MTV Movie Awards
I am not a fan of MTV. Let me just say that right from the beginning. I have the channel blocked on my televisions and would not allow the kids to watch it when they were younger. (I think they’ve figured out my block now.) However… Sierra informed me that MTV would be premiering the new trailer for the upcoming Twilight movie (New Moon) on their movie awards show so I set the TiVo to record it. I figured that way I could fast forward through the crap and just watch the trailer. (Over and over again if necessary… and of course it would be necessary.)
We had been at a couple of graduation parties earlier in the day and had company over when the show was aired… but Sierra received a text message that her good friend (and mine) Tyler was spotted in the front row of the auditorium on the broadcast. So now… armed with that information ahead of time… I had to watch the whole thing. Just to be clear… I not counting the show as my blessing… (as I imagined… there was a lot of crap) but seeing Tyler in several shots was so much fun. Sierra and I screamed in delight on the first sighting only to be thrilled again when they cut to the audience later to see Tyler right in the middle of the action. So much fun. I felt as though he was suddenly as famous as those stars sitting around him. I told Sierra I’m going to make a sign that says… “Tyler slept here.”
Bubba Paris
I have only attended one other graduation ceremony at Central Catholic and that was the year Sierra graduated. While I looked forward to the experience, I was extremely disappointed in the speaker who gave the commencement address. He was terribly boring. I have grown quite fond of a particular group of girls in this year’s senior class and wanted to be there when they graduated… so I decided to try it again.
I was thankfully surprised to see that former NFL star Bubba Paris was giving the commencement address. I knew it had to be better than 2007’s speaker and I was right. Mr. Paris gave a thought provoking and inspiring talk to the graduates and their families that was mixed with the perfect amount of humor and religious conviction. His main message was that God has a plan for all of us and that He has already equipped us with all we need to accomplish that plan… all we have to do is figure out our gifts and to use them as God intended.
A perfect message to young adults about to embark on the next phase of their life, but also good for those of us who have been around for awhile too.
Valedictorians
I did pretty well in school… but when I look back on it now, I think I really was just average. I did enough to get by and not get in trouble with my parents. A’s and B’s… with the occasional C in math. “Passing” I would tell my dad… “mediocre” would be his glum reply. Things came pretty easy to me. I always did my assignments, but I never really studied or went above and beyond what was asked of me.
I am always impressed with the top students… kids that now have to achieve above a 4.0 GPA to compete for top honors. Kids who are close to perfection in their assignments and testing. Kids who work hard and strive to be the best.
Today… Leroy and I attended the graduation for St. Stanislaus School. This is the elementary school that our children attended. I was happy to see that I still knew most of the kids in the class of 2009. I recognized their names, but probably wouldn’t know them on the street as they have all grown so much.
A long time and dear friend (Becca) was one of the valedictorians and gave an speech at the ceremony. It was humbling to listen to her words and to think back of how much she has grown since we first met. As she talked about her class’ accomplishments, I reflected on her life and how even though she has excelled academically, it is only a small part of who she is. This honor cannot even begin to define the lovely young lady she has become. If she can achieve this kind of success academically, while balancing the demands of athletics, family and social responsibilities… there is nothing she can’t accomplish. To be able to witness this… has been and will continue to be a blessing to me.
Baccalaureate
Baccalaureate is defined as a religious service held at an educational institution before commencement.
Today I attended Central Catholic’s Baccalaureate Mass at St. Stanislaus Church. I really only went to take pictures… There was one particular shot that I needed to complete a photo project that I was preparing as graduation gifts. Besides that, the lighting and accessibility of the students is much better at this event rather than immediately following the actual graduation ceremony. But, after hearing who the speakers were going to be, I decided to stay… and like always… I as blessed for having done so.
We have invested much time, financial resources and energy into our children’s Catholic education. It hasn’t been cheap or easy… but it is times like this when you feel the immediate return on your investment. How blessed we are to be able to gather as a community and thank God for our children and for their education. It has been such a constant in their lives that on the rare occasion that we attend public school events and God is not recognized, it feels as though something is missing… as well it should. We are always blessed when we participate in worship and today was no exception.
One Roof
I am not one of those sappy moms who cannot function without her children. I’ve always understood that the primary goal is to get them to a state of prepared independence where they can function as positive, contributing members of society. I know it sounds harsh… but it’s what I’m supposed to do. While my children really are quite mature and responsible, they are not finished yet. I still have some work to do, but the job changes constantly as they continue to mature and grow.
Sierra came home from college (for the summer break) yesterday and for most parents it is the most exciting day of the year. They can’t wait for the kids to come home. While I always look forward to her arrival, I know that it comes with a period of readjustment as we acclimate to each other’s lifestyles and schedules. This is not comfortable for any of us… but necessary.
The best part… (this is the blessing) is that there is NOTHING like the feeling of waking up in the morning and KNOWING that both of your children are asleep in their own beds, under one roof. I really didn’t appreciate this feeling until Sierra left for school in August of 2007. While I’m not really a worry-wart… some part of me is always a little concerned that she’s where she should be and that she is safe. This goes for Steel too. He often spends the night at various friends’ homes… and we’re home alone quite often.
When I got up this morning… I got the feeling again… and was re-assured that all is well. It really keeps things in perspective. The whole world could be falling apart around you, but if you have the gift of health and family you have it all.
External Hard Drive
So much fun shooting a big baseball game yesterday, only to come home and not be able to load the pictures because my memory was full! Ugh! So frustrating. I still don’t understand why. I just deleted (6 weeks ago) about 10,000 pictures from the wrestling season. The only thing I can think of is that I’ve shot quite a bit more personal stuff since then, and the RAW format does take up more space… so now what do I do?
I took my computer into the Apple store today for a “Genius” appointment. (One of MANY benefits of owning a Mac… I can set up an appointment for face to face, hands on help at the Apple store. I went online around 9:00 and had an appointment at 1:40 the same day.) Apple’s Genius went through my computer and found that my photos were taking up a large amount of space and suggested that I begin to store them on an external hard drive. I had one at home so I came home and transfered everything over. It was smooth and opened up 14 G of space on my computer. I had one at home that I had been using for backup. I deleted what was on there and moved my photo library over. (I did inadvertently delete all of my pictures on Facebook but that can be fixed.)
Dugout
How cool is my life? Here I am counting my blessings and they just keep coming and coming…! I get to be involved in some of the most memorable events and today was no exception.
Today, I was able to shoot the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Baseball Championship game… from the dugout of the winning team. It doesn’t get any better than this!
Pretty amazing! I’m still excited as I write this. I don’t believe in luck. I think what we call luck is that moment when preparation meets opportunity. If we are prepared and the opportunity arises… it can be a trans formative experience. I wasn’t planning on taking my camera at all. Leroy’s the one that suggested that I throw it in the car. Then… when we got there… I still wasn’t sure if it was worth the effort. I asked Coach Glines for permission to “shoot a couple of innings” but once I got down in the dugout I was caught up in the emotion of the game and I couldn’t leave. It was way too emotional and exciting. What a game too! Central Catholic’s sophomore Billy Flamion pitched a no-hitter against Hilmar to end the season and to bring home the banner.
500+ photos and a priceless memory.
Cemetery
Today would have been my mother’s 75th birthday. Since her death, I have ordered flowers to be placed on her grave for the Memorial Day holiday which was so significant to her. As a child, I can remember Mom’s emotional connection to this holiday. She would make sure there were flowers placed on the graves of her parents each year and in her honor, I have continued the tradition. It is by chance that her birthday falls on the Memorial Day weekend this year so the flowers are there for both occasions.
The cemeteries in our area are decorated so beautifully with American flags during the weekend. I packed my camera and headed to Turlock Memorial Park this afternoon to take a few shots. While I was there, I visited with my friends who had just laid their father to rest on Tuesday. I enjoyed the visit and feel blessed to have shared the experience with them.
While I was there… I felt an overwhelming feeling of peace. I’ve never been one to visit loved one in a cemetery, but I was touched by all that I witnessed today. There were so many families there today. Some laying flowers, some just walking around, and some just sitting quietly… all with a quiet reverence.
Feeding Teenage Boys
I am not a good cook… and I can’t say that it’s one of my favorite things to do, but I absolutely LOVE feeding hungry, teenage boys. I look forward to the opportunities. My kids say that the only time I fix breakfast is when we have overnight guests, and I guess that’s true… but nothing goes to waste and they are so appreciative. I love to watch them eat.
Steel had two friends spend last night and it was planned ahead of time so I was prepared with all of the ingredients necessary. I was so excited, I didn’t even mind getting up early. We had roasted potatoes with onion, garlic and parsley (fresh cut from my garden), biscuits, linguica and scrambled eggs. Yummy! Can’t wait for the next time.
Wide Angle Lens
I got a new toy today. I saved my birthday money and finally (last week) ordered a wide-angle lens from Amazon.com. It was not very expensive and not quite the quality of my other lenses, but it does offer a new perspective… wide angle.
I will use this lens mostly for group/team shots, but I did have some fun with it today with the dogs. It makes them look as goofy as they behave.
