It has been a while ...

I know it has been a while, but I was trying to figure out what to write after the trip was done.  I think I may have it.  There are so many historic parks around us and the photo opportunities are too much for me to resist, so I will be posting pictures and writing about the locations and I will hopefully have several places picked out so you can see what is coming.

It will not be a weekly post, but I am hoping for at least twice a month on the parks. 

In between those I am hoping that I can post about our new volunteer work, I am still waiting to hear back from All About Equine Rescue on what we need to do.

I hope to post pictures of the family working on the ranch.

I recently took pictures of Cam and Annie at the Folsom Powerhouse State Park ... or what I have come to call the Mecca for family photographers.  Almost annoyingly so, with photographers running over you because you have a little camera and could not possibly be a photographer of any skill.

I was slightly irritated.

Here are my favorite shots.

"The Folsom Powerhouse is part of a colorful chapter of Sacramento history and is also an example of the tremendous advance in the commercial application of electricity. H.P. Livermore realized that the water of the American River could turn generators for electricity in Sacramento, 22 miles downstream. With his partners, Livermore built the powerhouse, which still looks much as it did in 1895.

The opening of the powerhouse brought with it a "grand electric carnival" parade through downtown Sacramento and a 100-gun salute from a detachment of soldiers near the substation. Vintage generators are still in place at the powerhouse, as is the control switchboard, faced with Tennessee marble. "


I will have to go back and take pictures of the actual Powerhouse ... It is pretty sweet ...

That is all for now.  I have to wake everyone up and get them ready for the day.

Have a great day!

 

Hello again ...

A friend of mine shared a link with me today (thank you Chrys) that I have to share with as many people as I can.  It is pretty amazing, but it is also very real.  It hits close to home for me, because Breast Cancer runs in my family.  My grandmother died from it and my aunt is a survivor, and I guess I never really "saw" until now.

 What I am talking about is The SCAR Project:  Breast Cancer Is Not A Pink Ribbon.  Like everyone else out there, I know about Breast Cancer.  I know what it does and I know someone who has died and someone who has survived.  I support the foundations and I race for the cure, but I never really saw.  I never really saw what Breast Cancer took away; I knew, but I never saw.  Until now. 

Their Mission:

The SCAR Project is a series of large-scale portraits of young breast cancer survivors shot by fashion photographer David Jay. Primarily an awareness raising campaign, The SCAR Project puts a raw, unflinching face on early onset breast cancer while paying tribute to the courage and spirit of so many brave young women.

Dedicated to the more than 10,000 women under the age of 40 who will be diagnosed this year alone, The SCAR Project is an exercise in awareness, hope, reflection and healing. The mission is three-fold: raise public consciousness of early-onset breast cancer, raise funds for breast cancer research/outreach programs and help young survivors see their scars, faces, figures and experiences through a new, honest and ultimately empowering lens.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in young women ages 15-40. The SCAR Project participants range from ages 18 to 35, and represent this often overlooked group of young women living with breast cancer. They journey from across America – and the world – to be photographed for The SCAR Project. Nearly 100 so far. The youngest being 18 years old.

Although Jay began shooting The SCAR Project primarily as an awareness raising campaign, he was not prepared for something much more immediate . . . and beautiful:

For these young women, having their portrait taken seems to represent their personal victory over this terrifying disease. It helps them reclaim their femininity, their sexuality, identity and power after having been robbed of such an important part of it. Through these simple pictures, they seem to gain some acceptance of what has happened to them and the strength to move forward with pride.

David Jay has given me the gift of sight.  He has reminded me the reason I race for the cure, the reason I support the foundations.  I think I lost track of that somewhere along the way, as I am sure may of you have as well.

We tend to lose sight of what really matters.  We become complacent in life and we forget to fight when we really need to fight.  This is not a shock and awe.  That is not why I want you to look at the pictures and read the web site.  I want you to look at the pictures and then I want you to look at all of the people you love and I want you to remember why we race and why we fight.

I love you Aunt Charlotte. 

Still standing

We are still standing and we are hanging in, but it is getting close.
Things really need to start falling in place, and soon.

Still looking for a home, may have found yet another possibility.  While we were talking to the guy remodeling the house, he asked what we did in Iowa.  Shane told him what we used to do and the guy perked up when Shane told him what I used to do. 

He took my information down and is passing it on to an attorney they work with.  Pretty cool, but I was supposed to be the one staying home.  I have an interview on Monday with a company that is ultra secretive and is leaving me wondering if I will have a black hood in my future.  (LOL!)

I cannot tell you anymore on that one.  (Seriously.)

It seems that I am in demand more than Shane.  He is getting a little too excited about being a stay-at-home dad.  I am not liking that one too much.

Marissa is having fun in school.  She is in ceramics and has discovered that she is quite skilled sculpting things.  She takes after her great-grandmothers.

Annie is already going to a sleepover at a friend's house and is going to TRL on Friday night.  She is looking forward to it.

Marissa has been accepted into the Anime club (well, her friend brought her and told them that she was a part of the club now ...) and she has been invited to her friend Darian's house for movie night, which is funny because we always had those at our house.

We are still standing and still moving forward, but I am really looking forward to living in an actual home and not a hotel room.

Roseville is a nice place and it is close to a lot of fun places.

With love - Jennifer