Attending Blissdom ’12? Join Me For a Photowalk on Thursday!

I’m so excited to be flying to Nashville, TN next week. I’ve been lucky to be involved with Bissdom since the beginning, when it was a tiny, one room event. Every year it has grown and become even more brilliant. I cherish the time I will have to spend with friends who I don’t get to see for the entire rest of the year! I look forward to the fun, love-filled, happy community environment that awaits.

But this year I’m even more excited because I’ll be doing something I love to do in association with the conference – hosting a Photowalk! I know that many of you love to take photos as much as I do, and doing that together is just the best kind of hangout time that photographers can plan. There is endless beauty inside of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, and we’ll be walking through it under the biodome and among lush plants getting some amazing shots along the way. Let’s photograph an indoor waterfall together, what do you say?

All levels are welcome – bring your camera in phone, point and shoot, DSLR – whatever you have!

Please RSVP: http://plancast.com/p/9w85

Have questions? I’m happy to answer them!

Walk Details

• When: Thursday, February 23rd, 10am
• Where: Meet in the Magnolia Ballroom
• RSVP: http://plancast.com/p/9w85
• Hashtag: #BD12PW

Social Media Details

Please RSVP for the walk (even if you’re not 100% sure you’ll make it) at the Plancast Page here: http://plancast.com/p/9w85

Blissdom ’12 Photowalk Facebook Group – if you’re planning on attending, please go join the group. This is a great place to see who else will be there and ask questions or make suggestions.

Blissdom ’12 Photowalk G+ Page – Are you on Google+? Add this page and keep an eye on it. After the walk, when you share your photos on G+ use the hashtag #BD12PW and tag the page and I’ll start gathering and sharing the photos there. The hashtag stream will be a very easy place for us to see each other’s photos. Please note that I can’t circle you back with this page until you circle me first – it’s a spam prevention thing. So please go circle!

Blissdom ’12 Photowalk flickr Group – Love flickr? Join this group and after the walk when you upload your photos to flickr, you can add them there. Tag your photos with Blissdom ’12 Photowalk.

Blissdom ’12 Photowalk Snap MyLife Group Collection – Do you share your photos on SML? I do! (Find me here.) We can all easily add to this Group Collection on SML and have them in one place.

Or course, it’s great if you Tweet photos during or after the walk. The Hashtag for our walk is #BD12PW wherever you can use a hashtag.

Whew! I think I covered all the bases, but please feel free to ask me any questions or offer suggestions. I look forward to seeing you guys!

“I Need To Ask You About A Part Of My Body I Don’t Know About”

That’s what I heard from the bathroom the other night during Braden’s bathtime. Was I afraid? No. Was I offput? No. I’ve always been frank and open with him about his body, including telling him the actual names for things rather than the cute ones. Now, if you want to teach your children that they have a pee-pee instead of a penis, I don’t hold it against you, but that’s just not for me, man. I teach my son that he has a penis, we fart instead of pooting, and when a bitch gets uppity, you gotta smack that bitch down. Okay, so maybe I got a little carried away there at the end, but you get what I mean.

So when Braden made this announcement, I marched right in there and told him to go for it. He was sitting there looking very calm and relaxed, and at my arrival he stood up. With a glorious erection. If that wasn’t enough (it really, really was enough. no. really.) then he yanked at his testicle skin and demanded, “What. is. THIS?”

“Testicles.”
“But what’s INSIDE there?”
“It’s skin on the outside, and on the inside those are your testicles.”
“Okay. But what happens if I… SQUISH THEM?”
“Um. Well. They are very delicate and if you hit, yank, smash, or SQUISH them, it will probably hurt very bad. So be careful with them, okay?”

>pause. pensive look.<

“Okay, Mommy.”

>sits back down in bath. more pensive look<

“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Actually? It feels very nice when I squish my testicles with my fingers. I like that. I like it very much.”
“Braden?”
“Yes, Mommy?”
“I’m happy for you. I’m going to leave the room now.”
“Okay, Mommy.”

>quiet moment<

From the bathroom:

“MY TESTICLES LOOK LIKE ALMONDS!”

“MOMMY? WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?”

I HEART YOU

That’s right, all of you.

And, Oh, The Vast Beauty Of This World