new blossoms

It's strange without the 'rents here. I'm finally getting sick of leftover lasagna, and it is now Julie who takes the role of 'nagging' me. I have more leeway to do whatever I please, and so the tasks as yet unfulfilled - cleaning my room and the living room for guests, writing two English papers - become ever more apparent in themselves. Don't think I like this.

The nasturtium I planted on the side of the house had 2-3 blooms on it when I inspected it yesterday - hooray! One red, one yellow.

I spent a bit of time on my knees trying to get good macro shots of the flowers - always with the end goal of producing something stunning that would do well at the state fair - and towards the end I thought I was getting there, with the yellow blossom. But it's always a different matter when you can view something up close on the computer screen. I do my best to edit them, but then wonder if I've "ruined" shots simply because I can't do better, more 'sophisticated' editing with Photoshop, which I don't have.

I feel like I have a lot of pictures (well, I KNOW I do), but nothing that would score big in a state fair judge's eyes. I have a nice "eye," sure; I love getting a close-up shot fairly well in focus. But other friends of mine will go on a vacation, come home and post pictures on Facebook - and I'm blown away. For example, an old roommate. One photo set is from fishing on a lake. She has shot after shot of incredible, well-shot skies over water, sometimes with a perfectly-in-focus bird swimming in the forefront. They are truly striking.

Is it the subject matter? Maybe the camera? Mine rarely handles the sky well; it likes to "blast out" clouds or put anything on the landscape side in pure black silhouette.

There's my whining for today.

Perhaps I will post a couple "new flower" shots from yesterday. The yellow ones were very much in shadow, so I was never sure how much to brighten them to a true yellow with my editing program.

job-ness

I have a phone interview today at 3 for a paid internship at a local publishing house. Score!

Better yet, if that doesn't work out, I got an e-mail from a copying job within the English Dept. saying that I can come in and work out a schedule. So basically I have it.

I'm amazed at how that worked out. I only applied to two... and stuff is happening! I was getting a bit anxious since it seemed nothing was happening - and then things progressed in both positions in one day! Thank you, God!

I'm not sure how to do a phone interview, though... from the DN job, I'M used to being the one doing the interviewing!

happenings

Just finished a strikingly easy round of math homework, and watching "So You Think You Can Dance" for two hours. Yep. I'm pretty drained of energy.

Nevertheless, some good things have been happening:

-This last weekend I found myself in northern South Dakota with some friends for a wedding. It is -gorgeous- up there and I even got to see Mount Rushmore again! Pictures below.

-In August I'm moving into a house with 5 other girls downtown. I cannot be happier. I've never done my own grocery shopping, etc., so I imagine it'll be different but good. I shouldn't get *too* comfortable down here in my parents' basement! :)

Their stipulation was that I get a job. I've applied to two and, from today's voicemail, sounds like a phone interview is coming up for one of them. It's been awhile since I've had any income, which really hurts!

- I'm working on some songs inspired by the Psalms for a music night in August. We'll be performing at Berean's coffeehouse. Any chance to sing = wonderfulness.

Now for pictures.





My friend caught the bouquet.



Exuberant bubble-blowers.

cloudscapes

I've said before that I think one of my favorite things about Nebraska is the sky - mercurial (for you, Uncle Steve, that means moody and apt to changing), and yet filled with the sweetest shapes. This last week featured some monster clouds; their presence could practically take up half the visible sky. And within would be all sorts of interesting shades of blue and gray, cream and white, and it would move, changing, as you watched.

My camera can't handle the sky all that well (it likes to "blast out" the sky and make it really bright, or the same to clouds). Yet when clouds are more distinctive shapes, it handles it better. Thus, I have an album of 28 cloud pictures to show you! I really, really think they turned out well. Maybe some state fair material? I don't know!

I hope you like them because I now have a nice cluster of bug bites on my thigh and back; it's really attractive. :P Ah well...

5 year old sings Jackson Five's "Who's Loving You"

She is five. FIVE! And gets better through the whole song.

Positively uncanny. For the age he was in the Jackson Five, I think there is nobody we have ever known of as talented as Michael was at that age. It's just inspiring. (I don't know how I feel about his voice when he's older, though...) But I guess this video goes to show potential stars are still being born.

Trip to Homestead National Monument

As I listen to what is hopefully the latter phase of neighborhood fireworks, I thought I'd share 20 pictures I took from a recent family trip to the Homestead National Monument (website here).

It's a beautiful tribute; you can tell whoever researched for the film and the displays interviewed a lot of people, so many that the 20-minute film we watched often featured faceless voices, many in succession. I was glad that the exhibit talked about the reality of new farms failing; so often pioneers seem like superhumans, and indeed one part of the exhibit mentioned that you'd have to be kind of crazy to do the amount of work that was needed. But less than 40 percent actually succeeded. And whether you failed or succeeded as a homesteader, you had to deal with mental pressures of all kinds. So much for superhuman-ness (though I still believe in it, especially for the women who won the titles to their homesteads all on their own!)

It was a good time. (Especially enjoyed the exhibit of Joel Sartore photographs in one building :))

Favorite summer flora/fauna photos

Certainly a lot of "f's" in that title!

These are a bit random, but too pretty not to share. Enjoy!