You're Going to Hell

I've said that to people before.

*sigh*

I've been trying to write this post for a while. It always comes out sounding so self-involved. Perhaps that's a sign that this endeavor really is all about me, despite my fantasies about it being so incredibly meaningful for the people to whom it's addressed.

Let's do it as simply as possible, then. Down to brass tacks, as they say.

:

I was raised in a Baptist home, and I embraced the "evangelical" way. As such, I ended up telling a number of delightful people that they would not make it into Heaven unless they believed in Jesus Christ. As I got older, I also got better at waxing compassionate, but the idea was still the same.

I really thought I was doing the right thing. My heart was full of love as I knew it. But I was wrong. The people who told me I was right were wrong.

So I'm sorry. If I ever said anything like that to you, I'm sorry. I had no idea what I was doing. Pay no attention. We were all wrong.

And quite frankly, I now think that's it's just as wrong to believe it as it is to say it. But that's a can of worms for another time.

For now,
You are worthy of perfect love.
Your heart is beautiful.
The world needs you just as you are.

~Grete

Pearls Before Swine

Okay, let me start off by saying that Blogger has a new format and it's kind of freaking me out.

Now that I've got that off my chest....

What I really want to write about, briefly, is how strange and generous the Universe can be.

For example: I love taking pictures, and I consider myself a decent photographer, especially for someone who's self-taught and can't afford a lot of fancy equipment. (Don't get me wrong--I'd love to have a lot of fancy equipment.) Anyway, I'll do a job for a friend now and then, but most of the pictures I take are for fun.

Recently though, out of pretty much nowhere, I felt inspired to create a photoblog/website for myself. This was mostly to show off the work that I'm most proud of in a better format than Facebook (which, I'm convinced, automatically de-edits one's photos) and also to, maybe, possibly, get some more paying gigs here and there. Tattoos are expensive, people!

So I created the site, published it, and spent a bunch of time adding pictures to it. Here it is, if you care to take a gander:

greterachelphotography.wordpress.com

And guess what? Within a week of publishing that silly thing I had three (3!) paying gigs lined up!

It's funny how, when you just take a chance with something that you really love and are pretty good at, planets tend to align. The problem is that the things we really love and desperately hope we're good at are the very things we tend not to take chances with. What if people don't care about what I do? Even worse, what if I find out that the thing I most love is something that I am not actually good at, or not as good as I'd hoped? So we say to ourselves, no pearls before swine! And hide it away.

But what if you chose not to care about success, or failure? What if you just threw it out there?

Maybe you'd be pleasantly surprised.

Cool Things Like Postalpix

Okay, so Facebook bought Instagram. For one billion dollars. It's crazy times, people.

Perhaps now you are wondering, how might I obtain a more tangible--some might say "printed"--version of my adorably square little filtered photos before the evil Facespace empire infiltrates my mobile camera roll?

Well, I've got just the thing, ladies and gentlemen! Postalpix!

Postalpix is a free (YES FREE) app that lets you order prints of your phone's/iPod's photos--FROM your phone or iPod! Wowzers!

Okay, but seriously, it's awesome; and here are some reasons why:

1. Postalpix prints *square* photos, thereby making manifest your Hipstamatic reality in true-to-pic proportions. They also do more typical photo sizes, if you're into that sort of thing.
2. Postalpix prints are pretty damn cheap. Like, 30 cents per 4x4 print cheap.
3. They can print your pics on ALUMINUM.
4. You just order from your phone/iPod, pay through PayPal if that's your thing, and then the prints show up in your mailbox like 3 days later. Technology!

Thumbs up!

Also, hat tip to A Beautiful Mess--the blog on which I discovered Postalpix for myself along with many other photographic, sartorial, and crafty treasures.

Echo (echo...echo) Mountain!

Yesterday I took Mr. Smith on one of my favorite hikes, up the Sam Merill Trail to the ruins of the old Echo Mountain House. I swear that place is haunted.

Esther

I am a test run
turned new queen.
I am a dumb woman
of the unnamed God.

I am the one who waits
to be summoned
to my own bed. I am one
of many wives.

I am adopted of the
suffering ones. I am
the woman you never
wanted to need.

I am the cause
of death and exaltation.
I am the bitch
blessed to save the world.

Zoo please!

Okay, so I have really mixed feelings about zoos. I've seen some not-so-great ones (Santa Barbara, I'm looking at you) and some rather nice ones (*coughcough* San Francisco *coughcough*).

The LA Zoo is kind of in-between. Actually, it's probably better than in-between. Not that I know a lot about these things, but the place appears to be really into education and conservation. It kind of seems like some of the habitats are too small for whatever's inside; but like I said, I'm no zoologist and it could just be that good old misinformed white guilt tugging at my tender middle-class heartstrings. All I know is, after seeing The Cove, I'm never going to any place that has dolphins or killer whales ever again.

Good thing the LA Zoo has...meerkats! :D

And seals!

And baby antelope!

And...sheep! Wait what? Oh, this is the farm-y portion...

(Waterfall)

And flamingos!

(Trees)

And elephants!

And very curious birds...

And rhinos!

And....some kind of mountain goat whose name means "snake eater"....

And monkeys!

Lots of monkeys!!

And more elephants!

(Fancy pattern)

And gazelle!

Aaaand, last but not least....

More Flamingos!

Walking Distance

I recently moved--not far, just a few miles west of where I've been for the last 4 1/2 years. Somehow I can actually feel being closer to the ocean; and I'm just a sliver happier because of it.

Sadly, I'm not within walking distance of work anymore. However, I am within walking distance of pretty much everything else I used to have to drive to on a regular basis: Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Target, and--this is the best part--a farmer's market.

This morning was my first jaunt down there as a resident, so I thought I'd snap a few shots to memorialize this great development.

Did I mention they have pony rides?!


And a petting zoo!