Sunday Sabbath July 3 2016   STUFF HAPPENING

Too much stuff happening to concentrate on a blog.  Probably too much stuff happening for anyone to read a blog.  So this will be short and sweet.

 

CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE

By Kathleen Martens

July 3, 2016

 

The Fourth of July comes every year

And is a day to commemorate and rejoice

The Independence from Great Britain’s rule

By the continental Congress’ voice.

 

Legal separation of Thirteen Colonies

A memorable moment in the history of our land.

Through the Declaration of Independence

The United States of America would stand.

 

A great anniversary from the founding fathers

To celebrate devotion to *God Almighty,

As well as with parades, games, and guns,

Solemnized, and never considered flighty.

 

So much history lost through the years,

Second hand information never best.

Let what is written in the annals of time

Speak the truth with zest.

 

Our country was founded by those who believed

Our country was to be founded on God

Through the years those principles changed

And most do not even think it odd.

 

So as you enjoy and celebrate

The freedoms we still have intact.

Pause a moment and give thanks to our Maker,

For God is real! And that’s a fact.

 

My prayer for our country:

Thank You God for the freedoms we have experienced in this country.  I pray that Your continued presence would be over our land.  Please protect the freedoms that our ungodly leaders in the secular world are trying to take from the citizens of our amazing country.  Allow Your presence to awaken anew and become alive in those who lead this country that we would stand strong and mighty as the Christian nation upon which were founded.

HAVE A GREAT FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION!

*The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.  I copied this from the website.  Please see the words highlighted in RED ink in regards to what I have written in my poem about God. 

“During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule.  After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:

‘The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.’

Adams’s prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.

Historians have long disputed whether Congress actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day”.

 

HAVE A GREAT INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION REGARDLESS WHICH DAY YOU CELEBRATE!  I AM CELEBRATING TODAY, JULY 3^RD AND TOMORROW JULY 4^TH.  I AM GETTING READY TO DEPART TO A NEIGHBORHOOD CELEBRATION PARTY!

 

Saturday July 2 2016  A LONG WEDDING DAY

Arrived home a short while ago, put all my equipment away, ate a snack, and turned my Iphone on for the first time since I left home this morning.  And there on my phone was an email informing me that I had no blog published for today.  And you know what?  I hadn’t even thought about it once today and I would have gone to bed without bidding a hello and farewell had it not been for that email!  So, here I am.  No topic yet so I am just making small talk.  However, I do have a very interesting story to tell about something that took place yesterday but cannot do it justice until I have a rested brain. 

It was quite a successful wedding session.  It went smoothly, was extremely long, and quite involved with all the stops for photos between the ceremony and reception.  Michelle seemed happy with my work and I was certainly happy for all the post production work I DO NOT HAVE on my agenda.  So, we were both happy. 

 

NO CARDS TO DOWNLOAD

By Kathleen Martens

July 2, 2016

 

A wedding celebration

Lasts but one day.

But for the photographer

Work won’t go away.

 

The bride and groom

Happy and thrilled.

The photographer thinks

Their future hours all filled.

 

Late night work

With hundreds of clicks

As our fingers work keyboards

Lickity Split.

 

And oh, I was happy

To just say goodbye.

My work was over.

I heaved a big sigh.

 

It confirms my belief

I’m ready to sell,

To bow out gracefully

I’ve decided to tell.

 

So glad I’m the assistant

And no more late nights.

And no more frustrations,

For me to fight.

 

And now off to bed

No cards to download.

And I’m looking ahead,

At an entirely new road.

 

Thank You God for the opportunity to work today and be with someone I love working with.

Thank You Lord for Your favor and blessings on this day.

Thank You also that all our equipment worked perfectly.

And God, thank You for toilets!

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU THIS LATE NIGHT.

Friday July 1 2016  THE PHOTOGRAPHER HAS AWAKENED

Today I am back in the photographer mode.  My day has been, and will probably be, used up entirely with the task of preparing my equipment for the wedding I am assisting at tomorrow.  My daughter has cautioned me that in today’s world I should not refer to myself as “a second shooter”, but rather as the assistant to the primary photographer.  So, since I don’t want to get arrested or be put on a NO-FLY LIST, as of now I am an assistant photographer, photographing a wedding, not “SHOOTING” a wedding!

I had forgotten how time consuming it is.  With all else that has been going on at our place today is the only day I set aside to prepare everything.  And since I haven’t used my equipment for awhile I must check every single function on my equipment that I will need to use, as well as refresh my memory and fingers to recall all the functions.  I will not be responsible for taking all my lighting equipment but some of the attachments I will need so I can function with the equipment my friend has.  We use a remote lighting system and each camera must have its own attachment.  If even one small piece is left out of the equation it can call a halt to the entire shoot.  (Oops!)

After all the cleaning, checking, and packing, when I prepared for a wedding I actually had a check list to go through to make certain that no item was left behind.  Something as simple as an attachment the camera needs for the tripod can cause a glitch.  I packed at least two of each items and for some things I had more.  That meant two cameras, two flashes, two light systems, two cords, extra light stands, backdrops, and all the little things like the transmitters and receivers.  Formal sessions are done with studio lighting, the ceremony with natural lighting.  Often the rooms are dark and tripods must be used so the camera lens can be set to stay open longer to allow more light into the camera.  Lots of flash used in other venues and at the reception.  I usually go through at least $60 worth of Lithium, fast firing batteries per wedding.  Some weddings (such as the 10 hour weddings) would use even more.  Tomorrow’s event is only an 8 hour working contract but that means about an eleven hour day from leaving the house to my return.

And now I am in my office going through camera cards and preparing them for tomorrows use.  What I am doing takes time on another computer so I thought I would use this time to do my blog, which isn’t really a blog.  Remember, I am supposed to be on a self indulged sabbatical as far as writing blogs until July 4^th.  But, I just thought you would like to know how it is I keep busy.

 

WELL, WHAT DO YOU DO?

By Kathleen Martens

July 1 2016

 

I thought life would be easy

Once I retired.

I’m not down for the count

But rather refired.

 

When I say I am busy

I’m asked, “Well what do you do?”

I’m perplexed to answer.

Oh, if they only knew!

 

Never a day happens

Not filled to the brim.

No one would believe

What I could tell them.

 

So I just write my blog

Cook lots of food,

Go through closets galore

And be in a happy mood.

 

I workout at the gym

Wash toilets and laundry

Dig in the soil

And collapse on Sunday.

 

I learn new programs,

And edit my work

Water my gardens

And try not to shirk.

 

Occasionally I sweep

The floors in my house

And clean the traps

With a dead mouse.

 

Knock down cobwebs,

And mop my floors

And once a year

Scrub each door.

 

The windows right now

Are simply left undone.

I haven’t had time

To do something that fun!

 

I prepare three meals

Each and every day

So we can stay healthy

And have energy to play.

 

But as it happens

We have no time to romp.

So we work real hard

And occasionally stomp.

 

I even shower

And wash my hair,

And iron the clothes

That I wear.

 

And there is so much more,

Like appointments to keep,

Dentists and doctors,

And orthotics for feet.

 

And Medicare and insurance,

Funeral arrangements too.

And all the financial

We must be careful to do.

 

“Just exactly what is it I do?”

Probably the very same things

Which you discovered

That YOUR retirement brings.

 

For you see

The only ones who ask

Are the young who “work”

At one simple task.

 

Like Dave said

A “real job” he needs,

So he can escape

All the household deeds.

 

But the one thing we love,

Is to set time aside

To be with our grandsons

With arms open wide.

 

That is the favorite

Thing that we do.

And even those moments

Are always too few.

 

God, thank You for the years I’ve lived that has allowed me to retire.

Thank You that I can still do what I love to do.

Thank You God for each and every moment I live.

Thank You Lord that I am busy and have purpose.

Thank You for my husband.

Thank You too for walnuts.

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY AND GOD BLESS YOU!

P.S.  I’m ready for the photographer to go back to sleep.