Under the Water

I shot these images over two months ago, but I have only now had time to go back & do anything with them. We went to Kemah (between Houston & Galveston) and the restaurant had a tall cylinder aquarium filled with fish, rays, sharks, & lots of cool stuff. If you like underwater life, enjoy these shots!

Tuesday's Toys take on the Dark Side

I saw this little Mobile Oil truck at my family gathering last weekend & I knew I wanted to photograph it for the Tuesday's Toys series. After some thought regarding the tragic and horrifically stupid oil damage continuing in the Gulf I had to speak out (however small this voice is). The robot in the truck just reminds me of the two huge beasts at work in this country. First, the deadly sin GREED, working its way into the hearts & minds of mankind, and second, the well oiled old-school machinery of politics. Just because someone comes riding in on a big white horse it does not mean he's a hero. It's just more of the same nuts and bolts in a new outer layer. I'm 46. I'm just barely old enough to remember a more innocent time. We had no idea the mechanical beasts were busy at work. Then someone decided to pop our bubble of illusion and expose Nixon.
Everything changed after that. Much for the better, but the nasty beasts were still there, working away, cutting corners, approving without reviewing, and slipping favors under the table, and until we stand up and demand it stop we will all suffer the consequences.

My LOST Tribute, Yes, I'm a "Lostie"

What a crazy week! It seems like I say that every time I'm posting something new. It's the end of another school year, my theatre program is filled with social events & the awards banquet, all the same weekend LOST was coming to an end. I am a LOST fan. I am a hard-core Lostie. My wonderful husband willingly took our son for the entire day & evening while I ran off to play with fellow losties at the Alamo Draft House. We enjoyed previous episodes, a recap of the series, then the amazing final episode, all on a big film screen. I have decided to make my Bench Monday shot a tribute to LOST. The entire LOST team of writers, actors, tech crews, etc... have given me an escape each week for the last 6 years. It ended with a beautiful message that there is a greater power inside each of us that can never die. It is an internal connection to the whole, a place where we give & get forgiveness, love our enemies, and find a deeper understanding of who we are & why we are. Thank you LOST!!!

The Preschool Program

I teach in the high school of a public system. I teach in one of the largest school districts in Texas, a district struggling financially, and yet maintaining top standards in the education offered. Bragging? Maybe, but I can back it up with numbers on paper.

I'd rather tell you about the preschool program at the high school. Teens in their junior or senior year can apply for a two hour lab class to learn about early childhood professions. Their test subjects? 3 & 4 year olds! For $90 a month, three days a week, all day, my son & about 30 other kids got to get the most amazing experience. When I took David to his first day he cried, so what, everyone does. He has never been in any form of daycare or nanny service, but always had one of us at home with him. He had no concept of things like friends, sharing, games, or how to sing, dance, play make-believe, or anything. Granted, he was not neglected, he knew his letters, colors, shapes, and even quite a bit of sign language, but he had no interest in numbers. By December he had a best friend & a girlfriend. He writes his name, counts in 4 languages, and let's other people hold his huggie.

What's my point? In an age where everyone complains about things not being good enough, I just want to point out that some things are still amazing! While there are those out there who will always complain, I choose to see the best in ourselves. My son is the product of a public school system filled with teachers who are products of the public school system. If he can learn & grow this much this fast, then there is no stopping him & I have nothing to complain about.

Remember, I am also a teacher in this system. I have seen the nasties come out in my years teaching, but I have also seen the most amazingly compassionate and loving people trying to rock cradles in the right direction when no one else will. Contrary to popular belief, this world is NOT going to hell. I have faith in mankind that we will continue as we have done, seeing & correcting our mistakes just as these preschoolers who arrived full of fear but felt their way through to a beautiful final program.

Can you believe it????

I have been teaching theatre in a high school for 20 years. I still find myself amazed at the incredible talent in the teenagers! They stand up on stage & take me to another world with such grace & finess (a great disguise for their sheer terror they are feeling inside). I wish you could HEAR what I heard last Saturday night when my group took the stage with Broadway star Chuck Wagner. They sang, danced, & performed in solos, duets, & group numbers as the audience sat mesmerized for two hours. Every time a number ended the audience howeled with appreciation & gave a complete standing ovation at the end. I got SO MANY cool shots, it's hard to decide which to post so these are random. Take a look at these images I got of performance & please share comments...I really love comments!!!

Tuesday's Toys

I don't remember having this much fun with my own toys when I was little, but then my set of toys did not include using a camera! My son hates it when I play with his toys...unless I am playing HIS way! He is learning the hard way about sharing :)

A Broadway Revue, featuring Chuck Wagner!!!! Discount tickets here.

This weekend my drama club at the school where I teach theatre is hosting Broadway Star Chuck Wagner. He will arrive and work on show numbers with the students, then perform on stage with them for a public performance of the numbers. We are thrilled to have him come do a workshop with us, and we can't wait to show you the results. Of course if you are in Houston this Saturday night we would love for you to come see it! I am offering a discount on the ticket to the show for anyone who brings a print-out of this blog post with them when they get their ticket so come on in!!!!

A Dead Bird Day

Ever have one of those days when you are stoked over a great idea or something & as you are working your way through it something happens that you can't take back? This is my symbolic example to make my point, but it was not staged, it really happend!

I began this week participating in a 15 day shoot of one object. It's a photo challenge on Cafe Mom with other photographers. Just three days into it, after taking the Day 3 shot, I was playing around for other back up shots & the bird fell & broke! NOW WHAT???? Well, obviously my sicko side had to photograph the poor little thing in all its torment. Today I began the long road to recovery with this little guy & we have had our glue surgery & he is close to good as new. Now I just have to work on shots that hide the scars!

day 1:

day 2:

day 3:

day4: