Due to the fact that same sex marriages are now legal
in the state of Iowa, Suzie & Mary decided to go for it!

Suzie and Mary, long time partners, will tie the knot
in Des Moines, Iowa in a 15 minute ceremony later today
(first things first…Gary and Jimbo will golf down there
today!). SHOCKER!

I was so disappointed to learn that they would have
the ceremony today of all days. I really wanted to be
there. These are some great people and I would have
loved to be there to witness the joy…not to mention
a little history in the making.
Congratulations Suzie & Mary on this very momentous
occasion!

I have fallen victim to this myself in that I work
mostly from home.
I’ve been twittering for more than a year, I’ve even
twittered and uploaded images to Facebook between
ceremonies and receptions and I’ve also uploaded images
to both while at NACE functions, PUG meetings and
TCPPA programs, just to mention a few.

It’s a way of letting folks know what I’m up to
whether it be professional or personal. And it’s fun!
Gary doesn’t get it (nor will he ever) and that’s okay.
He does read my blog from time to time tho’ and he’s a fan.

I was told, once, that it’s narcissistic to assume that people
care…hmmmm…well, when people respond to the things that I
post about I think that must mean that they, indeed, do.
Or at the very least have an opinion or comment they’d like to
share with me. Try it..go ahead, I dare you!

In this ever changing, fast paced world technology will
always be connecting us, informing us and educating us
and I, for one, think it’s way more than a “good thing”,
Martha, it’s a great thing.

Enjoy the CNN article by clicking HERE

I have rescheduled an engagement shoot today due to the
wind and cold. Kate and Tom want to do some boat/water
shots and this is just NOT the day. :\

Enjoy your Saturday.

I was amazed at the play, the amount of penalties,
the unsportsmanlike conduct and the officiating
on both sides. All the while, I watched the entire
game (a rarity for me). I even watched the 1/2 time
show with Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band.
Altho’ I wasn’t as impressed with his show as I
was with Prince a couple of years ago, I felt
he redeemed himself with his last song selection.
I simply don’t appreciate it when all I can here
is the crowd singing and I HATE it when an artist
holds the microphone out over the audience to sing
for them! Now, I know I’m pissing off some “Boss” fans
here but it’s not my fault… The NFL tries to put
a 4 hour concert on in 12 minutes and frankly I think
a marching band might serve the time frame better!

OMG, moving on!!!

Today, picking out tile and carpet with Gary for the
basement, clearing out all the junk and getting
things looking near completion is our goal. I’ll
keep you posted.

I have a ton of photos and video from our trip to
Arizona, I’ll share when I get the chance.

Back to the cold today….YUCK!
20 days and counting!

I’ll share images from today next week.

Now, I must share with you my experiences from the
passed couple of days (Oh, btw my mom, the editor, has
given me the lecture on when to use the spelling “passed”
vs “past”…once an editor, always an editor!
Thanks mom!)

Moving on… I’ve been working with MOFAS, as many
of you know and this has been eye opening for me.
Did you know that fetal alcohol babies suffer more
life altering effects than crack or meth babies!?
Me neither. I visited the Hosterman school yesterday
morning and met some very interesting young people.
Thanks to Brad Wing, a teacher at Hosterman for 10 years,
my life may just be forever changed. This is 100%
curable and for these diagnosed few my heart aches
because they did not choose this life their mother did.

( I just got at tweet from WCCO that Paul Newman died!!)

Then, later this afternoon, between storms, I
will head north to Blaine to photograph a family
for the same project.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll head back up that way to
photograph a teacher in district 287 @ Hosterman.
(I need to get a new ear piece for my car!)

This is an exciting project and I’m so happy that
Emily found me. After working with Emily at Urban
Ventures on another project, Emily called me up
when she joined forces with the Minnesota Organization
on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and asked for my help.

Thanks Emily!

p.s.I met Tom Petters at the Starkey Gala this
passed summer. Here he is pictured with Steve
Chepokas…Tom is in some deep dooty! Huge FBI raid
yesterday at his Minnetonka based business! yikes!

This year, my fair city is throwing it’s own
“Eden Prairie Night Out”! Yay us!
I mean, c’mon, it’s about a city coming together
and “taking back the night”, right?
So, that’s what we intend to do! And all for
the cost of some brats, chips & brownies!

Here’s some shots from last year..
This year it takes place on Tuesday, August 5th.
Well, actually it the first Tuesday in August
every year! We’ll share the same date as not
to confuse folks on our street!

July 9th!!! WHERE IS THE TIME GOING????????!!

Okay, random thought….
Have you ever sat down and talked to your self
at say….age 9, 16, 24 and told your self that
things would turn out okay? It’s such a calming
feeling to connect on that level.
We often tell our children, nieces, nephews and
friends that things will work out but how about
YOU? Give it a try.

Have a peaceful day.

Commercials, if you missed any, can be seen at MySpace.
My favorite? the ETrade ones with the baby….OMG!!
Especially the 2nd one with the clown! It KILLED!

I’m pooped, a very long day and I will have more time
to post tomorrow.

Had fun at the MOA with Anne & Alan (engagement photos).

Ran to Linden Hills afterwards to drop off Jane’s cards.
She let me keep 2 for my records…they are completely
fanTAStic so I just had to have them!

Sorry your boy didn’t win, Gemma.
But at least Tom Brady gets to wallow in his self pitty
with Gisele Bundchen.

Dean & Lois, perhaps your town can get back to normal!

Good night.

Nicki, coffee tomorrow, Tuesday or Wednesday?

okay, today is my last hair day for 2007.
i’ll be out tomorrow and returning on the
2nd of january. gosh, that even feels good
to type!
what will i be doing you ask?
well, i may simply re-introduce myself to
my husband for starters, then move into
a cleaning mode for a day or two.
oh, and my sister (anne) & nicki and i are
going to throw ourselves in the middle
of all the madness of the holiday shoppers
and hit a few stores tomorrow. fun, fun, fun!

my reshoot went really great yesterday and
i dropped of my so cute boxes with the gift
certificates in them to the momf office for
their board meeting. i can’t load any photos
on right now in that i have an extra external
hard drive hooked up to my monitor where i
plug my card reader so it’ll have to wait.

i’m off to the gym to have sherri kick my butt
again today.

tonight our friends ron & cindy are hosting a
holiday party so we’ll walk down there tonight
for a really much needed relaxing evening
of visiting! see you there jacquie!

mom, where are you??? at the casino???

i’ll be heading over to the momf
board meeting today to bestow some
portrait gift certificates for the
board members..14 in all.
this is a gift from the foundation.

relaxing tonight with a fire.
didn’t get around to it last night
had to watch the finale of the
biggest loser!

gary’s niece, mariko, who graduated
last spring from usc film school just
got word that she got the job as the
1st assistant at the ant farm in los
angeles! best movie trailer maker
around…she’s pretty excited!!
kudos girl!!

i have to say that i catch myself often making
the correction to “happy holidays” and i have to
say that i hate that!

recently, with a friend i went on a little rant
about what’s going on with this country and so
i think i’ll share it.

first, i am a loving, giving, God fearing, tolerant
person…that said, i don’t let most things get to me.
however, i related this country to marriage recently
and it goes a little something like this…
when did things go south?
when did americans become the 2nd class citizens
in their own country?
when did persons get to request their nation’s
food items be added to an american thankgiving
meal at a homeless shelter?
i could go on…
well, what concerns me is that those that have
“dreamed” of coming to america to live the “dream”
are now creating a nightmare.
here’s what i see happening;
you want to come here because it beats the heck
out of what you had where you came from…that’s fine.
but now you want things to change to suit your needs.
(this is what i see as a conflict)
soon we will be the nation that no one wants due
to the fact that so many changes have been
implemented that we don’t even recognize ourselves
as the “free” nation that we once were!

like the marriage where the woman spends years
making all the needed changes to her husband only
to realize one day, that he is not the man she
married….hmmmm. are ya with me??
wheeeeew. see what i mean?

i’m sorry if i’ve offended anyone, it’s just that
i love my country. i loved it more the way it
was. if you celebrate Hanuka, i’ll wish you a
happy Hanuka…I have a calendar. if you celebrate
Kwanza (which by the way does not show up in spell
check), i’ll wish you a happy Kwanza.
But please let me have my Christmas back!

After all, it’s Jesus Christ’s birthday.