Nebraska Sky

The Evangelism Linebacker

2012-01-16T18:01:00.001-06:00

This video cracks me up!

Studebaker in the Evening Light

2012-01-15T20:00:00.002-06:00

Chevy 3100

2012-01-15T10:58:00.003-06:00

I thought the colors on this truck were really carnival like. The other cars look like they are out in the pasture having some kind of meeting :-) This photo has been listed for sale on my website today at http://www.nebraskasky.etsy.com. It is a 16" by 20" photo.

1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer

2012-01-13T11:35:00.000-06:00

This is another one of my junkyard beauties. I did some minor editing...removing posts and power lines. I bumped up the colors a little bit and I thought it turned out well. :-)

1954 Chevy Eagle Hood Ornament

2012-01-12T18:25:00.008-06:00

I used to be an interior design student when I attended the University of NE at Kearney. We used to have to draw floor plans and then create materials boards showing the fabric,counter top material, and wood we would use to design the house. One of the color combinations I was always drawn two was blue and orange.

I really like this photo because I love old rusty things. I love abandoned houses, old antique trunks, and old abandoned cars. I made this photo more interesting by tinting the car windows. I think that always draws your eye more to the vibrant paint colors of car.

I try to list my photos at common frame sizes so it makes it easy for the customer to have a finished product. They often don't have to deal with the hassle of getting the photo matted. They can just put the photo in the frame and have a finished product. This photo is sized at 16" by 20." If you are interested in purchasing this photo, click on the Mercury car on the top right side of the page.

Ford Fairlane

2012-01-08T16:05:00.001-06:00

One day, a coworker of mine asked me if I would photograph an old car she had on her farm over by Minden. We drove over there and I was happy to see this old treasure. All of the tumbleweeds made me think this old car was happily sitting in it's own big nest. I altered the colors to give the photo a vintage feel and liked how the photo looked like an old postcard when I was finished.

1937 Ford Coupe

2012-01-07T23:30:00.002-06:00

This was one of my absolute favorite cars of the entire car show. I thought the color was gorgeous, and old Fords are just delightful. The car was parked right beside and orange 1970s car, and I didn't know what to do about that not so pretty orange car. So, the next day I went and reshot the location that the car was at, and worked a little Photoshop magic and reinserted the car. Voila, the orange car was gone and the setting looked great. I added a little lomography effect and I was very happy with the result.

Vintage Chevy's Make Me Happy

2012-01-06T19:46:00.003-06:00

This old Chevy was sitting out during Cruise Night weekend in Kearney, Nebraska. I added a slight "lomo" effect. A "lomography" look means the image has a slight vignette and it looks like the film has been cross processed. I thought the image turned out really fun. I added the text "Gary's Garage" because my cousin Gary loves cars and engines. I thought it would interesting to personalize the image.

Is it possible to be too thin?

2011-11-12T18:46:00.004-06:00

I just watched an interesting video on YouTube and it talked it being possible to be too thin. I always thought it was interesting because people have told me I am "so skinny" my whole life. I remember even when I was a little kid on the playground, they used to call me "Skinny Winny." So I went and told the teacher. She laughed. It was kind of funny, I must admit.

I think it is interesting that people tell me that. It is like it is some kind of new revelation or something. I remember there was a girl at work who would comment to me about it. I knew she had almost exactly the same body type as me. I finally asked her, "Well, how tall are you, and how much do you weigh?" She was a very similar height and weight. I think that solved the "You are so skinny" conversations.

I was reading a business book by Zig Ziglar and he talked about it being good to be fit and thin. He didn't think it hurt err on being a little more thin than normal. It seemed as if he agreed with the "You can never be to thin or too rich" idea.

So, what do you think? Do you think women can be "too thin?" This video has a guy in it who asks people if they would like to look as thin as a fashion model. I think their responses are interesting.

Funny Levi's Commercial

2011-11-12T18:24:00.002-06:00

I can't watch this commercial without laughing.Enjoy.

The Manslater: Save Your Relationship ;-)

2011-11-12T18:10:00.001-06:00

Soulja Boy...my sister can dance :-)

2011-10-18T17:42:00.001-05:00

People really are nicer when you look nice...

2011-10-16T20:17:00.005-05:00

So I tried this "Body for Life" workout video I got from Netflix. It was nice for the stretching...but it wasn't "tough enough." I figure maybe the video was meant for older women or something.

So, I went back to my old Cindy Crawford workout video that I used to do in college. I actually enjoy the fact that I am sore the next day because then I know the video is actually doing something for me.

Anyway, so I have been working out on Sunday mornings, then hitting the eleven o'clock service at my church. I actually put on a dress...did my makeup and flat-ironed my hair.So, I actually made an effort to look a little nicer today than usual.

I remember in college one of my friends talked about how when she got her hair done at a aalon, she came came out with big hair. (She called it "slut hair.") Then she said she went to the local music store and she got great service from the clerk. She thought it was because she had big hair.

So today, I wondered if anything would be different since I actually really tried to look really feminine and all "dolled up". When you walk into church, and you are 35 and single and don't know very many people...you just kind of feel like some displaced person. (I know people at the earlier service..but I so dearly love my new exercise video and would rather work out around that time.) Anyway, so I go to the chairs in the back. I had already had a bulletin...but the lady next to me just passed one over to me. (This never happens.) Then, during greeting time...I had more people shake my hands then normal. It was really unusual, especially for sitting in the back. One lady introduced me to her son Larry. Then, when I went to shake the pastor's hand, he shook it longer (I'm not kidding.)I think he was trying to think of saying something else to say to me but it wasn't quite formulated in his head yet and he decided against it.

So, it kind of solidified to me the fact that if you dress nicer, and take a little more time in the morning fixing yourself up, people are nicer to you. That was my great sociological experiment of the day.

(The picture above was one I took of myself today. Note the fixed hair and makeup ;-)

Women's Biggest Mistakes on First Dates

2011-10-16T20:04:00.002-05:00

Here is an article that I found online that I thought was interesting...

Women’s Biggest Mistakes On First Dates
Topic: Relationships

Author: Joann Cohen (Click on authors name for bio)

Posted: Thursday, September 29th 2011
So, you thought the date went great? You seemed to have a real connection, or so you thought, but he never called you again, what gives? There could be many reasons why he didn’t call, but most likely, you did something that he didn’t like or appreciate. So, what might it have been? As a Relationship Consultant, I constantly hear from men their biggest complaints about what women do wrong on first dates. Here are a few things that women should avoid on a first date, especially if they hope to get a second date.

Don’t be late: Over 50% of women admit that they have showed up late for a first date. Some women actually believe that being tardy is fashionable and a typical way for a woman to behave. The truth is that showing up late is a clear message to the guy that he wasn’t worth it to be on time.

Don’t talk or text on your cell: Unless your grandmother has fallen down the stairs and needs immediate medical attention, do not take a personal call during your date. The same applies to texting, as taking out your phone and typing away during your date is akin to reaching over and slapping him in the face.

Don’t be rude: In general, men do appreciate a challenge, but they still don’t want a girl who is mean. Don’t be snotty with the waiter or rude with the bartender. Don’t engage in petty activities like mocking the outfit, appearance or behavior of another patron in the establishment. Stay above it all and maintain your self-respect.

Don’t mention future contact too soon: This is one of the tougher rules to follow. You could be discussing a book or a new restaurant in town, and casually mention that you should go to the restaurant together sometime or that you could loan him your copy of a certain book. The problem with that is that you are forcing him to make a snap decision on whether he may want to see you again before he even knows you. Leave the talk of a second meeting until later.

Don’t appear emotionally unstable: This one is fairly easy to follow, or at least it should be. He is your date, not your therapist. He doesn’t want to hear about the stressed relationship you have with your sister, or the fight you are having with a co-worker. If there are issues that you absolutely must vent about, then by all means seek out a therapist, but do so before you think about any serious dating.

Don’t be too quiet, or too overbearing: There is a happy medium here, and it is easy to find if you just involve yourself in the flow of the conversation. If he asks you questions about yourself, don’t give simple one word answers. Guys are not interested in someone who is overly timid. Conversely, don’t answer every question with a 10 minute speech about your childhood.

None of these are all that hard to follow, and most likely how you want the man to treat you too. So sticking to these rules will do a lot to get that second date!

Ten Things Guys Wish Women Knew about Men

2011-10-15T12:05:00.001-05:00

This is an article I found on CBN.com It was very interesting...

CBN.com – It is likely no surprise to you that God has wired women and men differently. We all recognize some of these differences, but others often hide in plain sight. Shaunti Feldhahn, a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, author and speaker recently wrote a fantastic book, For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men. In it, she recounts the surprising truths she learned about men after interviewing more than one thousand of them. Not long ago, I had the opportunity to interview Shaunti for our radio broadcast, HomeWord with Jim Burns. In our discussion, we spoke about ten things guys wish women knew about men. I think you’ll find these ten things fascinating! Even more, I believe that in understanding these issues, you’ll be equipped to lead your marriage to a better place!

1. Men would rather feel unloved than inadequate and disrespected. Husbands need to know that their wives respect them both privately and publicly. Men thrive when they know that their wives trust them, admire them, and believe in them. Shaunti Feldhahn’s research indicated that men would rather sense the loss of loving feelings from their wives than to be disrespected by them.

2. A man’s anger is often a response to feeling disrespected by his wife. When a husband becomes angry with his wife, he may not come out and say, “You’re disrespecting me!” But, there is a good likelihood that he is feeling stung by something his wife has done which he considers disrespectful and humiliating.

3. Men are insecure. Men are afraid that they aren’t cutting it in life -- not just at work, but at home, in their role as a husband. They may never vocalize this, but inwardly, they are secretly vulnerable. The antidote? Affirmation. To men, affirmation from their wives is everything! If they don’t receive this affirmation from their wives, they’ll seek it elsewhere. When they receive regular and genuine affirmation from their wives (not flattery, by the way), they become much more secure and confident in all areas of their lives.

4. Men feel the burden of being the provider for their family. Intellectually, it doesn’t matter how much or little a man makes, or whether or not his wife makes more or less money in her career. Men simply bear the emotional burden of providing for their family. It’s not a burden they’ve chosen to bear. Men are simply wired with this burden. As such, it is never far from their minds and can result in the feeling of being trapped. While wives cannot release their husbands from this burden, they can relieve it through a healthy dose of appreciation, encouragement, and support.

5. Men want more sex. Everyone’s natural response to this is probably, “Duh!” But, that response is probably for the wrong reason. We primarily assume that men want more sex with their wives due to their physical wiring (their “needs”). But, surprisingly, Shaunti Feldhahn’s research showed that the reason men want more sex is because of their strong need to be desired by their wives. Men simply need to be wanted. Regular, fulfilling sex is critical to a man’s sense of feeling loved and desired.

6. Sex means more than sex. When men feel their wives desire them sexually, it has a profound effect on the rest of their lives. It gives them an increasing sense of confidence and well-being that carries over into every other area of his life. The flipside of this coin also carries a profoundly negative affect. When a husband feels rejected sexually, he not only feels his wife is rejecting him physically, but that she is somehow rejecting his life as a husband, provider, and man. This is why making sex a priority in marriage is so incredibly important!

7. Men struggle with visual temptation. This means the vast majority of men respond to visual images when it comes to women. And, this doesn’t just mean the guys with wandering eyes. Even the most godly husband cannot avoid noticing a woman who dresses in a way that draws attention to her body. Even if it is just a glance, these visual images are stored away in the male brain as a sort of “visual rolodex” that will reappear without any warning. Men can choose whether to dwell on these images and memories or dismiss them, but they can’t control when these images appear.

8. Men enjoy romance, but doubt their skills to be romantic. True, many men appear to be unromantic clods, but it doesn’t mean that they want to be that way! Men want to be romantic, but they just doubt their ability to pull it off. They are plagued by internal hesitations, perceiving the risk of humiliation and failure as too high. Wives can do a great deal to increase their husbands’ confidence in their romantic skills through encouragement and redefining what romance looks like. For example, a wife may balk when her husband asks her to go along to the hardware store, but it’s likely that he’s asking because he sees it as a time they can get away as a couple and hang out together. What’s not romantic about that?

9. Men care about their wife’s appearance. This isn’t saying that all men want their wives to look like the latest supermodel. What men really want is to know that their wives are making an effort to take care of themselves (and not letting themselves go) because it matters to them (the husbands!). Husbands appreciate the efforts their wives make to maintain their attractiveness.

10. Men want their wives to know how much they love them. This was the number one response of men. Men aren’t confident in their ability to express this, but they love their wives dearly. Men want to show how much they love their wives and long for them to understand this fact.

I Like Big Bibles and I Cannot Lie...

2011-10-14T18:22:00.007-05:00

For a while I thought it would be fun to be a photographer at Campus Crusade headquarters working for Worldwide Challenge magazine. I flew into Orlando for a weekend, and they showed this video at Crusade headquarters. I love it. t is one of my favorites.

101 Ways to Annoy Your Roommate

2011-08-24T20:28:00.001-05:00

1. Insist that you are a vegetarian and protest anytime your roommate eats meat. Then leave "Slim Jim" wrappers on the floor and lie on the bed holding your stomach every time your roommate walks in. If he/she asks about the wrappers, say you know nothing about them.

2. Get some hair. Disperse it around your roommate's head while he/she is asleep. Keep a pair of scissors by your bed. Snicker at your roommate every morning.

3. Every time your roommate walks in yell, "Hooray! You're back!" as loud as you can and dance around the room for five minutes. Afterwards, keep looking at your watch and saying, "Shouldn't you be going now?"

4. Trash the room when your roommate's not around. Then leave and wait for him/her to come home.then act surprised. Say, "Uh-oh, it looks like, they, were here again."

5. Every time you see your roommate yell, "You jerk" and kick him/her in the stomach. Then immediately buy him/her some ice cream.

6. Set your roommate's bed on fire. Apologize and explain that you've been cold lately.

7. Put your glasses on before you go to bed. Take them off as soon as you wake up. If your roommate asks, explain that they are Magic Dream Glasses. Complain that you've been having terrible nightmares.

8. Eat lots of "Lucky Charms." Pick out all the yellow moons and stockpile them in the closet. If your roommate inquires, explain that visitors are coming, but you can't say anything more, or you'll have to face the consequences.

9. Set up meetings with your roommate's faculty advisor. Inquire about his/her academic potential. Take lots of notes, and then give your roommate a full report. Insist that he/she do the same.

10. "Drink" a raw egg for breakfast every morning. Explain that you are in training. Eat a dozen donuts every night.

11. Every Thursday, pack up everything you own and tell your roommate you're going home. Come back in an hour and explain that no one was home. Unpack everything and go to sleep.

12. Every time you wake up, start yelling, "Help! Where the heck am I?!?", then run around the room for a few minutes. Then go back to bed. If your roommate asks, say you don't know what he/she is talking about.

13. Draw a tiny, black spot on your arm. Make it bigger every day. Look at it and say, "It's spreading, it's spreading."

14. Buy a McDonald's "Happy Meal" for lunch every day. Eat the straw and the napkin. Throw everything else away.

15. Buy a plant. Sleep with it at night. Talk to it. After a few weeks, start to argue with it loudly. Then yell, "I can't live in the same room with you," storm out of the room and slam the door. Get rid of the plant, but keep the pot. Refuse to discuss the plant ever again.

16. Buy a Jack-In-The-Box. Every day, turn the handle until the clown pops out. Scream continuously for ten minutes.

17. Hang up pictures of chickens all over the room. If your roommate eats eggs, yell at him/her and call him/her a cannibal.

18. Buy some knives. Sharpen them every night. While you're doing so, look at your roommate and mutter, "Soon, soon..."

19. Lock the door while your roommate is out. When he/she comes back and tries to unlock it, yell, "Don't come in, I'm naked!" Keep this up for several hours. When you finally let your roommate in, immediately take off all of your clothes, and ignore your roommate.

20. Bring in potential "new" roommates from around campus. Give them tours of the room and the building. Have them ask about your roommate in front of him/her, and reply, "Oh, him/her? He/she won't be here much longer."

21. If your roommate comes home after midnight, hit him/her on the head with a rolling pin. Immediately go to bed, muttering, "Ungrateful little..."

22. Pile dirty dishes in your roommate's bed. Insist that you don't know how they got there.

23. Collect hundreds of pens and pile them on one side of the room. Keep one pencil on the other side of the room. Laugh at the pencil.

24. Feign a serious illness for two weeks. Have a priest come to your room and visit you. Write out a will, leaving everything to your roommate. One day, miraculously "recover." Insist that your roommate write out a will, leaving everything to you. Every time he/she coughs, excitedly say, "Oooh, are you dying?"

25. Live in the hallway for a month. Afterwards, bring all of your stuff back into the room and tell your roommate, "Okay, your turn."

26. Keep a tarantula in a jar for three days. Then get rid of the tarantula. If your roommate asks, say, "Oh, he's around here somewhere."

27. Tell your roommate, "I've got an important message for you." Then pretend to faint. When you recover, say you can't remember what the message was. Later on, say, "Oh, yeah, I remember!" Pretend to faint again. Keep this up for several weeks.

28. Bowl inside the room. Set up tournaments with other people in the building. Award someone a trophy. If your roommate wants to bowl too, explain that he/she needs bowling shoes.

29. Walk backwards all the time. Then pretend to trip and hurt yourself. Fake an injury and go through a long, painful recovery. Start walking backwards again.

30. While your roommate is out, glue your shoes to the ceiling. When your roommate walks in, sit on the floor, hold your head, and moan.

31. Explain to your roommate that you're going to be housing a prospective student in the near future. One day, bring in a pig. If your roommate protests, hug the pig and tell your roommate that he/she hurt its feelings. Watch T.V with the pig, eating lots of bacon.

32. Make a sandwich. Don't eat it, leave it on the floor. Ignore the sandwich. Wait until your roommate gets rid of it, and then say, "Hey, where is my sandwich!?" Complain loudly that you are hungry.

33. Punch a hole in the T.V. Sit and watch it anyway, complaining about the lack of good shows.

34. Wear a cape. Stand in front of an open window for about an hour every day. Then, one day, when your roommate is gone, go outside and lie down underneath the window, pretending to be hurt, and wait for your roommate to return. The next day, start standing in front of the window again.

35. Collect potatoes. Paint faces on them and give them names. Name one after your roommate. Separate your roommate's potato from the others. Wait a few days, and then bake your roommate's potato and eat it. Explain to your roommate, "He just didn't belong."

36. Fill an empty shaving cream can with whipped cream. Use it to shave, and then spray some into your mouth. Later on, complain that you feel sick. Continue this process for several weeks.

37. Cover your bed with a tent. Live inside it for a week. If your roommate asks, explain that "It's a jungle out there." Get your roommate to bring you food and water.

38. Keep a vacuum cleaner in the middle of the room. Look at it with fear for a few days. Then stay out of the room entirely, opening the door only a crack and whispering to your roommate, "Psst! Is it gone?"

39. Break the window with a rock. If your roommate protests, explain that you were hot. Open and close the broken window as you normally would.

40. Throw darts at a bare wall. All of a sudden, act excited, telling your roommate that you hit the bull's eye.

41. Send flowers to your roommate, with a card that says, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again." When you see them, start ripping up the flowers. Repeat the process for a few weeks.

42. Call your roommate "Clyde" by accident. Start doing so every so often. Increase the frequency over the next few weeks, until you are calling him "Clyde" all the time. If your roommate protests, say, "I'm sorry, Elmer. Repeat process with Elmer.

43. Hire a night watchman to guard the room while you are sleeping.

45. Practice needlepoint every night. At one point, grab your thumb and scream, "Owwwwwwwwwww!" Cry hysterically for a few minutes, and then go to bed. Sob and sniff all night.

46. When your roommate comes in, pretend that you are on the phone, screaming angrily and shouting obscenities. After you hang up, say, "That was your mom. She said she'd call back."

47. Every time your roommate comes in, immediately turn off the lights and go to bed. When he/she leaves, get up and loudly yell, "Okay, guys, you can come out now."

48. Start wearing a crown, all the time. If your roommate tells you to do anything,tell him/her you are the ruler.

49. Sit in front of a chess board for hours, saying nothing, doing nothing. Finally stand up & yell,"I Lost!"

50. Talk back to your "Rice Krispies." All of a sudden, act offended, throw the bowl on the floor and kick it. Refuse to clean it up, explaining, "No, I want to watch them suffer."

51. Change the locks on the door. Don't let your roommate in unless he/she says the secret word. Change the secret word often. If your roommate can't guess the secret word, make him/her pay a fine.

52. Scatter stuffed animals around the room. Put party hats on them. Play loud music. When your roommate walks in, turn off the music, take off the party hats, put away the stuffed animals, and say, "Well, it was fun while it lasted."

53. Hang a tire swing from the ceiling. Act like a monkey. If someone besides your roommate comes in, cease acting like a monkey and claim that the tire swing was your roommate's idea. When you and your roommate are alone again, continue acting like a monkey.

54. Unplug everything in the room except for one toaster. Pray to the toaster. Bring it gifts. Throw some of your roommate's possessions out the window. Say that the toaster made you do it.

55. Challenge your roommate to a duel. If he refuses, claim that you have won by forfeit and therefore conquered his side of the room. Insist that he remove all of his possessions immediately.

56. Sign your roommate up for various activities. (Campus tour guide, etc.)

57. Start dressing like an Indian. If your roommate inquires, claim that you are getting in touch with your Native-American roots. If your roommate accuses you of not having any Native-American roots, claim that he/she has offended your people and put a curse on your roommate.

58. Wear your shoes on the wrong feet, all the time. Constantly complain that your feet hurt.

59. Hit your roommate on the head with a brick. Claim that you were trying to kill a mosquito.

60. Steal something valuable of your roommate's. If he/she asks about it, tell him/her that you traded it for some magic beans. Give some beans to your roommate.

61. Instead of turning off the light switch, smash the light bulb with a hammer. Put a new bulb in the next day. Complain often about the cost of light bulbs.

62. Videotape yourself hammering a nail into a wall for a while, and then stopping. Play the tape in your room. Right before the hammering stops on the videotape, look at the screen and say, "Don't do that."

63. Buy a lamp. Tell your roommate it's a magic lamp, with a genie inside it. Spend a week thinking about what to wish for. At the end of the week, report that someone has released the genie from the lamp. Blame your roommate.

64. Whenever your roommate brushes his/her teeth, watch him/her do so. Then insist you need to show him/her the proper way & brush their teeth.

65. Collect potato chips that you think look like famous people. Find one that looks like your roommate. Burn it, and explain, "It had to be done."

66. Read the phone book out loud and excitedly. ("Frank Johnson! Oh, wow! 753-4795! Holy cow!")

67. Shadow box several times a day. One day, walk in looking depressed. If your roommate asks what's wrong, explain that your shadow can't box with you anymore due to an injury. Ask your roommate if you can box with his/her shadow.

68. Ask your roommate about their medical plan. If they ask why you are asking just say, "Accidents happen." Make it obvious that you are trying to cover up your laughter.

69. Put up flyers around the building, reporting that your roommate is missing. Offer a reward for his/her safe return.

70. Buy a watermelon. Draw a face on it and give it a name. Ask your roommate if the watermelon can sleep in his/her bed. If your roommate says no, drop the watermelon out the window. Make it look like a suicide. Say nasty things about your roommate at the funeral.

71. Draw a chalk outline on the floor. When your roommate comes in, say, "Don't worry. It's not what you think." If he/she asks about it again, immediately change the subject.

72. Tell other people in your building that your roommate is goind to be "going on a trip" shortly. Don't tell them where or when. If people ask your roommate where he/she is going, cut in and say "Oh...that has been canceled."

73. Paint a tunnel on the wall like they do in cartoons. Every day, hit your head as you attempt to crawl through it. Hold your head and grumble, "I'll get that pesky road runner...."

74. Leave memos on your roommate's bed that say things like, "I know what you did," and "Don't think you can fool me." Sign them in blood.

75. Hold a raffle, offering your roommate as first prize. If he/she protests, tell him/her that it's all for charity.

76. Make cue cards for your roommate. Get them out whenever you'd like to have a conversation.

77. Talk like a pirate, all the time. Threaten to make your roommate walk the plank if he/she doesn't swab the deck.

78. Set up about twenty plants in an organized formation. When your roommate walks in, pretend to be in the middle of delivering a speech to the plants. Whisper to them, "We'll continue this later," while eyeing your roommate suspiciously.

79. Buy a telescope. Sit on your bed and look across the room at your roommate through the telescope. When you're not using the telescope, act like your roommate is too far away for you to see.

80. Offer your roommate some of your most valuable possessions. If they ask about your generosity, say nothing but "I won't need it where I'm going." If they take anything wait a week and insist they give it back. If they want to know why say "I was left behind", and crawl into bed crying.

81. Watch "Psycho" every day for a month. Then act excited every time your roommate goes to take a shower.

82. Wear a paper hat. Every time your roommate walks in, say, "Welcome to McDonalds, can I take your... Oh, it's just you." Take off the hat, sit, and pout.

83. Go through your roommate's textbooks with a red pen, changing things and making random corrections. If your roommate protests, tell him/her that you just couldn't take it anymore.

84. Tell your roommate that you "just want to be friends", and that you can no longer take their advances. Wait an hour and ask them to join you in the shower.

85. Hang a horseshoe above the door. Make up stories about having had good luck. Then, take the horseshoe down and wrap your head in bandages. When you see your roommate, look above the door where the horseshoe used to be, hold your head, and mutter, "Stupid horseshoe...."

86. Buy frozen meals and leave them under a lamp on your desk. If your roommate warns you that the meals will go bad simply say, "I know what I'm doing." While your roommate is out empty the meal containers such that it looks like you've eaten them. When your roommate return pretend to be violently ill. Do this twice a week.

87. As soon as your roommate turns the light off at night, begin singing famous operas as loud as you can. When your roommate turns on the light, look around and pretend to be confused.

88. Hang a basketball net on the wall. Challenge your refrigerator to basketball games, and play them in front of your roommate. Do so for about a month. Confide in your roommate that you think the refrigerator is plotting against you.

89. Drink lots of lemonade. Talk obnoxiously for hours about how much you love lemonade. Then, one day, paint your face yellow. From then on, complain about how much you hate lemonade.

90. Late at night, start conversations that begin with, "Remember the good old days, when we used to..." and make up stories involving you and your roommate.

91. Whenever your roommate sneezes, go and hide in the closet for about half an hour. Come out looking dazed and act terrified of your roommate, keeping a good distance.

92. Sit and stare at your roommate for hours. Bring others in to join you. Eat peanuts, throwing a few at your roommate. Then say, "Boy, these zoos just aren't what they used to be."

93. Tell your roommate that your toe hurts, and that means there's going to be a murder in the room.

94. Buy a gun. Clean it every day. One day, put a band-aid on your forehead, and refuse to discuss the gun ever again.

95. Buy a lobster. Pretend to play cards with it. Complain to your roommate you think the lobster has a marked deck.

96. Make pancakes every morning, but don't eat them. Draw faces on them, and toss them in the closet. Watch them for several hours each day. Complain to your roommate that your "pancake farm" isn't evolving into a self-sufficient community. Confide in your roommate that you think the king of the pancakes has been taking bribes.

97. While you are ironing, pretend to burn yourself. Start a garbage can fire in the middle of the room. Toss the iron inside. If your roommate objects, explain that you are just trying to get even.

98. Buy some turtles. Paint numbers on their backs. Race them down the hall.

99. Hide small containers of milk in your roommate's half of the room. After they begin to smell complain to your roommate about the odor. If your roommate finds them and claim that they aren't theirs, acknowledge that you put them there, but tell them "They were on your half of the room. You should be more responsible."

100. Put out a plate of cookies at night. Tell your roommate that they're for the Sandman. Take a bite out of one of the cookies while your roommate is asleep. The next morning, accuse your roommate of having bitten one of the cookies. If he/she tries to tell you the Sandman did it, insist that you know what the Sandman's teeth marks look like and that those are, in fact, not the Sandman's teeth marks.

101. If your roommate has a pet, offer to feed their pet for them. Start taking bottles of glue and white out from your desk before your roommate can answer.

My Eharmony Profile Video

2011-07-12T18:58:00.001-05:00

(This is a joke. I really don't live in Colorado or raise goats.)

What do international students really think of Nebraskans?

2011-06-01T20:37:00.002-05:00

I had a party out at my parent's house on Saturday night. I invited over 30 people that I knew locally and there were probably 21 of us all together.

It turns out most of the people who came were mostly international students. I attend an international students Bible study. It gives them a chance to practice English with Americans. It also gives me a chance to try to cook for larger groups of people every now and then.

It was a random video. I felt like one of the Papparazzi. We had a great time. I tried to get answers from people like "What do you think of Nebraskans?...Is it possible to be holy AND hot? What do you think of Nebraska?" It was pretty fun.

I Am A Closet Nerd

2011-05-30T15:31:00.007-05:00

I have a confession. I am a closet nerd. Not everyone knows it, but I do have a nerdy side. I do like History. My dad used to teach History before I was born. I sometimes go on dates with nerds. I like smart nerdy skinny boys that I am guessing most of the female population overlooked in high school. Anyway, on to my little discovery today.

Over the past year or so I would run across quotes by Winston Churchill. Then I decided to get the book from the library, but it was a big one and I decided not to read it.

Then I had a happy discovery on Netflix, and I finally watched quite a bit of it today. it was a three hour PBS movie. I probably made it to the two hour mark then I was done. However, it had some really neat footage.

I discovered Winston Churchill was basically raised in a very cool palace. I was quite impressed with the place, and if I ever make it over to England, I think it is a "must see."

Here is a YouTube tour of the castle:

Andres is Looking for Love

2011-05-18T22:35:00.002-05:00

This is my friend Andres from Columbia. I enjoy being around him because he is so mellow and relaxed. He is currently single and would like to find a nice girl around here to date. Here is my short interview with Andres.

Do You Ever Wonder What it is Like to Eat Octopus?

2011-04-28T21:48:00.001-05:00

Easter at My Parent's House

2011-04-24T22:55:00.001-05:00

I invited my Columbian friends Yuly and Emma to spend time with my family on Easter.

2011-04-24T22:15:00.001-05:00

My sister, niece and I were watching YouTube videos Saturday night and we decided to learn the Soulja Boy dance. It was pretty fun.

My Marriage to a Columbian Police Officer

2011-04-17T22:06:00.001-05:00

There is a Woodpecker in My Fireplace

2011-04-14T22:25:00.000-05:00

I designed a T-shirt tonight

2011-04-13T21:51:00.002-05:00

make custom gifts at Zazzle

The "Felonies" Game

2011-04-12T18:28:00.004-05:00

My nephew and I made up a game Friday night. The first question is supposed to be "Have you committed any felonies?" It was pretty funny. My eleven year old nephew is a sweetheart.

Chinese Girls...who knew they were so wild and crazy?

2011-04-10T21:32:00.003-05:00

There was a small party at my house Saturday night. I have students from various countries over to my house, but I think this group was one of the most animated. Check out the game of spoons. It is entertaining.

New Columbian Friends

2011-04-02T09:43:00.002-05:00

The University of NE at Kearney is a great place to meet international students. Many Columbians that are involved in the police force in Columbia come to UNK to get English training. These are my friend Yuly and Emma. Yuly helps me learn a little bit of Spanish, and I give her a chance to practice her English. It is fun to go shopping with both of these ladies.

The Finger of God on My Car Door

2011-03-29T19:09:00.002-05:00

Do you ever have one of those mornings where your brain is almost flatlined because you stayed up too late the night before. This morning, Carlos was sitting on my lap and we were just hanging out in front of the space heater. If my brain did show any activity at all, I was hoping it would go back to the almost flatlined state because it was more pleasant :-)

Well, I went out to my car to go to work, and on my car door, was the most beautiful frost design I think I have ever seen. I was going to be late, so I just whipped out my point and shoot camera in my purse. The flash seemed a little crazy with reflections, but if I didn't use flash...the picture wasn't coming out. I didn't really have time to get my good SLR and make it look perfect. However, you can still see the gorgeousness of the design. God is amazing.

Famous for a Day - I was on TV

2011-03-17T22:46:00.008-05:00

I was spending time with my Columbian friend Julie. She and her friend Emma wanted to go to the mall.

When I pulled in, there was a gal with a video camera by the door. The pretty blonde reporter is in my Bible study. I was on TV and got to say a sentence talking about tornado season. Pretty exciting stuff. ;-)

I called my mom today, and she said that people were calling her and emailing her asking "if that was her daughter." So, that was kind of fun.

I tried to make the link below a hyperlink, but was having technical difficulties. You will have to paste the link into your address bar.

Here is the link:

http://www.nebraska.tv/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5667305&...&rnd=64905279

Junkyard Car Art for "Man Caves," Offices, and Restaurants

2011-03-09T20:14:00.009-06:00

This is a Plymouth Belvedere that is sized at 24" by 36" and printed on canvas. I can imagine this print hanging against a brick wall in a restaurant in the downtown Old Market area in Omaha. I also think this print would look great in almost any "man cave." I have also sat in some incredibly dull looking waiting rooms in auto places, and I always thought these places would be more pleasant with some nice artwork.

My cousin asked me on Sunday where I got my talent for painting. I told him that my images are photos. (But, what makes these photos look like paintings is they are printed on canvas.) Sometimes I add a slight filter to make the photos look more like illustrations. I recently asked a lady in the gallery to take a picture of me and my friend. I told her I was the photographer, and she told me I could solve the argument then of whether the images were photos or paintings. Apparently, they must look pretty convincing like they are paintings.

This image is currently hanging in my art exhibit at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. I will include a paypal button if you would like to buy a print, you can do that. If you click the "buy now" button, you are purchasing just the print (not the frame). The print is mounted against foam core, so it doesn't wrinkle. If you have further questions, please let me know. I only ship these large prints to buyers in the U.S. :-)

My Drama

2011-02-28T21:07:00.002-06:00

Thursday, I went to start my car after lunch break. The car wouldn't start. The dome light was blinking and I was hearing a lot of clicking sounds. The car wouldn't turn over. It acted like the battery was low on juice.

I called my boss. I had no idea how to get back to work. I saw Rex, the neighbor guy outside a little bit prior to that and decided to go find him. I knocked, no answer. Then I went in his house up to his bedroom. He wasn't there. Then I figured out he was down in the shower taking a shower. I had tried calling him three times and there was no answer.

My boss decided to come pick me up. At a last ditch attempt, I tried to start my car again. Nothing...but clicks and a blinking light. I headed back to work.

After work, my cube neighbor offered me a ride home. I went to her car. My keys were missing. I went back to my desk...no luck.

I hoped they would be at home in my car. Nope. I got home, and I was locked out of my house, didn't have car keys, and decided I'd better hang with the neighbors. I called Rex who was getting his finger tattooed at the tattoo shop. Yes, he said it would be fine if I stayed in his house for a little bit. So, I walked over there. John was in the living room. I asked if I could hang in the living room. He acted like he was not going to say yes. I quickly said I had called Rex and he said it would be okay. So, we sat there for a while. I wondered why John just wasn't going to say yes. Then John asked me to go to a bar to get a drink. Oh, so he was going to let me be around him. That was nice. I didn't go to the bar. I was waiting for my roommate to get home so I could get in my house.

So, my roommate came home. I go upstairs hoping that my keys are there. They are not. Then I realize, they must be in the parking lot at work. I posted on my Facebook status I was missing my keys.

A coworker (that I don't know very well) gallantly offered to drive over there in the dark and look around the parking lot before the got drove over the next day. He didn't find them. He even keyed into my workplace and checked my desk (again).

I prayed. I had been invited to a concert in Lincoln that night and hoped I could make it. I called the locksmith three minutes after they opened and scheduled for them to come over that morning. During that call I got a text saying my keys had been found by my nice coworker who had been scouring the parking lot the night before. He didn't find them in the dark, but in the morning he could see them. What a blessing.

Then Rex, the neighbor came over to jump my car battery. He opened the hood and noticed what was wrong right off and offered to fix it right away. So off he went to the auto parts store, bought what I needed and fixed it.

So by 11:00 am the next day my car had keys, the mechanical problem was fixed, all because these nice men were good to me. I am glad God puts good people around me.

Heather - She Makes a Good Model :-)

2011-02-18T18:20:00.005-06:00

Today I photographed my friend Heather. We went to the Frank House, which is a mansion that is open to the public in Kearney, Nebraska.

My friend Heather needed a picture, so she can add it to the back cover of a book that she wrote. I haven't done a lot of indoor photo shoots. I am not crazy about pictures that look blasted by flash.

What I did today is used my flash...but I pointed it toward the ceiling to add a little extra light to the image. In the background, you can see a little bit of a stained glass window that is in the stairway area.

The picture ended up looking really good. The colors of her shirt matched the colors of the window. I was tempted to convert it to black and white because I loved the lines of the woodwork. But, I decided instead to reduce the saturation....so the lines would be more pronounced, and it would have a softening effect on the picture. I also have found sometimes that people with blonde hair and blue eyes, the beauty they have is often in their coloring. So, if you make some photos black and white, a little bit of what makes them gorgeous is lost.

If you want to learn more about Heather, she is an active blogger. She has a very colorful past and writes about the joys and challenges of motherhood. Go check it out :-)

http://www.heather-riggleman.com/

The Appeal of the “Intellectually Challenged” Pretty Woman

2011-02-11T12:08:00.002-06:00

I was working out at the gym and on comes the show “Millionaire Matchmaker.” The premise of the show is a lady matchmaker tries to find good women for handsome, young millionaires. They interview the men at the start of the show and ask them what they are looking for in a woman. The one man (we will call him Mason) said he would like a “spiritual woman in her thirties.” So the matchmaker picked out a smart social worker in her thirties to be matched up with him. She was pretty and in her thirties, but her primary asset was her intelligence. Mason wasn’t the only millionaire on the show looking for a woman, but there were other millionaires that were looking for women as well.

So, the matchmaker holds a big party on a yacht. She invited a blonde, “not so brilliant” woman that was a very beautiful, aspiring actress. Guess what happened? Millionaire Marvin went for the “intellectually challenged” actress and the “spiritual woman in her thirties” was not interesting to him at ALL.

The actress and Marvin were riding horseback together, and he was explaining to her that he had helped feed a tremendous amount of needy families by his donations to them. Her comment, could have been “Wow, that is so wonderful. Did you donate this money to a specific organization?” But, her final comment was something like “You can never be too thin or too rich.” Then people who are watching the show (like me) are thinking “How long before this guy realizes this woman is a flake?”

It does seem to be a little bit mysterious to me why men go for the “intellectually challenged” pretty girls. I remember in college I had a class where brunette beauty would walk in and you could just sense the atmosphere of the room had changed. The male students really liked her presence. She is just one of those girls that had a level of sex appeal, but didn’t seem to be the sharpest crayon in the crayon box. She had thick brown hair, kind of a Cindy Crawford girl-next-door beauty.

Anyway, let’s say that “Brunette Beauty” and I both got arrested. We would be interviewed, and then booked. If we were standing in a police lineup for our mug shot, and someone came in and asked the police officers behind the glass “Honestly, which girl would you pick for a date tomorrow night?” I bet a few officers would pick me. However, in all reality, I think the majority of officers would pick her.

Why is that? I think dumb, pretty girls can be appealing because a man feels easily adored. Who is easier to impress? Pretty “redneck Rita” who enjoys tractor pulls and beer? Or, is it more fun to date “librarian Lyla” who wants to discuss fine literature and the oppression of women in the Middle East?

Poor Lyla. She had better get rid of her bad librarian haircut because there is a good chance Rita might outrank her. But, Lyla is smart. She may have a blind spot, and not realize that her haircut is bad. However, when she isn’t getting an invitation for a second date, she will probably figure out what she is doing wrong and try to reform. Or, it is possible that librarian Lyla might run across librarian Fabio. He doesn’t have bulging biceps, but WOW, what a brain! She just LOVES his glasses. Lyla might not have to reform after all, and her and Fabio can discuss oppressed women in Afghanistan over fine wine while he caresses her poorly cut hair.

It isn’t just smart women who can be intimidating. Smart men can be that way also. I remember there was a teacher at my Bible school. He was highly intelligent and had received an honorary doctorate. (Apparently other people thought he was pretty smart too.) I do remember sometimes though when I was around him in the dining hall, I admit, I would be just a little bit on edge because I was slightly intimidated by him. He was highly intelligent. I would get a little nervous, hoping I didn’t say the wrong thing. He was always really good though about trying to talk to me, and make me feel more comfortable. He was an impressive person.

So how do we solve this social crisis? Are smart women DOOMED? Nope. Smart women just have to work a little harder to make men feel comfortable and adored. The beautiful “intellectually challenged” women will often be the chosen princesses, but in all likelihood, they may experience a higher level of turnover in their relationships. Men will adore them for a while, and then they get bored.

If a man dares to brave the waters of dating an intelligent woman, he will eventually have a higher payoff if she is in fact a woman of integrity. The smart woman will most likely do a better job of anticipating the man’s needs, being an interesting person, and being a great friend.

A Cookie Like a Chrysler Saratoga

2011-01-31T20:48:00.004-06:00

At my artist's reception, they had made cookies in the shape of the back end of a Chrysler Saratoga. How fun is that?

Once upon a time, I had a dream date...

2011-01-23T15:20:00.007-06:00

I was watching a Discovery channel movie, and it talked about how men and women naturally would find someone similar to their own attractiveness level. We all know it is true.

I once ran across this guy on MySpace. His name was Jeff and I thought he was God’s gift to women. He was tall, six foot four. He had blue eyes and beautiful brown hair, and was a cinematographer in Los Angeles. He would work on occasion for Warner Brothers, but was still working on really breaking into “the industry.” He was out of my league as far as the attractiveness scale goes, and I knew it.

I had a flight to Guadalajara scheduled, and realized I had around a four hour layover in Los Angeles. I mentioned this to him. He invited me out for supper. I had to think about it.

I decided, “Well, why not?” I rode to Denver with my sister. In Denver, I started to get stressed. I didn’t really know this guy at all. I was hoping he wasn’t some crazy dude. I was sick with nervousness. My sister instructed me “DON’T leave the airport.” I agreed. I did NOT want to leave airport.

During that period of time, I was pretty heavy into wearing hair extensions. I was wondering if the metal clips would set off the metal detectors in security. For the record, they didn’t. I was relieved. Sometimes on dates I go into “Princess Mode.” I’ get dolled up, spray tanned, hair extensioned, and had all my makeup on at that moment. I was wearing brand new clothes and boots. A guy at the Denver airport kept trying to catch my eye. He seemed like a savvy business type. While I was sitting there though, he eventually got on his cell phone and I think he was checking in with his woman about what time he was going to arrive. (Busted, ha.)

On the plane, I met a nice guy with tan skin who was from Alaska. He was part Eskimo, and a Marine stationed in San Diego. A very annoying man kept trying to talk to the Marine, so the Marine kept smiling at me trying to avoid talking to the annoying man. I liked him. He let me borrow his cell phone to place a call since mine was dying. So, I arrive in Los Angeles.

There is beautiful Jeff, in all of his thick-haired glory. We both act like it is the most natural thing in the world to meet, and he explains to me that he can’t get back through security so we have to leave the airport. I nonchalantly say “okay” and hope he isn’t going to eat ME for supper.

He turns out to be a safe guy and we stroll out to his Camaro, and he opens the door. In a wine sack he has some cookies that he gives me. (He told me he was going to give me cookies.) That was so nice.

When I was in his car, I felt like an actress in a movie playing a part. The geeky tourist in me wanted to whip out my camera to photograph the event. The huge columns of green cylindars that light up around LAX whizzed by and I was giddy, like a 13 year old girl on her first date.

He was pleasant, and told stories about the actors he had met. He kept touching his thick hair with his long fingers.

I was a little late getting back to the airport for an international flight, but it was worth it. I didn’t hear a lot from him after the date. I saw on Facebook that he married a very beautiful woman in a vineyard. When I was down in Mexico, I was looking through a newspaper and my friend mentioned it looked like him. She was right. Here is the picture. The model is on the left, and the real Jeff is on the right. What a doll. I'm glad he found himself a beautiful lady.

MEN...I like them. I like bald. I like old. I like short. Give me a nerd or give me death.

2011-01-23T13:25:00.002-06:00

Some of us were sitting around a table in the Bible school cafeteria. A group of girls were at the table, and my Theology teacher. He made a prediction, that I would be the last one to marry. I looked at him incredulously. “Why do you say that?” I asked. He seemed to think I was independent, and I would be the last one to go. I think then he saw that he had made me nervous, and I think wanted to recant the statement.
I secretly wondered if he was right. I think I am more independent than most.

Here I am, age 34, and single. I think the prophecy has come true.

I left Bible school for a brief semester to go to graduate school. Then I came back to visit. People kept telling me, “There is this girl here that reminds me of you.” I met that girl. She was cool. The first night in the dorm, she sat down and played on her guitar a song she wrote about how “Boys are Stinky, Boys are Mean.” I thought it was a funny song.

This week I had my artist’s reception at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. My mom estimates there was around forty people there. Even the CEO of the hospital was there. I must admit, I was on edge about it. I haven’t done a formal public speech in a long time.

The speech went well, and there were a lot of super nice people there. It was fun to receive some many compliments and everyone seemed to be in a great mood. My coworker joked that “Maybe you will meet a nice doctor.” Believe it or not, I did meet a nice doctor. He struck me as very kind. I liked his bald head, and his crows feet around his eyes.

I am starting to wonder what is happening to me. I am not identifying with the “Boys are Stinky Boys are Mean song.” I am always ready to write a “Oh, He is Pretty, He is Pretty” song.

I have a profile up on a dating sight. There was this guy that emailed me and he was 54. That is kind of “up there” for me. I thought the man was an absolute fox. Would somebody please help me find some good medication? Maybe that bald doctor would prescribe me some. ;-)

Today I walked into church a guy that I always thought was attractive, he struck me as beautiful. Then I went to Sunday School, and there was kind of a nerdy man there. I thought, “Oh, I like him, he is nerdy and kind of handsome.” When am reading through dating profiles, I think “Oh good, he is short.” I think short men are so cute. I also think they are a perfect kissing height.

I was watching a Discovery channel movie last night, and it said that a woman’s face changes when she is ovulating. They took pictures of her face over a month, and it actually looked different, softer and more feminine when she was ovulating. That is nuts. They also even documented that her voice gets higher when she is ovulating. How bizarre. The show said that a woman will rank a man more attractive if he has more money. For the record, if the doctor I met was not a doctor, and I think I still would have liked his bald head and blue eyes.

For the record, I’m NOT ovulating. I think I am just discovering there are men everywhere...bald ones, short ones, and nerdy ones...and I like that fact.

Eat That Frog!

2011-01-15T12:22:00.003-06:00

I was listening to my new favorite podcast. It is called "Artists Helping Artists." This is a podcast about selling art online.

One of the talk show hosts named Dreama was talking about how Mark Twain had a quote about eating a frog. Here is the quote:

“If you eat a frog first thing in the morning, the rest of your day will be wonderful.” -Mark Twain

Basically, the quote is talking about procrastinating. Do the thing you are procrastinating on (eat your frog), and if that is the worst thing that happens to you that day, then your day wasn't really that bad.

I thought that was a great way to frame those dreaded tasks. I started thinking about "What frogs do I need to eat today?" Then at the end of the day, I would think about the frogs I did eat and how it was great to have that "off my plate." I have been thinking about how much freer each of us would feel if we did get that dreaded task done within the first two hours of our day. Then we wouldn't be thinking about the task all day. So, I am committed to eating more frogs, and reaping the rewards of finishing up those difficult projects.

My first Facebook Ad

2011-01-09T14:30:00.002-06:00

Photos Printed on Aluminum, Who Knew It Could Be Done?

2010-12-19T21:29:00.002-06:00

When I was in Crested Butte, Colorado this summer, I went into a gallery that had a very beautiful photo of the mountain town of Colorado at night. It looks like the photographer did some HDR photography. (HDR stands for High Dynamic Range imaging. If you want to learn more about that, visit Wikipedia.) This photo was amazing because all of the lights of the town created a beautiful glow in the night sky. The man running the gallery said that the photo was printed on aluminum.

I had never heard of such a thing. But, when I got accepted to be able to do an art show, I thought I just HAD to try it. Printing on aluminum sounded very fun. I ordered the image from Bay Photo. It turned out just a little bit darker than what I had anticipated, but it still looked lovely.

This photo was taken on the edge of Hazard, Nebraska. Hazard boasts a population of 66 people. This photo was taken after the ice storm of 2006. The ice coated everything pretty thickly. You can see here that the rocks by the train tracks were coated over in ice and looked very shiny.

The Biker Mansion and The Convent

2010-12-18T23:07:00.008-06:00

You know, it is funny. It is not uncommon for people to ask me if I want to photograph their kids or families. I honestly am not overly excited about those jobs. I think there are a lot of local photographers who do that as their specialty. They have a nice studio, with a great lighting setup. If it is a windy day, or a rainy one, they can bring them into their studio and take a very nice photo. I currently do not have a studio, so I usually hope for a nice day, and hope that Harmon park doesn't have a lot of people milling around so I can go take a few pictures.

What I get excited about is if someone tells me they have an old Ford Fairlane on their farm, and want to know if I want to come photograph that. I actually look forward to a job like that. I love old cars in rural settings. I think it is neat when they have a little bit of rust and a variety of color. Sometimes in Photoshop you can liven up the colors on the car, tint the windows, make it look really great. It is fun to do things like this.

My brother and I moved to Kearney a little over three years ago. We moved onto a property that has two houses. One house is a huge three story Victorian home. That house belongs to my brother. The people that live there loves cars and motorcycles. My roommate and I would call it the "Biker Mansion." They have tattoos and smoke outside, and drive Harleys. I tell people I like viewing the "wild life" from my kitchen window. (My house is right behind their house.) Then in my house are girls that like to go to Bible studies and find ways to serve the community. I jokingly call my house "The Convent." Our property takes up once city block. When we first moved onto the property we joked that we should have a "block party" and just invite the neighbor guys. :-)

My brother is a good guy, he has sleeve tattoos and restores old cars and motorcyles. We actually have very little in common, except that we like the look of old cars. I remember I used to try to figure out what to get him for Christmas. One Christmas I bought him a Harley Davidson eagle necklace. He said "thanks" but I could tell that I struck out when buying him that gift. Yes, it was a little on the lame side, but I was trying.

I finally started taking pictures of old cars. His eyes would light up when he would see them. The photo above is one that he wanted enlarged to two foot by three foot and is hanging in his house. Actually, there are a lot of photos decorating the "Biker Mansion." I was glad I finally figured out what would make a guy like him happy.

So, that is how I got my start taking pictures of old cars. He knew of a guy that had a private collection of old cars. My brother had plans to buy one or two, and he invited me along so I could take pictures. I took a lot of pictures that day. My camera actually kept malfunctioning, but I did manage to get some really cool photos.

One of the most common questions I get is "Where are those cars located?" Well, those beautiful cars were located near Minden, Nebraska. However, the owner died and all those cars were sold off at an auction. Now the cars have been towed away and scattered across the country.

So, if you need some groovy car art, check out Good Samaritan hospital in Kearney. Or, you can visit my website at http://www.NebraskaSky.Etsy.com.

Adorable Ranch Houses in Central Nebraska

2010-12-14T21:30:00.007-06:00

I have a photo in my current exhibit that shows a little square house in a pasture. I lived in the country on a cattle ranch when I was a kid, and there was a house just like this one down the road from where I lived. I loved the look of these tiny houses.

My dad was wonderful with helping me with my exhibit. He helped me hang it, and then we went out to eat. He asked where this particular house was. I told him, then he knew who lived in the house.

The story gets more interesting. If you take a look at that house, you probably think it was abandoned before 1950. However, my dad told me it was the Lundstrom house and that two old bachelors lived there in 1990 when we moved into that area. Isn't that something? These old ranchers were living Amish-like in central Nebraska. The house did not have electricity, and the men got their water from a windmill. Apparently they heated their house with a stove that ran on stove fuel. My dad said they didn't come into town that often, and lived a pretty meager existence.

Anyway, I have always had a special place in my heart for these rustic, little houses.

My Art Show - Check It Out :-)

2010-12-12T21:03:00.001-06:00

Free digital slideshow customized with Smilebox

Men and Women: Fears

2010-10-09T11:32:00.006-05:00

Last night I spent time with my missionary friends from Brazil. They are precious people. They also gave me a lot of tea to drink. I decided to sleep at my parents house and came home around midnight. I had NO IDEA it was midnight. The tea made it feel like it was only 10:30.

So, in my wide awake state, I grabbed a book. It was a book written by Steven Arterburn. It said that a woman's greatest fear was abandonment. That is true. I remember one time a guy was emailing me and it just seemed like he would be right there by your side, being your friend. He would say the kindest things, and to be quite honest, I couldn't get that man out of my mind. He said everything a woman wanted to hear. It just seemed like he was offering kindness and loyalty. It was wonderful.

The book also said that a man's greatest fear was of being "bound or tied down." Which, in this modern era where both people typically work, I thought that seemed a bit odd. One time, a guy told me that he wanted to be with someone, because he was so "tired." He explained that if you had someone, there was a division of labor. Which was funny, because in my mind, whenever there is more people in the house, it means more work. I was a housekeeper for three years. More people means more laundry, more picking up, and more responsibility. So, "hooking up" for me just means more work...but it is a good thing, because you will be with a good friend.

The way I look at it, is when a man marries a woman, he gets the following things: a free housekeeper, gets to do the wild monkey dance (aka have "relations" without a big long pursuit on the weekends), and warm meals. The man just has to mow the lawn and take out the trash. He also gets help with the mortgage. The woman gets to do more work. So, the idea of a man being "bound" means he gets a free slave and lover.

I looked at my roommate one day when she was cooking in the kitchen and I said "Would you marry me?" She gave me a "Okay Crazy Lady" look and I thought it was funny. Women are workers. If a man marries a women, he gets things more comfortable.

Maybe my perspective is totally naive. I don't know. It is possible. But when a man commits to a woman and the woman isn't quick to pop out five children, and become a lazy nag...he is living pretty well.
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I posted this on a Christian dating site, and Sheila graciously allowed me to post her response on my blog:

Hi there,

I just had to reply to your post, after years of arguing a bout housekeeping with my husband and me doing it all.. I hired a housekeeper, the way I saw it was this, if I stayed home and cleaned you would have no money, so I work and part of my money is going to pay for a housekeeper unless you would like to share in those duties.

I think many marriages would be much happier if before marriage it was agreed upon that if the lady is working full time then a house keeper is part of the budget.

I was much happier and now my week-ends were spent like his, doing more of what I wanted to do..

Beside you ever notice in the OT, they all had maids!!

Be blessed,

Sheila

Crested Butte, Colorado 2010

2010-09-04T22:07:00.005-05:00

My sister, Kimberly and I dressed up for the "Black and White Ball" in Crested Butte, Colorado this summer.

Pretty Horses

2010-05-22T07:05:00.007-05:00

I went to a sale the other day. My dad bought these beautiful minature horses. The baby horse reminded me of a stuffed horse you can win at a carnival because it is so small, EXCEPT it was animated. The baby horse is getting more tame. In the first picture at the top left are the two horses my dad bought. The third picture is of a uniquely colored little baby goat.

My brother

2010-03-20T17:36:00.003-05:00

Where I live, in warmer weather there are a lot of motorcycles coming and going right outside of my house. My brother lives near me, and he and his friends love Harleys. This is a picture of my brother. This is his wild, "I could be on VH1" look.

My cousin Sterling has a really LONG cat.

2009-06-09T21:58:00.002-05:00

I was at my cousin Sterling's farm, and he has an incredibly long cat.
Columbines are some of the prettiest flowers. My aunt had some growing near her house.

This is my little cousin.

Devon and I visit the Garden of Eden

2009-05-28T21:47:00.002-05:00

Devon and I went to visit the Garden of Eden in Lucas Kansas. Devon lives in Vail and we decided to go check out this totally groovy tourist spot in Kansas.

It is a fascinating place located in the middle of nowhere. An eccentric sculptor who created numerous statues outside his house.

The sculptor's name is Samuel Dinsmore and he was quite an interesting person. He was a nurse in the Civil War. When he 81 years old, he married a 20 year old woman and had a baby with her two years later.

I made Devon drive by the property so I could film it in my new little Canon camera.
Take a look.

(Devon is always thrilled about me photographing him or making movies of him. He usually says things like "Don't tag me.")

His wife was buried in the graveyard. But, he built a mausoleum on the property. In the video, it is the little building in the yard that has the triangular shape of a step pyramid. He put her in there, and decided to encase her in cement. This way the townspeople really couldn't do anything about the fact she was there, in the town limits. Then when he died, he was embalmed and placed above her. There is a glass so you can look at his dead body. I made a little movie of looking at the body. It is strangely intriguing. You can still see his beard.

For more interesting photos, you can go to the website.

http://www.garden-of-eden-lucas-kansas.com/

Check this out.

2009-05-03T23:18:00.003-05:00

When I was at Pioneer Village (a large museum in central Nebraska) I saw this groovy sight. Check out the equipment to give perms.

New Videos taken last weekend in Colorado

2009-04-26T13:26:00.005-05:00

One of my Bible school friends Kimberly and I were in a couple of videos last weekend on our trip to Colorado. We looked a little pink as we had been out to Copper Mountain ski resort and became a little bit sunburned. I would like to thank Kristen for her excellent cinematography skills. Enjoy :-)

We do a little dance in the forest...

Then we decide it would be fun to roll down the hill. The first time was a bit rough.

By the third time we learned which part of the hill was steeper and that we needed to "tuck" more.

Are Christian Men Passive, or are Christian Women Intimidating?

2009-04-25T17:28:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I posted a question on my facebook status and the responses were interesting. I found it intriguing what was actually going on in various men's minds. Check it out.

Andrea Kelley is taking an informal poll. Do you think Christian men are passive, or that Christian women are just plain intimidating? Comment on my status with your thoughts.

Erika Epley Thiele
The men are passive....JMHO though! :)

Heather 'Shaw' Riggleman at 1:29pm April 22
You all need to learn the art of flirting and yes men are scardy cats!
Adam Lockwood
Adam Lockwood at 1:33pm April 22
this question frightens me...

Bethany Anderson-Bennett at 2:43pm April 22
both. I know that was not an option but I really think it is both.

Devon Murray at 3:22pm April 22
I think Christian guys are just careful to be respectful and Godly around Christian women. I don't find Christian women intimidating. Maybe a little crazy when they dance in the woods while being filmed. HA! Nice video by the way!

Olivia Roby at 3:36pm April 22
lol@adam. I don't think men are passive but they do need to be more assertive. They fear rejection I am sure, but life's too short not to take a chance!

Sarah Scheimo at 3:47pm April 22
i think its a good mixture of both, and vice versa. there are passive christian women and intimidating christian men. for some reason they seem to find each other in many cases, always their opposite. i think the worst mix is an intimidating woman with a passive man though. for the man, not the woman. lol

Devon Roeder
Devon Roeder at 9:40pm April 22
What about just leaving it in God's hands? Just be friends and let things grow naturally. That is the only way I see anyone marrying their best friend, is that you are actully friends first. Any guy that does hit on a woman is only doing it because of the way she looks. Therefore, if you didn't look that way he would be talking to you. Also, if he is only talking to you because of the way you look, he is only looking for a body. Wait, what was the question?

Andrea Kelley at 11:00pm April 22
Interesting. I think the problem can be both really...the woman can be intimidating, the man can be passive. I think it is often easier for the non-Christian man to ask for a phone number. However, I think sometimes women, especially intelligent women can be intimidating to a man. I noticed that when I went to UNK, that the not-so-bright girl who ... Read Morewas pretty could glean a lot of attention from guys. It is possible that the broader question should be something like this..."Does a man find a woman of integrity really attractive?" Or is, it more about finding the "hot" woman that looks good on his arm. That would depend entirely on the man. If the man has integrity..he will be seeking his own level. If the man does not have integrity, or care about virtue all that much...he will be looking for the "hot" woman that may be intellectually challenged.

David Hof at 1:28am April 23
At the risk of sounding old, I believe age can significantly impact this discussion. What brings people together and keeps them together is more than the physical. It is intimacy, relationship, and common shared beliefs and values. Without an opportunity to explore thoughts and ideas it can be hard to connect. However this is what I believe ... Read Morebrings us together and keeps us together. It seems it takes some time to discover this though. So...for me the question is not about passiveness or intimidation, its about the opportunity to have safe meaningful conversation. I don't think we social young people to value this nearly as much as we should and so it seems often this gets left out.

Alina Oldham at 10:25am April 23
could it be that guys are scared to commit (tough economic times, not enough education, not the right time, just not ready ...) and maybe could the girls be too picky?? :)

Andrea Kelley at 8:29pm April 23
I was just reading an article about the economy. I think men were scared to commit long before AIG was losing more than $27 million dollars every hour...ha. It is an interesting thought though. I bet some girls are too picky. My dad might even lump me in that category..ha. If I am 45 and still holding out for Johnny Depp look-alike...feel free to sit me down and tell it to me straight, okay?

Alina Oldham at 9:00pm April 23
I could tell it to you straight right now ... maybe that will save you 10 years of "searching" :) ... just kidding! how are ya?

Bobby Slaughter at 9:02pm April 23
I think Christian men can lean toward passive. Most don't want to be mistaken upfront for a macho, philandering schmuck. We don't want to approach women in such a way that makes them feel uncomfortable. Like, "Hi, there; I know nothing about you other than I like your hair and eyes, so I'm chatting you up in hopes that we can make out in the near future." How deep. I don't know if women perceive it that way, but I think they do.

Perhaps it's that we have a higher respect for women, and it's hard to approach someone we don't know well in any kind of romantic way for fear breaking that plane of respect somehow.

Maybe we just overthink it too much.... Read More

But how are we to differentiate ourselves from the hoards of wolves out there? Does Andrea Kelley want the cute guy to come over and offer to buy her a soda, or would she rather watch him interact with his mother and small group first?

I think some women are spiritually intimidating. Some are intimidating simply because they're physically b

Andrea Kelley at 9:09pm April 23
Alina, your humor is witty as always, and there is probably an element of truth in that. Duly noted :-) I'm good. How are you?

Bobby, you posted it...good job. I was telling Bobby he is a good writer and he needs to show it off.

Andrea Kelley
Andrea Kelley at 9:09pm April 23
Ha, oh yes...I think I need to see him interact with his mother and a small group first...ha. Just kidding.

Rebecca Parish at 10:51pm April 23
I think this is the wrong question. It assumes that there is something wrong with the guy. He is either too passive or too easily intimidated. He can't win. I think you should be asking if women are too aggressive, not too intimidating. And my answer would be "both". I heard one of those relationship gurus on Focus on the Family once saying that ... Read Moremen, in general, use passivity as a defence mechanism to avoid drama. So the question is, how much of the passivity do we bring on by our aggression and drama?

Russ Taylor at 11:56pm April 23
Andrea, I think age becomes a factor. Now that I'm in my 40's I think everyone should be married by 22. While I like to write, I'll borrow some words from Tom Robbins, in his book Skinny Legs and All, p 166, in order to answer your question.

"As for other men, the bachelors she had encountered at clubs and bars and parties (same could be said ... Read Morefor church), well, most appeared to have one thing in common: having been hurt at point A, they insured themselves against being hurt again at point C by becoming a**holes at point B. In all fairness, that was true of the single women over thirty, as well."

Bobby Slaughter
Bobby Slaughter at 11:59pm April 23
Armholes?

Russ Taylor at 4:18am April 24
Appreciate the innocence Bobby.

As I pondered this question Andrea I decided that there are as many answers to this question as there are persons. For me, I'm quite bold if I find myself attracted to a woman, but I'm not going to just lay my heart down on the train tracks of rejection either.

Because I am intuitive and perceptive and expect ... Read Morethe women I date to be so I'll usually take a more subtle, casual approach and say something to her or do something for her that indicates interest. If she's perceptive she'll pick up on it and I'll determine by her response whether there's a reason to continue or not...

Elizabeth Sizer
Elizabeth Sizer at 11:19am April 24
yes to both questions!

Andrea Kelley at 5:47pm April 24
Interesting Russ, maybe all people over thirty are bitter and punks. ha. My mom got married when she was 19. It is possible that we should all have gotten something accomplished by the end of attending college. Then when we leave the college dating farm...we spend time on the internet flirting with people residing in different states and countries... Read More. We are all DOOOOMED! I'm just kidding, well, I'm must half kidding. I think when people begin paying on a mortgage...the "being moblie" factor goes down. There has been a time where I have thought "Well, I like my house better than his house." That is dumb. If I was married by age 23, I wouldn't be having that dorky little comparison factor happening...because I wouldn't have a house. Dr. Laura is convinced that people should get married later in life. She thinks the marriages will be more solid. Well, those are my thoughts for the day.

Russ Taylor at 9:51pm April 24
There certainly must be advantages to waiting later in life, but it's those comparisons, in many areas, that we have to get over. We tend to hold onto things that aren't really important at all and if we're not careful a sense of pickiness sets in. That may just be a defensive mechanism though.

The bottom line for me is that it's best to trust... Read More God to move people into and out of our lives, and it needs to be people that we actually know and are around enough to witness their life and character. Then it's easy for the man to be the pursuer. And those are my thoughts on this fine, yet still cold, Saturday morning.

Andrea Kelley at 10:07pm April 24
You know, I think when people are in their 30's and 40's and aren't married, it is easy for them to get crabby. The reality is...often people who are married wish at times they weren't...or wish they would have picked better. At the risk of sounding like some New Aged Pollyanna weirdo...I think that there are always benefits of where we are ... Read More

currently at, in this phase of our life. For example, I remember going downstairs in my house one time and this guy looked out the window, and he said "Well, it is a crappy day outside." Generally when I see cloudy days outside, that means excellent photography weather. It means soft, diffused lighting...no harsh shadows under the eyes. On a wedding day, a bride may be praying for a cloudless day. As they photographer, I am praying for a cloudy day because it makes my life easier. Sometimes I am delighted by the fact I don't have some guy on my case about something.

Russ Taylor at 11:00pm April 24
I laughed out loud at that last sentence. For me, when I was 22 I decided there was no way I'd be married before 30. Not a chance. There was too much life to live to be settled, like mud to the bottom of a pond, as I thought in those days.

Then in my 30's I was working as a wilderness instructor with Outward Bound and others and was out in ...the wilderness for over 28 days at a time. Can you believe that girls found it difficult to date when I was gone for a month at a time? Whatever. ha. So I was still too busy traveling God's green earth and sleeping in a tent. I had a few girlfriends, and some really fun times, they were great girls, and I'm sure today they regret not sticking with me. LOL.

The thing is, I love being single, and so far I've loved being single more than I've loved the idea of being married. I like being able to up and go to the Bolivian high desert on a whim, to serve the homeless on a holiday...

Russ Taylor
Russ Taylor at 11:05pm April 24
...and to be able to travel to a war-torn country and do a documentary photography project (the next dream).

So one day along life's travels I may just meet someone whom I can't live without, and if that day comes I'll marry her, and if it doesn't then I'll just keep serving God in every way I can, love people as well as I can and wait for my old girlfriends husbands to die and marry them when I'm 70.

Bobby Slaughter at 11:15pm April 24
Praise God I wasn't married when I planned to be. Scope the divorce rate.

Chad Mefferd at 9:15am April 25
First of all no. Christian women are no more intimidating than non-Christian women and no Christian men are no more passive than non-Christian men. Christian men ARE more respectful. Having dated as a believer AND even been married as a non-believer, I can tell you that being Christian does not change a man assertiveness or a woman's "intimidating-...eness". My perception of many Christian women is this: sometimes intelligent Christian women take the notion of being pure/integrity to the point of their own detriment. I'm not saying that purity and integrity are bad things. However, when the vibe being given off in that effort is one of NOT wanting to be approached or even said "hello" to, Christian men will be respectful of that. Non-believing men, not so much. Hence the notion that Christian men are passive.

Consider Ruth and Boaz. She gave some pretty strong signals that she was interested and was a woman of great integrity. Do Christian women hide behind integrity out of fear?

Russ Taylor at 9:23am April 25
That's a great last question Chad! I've got Christian women friends who complain that there "just aren't any godly men out there," or "there just aren't any men good enough for my standards" and I start to think that very question, are you just masking fear by saying no one is good enough? Then, if that's the vibe being thrown out there, I think, arrogance is not very attractive.

Chad Mefferd at 9:23am April 25
Just something to reflect on not an accusation. These have just been my observations since becoming a Christian and participating in the dating scene since.

Chad Mefferd at 9:25am April 25
Thanks Russ. I've had this conversation with more than one man so it's good to see we're not being "passive" on this topic :)

Andrea Kelley at 3:26pm April 25
Wow, it is getting quite intellectual around here. I think I am going to go watch Napolean Dynamite..ha. Just kidding. Here is my two cents for today. Russ, if you are still reading this...you can comment when you wake up from your beauty sleep in India. I think we are all just as bunch of big chickens. When I was in high school I had a guy write ...me love letters and leave them in my locker. If I remember correctly, my locker was right next to his. Did he talk to me in school? Almost never. Did he call me on the phone when he was drinking? Yes. Did he own up to writing the letters? Not for quite a while. Now I am in my 30's. This guy fixes my cruise control for absolutely nothing. He really didn't have to do that because my car had changed ownership. I felt like I should do something nice for him (a single mechanic). So I give him photos, but get out of there ASAP after I hand him the envelope because I do NOT want him to ask me out or think I was hitting on him. We are 13 on the inside

Why I like small towns

2009-03-09T22:15:00.005-05:00

I sitting near the handsome, head photographer of Worldwide Challenge magazine, and I asked him what was one of his favorite photo shoots. He told me one of his favorite assignments was taking pictures in Kansas. I was thinking "Kansas? You have traveled the world and you picked Kansas?" I was thinking how much Kansas and Nebraska were alike.

I thought about it a little more, and I did recognize that rural people raised in the midwest are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. It doesn't really take that much to entertain us. We don't typically require expensive restaurants and fine symphony orchestras. We may do a little yard work, watch TV, and go to bed.

Kansas and Nebraska people raised in the country typically know how to work hard without complaining and are pretty authentic. We also have beautiful huge sunsets that look great behind an old windmill or farm shed.

I was in Comstock Nebraska with my brother and dad. The were looking for some property that was for sale. They stopped a nice man driving a tractor on the street. I grabbed my camera and thought, this scene isn't that out of the ordinary...some random guy stopping to help a stranger.

You can stand around in the street in a small town and just relax.

25 Items of Interest

2009-02-26T20:10:00.002-06:00

1) When I was in Junior high, I had my legs crossed….and was running my foot up and down what I thought was a chair leg. Then I felt a bump, and realized it wasn’t a chair leg. I had been rubbing my foot up and down my classmate’s leg. I got very embarrassed and apologized. He told me “It felt good.” Ha.

2) I grew up on a cattle ranch. Dad had polled hereford and angus cattle. Currently he owns minature cows. (I didn’t even know there was such a thing as minature cows until my dad was interested in buying them. Some of his cows look like oreo cookes. They have a black front and backside with a white stripe in the middle.

3) When I was younger, I wanted to be a small animal vet or a clinical psychologist.

4) Our family had various pets growing up…mice, doves, rabbits, cats, fish, etc. Two of my unique pets were an albino ferret (Mr. Ferret) and a tarantula that Dad caught in Texas.

5) Sometimes I think some of the best men that are walking around are rural people that drive old, dirty vehicles..

6) I love abandoned houses, junkyard cars, and dirt roads.

7) I have graduated from two colleges. One with honors, and the other as a Valedictorian, and sometimes I question the value of higher education.

8) I enjoy refinishing antique furniture. I used to work for my dad refinishing antiques. Sometimes I think I have spent more time working in my dad’s shop than working in a kitchen.

9) When I was in second grade I tooted in class. The teacher made us 'fess up to who did it, and my teacher said to me “I didn’t know a nice little girl like you would do such a thing.”

10) I think Ravi Zacharias is brilliant. Listening to David Jeremiah makes me feel better about walking the earth.

11) I have met six people off the internet. That is typically quite an adventure. I have had a couple of people recognize me from the internet, which is kind of wild (and creepy) ha.

12) I have a Siamese cat named Carlos. He is precious. I sing him little songs and carry him around like a baby.

13) Looking at pictures in Nebraskaland magazine makes me happy.

14) When I was in first grade, I chased my friend Nathan around the playground, and told him I wanted to kiss him. I thought it was sooo funny that a little tiny girl like me could make him run. Finally he went and told the teacher and she looked at me with fire flashing out of her eyes, and said “Do you want me to stand here and hold him while you kiss him?” I sheepishly said “no.” (In retrospect, I should have grabbed him.)

14) I was a cheerleader and knew absolutely nothing about football. It was scary. I didn’t even really know the rules, or how the game was divided. I always had to look to the other girls to know if I should be cheering or what. Ha. I liked wearing the little skirt, but later decided I would rather be up in the stands sitting under a blanket talking with my friends. So, that ended my cheerleading career ended after one year.

15) I have a comprehensive Interior Design in Business degree and think country blue paint should have been banned in the 80s.

16) My favorite photographers are Bob Grier, Michael Forsberg, Joel Sartore, and Russ Hansen. I think Rip Kastaris’ paintings rock.

17) I think it is possible to build and live a life with some level of meaning.

18) Sometimes I wonder where all of the people who liked Bon Jovi & Journey…who did they listen to in the early 90’s when rock seemed to sort of disappear?

19) I went salsa dancing outside a café in downtown Guadalajara. It was an adolescent fantasy come true. When I got on the plane to come back to the US, my neck hurt so bad I begged some medicine off some middle aged people across the aisle. I think I had some kind of whiplash injury. Ha.

20) I currently have an awesome roommate…who is kind, considerate and pays rent faithfully. That is a total blessing.

21) I used to spend summers in western Nebraska building fence and fixing up houses for my dad.

22) I somewhat enjoy writing to get to know people better. I have had a variety of pen pals over the years…a CEO of a small company in California, a missionary/interpreter who lived in Russia and had virtually flawless English (amazing), a guy going to a performing arts school and had acquired seven properties by the age of 26 (he was a landlord/property manager), a writer, a railroad worker, and an inventor. I learned that a CEO seriously stresses out when he loses his palm pilot. I think the missionary had the most spunk. The real estate investor will probably make a million dollars at an early age if he is able to continually successfully leveraging himself. The writer wrote the most beautiful letters. The railroad worker probably ranks as the person with the highest level of integrity and kindness. The inventor was very high strung.

23) I co-led Bible studies in the Scottsbluff County jail for about three years.

24) I think taking beautiful pictures is one of the most fun things ever.

25) I currently attend a church where people raise their hands (all the way up). I grew up in a conservative church and I actually raised my hand half way the other Sunday... (baby steps). Sometimes I kind of wiggle a bit. I wonder if wiggling is politically correct in church?

Come Watch Fainting Goats

2008-12-15T19:28:00.001-06:00

Hee Hee

2008-12-08T20:23:00.001-06:00

Finding Meaning in Life

2008-12-07T13:59:00.001-06:00

When I entered the world, I was born prematurely, I weighed only four pounds. I had holes in my heart, and my prognosis for living was very grim. A doctor told my parents I had a five percent chance of living. If I did live, they said I would most likely be blind and retarded. My parents were Christians, and asked people to pray. Many people in different churches were praying for me. Before I was taken into surgery, the doctor checked me out one more time. It was remarkable because the doctors couldn’t find the holes in my heart…I was healed.

A doctor who was in Grand Island at the time wanted to see me for himself, because he wanted to see the “miracle baby.” I always knew from as a small child that there was a God, and that prayer could be powerful and effective.

When I was five years old, I was shopping at a bookstore with my mom. I didn’t have any money and decided to slip a little eraser that was shaped like a snowman into my pocket. I left the store with my mom. I went home and felt very, very guilty. I eventually confessed to my mom that I had stolen the eraser. She took the opportunity to tell me about how Christ had died for my sins. She said if I asked him to be my Savior, I could have eternal life. That night I prayed with my dad to receive Christ. I remember feeling like Christ had forgiven my sins and I knew I would live with Christ someday. (My mom took me back to the store and hid around the corner because she was embarassed, while I paid for the eraser and returned it.)

My faith continued to grow and after I graduated from UNK, I ended up attending a conservative Bible college in Wyoming for three years. While I was there I saw teachers who were living on missionary support, with modest homes, and modest lives investing in young people. They were not teaching in a university, with a comfortable income because their meaning in life came teaching young people about God and equipping them to serve in ministry. They believed in storing up rewards in heaven, and not so much on earth. They had found a way to find meaning in their life.

I ended up co-leading a Bible study in the Scottsbluff County Jail for three years. It was a ministry that I enjoyed. I wanted people to have a personal relationship with God, and have hope for a meaningful life. I graduated after three years from that Bible Institute. I walked away from that school knowing in my heart, the Word of God had the power to change lives.

Now, I am 32 years old. I am delighted to know God, but I think I am still in a growing process. I sometimes sit and read Ecclesiastes, where the wisest man in the world who had all the women he wanted, and had funded great building project, beautifying the world. However, he seemed to struggle with finding meaning. I think many of us would think that if we had the wisdom, power, and prestige that Solomon had, we would be happy. He had all the women he wanted, all the money he wanted, and yet he was frustrated with life and at times, found it to be empty.

There are times in my life where I think, “If I had more money, I would have less anxiety about the future.” But when I think back to my friend who had a very rich dad. I remember comparing the two dads, her rich dad and my dad who was a rancher. I remember thinking I have the best deal, because my dad loves me and not material things. Her dad would spend time watching sports on the big screen, and my dad would actually take time for me. Life is not about the acquisition of “stuff” but about loving and spending time with people.

After, I had attended Bible school for a while, a fellow student jokingly said to me “What is the meaning of life?” I automatically responded to him by saying “to glorify God.” In Colossians 1:18 it states “that in all things he [Christ] might have the preeminence. It sounds simple, but sometimes I think life really isn’t about us at all. Once we start figuring out that happiness isn’t the ultimate goal, but pleasing God is, it is then our lives will be more meaningful and fulfilling.

Are You Worried You are Going to Die? Then Load Up the Casket.

2008-12-07T12:54:00.004-06:00

There is a story I want to share with you from Dale Carengie’s book that I thought was interesting. It even mentions Broken Bow, Nebraska...so I thought that was fun, since I used to live just down the road from Broken Bow.

This is a story of Earl Haney of Winchester, Massachusetts.

Back in the twenties, he said, I was so worried that ulcers began eating the lining of my stomach. One night, I had a terrible hemorrhage. I was rushed to a hospital connected with the School of Medicine of Northwestern University of Chicago. My weight dropped from 175 pounds to 90 pounds. I was so ill I was warned not even to lift my hand. Three doctors, including a celebrated ulcer specialist, said my case was ‘incurable.” I lived on alkaline powders and a tablespoonful of half milk and half cream every hour. A nurse put a rubber tube down into my stomach every night and morning and pumped out the contents.

“This went on for months...Finally, I said to myself: “look here, Earl Haney, if you have nothing to look forward to except a lingering death, you might as well make the most of the little time you have left. You have always wanted to travel around the world before you die; so if you are ever going to do it, you’ll have to do it now.”

“When I told my physicians I was going to travel around the world and pump out my own stomach twice a day, they were shocked. Impossible! They had never heard of such a thing. They warned me that if I started around the world, I would be buried at sea. “No, I won’t,” I replied. “I have promised my relatives that I will be buried in the family plot at Broken Bow, Nebraska. So I am going to take my casket with me.’

I arranged for a casket, put it aboard ship, and then made arrangements with the steamship company—in the event of my death—to put my corpse in a freezing compartment and keep it there till the liner returned home. I set out on my trip...

The moment I boarded the S.S. President Adams in LA and headed for the Orient, I felt better. I gradually gave up my alkaline powders and my stomach pump. I was soon eating all kinds of foods—even strange native mixtures and concoctions that were guaranteed to kill me. As the weeks went by, I even smoked long black cigars. I enjoyed myself more than I had in years! We ran into monsoons and typhoons which should have but me in my casket, if only from fright—but I got an enormous kick out of all this adventure.

I played games aboard the ship, sang songs, made new friends, stayed up half the night. When we reached China and India, I realized that the business cares that I had faced back home were paradise compared to the poverty and hunger in the Orient. I stopped all my senseless worrying and felt fine. When I got back to America, I had gained ninety pounds and I had almost forgotten I had ever had a stomach ulcer. I had never felt better in my life. I went back to business and haven’t been ill a day since.

First I asked myself, “What is the worst that could possibly happen?” The answer was death.
“Second, I prepared myself to accept death. I had to there was no choice. The doctors said my case was hopeless.
Third, I tried to improve the situation by getting the utmost enjoyment out of life for the short time I had left...If,” he continued “if I had gone on worrying after boarding that ship, I have no doubt that I would have made a return voyage inside my coffin. But I relaxed—and I forgot all my troubles. And this calmness of mind gave me a new burst of energy which actually saved my life.”

Sunrise Picture

2008-12-01T22:27:00.002-06:00

I took this picture of a sunrise near Amherst, Nebraska two weeks ago.

Some "Springish" pictures to cheer everyone up.

2008-12-01T22:12:00.001-06:00

In light of the fact that it is cold outside and almost everything looks dead, I thought I would add a cheerful slideshow. Enjoy the flowers, cattle, and cats :)

Junkyard Cars Rock

2008-12-01T20:51:00.001-06:00

I love the look of old junkyard cars.

Steve and I Take an Exciting Drive in Nebraska!

2008-12-01T20:26:00.001-06:00

See more of Steve's cool videos at http://www.coloradoguy.com.

I am NOT a Communion Bread Hoarder...really.

2008-10-13T20:33:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I went to one of those "cool, new" churches in Omaha. It is the type of church that has a guy up front who doesn't wear shoes and they play bongo drums. Almost everyone there are young people in their twenties and thirties.

So, it comes time for communion. You are supposed to go to the front of the church whenever you feel led, while the worship music continues to play.

I follow my friend Valerie up to the front. There is a guy standing there with a bread and wine. You are supposed to tear off the bread, dip it into the wine, and eat it and sit back down. It sounds very simple. So Valerie takes off this tiny little piece of bread, dips it in the wine, and off she goes.

I think "Yes, I am going to grab a tiny little piece too." So, I go and pinch this tiny piece of bread between my fingers and pull, and off comes a BIG CHUNK of bread.

My eyes get huge and I am looking at the guy holding the bread, and I think I even say to him half alarmed, "What should I do?" He just smiles. My first urge is to take off a little chunk off the big chunk and set it on his big chunk of bread. But I realize if I do that, it will fall on the floor...not cute.

So, I take the big old chunk, dip it in the wine, and take a huge bite. So then I am walking back to my seat and show Valerie the big piece of bread in my hand and she was like "I saw that was going to happen."

Anyway, I get back to my seat and don't want to look like I am greedily chewing a minature Subway sandwich while while the worshipful music is continuing to play.

So, I decide to shove the remaining bread in my little coat pocket. Crazy. I guess I could have stood up there with the wine/bread man and gave away pieces of my bread. Ha.

One of the Things on My Bucket List

2008-10-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

This is my first post at BlogSpot, and I am excited. I am pulling a few of my old blogs that I liked from MySpace and pretty much am moving a few of my favorite blogs to this site. Then I am going to attempt to write some new, fascinating blogs. This is one of my more silly blogs that I have pulled from my archive. I posted it on April 20th, 2008:

I think I am a little kid on the inside. Today I was watching a little girl. She was probably about four years old wearing a dress. I was petting her head and telling her she was a nice kitty. Then she proceeded to go down the hall, acting like a cat, sticking her behind up in the air, putting her head near the floor and peering through her legs. I thought to myself, "Now that looks like fun." Then I thought about doing it. Then I remembered I was wearing a dress and high heels. I decided, I probably shouldn't. Then I thought, "Who cares, maybe I should do it anyway." Then I thought, no…I'd better not. I would be the 32 year old girl sticking her butt up in the air. That would not be cute. Then I figured, "That must be why people have children, so they can do that in the privacy of their own homes."

When I see little kids waving palm branches on palm Sunday, I think "I wish I could do that. That looks like fun." Even now when I go to carnivals, I have to buy lots of junk food, and ride rides that about make me puke. I think I have made myself sick about about four different carnivals, because I don't want to believe that I am too old to ride some of those rides.

Last year, my friend and I decided to go to the Nebraska State Fair. I had just recently read a book about a girl who found out from her doctor that she only had a limited amount of time to live. So she decided to escape her dreary family, and ran off and married a man people speculated was half crazy. She hated the ugly plant outside her house that never bloomed, so she got mad and chopped it all up. Later on, she found out the doctor had sent her the wrong letter, and she wasn't going to die, and of course the crazy man she married was actually brilliant and an heir to a great fortune. The plant she chopped up bloomed marvelously after she hacked it up.

So, my friend and I were discussing what we would do if we only had a limited amount of time to live. A recent movie came out that had the concept of a "Bucket List." The basic premise is you figure out some things you want to do before you "Kick the Bucket", and do them. I told my friend that I always wanted to ride the ferris wheel with a cute guy. When I was a little girl, I always saw these couples walking around and I thought they looked so nice, walking hand in hand. The guy would try to win the girl a prize. I didn't need a prize or romantic, hand holding. I just need a good ride on a ferris wheel.

Then I watched the movie "Never Been Kissed" and the charming, handsome teacher says such nice things to Drew Barrymore on the ferris wheel.

I didn't just want to ride the ferris wheel. I wanted to ride the DOUBLE ferris wheel with a cute guy because I had rode it before and it was a blast. It wasn't your typical granny ride. It would move pretty fast, and had the most remarkable view at night.

It went so high and could see an amazing view of the lights. I took a ton of photographs last time I was on the double ferris wheel, and people purchased some of them. So, besides the double ferris wheel being fun, having a great view, it was also a great photo opportunity.

I had pondered in the past who I could get to go on the ferris wheel with me. The person would obviously have to be a guy, and be somebody I liked.

So, a couple of years ago, I was dating this charming, cute guy…AND it was around the time of the state fair. I hadn't been dating him that long, so I was kind of nervous to call him up and ask him to go to Lincoln with me. BUT, it was for a good cause….we could fulfill my adolescent fantasy of riding the double ferris wheel. Also, it was a three day weekend…so I figured he just MIGHT say yes. So, I call him. I didn't explain my whole adolescent fantasy thing because yes, it would sound pretty dorky. However, he said "No, I have to study." Later, he changed his mind…said he got some studying done. Yes, we ended up in Lincoln where the state fair was held, but we spent time with his friends. I ended up sitting by an architectural major and asked him fascinating questions like "So, do you build your models with foam core?" In my mind, I kept thinking "It would have been tons more fun to ride the double ferris wheel."

(I don't hold it against him that he didn't ride the ferris wheel with me. We had lots of fun as a general rule.)

Well, fast forward two years. We are walking around some of the booths at the state fair. One vendor from Missouri happened to be attractive, and gave us his phone number. Then later on I got to thinking, "This could be the cute guy who will actually ride the double ferris wheel with me."

So, we walked over and asked him. He said he would see. So, in my mind's eye, I'm thinking this won't be romantic, but it will be charming. Well, Cody decided he would go. He was a nice looking guy with thick brown hair and blue eyes. He started walking and his walk reminded me a bit of a duck. He said that he would go with us as long as we wouldn't take him out into the woods and kill him. I thought "Well, fair enough." Ha.

I told Cody I wanted to get a picture of this. I needed to document this momentous occasion. So, if he would put his arm around me at some point, and I was going to eat cotton candy, and my friend was going to snap a picture.

Cody gets on the ride with me, and he starts getting scared. No joke. I realized he was afraid of heights, and the double ferris wheel goes up significantly higher than a regular ferris wheel. The guy is very expressive and lets expletives fly out of his mouth now and then. He was like "This ride scares the _ _ _ _ out of me! We are only being held by a couple of bolts!" Then when we get to the top. Instead of kind, sweet things, he was saying things like…"What do people do here? Aren't you all just farmers and ranchers daughters?" I was like "Well, we watch movies, etc." He was from Branson. I was like "Well, I doubt you are going to a show every night." So, he seemed to think Nebraska was an incredibly boring, agricultural state. He seemed to excel at swearing and complaining.

Then when the ride slows down, I'm like "Here, put your arm around me!" Then he starts yelling to my friend "Take a picture! Take a picture!" Then after we get of the ride, he starts hurrying back to the Devaney center. Hee hee. I couldn't explain to my friend that he was scared until later. I just kept saying "He doesn't want to go." It was really funny. The reality was quite a bit different than how I pictured it. But, it fulfilled one thing on my bucket list.