Here is the entry where I boast my fool head off so if you've heard enough of me blathering on about my photography, I suggest you wait for tomorrow's entry or skip down to the part about Brownies (the little girls, not the delicious dessert items).

I finished my photography class today. ::sigh:: I really loved that class--could you tell? The way our critiques went, each student took a turn putting all of the pictures he or she did during the term and then we all commented on the photos, asked questions, and the teacher made comments and asked questions. Most people put up between 10 and 20 pictures so I felt kind of conspicuous when I put up 52. I needed to have help putting them up because it was taking so long. The students made jokes like "she should have put a little more effort into this class" and "I hope you don't grade on a curve."

The teacher said lots of good things about my photos and so did my classmates. Later, three different students came up to tell me how much they liked my photos and one woman and I chatted for quite awhile. She said "why did you take a Photo I class when you are obviously an experienced photographer?" When I told her that I'd never taken a photography class before, she didn't believe me. Then she said, "Well you're definitely the best photographer in the class. We all think so. That's what people say when they talk about you." Talk about me? No way. "Yeah," she said. "Surely you knew what people were saying about you." Truthfully, I didn't know. I just go into the darkroom and churn out my prints. It was really nice to hear her, though. Gosh, it made my whole day. The overwhelming class favorite photos were the ones I did of my dad playing pool. Won't he be delighted to hear that?

One student, I think her name is Kim, who I sort of made friends with and whose work I really like, told me today that she is getting an enlarger for Christmas and setting up a darkroom in her basement and she invited me to use her stuff. Man, that definitely appeals to me. I'd be happy to share the cost of the chemicals to be able to work in a darkroom that isn't inhabited by dimwitted students with poor darkroom etiquette who dent my photos. I think this will be GREAT!

Enough of the photography talk.

Tonight was the inaugural meeting for the new Brownie troop and their moms. The leader, Dulcinea, is one of the room moms for Joey's classroom. I believe I've mentioned her before. Her home is very beautiful--black granite tile countertops, cherry kitchen cabinets, maple hardwood floors, and beautiful furniture. And her home is decorated within an inch of it's life with Christmas stuff. Ohmygosh--I can't imagine the number of boxes of Christmas stuff she must have! It was like you'd see in a Better Homes and Gardens photo spread for a December issue. I didn't really believe anyone actually put that much stuff up in their homes. She's one of those love/hate people, though. I mean, she's very nice and there's really nothing not to like there. And she's wildly involved--she's the room co-mom for each of her 2 children's classrooms, volunteers weekly in each classroom, is now going to be the Brownie leader and who knows what all else she does. Man--it's amazing. But her daughter is a spoiled little girl and her home is very fussy and she is sort of ostentatious and makes me feel like I live in a college apartment or something. She's a bit older than me--maybe 8 or 9 years--but she makes me feel like a kid or something. I don't quite know what it is about her that does that. I'm not easily intimidated, and I don't think I'm intimidated by her--I just feel like perhaps she looks at me like I'm still a kid so I feel that way myself. It's strange. I can't stand her daughter, though, that much I know for sure and when I don't like a person's children, it makes it hard for me to like/respect the person.

Tomorrow I'm in Joey's classroom in the morning and in the late afternoon, I need to be at the Festival of Trees Gala Night where they have the benefit dinner and auction off the trees. I'm kind of excited about that--I've never gotten to go to auction night. Of course, if they don't like my tree, I'll be really embarrassed. Yikes--this could be stressful!

Later...

--L