My two favorite chefs in the world... The World Famous Photographer, Art Rogers, and the Almost World Famous Musician and Entertainer, Arann Harris of The Bluebellies. The specialty of the night... Barbecued Pizza and more red wine than necessary.... the key to every woman's heart.

Katherine Bomer spoke about the celebrating the work our young writers do when she delivered the Keynote Address at the TCRWP July Writing Institute. She made me reflect on the way I celebrate my students' work, which I do at the end of each unit of study, at Publishing Parties. I've been throwing Publishing Parties since I finished teaching my first unit of study.

Therefore, since I committed to more structured sharing (last May) in my classroom this-coming year, I think that process shares will provide me with one more way to help celebrate my students' work. (NOTE: Process Shares are just ONE of the four kinds of shares you rotate through the end of your workshops. To learn more about them, check out Mermelstein's Book!)

Created with Spell with Flickr.

Unfortunately, the search for the cell phone is over, and it will cost $400 to replace it. That's about a month's pay for my articles published in The Fort Pierce Tribune. The problem is that no PDA phone is cheaper, and it's what I need for my pseudo job and future employment.

As I deal with these life issues, my editor said she got bogged down today and will send me the stories she has for me tomorrow. She also asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted to cover a live story that's next week to be turned in at night by laptop. More on that when the time comes.

I do have to mention that I love the fact that my friends are getting married, especially my fellow sorority alumni. I believe we're using our weddings, showers, bachelorette parties, etc. as an excuse to get together again. I lived with most of the girls from last weekend for a couple years in the sorority house, so it was a lot of fun to stay with them - except this time in the sixth-floor suite of a resort overlooking the beach in Fort Lauderdale.

I didn't realize how much I missed them, and it was so much fun talking, going out, playing games and celebrating with my sisters. The best part was that I didn't have to say goodbye - I'll see them all in a month for the wedding.

today is a celebration of the life and work of dr. william archibald spooner who gave us the spoonerism!

- eye ball. tadasay!

This is what celebrating Independence should be... well, really it is all for my dear friend Michelle's Annual Wine Country Birthday Bash... but it just so happens it is the same weekend as the 4th. If ever there was someone who should have been born on the holiday known for barbecuing... it is Michelle. Happy Birthday, Michelle!

The Rollei added another light leak this time on Anne's shoulder, so I played in photoshop again... this time I copied my favorite friend Thomas's trick and added a lens flare filter... if he can do it, then so can I. It looks looks a little odd, but it is just a desperate attempt to save a fun photo.

If you can't take it, then ___ ____.

Aaah Fred a fait très très vite, pour nous offrir nos photos officielles. Elles étaient déjà en notre possession ce jeudi, mais nous avions un long weekend qui nous attendait. Le temps faire quelques petites modifications et les mettre en ligne... et d'attendre avec un soupçon de trop longue patiente que FlickR valide les photos.. et voici pour plus de 600 1200 clichés ! (il faudra peut-être un peu que je les re-trie chronologiquement.) Il y a également quelques photos de Nouille-de-Miel... et bientôt celles que vous avez prises... Papa, Pype, Laurent, Julien,.... n'hésitez pas à nous envoyer vos photos !

Le diaporama

Coup d'oeil Rapide

Merci FlickR qui a fait un vrai brol de mes photos... il en manquait 600 !! ca sera là d'ici quelques heures !

Even though I had an amazing and fun time celebrating my good friend's bachelorette party in Fort Lauderdale the past weekend, I came back cell phone-less to a defective modem in my place.

If you know me, I truly can't live without my PDA-like phone and Internet access. But I don't mean live in the physical sense - I can't do my job without it. I need my phone for calling and interviewing sources, and I need my Internet for the constant fact checking when writing stories.

I just wanted to bring story of my life readers back into the loop after my blog's first break these past few days. More to come on my weekend and my freelance work after I get a new modem tomorrow.

Because I can try a million different beers every day and never get bored. They're all unique and wonderful in their texture and colour and the minute differences of their individual flavors. Its like a harem for my palette.
There's a party in my mouth.

                         Semoga Mama & Abah berkekalan hingga akhir hayat. Terima kasih kerana menjadi contoh untuk kami walaupun tidak sempurna tapi bagi kami, Mama & Abah adalah pasangan paling ideal. Semoga perkahwinan Mama & Abah dilimpahi dengan berkat dari Allah.

• Happy 8th Anniversary to Us on 18th July

Happy 8th Anniversary Dear! OMG!It feels so quickly since our official day on 2000!This month we celebrate our couple anniversary and next month we celebrate our wedding anniversary. Thanks for all these years; thank you for your LOYALTY, HONESTY & of coz your LOVE. i lebiuuuuuu....

• Happy 23rd Birthday to my Lil Sis; Ika on 22nd July

 Happy Birthday Minah! Ko pun dah tua dah, yeay!! Semoga panjang umur, diberi kesihatan untuk belajar dan untuk beribadat, dipermudahkan segala urusan, dimurahkan rezeki tapi jangan nak melantak je!!! hahahahah.... and congratulations in advance for your Doktor Muda graduation. Buat prektikal bebetul, jgn berangan aje!

Late dinner; Nasi Ayam Bakar sempena our anniversary after watched movie 'Forbidden Kingdom'..yeah, UK so lembab!!

Kevin Chan's Farewell Party

Thats all peeps :)

Presenting the photos:

1) Michelle's Farewell -  From Left : Stef, Michelle, Jac, Ting & Food!

My all time favourite chocolate sundae @ delicious OU!

2) The Girls Gathering 1!

Cam-whoring :) Where is JUN??

3) Snowie My CAT!

  Thinking about life

Mona Lisa ( So human like) notice its paw ( it has dignity!!)

4) Mum's Birthday

The cake i made! Carrot Cake

5) Trip to Midvalley - Girls Outing 2~

  MY PRECIOUS FOF !!

the McD Monsters

1. Lynn - French Fries Monster

2. Wai Kwan - Burger Banshee

3. Mayshi : Ms I Spy you through the onion ring

4. Me: The Crystal Ball Fillet O Fish Reader :)

5) College outing - A46 B

Ah too many la :) will upload more.. :)

First up, it's Falcon's birthday! Go on over and wish my friend happy!

How do I know it's Falcon's birthday? Because I put it in my calendar and my iPhone reminded me. At the stroke of midnight. There are sill come bugs to be worked out of the software - if an event is scheduled as an "all day" event, one cannot determine what time one wants to be reminded of that event - it defaults to midnight.

Mr. Chili and I watched Vantage Point last night. It was fun; I recommend it. Of course, my brain was working overtime trying to piece everything together - I didn't quite make it - but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the film one bit.

I'm spending today in preparation for being out of commission for several days. I'm cleaning the house, doing as much laundry as I can, and running errands so that I can do nothing but recuperate after my wisdom teeth removal. Many people have told me that this is going to be a cinch - that because I'm neither impacted nor infected, the fallout won't be terrible. I'm choosing to believe them, but I'm also arranging things such that I'm not expected to do anything until at least Thursday.

Are any of you good at genealogy? My grandfather has tasked me with finding an ancestor from Scotland who moved to Ohio via New England in the 1700's, and I haven't the faintest idea where to begin. Any suggestions you can toss my way would be most appreciated.

I'm trying to decide whether to hold a discussion about Frankenstein with my lit kids tonight or stick with my original plan and show them Mississippi Burning. A bunch of them have admitted to not finishing the reading, and I think it would be fruitful to read these two things- the novel and the film - in contrast to one another, so I might just bring popcorn to class tonight.

I LOVE my daughters' new short hair. Michael was right when he said that their 'dos were "fierce."

I've got a STACK of movies lined up to watch while I'm recovering. The list includes Notes on a Scandal, The Last King of Scotland, Hotel Rwanda, The Kite Runner, Syriana, Traffic, Babel, Children of Men, and Tsosi. Any suggestions as to which I should choose (keeping in mind that I'll likely throw a stupid comedy in there somewhere - none of these choices is particularly lighthearted)?

I'm off to the bookstore today to buy some used books for the Chili Family Book Club. The girls, Auntie, and I have agreed to start reading together, and I think we're going to start with Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. From there, we'll move on to The Diary of Anne Frank. I'm hoping to start working my way into this topic with my children - I'm most decidedly NOT leaving their education entirely to the school system. After that, though, I'm not sure what we'll read together; perhaps something that one of the girls is reading for school. I do know that I'd like for us to share in reading, though, so I'm going to do the best that I can to see to it that the CFBC stays in operation.

In my travels today, I'm going to get vanilla yogurt and chocolate pudding for my sustenance over the next few days. Those of you who've had wisdom teeth out; what else would you recommend in the way of manageable nosh?

Finally, to those of you who have agreed to write guest posts for next week; don't forget that I need your submissions by Friday so I can schedule them. I'm SO looking forward to what you're going to contribute!

That's about all I've got for you. Tomorrow's Ten Things Tuesday post is written and scheduled because I'm expecting to be absent, even of myself, for most of the day. I'll see you again on Wednesday.

First of all, I need to define Documentary Photographer, so this is wikipedia's definition: The photographer attempts to produce truthful, objective, and usually candid photography of a particular subject, most often pictures of people.

That definition basically says enough about why I like photographing weddings and the way I approach photographing them, but I am still going to say more.

It is odd because within the documentary photography world, there is some snobbery about photographers who photograph weddings. But if you are a documentary photographer (see definition above) then there is no reason not to love photographing weddings... there are usually 50-200 people to photograph and that means lots of moments, stories and emotions everywhere you look. And generally, most everyone is in a good mood and happy to be photographed (although I have definitely learned that is not true for everyone!)

As for my approach to photographing weddings, I love telling the story of weddings through photographs.

I would so so so much rather take candid and truthful photos than any posed photos. Posed photos make my stomach flip with nervousness. I am getting better at directing, but at the weddings I photograph, I can't wait until all the formals are over and I can get back to taking candids. I feel like a wedding should be about enjoying the day and living in the moment... not stopping the moment, and leaving the moment, so you can go and freeze a false moment. (Although I know that formal portraits are important too... but I keep them to a minimum, and my philosophy is: the faster, the better.)

The one formal part I do look forward to, is stealing the bride and groom soon after the ceremony and photographing them alone and happy being brand newly married... but I try to make them forget I am there.

Here are some of my favorite parts of the wedding I photographed a couple of weekends ago. It is the story of Jodi and Dan. Their story is more emotional and complex than some; it involves Dan's 8 year old son, a considerable difference in ages and Jodi's mom who is living with cancer, all coming together on this one day to celebrate.

And then... the ones below are some of my favorite extras and outtakes.

An imported king who speaks a language that's not mine will go on national TV and read a boring speech about "finding new ways of living together". Tomorrow he will board a private jet, fly off for 2m to the Mediterranean with his Italian born wife, trying to get away from a country that couldn't care less about its national independence day. Let's drink another 'Belgian' Stella and try to find someone who can fake being  "proud to be Belgian"  :-)  [Confused about Belgian crisis news? So am I: check out my best posts on Belgium right here]

Just in case you're the last Belgian patriot: the National Anthem, in Dutch/French/German (watch the Belgian Royals and have a laugh)

Firstly, as some (if not all who read this) know, for the past year I have been enrolled in a 3 year Multimedia University Degree. It has been a test of my skills and sanity but I have enjoyed every brief I have been handed, the tutors have been excellent and the facility has everything you would expect to succeed.

The course consisted of many different elements such as digital image creation and manipulation, 3D modelling, animation and special effects, as well as web design, film and flash work. The course gave students the encouragment and creative space to do exactly what they wanted to do when it came to assignment specifics and design processes.

Due to various personal issues however, I did get behind in the course and was in danger of having to give up on it. Gladly, the issues that chose to flip me on my head eventually gave in to my determination to not be stuck in this town any longer and, as you may have guessed from the post title above....

I am ecstatic to report that I passed my first year!!! Therefore, I can continue onwards and upwards to year 2.

So, now it is time to let my hair down, enjoy the weeks ahead and reduce the brain cells that are left in my head with mind numbing drugs and alcohol, correct?

Actually, no.

I have learnt a lesson through completing this year by the skin of my teeth and that is, "BE PREPARED!". As simple and easy this is to understand and remember, I have always been a laid back kind of guy and never took my life very seriously. Until now I guess you could say.

I realise now I have the potential and skills required to go far in this course and in the many career paths it can lead me on. For that realisation, I thank the tutors, my friends and family members that believe in me enough to continue when I am not so sure. To you all I owe a great debt and hope to make you proud!

For information on the course please follow the link: HERE

Thanks for reading!

FreakishLemming

And today, it got even better.  The Fairy fairy came.

In talking with the wife of the couple (who I won't name, just because I'm not sure how she'd feel about that), we discovered that she has grandchildren with eczema, just as we have a child with eczema.  As we discussed that, along with how to care for and use the washer/dryer, we also discovered a loose seal in part of the drying unit.  Not to worry, she'd take it home and exchange it for her own.   So gracious.   We really enjoyed getting to know them that day.

Today, as we picnicked at the house, we discovered that she had left for us the laundry detergent that her own daughter uses with her children - and a fabric softener will be coming soon, according to the note she left for us. Not to mention that instead of us worrying with the old washer and dryer, they simply bought new ones for us to use, complete with instruction booklets, which believe me, I need!  We stood and stared in shock at the new units and the Fairy powder.  Wow!  So much beyond anything I had imagined.  So kind. So overwhelming to be cared for in such tangible ways. 

Yes, I cried.  For the joy.  We need to get G's confetti out and throw it up in the air!

This was Brooke's first birthday cake and as we expected, she dove right in.  Love it!  Thank you Holly for getting this shot!

I'm sorry I had to be away for so long, but I don't regret it.  This experience was important, and part of the way my family demonstrate their love for me is by making the spaces for me to go out and learn, whenever - and wherever - the opportunities present themselves.

I suspect that a fair bit of my continued thinking and writing about the Shoah fellowship will happen over here.  Like my experiences with the yoga training, I don't want to bog everyone here down with too much of a single topic, so I'll post the majority of Holocaust- and learning-related things at the teacher blog.  I welcome your thoughts, comments, and questions there.

Today, though?  Today, I'm going to enjoy being home.  I'm teaching my fitness classes in about an hour, then I'm coming back to get the girls and visit with my adopted family - my grandparents and my mother.  It will be good to see them all, and to re-ground myself in who I am and where I come from because, despite their having adopted me, they ARE where I come from.  Today will be about taking care of me and soaking in as much of the people that I love as I can.  I think that doing so will help me maintain my center, and I integrate learning best when I'm feeling centered.

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

My son celebrated his 19th birthday this past Friday. I just can't believe my little boy is all grown up and such a man. This is the son that joined the Army National Guard. He is such a good boy. I guess I should say man. The time is creeping up on his date to leave for boot camp. I haven't thought about it too much. The time seemed far away. Well guess what we are almost in August and he leaves Aug 11th, 2 days after my birthday. I know as soon as we hit August 1st, this will all I think about. Well I am sure I will discuss this more later. You will probably get sick of me talking about it. Trust me it does help me to write down my thoughts. If you are a blogger as well then you know what I mean.

So things have been going well. Other than having poison ivy, I'm doing great. It is actually starting to heal up. I have been putting this gel on it, and that really works. I give up with that, I even wear gloves, but I guess I still must have touched my arms or legs.

I had taken a break from working outside the past few days, because it was so bad. I enjoy being outside in the sun, gotta work on my tan. I actually went tanning for the first time in so long today. I can't believe how white I am. I still am darker than my husband, but I am used to always having a nice healthy glow. So back to the tanning bed I went. I just need a few times to get a nice tan. Then I only go maybe once a week.

Well I hope you guys haven't given up on me and thought I took a hike. I am back and I apologize for not posting.

Happy Monday....

Lady O

[gallery]

* Birthdays and more birthdays...lots of pics to share...

We have an inflatable waterslide.  The kids enjoyed the water fun!  Kami went down a couple of times and then decided she had had enough. 

After she hit the water she would get up and clap for herself.

Another cute cake picture!

Brooke sharing her cake. :-)

Kami asked for a fork to eat her cake.  She had her own smash cake but she wasn't interested in smashing it.  She ate a couple of bites of frosting and was done.

It was a Mickey Mouse themed party so we had Mickey Mouse rice crispy treats!  Yum!

Our friend Megan enjoying the slide.

Our friend Kendall enjoying some cake.

*Leah enjoyed princess dance camp this past week.  She was in heaven! 

On the last day of camp, Leah's family and friends were invited to a tea.  The camp instructor put makeup on the girls before their performance.  I know I'm biased, but I think she looks beautiful in this shot.  She's so grown up!!  Boo Hoo Hoo Hoo. :-(

Leah's friend Brooke also attended the camp.  Here they are doing a little dance for us.  Like I said, she was in heaven!

*  Brooke is still climbing on everything.  Here is a another pic of her in the rocking chair.  Everytime she gets up in the chair, she starts rocking.  She's fallen a couple of times, but it hasn't stopped her!

I'm sure there were funnies this week, but I just can't remember any right now.  Too tired.