Why It Is Ok to Get a Live Christmas Tree... Harvesting My Tree

It's that time of year again, Christmas and time for one of my favorite traditions, getting my Christmas tree. Yes I get a live tree and love it and there is nothen wrong with getting a fake tree. I understand a live tree isn't for everyone, you may be allergic, not like the up keep and clean up, don't have the extra to buy a new tree every year, what ever your reason that is fine, but it isn't ok for me. I love the look, smell, fill and memories that come with a real tree. Before I get into memories and tradition, there is something bothering me. I have seen on social media a few comments made about it being bad or wrong to get a live tree, what, no it isn't!

Why I feel it is not wrong or bad to get a live tree... as long as it comes from a farm, that is. I have seen comments like, I think it sad to see a perfectly good tree be cut down or you shouldn't cut down a tree for Christmas, really is it wrong to cut down corn or soybeans on farms too? No it isn't, so going to a Christmas tree farm to get your Christmas tree is not wrong either. Why, because those trees are planted, trimmed and groomed all year long to be sold at Christmas time and then new trees are planted in their place. So, there is no loss of trees in the end, just like a farmer harvest their corn and soybeans in the fall and replants them in the spring, the same process is done on tree farms. Also, if that tree farm wasn't there most likely those trees would not be there. This year I got my tree form 4-H Camp Ohio (Woodridge Tree Farm) and I remember when where they now grow trees it was just open grassy fields. A lot of time tree farms are planted on land that may be hard to grow traditional crops, due to reasons like step hills or not the right type of soil.

I grew up with live trees and have many of great memories from them. Growing up we would go to southern Ohio to Dickess Tree Farm to get our tree. Dickess tree farm is on land that was my great grandma's families original homestead and farm. I loved going there with the family, running the hills, picking out a tree and visiting the family there. My dad would get nice big trees, some times so big we had to tie them to the wall to keep them up and then we would all help decorate it. That is where my love of live trees comes from and thou I haven't been able to make it down there since I started buying my own trees, it is still my favorite place and best memories of getting a tree (hope some day to go back, it is just very far from where I now live).

There is work to having a live tree, you have remember to water it and make sure it doesn't dry out (don't want to have a fire), the the cleaning up after it goes out and that is not for everyone. For me I think it is all worth it for the memories that come with a live tree and supporting local farmers.

A Walk on Campus... Thinking Back to Photography School



OSU Library on our tour,my little college
could fit in the attic of it.


 Last Saturday I got to go to the OSU vs. IL football game with some friends, Go Bucks! For the most part only one of the friends in the group went to The Ohio State University, I am not counting the three Continuing Ed classes I took once, so only one graduated from OSU. It was a cool but nice fall day on campus, we got there early and decided to take a walk around the campus, most in the group hadn't seen the ins and outs of it before. The cool part is we got Dan's Historical education tour, when he went to school there he took the time to learn all kinds of cool facts and history of the campus. As we walked past the many buildings once again I thought back to my days in college and how I didn't experience the "campus life" when I went to college and I sometimes think "should I have done it different?".

Before I answer that let me go back and give a little of my school history... in the ninth grade I took a photography class in high school, I already had a strong interest in photography from taking it as a 4-H project. One day in that photography class the teacher, Mrs. Hixon, showed a video of a photography school in Dayton, Ohio and I thought that is where I want to go to college. Four years later I was a senior and looking at colleges, I thought I should look at more then one before deciding, I looked at three. I looked at two art schools that offered photography and then that school from the video four years back. There was no doubt in my mind where I wanted to go, the photography school. The Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology (OIP&T), it was small, but had everything you could think of for photography. It had portrait studios, commercial studios, dark rooms, a camera and equipment check out... yeah the equipment check out really had me hooked, I could use, try and learn on all different kinds of photo equipment with out buying it first, how cool was that!

OIP&T the building I went to college in.

I spent the next two years going to college there, yes it is only a two year school, but I felt I didn't needed more then an associate degree to do what I wanted and still feel that way today! The school was about 45 minutes to and hour from my parents house and you could work out a schedule to go only two or three days a week. There was no housing for such a small school, so my parents and I didn't see the point in me moving to Dayton, I lived at home and commuted to school a few days a week. This is why I sometimes regret not having that "campus life", I didn't walk to classes, I never lived in a dorm, I never had the opportunity to be in sorority, or go to sports events, etc. I made friends at school, but not being there all the time I didn't make those life long best friends from college, you know the ones that hold your dress for you at your wedding when you got to pee. Even with missing all those things, I wouldn't change a thing!

I do not feel I should have done it different, because of what I learned when I was there, I don't think I could have learned as much about photography and portraits any where else. I have heard comments before like, "why would someone need to go to school to be a photographer?", why because there is A LOT to learn. When I started school I thought I knew a lot and that I was a good photographer already, yeah I was a good hobby photographer, but I was not a professional photographer. The first quarter of my college life I realized there was a lot about photography I didn't know! Did you ever ask your math teach in high school, "when will I ever use this in real life?" I did, thinking I would never us algebra as a photographer... Ha ha, learned other wise real quick, you need to know math and formulas to get good lighting and exposure.

I am by no means the greatest photographer out there, but I think I am good photographer. Two of the biggest things I learned in college was lighting and posing and those are key things that can set apart a professional portrait to a hobby photograph! With what I learned in school I will never regret my decision almost 15 years ago to go to a small two year school rather then a big campus.

I did go back a few years ago to college, but I think I will wait and tell you about that another day... if you want to see some of work you can check out my website www.cindysportriats.com Thanks.

A Long Week, But God Always Gets Me Through

Last week was one of my favorate weeks of the year, 4-H camp week. Since the first time I went to camp as a kid I have loved it! Because of my love of camp over the years I have gone to many of different camps, learned lots of things and made many of lasting friendships. Now that I am in my 30s there of course isn't too many camps for me to still go to, but I do. I am on adult staff for my local 4-H Jr. Camp. I work with the camp counselors and other adult staff for about six months planing and getting ready for this one week of the summer. All want is it to go good, be fun, safe and the kids to leave there with the love for camp I had so many years ago. Well, last week camp went good, for the most part, but personally not a good week.

To start out I had been out of state the week before for a conferance for work, it was good, but left not much time to get ready for camp. Then my almost free weekend turned full and busy, the Sat. before I had no plans... of course it didn't stay that way. In the morning I went to an auction to try to buy some stuff for our county Farm Bureau, it was hot and long like auctions can be. The good news is I got a milk shake maker for the fair booth. Then I went into work for a few hours to get cought up from being off and going to be off again. Then to top it off I DJ'd a wedding, yep you read that right I played DJ. A friends sister in law needed a DJ, theirs cancelled and so I helped out and played music. No I am normaly not a DJ, but I do know how to run the equipment and didn't mind helping out for a wedding emergancy. Sunday was Father's day and I had lunch with my dad and other family, then spent the rest of the day getting ready for camp... O and baking for the market too.

First day of camp was Monday and didn't go too bad, for a first day. Things ran late, as they can, camp picture was taken and that was long, hot and hard... they just didn't want to set still this year, but I got it. Tuesday, well I woke up to find some sad news on facebook, a friend went into labor at only 20 weeks so they would not be able to save the baby. I knew all I could do was pray for her and her family, she is now in FL so I was sad I could not go be with her, but asked God to comfert her.  Well then I left for a little while, decide I didn't want to miss the farmers market two weeks in a row so I left to go to it. Then didn't sale much and wasn't worth the trip, but had no way to know that before hand.

Wednesday was when it really started going bad... went to town to get some items for camp, first couldn't find 15 blue matching table cloths in Troy (I am sure thanks to graduatioin just a few weeks ago), then my car broke down. Yep, thats right car trouble, it always picks the best time to happen (thou I don't think there is a good time for car trouble, lol). Car wouldn't stay running, stalled out every time I slowed down or stopped. Well, got it back to my house with lots of stops and Dan picked me up and got me back to camp. Of course I left things for camp in the car without realizing it then. Wednsday ended good I finaly got to lead "Making Rain" at our campfire, in hopes to get real rain soon.

Camp Canoe Trip Group

Thursday was good for camp we had our 2nd annual canoe trip with the last year camp counslors and campers. Of course with the lack of rain these days the river was very low and we had to get out and walk a few times, but all in all still a good trip. Thursday is also banquit night at camp, brings me back to thouse darn table clothes, yeah had to to buy three different types and of course some was not the right size, but we pulled through and made it work. It was the last full night of camp so emotions are all over the place and I was working on my slide show when it was time to end evening rec, well at that point I was tired and in a hurry and did something to mess my computer up. Yep, no computer now, before I went to bed I tried to get on it and it wouldn't fully boot up and open windows, I turned it off in hopes that when I got up it would be over this problem.

Nope, Friday morning, still no computer witch means no slide show and no car, so not sure how all my stuff is getting home and O yeah, I have animals coming to camp and still no real plan to what to do with the campers when not visiting the animals. Can we say stress, good thing I can stay calm (haha). I broke the news to the camp director that there may not be an end of camp slide show (when the parents come to pick up there kids we play it with all the pics from the week), but would do what I could. Animals got to camp and we got the kids through and for the most part it went good and was enjoyed by most (fyi we had an animal theme this year). Then another adult staff had to go home so he took me and a load of my stuff home too, so I could get my car towed to the mechanic and try to put together a slide show in a few hours. Car was off and I get out my very slow old computer...4 hours later we had a slide show, not the best and the computer was chugging through the music, O and it locked up about 5 or 10 slides from the end, but we had a slide show and camp was over. Dan and Grant helped me and the rest of my stuff get home, big Thanks to them.

It is now a week later and I am still recooping from all that, but as always God is blessing me and getting me through it. I knew it would work out, but didn't know for sure how or when, but I have great people in my life and things have been coming together. A good friend came and got my computer to work on it and has it back up and going, so if you are near Midway, OH look up Budget Geeks on facebook and give Sean a call. Car has been at the shop all week, but I trust my VW guy and know he will do a good job and not rip me off, but it is a costly fix. I go to Jon's Auto in Marysville, OH a VW shop ran by a very nice couple out of there home and he is very good, so if you got a VW I highly recommind them! My throttle body sincer is bad, so it isn't telling the computer when the car needs gas or not, why it was dying. Soon it will be running good agian, I get to pick it up tomorrow and pay the bill. That is where God has been blessing me, I have had some photo jobs come up and every little bit helps to pay for the car repair (hope the jobs keep coming too). Thanks to Dan for letting me drive Big Blue this week (the farm truck, Dodge 2500 desiel), it cost more to dive then the Bug, but glade to have someone to help me out and loan me it to me to get back and fourth to work! Thanks to everyone and most of all God Bless! Remember on bad days to pray and keep your hope up, it will get better in time.

(Sorry if spelling is bad, if you know me you know I can't spell and then just my luck the spell check on here isn't working right now.)

Living with Mono... Somedays easy, somedays not

It's been a while since I have wrote and there is a few reasons for that... one been busy with lots going on in this busy time of year and then the fact that when I have free time all I want to do is sleep and I get to say thanks to Mono for that.

For a long time I have struggled with being tired, but this winter it got to the point I struggled all day to stay awake and all I wanted to do was sleep. When it got that bad I decided it was time to go to the Dr. and find out why. Well the good news was all the things I thought could be causing it, was good and then he told me I have Mono. I thought wow, ok so what do I take and then the Dr. informed me there is nothing to take just need sleep and he gave me suggested vitamins to take. I have heard of Mono, but didn't know anything about it. The Dr. told me a little and then suggested looking it up online and read about, so I did and continue too.

The week he told me I took off work early and went home to sleep getting about 12 hours or more a day and was feeling better, but not ok. After that first week life had to go on, since then I try to go to bed early and it keeps getting earlier and earlier (between 8pm and 9pm is normal these days and anything after 9:30 is late and I pay for it the next day). I have upped my vitamin intake based on things I have read and take a nap when ever I can, not much else I can do, problem is not much time in my life naps. I found out around the end of Feb. and March is a busy month for Farm Bureau stuff, conferences, meetings, dinners, trip to DC, etc. Then next is spring planting time and working in a seed warehouse you don't get time off in Spring and now we are going into summer, witch means, 4-H Camp, Steam Show and fairs coming up.

In the last few months I have experienced many different things and the more I read and research Mono, they are all because of it. I will be thinking I am doing better and then one day it just knocks me down again... Easter weekend I had two shoots and a wedding on Saturday, felt fine then. Sunday at church and Easter dinner it was all I could do to stay awake. But it's not just the being tired, a few weeks ago I woke up on a Thursday and my glands where swollen and then the next day, Friday, my spleen was hurting to the point I couldn't sit comfortably. The Dr. explained to me about the spleen being enlarged and need to be careful around it, but that day it must have been trying really hard to fight the infection. From day to day I don't know how I am going to feel or what to expect. The things that I have to deal with almost every day is tried, sore throats and stomach discomforts... yep I have had bowel movement problems, bloating and stomach upset from it too. Not that I want to talk on all that but I thought can all this be from Mono and the more I read, yes. I also thought is it normally to take this long to get over and  once again from what I read yes. I am thankful for the Internet and medical website, but also for blogs and discussion boards where I have been able to read about what other have gone through and know I am not the only one.

For now I am about to fall asleep, I look forward to the day I am over this and back to normal... till then if you wander why I don't go out or go to bed early, this is why.

Vintage Camper Remodel to Start Soon

Lets start with a little of my camper history... I grew up going camping with my family in pop up camper, after I got out of collage I wanted a camper and the one thing I knew was I didn't want a pop up. At the time, 2001, I was driving a mini van and wanted something small I could pull with it. Most people told me it would have to be a pop up, I proved them wrong. One day my family got together at my cousin Carl's house and just around the corner was the smallest camper I have ever seen for sale. My dad and I looked at it and he said I could pull it. It was a 1964 Serio Scotty camper, only about 10 or 12 long but a man 6'1' could stand in it (in the center). I loved that little thing and took it many places, some of my favorite trips with it was when my now ex-husband and I took it to Kelley's Island (a week with two people in it got tight thou). As much as I loved that little thing I wanted something just a little bit bigger and it needed more work then I alone could put into it, so last winter, 2011, I sold it and started my search for something else.

Me and my Scotty in 2006 on Kelley's Island

Finally last Aug. right in the town I live in I found a camper for sale in my price range and almost just what I was looking for. I bought a 1963 Holiday Rambler, it is 15' long and much taller all round then my last one. Most of the inside had been gutted, but that's ok, that is what I wanted a good shell to make and layout how I wanted inside.

Last weekend the camper got moved to my parents farm so that it can go in the barn for me to start working on it and remodeling it to be ready to use this summer. I have laid out my floor plan (pictured) and found examples of other camper remodels of what I would like to do. For the most part I just want a nice bed and storage on wheels, a place to sleep and get in out of weather if needed. I have decided to put in a full size bed (after a long debate to put in a futon type sofa bed). The camper table booth is still intact and I'm keeping it as is and was given cushions out of another camper to recover and use... right now I am thinking about recovering them in red with one front panel being pattern print of some type. I want cabinets with a small sink and counter space for my camp stove to set on if I would need to cook inside and I have a microfridge to go in there with it. I want to leave the other side open for more room, except the cabinets above that are there now. Then cabinets or shelves above the bed and that is about it, very basic... I still like to ruff it a little.

I can't wait to get started, hopefully some this weekend, been collecting all kinds of ideas on Pinterest and Camper Part websites... will post updates as I go.

Welcome 2012

It is Jan. 24th and I am asking myself where did this month go? We are almost through the first month of a new year... a new year, what does that mean? To me I hope it means a year of new beginnings and things in my life. I am not really one to make New Years Resolutions, but I did give myself some goals I would like to complete this year. How is that going so far I ask myself, not to bad... for only 24 days into the year and 342 more to complete my goals.

I am happy that I have already completed one step in one of my goals and it was a very special one to me. I have a goal to get caught up one my scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking that is, I kinda just stopped in 2009 and haven't done any since. Witch it didn't help last year, towards the beginning of the year, my computer dead and I didn't have everything from 2010 backed up. I know, I preach about how you should back up your files and then I got behind and didn't and I paid the price, also learned from it. I knew some of the images I could track down from friends I had given copies too, but not taken the time to do that. I am very happy to say I know have a completed 2010 scrapbook! I got an email at the first of the year from Mixbook (a digital scrapbook printer I have used a few times before), the email said I could make a book from pictures on my Facebook page. Well I had most everything I had lost on my facebook, so to work I went and I am so happy to have those memories in print to now show and have. Now to finish that goal I need to do 2011 and finish 2009... Not a problem I am motivated now!

Another goal I set is plans to do some fix ups and little up dates around my house. I have plans and been getting ideas off of Penterest.com for things I think shouldn't be to hard or costly, but give it that face lift it needs to try again to sale it and maybe this time it will sale.

Why do I want to sale... I love my little craftsman home, but I don't love where it is. This girl was made for the country and can't wait to get out of town. Also would like to be closer to my work and studio, that are both an hour away from me. Last year I thought I might stay where I am and that it could be good for me, but as I look back on the past year I have decided other wise. I think it is best for me to move on when the time is right... time will tell I guess and all I can do is pray for the guidance of when and where to go.

I have already in this short 24 days into the new year had some changes come and new but old things come into my life that I am looking forward to seeing what may come of them... in the mean time as I start my projects on my house I will post them and how they go.