Thankful Thursday

This week I've been thinking about some of the recent good things, and I knew I should've written them down but I just kept thinking I'd surely remember. (How dumb am I?) And now, of course, I can't remember. Hopefully they'll come to me as I compile this list.



1. My immersion hand blender. I love that thing! I got it for Christmas and have used it so much.

2. Friends who drive me to and from the airport. It seems like I often have an upcoming flight and I'm needing yet another ride. Even when the times are incredibly inconvenient, my friends are always so willing to help me out. They never complain or seem put out--they even say they enjoy it! (It's over an hour to get there, so it's not a quick trip.) I have a handful of people I can ask so that there is always someone available, and they have saved me the money of parking my car at the airport, and the extra time it takes to park and catch the shuttle. THANK YOU, FRIENDS! And I owe some of you an email about who "won" the upcoming rides. :D

3. It's getting lighter later. It seemed like the dark drives home from work were very few this year, even though I know it's about the same every year. But now it is still a little light when I drive home, and it really makes a big difference in my mood as I leave work.

4. No cavities! I had a dentist appointment after not having one for two years (hey, I don't have dental insurance!). I was certain I'd need some dental work, but I'm apparently not as knowledgeable about teeth as my dentist!

5. My cross street is open again. Over the summer, the main road I take out of my neighborhood was closed for two months while they rebuilt a bridge. Every day I felt annoyed to have to take the more complicated route, and I was so glad when it was finished! Then, last week during the flooding, it was closed again due to the creek that likes to overflow. It was only closed about a week, but I missed it and was very glad when it was open again.

6. Words With Friends. Have I already mentioned this in Thankful Thursday? If so, oh well. I really enjoy having a game I can play with several friends. It's just a little way to connect and exercise the brain, but it's very entertaining. My mom and I play, and I like that we have regular contact through a game that she taught me years ago (in the form of Scrabble, of course). (If any of you want to play WWF with me, I'd love to play! My username is GreengatePhoto.)

7. Tax season. I know that it won't always be a time I welcome with open arms, but for now it means a refund! I'm anxiously awaiting my W-2s. And a sub-thankful: my life is simple enough that doing my taxes very manageable. I don't own a home and I'm unmarried and childless, so it's all pretty straightforward.

8. Comments on my blog. Thanks, all of you who comment! I love it, and I'm sorry I'm not very quick to respond. I'll try to do better.

That's all I have. There's no rule that I have to do 10.

What's something good from your past week or so?

Winter so far

It's been a little while since I posted. It's not that I don't have some material lined up, I just haven't felt very up to it, for whatever reason. Maybe it's just January demotivating me. Anyway, I think now would be a good time for a little catching up. Here's what's going on with me.


One of my resolutions for the new year was to bake bread with yeast, because I never had. Check!




It finally snowed, but it didn't stay long. It wasn't quite as wonderland-pretty as it has been in the past, so the few photos I have aren't all that enchanting.


Meanwhile, I made some delicious potatoes au gratin where I cut some of the potatoes into stars with a cookie cutter. Food cuteness!


Then the temps warmed up like 20 degrees one day, and it was pouring rain and melting snow, which meant flooding all over Salem.


That lake out there is not normally there.


Nor is this one. Lots of creeks and rivers overflowed into surrounding areas. It didn't affect me except an alternate route to and from work, but some people's homes were flooded in Salem and especially Turner (nearby).



Between the weather news, I've been prepping for some upcoming travels. I can't remember if I already mentioned that I'm photographing a friend's wedding next month. She's in Colorado Springs, so after that I'll take a short flight to Albuquerque to visit my sisters and their families for a few days. I finally got all my plane tickets worked out and I'm starting to get pretty excited. I was just texting my niece L about it. Yay!

I'm also nervous, because I want to do a good job with the wedding photography. (As usual, I think my hopes and expectations on myself are beyond where they should be.) I only have two weddings under my belt, so I'm going to make plenty of mistakes and probably miss some important shots. However, I have been saying that I would be open to doing a wedding here and there for the right person, and Holly is definitely the right person. I'm very honored that she and her fiance want me to take their pictures! I'm praying for decent weather and that everything goes smoothly.

Okay, that's enough. If you read this far, thank you. :) I really appreciate all my blog followers!

Project 52 (30)

Some geese came and landed on the lake when it was semi-frozen. It was thin ice, so they kept stomping through it and then wanting out again. (Sorry to those of you who have already seen these pictures.)