What I wanna be when I grow up..

This is what I want to do
when I grow up.
If I had only known 30 years ago
before my parents and I invested thousands
in my education as a teacher.
Not that I don't like teaching.
I like it.
I think I even have an appitude for it.
(or so I am told)
But the excitement that I get
from taking pictures.
There is no match for it.
It is second only to the passion I have
for being a wife and a mother.
(and let's face it those things are so hard)
As I have always told my kids as whined and fussed at moments that they have been instructed to smile for the birdie.."If there are no pictures of something, it might not have actually happened. I read a post from CJane this week that said that she didn't take her camera on her trip to England and that she took snapshots with her mind and that would be enough. Good luck with that one I say. She is young. Her mental photo album is still relatively uncluttered. Wait until the album is filled and the pictures are stuffed in the shoeboxes of your brain, cluttered and unorganized. Or the lens on the brains camera is fuzzy, needs reading glasses and the rusty shutter sticks every now and then. That when you need the real thing on paper. Good photographic paper that won't yellow or fade and feels substantial in your hands and in your heart.
That's when you will feel grateful for the screwball in the family that always had a camera in their hand.
The one who made you mad because you weren't wearing make-up or you wanted to wait until you had lost a few pounds.
Who insists on the photo of the family dinner that you complained about because the food was getting cold.
Yup, that's me.
You don't have to thank me. (although no one is stopping you)
I do it because I love it like I love rocky road ice cream.
I need to like I need oxygen to breathe.
It's who I am.
Now how am I going to turn it into a retirement part time job?
Anyone need a retired teacher/semi retired mom/photographer?

P.S. It doesn't hurt to have two of the most beautiful models ever...Peanut and her cousin Pizza. It makes the task a piece of cake. Thank you girls. You rock!

I pledge allegiance to the Texas

Did you know that Texas has a pledge? Even though I have lived here for over 35 years I did not know about the pledge until my children went to elementary school. After they recite the pledge ...you know.....the one everyone in the United States knows. They say the Texas pledge and it goes like this.....(say it aloud with me)

We pledge allegiance to THEE (great emphasis added here) Texas, one and indivisible.

When I first heard that come out of my childs mouth I was puzzled. Where did that come from and why are they all practically yelling and drawing out the THEE!

I struggled with how I felt about pledging to Texas. Texans by their very nature are extremely proud of this Lone Star State. They feel almost as strongly about staying here as the Utahns feel about staying where they are......almost. Sure, I think it's a terrific state. I think I will probably end up living here forever but a pledge? And what if I do move? Do I still owe them my allegiance? I take my pledges very seriously.

I asked my daughter Raar (that will be her code name since everyone who is really cool in the blog world seems to do that)....why are you practically yelling in my ear the THEE part?

She said that her principal at the elementary school made them say it that way because before the children all thought that it was:

We pledge allegiance to the Texas.......one and indivisible.

That's actually probably a more accurate depiction of how Texans feel anyway.

Just thought the other 49 states should know.

PS My daughter Peanut took this photo of a picnic table in Muleshoe (not making that up) Texas. Isn't it gorgeous!!
PSS Does anyone know if Texas really is indivisible...I mean I am no historian or politico but can we be divided some day and should I warn the others who are pledging?