Thankful - a TV Timeout

In my last post, I concluded with Ron and Ben leaving in the afternoon and a picture of our front yard at 8 pm. I should have concluded at 11 pm with... "They're baaaaack". Power was out in their Tacoma neighborhood. The brave Evans family tried to keep warm blanketed in front of their fireplace. When the cat, dog and all Ben's stuffed animals wanted to crawl in with them, it was time to head over the river and through the woods - back to grandmother's house. (Uff dah, Nana B sounds much better). I pulled out the sleeper sofa in the TV room and the family including Murphy, the long-haired dachshund, snuggled in bed next to a roaring (well, flickering anyway) gas fireplace, snow blowing outside and everybody cozy inside.

Next morning, I made breakfast for us. That's a big deal! It means opening boxes from the freezer: Eggos, all natural sausages (you never know what those will taste like), cholesterol free scrambled eggs from a carton and prune juice. Okay, so the rest of the family had orange juice. I'm the prune juice person in the house and if you haven't figured it out - not a "from scratch" kinda cook. People do scratch their heads over some of my dishes, however.

Courtney tried to turn on the TV while still cozied in bed. But alas, it was not to be. The screen would give a flicker of hope and then turn itself off. Of course this also meant the wrath of grandpa Scott for touching his Harmony remote and then pressing buttons on the cable box and the TV to try to fix it. Ron and I were the culprits in that effort. (Hope Scott doesn't read this; we denied everything). After Scott spent an hour on the phone with Comcast, even he threw up his hands and we called the Geek Squad. (We'll probably see them sometime in January). So - no TV. What would we do?

We talked and laughed - most of Tuesday (Ron's truck is worthless on ice) and Wednesday until they left for home. Ron and Scott told story after story of their youthful adventures, each one trying to outdo the other, of course. Courtney and I got in a few stories when they took a breath. At one point, Ron was holding the very heavy TV he'd taken off the wall so I could read the serial number to Scott who was on the phone with the Geek Squad. I was trying to shout the numbers to Scott in the kitchen. It was even harder reading the numbers because Ron was laughing, the TV was bouncing up and down as he held it and I wear bifocals. I started laughing so hard I couldn't breath and shout out the numbers at the same time. "No, not 770, it's 700! No, not F as in fat; it's F as in Frank!"

More than once, we commented on how grateful we were for not having TV - we were family. Even more gratitude was expressed when Ron volunteered to prepare the rest of the meals. www.BonnieKingPhotography.com 

Nana B, Ben & Snow!

8:00 am. This is my first official day as Nana B! I did take care of Benjamin two pounds ago (he's now 14 lbs at two months old), but with supervision from his dad. Ron had undergone a medical procedure October 18th and was too whoozzy to be lifting the baby while Courtney was at work. I volunteered to play Nana for Ron and Ben. With slurred speech and half open eyes, Ron made sure I did everything just right, particularly the swaddling - which according to the book, Happiest Baby on the Block, is one of the five secrets to maintaining new parent sanity. 

Today, I'm on my own. Scott will be here, but you can bet he won't be hovering over the diaper changes. And to mark this auspicious occasion, it snowed yesterday. We still have a skiff (love that word) on the ground, so I'll be letting Ron and Ben in through the lower level garage door (whoops, we call it our "studio"). Ben and I will be playing in my office all day. Of course, he'll have many pictures taken by the grandma photographer.

11:00 am. More snow! Ron spun his way up the driveway and into the neighbor's yard before stopping. Ben was nonchalant about the snow thing, but was definitely up for a bottle - right away! Ron left for his appointment. It was Ben, bottle, picture taking (lots) and rocking by grandpa Scott and me.

He's growing so fast, his hair can't keep up. A month ago, he had lots. Now, he's looking more like dad every day - receding hairline.    


Noon. Ben proved to be a great model for his 2 month pictures. When he was four days old, I took a picture of him in the basket. My how the basket has shrunk!

2:30 pm. They left. Ron wanted to get home before it got icy again. Ben was not in the mood to sleep once his dad got back. He was too busy listening to our conversation, wondering who the big dog (Bella) sniffing him was, taking in all the new sights and thinking about the snow day he'd spent with grandma.

8:00 pm. Snow.

More pictures of Ben at bonniekingphotography.com

Hang On, Enjoy the Ride - and Say a Prayer

My daughter Kendall wrote a beautiful post to her family blog, Sweetness of Sunshine, this past week. It was about the fear she feels when things seem out of control. She's a planner, a list maker and task-oriented person who knows how to get things done. And she's also a worrier when things don't go as planned.

Her pregnancy has been a challenge. First, she and Jon hadn't planned to have a child this early in their marriage, but they are definitely excited about the prospects. Second, Kendall is having pre-term contractions which have her on modified bed rest and not able to continue teaching as long as they planned. With the passing of her step-sister, Krista, in early October due to complications in child birth (see my post on amniotic fluid embolism), she is understandably nervous. Her blog addresses all these unplanned events and reminds us where we have to leave our worries. With God.

Does that mean she won't have fears and worries. Uhmmmmm... Probably not - since she inherited those genes from her mother and father. Her sister, Courtney, also has the same traits. The good news is when you're feeling totally out of control and things are just not going as planned, you have to let go - and let God. There's not much else to do.

I've finally learned that over the years, in part because of my husband Scott, who is Kendall and Courtney's step dad. They say that opposites attract. Well here we are! I'm about checking off the list; he's about adding to it. I'm about status quo; he's about change. I'm usually about the destination; he's all about the journey. Along the way, I've learned to hang on, enjoy the ride - and say a prayer.

Kendall's Blog:
http://www.sweetnessofsunshine.blogspot.com/
www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

Scott Haverly

My husband of 16 years is an interesting and interested man. His latest interest is recording. He actually traded one of the loves of his life, his Harley, for a recording studio. He is coaching a client as I write, on how to do voice over work. He also does instrumental and vocal recording. All things electronic are his passion. The number of "gadgets" the man has accumulated attests to the fact his health is much improved and he's doing things, once again.  Scott's life has been a multi-faceted journey. Following are excerpts from a list he composed some years ago of the things he has done - Really!

Fathered four children. Traveled through seven countries in Europe on a push-bike. Lived on a sailboat. Piloted a helicopter in combat. Attained the rank of Captain of Infantry in the US Army. Married three times. Almost drank myself to death. Attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Survived open heart surgery. Earned and wore the Green Beret of the US Army Special Forces. Jumped out of a perfectly good airplane (with a parachute).

Sold Life Insurance and commercial real estate. Won a Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism. Had my leg amputated. Wrote a novel. Been a motivational speaker. Stayed three days in a Scottish castle as a guest of the Lord of the Manor. Buried too many buddies during the Vietnam conflict. Acted in an off-Broadway play in New York City. Had a television talent show with my siblings. Sang backup on a record for a British Rocker near King's Cross in London. 

Walked beside the Berlin Wall. Wept at the sight of Marie Antoinette's sewing table in Hollyrood Palace in Edinburg, Scotland. Attended the Highland Games in Inverness, Scotland. Faced the barrel of an East German soldier's machine gun. Attended an anti-nukes rally at Trafalgar Square in London. Stood near a wall at the Tower of London where kings, presidents, prime  ministers, and movie stars have listened to a beefeater guard talk about Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I. Visited East Berlin and felt the oppression and fear of totalitarianism. Sat alone in Sir Isaac Newton's pew at Cambridge University Chapel. Listened as a lone bag-piper played Amazing Grace at sundown at Inverness Castle in Scotland. Stood on perma-frost above the Arctic Circle on a moonlit night at sixty-five degrees below zero and listened to wolves howling in the distance. Spent a night (or two) in the "hoosegow".

In recovery for nearly 30 years.

Photos: bonniekingphotography.com

Vintage Hats & Classic Women

Last week one of my WIT friends and I took a road trip to the Cedar Chest Antique Mall in Renton. (Click http://bonnie-king.blogspot.com/2010/11/women-in-transition-wit.html for more about WIT). Luella was game to be a vintage hat model along with friends, JoAnn and Linda. Bev, one of the owners, also modeled. The inspiration for this photo shoot was my friend Joann. She invited me to see the shop a few weeks ago and once I spotted the hats, I knew it would be great fun to take portraits of classic women in the vintage hats. I wasn't disappointed and the women had a ball wearing the furs and hats from days gone by.

Bev Franklin shared with us that she has been in the antique business almost 40 years. Her mother was an antique dealer also. She knows the business. Her partner of several years, David Olds, like Bev, was more than hospitable to us. They have a special corner of the shop called "Pretty Woman" with a wonderful assortment of vintage clothing. This includes a wonderful collection of hats dating from as early as the 20's (the straw hat Bev is wearing) through the 50's (modeled by Luella, JoAnn and Linda).

The shop is meticulously arranged with a vast array of wonderful finds. There is even a Western section in addition to other antiques, including furniture. You'll see some of the pictures on my website, bonniekingphotography.com, taken with the model's reflection in a beautiful antique dressing table. The album can be found in the Glamour and Business categories.

The shop is located in downtown Renton at 916 So. 3rd St, Renton, WA 98057. Call 425-271-0511 for directions and information.

Perspective & Traditional Korean Dress

"Nine feet back. You must stand nine feet back to take the picture," my new Korean friend said adamantly. She was sure that I would not be able to get a full length photo of her beautiful traditional summer and winter Korean dresses, unless I was much farther away. Perhaps the last time she had pictures taken, that was true!

Fortunately her sister was watching the photo session. I was able to show her in my preview screen that I could stand close and get the desired result with the lens I was using.

The following information  is from a web site about Korean traditional dress: www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/clothes/clothes.cfm.   

Traditional Korean clothing has its roots extending back at least as far as the Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C. - 668 A.D.), as evidenced by wall paintings in tombs dating from this period. The Korean hanbok represents one of the most visible aspects of Korean culture. The top part called a jeogori is blouse-like with long sleeves with the men's version being longer, stretching down to the waist. Women wear skirts (chima) while men wear baggy pants (paji). Commoners wore white, except during festivals and special occasions such as weddings. Clothes for the upper classes were made of bright colors and indicated the wearer's social status. Various accessories such as foot gear, jewelry, and headdresses or hair pins completed the outfit.  

The darker dresses are winter attire; the lighter one, summer. Kyung wore foot gear, one headdress, and beautiful pins with each dress. Although she wanted full length photos, I so admired this classic woman's face that I did take a few close ups. You would never know this lovely lady is 78 years old. She proudly told me so.

Her perspective - I was too close to get the best picture. My perspective - I was in just the right place to capture her beauty.

For more photos of Kyung: bonniekingphotography.com

Women in Transition (WIT)

This year I reconnected with Mary Beth, a friend I hadn't seen for years. We caught up at a Master Gardener plant sale in Puyallup and I introduced her to my good friends, Janine and Susan, who are also Master Gardener Interns, like me. We discussed our transitions and from that conversation, the idea of WIT was born.

The WITee women meet monthly for breakfast at Charlie's in Puyallup to discuss what's happening in our lives and to support one another in whatever our latest venture might be. We're a diverse group, but have really clicked. Ardith is recently retired and encouraging her husband to do the same so they can travel. Luella is already doing some traveling. Susan, a commercial interior designer, is looking for a new passion. Janine is working on a new career in wedding floral design and small business office management. Kim, who wasn't at this breakfast, is also looking for a new career opportunity. There I am, the one who managed to get the camera to take the picture without someone holding it or a tripod! That was good for a laugh or two.

Last , but not least is Mary Beth, who will soon be off on an incredible journey in her new/old RV. She's heading south and turning left to Florida for a few months - all by herself. As she put it, "From Seattle to Tampa, following the sun." She has established her plate route, starting with an early Thanksgiving dinner in Oregon. We'll all be following her on her new blog, Mary Beth's Road Trip.

Is there a time when women aren't in transition? Nonetheless, this  common thread has given me the opportunity to make new friends and spend a couple of wonderful hours with them every month.

There will be a couple of empty seats at the table in the next few months. Want to join us? www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

Old Dog Bites Older Photog

I like animals. We have two: Calvin and Bella. Calvin is a pink Siamese cat and Bella is our lab/greyhound mix. Unfortunately, Kirby, our almost 20 year old poodle passed away in August 2010. Neighbors, Janine and Joel, have two dogs: Hank and Paco, who are like family too. But I learned the hard way, not all animals like me!

I was surprised and pleased at how many residents of the Senior Housing Assistance Group (SHAG) communities have small dogs. During a photo session at one of the apartments, I photographed three residents' pets. One of the women didn't want to be in the pictures with her dog, so I used Photoshop to remove her.

Leone's dog, 12 year old Rico, wasn't sure about being in a strange room with a strange person, bright lights and far too much going on. I made the mistake of trying to get him out from under the bench Leone was sitting on. She wasn't able to bend down and pick him up, so I assumed he wouldn't mind me doing it. That was not one of my brighter moves; I should have known better. The resulting bite to my left thumb which required Neosporin and a bandage were certainly not Rico's fault. He was just scared. The show did go on,  pictures were taken and I was the one apologizing to both Leone and Rico.

The life of a photographer who goes where the action is! See more pet photos under Collections: Pets at my photo web site, bonniekingphotography.com.

It's that Age Thing

"It's that age thing," explained the medical assistant as she was taking a blood sample this morning. I laughed and laughed telling her she had just given me another post idea for my blog! I was about to have a CT scan as follow-up to surgery I had in July. When I asked what it was for she said, "It's the age thing," and explained anyone over 60 has to have a blood draw first to make sure the kidneys will get rid of contrast dye administered during the procedure. I passed the test, but never thought I wouldn't.

In fact, I don't think of myself as an age. I often have to subtract my birth year from the current year to remember how old I am. I know some of you are saying, It's that age thing. No really! I'm not an age, I'm a person who is blessed with good health, lots of energy and - Oh my goodness - so much to do! My daughters recently gave me the compliment of a lifetime. They said, "Mom, you make old not look so old any more." What a difference! At age 5, my youngest daughter, Kendall, loudly proclaimed on my 40th birthday, "Mom, you're ancient!" See - I'm getting younger, not older.

Because of photography, I've met a lot of wonderful "classic" women 60 and older who are vibrant, full of life and ready to do things in their lives they may not have had a chance to do earlier on. Pictured here are women who fit the description. They range from 60 to over 90 years young. You can see more pictures of these beautiful women and many others in the Families, Children & Pets Album at bonniekingphotography.com.

Low Down on MowTowne

I'm embarrassed to admit that I am a Master Gardener Intern. Ten weeks of classes earlier this year and about 100 hours of volunteer time in 2010 and look at how my own yard suffered! My passion for photography, taking classes, life events, and lots of rain got the upper hand in the past few months.

The good news is that I met John Towne (253-219-9246) in the Master Gardener classes. My son-in-law Ron decided to get out of the business, so I called on John to help me play catch-up with my yard. Given the wonderful job that he and Shane did, I've asked him to contact me about a contract after the first of the year. John has been in the business since he was 12, mowing the neighbors' lawns. He paid his way in college with money from landscaping jobs and finally a year and a half ago, he decided to invest in the business and make a go of it. He is doing very well and I know why. His work is professional, his rates are reasonable and he's just a really nice guy. You can see more pictures of his work on his Facebook page - John Towne.

I use certain locations in our yard as backdrops for photo shoots, so I really want to keep it up. Here are the before and after photos.

Take a look at some of the couples' pictures under Families, Children & Pets on my photo web site and you'll see how the yard has been used as a backdrop: bonniekingphotography.com

Baby Shower for Kendall

Baby Shower Tips and Trivia

There have been lots of baby showers the last several months, two of them in my home. I Googled in desperation before my older daughter Courtney's shower in August and learned how to help the mother-to-be get her thank you notes done - among other tidbits. Have all the guests write their name and address on thank you note envelopes when they come in the door and at least part of the work is done. 

I had a thank you note from Courtney within a week after her shower. However, she confessed at Kendall's shower that was about as far as she got before Benjamin was born. I believe she's still working on wedding thank you notes, but she has a year, right?

And did you know that the party for a second or third child is really a sprinkle, not a shower? How's that for a trivia question! It's assumed the larger baby gifts were given at the first shower, so the second or third shower's purpose is just to fill in what was used up - or something like that.

If you want to play a game that's sure to get some laughs and probably leave wet spots (don't make assumptions; just read on). Buy tiny plastic babies and freeze them in ice cubes. Put the cubes in clear plastic cups. While presents are being opened, give every guest their baby and tell them to see who can deliver first. It's up to the guest to figure out how best to warm the ice cube - as modestly as possible. Kendall, being the fun loving and competitive person she is, won by placing her baby cube in her ... (This is a public site. If you want to know and know Kendall, ask her). www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

Senior Housing Assistance Group (SHAG)

This past year, I've had the privilege of taking pictures of Senior Housing Assistance Group apartment residents. I've met some very interesting and fun people. My friend Shannon, on the left, is one of those people. She's become my "agent" at Boardwalk II in Olympia helping to promote the photo days. While Shannon and I knew each other before we both retired from state service, we've become even better friends since then. 

Shannon is pictured here with her "sister" Pat. Since they're mistaken for each other, the two decided to call one another sister and have fun with it. When I was there on Thursday, we all decided it would be a good time to photograph the sassy sisters. When I asked them to tilt their heads closer together, Pat told Shannon she was going to get her cooties. That started it. They couldn't stop laughing. You would have thought they were school girls, not great grandmothers. I love this work! You can learn more about SHAG at www.housing4seniors.com. See more photos of classic men and women on my photo website, bonniekingphotography.com. 

Twins: Double the Fun

Anyone remember the old jingle, "Double your pleasure, double your fun with Double Mint, Double Mint, Double Mint Gum?" I've been doubling my pleasure and fun lately by taking pictures of twin boys every month. What a fantastic assignment!

My photography services were given by members of the local Puyallup Kiwanis Club as a shower gift  to the parents of the boys. Ted was president of the club when the boys were born, so the twins are officially referred to as the Kiwanis Babies. Matthew and Nathan were born in April, but I wasn't gifted to them until time for their two month shots (pictures, not punctures). We just finished the six month pictures. Oh the torture! They just weren't crazy about being stuffed into pumpkins or having to wear green bean outfits - or were those peas?? The pumpkins were my idea, but beautifully carved by Ted. After the shoot, he turned them upside down (pumpkins, not boys), carved a mouth, and put them to work on the porch welcoming trick or treaters on Halloween.

Our next photo session will be the weekend after Thanksgiving. We'll be doing a November theme and Christmas theme in the same sitting, so they can use pictures for holiday cards. I'm always open for ideas - anyone? Only 7 more sessions to go! 

All of the twins albums can be found at bonniekingphotography.com

Kids and Costumes

What's Halloween without costumes? Just another excuse to eat. So when the chance came to take pictures of kids (and a dog) in costume, I was there. Photographing children doing their own thing is a real joy - and I got to eat food prepared by someone else, one of my other greatest joys. 

My stepdaughter Summer and her husband Michael have two children, Addison and Margo, and they go all out when it comes to kids' parties. They amaze me! They are both working parents and still make time to decorate, bake and feed a couple dozen family members and assorted friends. Are these two huggable or what?!

There are more pet and children's photos at bonniekingphotography.com