143-151/365 Another Week In Pictures

Happy to report still plugging along snapping shots everyday. I feel like I am still learning and am certainly still having fun. I am not however up for posting everyday. I want to spend more time taking pictures than processing and quite frankly life has been so busy that I just a) don't feel like doing the picture processing each night b) I am too busy to fit it in each night and meet my other obligations and well c) sometimes it is a bit of both.

Here is too another weeks worth of pictures.

143/365 - Monday

I don't often get to shoot people, still not super confident about just asking random people to take their picture. This was at a class a co-worker was teaching.

144/365 - Tuesday
Quick bite out at a favorite dinner spot Peasano's. This is a chain art installation that hangs from the ceiling.

145/365 - Wednesday
It's here!!!! This is my new Cricut Expressions - a lovely little anniversary gift from my hubby for our anniversary. Had to wait until he got a new job - so happy anniversary and happy new job!

146/365 - Thursday
This is Bernie, he - yes you have heard it before - is an aspiring service dog. This was taken at our weekly puppy class. Considering the difficulty photographing black dogs, pretty happy with this one.

147/365 - Friday
It is county fair time!

148/365 - Saturday
Rain, really? It is summer in Sacramento, not Portland.

149/365 - Sunday
We snuck away to the City for the day, and it was lovely. Went to the Walt Disney Family museum, which was beautifully done. Then a quick dinner at the best little spot in Emeryville - Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe!

150/365 - Monday
I love to see what people put on their fridges. You wouldn't know it to look at it, but I prefer NOTHING on the fridge. Okay I can live with the big calendar, but everything else that I could leave. However you may notice the ultrasound pics... yep - Sabina is pregnant. We will be having a litter of aspiring service dogs in June.

151/365 - Tuesday
Ever wonder were all those tickets come from? The ticket store of course.

A week at a glance: 136-142/365

I am still taking pictures everyday, but in my effort to get up and out (combined with a crazy workweek and migraine) I did not manage to post everyday. The best part of that is that I am okay with that. Here is my week in review!

136/365 - Monday night met up with some friends to work on a class we will be presenting. These little guys live in my friend's kitchen. She has probably had them forever, she has had them as long as I have known her. They make me smile.

137/365 - I don't particularly care for this picture, but because I got in trouble for taking it I am posting it. I was at puppy class in the mall and saw this very cool sculpture in a store window, when a sale associate came out and told me I  couldn't take a picture. When I asked why he said "if you don't believe me you can ask the manager." I didn't bother. (PS This isn't even what the store sells, it was a display rack...geeze)

138/365 - I swear our dog Sabina would swim in the arctic sea if we would let her, right in the middle of their winter. While it isn't even close to being that cold here right now, it certainly is too cold for me. She could stand there and shake all day and still need two or three towels to get her dry enough to come into the house.

139/365 - A little flower that was hiding under the patio furniture cover. Apparently it prefers the shade!

140/365 - In my attempt to reduce the dog pictures, these are dog shadows at a early evening puppy class. 

141/365 - Well it is after 6pm and not only did we survive the rapture, so did this evil little guy hanging around by the front door. He is obeying the rules (I live inside, bugs live outside the dwelling), so he will live to see another day and hopefully eat some other bugs that may not be so willing to abide by the rules.

142/365 - Come on summer - I dare you!

135/365 Where the pictures live pt II

More than a few posts ago I showed you where the pictures that aren't stuck inside my computer or a scrapbook live - well at least the color photos. I have a whole other collection of b&w family photos. B&W photography is my favorite and what drew me to photography to begin with. I have a romantic nostalgia for these pictures. I think that they are much like a book where I imagine what things look like. In a black and white I have to imagine the colors hidden in the shades of grey. I also appreciate that the time and expense of these old photos, that there were generally not the resources to shoot off 300 or 400 pictures hoping for the right one. Besides wedding photos, the b&w I love the most are the posed pictures where someone "dared" to smile... my favorites have smiles.

134/365 Still trying not to complain

I am trying to find something good about the day that the weather ruined. I hate the wind and it is cold. Apparently someone for got to turn on the furness it is May in Sacramento for crying out-loud.

This is starting to sound a little like complaining...lets try again.

Was driving home this morning and saw all of these flags. Kept thinking about them all day and decided to go back. I was in luck that the wind was in full force and presented this great shot. Thank you mother nature.

133/365 The Universe is not Random

In the service dog world there is a service dog team Wallis and Caspin. They are somewhat legendary in our circles. Wallis is an amazing college student who was matched with great dog named Caspin. They have traveled across the US and to other countries, Wallis has taught Caspin to do commands well above and beyond what they learned in Team Training, and Wallis continues to give back to the CCI community.

Caspin was raised here in the Sacramento area by a wonderful puppy raiser Mary Ellen. She is a wealth of information, and as a new PR she has been a great inspiration and helped me with my pups. I don't think that it was a random event or some sort of weird coincidence that several years after raising Caspin - Mary Ellen raised another dog named Tina IV who just graduated as a CCI Skilled Companion. Tina was named in memory of Wallis's mother.

I don't think it is a coincidence that Tina was destined to graduate.
I don't think it is a coincidence that Tina was raised by Mary Ellen.
I think it was meant to be, it was the way it was written to be.

Congrats to team Nick and Tina - I have a feeling that great things were written in the stars for you.

Mary Ellen and Tina reunited before Tina starts her life with her new partner. 

132/365 Outside

This year we are having the most fickle weather that I can remember. Today however, I will celebrate the day and the sun instead of wasting it complaining about what is coming this weekend.

There was a time when I generally didn't care for summer, and then as today despite developing an affinity for summer, spring is still my most favorite time of the year. Something about all the bulbs coming up, the crisp mornings and evenings and warmer afternoons, and of course Easter. This year I am longing for the warmth of summer so we can get some more swimming in and probably most importantly to get the tomatoes off to a good start!

Tomorrow is the Northwest Region of CCI's graduation. 17 graduates!!! That is the largest graduating class ever and 7 of the dogs graduating were raised right here in the Sacramento area. Before making the trip to Santa Rosa decided to get the oil changed, which comes with a free car wash. While I was sitting outside enjoying the sun I saw this great shadow on from the picnic table...

131/365 More Gratuitous Puppy Pictures

It would be very easy to make this the 365 Dog Photo Challenge. I have tried hard not to do that. This week will be an abysmal failure on that front, especially with CCI Graduation coming up on Friday. At least that is all of the  bad news - the good news is that they are cute to look at.

They are both aspiring service dogs, and apparently they had worked so hard they couldn't even get to their crate before falling asleep.

130/365 Sleepin on the job

This is aspiring service dog Yalu. She is hanging out with me for a few days, and going to work. I see she has been hanging out with to many of us government workers! Sorry Barbara, I am not trying to wreck your dog. =)

129/365 Carpooling

Carpooling is pretty cool, Dave and I are going to do it whenever we can. I am thinking 3 or 4 days a week (I only work 4 days - so that would be the max!). The downside, is that my camera was ready to be discharged from the spa at about 1115. Normally I would have imposed on someone to take me to the store to get my camera, but I exercised some self control. Never mind the near breakdown in the car after Dave picked me up because of the traffic. Needless to say I got there in enough time to have a lovely Cannon v Nikon debate (friendly of course) with the staff.

Then I had a board meeting to get through and the picking up of a puppy we are sitting (Yalu, who will probably make and appearance at some point this week.) Then after all that waiting a picture!!! Took it out (of my newest Crumpler) and found the subject of today's pic. Crisp and clean pics (yay! thank you camera spa workers at Pardee's Cameras - www.pardeescameras.com ). About today's pic - this is some left over salt-water taffy from a recent street fair. I can't stand salt-water taffy. Mostly because I don't know what flavor it is going to be - too much risk of getting something horrible like popcorn (which shouldn't be in taffy) or god forbid something melon flavor.

128/365 Elburt's Final Word (If you really knew me Final Installment)

While I would hate to admit it, my cousin Heathburt may have been right about this being a most spectacular garden. It seems my garden's mistress may have understated her gardening abilities in an earlier post this week and I too may have had unnecessary doubts. I have spent much of the past weeks observing her, and one can get to know one's garden mistress quite well over a short amount of time. I would like to be clear on two things before I share what I have learned: 1- Garden Gnomes, especially one as prestigious as myself, would never neglect my garden duties to make note of these learned things, they have been learned over the course of my garden overseeing duties; and 2 - Do not mistake my observant nature for spying. Spying is an undignified endeavor and as I mentioned I am just observant.

If you really knew my garden mistress you would know: she pretty much loves all flowers but has an affinity for tubers and bulbs; she is (thankfully) pretty strict about where the four-legged beasts uh - "hurry" as she calls it and keeps them out of the garden; she hates the smell and taste of all things purple grape, rootbeer, and melon; she loves to sit and dangle her feet in the side of the pool; volunteers for make a wish; she loves to hear the marching band practice and the pee-wee football game announcer as it wafts into the backyard; thinks that her sisters are the most amazing women; tells people she has been swimming all day when she means she has been on the floating thing; still licks the beaters when making cookies or cakes; that we have an obligation to help those who are willing to help themselves; she is most happy out in the garden - especially if the radio is playing (although her singing leaves a bit to be desired); she loves when friends and family come over to eat, swim, or just as you yanks call it "hang out"; worries due to her family history that she is likely to get breast cancer;  learned long ago that "brutally honest" is just a cover for being "brutally rude" - today she is just honest; she tolerates the "icky" bugs that help her garden but are merciless when it comes to the slugs; loves jewish food; everyday she can't believe she is married to the most wonderful man - and certainly can't believe it has been twenty years; that there is not much on this earth that is worth having if it means hurting someone's feelings or intentionally makes them feel bad; prefers to be barefoot; is deathly allergic to bee stings (which is why the barefoot thing is a problem; tries to keep the drama to a minimum - mainly by surrounding herself with wonderful people; is religious about applying sunscreen and wearing the most appropriately Queen approved wide brimmed gardening hat; secretly hopes that her friends and family will do their own "if you knew me" so she would know them better; loves to teach (and really only wants to teach when her partner in crime Sherri is involved); watched the most recent royal wedding as she did Charles and Diana's 30 some years ago; has thankfully learned that one can not withdraw more than she has deposited in not only bank accounts, but in friendships as well; she is a sexual assault survivor; that she reads the newspaper cover to cover, and pretty much anything else she can get her hands on; doesn't mind left overs - once; thinks sundays are the best day of the week; her favorite color is purple; she hopes that her loved ones know how much they have meant to her and works to make sure they don't forget; and lastly while I am not spying but just happen to catch a glimpse inside the house - she is happy more often than she is sad, she is grateful more often than she is wistful, and that she is confident and content more often than anything. There isn't much more that a Garden Gnome could want in a garden mistress.

127/365 If you really knew me PT VI

As this week of "if you knew me" is almost over, it was today when I had the privilege to share it with some of my newest "family members" I realized I had forgotten to talk about one of the most important things to me. My family.

Today's picture is a group of dedicated volunteers for Canine Companions for Independence. They are puppy raisers, breeder caretakers, as well as CCI graduates who are teamed with a fully trained service dog. In two short years I have met some of the most giving and charitable people who I am proud to call my friends and my GRC Family.  Next Friday and Saturday, across the United States, classes of service dogs and their partners will be graduating. Graduation marks the end of the journey for puppy raisers as they see their hard work meet their goals and expectations. However graduation is also a beginning for the graduate team who will go out in the world working together to be independent and live life to its fullest. (www.cci.org)

If you really knew me you would know that I am one of three sisters - but if I didn't tell you would never know we are sisters from other misters =); that I could not have been born with sisters as great as they are; that I am blessed to have shared special relationships with my grandparents.

If you really really knew me you would know that I attribute who and where I am to my "other mothers" (Jeannine Klock, Gail Kleve, Linda Jeffery, Jane Bruner, and Cindy Enloe) - without them I wouldn't be the woman I am today; that I hope I can be the same inspiration and support to another young woman as they were to me; and they are where I learned that family is about love not blood.

If you really really really knew me you would know that I feel blessed everyday that I have such wonderful friends who share their love and families with Dave and I, that I am grateful that I got the dad I did - I couldn't have had a better one; that I also completely lucked-out in the in-law department.

If you really really really really knew me you would know that I am completely sincere when I tell people I don't have children because I just have never felt the need to, that I am not going to "come around" one day and have them (seriously people 20 years of marriage and no children I would think you would get a clue), and that I am absolutely in love with the children in my life despite not having my own.

126/365 If you really knew me PT V

I should start by saying I feel naked - your lucky I didn't post that. The Nikon is in need of a little TLC / tune up and won't be home till Monday. Phone photos for me - this is the part where I complain that I don't have an iPhone and your thankful because all you would be getting is histamatics.


If you have visited my blog or are a facebook friend you know that this year I have been on a crazy house cleaning - really purging - kick. I read something somewhere about how physical clutter can cause mental clutter, which we all know I don't need any more of. All items in our house have been  evaluated and either I love it or I don't. Those that I don't found new homes. My den is a happy place, where I am surrounded by the tools that help me work out my creative frustrations and brilliant ideas, and well - things I love. These are a few of the things in the den that survived the cut.

If you really new me you would know that I have tried almost every art and craft known to woman and scrapbooking is the only one that I stuck with; that part of the reason I fell in love with our house is that there is an extra closet where I can store all of my craft supplies that don't live in the den - it is called the magic closet. I don't why - it just is.

If you really really knew me you would know that I have made great friends through my scrapbooking, that I actually schedule time with myself to scrapbook, that I have a weakness for all things alphabet (when scrapbooking), and love the full story a scrapbook versus a photo album tells.

If you really really really knew me you would know sewing and crafting has been something special that I have shared with my grandmothers; that I am not that great at most of the things that I love to do most (gardening, singing, photography, and scrapbooking),that I don't care because they bring me joy just doing them.

125/365 If you really knew me PTIV

I have always been a voracious reader. One time in the 5th grade we had a read a thon. People could either make a flat donation or they could pledge a specific amount per book. The read a thon was for one school quarter. My dad - such a dear man - pledged something stupid like $5 dollars a book - I read 17 books. He is now a believer in the flat donation. Truly it is his fault, when I was way to young to read Steven King's The Stand, I found it on our bookshelf. My dad said I would never get through it - so I did. Then he was reading Michener (the guy who can spend 19 pages describing one stone or pebble), and he said I would get bored - I didn't. Thanks Dad for giving me the gift of reading.

If you really knew me you would know that there has only been one book I have never been able to finish (and am still trying), that even if a book is horrible (see previous note) that I will force my way through it, that I can easily blow through a 600 hundred page book in a weekend, that I have read all but 2 books on the Oprah book list.

If you really really knew me you would know that despite my techie proclivities that I have been resistant to eReaders until my iPad, that I have read some books that moved me so much or I enjoyed the characters so much that I was sad when the books were over, and that I think reading is so important that the best thing I have ever done (reading wise) is the read to rover program with my CCI breeder.

If you really really really knew me you would know I savor the last chapter of a book and generally read it aloud, preferably by myself; that books have changed the way I think, made me want to visit different places, and exposed me to points of view that I would never have known otherwise.

If you really really really really knew me you would know that I love old cookbooks - especially when I find one that the owner has written notes or scratched things out in it, and you would know the books that I have enjoyed and/or meant  the most to me: Atlas Shrugged:Ayn Ryand, The Posionwood Bible:Barbara Kingsolver, The Shell Seekers:Rosamund Pilcher, and Harvesting the Heart:Jodi Picoult and Catch-22:Joseph Heller - I have read them all several times.

Unfortunately my mind is now racing and full of other titles I have loved - there is just not the space here to do them all justice.

124/365 If you really knew me (professionally) PTIII

If you don't know I work for the City of Sacramento in the Office of the City Clerk. I am an assistant city clerk and am responsible for records management, public records requests, and media inquiries, and my favorite task is - other duties as assigned. Other duties are usually best as they are the spice of life. Many people probably think "records management" isn't that much fun or interesting and I would tell them that it really isn't about records. For me it is able ensuring that the public has easy access to the business of the City. Sure old records are cool, but nothing is a cool as when a member of the public asks for a record and then says - wow that was easy or thank you so much I didn't think I would get this kind of help. We were asked at a clerk's conference last December how we want to leave the world and I said accessible. I could stare at historic city hall (yes we have a "new" city hall) everyday. There is something stoic about it. I certainly have SEEN it now that I am doing this photo project.

If you really knew me (professionally) you would know that I had my first job at 15 and since then I have had 16 different jobs with 9 different employers; that I have worked at the City of Sacramento since 1998; and that my first job with the city was as a 911 dispatcher.

If you really really knew me (professionally) you would know that despite outward appearances and the amount of hours I gladly work that I work to live and not live to work; you would know that I take pride in doing a job well, that the legacy I hope to leave among my co-workers and people I supervise is that I care about them and am a fair person, and I think that if someone doesn't understand what I am saying - 90% of the time it is the way I am saying it.

If you really really really knew me (professionally) you would know that I believe that relationships are the key to success, that the only thing I own is my own reputation and I am proud of the one that I have created, that I believe in ownership of all of my decisions (even the stinky ones), and I don't believe that no, you can't, it wont work are ever a good answer to a question and are never the first answer.

If you really really really really knew me (professionally) you would know that I subscribe to the "Good to Great" philosophy of the window and the mirror, that I value the respect and trust of my co-workers and supervisors as much if not more than my paycheck, and that I often make things look easy - I am skilled at looking like a duck (calm on top and paddling like hell under the water, it's what all good dispatcher do).

123/365 If you really knew me PT II

Several years ago my friend's neighbor was trying to get rid of a piano. I talked my husband (and her husband) into bringing me this free piano. They got it here in one piece and did I mention it was free? It is very unique and in lovely condition (not that you can really see all of that in the picture) It is customary to tune your piano annually and they paste their business card inside the piano cover. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the cabinet to find a business card from Mr. Mingo's Music Center.

I practically grew up in Mr. Mingo's Music Center, my grandmother worked there as long as I can remember and retired from there - twice. I believe that things are meant to be, and that this piano was destined to be mine. I lost my grandmother, who was much more like parent and pretty much raised me, several years ago. I think of her every day. She showed me the joy and magic of music, and music through her eyes and ears was simply magical. It tied us together.

If you really knew me you would know that I play the flute, piccolo, clarinet, and piano; that I was in the marching band and went to band camp for years - years before anyone knew there was a band camp

If you really really knew me you would know that for me music is akin to oxygen and water; that I love everything from Gaga to Garth Brooks, Mozart to Metallica - with a little Usher and Ke$ha mixed in; and that I would never make it on American Idol but I sing with reckless abandon and no longer care about being "caught"

If you really really really knew me you would know that I mark all of life's occasions by music, that songs and melodies run through my mind continuously, that I think not having music would mean the end of the world. You would know that my top favorite songs/soundtrack of my life (today) in no particular order are: The Story: Brandi Carlile, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress:Judy Collins, Amazing Grace, Let It Be:Across the Universe Soundtrack Version; Unchained Melody:Righteous Brothers.

Mostly though if you really really really really knew me you would know that music has tied me to the most important people and moments in my life, and had the strength to get me out of bed and back to life after I pretty much thought life was no longer worth living.

122/365 If you really knew me

Last week, as you know, I was in Tahoe for the City Clerks Association of California annual conference. Overall it was a good conference and it ended on an exceptionally high note. Speaker Mike Robbins, who was not only funny, left me thinking about quite a lot (http://www.mike-robbins.com/). If you know me at all (and we will get to more of that later) you know that except for rah-rah meetings the only thing I hate more is touchy feely group activities. Welcome to Mike's class - okay it isn't quite like that, he is someone I could totally lunch with and then catch a game later (especially cool since he was an MLB major leaguer and I love baseball). We did an exercise called "if you really knew me you would know..." I was paired up with someone I work with so this was an especially good exercise for me. A wise woman (ms. sherri furniss) once told me that the more you get to know someone the more tolerant you get of their issues. She thinks really getting to know someone is an investment and one of the most valuable things you can do. I hate to say it, she is right.

This week I am hoping my pictures will reflect - what you would know  if you really knew me and here is the first one.

If you knew me you would know that I love black and white photos (doesn't matter if they are old ones or ones that I take and convert)

If you really knew me you would know that I love old signage, particularly neon, and I love love love the study of typography.

If you really really knew me you would know that I also love Hamburger MARY'S as it will always be to me but is not Hamburger PATTIES (boo) for two reasons - 1 the half load nachos, and 2 is because it is the place that a close friend of mine disclosed to me many years ago that he was gay. It broke his heart to tell me because he didn't know what I would say. He had sort of found a refuge in this very gay friendly place. Of course I loved him as much as I did before he told me and quite frankly was relieved he told me because I had suspected that for years.

If you really really really knew me you would know that I don't think we choose who we love - the heart is fickle and it loves who it loves, that we should be free to love who we love and be permitted to marry and live with them for the rest of our lives if that is our heart's desire, that who someone else loves doesn't change or diminish who I love, and that the world would be a much much more wonderful place if we focused on real issues instead of who I sleep with when I turn in at night.

121/365 Yashira

I am trying to stick to a "no more than 1 dog picture a week." Alas due to the rather uninspiring opportunities at the conference I was at this past week coupled with what I think is a good shot of a black dog - here you go.... meet Yashira. She is just over 4 months old and is an aspiring service dog.

120/365

Spent the day at the 38th annual Fisherman Festival that calumniates with a blessing of the fleet as they start the fishing season. When I am on the coast I always have to remember that the beautiful flowers I see will not do well in the Sacramento summer sun. A picture will have to do.

119/365

From the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the northern Pacific Coast, all in one day. This is Bodega Bay.

118/365 Tahoe Sky

Have I told you I love my husband? Well I do and one of the things I love most is that he will take the girls out for their early morning, as well as late night walks. Since I am traveling alone this duty falls to me. I shouldn't complain what a beautiful evening sky.

117/365 DoodleBug

This is Lacinda, our service dog in training, who doesn't understand why she has to sleep on this rug instead of the big comfy bed in my hotel room.

116/365 Tahoe Redux

These posts are the beginning of the great photo catch-up.

Tahoe on Tuesday afternoon. Although I have been here many times, it's beauty never ceases to amaze me. I was saddened to hear during my conference that in the past 40 years over 30 feet of depth clarity has been lost. Much is being done to restore the clarity as much as possible, and ensure that no further deterioration occurs.