Oh heavens…I have no real excuses.  This blog has been a sad sad testament to the busy-ness of the past month.  Abandoned and lonely, yet still attracting visitors daily, for which I am insanely humbled.  It seems that summer was good to this here blog, but since the academic year started, things went gone down hill.  And even though I suppose that is an excuse, it really isn’t.

The truth is, many other things have replaced this blog in terms of priorities.  And I’m okay with that.  I’ve been able to spend time with friends, start a small group Bible study in our home, and start a business!  I canned tomatoes for the first time, harvested fresh homegrown sweet peppers, and picked up our local beef from the meat processor.  I’ve enjoyed some beautiful fall weather, but fallen off the running bandwagon – though fear not! I got back on this morning.   I also photographed and helped lead a seminar at a student conference, and we managed to pick out a roof color and have our roof replaced!  Finally.

I’m hoping to update with pictures soon, including our house with its spiffy new roof  I have a “break” coming up next week, and we’ll see what I can accomplish during that time.  My main goal is to prime and paint the red room.  If I could finish that next week, I would be SO happy.

And yes, I did say I started a business.  And I am SO SO excited about it.  If you’re curious to know more, leave me a comment and I’ll fill you in…

I know, I know.  I’ve been a bit quiet lately.  There’s a great number of reasons why, but the main one is that my job has kicked into high gear for a bit of a “season,”  so I’ve had next to NO time extra to even think about blogging.  Sad day.  Not only that, but we’ve made pathetic progress on so many things I was hoping to check off my list.  Still to do:

- build a bench

- paint our house

- get our roof replace

- PICK a roof color and paint colors

- finish installing bathroom hardware

- patch the wall in our master bathroom

- paint the hideous red room

- shop down a bunch of bushes I hate

But, lots of non-house stuff has been happening that is WAY cool.  For instance, my husband went to Turkey!  How cool is that!?!  I was majorly jealous, but it was a quick work-related trip and would have been a huge sacrifice for me to go in terms of money and work.  But, he brought back fun stuff – a pillow!  Yay!  And a fancy hand painted bowl.

Cool thing number 2:  I was asked to photograph another wedding!  And with that, I am now seriously SERIOUSLY investigating starting my own business. SCARY.  I love the idea of it, and I love photography, and the more I learn about business, the more I’m actually excited about it.  But.  It’s hard to go through that much transition and change.  You have to be pretty sure.  And I’m still not at 100%.  Any words of encouragement or advise from anyone who has started something new, taken a big risk, or just understands business would be MUCH appreciated!

Cool thing number 3:  it’s fall!  And that means tomatoes and peppers and CANNING!  I need to learn to can first, though.  Ha!  Perhaps this weekend I’ll try pickles since I have about 30 cucumbers in my fridge waiting to be used…

I’ve seen a few blog “friends” do this recently, and I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon.  Kristal did a series of posts where people asked her questions and she answered them.  The responses were so fun to read and I felt like I got to know her so much better!

So now’s your chance!  If you have a question that you’re dying to ask or there’s a question you wrote in a comment that I never answered, write it in the comments.  Now is the time!  I’m not sure I”ll answer EVERY question, but I’m pretty open about most stuff, so ask away!

I found this hilarious quiz over on Owens Corning – it helps determine your ideal shingle shade!  Not only am I total sucker for decor and house related quizzes, but we are actually in the market for a new roof.  Hail damage and gusty winds back in April = nice big claim, and therefore, a new roof.

They even ask you to sort crayons

I think my result was summer harvest, which is a beautiful choice.  Unfortunately, the accompanying description of me was totally off, but whatever.  I’ll take it!

Now we just need to figure out exterior colors and we’ll have a whole new house!  Crazy.

I’m taking the ProBlogger challenge today!  ProBlogger has some great tips on blogging and while I don’t participate in every challenge or follow every tip, I thought this one would be fun.  Many thanks to Kate for tipping me off to this

Today, I’m playing along by listing the seven links from these categories:

1. Your first post

2. A post you enjoyed writing the most

3. A post which had great discussion

4. A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written

5. Your most helpful post

6. A post with a title you are proud of

7. A post you wish more people had read

Okay, here we go…

1. Your first post:

Well, my first official post on this blog was more of a transitional welcome post.  I had blogging for a while on Xanga before I moved to WordPress – remember Xanga?  And Livejournal?  Oh, the good ‘ole days…

My second post was pretty average – a recount of several friends engagements or weddings, and my first opportunity to photograph a wedding!  Looking back at this post, I don’t think I realized how necessary a picture is when you’re TALKING about photography!  So, because I was completely clueless at the time, here’s a photo from my very first paid photography gig, Jonathan & Anna’s wedding.

2. A post you enjoyed writing the most

This is tougher, because there are just SO many posts over the past 3 years.  I think perhaps this recent post, Thoughts on Discipline, was really enjoyable to write.  I felt like I was chatting with an old friend and it’s a true look into my life and my struggles.

3. A post which had great discussion

I’m often surprised by the posts which generate the most comments, or the most lively interaction – usually it’s the fun random posts  And a lot of the discussion is started by my mom, who is probably my most faithful blog reader!  Some popular discussion starters: Best Super Bowl Ads, Cover it: Our New Duvet, and of course, people love commenting about Our Nest.

4. A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written

This could take me eons to decide since I read so many blogs and subscribe to a bunch.  I’m constantly jealous of the originality of others, and the TIME they have for some of their posts.  It amazes me.

I’m always a glutton for posts that are about organization ideas that are pretty, and this is one of my favorites: Real Simple Solutions for an Organized and Efficient Home at the Inspired Room.  It’s still flagged in my RSS reader  Runners up: Wrapping Paper Organizer from Centsational Girl, and just about every single furniture plan on Knock Off Wood.

5. Your most helpful post

I have no clue!  One of the most popular posts and often searched is this one: What to Do With a Plate Rail? If you Google “how to decorate a plate rail” or something similar, it’s usually in the top 5 results, and it seems that I’m not the only one who is clueless about plate rails.

Other posts I think are helpful: Simple Living, Home Management Binder, and Weekly Housekeeping Schedule

6. A post with a title you are proud of

Confession:  I hate coming up with titles of posts.  I’m just not witty or original in the slightest.  But probably this title is my favorite, just because it’s completely ridiculous:  Shopping Spree Leads to Death

7. A post you wish more people had read

This isn’t to toot my own horn or anything, but there are probably several that I wish more people had read.  A few I can think of off hand: Some Day We’ll Say, “That’s SO 2005!”, and probably both of the posts about our crazy dishwasher installation saga – that was hard work, people!  You can find them here and here.

How about you? What have been your favorite posts? What have you enjoyed reading?  Feel free to play along on your own blog, and link back up here in the comments

Back again with a few funnies from our police blotter.  This week we had some gems!

Thursday @ 10:56 – arrested xx xx for possession of alcohol under legal age & public urination

Friday @ 11:44 – woman is on oxygen and worried about fireworks being shot off in the area  (for some reason, I find this both hilarious and sad at the same time!)

Saturday @ 6:11 – sinkhole: officer called in to report another sink hole

8:12 – reckless driving: reporting a subject on a moped hit a parked car knocking off the mirror, caller followed subject and he wrecked his moped in a ditch behind the mental health center  (WOW)

Sunday @ 1:23 – call re possible road cave-in

1:41 – report of goose injured at park; unable to get to goose, Mother Nature to handle (what on earth does that even mean?)

Monday @ 5:04 – two calls reporting a goose with fishing line caught around its leg

Tuesday @ 12:13 – walker at lake reports white goose on grass that has fishing line wrapped around its legs; officer located, could not get close to it but it was moving around freely

All I can think is – poor goose!

I know it’s summer and technically, this IS my vacation, but I thought I’d resurrect my escapism tendencies  for the benefit of those of us who don’t really get a summer vacation  In the spirit of fun summer travel, we’re going to Cedar Point!  I’ve never been, but I love roller coasters and theme parks, so perhaps some day it will be a destination.

Hope you had fun!

I found this via one of my favorite blogs that often posts links to great freebies. You can print out cute recipe cards!

How cute is that?  Perhaps I’ll print out a few simple online recipes, which are way more portable and kitchen friendly than toting my laptop up and down the stairs

Well, last week our “bachelor” Jake was eliminated -he’s engaged, so that doesn’t make him a bachelor anymore, right?  This week, we have individual dances and the team cha cha competition.  Let’s see how everyone did…

Erin & Maks: Quickstep

After getting chewed out by Len for not doing a proper dance last week, Maks is committed to getting back into Len’s good graces.  But Maks still wants to strip.  Seriously dude, don’t you have any other ideas?  They start their dance wearing black and quickly “strip” to the brightest pink I’ve ever seen.  Their dance is certainly fast at points and they’ve got a great hold.  She looks amazing keeping up with all the flicks, kicks, and fast spins.  It’s a miracle! – Len calls it Erin’s best dance yet and isn’t bothered by their costume strip/change.  Bruno and Carrie Ann agree that her lines are beautiful.  Score: 27

Chad & Cheryl: Viennese Waltz

After a dramatic argentine tango last week, he’s looking to start a winning streak.  So, Cheryl the birthday girl ups the ante on the technique and brings in Tony to help out.  I bet Tony likes working with them a lot more than working with Kate…they’re dancing in lots of sheer white, so I guess we know what they’ll look like at their wedding, right?  Overall, it’s a beautiful dance.  Lots of spinning and very romantic.  Chad is definitely dancing and leading, not just following Cheryl around.  At times he still dances down to her and looks a little strange in hold, and theres a moment he seems a little uncertain of his steps and can’t stop staring at Cheryl as if he’s forgotten the dance.  Bruno calls him graceful and gentle.  Carrie Ann calls it tender and sexy, and Len calls him a true contender.  And then, we get like 3 awkward moments backstage with Brooke…this job really isn’t that difficult, right?  Score: 25

Nicole & Derek: Waltz

Nicole is really struggling with the frame this week, which I suppose is to be expected after she’s done so many fast latin dances the past few weeks.  Once they’re on the dance floor, the dance is elegant and pretty, but sometimes her steps are bit uneasy and she doesn’t fully extend the movements.  After all that practice, her hold seems a little bit better, but the dance isn’t nearly as connected as Chad & Cheryl’s.  Carrie Ann calls her the best dancer DWTS ever has had – really? Kind of an extreme claim in my opinion.  She calls her movements beautiful, but their connection was lacking.  Len says something nit picky about her technique, and then Bruno points out that she made a few mistakes but still made it look good.  So she’s a dancing magician, right?  Score: 27

Pamela & Damien: Waltz

Pamela brings Damien to the wildlife center, one of her passions as an animal lover.  During rehearsal Damien ties their hips together to get the technique better.  Once they start dancing, Pamela looks right at home and very demure.  Her steps are  steady, but her hold is inconsistent.  Overall though, the dance is just beautiful.  Part of it is she is just really good at playing a roll in each dance – she truly is a great actress trying to dance.  I’m surprised at how good she is each week.  Len encourages her to get her hold a bit more solid, and Bruno agrees.   Score: 24

Niecy & Louis: Quickstep

After a successful funny tango this week, they’re switching paces to the quickstep.  Unfortunately, they get some fairly slow music, and their dance kind of drags and doesn’t have the pep in it that Erin’s did.  She does a good job with the footwork, kicks, and speed – but the dance isn’t nearly as well performed or choreographed.  Bruno and Carrie Ann both call it her best dance.  And Len agrees.  Sure, she’s definitely improved, but I don’t think it was THAT amazing.  Score: 25

Evan & Anna: Argentine Tango

After dancing a fluffy dance last week and getting bad scores, Evan asks Anna to push him hard.  Their dance is sharp and passionate – he’s definitely in control of this dance.   It’s a HUGE improvement from last week and there’s no trace of balletic moves anywhere.  They end with a crazy fast spin with Anna in a split.   Even though there’s not as much intricate footwork for him, it is still a true tango and he dances it well.  The judges love it and we get our first perfect score of the season!  Score: 30

The Cha Cha Challenge

Team Ga Ga

We’ve got a face-off between two teams – Team Ga Ga is Pamela, Chad, and Nicole.  They put Pamela first, which probably isn’t the move I’d make since she’s been a bit shaky recently, then it’s Chad & Cheryl in the middle, and Nicole to finish it out.  They start off strong in unison, and then Pam has her solo with Damien – they look great and she’s definitely going for sex-appeal over technique.  Chad and Cheryl are next, and they rock their section with sharp cha cha moves and lots of chemistry.  Nicole and Derek finish it out, and while she definitely has some good moves and it’s quick, I’m just not likely their section as much. They end in unison, where you can tell that Pam is lagging behind a bit, but she still looks great.  Their dance is definitely fun and Carrie Ann sums it up as…cool.  Yup, she said it.  Score: 27

Team Madonna

Next, we have Evan, Erin, and Niecy.  Evan’s never done the cha cha and so Niecy is giving him pointers, which is mildly hilarious considering Evan just got a perfect score.  Our three celebs start out together before we have a fun unison part with the whole group.  To be fair, they really get a poor choice of music – it’s not nearly as fun and sexy to dance to “Holiday”.  Evan and Anna start their solo part where Evan still seems to struggle a bit with the latin dances hip action – he’s still very lyrical.  Niecy and Louis are up next and try to turn up the heat a bit with LOTS of hips, but it just looks kind of…odd and heavy.  Erin and Maks end, and they’re by far the best and have the most advanced technique by far.  They end with a unison line together and a few last moves before the girls lose their lacy white and end up in leather, which to be honest, is probably the most interesting part of the whole dance.  Bruno points out a few parts where they lost sync, and Carrie Ann agrees.  Score:  24

Best Costume: Tie between Pamela and Nicole – both dresses were elegant and sparkly.

Best Line: My brain is too soft…Pamela

I think this week we saw everyone improve a bit and so we saw better dances from the individuals.  Team Ga Ga definitely won the challenge, if for nothing else than they got the best music and really took advantage of it.  My prediction for this week is that either Pamela or Niecy will be heading home.

We’re at the halfway point in the competition, and that means TWO dances.  This week we have the Samba & the Argentine Tango, plus the swing dance marathon.  I’m kinda bummed we don’t have a group swing, which would would probably be way more interesting.

Jake & Chelsea: Samba

Jake wants to close the gap between him and the leaders of the pack.  Their rehearsal looks both promising, and a little scary because he’s obviously struggling.  In the dance, he doesn’t quite have the bounce in his step that you expect in the samba, plus there’s just a lot of posing and shaking at the beginning.  When they finally get going around the dance floor, it’s just not that peppy and with the music.  He has a little mistake in the middle with the stairs, which is a shame because he hasn’t had a clean dance yet.  The judges remark on his lack of bounce and rhythm, but also credit him for trying really hard.  Score: 21

Anna & Evan: Samba

In rehearsal, she’s trying to get him to work on his hips, which is pretty hysterical considering how lyrical he always looks.  Then while practicing lifts, he hits his head and gets a mild concussion, but he seems okay.  Their samba is a lot more fun and sexy, and Evan does a better job at the bouncing and getting the rhythm than Jake, but all of his movements and turns are very balletic and too smooth for samba.  I think this is the first dance where you can see that his skating background isn’t really helping.  Bruno knocks him for having weird hips, Carrie Ann calls it disjointed and that it wasn’t his dance, and Len agrees. Score: 21

Niecy & Louis: Argentine Tango

They’re going to attempt a funny Argentine Tango, which if anyone can pull it off, it’s them.  After working hard on her footwork in practice, she’s nailing all of it and looks sharp and sassy in all of her moves.  They have a simple and elegant lift in the middle, and the comedy is definitely there, but it’s understated.  Then Louis nearly chokes on a cookie!  Carrie Ann loves that she actually danced, Len liked the comedy but wanted more intensity.  Score: 21

Erin & Maks: Samba

Erin is trying to stop over thinking, and Maks quips that her overanalyzing isn’t affecting their dancing, it’s affecting his health.  We need more Maks & Erin clips.  She’s got her pouty face on, but at least the bounce is right and you can see her hip movement through all those purple feathers.  Maks slowly strips during the dance, which seems kinda over the top.  But the dance is fun and sexy and WAY better than the previous two sambas.  Len is all fed up over it not being a proper dance and will give her a 7 even though she deserves better – um, why don’t you give it to her, Len?  Bruno & Carrie Ann love it.  Score:  25

Chad & Cheryl: Argentine Tango

They head back to Cincinnati to refocus and regroup after a messy quickstep last week.  I’m hoping this dance is as intense as it could be considering how much these two flirt during rehearsal!  The dance is definitely carnal and sexy, there’s definitely lots of tension.  Chad is rocking the steps and the lifts!  Finally! He’s actually leading and dancing, which is a huge improvement from last week.  The judges all love it and Len finally gives something other than a seven.  Score: 24

Nicole & Derek: Samba

After getting 29 last week, Nicole excited to do all her Ricky Martin moves.  But this isn’t the salsa, sweetie.  She definitely has the bounce, the hips, and the sexiness going on. It’d be nice if she could come up with a different facial expression though.  It’s definitely a fun party dance, but there’s probably more booty shaking than Len will like.  Carrie Ann tries to look for something to criticize and can only dislike her expression, Len says he’s looking for a few moves that weren’t there and less gyrations, Bruno jumps out of his chair and gives them all sorts of compliments.  Score: 26

Pam & Damian: Argentine Tango

After ending up in the bottom two, they’re trying really hard to stay true to themselves and not just cater to the audience.  During rehearsal, they struggle with lifts and footwork, but I have a feeling this dance is gonna be great.  Once they get dancing, there’s lots of tension and the footwork is great, plus they have some beautiful lifts.  In my opinion, this is her best dance yet.  She’s really nailing all of the moves and the attitude of seduction.  Len and Bruno love the character of the dance, but Carrie Ann was looking for a bit more technique in her feet. Score: 22

Swing Dance Marathon

Everyone is on the dance floor at the same time and couples will be knocked out one by one, with the last person remaining getting a perfect 10.  They can do lifts, as long as they can last since it’s survival of the fittest.  Tom has his golf announcer voice on – and we’re off!  Jake and Chelsea are knocked out first   I was kinda hoping we’d at least get to see one of those lifts they practiced.  Niecy and Louis are next after falling on the floor.  Evan and Anna are next, and then Chad launches himself over Cheryl.    I’m kinda surprised how long Pamela and Damian are lasting – oh, there goes Chad & Cheryl.  With Pamela and Damien soon following.  Erin and Maks are eliminated last, with Derek and Nicole winning the marathon!

The marathon really shook up the scores a lot, separating out all of the folks in the middle of the pack.  Jake & Chelsea end up at the bottom, which is a bummer.

Best Costume: Cheryl’s saucy red dress for the Argentine tango paired with the lace gloves was definitely the best costume of the night.

Worst Costume: Erin – seriously, what is up with the top half of her dress?  The nude fabric with glittery purple flowers?  She was doing so good with costumes so far!

Who will get eliminated this week?  My guess is either Jake or Niecy.  Both have struggled a bit in the past few weeks.