tintypeguy

Tracy and I have lots of plants around our house. I also have a veggie garden every year, and wanted to enhance my garden with natural fertilizers to have better plants. I started with research on composting, and built a compost bin behind the garden. It will turn our grass clippings, excess garden fruit and veggies, salad end pieces, leaves and small branches into nice rich compost to add to the garden.

This type of open bin composting is easy, and takes very little maintenance. A pitchfork is used periodically to turn the mix over, and aid in the decomposition of the pile. In a year or so, we should have a nice mix of compost at the bottom of the bin, as we add and mix things in throughout the year.

During my compost research I came across information about vermicomposting. Basically it is composting with worms. Vermicomposting is great because anyone with any sized home can compost this way. A commercially or homemade bin can be purchased or made, and the worms live inside the bin and consume your excess kitchen waste like coffee grounds, banana peels, salad ends and turn it into rich compost. They do this by digesting the enzymes created by the food as it decomposes, making castings (poop) that can be used as fertilizer in the garden, grass, or in house plants.

My kids were really into the whole thing, since kids and bugs go hand in hand :) Kalli especially is into bugs and things, and was thrilled at having a worm bin in the house.

We spent an afternoon turning two 10-gallon rubbermaid containers into a worm bin. The top bin has holes for ventilation and drainage, and the bottom bin is basically a catch bin for the moisture that is created in the bottom of the top bin as food decomposes and is consumed by the worms.

I've been working on my photography website www.steveingramphoto.com. It has been a work in progress for some time. Look for a new layout and new galleries added soon, as well as work from all of my different disciplines in photography.

I am looking forward to spring, and spending time OUTSIDE!

steve

So since I am an internet geek, I was doing some research on the whole blue moon thing yesterday.

Here are a couple of quotes from this link:

"Wiccans and NeoPagans honor the full moon as a time of letting go of the past and then spelling for the future. Pagan cultures consider it lucky to make wishes and pray under the influences of a blue moon."

"This month's Full Moon is a partial lunar eclipse that will take place on December 31. This Full Moon Lunar Eclipse occurs as the Moon passes through the constellation of Cancer at 10º15'. At exactly 2:13pm the Sun will be moving opposite the Moon through the constellation of Capricorn at 10º15'. The Earth will be moving through Capricorn blocking the light of the Sun to the Moon as it falls in direct alignment at 10º15' with the Sun and Moon. This Eclipse in the Moon's own sign of Cancer can stir deep waters within families and close friendships. Pagans believe we tend to be more emotionally expressive during a Full Moon."

Quite coincidentally I have been thinking about the past, more to the point: letting go of the past. The whole latter part of the "oughts" was one really long and trying time in many many ways for me.

I feel great today, like 2010 is the beginning of a new path, a new road, a new beginning. Honestly the momentum for these feelings have been building for most of 2009, as I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel in many different aspects of my life.

My mom thought it would be great for me to start a fire in the back yard and dance naked under the light of the blue moon last night after hearing about my internet "research." Thankfully, even with a few Blue Moon beers in me, I still did not think that that would be, well , such a good idea to show off my blue moon. It was like nine degrees outside :)

Bring on the new year!!!!!

Wow, I can't believe another year is coming to a close. I for one am glad to see this year end. It had been a  very hectic work schedule year that ate up a lot of my  life and weekends. I am very happy to have a safe and secure job in this economy. Unfortunately for most of the year I was working at my main job, or attending reenactments or photo related gigs on the weekends. Ugh.

We also had a new home to move into and take care of. Tracy and I did a lot of yard work this year. We moved many wheelbarrows full of river rock from the garden space in front of our house, so we could have places to put annuals and perennials. The poor little plants were waiting patiently for us to move them from their temporary gardens at my in-laws home. I also put in my annual veggie garden, and with many mature trees on the property, we cut and trimmed branches and removed many volunteer trees that sprouted up in the yard.

Resolutions for 2010? I hope to have more balance in my life between work, family and personal interests. I get cranky when I let any of these elements take over. Also to grow and learn in new and interesting ways. After five years of trying to do too many things, taking a step back and relaxing a bit, and letting life come a bit slower.

I also want to begin some sort of exercise routine, which will include getting on the bike and riding again! My day job involves a lot of sitting, and then I am home on the computer sitting etc. Time to get back in shape.

This last year has been very positive in many ways, and I want to continue that positive vibe through 2010 and beyond.

So everyone, have a great new year, and I hope all of you have a great 2010!

I haven't written much in quite a while. Combine a heavy workload and spending a good amount of time outside working on the yard this summer, and 'poof' there goes the inspiration to sit down and write.

I spent about an hour on a hike in the woods this morning. It was beautiful, with about four inches of snow on the ground, and temps in the high 20's. I love hiking, especially on my own, while exploring different parts of parks and forest preserves. And of course I bring along the camera.

I enjoy the experience of the hike, and having the camera along is just an added bonus. I waffle over what camera I bring with me. Sometimes it is a 4x5 view camera, but most of the time it is a 35mm film camera of some sort. Right now I am shooting with a Pentax Spotmatic SPII I just had serviced and cleaned. It is really a joy to use.

Even with only a four inch snowfall, the roads are still patchy and some have drifted over. Not too much to cause worries, but enough to slow you down and make you take your time negotiating over the slick and covered country roads.

Well that was my "serenity now" moment for the day. I gotta go change clothes and get ready for my 8 hours of work now.

later.

Tuesday was my one year anniversary with Kraft Foods, my new job in Champaign.

Wow, I can't believe it has already been a year.

For those that don't know, I drive a fork truck in the distribution department. We move pallets of products from production lines, or from bays (stacks of pallets) to trailers to ship to your local store. The only fork truck experience I had before Kraft was in college. We used a small fork truck to move lithography stones back and fourth between the storage racks, the table and the press. It was a little walk behind electric jobber, and had a couple of levers and we only moved it 15 feet or so. No big deal.

Now I drive an 8000 pound fork truck all day, which can turn on a dime and lift up to 3000 pounds. I made SO MANY mistakes when I first started. I spilled an awful lot of things as I learned how to drive it. Mark at work always reminds me about the time I spilled a whole pallet of gallons of French Dressing from the third level of a rack bay. A pallet of gallons is 60 boxes with four gallons inside each box. So imagine the mess that made! We needed two dumpsters, shovels, and a lot of wipes! Since then I have spilled a few things here and there. It just happens, but luckily I figured out how to drive and not spill stuff.

Now I am meeting or exceeding the expectations of the department, which for me is important. I am a fairly driven person, and I don't give up or quit.

The best part is that Kraft is one of the few companies in this economy that is actually doing well. I received a cost of living raise in February, and on Tuesday I got a bump in pay after making it a year with the company. We also just received a yearly plant performance bonus as well. All this and really good benefits and for now - a secure place to work, wow I am just happy to have all this happen right now.

Oh well, I just thought I would share my happiness with you all. So next time you put French dressing on that salad of yours, you can think of me :)

later,
steve

I bought this CD to listen to, and learn some of the quote "50 Great Irish Fighting Songs."

Well the jolly old songs really don't put the fightin in me, they make me feel like takin' a few shots of whiskey and a few pints of ale instead and singin' with me buddies.

I'm sure the Irish folk were a fightin bunch, but these songs don't make me a too scared, not even a wee bit.

steve

Holy Moley, can we actually have a normal year? I mean come on, most Christmas letters talk about how good the family is doing, bla bla bla, what we have been up to, bla bla bla. Our letter, however, always has more twists and turns than a cheap mystery novel.

 

So here goes….

 

Earlier this year I gave up my photo studio. It was hard to let it go, but because of the tough economic times, both nationally and in Galesburg, it was hard to get customers in the door. After spending a bit of time searching and looking I landed a job at Kraft Foods in Champaign , Illinois. My father in law works there, and was able to get my name on “the list.” Kraft is a hard place to get in unless you know someone, so he really helped me out.

 

I work in the distribution department and drive a fork truck moving products either from the production area into the warehouse or from the warehouse into semis. Maybe you have heard of Mac and Cheese and Miracle Whip? Guess what, I see a lot of that stuff every day. I spill some of it too, it just happens. But it is NO FUN to clean up gallons of mayonnaise or a pallet of macaroni noodles. Trust me. You need shovels and squeegees, a dumpster, and lots of paper towels. At least it doesn’t happen every day, and not as often now after I have learned how to drive a fork truck. Actually I haven’t had a spill like that for a while…. Jinx!

 

I lived temporarily with my in-laws in Urbana until Tracy joined me with the kids in June. Then we lived with them a bit longer until we got our new house in St. Joseph. It is a nice house, big enough for all our stuff and it has a ½ acre yard complete with a zillion trees and creek that runs through it. Nice let me tell ya, but not so much fun to rake leaves this fall. We also have cows as neighbors to our north and a woodchuck that visits from time to time. 

 

Tracy started substituting for the St. Joseph school district this fall, and landed a full time sub job for a kindergarten teacher on maternity leave. She has been teaching for a month and will continue to teach until the end of February. She loves being back in the teaching game and really enjoys working again. She ESPECIALLY enjoys that both of our kids are in school full time. And she has grownups to talk to now. Well at least the teachers, she now has 20 six year olds as well. Ugh!

 

The kids are doing great. Kalli is in second grade and is the top student in her class. We are very proud of her even when she corrects us around the house. Tracy: “Kalli you have 10 minutes until bed.” Kalli: “Actually the clock says 8:19 so I have 11 minutes until bed mom.” Great.

 

Logan is also doing very very well in school. He is our sleeper smart guy, because he doesn’t flaunt it as much as his sister. He is learning how to read, write, and be a smarty pants. Both he and his sister get that naturally, I imagine, from numero uno.

 

The kids are fun, let me tell ya, and I enjoy being a part of their lives a lot.

 

Tracy and I celebrated a milestone this year. We met as friends 25 years ago in September. Wow. I guess that means we are getting old. Yea!

 

I did some reenacting this year, but not the mega schedule I had planned in 2007. I have continued my photo business, both modern and antique process work, but I am doing it on a smaller scale at home. Kraft had me working a lot of weekends and overtime this spring through fall. It was great for the pocketbook, not so good for the photo biz, but I am really enjoying the money, the money and well the money. And the benefits are great too.

 

Well I am sure I am forgetting something, but that is the highlight reel. I hope you have a great holiday season and a happy new year!

 

Steve, Tracy, Kalli and Logan.

"Every time a newspaper dies, even a bad one, the country moves a little closer to authoritarianism; when a great one goes, like the New York Herald Tribune, history itself is denied a devoted witness"
Richard Kluger


I am sad to say that this has not been a very good year to be in the newspaper business. Sagging circulation and advertising dollars have led to smaller and leaner staffs. The high cost of printing on newsprint has also been a burden. Some have thrown in the towel for good and closed up shop. According to this website:

http://graphicdesignr.net/papercuts/

Over 15,000 staff positions have been eliminated at newspapers in the United States in 2008.

I was a photojournalist for 13 years. Over that length of time I saw some amazing things, and some mundane things. But the most important thing to me was always the process. The newspaper. A collection of data written, assembled on pages and delivered it to your doorstep in a timely manner.

There have been new media that have popped up lately. One of which, ironically, is the blog which I am writing right now. Blogs, webcasts, internet news etc. are all forms of news gathering and reporting.  And they are all fine in their own ways, but there is nothing quite like reading a newspaper.

A newspaper is a comfort to me. It is something I can read and put down. Scan and come back to. I can read the paper in my living room, on the train, at work on break, or outside. I don't need a computer screen and a wireless internet connection to view the pages. It is right there, literally in black and white (and color too) in front of me.

Good community newspapers do a great job blending the national with the local stories. A newspaper became "your" newspaper. It reports about what happens in your community. Births, deaths, stories of local interests, politics,  and bulletins.

Unfortunately the bottom line does not always reflect on the best way to create a newspaper. Owners of newspapers have to turn a profit in order to stay in business. And lately business hasn't been that great.  Many papers have been cutting staff positions. Shrinking the physical size of the newspaper due to printing costs. Using citizen journalists to help write stories and submit photographs, often for free, in lieu of paid staffers. Gathering and reporting news from press releases rather than actually following through with and reporting on the issues. So the content suffers and ultimately the paper suffers because of it.

So what will happen to the newspaper? For a while I was in denial, thinking that papers would be around forever. They would figure out a way to stay in business despite all of the struggles and obstacles that have been thrown their way. But I am in denial no longer. A couple of weeks ago the Rocky Mountain News announced that they may have to close the paper by mid January of 2009 if they do not have a buyer for the paper. The Tribune Company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. I hear from former friends still in staff positions in various local papers telling me about job cuts and layoffs. Papers both small and large are either consolidating staff, or closing their doors.

It is a sad for me to see this happen. Unfortunately the newspaper is victim of change.

I met this cute little girl with pig tails and braces. I sat behind her in Mr. Weasman's history class at Park Jr. High in seventh grade. I used to pull her hair and call her names (I still call her names :) ) and somehow we became friends.

Through the last 25 years we were friends, we dated, we broke up, we were friends, we dated, we went to college together, we got engaged, married and had two awesome kids.

It is amazing. We have a very deep friendship and a very good relationship. In the last 25 years we have had our ups and downs.  No relationship is perfect. There have been tough times and really good times. That is just the way it is.

For many years I worked a lot and was never home. Recently in 2007 I was working three jobs and working seven days a week, so I really wasn't home. Then we were in two different towns for seven months in 2008 as I worked a new job out of town, and she stayed behind to get the kids to the end of the school year. Now we work opposite shifts, and we see each other for about an hour in the evening after I get home from work and on the weekends. Kinda funny how that works out.

Through all of this we have remained best of friends and I think this is the most important part of any relationship.

So to celebrate our 25th anniversary of knowing each other, I just wanted to post this little blurb today. I really wanted to post it in September, the actual month of the anniversary, but if anyone knows me you know I operate on my own time schedule :) I am going to swear so cover your ears- sometimes fucking life just gets in the way. Things like work and overtime, moving to a new house with our van every open weekend, getting the kids to school, going through 20 years of crap and throwing a lot of stuff away or giving it away, and somewhere in there trying to take some damn pictures :)

So here's to you Tracy. I love you.

Love,
Steve