The Showroom

In the midst of a panick attack!

Ok so that's not like me...But I'm so not ready for tonight and it's all happening here. DH took Maxim to the office today, Manouk is at daycare, so you'd think I'd have plenty of time for it. But no, Nathan does not allow me out of his sight...He needs me today, not necessarily to do something with him. No, he just needs to see me. Do you know the feeling when you are grounded somewhere with a list of 100 things to do, going in circle in your head...Itching to get up and act....Well, you know how I feel. And now I'm watching the jungle book for the 10th times this week (thank God the music is great).

I have not been posting much photowise in the past 2 weeks, so here's a mishmash. My first try at texturing anything....

We had a great Xmas, fun and laughter. I haveto thank my sister and family to book emergency flights and come and stay with us the 2 days. It made Nathan's ordeal so much better with his cousins. And I could chat with my sis for hours..Just perfect!

Part of the cast...

      

Beautiful light..

Yesterday morning was absolutely gorgeous here. The white of the snow against the blue of the sky gave some great pictures on Flickr and blogs. But Saturdays I run. And I won't miss it. So jogging along the Rotterdam lake, I felt a pinch in my heart to miss the opportunity of such beautiful captures. But well, running did me lots of good after the events of last week.

So after my running, I went home and decided to head back there around 15:00 when the sun was going down. The lake was just gorgeous. The snow was gone (all of it!!!!) but the light was amazing. The idea was to get a serie of 3 pictures for one of my free works for the fotoacademie. And walking there just gave me such a peaceful feeling. Exactly what I needed.

Here are a few. Only had time to edit a couple, played with various treatments. The very vintagy ones are Renee's Vintage Kiss actions which I love. It adds just a little bit of texture. I'm thinking of getting these printed as 20x10. The others are just with my good ol' action. And a bit of sunflare to make me happy. More to come later. Please cc to let me know which ones you prefer.

I just can't get to picture Nathan's cast, so thought I'd share these instead. (click on picture to view bigger).

Hope everyone had a great w/e! And is ready for Xmas. I'm not! LOL. I don't do well with changes in plans....But we'll get there.

Thank you so much..

For all the comments and the emails received sincethe events of this w/e. After going numb on Sunday, to sad on Monday, I'm getting more angry by the day. It's all under conrol don't worry, but I just can't get away that picture of Nathan lying in the snow surrounded by strangers with his little helmet for me to recognise him. I'm so pissed off that my kid who spent 3 years in PT and OT for his muscular condition has to be stuck now for 6 weeks in a cast that prevents him from doing anything...

He's much better today, going through ups and downs. Not fun lying on your back all day in pain. The painkillers are not always doing their job. The worse part is at night, when his legs are itching and that can't be relieved. He also gets cramps. It's going to be a long 6 weeks. So bad that he must spend his Xmas vacations like that. But he's eating and had some fun today with some visitors and obviously he got spoiled: he had been nagging his father for a rabbit for ages and DH, seeing him going away to the OR, said yes...

Anyway will post some pictures of the nice blue envelopping cast tomorrow. Did not get round to do it today. THANKS again!

Sad day..

Back to the hospital for Nathan....For the second time this year, he has been taken down by a snowboarder at full speed. So it's a sad day. But honnestly besides behind sad for my son lying in agony with a broken leg waiting for the ambulance, for the ride to the hospital and to finally get a shot of morphine that's going to relieve him, I'm just so pissed off and so angry.

An accident can happen but this was just not an accident. It was pure reckless skiing. Picture this: Nathan sits on the skilift going uphill minding his own business. This guy (48) was probably trying to be cool and decided to take a full run down on the @#^%$! skilift tracks. And took Nathan full speed on his way: snowboard hit the leg: femur broken. A bad break. One that needs an operation, a 3 day hospital stay....And the worse of all: a  plaster (sorry don't know if that's the right English word) that goes from the hip down to the ankles on both legs (the unhurt leg: it stops above the knie). And to stabilise all of this: a crossing bars between the 2 legs!!!!!!!!!!!! Because of this guy my kid has to stay 6 weeks lying down.....

I held on good the whole day but driving back to pick Manouk and Maxim at opa and oma (DH stayed behind to sleep next to Nathan) , I just let it go all out: tears flooding. It's true, there's nothing worse than seeing your kid in such horrible pain. It was so bad he kept fainting from it....

Snowworld (where the kids get their training) just called us asking how Nathan was. They will pass by the hospital tomorrow with a goodie bag for him (which I think is super nice). They also told us, this guy had been warned several time today for reckless skiing. They told him he would have his pass withdrawn if it happened again...Too late. He did. So they just said, he's banned for life.

So now writing this, I feel sad. Sad that there always need to be one accident too many to have measures taken.

Tonight there was no such scene at my house. One kiddo was missing.

Honnestly...

I owe a lot to Tina and her beautiful designs!!! I was doing good this year. Had all the pictures lined up after our vacation in August aready..And then came the study...Everything else suddenly seemed to be on hold...It has been a lot of ups and downs but I seem to have found my groove finally..Well ask me tomorrow, it does feel like a rollercoaster ride sometimes. It's definitely getting better. Not that I'm nailing all my assignments first time, but at least I'm getting better at working within boundaries, a concept or making my pictures fit the reportage theme.

Jan 22 will be a BIG date for my class. Our 6 month review with no guarantee at all that we'll go through to the second half of the year. The day where we will put the whole 6 month work up, nicely framed, to be scrutinised by a panel made of 3 people: your teacher, the school director and a mentor. In a way I can't wait. At the same time, I still need to get going with my 6 pieces of free work. Have some ideas, just need to get going.

But I'm disgressing...Tina's designs..I had been eyeing them for a while but I'm not taking any sessions anymore till April '08, so no clients to use them on. Did not really help me with mine. Anyway, got quite a few and could not choose, so just used all them!!! Just for me!!! And my family and friends. There are so easy to use, I was done in no time. Can't wait to get them tomorrow!

Need feedback...

on this portrait..

Please please everyone, can you post a comment letting me know what you think of it. I want to submit it as one of my 6 pieces of free work to the foac. I am sure about it but any single portraits submitted must be very strong.

If you post a comment (I would be so so grateful), can you also list 3 words that it evokes to you.

Thanks a bunch!