Tuesday, September 29, 2009

When we all pull together good things can happen

A couple years ago I was turned onto a photography message board. I am really fortunate to be part of this a community of photographers. I am not as active as I once was due to time restraints, the time sucker called facebook, and the whole stress of the moving thing and having ½ my life in boxes right now, but I digress. I have met several of these great people in person, but for the most part, we don't know each other in real life. However, as more and more time passes many of us have come to know and love one another.

Now the majority of this board is female and share the passion or photography on many different levels and in different manners, but a love for it just the same. It is a place we we come together to share things that are on topic, and stuff that is way off the topic of photography. We can share our latest photo sessions, get feedback on shots, and share our ever growing wish lists for gear, and often we enable one another to buy things that are photo related. In the way of off topic items there is good news shared, venting about something that has really rubbed us the wrong way, share funny stories and unfortunately we also hear about the bad news. I say unfortunately because no one wants to hear about bad things happening to our friends.


Just recently one photographer posted about how her Husband had lost his job. It was over something that was not his fault but was now unemployed as a result. With 3 kids at home and one that requires expensive medications this sweet girl who was worried about the future of her little family immediately put up some of her back up gear for sale online in order to help her family financially. It really tugged at the heartstrings of us all. Not only is she truly one of the most generous and giving people on the board, but it also meant she would no longer have back up gear and would have to turn down weddings and other photo shoots. Reducing her ability to get income in the future for her family in order to meet their immediate financial needs. It is amazing how much you can grow to care about someone that you have never met, but her kind and generous heart and the fact that she is really a talented photographer really just made the whole thing hard to swallow.


It seriously made me sick when I heard what was happening and well I sure was not the only one. Several amazing people pulled together and organized a fundraiser to “buy” this gear from her. I guess you could say we were going to buy it from her to give it back to her. So a significant sum was raised in just 4 short days (I love the power of the internet and PAYPAL) and earlier today another sweet girl from the board drove 2 hours to meet up with her and present her with the money.


So everyone that was involved is feeling a great sense of happiness today for being able to do a small part to help out such a wonderful friend. You would think we were the ones getting a gift today. It really is better to give than receive. In these tough financial times it really is hard for so many but when the masses pull together it really is amazing what you can get done. It is just another way to pay it forward for the good things that are done for us in our lives.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Ellie is looking like Great Grandma

My Aunt and Cousin came in for a long weekend with sweet little Ellie... She had to meet her Great Grandmother on her mom's side of the family after all. Well we pulled out this picture of MomMom when she was a baby a little older than Ellie is now.



Then I took this picture of little Ellie today. She is looking a lot like her MomMom..




And since I am having so much fun taking hre picture here is a few more..




I even got one taken with her..



We got a 4 generation picture also. So fun..