Fall Back

Wow, I have been a seriously bad blogger. My apologies. Mostly because I am trying to transition between two computers, which means the only place I can download photos is the old computer, which moves at a snail's pace. But it's time to get back on the bandwagon.

So, happy autumn!



I'm glad family and friends made it through Sandy OK. (Let's just hope this next storm doesn't set everyone back.) Here we just had some wind and rain. We actually lost power for an hour or two one night, which resulted in everyone camping out in our bedroom. It was actually pretty fun! Russell disagreed, as I found him sleeping in the guest room in the morning.

Some fun things that have been keeping me busy include trying to get to know the camera better. I enjoy a creative outlet now and then, and I also know taking a photo here and there is an easy way to fill weird pockets of time with a fun activity.

Russell and I went on a walk through downtown Raleigh with a friend who is a professional photographer. I tried to stop and think about what would make an interesting photo. I tended to do better focusing on shapes and closeups, rather than wide landscapes and people. I have a lot to learn! I tried not to edit them too much, so that I could focus on what I need to work on. There are so many apps and programs out there that allow you to manipulate your photos, and they work really well to make them look better than they really are! But in this case, I'm trying to keep it real so that I can learn as I go along.

I'm not going to be winning an photography contests, but I am proud of what I was able to do on my first "official" day out.

I've also started heading up a group at the kids' school that helps the school's families in need. We started the year with a huge clothing drive and distribution day, collecting clothes from families at the school, and then setting up a "free shopping" day to hand them out. We helped about 150 children this fall with their winter wardrobes! Each child gets a new toothbrush, two new pairs of underwear and socks, and a gently used coat, hat, gloves, pair of shoes, and two outfits for winter. We also put together bags for the younger siblings. It's a huge hit at the school, and the kids are clamoring when we do setup to see what outfits they can find for the year. It truly helps so many families at our school who need financial assistance.

Sorting and more sorting...

Right now we are in the thick of the Thanksgiving food drive and holiday angel tree projects. I love how the school has this "parents helping parents" and "kids helping kids" program. It requires a lot of my time, but it puts a spring in my step to see the happy kids and parents. I get so many hugs on those days!

The kids are chugging along at school, in first and fifth grades. They love their teachers (nothing better!), and are enjoying hanging with old and new friends.

Let's see, shall we share some Halloween photos? Charlotte was a vampire and Anson is James Bond.

 

This is Anson's posse. His two best friends, Rhys and Wes, went as Mario and Luigi from the Mario video games. Rhys was still warming up to wearing the costume. He gradually added parts at the evening went on.

Apparently, this house was the scariest of the evening, with some serious Halloween spirit.



Luckily, this year the weather was beautiful, so the kids were out late and came home happy and dry (last year it was super cold and rainy). Russell even got in on the fun...

We also attended some Halloween parties where he dressed as Lance Armstrong and I was the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Let me tell you, I scared quite a few people! I always dress up, but the last few years it's been stuff like an equestrian, flapper, etc. Nothing shocking.

This year, most of my friends walked right past me and then did a double-take.

The funniest question of the evening was if my piercings were real. Really? Of course not. Anyway, I enjoyed being unrecognizable for the evening, but it was nice to wash it all off when I got home (I even spray painted my hair black). I was wearing leather pants, a leather coat, leather boots, and a black t-shirt with a dragon tattoo on my chest. It's hard to see, but I even wore a spiked necklace. I admit I wasn't even sure if I wanted to put this pic up on the blog, but then I thought, why not? Keeping it real...

Speaking of black hair, I've finally gone back to my roots. I've been highlighting it for so long that it was getting a bit too blond and brassy over the years. So just after Halloween, I toned it down. It's weird to look in the mirror and see my "old" self from over 10 years ago!

P.S. Can you tell I took all these photos of myself?

BEFORE...

DURING...

AFTER...

I've also been very involved in the local campaign for Wake County Board of Commissioners. My good friend and old neighbor, Caroline Sullivan, just won this race. Here is a photo of her (on the left) with North Caroline Governor Beverly Perdue, and me with her, at a recent fundraiser. (In case you are wondering, purple was Caroline's campaign color, so it's not a weird coincidence that everyone is dressed like an eggplant.)

Lastly, oh yeah, I turned 40! And what a surprise it was. I'll save that for the next post. Keeping ya in suspense, am I?