well i better . . .

Well, I better get writing before time gets away from me! I was up today at 4:45 a.m. as my very ambitious and hard-working husband was up getting ready for drivers ed! He makes it slightly impossible to sleep with eggs cooking in the kitchen, shaving in the bathroom, lights on - well, you get the picture! He's pretty amazing - he works so hard and has boundless energy. So, I got up and have been 'dinking' around on the computer ever since! I promised I would get some journaling done before the sun rises but as I look out the window I can see the sun will be arriving soon!

I have 'conquered' BLURB! I sat down the other day and wasn't going to get up from the computer until I accomplished that feat! I finally have my blog book underway and almost completed for 2011 - other than the 'future' that hasn't happened yet - haha! I ordered several others from years past and they will be delivered any day now. I can't believe I had so much to say and now I'm finding it hard to find anything to talk about! Yikes, get a grip Berta! Anyway, the Blurb book will be a 'killer-book' as I am using full-page/full-bleed photos on pages and in some instances using 2-page photo spreads - it should be amazing! I took advantage of a few 67% off ads and got some Christmas books done (small, soft-cover) for family. All these things take "TIME" and lots of it. I am really happy I was able to figure Blurb out as I have tons of projects I need to finish before leaving this earth-life - for posterity, you know!

I struggled this fall with the decision to quit teaching guitar/banjo after 38 years of teaching said instruments. I don't use the word struggle mildly - it was very, very difficult to decide weather to continue or hang it up! About four years ago I went looking for something to replace teaching - something I could do well into my 90's. I found photography! Although I'd always loved taking photos - I decided to take it to the next level. So, my big debate with myself and a few of my kids was - should I let teaching go and make photography my focus? So, after much struggle, I compromised and decided to teach only two days a week (Monday & Tuesday) and set aside the other days to take photos! I'm really glad I made that decision as I have met some super-fun and excited new students in the past few weeks. So, for now, I have the best of both worlds - perhaps in the next few years photography will completely take over my energy?

Several weeks ago, Hibbard school called me and wanted to know if I could come and bring some picture of Mesa Falls as the 4th grade kids were going on a field trip to see them! I guess because I took photographs of the falls they figured I was an expert on the location and history! I thought that was kind of funny but was honored they would ask me. Oh, by the way, Bob actually volunteered me - told the teachers I had taken some photos of them. I agreed to go and bring the photos to show the kids but they ended up having to change the date and the only time they could have me come was when I was taking grandma to have her hearing checked! So to make a long story short, Bob took the photos and a bunch more to show the class! So, the other day when Heather, Cooper and I went to lunch, a mother stopped by our table and said, "Are you the one who took your photos to Hibbard school? Well, my daughter couldn't stop talking about them!!!!!" I thought that was pretty cute for a 4th grader (to have even noticed) - her mom really made a big-deal out of it - again, honored! (It eneded up being Amy Grover Leatham's sister.)

Hey! I kind of like this 4:45 a.m. business . . . think I'll try it again . . . soon!