I'm a cheater. A romantic cheater.

Since Dan is the first person to encourage me to write since my thesis advisor (Hi Dr. Aarts!) and previous to that the teacher who enrolled me Power of the Pen in 7th grade and thought, erroneously, that I could write, here I go...

I am however, a cheater. The following prompt is from the Imagination Prompt Generator. I think that if I get in the habit I may write more often.

"Are there any family heirlooms in your possession? Tell about them and how you came to acquire them."

I am wearing one of my family heirlooms. It's a ring that belonged to my maternal great-grandmother, from her first marriage (the one that produce my grandma). It is white gold, carved in an Art Deco type style. It has facets and millegrain and happens to fit me perfectly. :) My mom first acquired this ring. She's had it since she was around 10, I think. I've known about it for years. She never wears it; she doesn't even wear her own wedding ring! I personally acquired it in June when I was dressing for a wedding we were going to. I find something romantic about wearing my great-grandmother's wedding ring to a wedding. When I was younger, it didn't fit my chubby fingers but now it does. So, I put it on in the first weekend of June and have had it on ever since, through two more weddings this summer! In fact, I have a tan line from it.

My second family heirloom is very similar; it is my paternal great-grandmother's wedding ring. From her only marriage. It is Pap PJ's mother's ring. It's more floral, romantic and with tiny diamond chips. It fits my middle finger, as opposed to the other ring, which sits on my ring finger. This ring came to my on my 21st birthday, from my grandparents. It was accompanied by a note saying how proud Grandma Powers would have been of me and to see me wear it. I cried, naturally. I wore this ring the summer I got it until I got a tan line, also.

These are the only heirlooms I have, really. For some reason my family doesn't have many things that are considered heirlooms. Unlike Byron's family which has a clock which is in its 5th generation, I think. I guess it comes from coming from the Old Country. :) I think I'll keep track and good care of these rings so I can hand then down one day and tell my daughter or granddaughter about their origins. That'll have to do.

On being a wedding photographer.

The most important thing I learned this past weekend? I do not want to be a wedding photographer. Previous to actually being an employed photographer, I held these romantic, lofty, idealized thoughts of what being a wedding photog would be like. I could capture these amazing moments, things that other people didn't see, and strike the bride and groom with my eye and numerous talents. By the end of the night, thought, I had determined that while I may enjoy wedding photography as an art form and have a little bit of an 'eye' for the photos, I'm never going to be a wedding photographer. As it turns out, I don't have the drive, desire, or technical skill to do so. And, at least when it comes to weddings of familiar persons, I want to have a good time with my family and friends, laugh at the antics and relax around the table. I don't want to be jumping up every few minutes to go record something else.

So, I don't want to be a wedding photographer. Perhaps I'll learn more about my photographic future this summer when I test my wings as a senior portrait photog for my cousin Brittany. I'll keep you posted.

Hi Dan!

I often get accused of not posting to this blog. (Lies! All lies!) So here's tribute to my cousin Dan. A new post, just for you. Can't wait to meet your baby girl!




This is not Dan. This is the DJ.

A new job, a new apartment... just not for me!

For my loyal readers, an update on myself and my family:
After 6 weeks in a cast and 3 weeks (and counting) in a boot, Byron's foot surgery recovery is almost complete. Now just a few weeks of physical therapy and he'll be good as new. And, in bigger news, Byron's off to a new job soon! He's going to be starting work at the end of the month at a company called AeroTech, north of Pittsburgh. His official title is "Applications Engineer" and the company makes motion control devices. If this means something to you, great. Don't ask me to explain it. His office is currently the coffee room, but he's going to have an office, business cards, and everything a real grown-up job should have. I'm excited for him, if you can't tell. :) In addition to this new job, he's going to be moving into a new apartment in the Coronado building in Shadyside. This building is about a mile from mine and I can take a bus there. Pictures sometime soon, perhaps.


In other news, my parents and their friends David and Carol Fruit (Byron's uncle and aunt) have created High Market Racing Stables, LLC. They're going to give the old horse racing game a try. Carol and David are the owners and Dad's the trainer. (I'm the book keeper!) The horse pictured above is Sir Luke, their first purchase. Since buying him at the beginning of the month, he's gotten one 2nd place finish and one win in two races! Last night, they bought their second horse, named Prairie Lites. He won the race that they bought him from, which isn't significant except that it's a good sign for the future!

Also, Happy 25th Anniversary to my parents tomorrow!

That's all the big news I can think of right now, but I'll keep you posted if something comes up! Keep an eye on Flickr!

Campus Pics!

I posted my newest pics in Flickr, and I added the badge in the left hand column. Enjoy!

I'm still here, I'm still alive.

Are you still reading?
School's coming along just smashingly. (a little British today, I guess.) I'm going to get my camera out next week and get pictures up of campus for those of you who aren't familiar with it. I think I'm adjusting remarkably well, considering this is so different from any way I've lived before. If you're in/around Pittsburgh anytime, please call me! I'm still aching for a little more personal contact. I've made a few friends, but not enough yet! :)

A pretty view.

One of the nicest places on campus is, I've said before, Schenley Plaza. If you go and sit on the perfect green grass and look up, all you can see is the Cathedral of Learning. I did so today and there it was, framed in all its glory by puffy white clouds and I almost forgot that I was in the middle of a huge, bustling city. It was perfection. I laid there and finished reading my book (which had a happy ending) and just wiled away the afternoon. Good times. I'll leave you with this quote, which is featured on the wrought iron gate inside the Cathedral of Learning:

Over the gates are two lines from Robert Bridges' 14th Founders Day: A Secular Ode on the Ninth Jubilee of Eaton College:

"Here is eternal spring.
For you the very stars
of heaven are new.