(no subject)

[madshutterbug]

I've been telling myself I need to make a posting; it's true. I've got a monkey on my back, I love to read. That can include everything (and has, at times). I've read the fronts and backs of paper currency, cereal boxes, shopping coupons, and even junk mail when I've needed to read something while engaged in (TMI Body Activities), for example. Journaling is an extension of that.

So it both amuses me and annoys me when I start thinking I'll start a journal entry off with the classic cliche "I've been bad lately and haven't updated." Hence, I haven't.

Found this link on another web community I visit; Community Zoe. There's a discussion section there and occasionally people get bent out of shape because the discussions stray away from photography (and specifically fine art nude photography) to things political. Well, guess what folks, fine art nude photographers and fine art nude models are People, and they've got interests other than the fine art nude. (Surprised?)
The link is interesting to me because it isn't Blue, or Red; it's one of the other colors that would have needed to show up if they'd received a greater portion of the vote than they did. I'm glad to see the report about it, I'm glad they're asking for the recount, I'm particularly glad it isn't either of the two Big Parties, and I'm interested in the results. I don't think they'll change much, though one never can tell.

On another front:

One misia posted her rendition on this in her journal, here: Past, Present, and Future Tense. It's not exactly a meme, it's not exaclty a lemming... it did make me think. I've been doing a lot of that lately. I'll drop it in here as a series of questions I could stand to ask myself, as a progress evaluation tool.
10 Years Ago I:
Added some out-buildings to our ranch.
Expanded on my educational experiences as an RN.
Became much more a geek by learning to program a database. (This led to where I am today - literealy - and what I'm doing as a RN.)
Served as the president of my local AORN chapter. (Another step on a path to a goal.)
Traveled to Michigan to visit my parents for a week and a bit. (This proved to be the last time I saw my father alive.)
Began the long strange trip of raising hogs on the ranch.
5 Years Ago I:
Killed a dog which was killing my goats. It wasn't the dog I wanted to kill, as the dog was only doing what the species is genetically built to do (hunt, and kill, and eat the prey); the dog wasn't being supervised by it's owner, and that lack of supervision was chronic.
Renovated a kitchen before a new tenant moved in.
Went to AORN Congress in San Francisco. I do enjoy travelling, and I enjoy San Francisco. It's been a long time (now) since I last went there (this trip). It had changed a lot since the trip previous to that one.
Went to Denver, also AORN related (my first term on a National AORN Committee, and another step on a path to a goal).
Purchased a new laptop.
Purchased an old tractor.
Added another outbuilding to the ranch, one for SWMBO to use as a sewing/crafts cottage.
Seriously resumed my photography, by which I mean not only making the images themselves, but learning what I need to do to get my work out into a public viewing.
So Far This Year I:
Achieved a goal of being elected to national office in my professional nursing association, AORN. (It's still also only a step on a path...)
Made more photographs in my Healing Art series, and both displayed a poster on the subject at a national nursing conference and presented on the topic to an artists group and a nursing group.
Worked with another model in an outdoors setting, an aspect of nude photography I need to explore more.
Survived two hurricanes.
Experienced the death of my brother.
Tomorrow I Will: Go to work at hospital, God willin’ an’ the creek don’ rise... past that I’m not at all sure.
In 1 Year I Will: Lord Only Knows.
In 5 Years I Will: See Previous
The last two are cop-outs for the particular time of day I’m addressing this.
But then again, they aren’t really cop-outs at all. I don’t know where or what I will be doing in one or five years. I know what I’m planning on doing, at least within some limits. The truest answer, though, is the one I put down. I don’t much care if you, dear Reader, believe in a single deity, no deity, or multiple deities. Equate the word Lord with Fate, or Karma, it’s not my problem. The future is a blur, an unknown, a direction we are traveling.
So, to do a projection (part of that self-evaluation aspect):
In 1 Year I Will: Travel to New Orleans for AORN Congress (as an elected officer, I'll have work to do this time).
In 5 Years I Will: Now this time, I'm really a lot more unsure. By five years time I will be (if I'm still employed where I currently am employed) one year away from a 30 year retirement package. That's almost a frightening thought... but not so frightening as that I may still be "learning" how to get my artwork out into a public viewing. If I'm still around in five years, I'll be three years younger than my brother when he died.

But enough maudlin musings. I will add one more cut:

Not sure I'm an avid "filker" but it does surface occasionally. My introductions to filk came in the Society for Creative Anachronism, and it came as not surprise to me discovering that SF fans at cons indulged in filk as well.
You may (or may not) apply the melody from "Yellow Rose in Texas" to the following:
Little Ranch Called Playpen
I've a little ranch called Playpen, southwest of Hoggetowne Creek.
It’s of it’s fine fair bounty that I am going to speak.
There’s cows and goats and pheasants, and the chickens are quite big,
But it seems that what we’re known for, is mighty tasty pig.
There’s a little pig at Playpen, that I am going to eat.
Nobody else can cook him, except my darlin’ sweet.
She’ll roast him on a turn-spit for a golden crispy skin;
And when I’ve eaten piggie, I’m going to eat his kin.
They’ll be the star attraction at a big old barbeque.
That’s why they’re on the Playpen (this ain’t no petting zoo),
For chops and hams and shoulders, and let’s not forget ribs;
But if you don’t eat piggie, then we’ll just roast some kids.

I've got work to do.