Day 104 - April 14, 2011 Computer Problems Still

I have been experiencing camera problems and computer problems still!  I tried to upload some pics tonight, but they would load.  :-(  I'll try again another night.

I finally got to post a photo; although I don't know that it came out very good.  Still, I'm just tickled that I was able to upload a photo.  Now, let's see if I can upload more.   Wish me luck!

Day 103 - 4/13/2011

Today was Honors Convocation at Spring Hill College. We celebrated our students' academic and extracurricular achievements.  In 2006, I was recognized at this very convocation.  But today, I was the coordinator not the recipient.  I put together the script, the program, the set-up, and ordered the food.

Below are photos of St. Joseph Chapel where the ceremony took place.  These photos were taken about 15 minutes before the ceremony started.  Everything was in place and the students were lining up outside on the Quadrangle near the Chapel.  The Chapel is so beautiful. I hope that you can get an idea of just how beautiful it is through these photos (but I'm not really sure that you can).

Sancturary

Altar/Sancturary



Sanctuary




Diploma/Award Table


Norma, the records secretary in the Registrar's Office, stands nearby the award table to make sure that all of the awards are safe until the procession walks through the door.  I take one last look around to make sure that everything is in place before the ceremony starts.  Everything looks fine, so now I take my seat at the back of the Chapel and wait for everything to begin. I've done my job!  It's time to sit back and watch the show.  Tomorrow, I will finish the prep work for the next ceremony--Commencement!  Say a little prayer for me!!!

P.S.  The lighting coming through the stained glass windows in the Chapel caused the photos to be a little yellowish, but I'm not sure how one would adjust for that.  I know that I couldn't.  It's a beautiful Chapel.

P.S.S.  Guess what? I just caught up on posting pics (except for the two that I really need to replace).  Yeah me!

Day 102 - 4/12/2011

Early - Cook to the SHC Jesuits

Early is the cook for the Jesuits that live on the Spring Hill College campus.  Let me tell you, this man can cook.  The Jesuits hosted a luncheon for the secretaries again this year (a little early) to say thank you!  It's usually held a little later on Administrative Professional's Day.  Early makes the best bread pudding you have EVERY put in your mouth!!!  And he always makes it for us.  :-)  We also get him to cook for us for special occasions (i.e., end of year retirements).

The spread of food (not including the dessert table)

He served a delicious salad, grilled chicken, mixed vegetables, shrimp creole & rice, croussants, and a table full of desserts (bread pudding, cream puffs, brownies, german chocolate cake, cookies . . .).  We rolled away from the tables.  It was such a wonderful time, as usual!


Becky Shirley (Science & Mathematics) Dottie Barnett (Languages & Literature & Philosophy & Theology)

I tried to take a picture of these two twice, but my camera was operating in slow motion.  So Becky told Dottie, come here!  They gave me two great smiles and waiting for my slow-motion camera to blink at them a couple of times, and vuwala - a great pic of two great secretaries!

Well, until next year!  Fr. Campbell, please keep the tradition going.  We always love being invited to the Jesuit house for lunch with the Jesuits (especially when Early's doing the cooking!)!!!

Day 100 - April 10, 2011 YEAH!

Day 100 - We did it!!!  I am finally getting around to posting my photos for the past week.  Just like Day 99, this is not the picture I had planned to post for Day 100.  However, just as the day before's photo, today's photo is on my home computer, which I cannot get to post to the blog.  So, I am posting directly from my camera, and this will have to do.  Again, stop back by if you get a chance and hopefully I will get to replace it with the beautiful bird photo that I FINALLY took.  Yes, I finally captured a bird feeding in my front yard!

I'm not exactly sure what happend to the background on this photo.  Some of the pics turned out rather light, but two of the pics I took showed up with a very dark background.  I didn't really like either of them that well, but since I don't have access to the other pics to post, I guess these will have to do in the interim.

I am enjoying seeing my rose bushes bloom, even if it's only one or two blooms at a time, since the rest of my flowers are now withered and gone.

Well, I am thrilled to have posted my 100th photo!  I am happy to have made it this far with all of you friends and neighbors.  I look forward to experiencing 100 more days of this 365 photo journey.  I have learned so much from each and every one of you!  Thanks for sharing this photo journey with me.

Day 99 - April 9, 2011

 



Melvin talking on the phone while grilling steaks.

Is this what is known as multi-tasking?  lol

If Melvin is in town on a Saturday night, we usually drive over to Longhorn's in Daphne to eat us a couple of good steaks and salad.  Time permitting, we will also end up at Bass Pro Shop for a brief shopping spree (or perhaps to look around).  But I know how much Melvin enjoys grilling and since the weather was so nice, I picked up two New York strip steaks that I caught on sale at Food World, we threw them on the grill Saturday afternoon.

He got a phone call while we were sitting outside, so I took my liberties with his camera and snapped away. I really got a lot of nice shots of him, but I chose one of my favorites to post.  And of course I had to post a photo of the great steaks that we ate that night for supper.  Don't they just make your mouth water?

Day 98 - April 8, 2011

Professor Tom Loehr & Divisional Secretary Dottie Hempfleng

Today we celebrated the retirement of Professor Tom Loehr; Professor for Communication Arts, Division Chair of Communication, Fine and Performing Arts; and the Department Chair of Communication Arts & his secretary Mrs. Dottie Hempfleng.  I took photography from Professor Loehr back in 19??  lol . . . (Seriously, I think it was 1998 or 1999).  He is a great teacher.  I learned a lot from him, but remembering it now is the problem.   Sorry, Tom!

As secretary to the Provost, I work closely with the division secretaries.  Dottie has been a division secretary for 30 years, I think.  Both Tom and Dottie will be missed.  It just won't be the same without them.

I took the opportunity to take Tom and Dottie's picture while our professional campus photographer was taking a photo of them.  Unfortunately, I cannot always see my screen that well and I almost cut the top of Tom's head off.  Again, sorry Tom!  Perhaps I got a little nervous around my prof.  Nah, I just can't always see the view screen.  I wish these little cameras had a the small viewfinder, instead of just the view screen.  Oh well,  . . .  they still looked great, and they will be greatly missed!

Day 101 - 4-11-2011



Magnolia Tree



I love Magnolia blossoms.  In fact, when I took my photography class, that was my final photo that I framed and matted-a photo of a magnolia.  Of course, I was actually looking into the magnolia.  This magnolia was a little too high in the tree for me to get a real good pic of it.  And since there were only two blossoms on the tree, well, I didn't have too many options.  Still, it was just too lovely to pass up.  Don't you think so?

P.S.  This was SOOC.  Still having computer problems, so I do not have any way of editing any of my photos when I am not able to set up the shot the way I would like.  They are what they are!

Day 97 - 4/7/2011

Although I was a good girl and brought my lunch, I met Becky at the caf for lunch as usual.  Since I didn't have any student workers today to run errands for me, I decided to go by the mailroom to pick up my mail on the way back from lunch.  While on my stroll from the caf to the mailroom, I saw two people sitting near the Grotto painting (tripod and all).  Well, my curiosity was peaked, so Becky and I walked on over to the Grotto to see who was there and what was going on. 

These two strangers didn't look like any of our students and I didn't know their instructor, but I thought . . . hmmm, this might make a nice POD.  It would be something different. So, I decided to ask this young lady if she'd mind if I took her picture while she painted.  I briefly explained my 365 photo project, and she said it was okay to take her photo.  As I looked back over the three or four photos that I took, I can see some things that I would do different next time (that is if I remember to take the time to set up my shot properly).  The more photos you take, the more you learn.  And, isn't that what the 365 photo project is all about.

Anyway, I thought that this would be a welcomed change from taking my usual pictures of flowers (especially since most of the blooms have just about faded from most of the flowers on campus, with the exception of a few rose bushes).  I am still waiting to get a photo of those elusive birds, but I am being patient.  I know that I will get my opportunity soon enough.

Day 96 - 4/6/2011

skateboarding

My photographic creativity and motivation has wained a bit during the past week or so.  Perhaps it's because I haven't been any place new to take pictures.  Most of the flowers on the campus are gone, but then, I have probably exhausted my viewers with flower photos (especially since I can't really play around too much with the dof on my camera).

Luckily, I had my camera out as I was walking across campus and happened to see a student take off on his skateboard.  Unfortunately, I was a little too far away with my point-and-shoot to get a really good shot, so I had to crop quite a bit to get a decent shot and then the photo isn't as clear as it should be.  However, the picture came out with a bit of a textured look as if it were painted on canvas.  So, I said to myself, this will do considering my limitations (and the fact that I only took two other pics today).

I have been really busy with my job, which is causing me to work some late hours.  By the time I get home and take care of some other business, I haven't had much time to visit your blogs.  I really miss that, but I hope to catch up with you soon.  Please know that I haven't forgotten you and I hope to catch up this weekend.  See you all soon!

Cheryl

Day 95 - 4/5/2011

Broken Birdfeeder

Several weeks ago, Melvin bought and hung me a bird feeder.  Unfortunately, the crazy thing didn't want to stay put.  It was held together with plastic/rubber-type staps of some sort and staples and the straps kept slipping out of the staples.  Well, I had tried to clamp the staples down tighter so that the straps wouldn't come lose.  I would also put only a small amount of bird seed in the feeder at a time.

However, we had a pretty bad storm come through the area last night.  This morning when I woke up and looked outside, I found the birdfeeder shattered on the ground.  A squirrel was nearby eating up some of the seed that had fallen on the ground, so he didn't mind at all that my bird feeder had fallen.

I'm sure that my handy-man, Melvin, can put it back together, but I don't think we'll be hanging it back in the tree as it was before.  We will be looking to find a sturdier way to hang this feeder or we will try to find another one. 

In the meantime, I will supply bird feed to the feeder next door.  My next door neighbor does not use the feeder, which was bought by the previous neighbors.  So, I decided to fill up their feeder along with mine.  I saw a bird on their feeder this morning and a squirrel on the ground eating the seeds that had fallen to the ground.  Now, to get close enough to one of those little creatures that have been evading me for so long -- birds!

Day 94 - 4/4/2011

Miss Bridget

Day 93 - 4/3/2011

Little Miss Kellyanne

I am cheating a bit today.  Yes, I must confess that I didn't take any photos today.  Church was fabulous and then I went to the nursing home to visit my mother and I had to deal with some issues when I got there, so  . . . taking pictures was honestly the last thing on my mind.  I did take this photo Saturday night, so I did take it this weekend.

My sweet little granddaughter was just so intent on her mother's voice and she was smiling at the sound of Kelly taking.  It was precious.  You can tell by the look on her face that she loves her momma!  I wish I had taken the picture showing Kelly and Kellyanne's face but, as they say, hind-sight is 20-20.

Goodnight, my blog friends.  I have tried to check in on some of your blogs, so hopefully I'm not too far behind. I have Bible study on Monday night, but I hope to catch up with everyone later in the week.  I miss you with I don't get to see your photos and the work that you have been doing.  I learn so much from each of you.  God bless each of you, and good night!

Day 92 - 4/2/2011

Hummingbird Feeder

Last year, mother and I got her a hummingbird feeder.  I had no idea when the hummingbirds came around, but someone told me that they put nectur in their feeder and the hummingbirds were swarming all around the feeder and enjoying the nectur they had put out.

Well, I thought I should clean up mother's feeder and put it out.  I don't know whether or not I have the feeder in a good place, but it's out their with plenty of nectur in it.   I always think of mother when I place the feeder out there.  I wish she were here to enjoy it.  I miss you mother and wish you were here with me to enjoy seeing the birds!

Day 91 - 4/1/2011





Light Pink Azaleas

Azaleas of all shapes and colors can be seen on the college campus where I work, as well as in so many neighborhoods.  Some of the bushes looked as if they couldn't possibly hold one more bloom, but the rain of last week has caused some of the beautiful blossom to began falling.  I wanted to take another opportunity to photograph our beautiful azaleas.  So, on my way out the door on Friday afternoon that's exactly what I did.

I have been so busy this weekend attending a Priscilla Shirer simulcast (which was absolutely awesome!) that took place Friday night and Saturday morning, then unloaded a bunch of boxes from storage (single-handedly, I might add), and then today I went to church and visited with my mother at the nursing home. So, forgive me for not getting my pictures posted. I did some, but I just couldn't manage to stay awake to post them.

Well, I have two more days to go and then it's off to bed!