Sine Nomine

I am proofing a wedding, waiting for the back up disc to burn so I can clear the pictures off my camera's data card. It was a long day, but fun to be part of a good friend's celebration. With this friend especially, it was an honor to be involved. Everything was beautiful, and as I usually tell myself while watching the photos upload, "I got the story told." I always see where I could have done better but the good thing is that the family will only see the best of the best and even those after they've been through the digital darkroom, so I'm okay with the 200 that I'll delete in order to get down to the 150 really good ones.

My head is clearing a bit, and the funk is starting to get a little less funky. Yesterday helped a lot-I got to play a small part in "Sweet Harmony in the Stake Center Kitchen," a show that only the Relief Society can put on, with several other women in my ward. Actually, we did lunch for a zone conference with about 60 or so missionaries in attendance. I loved working with my friends in the kitchen-some of my happiest moments have been in that very kitchen-because it really is perfect harmony. Everyone is cheerful, everyone seems to know what needs to be done and the sense of unity and purpose is palapable. The capstone on the experience was to hear the missionaries sing us out with "Called to Serve." Goosebumps. It gave me a little window into Jeff's world and made me think of women in Panama maybe making him lunch for a Zone Conference. Sweetness.

Last night was dinner with girlfriends at a great little Chinese place in Laurel, then on to Red Hot and Blue for Outrageous Chocolate Cake. Now that was a mood enhancing experience. Laughter, shared life experiences, kids the same age, finding out that I'm loved even though I sometimes feel ugly on the inside...it was, as Martha would say, a good thing. Thank goodness Eric just never even blinks when I walk out the door for things like that. He took the kids to Famous Dave's for ribs, so everyone had a good night.

The back-up is done--two places besides my hard drive before I erase the camera card. I haven't lost a shoot yet, so it seems to be a good systsem. Later on, I will make a proofset and start touching up. I like that part-it is almost as creative as composing and capturing the light. Usually its just cropping and maybe straightening, with the occasional transfer to B&W, but it is when I see the images become how I picture them in my head. Sometimes I get fancy in Photoshop when I find an image that has "good bones" but maybe was a funny exposure or slightly out of focus, and often times those become the favorite shots.

Here is a favorite image: