Halloween photo time!!! *new photo added*

Ninja Nathan!

At one house the tomb stone read 'I.P. freely' Ninja Nathan is laying next to it for he does...pee freely.

Our house as we passed on buy. The spooky music was loud and the fog machine creating a fog that carried for a block. The house was so awesome we got over 80 kids tonight where our normal is 20 or so.

We loved this pumpkin display.

Ninja Nathan in his candy bliss.

No photo of Daniel dressed up. He got so busy with his display he didn't get time to dress. It was fun to see him sooo excited about making others happy on Halloween.

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Tayler and her B.F. Rob at school dressed as Jack Skellington & Sally from the Nightmare before Christmas.

Halloween time!!

I love it! Booooooo
But in the same note I am losing a little interest.

I have one trick-or-treater left to lead around house to house begging for candy.
I do enjoy that part, it will be a bit sad when I no longer get to be out where the action and energy is.
This year, my latest trickster to hang up his candy bag, decided he was going to take a giant leap to the other side and be 'the house'.

He has only just begun, only my purse strings and his lack of them holding him back.

I convinced him that starting off slow and small was the best way to go, taking years to build up his spooky spectacular house of creepy.

We had him start by building his own tombstones and I helped him with his "big" purchase of his pride and join, the fog machine. "Next year it will be a strobe light" he has assured me.

He is just setting up now and much to my delight in amazingly warm weather, not a snow flake or rain drop in sight!

I will try to capture the finished spooky project later tonight. And possibly get a shot of my Ninja assassin.

Great music!

What an AWESOME set!!!
New songs....big check mark in the excellent box.

Isabel's song~cried like a baby~

Kim's song about Becky...On her way?, shoot I can't remember the title..I called it Becky's song....freakin fantastic...Kim, put me up there on top of the list of people who have to have that new EP of yours.You know, the one in your head. Love your songs!

Don as always was entertaining and sounds better than ever.

People started flowing in through out the show which was great to see. You could also see how blown away they were with Kim & Don. One guy was even taking pictures of the poster to send to his friends and family in S-Toon and WPG so they can catch the show while there....!!

Thanks for the show and the great visit guys, it was really cool of you to stop at the ringette game on your way out of town.

See you next time!!

Pork Mountain

We have the pleasure of housing the Don Amero band for a couple of nights, or a portion of said band. I will also proudly call this talented portion my cousins....

Going to see them play tonight at the Axis Cafe in Edmonton which will be nice since we didn't get to see them play while they were through the last time. Poor scheduling/organising on my part.
Still, our group has dwindled as the time got closer due to other obligations and/or basking in the Mexican sun.
I am excited. I don't get tired of hearing them play live. I wish I could fill that place with bodies for them though, somehow get it through to Edmontonians what they are missing out on.

It was nice chatting last night, usually things are so rushed, although I was trying so hard to get out all my words and thoughts all at once before I forgot ( I do that a lot more now-a-days) that I sliced open my finger while chopping up the potatoes for dinner. Now everyone knows my secret ingredient.
Then Terry BBQ'd us up a mountain of pork loin chops....there was A LOT of pork.

What was super cool was our blood pressure taking contest....Um, Don, you better check on that when you get home. Yeah, we know how to party folks!!

I hope to grab some pictures while at the show tonight. I have been desperately lacking in that department as of late.

7 more sleeps until our much antisipated vacation....come oooon vaca!!

It's snow time! *now with added snow!*

Of the stick-to-the-ground variety.
Yup.
Woke up to the stuff laying all over everything this morning.
We didn't get dumped on but it seems to be flaking down nice and light all morning leaving itself everywhere.

It had to be.
It will melt I'm sure. This is just a practice run, for AFTER trick or treating day.
Right Mother Nature?

That's right.

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A little example of today...this is 9:30 at night. Our back porch. No more snow is falling right now. Nothing left but the after crunch and the promise of just a wee bit more.

Time to put away the 'ol patio set I figure.

Home Team-a-Thon *the photo edition*

It turns out Stadium and Coliseum beers cost way to much money to actually get too drunk, at least for us anyway, others seemed to prove other wise last night.

Cold beer heeeerrrreeee

What a super great night. And I mean super.

It was such a surreal feeling us bouncing from gold seat at a football game too gold seats at a hockey game. I may have said the phrase "we are so lucky" one to many times last night.

Thank you Mr. Customer for allowing us to feel like VIP's for the night.

Nice a close the the action, and probably a lot warmer too.

First the Stadium....our Eskies beat out those green Riders which is good for the playoff run. As expected the fans didn't let us down....a true 50/50 mix. We were pleasantly surrounded. I got such a kick out of all the yelling and a couple of Esk fans even popping the thunder clappers of a Rider fan while he was on a beer run then every one around him giving theirs to him on his return....fun fun.
Ummm, what city are we in?

thunder clappers

Touch down Eskimos!!

Eskies won 39-24

We were pretty cold and hungry by the end of the 3rd quarter and we wanted to make it to the hockey game before it started because I LOVE IT THERE ....!!!!!!

So we left in what turned out to be a large crowd of people doing the same thing. Just a hop on the LRT and one stop later we were filing into the Coliseum for the start of what we would soon find out to be a way less entertaining game.

We were so super close to the action and aloud down into the secret cave where only the club seat members were aloud to be....a dream come true. Now I will be able to see the green green grass on the other side.

People PAY this much for one seat!!!

But oh my you could damn near smell these guys.

wa wa waaaaaaa.

BORING!! And wow, seriously ladies...that is how you dress to come to a hockey game? I was desperately uncomfortable in the sea of make up, high heels, fancy hand bags and men in shoes that are obviously way to long for their feet. Wuz up wit dat?

No picture here.

Back to the game...Our rookies had the game handed to them in a nicely wrapped whooping. OUCH. We've obviously got a ways to go in our climb out of 30th in the league. Still though, I loved it. We had a good time and I would do it again in a heart beat.

Celebrating our first goal.


Aaaand they should have called the game there. They would go on to lose 6-1.

Home Team-a-Thon

Thanks to my husbands customer dealings at our work we are going to do today something I have never done before. I have never even considered doing it actually.

Today we are going to take in a home team double header.

First we will donne our winter attire and go cheer on our climbing out of a deep dark hole Edmonton Eskimos. The best part about going to todays football game is that they are playing the Saskatchewan Rough Riders. At these games, with so many Saskatchewanites living in Alberta, the crowd is a 50/50 mix which makes sitting in the stands all that much more fun.

We haven't watched a lot of football this year so we are looking forward to some fun times sitting with the melon heads tonight.

I really don't see the connection with the team and the watermelon helmets but who am I to judge......

Immediately following the football game we will whisk our frozen runny nosed selves off to the Edmonton Oilers vs San Jose Sharks hockey game!!

Our first of the year....I know I made a pledge to not watch as much hockey this season and so far, due to other obligation and parenting duties I haven' t actually so YAY me for sticking to something for more than a week.

Seriously though, going to sit behind the penalty box on someone else's dime during a Hockey Night in Canada game...You bet your butt I will be there!! Woo Hoooo. (OMG I get so excited when the theme song starts..even the new one!!)

Tune in tomorrow to hear what happens to a person when they drink to many stadium/arena beers.

Pickled Things

It's been days......I didn't mean for this to happen. I was really enjoying posting everyday.

Sadly though most of my blogging happens at work. Wha...?! No real surprise there.

I've just been so busy.

I have been doing this same job for many years now so I have it down to an art...easy schmeasy, as long as its a a normal time line...throw in a weeks vacation and I have got myself one month of crazy busy.

It's some weird kind of science I can't explain.

Daily I may have 30 minute spurts of go go go...but generally I just do it, then its done. Do it, done.

As soon as we decided to go away for one week all bets are off. For some mad reason I have to work my tail off in order to maintain, well...order, in my one gal show while I am away. I am one gal in my department but I do have to manage 11 branches...ANYWAY!

Who cares!!!

Certainly not me right now.



This is what I care about at this second.

Me with my man, eating a variety of pickled things (asparagus, olives, artichoke hearts, pimentos, pickles) and sharing in a TGIF wind down weekend bevy. (He is actually just studying while I am cooking and blogging, but it works.)


Hasta Luego Matt & Michel.....we miss you already.

Hey Hey I wanna be a rock Star

And this is as close as I am going to get I think.

We, the Gamble/Morris family, had the recent pleasure to have some family photos taken by a professional photographer.....I COULD NEVER DO IT! I don't have the patients for other people's children. Nathan was.....challenging.

None the less, we got some pretty great shots thanks to our Fan-tab-u-lous photographer.

We are featured on her web site today! Yay.....!!

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I missed posting a Picture Fall photo yesterday on both my blog and the class picture gallery. Again. Fail.
The prompt yesterday was scattered I didn't even attempt anything but I was thinking about Lego or dominoes...that would have been fun. Puzzle pieces?
Either way, today is anew and I will see what I can pull off later....for now it is work work work. Like actual work. Believe it or not I work and don't just blog all day....well, most of the day anyway. ok!! Some of the day.

Muse

We are supposed to honour today what inspires us in photography daily.

Our Muse.

It is definitely no secret that when it comes to photography (and really the inspiration doesn't end there) Michel is my #1 inspiration.

I have always loved photography. Not necessarily the act of taking a picture but I would swoon over National Geographic photos, nature, people... things. I LOVE love magazines with beautiful pictures, fashion included but I never thought to pick up the camera and start taking the photos my self. I knew it was a lack of confidence to the extreme.

Michel gave me the push I needed. The support and encouragement to just DO IT! You don't have to be great at something to do it and have fun. Its not about being perfect, it's the journey the discovery, then comes the pride.

She is kind, patient and full of passion for her art. She never hesitates to stop and show me something new explaining it in red crayon, so to speak, so I understand. Never rushed, annoyed (at least out loud) or put out with me or my questions.

Not to mention she takes amazing photos. AMAZING!!!!

Ok ok, I have mushed on long enough...I honour you today, my Muse:

I LOVE YOU WO-MAN!!!

Bounty

I have to admit, I just didn't feel like it today.

This morning before any one else got up and the sun was streaming in the window highlighting the bounty of dust of every surface, I broke out my camera and borrowed macro lens (thank you Michel) and started shooting.

For the first time I ventured a little bit out side my pursuit of perfect light metering and trying to maintain the perfect composition right out of the camera. (I still have not ventured into the world of photo editing)

This is the shot I posted very early this morning in my Picture Fall gallery.

Bounty:
ceramic pumpkins in our house

But this is what I was really doing.....

Playing:
with light

But then the family woke up and I was back on duty. Away we went running our errands and doing our chores.

I had fun taking pictures this morning. It felt good.

Juxtaposition

Definition:

Simply stated, juxtaposition means placing things side-by-side. In art this usually is done with the intention of bringing out a specific quality or creating an effect, particularly when two contrasting or opposing elements are used. The viewer's attention is drawn to the similarities or differences between the elements.



I found it!

Juxtaposition

rocks, sky, wire, sun

Well, I found it in definition but Tracey is asking us to find a story. Take a photo consisting of two seemingly opposites that may bring two different feelings out.

I may not have done that here exactly but I see soft sky and light next to hard rock and wire. It is a contradiction of sorts.

The day is young......here's a juxtaposition:

Daniel is going up in a gilder today at air cadets. My son, who couldn't walk up steep flights of stairs because fear gripped him just a couple of years ago is going up in an engine-less flying vehicle. I never thought I would see the day...that boy has conquered fear after fear and he is only 12. I could take a lesson.

Mid-Month Message..??? ~and then there it was~

What the....?

I got all of my messages and reminders out here, so now what?

This is what we are supposed to do today...

Seek out the message you need to hear most today. Something that reminds you that you are exactly where you are supposed to be and that it is enough.

If I am looking for something to tell me I am exactly where I need to be today I won't find it here at work. That. is. a. FACT.

Oh my, I could use some help with this one...I guess it may be slightly different. Others seem to be rolling along in the gallery with little mid-month messages in the form of notes, t-shirts and phrases that grace their lives.

Here is my favorite so far today....am I allowed to share others pictures on my blog?.....I would die of pure heart-filling-up-glee to open my locker at the gym to find this:

Mid month messages.
I've been dropping little love notes in the lockers when I go to the gym, lately. Here are the ones that will be going in random lockers today.
10/15/2010

This was posted by this talented, big hearted gal, AnnGeeDee, who is a fellow participator in my month of Picture Fall. here is her flicker site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anngeedee/

Well, it looks like your not getting a photo out of me regarding this prompt, at least not right now anyway, maybe tonight from home.

Got any ideas? Inspiration of your own messages that you are enough right now, right where you are? share.

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And there it was the whole time....the message I was sure I wouldn't see at work because my mind wouldn't let me. I had my super negative force field on. My wall was up. It was as I was finally starting to shut down for the day I started to relax knowing it was Friday and the kids were coming back from their fathers house.....my negative force field was shutting down, I hate that thing anyway, I looked up and saw what had been in front of my eyes the whole day, for 5 years actually!! A simple note left on my desk one morning from the man I was falling in love with.

Out came the point and shoot from my purse:

I stumbled upon what matter when I stopped long enough to listen.

This is my most favorite at home message. It speaks volumes to me.

Unexpected Enchantment

Today I am home from work. My darling daughter Tayler is getting her four wisdom teeth removed today. Nursing and caring for someone is quite low on my list of strong suits. I crumble at the sight of blood and although I know I am a loving person with empathy to spare something gets lost in me when I see some one hurt or weakened by sickness. I freeze.
I would function much better and be waaay more helpful if some one was telling me what to do. Give me the direction and I will busy myself full tilt until that task is completed and good!

To bad for Tayler. she's stuck with me today. I hope I don't throw up when I see blood oozing out of her. BLECH!!

I am a strong confident woman!


Today's photo prompt, number 14, asks us to look back and remember the good old days. Look back to a time when things were simpler. The first picture that came to mind was laying on a bed next to my Grandpa in front of a mega small t.v. watching the (NHL) playoffs while others were gathered around the much bigger t.v. or busy in the kitchen. THE BEST!

I have no photos of such thing sadly but I do have one very special 'dude' who came into my life about 5 or 6 years ago as a birthday gift from the man I now proudly call my husband.


This is the one treasure I share with no one, no kids are aloud to play with or remove it from its place...the comfort and need for this little 'dude' near me at night boggles my mind. There is just something so enchanting about him.

Unexpected Enchantment

turtle

p.s. OMG, how the heck can I get paid for staying home!? I love it here during the day. I can't decide what to do first. I could clean, rearrange furniture, cook (or learn to better), work out, take photos, MANAGE photos, paint, bake, decorate, walk....I love it here. I could go grocery shopping during the day even! nice. I could get used to this fast.

Good Day Sunshine!

Today we are supposed to break free from using natural light to create our own 'sunshine' so to speak.

We are to channel our inner creativity to find our own brightness....using vibrant colors against contrasting back grounds for example.

Finding fun, plump, juicy bursts of colors is not something I think I will run into at work today but I will put on my ~photographer glasses~ to see what I can see. One never knows what is lurking around the corners here.....*shiver*

This morning I posted a picture of my wonderful but always busy husband surrounded by his own evening sunshine. He is constantly illuminated by the light of his laptop night after night course after course in the pursuit of his dreams.....

Good Day Sunshine! :

hello sunshine

Take Some Time Out

What a coincidence!

Today's photo prompt is titled 'Take Some Time Out' and that seems to be just what I have done for the last couple of days. yummy turkey.

Hats off to you 365ers, I made it ten days....fail!

So for today we once again take a page from our lunch time outings which also works quite appropriately into the prompt since Terry and I lean on each other so much on our brief escapes from work, it really helps break up the long days at the desk.

On the rare occasion when one of us isn't at work you can imagine how much longer a the day feels. We are very fortunate.

When old man Winter shows up we take our 'time-outs' to the closest mall.

Take Some Time Out

lunch time walks together

What Remains

Seems to be our beautiful Fall weather, that's what.
It's a gorgeous Saturday morning here in the northern hemisphere. The sun is shining and there is a breeze dropping yet more leaves onto the lawn.


Today is the day we are having our Thanksgiving turkey due to other activities and family obligations fighting for our attention on Monday. Saturday just makes sense this time around..plus..more wine, longer night, no work the next day. OH yes people I will be enforcing game time!! yaaay.


With 'What Remains' being our photo prompt for the day my first instinct was "Really? didn't we just do 'After the fall'?" seemed like the same thing to me.

It occurred to me though, as I devoured my second cup of coffee, that what is left behind is not just a leaf on a tree or the remaining petals on the roses, it maybe a little deeper.
I have some ideas as I am sure many others do and will display our photo galley today, the talent is intimidating in there at times, I will play around with this one today if my time allows.

Here's a look at what I have so far:

What Remains

always the last sip of juice

In other news....

....my beloved Oilers played their first home opener last night against our provincial rivals the Flames....

I didn't watch it.

I decided that this year I wasn't going to watch as much hockey. I was cutting back. I have other interest to explore and things to discover. For the last few years NHL season has ruled my life and our t.v. which drove us to bring in cable and banish satellite so the rest of the family didn't have to suffer through my obsession of watching alllllll 80 games.
I would plan my weeks around it. Leave things early, make sure I didn't miss the first puck drop. Even intermissions had me glued. The interviews, the replays, what was happening around the league!!

Enough!

I came to work this morning and all I heard around me was "oh my gosh did you watch the game last night?" "I know It was awesome right?"" Did you see McIntyre's fight?" "I gotta say, those rookies (first round draft pick Tayler Hall for one!!) are looking great!!" ~the last one coming from an extreme Flames fan walking among us~

*deep breath in* I'm fine, I am not missing out on anything. I am weening myself down (not off) in order to pursue a more rounded life from Oct to June....*deep breath again* aahhhh.

So when the family is over for turkey dinner this Thanksgiving weekend and the Oilers are taking on the Panthers the t.v. will (*may or may not) be off.

*Well, I am just cutting down, not cutting off, I still get to watch some games..... :o)

only 79 more games to go.

Here we go OILERS!!!!

Keeping it Simple *pictures added

It says a lot about my character when I see the title for today's photo Prompt and I start to instantly panic.
Keeping it Simple?!

All Tracey is asking from us today is to take one simple object and play with it in different angles of light. Turn it, move it around, watch how your vision of it changes as the light moves over it.

I've got nothing. I am looking around like I can't find my kid in the department store (don't judge) Looking at different objects on my desk and around my cubicle. There are a couple of things reflecting the light I guess....blah.

Here's hoping inspiration will come find me today.
Check back in later.

Keeping it Simple

with a manual shifter

and....a simple office stapler.

Doesn't the light make it look so exciting?! ha ha I know. NOT.

The quest continues.....

After the Fall *added picture

Too bad I went off on rant against Mother Nature here because those photos are perfect for today's prompt.... (I did post them in today's online gallery though because I hadn't shared them there yet)

Tracey says today that we should go gathering...on a mission to scoop up leaves and all that is left behind by Fall, on a search and rescue adventure.

Again I will head out on our lunch hour walk, camera in hand, eyes in search mode for more Fall leavings.

I really think though that I would like to wait until I get home to go on this hunt with my little guy Nathan....he has been waiting for his call into the 'game' for his chance to help make what he calls 'the word of the day' come to life in my camera.

For now I will leave you with this *shot which to me says "good-bye Fall, Winter is right around the corner" like nothing else can:

After the Fall

good-bye

*you would NOT believe the amount of geese flying over our house nightly announcing their pass over in a chorus of loud honks biding us adieu. I couldn't get my camera to focus on them as they came directly over me (I now know it is because I had my stupid auto focus on and was in such a panic to get these beauties I didn't even think about it) so far away with a tree will have to do. Untill next time birdies...

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Well, Nathan and I didn't manage to get out to look for fallen treasures of Fall. Life got in the way again. But it's all good. I found some books for the kids on for half price at the second hand store while I was out. Half off of $.50 is not so bad I think. I got a stack!

I took this picture on our lunch walk and I think it says 'after the Fall'. What do you think?