101 Goals in 1001 days...The Next 10

51. Play my guitar every weekday for a month
52. Run Contest on Facebook
53. Ride Mountain Bike RT Christiansen Trail
54. Ride Bike TO trail at Reach 11, do trail circuit and ride back
56. Visit with Jim and Monica
57. Add a Press Page to website again
58. Go to Arches National Park
59. Go to Canyon de Chelly
60. Book 25 weddings a year.

Help A Young Film Maker Live His Dream

I've known Will for just forever...and watched his challenges with Type 1 Diabetes. Will has dreamed of being a film maker since he was a small child and winning the Omnipod Video Competition will bring him a big step closer. Please Help...

What is Omnipod? It is an Insulin Pump that can literally change the life of a juvenile diabetic. Omnipod is giving a Powerbook with filmaking software to the winner of their video competition.

How can you help? I've attached the email I received from Will's mom below. Will produced his video for The Omnipod Competition and votes are counted by the number of viewings. Please use the link included in Harlene's email below to see how the Omnipod gave Will the freedom to pursue his dreams.



P L E A S E pass the following around to everyone you know.....



Our diabetic son William, now 21, is a very talented film student at SBCC. Since he was diagnosed with diabetes at 14 he has struggled with it despite his/our constant attention and care. Earlier this year William began wearing an Omnipod insulin pump and it has changed his life.

Now to the reason for this email. Omnipod has opened a video contest titled "How The Omnipod Has Changed My Life" exclusively for Omnipod wearers. When William learned of the contest it was a natural fit for him as a young filmmaker. The contest is judged on three merits, one being views/hits. We have sent the link to everyone we know, however, we were hoping you would consider sharing it with everyone you know in your email address books. We need a viewership of thousands to be competitive. William has put his heart and soul into this 3 min. piece. The Omnipod has given him so much hope for his future and he is finally feeling he can realize his dreams of being a filmmaker. The prize for this contest is a MacBook Pro laptop (with filmmaking software included) which he desperately needs for his college classes at SOMA-SBCC.

Here is the link to William's video (submissions must be made through YouTube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQU5U9ADo-Y

Thank you so much for anything you can do to "spread this video"! If you have any questions, please feel free to call us anytime
at 805-964-7612. From the bottom of our hearts we wish each and every one of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009!


Love,
Gary & Harlene
You're The Star Video Productions
www.seeyourmemories.com
Voted "2008 Best of Weddings-Videographer" by The Knot Magazine

Hiking Dreamy Draw

Did a short hike today and it was just beautiful! Dreamy Draw Trailhead, trail #220 is an easy to moderate hike that takes you up to a small rock outcropping and then loops around back to the parking lot in about 1.5 miles. So enjoyable ;-)

Adelya + Greg

Stunning, simply stunning... Adelya and Greg tied the knot at the Royal Palms Resort in Scottsdale. Congratulations and thank you for having me be a part of your day!

101 Goals in 1001 Days - The Next 10

41. Have lunch at LoLo's with Wendy
42. Photograph an engagement session in Tucson
43. Re-finish media cabinet in gallery
44. Develop 2 casseroles that can be frozen and kept as staples
45. Print 3 canvases to go over couch in gallery
46. Go to gym twice a week for 3 months
47. Ride bike once a week for 3 months
48. Make amethyst necklace that I've had materials for forever
49. Make Christmas earrings for Amy
50. Learn to play Taylor Swift's "Our Song" on my guitar

An Incredible Photographer - An Amazing Friend

I have this wonderful friend. The warm kind of person that calls just to say hello and when something is wrong steps up to the plate without hesitation. Keith happened to call just moments after I received particularly disturbing news about Bogey and without hesitation asked "how can I help, what can I do?" "A Family Portrait", I blurted out.

I regard Keith Pitts as one of the most outstanding photographers in the country and was truly touched that he would do this for us. Keith did such a wonderful job on our family portrait. It was a horribly rainy day and Keith found a way to shoot it anyway.

Keith and I often chat about the more creative aspects of the art of photography and lately we have been talking a lot about blur. I was thrilled when he decided to create a series of blurred images of us and this one is my favorite.

Got a few minutes? Check Keith and his beautiful images out.

101 Goals in 1001 Days - The Next 10

More of my goals:

31. Check into LLC
32. De-clutter my clothes closet
33. Bring a drink to the guy that holds up the bar stool sale sign on the corner of
Kierland Blvd and Scottsdale Road that always waves and makes me smile when I drive
by.
34. Get a Noguchi table for gallery
35. Get a 52" flat screen tv for gallery
36. Learn to do slide shows at weddings
37. Develop marketing plan to photograph 2010 high school seniors
38. Organize guest room closet
39. Photograph a wedding in Sedona
40. Photograph an engagement session in Sedona

Snowshoes!

One of my goals is to go snowshoeing. With everything going on right now I truly don't know if it is going to happen this winter, but I got a chance to move one step closer last weekend when REI had a snowshoeing clinic. They had a snow strip in the parking lot and even though it was relatively warm out we got to mush through with the different models and drink hot chocolate! It was so much fun and I can't wait to get on real snow up in Flagstaff and try it for real.

Update on Bogey

It's been 4 days since Bogey had his first round of Chemo and he is doing outstandingly! Thank you all who have inquired, prayed, sent good energy and thought good thoughts for our beautiful Bo and our family. It means the world to know how much you care.

Bogey, 24 hours after Chemo.

About Bogey...My Dog

There are few things in life that make your heart stop, time stop, the earth stand still.

Last week, Bo's neck acted up again. A couple years ago he took a header on the pool deck and has had the occasional bout with his neck binding up. This time, it was so bad that meds weren't going to do it, it was time to make a trip into the animal hospital.

Mike is our vet. I think he loves our dogs as much as we do and is one of the few animal docs around that will make house calls. On this trip, Mike was spending to much time rubbing Bogey's belly and not enough time checking his neck.

Lymphoma...

The word stopped us cold. Bogey is 13 years and 2 months, the life expectancy of a golden retriever is 10.5 years and the survival rate of untreated lymphoma after diagnosis is 4-8 weeks. Mike wrapped his arms around his big head while we tried to wrap our minds around facts and figures, protocols and side effects.

We chose chemo.

Dog chemo is not like human drugs. The emphasis is on remission, not cure. With this 15 week round Bogey has the potential of as much as another year of chasing frisbees and summer swims. He has the opportunity to spend a bit more time believing he is still a 2 year old while the world ages around him.

This morning I woke to 92lbs of fur under the blankets nestled in my arms. Bogey blew old dog breath at me with a smile that almost said, "Do I really get to spend the day with Mike...and go for a ride in the car to get there?"

As I write this Bo is attached to a drip with Mike at his side, reading the sport page out loud to him (I hope) recapping the Suns latest win. J. is trying to keep busy at work, Our young dog Zuri is pacing the house, whimpering and looking lost and I am trying to make it through the day working to build the belief that Bogey will go into remission and I'll spend many more mornings waking up to stolen blankets and old dog breath.

Not too long ago I fell on a walk, blacked out and when I came to my big old hero was standing over me, a monster paw on my back crying for the world to hear. He stayed there calling for help, he refused to move or be moved until my husband was brought to my side and he knew I was truly safe. Tonight it's our turn to be his heroes, and I hope we can achieve his level of loyalty and service, that we can serve him as he has served and protected us all these years.

101 Goals in 1001 Days - The Next 10

A few more of my goals:

21. Take Zuri to canine rattlesnake training class
22. Design and order new thank you cards
23. Drop one pants size
24. Actually sit in my vintage lawn chair out front and read (I always forget it's out there)
25. Win an award in PPA International Print Competition again
26. Bake Christmas Cookies
27. Go Camping
28. Photograph Christmas Card image
29. Cook a real dinner and have JT over
30. Take Zuri to 3 Dog Bakery

Weird, Wacky Places and Ways I want to Shoot Wedding Portraits

A list for brides who don't mind getting dirty:

A laundromat
A mom and pop grocery
On a stoop eating ice cream cones
The hot dog cart by the Orpheum Theatre
Surrounded by Peacocks
Jumping into a pool
Underwater? YES! underwater (preferably a destination wedding in the Carribean)
On a motorcycle
Skateboards, anyone?
Playing on Railroad Tracks (oh yeah, been there, done that)
Lying on the ground with puppies, lots of puppies...
Dogwalking really alot of dogs
Playing in the snow


...what's the most insane place or way you'd like to have a series of your wedding portraits done? What kind of ideas do you have?

Goals Accomplished - 25 Books That Will Change My Life

Here's what I've done so far:

Goal #8. Donate 10 pieces of clothing I'm not using. Didn't do much to declutter my closet but it feels good to know that what I am not using will give someone else pleasure.

Goal #24:Actually sit in my vintage lawn chair out front and read (I always forget it's out there)

Goal #44. Develop 2 casseroles that can be frozen and kept as staples. Found a GOOD recipe for an easy old family favorite of my husband's...Tatortot Casserole. Not quite like mom's but deemed damned acceptable. One enjoyed, one in the freezer. King's Ranch Casserole..WOW! Wonderfully fulfilling comfort food that is almost a balanced meal in a baking dish! This recipe is an old Texas Bunkhouse meal and it turns out that one batch will make enough for dinner for two and the freezer! Need to modify just a bit to be nutritionally conscious, after all, does ANYTHING need a full pound of shredded cheese BESIDES pizza?

Goal #49. Make Christmas earrings for Amy

Goal #55. Make Christmas earrings for Lauren


Book #1 of 25...read: Three Dog Nightmare

I just finished reading Three Dog Nightmare by Chuck Negron. So many of us have had our lives touched by magnificent people who killed their bodies, their spirit through addiction.

This book made me realize that sometimes compassion and love make us enablers. That the greatest love of all could be to stand back and allow another person to sink or swim in their own private nightmare.

Reading this forever changed my reality of how I have to deal with addicts in my life. It made me understand that no matter how much I love someone I can't help them if they love the bottle or needle or a little red pill more than themselves, if they have reached a point that their body deems that drug necessary to survival.

Chuck Negron changed my life growing up with his music and has changed it once more with his honesty and candor.

If you have someone in your life that needs chemicals to live while dying, this is a must read.

101 Goals in 1001 Days - The Next 10

Here are the next 10 goals from my list. Adding them in little chunks makes the job so much easier and fun.

11. Design a wedding workflow checklist
12. Shoot a destination wedding
13. Take a road trip and stop along the way at cool places to take photos
14. Get my phone set up so that I can access the internet anywhere on my laptop
15. Go Horseback Riding
16. Make new business cards
17. Display 3 framed photos with vendors
18. Post on DWF once a week for 3 months
19. Day-Trip to Bisbee. AZ
20. Add 5 more weddings to my website