Tag Archives: Monday

Saturday Work

Saturday Work

My son-in-law commented the other day that his boss won’t let him have Memorial Day off work.  I laughed because he too is self-employed.  Today I have Saturday work to do.  My boss is a slave driver.

With me it is a day when I can either be busy with clients all day, or a day when I catch up on the administrative stuff because I was busy with clients all week.  Either way, Saturday is not a “weekend” for me.  It’s a “workday” in every sense of the word.  My “weekend” day is Monday.

Belonging to a trade organization (Professional Photographers of America), I’ve noticed a huge shift.  When I first joined, I was employed full-time and my photography business was on-the-side.  About 90% of the PPA events were held Monday-Friday in my area.  This meant if I wanted to attend, I would have to take the day off.  I was OKAY WITH THAT!

Now, there’s a disturbing trend to hold events on Saturday and Sunday.  It is disturbing because Saturday is the busiest client day of the week, and if it isn’t, then it is the busiest admin day because you had weekday clients.    And, I don’t do that stuff on Sunday because it’s the Lord’s day.  So, it is disturbing on two levels.

Then there is the social aspect.  My friends who work 9-5, Monday-Friday, jobs don’t fully understand why I work Saturdays.  Well, it is because they work Monday-Friday, they can’t come in for a portrait session with their family on a Wednesday at 11am.  Instead, they want to come in on Saturday at 11am.

As a result, Saturday’s are a premium to me business wise.  Just like they are a premium to church-going Christians as a time to spend with family, they are a premium to me because I have bills to pay.

Brainwashed

I believe there are a lot of people who have been brainwashed about what a democracy is and how it applies to our country and U.S. politics.   This was brought to my attention when the local superintendent of schools said the local school district is a “pure democracy”.

Hogwash.  It’s a democratic republic.

A “pure democracy” would be a government where every decisions was put to a vote of the people qualified to vote.

A democratic republic, on the other hand, is where through the democratic process, the people qualified to vote elect representatives who then make decisions.

In a republic, a select few (i.e. the school board) make the decisions.  In a democracy, everyone qualified to vote makes the decisions.

The irony is, when it comes to the school board and school taxes, it seems to be taxation without true representation.  Here’s why…  Only property owners are taxed, but anyone over 18 can vote.   Thus, those who are taxed are not represented by the voters who don’t pay taxes.   So, if it were a “pure democracy”, a couple of things would have to happen.  1)  Only people who pay taxes would be qualified to vote –or– anyone qualified to vote would also be subject to taxes.  2)  There would be no school board.  Every decisions would be voted on by the qualified voters.

I’m not anti-school board, nor am I anti-taxes.  Let’s just not call it a democracy.  (And, I would like to see a change on how school revenue is generated.  The current process is greatly biased.)

Monday Again

Monday Again

Is it Monday again?  When I was young and I would get sick, it seemed like time just came to a stop.  Now that I’m old, it seems it just passes me by.

I’ve been participating in this private group on Facebook called LDS Emergency Preparedness.  The group is supposed to be focused on helping each other do food storage and prepare for other emergencies.

In this group, there are some people who confuse revelations given to early saints with what is to come in our days.  There was a conference talk about this a while back as well as talk about the “gather” in section 115 of the Doctrine and Covenants.  I guess it pays to study your scriptures and to be able to recognize and say to yourself, “Oh, that was talking about the saints going to Missouri in the 1830s to build Zion THEN.”

It also helps to be able to see when something is talking about Zion in terms of the church, or Zion in terms of a specific location.  When I read of people who think EVERYONE will be heading to Jackson County, Missouri, I worry they miss understand who will go.  Then, when they try to convince others that is the case, it gets out of hand with people trying to figure out how they can carry all they need to carry, on foot, and make the trek.

I remember a Sunday School teacher as a teenager who taught that.  It was years later that I realized there was no doctrinal basis for her teaching.  She had us all convinced that EVERYONE would have to WALK to Jackson County because right before the second coming all modes of transportation would be destroyed and we’d be commanded to go to Missouri and build the temple there.  But, when you read the 115th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants you realize that is not going to be the case.

Perhaps some of them sleep during General Conference.

Monday not Tuesday

It’s Monday, Not Tuesday

Some how my brain jumped track today and I was thinking it was Tuesday.  I had to remind myself it’s Monday, not Tuesday.  I guess the upside to that is I have an extra day this week.

A job got postponed this morning so it meant I had the morning for mowing the lawn.  Because I use the grass catcher, this is a half-day affair.  If you go to fast with the grass catcher attached, the chute will clog, and it is a pain to unclog it.  So, you have to take it nice and slow.

Monday not Tuesday

Newly Mowed Lawn

Now that it is all cut, a nice rain would help keep it green looking.

Oh, and the crabapple trees are in bloom as are the lilacs!

Monday Not Tuesday

Lilac In Bloom

The blooms missed Mother’s Day by a day.  It’s too bad, because they always remind me of the song (which reminds me of my own mother)…

Whenever I hear the song of a bird
Or look at the blue, blue sky,
Whenever I feel the rain on my face
Or the wind as it rushes by,
Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by a lilac tree,
I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heavenly Father created for me.

He gave me my eyes that I might see
The color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears that I might hear
The magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart:
I thank him reverently
For all his creations, of which I’m a part.
Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.

 While I was mowing the lawn, I just happened to spot this little guy in the garden.  These things grow to get pretty big.  He must have just hatched.

Monday not Tuesday

Turtle

 

After I got the lawn mowed, it was time to get some work done for my presentation next Monday.  I spent the rest of the afternoon working on a presentation for the temple missionaries.  Sorting through 5000 photos of Israel is not an easy task, and remember what day certain photos were taken on, that’s even more daunting.  But, I managed to muddle my way through it all.

First Monday July 2012

The day started with the First Monday Event.  (http://www.palmyra-ny.com)   There were three of us.  It seems a lot of people are taking an extended holiday with Independence Day being mid-week.  But, we had fun.  The theme of today’s First Monday was Patriotism.

Mailbox Dons American Flag

Patriot Pinwheel in Window Display

Palmyra History Museum’s Patriotic Bunting

Next month we will be taking a road trip.  They are aways fun.  To sign up go to http://www.Palmyra-NY.com and click on Workshops and then select 2012 from the dropdown.  You can also sign up via FisheyeConnect.com.

God Bless America!

It was too hot to mow the lawn today.  I’ll tackle it on Wednesday morning while it is still cool and on a day when there’s nothing else for me to do.  It’s not worth killing myself in this heat.

I managed to make some cucumber-lime-mint jelly, some rhubarb chili sauce and some sweet pickle relish.  All turned out great.

Cucumber-Lime-Mint Jelly

Monday, Monday

The Mamas and the Papas sang about it.  For some, it is the day after three evenings of partying and playing hard which means recovering from their indiscretions.  For others it is the start of a new work-week.  For me, it is my get-things-done-day:  mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, house repairs, etc.  The only problem with one day a week to do all this stuff is you get worn out.

I had to visit three stores today to get my shopping done.  (Oh, and that reminds me to come back to my experience at Lowe’s.)  I made a trip to Lowe’s to get stuff for the garden, house and yard.  Then, I went to Tops to get some items they had on sale.  From there, I went to Wegman’s for some items they had on sale.  Of course, after getting all that stuff, I had to come home and unload the car and put the food away.

When I got done putting the food away, I realized I was out of gas for the tractor.  It was back on the road to get the gas cans filled.  (There is something unnerving about driving around with full gas cans in your car.)  Getting the gas isn’t the hard part.  It is pouring the gas from the can in to the tractor.  Two gallons of gas weights nearly 20 pounds, and you have to hold it in an unnatural position for several minutes while it slowly empties in to the tank.

I wonder if I would get a ticket for driving the tractor to the gas station?

Back to Lowe’s…

I bought the only brass wood screws in the size I need (#2) that were not tapered heads.   They did not have pan-head screws, and the round head screws were only slotted – no Philips.  I really wanted Philips because they are less likely to slide out from underneath the pressure of the screw driver.

Given I have lots of these to screw in, I went looking for a screwdriver bit for a #2 slotted screw.  Not only did they not have any, they only had Philips, or Philips with large (not small like a #2) slotted bits at the other end.

I miss the days of being able to go to a hardware store and find exactly what you want.  I also miss the days when you could say, “I want a #2 pan-head Philips screw in brass,” and have the person understand what I am talking about.  I asked for a slotted screw and the guy looked at me like, “Huh?”  You have to point to a package and say, “See, ‘slotted’.”  (It says, “Slotted”, on the package.)  Only to have him say, “Oh, straight.”

No, I want a crooked screw.

We live in a day and age where people at the hardware store don’t know the difference between a spade and a shovel, a cross-cut or rip-cut blade, a Philips and a slotted screw head.  Heck, we call sweet potatoes “yams” in the grocery store.  I guess it is a sign of our times.

—–

Here are the next 5 things to do while in Palmyra…

  • Dinner at Nima’s Pizza (best calzones around)
  • Walk the village streets looking at the various old houses
  • Stay a night at the Pamyra Inn (Rt. 21 & Temple Road)
  • Stand on the old part of Stafford Road between the Smith frame and log homes, while looking at the L.D.S. Temple while the sunsets (or rises)
  • Go bird-watching near the canal

First Monday – June 2012

Today was our First Monday Event.  If you don’t know what that is, on the First Monday of each month I get a bunch of people together with their cameras and we go take pictures.  Old, young, pro, just starting, it doesn’t matter what level you are, you are always welcome to a First Monday Event.  We also have prizes and freebies from our sponsors.

Waterfall at Watkins Glen

Today was a photo hike up Watkins Glen.  This beautiful New York Stake Park is one waterfall after another.  Every turn has a new fall.

Another Watkins Glen Fall

It was a little damp, but we had a great time.  There were four of us who participated this month.  (Probably the leasted attended thus far, but probably the BEST one thus far.  The two new guys had a great time, as did the rest of us.)

A Colorful Scene at Watkins Glen

Visiting Palmyra?  Well, you’ll really miss out if you do not take time to visit “The Glen”.  Stay at the mansion, and for an extra small charge, I’ll drive you on a tour of Watkins Glen and a few other sites, as well as provide you with some photographic tips and copies of some of the images when we return.  Just tell Elizabethe when you book your stay, “We’d like db walton’s Watkins Glen package.”  You’ll be glad you did.

5 More Things From 101 Things to do in Palmyra, NY

Continuing my list…

  1. our the E.B. Grandin Building (217 E Main Street)

  2. Visit Alvin Smith’s Grave (Old cemetery on Church Street)

  3. Buy fudge at Candy Corner Fudge Square (205 E Main Street), Say, “Hi”, to Les & Joan

  4. Buy a used book next door (207 E Main Street)

  5. Buy postcards at Latter-day Harvest House (213 E Main Street)

  6. Shop for antiques at Brickhouse Antiques (247 E Main Street)

Don’t worry about compiling the list.  First of all, I’ll post all 101 and more when I reach the end. 

When Visiting, Where Do You Start?

When visiting Palmyra, too many people just breeze through here.  A recent guest at the mansion commented that it took her nearly 3 hours to walk through the Sacred Grove, and she had thought she was only going to be there about an hour.  (Folks, the enjoy the grove, plan on spending at least 1/2 the day there!  Oh, and do it after you’ve had a good rest, not after driving or flying all day.)

For the next little while, I’m going to post 101 things to do in Palmyra.

To answer the question, when visiting Palmyra, where do you start, here’s the start of my list…

  1. Walk through the Sacred Grove (Stafford Road) – give yourself 2-3 hours if you want to walk all the trails and to sit and meditate in the grove.

  2. Tour the Smith Frame Home and Log Home (Stafford Road) – Add another hour to your visit to the Sacred Grove.

  3. Hike the Hill Cumorah (State Rt. 21) – If you are going to hike it, an hour.  Driving to the top, about 20-30 minutes to walk around and see the top of the hill.

  4. Visit the Visitor’s Center at Hill Cumorah – add about an hour

  5. Tour the E.B. Grandin Building (217 E Main Street) – about 90 minutes

As you can see, if you do all 5 of those things in one day, it will be a full and busy day.  Can you see them all in an afternoon?  Yes, but you’ll be rushed and won’t be able to enjoy them.  I really recommend taking your time, especially when you go to the Sacred Grove.  Nothing can ruin a walk through the Sacred Grove like feeling you need to hurry to catch your plane, or get on the road to be somewhere else.

In fact, my recommendation for these first five items are as follows:

Schedule a full day.  Get up at the crack of dawn and head to the Smith Farm and go straight to the grove.  Take your time.  Bring your journal with you.  Bring your camera.  Just enjoy being there.  There are many benches throughout the grove where you can site.  (Oh, and put insect repellant on before going.  If it is warm weather, you do not want to be “bugged” by the bugs.)

After you are done in the grove, walk to the Welcome Center and request a tour of the Log and Frame homes.  By the time you are done with those tours, you will be ready for lunch.  (There will be recommendations for food establishments on my list.)

After lunch, visit the Grandin Building (213 E Main Street), and take the tour there.  You might also want to put your head in the bookstore next door and pickup a bunch of postcards.

From there, head south on Rt 21 to the Hill Cumorah.  Tour the visitors center, and then hike to the top (recommended) or drive.  Once on the top, spend some time pondering what took place at that very place.  Bring a copy of the Book of Mormon with you and read Mormon chapters 7-8, and Moroni 9 and 10. 

By the time you’re done on the hill, you’ll probably be ready to have dinner and spend an evening relaxing.   If not, check back tomorrow as I continue my list.

The Hill Cumorah, Palmyra, New York

Our heat wave broke today.  We had quite the thunder shower around 1:30pm today.  One clap was so loud I about jumped from my chair.  The bang was so crisp and loud I could tell it was very close.  We needed the rain.  The lawn was starting to look brown.

Memorial Day 2012

Memorial Day 2012

I thought this photo fitting for today as we remember those who have died in the service of our great nation.  Many of our politicians have forgot why this country was founded, and why so many men and women have fought hard to preserve our freedoms.  We broke away from the tyranny of King George of England.  We’ve defended this land against the England, Spain, France, Japan, and others who would robbed us of our freedoms.  Today, we remember those who spilt their blood that we might remain free.

—–

After some work in the garden, Elizabethe and I headed to Sam’s Club to stock up on a few items.   It was down right hot outside.  The car thermometer read 102 as we left Palmyra heading to Rochester.  That’s too hot for May.  In fact, that’s too hot for Western New York.

Again? I Just Cut It!

My reaction today was, “The lawn needs cutting again?  I just cut it!”

I skipped using the bagger because I’ve ran out of room to dump the clippings.  I’ll need to see if the village picks up grass clippings.  I know they pick up branches and stuff like that if you place them at the curb.

They are also re-paving Main Street (NYSR 31) in front of our house.  I’m riding along on my mower and hear this thumping noise.  It sounds like a vine or something has attached itself to the blade and as it spins goes, “thump, thump, thump…”  I put my foot off the gas and it stops.  I give it some gas, and it starts again.  It wasn’t until I took of my ear muffs that I discovered it wasn’t coming from the mower, but the jack-hammer being used in front of the house.

—-

After mowing and shopping for groceries, it was time to fix dinner.  I made a delightful garlic chicken cream soup.  Wednesday I’m going to turn the leftovers in to a chowder.

—–

I attended SMUG MUG tonight.  The speaker was the owner of Jag Studios in New Haven, CT.  She was an interesting young lady with dreadlocks, and colorful language, but she taught me a lot about engaging clients.  Can’t wait to put it to work on my clients.