my church. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be scrapbooking yet, but I will begin the planning process very soon. I have far too many supplies to go without a plan. Well, and I have far too many pictures as well. I’d like to start something fresh and new. I really want to make more of an effort to be creative every day. Putting on makeup can’t be considered creative anymore. (Did you know that I used to want to be a theatrical make-up artist? That is, if I wasn’t good enough to be in the actual theater production.) October is also my birthday month. That’s right. I’m reminding all of you. I know it’s silly, but I spent most of my life feeling important on my birthday. My dad and ALL my friends did forget my 19th birthday, though. I thought it was a joke, but nobody came out and said “Smile, you’re on candid camera!” Anyway, now I usually go to the Brew Pub with my friends, two of them have birthdays within a few days of mine so it is a little party. Wow. What a big paragraph all about my birthday. Okay, one more thing. I’d really like to this Swing Dancing thing in Portland on my birthday, but I won’t. It would be the coolest thing. I’ve always wanted to do swing dancing.

Well, I must get back to editing photos, folding laundry, loading the dishwasher, looking at my haircut, clearing off my desk, balancing my checkbook, checking out my makeup job, edit photos, rearrange some more stuff, break up arguments, make dinner, and oh, I can’t forget to pick up Christopher. I better set an alarm for that one! Oh, and I’ll edit photos.

You know what? For being a photographer, I don’t post many pictures. I don’t particularly enjoy sharing them. Isn’t that weird?

I have had a good weekend. It helps to have company even if they’re only 13 and here to entertain the girls. I had a senior photo shoot on Thursday and another on Friday.

I brought my Friday client home with me to stay the night. She is a happy, Christ loving girl from Liberia. I think she has only been here about 5 years. On the way to my house we were listening to a Liberian acapella band. Georgie was singing along when she said quietly, almost wistfully, “I haven’t heard these songs in years.” I began to listen closely to the words. What was that? Find joy no matter what comes along? Really? Oh my. These are blind boys and men from a war ravaged country. Many of the young girls I hold so dear are from the same country. War. Death. Abandonment. Rape. Soldiers who are not there to protect. My eyes are drawn to the bullet holes in the walls behind the smiling black faces of children. Joy? You’re kidding, right? Then I look at my friend singing praises next to me in my Previa and I see joy. Real joy. I don’t know what life was like for her in Liberia, but I see a girl who is overflowing with the love of Jesus.

Les Miserables: I read another couple of pages. Yay! I had already read the first one the other day. Bummer!

Hairstyle: Well, I have cornrows. Partial ones, at least. I like it. Easy to maintain, except for the part that isn’t braided. Georgina will redo my hair soon. Maybe I’ll have cornrows until I take the plunge to dredlocks. Here’s a bonus: bandanas stay in my hair better now. Usually they would slip out. You probably don’t know this, but I love to wear scarves and bandanas in my hair! In highschool I would just deal with them slipping out and put them back in a million times a day. That was back when I cared what I looked like. I think I’m starting to care again.

Decluttering: The island is once again full and we scrubbed the horrid kitchen floor. I grumbled in my heart about it while my kids had fun doing it. I cleared a bit more space in my bedroom as well. There is still more space to clear, but I am encouraged by the progress. My desk is clear and my bills paid, mostly. I am much relieved.

Weight: Who knows? I’ve been avoiding the scale. However, today in church I noticed I kept pulling up my pants. The same pants that were too tight to comfortably wear to Festival 3 weeks ago.

Business: I am busily editing photos from a June wedding. My world stopped for awhile, but it has to get moving. People have paid me and I’ve not delivered. My kids will be gone from Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning. I will work the entire time. Well, I’ll need to rest my eyes so I’ll work in cleaning up my room. I also have pinto beans I’ve cooked that are crying out to be made into practically fat-free refried beans and a couple of chicken parts to cook….oh, and more Okra soup to eat!

I have only asked 2 women to be my accountability partners. I have 3 more to go.

I haven’t been walking.

I haven’t read much in Les Mis.

I have made some headway in my kitchen. After the island moved my entire kitchen was in a state of disarray. I am working on that.

Yesterday I didn’t eat until supper. Then I had a tummy ache all night and all this morning. I gained a pound. That’s how much yesterday’s burrito weighed. That’s kinda gross.

I feel stressed. I feel like my list is too big. I feel like sleeping and eating home made chocolate frosting.

Today I was supposed to have 5 uninterrupted hours at home without my children to work on the 2000 photos from summer. Now, due to my inability to say no, it will only be 2 hours then I’ll have to pick up a family and drive them into McMinnville. Then I’ll have 1 1/2 hours to sit somewhere and work on photos before I go off to do a photo shoot.

I also had some computer problems. Actually, its memory problems. I have too many photos. In fact, I have so many that when I went to edit a picture I was told that there wasn’t enough memory to do that. So I spend a long time trashing computer files. It made only a little dent.

I have lots of other feelings, but I’m trying to quiet them down.

Oh, by the way, I feel stressed.

Weight: I won’t bother weighing myself tomorrow since I ate a bunch of popcorn tonight. Talk about water retention! I’m not too worried about it, though. I forgot to go for my after lunch walk. Right before lunch I was on the phone with someone I lost contact with 18 years ago. (I am SO not old enough to say that, am I?) Then my friend, Nessa, and her 2 littlest siblings came for lunch. Then chaos ensued. Stinky crying baby, rough-housing-water-fighting boys, and a teenager trying to finish up her speech assignment. I retreated into the bathroom to finish reorganizing. I have just now set an alarm on my iphone for daily walks. This will come up both on my phone and computer.

Decluttering: See above sentence concerning the bathroom. I also worked in my room. I moved all my scrapbooks to a bigger shelf. Wow, that’s a lot of pictures! I love it. I also created a little writing nook in my room with. It includes a little black table that has been in the family forever. It has 2 green glass knobs. I thought they were ugly way back in 1978, but 30 years later I think they’re beautiful. That table makes me smile. I put my journal, happy book, and a lighter in the drawer. On the desktop with the candles is my Bible, fountain pens, and 11 bottles of ink. It’s sweet. Now I need to clear off my bed again and work on another area. I also worked on the kid’s game shelf and went through all the pens in the pen drawer to make sure they’re all in working order. Bonus: I’m caught up in both laundry and dishes. Oh man, I just found more scrapbooks that need to be put away somewhere!

Daily creativity: My nook? I don’t know.

Photography: I have much to do. Just pray for me. I have 2 senior photo sessions scheduled this week. I have other photos to finish and get to the clients. I’ve had a hard time working. I’ve been paid already. I gotta get stuff done.

I can’t think very well right now. It’s dark now. I’m tired. I want to sleep, but I also want to finish something so that when I wake up in the morning I feel good. Also, I’m listening to a podcast on Ruth and friendship.