This, that and the other

I had a post scheduled for today but it was kind of a sappy story, and I think there’s been enough sap on this little blogspot this week, so I thought I’d throw together a random post with a few tidbits.

My camera: Thanks for the comments on my post the other day about my camera behaving crazy. After the camera lady did her magic on it during my lunch hour on Monday, I brought it home and it worked like a dream that night. Took it out Tuesday night…nothing. Gr!!! Sooooo, I took it back to the repair shop on my lunch hour yesterday {seriously, the trip to the camera shop takes up my entire lunch break}, handed it to her and what do you know? It worked just fine. This time I was a bit wiser and asked her to please keep it and have the guys in the shop look at it anyway. “Oh,” she replied, “It’s probably the shutter button. Those do wear out after a while.” You think? {Reformat the disc every time, my foot.} Anyway, I’ll know tomorrow afternoon if it can be repaired and what the cost will be. How inconvenient.

My nephew: I’ve talked about my musician nephew, Ryne on my blog before, and I’m super proud to announce that he has released his first solo cd.  I received my copy in the mail on Tuesday, and I listened to the whole thing with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes – especially the song about his Great-Grandma Bessie and how his dad (my brother, Tim) and our cousins loved being at her house. My brother sings harmony on that song, and it was so awesome to hear a recording of their voices blending so beautifully. Carrie and I are going to his release show this weekend (Doug’s attending a high school reunion) and I plan to pick up another copy of the cd to give away on my blog soon. I’ll also let you know when the music becomes available on iTunes. {You can like Ryne on Facebook by clicking here.}

My new niece: Well, there's a new niece in the making. My brother Ron and his wife Ryann are expecting a baby girl next February. I thought all the baby-makers in our family were done, so I’m super excited about welcoming this little peach into our family. Anyone who knows me is fully aware of how much I enjoy being an aunt. Oh my gosh, my mom would have been so excited to have another little granddaughter!

Blog friend visit: Some of you may know my blog friend Cheri who lives on the other side of the US from me. I’m excited to say that she’s going to be our house guest at the end of this month. Some may think it’s strange that I’d feel comfortable hosting someone in my home that I’ve never met in real life, but blog friends will understand the comfort level. I have plans for a fun and busy weekend for us so, Cheri, I hope you’ll arrive well-rested.

And in other news:

♥ I’m participating in Fiona’s Friendship Quilt and have mailed my first completed block to our sweet Abi in the UK. I’ll share more about the project, as well as photos of the square I made once I know that Abi has received her package.

♥ I can feel myself slipping into holiday mode and I'm starting to dream about treats that I typically only make in November and December. {Douglas, I know you don’t want a lot of sweets around but, sorry dear, it’s about to happen.}

♥ With the absence of my DSLR I’ve been using my iPhone camera a lot and actually enjoying the challenge. It’s allowed me to concentrate more on composition without worrying about other settings and that’s kind of a fun change. For a while. Until my good camera is fixed.

♥ My weekly yoga class is awesome and even though my shoulder is sore as a result, it's a different kind of sore. I think it's helping! And after six weeks of practice I'm feeling so much stronger, and so very happy that I made the decision to go back to a regular practice.

♥ I made it through my mom’s anniversary yesterday with flying colors. I’ve found that it’s almost impossible to remain really sad when there are all kinds of amazing vibes being sent in my direction. Blog friend comments, some sweet emails, tons of love on Facebook, texts from my siblings and cousins… I swear I know the best people on the planet.

And there you have it.

All happy, no sappy.

♥