Adventures in Camera-ing

Have you ever wondered what happens to film that has been sitting in a camera for 3 years? Me neither...at least not until this weekend.

I lost my amazingly awesome digital camera on our way home from Nebraska. Fortunately I had downloaded the Nebraska trip pictures onto the computer while on the airplane so I didn't lose any of those pictures, but I was really, really bummed about losing the camera.

After checking with every lost-and-found I could think of and making "last-ditch effort" personal visits to each of the lost-and-founds at LAX, I conceded defeat and ordered a new camera. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to make it in time for pumpkin carving, Halloween costumes, harvest festivals, etc.

Chuck likes to joke that among the Shike Family, if it isn't photographed, it didn't really happen. I suppose there is a little bit of truth to that statement. After all, how could I possibly let a Halloween go by without a camera? It would be a travesty...

And then it hit me. I have a film camera. Somewhere.... It took a while, but eventually I found it! And it still had film in it. Hmm...I wasn't sure how long it had been in there but I figured it was at least 2 and a half years old. Would it still work?

I used up the film this weekend and got it developed this morning. It turns out it was from December of 2008. And as a general rule, I wouldn't recommend leaving film in your camera that long.

Here's a crop of the first picture on the role.

Mihret at Nana and Papa's House, December of 2008

And here's a picture from this weekend of the girls and pumpkins.

Pumpkin Carving, October of 2011

On a related note, any idea how difficult it is these days to find film to purchase?

Coming Soon (that is, once the film gets developed and then I get around to uploading them from a CD to the computer and then get around to writing a new post): Halloween, 2011 (on film)

My Heart's Home

Zinash and Mihret on a walk "down the lane"

My grandma lives in a place that is affectionately known as Hilltop. It is a beautiful wooded area that seems miles away from the city that has grown up around it. Birds and squirrels are abundant; deer roam free; and there are acres of wooded land for exploring, building forts, and running wild. As a child, my grandparents’ house and the land around it seemed magical. You never knew what you might discover there and there were always tons of relatives around to enjoy. As an adult, it has become absolutely precious to me: a place of loving laughter; of peaceful walks down the lane; of wonder and joy as I share it with my own family. It is a place in which my heart is at home.

Exploring Hilltop

Discovering "Turkey Grass" with Grandma Shike

Jumping in crunchy autumn leaves for the first time

Me and Grandma

I know that a large part of the reason that my heart is at home at Hilltop is my sweet grandma. Her love, her laughter, her generous and kind spirit fill the place to overflowing. I can spend hours talking with her and listening to her reflections on life, family, and the amazing grace of God. And I always leave richer than I came.

Thank you, Grandma, for another delightful visit to one of my favorite places on the face of the earth. We love you and can't wait to see you again!

Still Married

For Better or Worse Day

The game was fun and would have been absolutely amazing if Nebraska hadn't been playing the Buckeyes. The Huskers were down 21 points in the 3rd quarter but ended up coming back and winning the game.

Pre-game I worried about how the game would affect our relationship. Post-game I realized that the relationship wasn't the problem - it was just that the game wasn't nearly as fun.

When your team is losing miserably (like Nebraska was from the beginning of the game through the first part of the third quarter), it feels just as awful as it normally does even though your loving spouse is trying to keep his enthusiasm in check. And you feel just a little bit guilty that he isn't able to fully enjoy the satisfaction of an amazing game but not too guilty because your team is losing (which means it is NOT an amazing game).

When your team is winning, it isn't nearly as sweet as it would normally be because you know that every touchdown that your team scores is painful for your husband.

I'm glad we were there - together. The energy in the stadium was electric and the traditions were just as fun as I remembered them. But the next time Chuck and I go to a Husker game in Lincoln, I hope that Nebraska is playing someone else.

For Better or Worse Day

Us at the end of the Ohio State/U-Dub Game in September of 2007

Ever since Chuck and I started dating, I've wanted to take him to a football game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. There is no place like Nebraska...at least not on Game Day. Just about the whole town is decked out in red and white - even the clerks at the grocery store on the other side of town. The sell-out crowd fills the stadium, the band plays while the fans sing, the vendors throw hotdogs around, the team rushes out of the tunnel to thunderous applause, and red balloons fill the air after the first score. I knew Chuck would appreciate the traditions, the fun, the love of football, and I couldn't wait to share it with him.

Never in a million years, though, did I imagine that he wouldn't be rooting for my Huskers as he sat next to me. Really....our favorite squadrons hadn't met on the field since 1956. There was the off-chance that they might meet some day in a bowl game, but I hoped and prayed and hoped and prayed that would never happen. It was all going along just fine until Nebraska joined the Big Ten. Aughh....

So here we are. In 4 days one of my sweetest dreams and one of my worst nightmares will come true at the same time. He'll be sitting next to me at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska rooting for his favorite team (rather than his second favorite team as stipulated in the marriage vows...) and I'll be rooting for mine. As it should be given the circumstances. Now all I can hope for is a good, competitive, well-played and fairly-officiated game...and of course, a Husker victory.

But at the end of the game, I'll still be married to the love of my life. Win or lose, I'll be the luckiest woman in the stadium. For better or worse...