hocus outta focus : the hocus focus blog

Beetle Juice! Beetle Juice! Beetle Juice!

Okay, they're not beetles, but it's just not the same when you say, "Cicada juice!  Cicada juice!  Cicada juice!"  I'm re-organizing hard drives and stumbled upon these shots from last fall that I never posted.

So, I'm deeply concentrated, channeling my inner National Geographic photographer when my prankster husband comes up beside me, tickles my arm and yells out, "There's one on you!  There's one on you!"  Wish someone had a camera on me at that moment.  That might have been a record high vertical jump.  I'm a total girl and I'm soooo not a bug person so I totally freaked.  You know, jumping around screaming, arms flailing about.  Not pretty.  At all!  Yeah, maybe I'm glad nobody had a camera on me afterall. 

The girls heard me screaming and wanted to know what we were looking at so Chris picked one up so The Lu could get a closer look.

When he put it back on the rope he found it on we realized his fingers had torn off the tips of the wings and we noticed some kind of fluid seeping out of the ends.  We touched it and it kinda felt like baby oil.  It was crazy.

I'd love to know more about it.  If only there were more hours in the day.  I'd do some googling, but instead I'll take the lazy route.  Blog about it and hope a reader knows or is incredibly bored and decides to google it for me.  *wink*wink*

Have a fantastic day!
H

Happy Father's Day!

When it comes to parenting I'm the disciplinarian and Chris is the fun one, which is probably why this quote struck such a chord with me. 

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard.  Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass."  "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply.  "We're raising boys."  -Harmon Killebrew

We're raising girls, but the same theory applies and I can always count on Chris to remind me of this.  He's such an incredible father. He's a provider and a protector.  He's a storyteller and a snuggler.  He's a hide-and-go seeker and a human jungle gym.  He's a boo-boo fixer and a buddy.  If you were to ask, I'm sure our girls would tell you he hung the moon.  Of course he did.  He's their daddy and he's their hero.

I'll probably never get over the amazement I have for the relationship between Chris and our daughters and these next two shots pretty much sum it up.   

They simply adore him.

I grew up without a dad, but I had an amazing grandpa (and a couple of awesome uncles) who stepped up and played that part - and then some.  Papa was always such an inspiration to me, and Chris actually reminds me a lot of him.  You know...the kind of man who will drop anything, anytime for his kids because nothing is more important to him.  I learned a lot about life from Papa and I know our girls will learn so much from Chris.

Whether you're a father or a father figure, you've got a very important job.  The most important one you'll ever have.    

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.  -Clarence Budington Kelland

Happy Father's Day!

Why I Love Twitter - Vol. 1

For those of you who don't know, twitter is practically the coolest thing since sliced bread.  I take that back.  Sliced bread isn't really that cool anymore.  Maybe it's the coolest thing since Starbucks got a drive-thru, now THAT is cool.  But whatever...you get the point.  IT'S COOL.

I've found some interesting stuff on twitter and some of it is worth sharing so every Friday I'll post my favorite tweet.  Maybe it will be funny.  Maybe it will be educational.  Maybe it will be pointless and stupid.  But if you ask me, everyone needs a little pointless and stupid in their life now and then.  Too much seriousness is bad for your health.

For today's Why I Love Twitter I've got something that's neither funny, nor educational, nor is it pointless and stupid.  This, my friends, is what you call major awesomeness and it's something I so wish I could do.  It was tweeted by Rob Dyrdek.  Yes, I follow Rob Dyrdek on twitter.  And yes, I love Rob and Big. 

Good grief, she's freaking awesome!

If you're not already following me on twitter be sure you do.  I'll be announcing something exciting next week and you'll only find it on twitter and facebook. And if there's anyone you think I should be following let me know by leaving a comment here on the blog.  

Happy Friday, peeps! 
H

A Dare

So, I'm a blogger, a facebooker and now a twitterer.  One of the peeps I follow on twitter is photographer Anna Kuperberg. The following was one of her recent tweets. 

"A challenge to photographers: Take a photo today that's different from what you've done before. I dare you."

It kind of reminded me of a magnet I have that says, "Do one thing every day that scares you."  So, when the girls and I headed out for a walk the other day I grabbed my camera to shoot something different.  Here's my "something different".  I'm glad I did it.  It's kinda nice to shake things up now and then. 

How will you shake things up today? 

Happy Wednesday!
H

Ice Cream and Firefighters

Who doesn't love ice cream and firefighters? 


The Morrows do!  And come to think of it, I don't think I've ever met a firefighter who doesn't love ice cream.  I'll ask Chris, but I'm pretty sure that's a job requirement.  Must be able to endure deadly temperatures.  Must be able to carry a 200 pound man from a burning building.  Must love ice cream.      
Stop by Baskin-Robbins, for 31 CENT SCOOP NIGHT in honor of America's Firefighters.  On Wednesday, April 29, 2009 from 5pm to 10pm participating stores will reduce prices of small ice cream scoops to 31 cents and Baskin-Robbins will make a $100,000 donation to the NVFC National Junior Firefighter Program.  And at some locations you may also have an opportunity to make a donation to local fire charities.

So, take your family out Wednesday night and support two things I truly love.  Ice cream and firefighters.

Not that anyone would need a reminder to go eat ice cream...but just in case you're not quite as die hard as me, you can text SCOOP to 31310 and they'll send a reminder to your cell phone.  How cool is that? 

Peace, love and mint chocolate chip!
H

Dear Blog

Dear Blog,

It's not you.  It's me.  I just needed some space...some time to clear my head.  I needed to find myself. 

I wasn't ready for a relationship but I still care about you.  Can I call you sometime?

Love,
Heather

Cleaning Up The Coffee

You'll have to excuse me while I wipe my grande non-fat caramel latte from my computer screen.  You'd think I'd know by now.  After reading her blog for so long I should see it coming. 

If you've ever had a conversation with me about blogs you've heard me talk about Heather Armstrong (aka Dooce).  She's got to be one of the funniest people EVER!  And not only is she funny...she's wife, she's a mom, and just like all of us (don't lie, everyone has them) she's got issues.  But she's not afraid to talk about them.  In a hilariously funny spit-your-coffee-on-the-screen kind of way.

I just found out Dooce is working on a new project that I find incredibly entertaining and also quite informative.  Here's one clip from the project called momversation.

For all the moms who read my blog you MUST and I mean MUST (said with at least 14 syllables like they taught me in Texas) leave this blog now and go visit momversation.com.

Then come back here and tell me how freaking funny it is and that you're just as addicted to it as me.  In other words come back here and make me feel better about my issues. 

Happy Saturday!
H

The Power of a Picture

I've started and deleted this post a dozen times because words simply escape me.  I wrote about the importance of taking pictures after my Papa passed away but I felt the need to say it again. 

A little over a week ago while at a birthday party for a firefighter Chris works with we got the call that another member of their crew had suddenly passed away at the young age of 30.  He leaves behind a girlfriend who we all knew would someday be his wife and over a hundred brothers and sisters within the fire department.  Throughout the week that would follow I saw more strength, support, honor and tradition than some people witness in a lifetime.  The fire department gives new meaning to the word family and I could not be more proud to be a fireman's wife. 

Just three short days later I also received word that a client and friend had lost her 37 year old husband unexpectedly.  She and her incredible husband have two beautiful daughters and another child on the way.  While I didn't know him well, he is the kind of man you never forget and I feel honored to have known him at all.  Jodie, you're on my mind and in my prayers.   The world is a better place because of Thor.

Photographs were such an important part of both of these funerals.  A photo can instantly take you back to a time and place where you couldn't otherwise go.  They keep our memories fresh and allow us to relive the special moments in our lives.  They tell a story - not just of what someone did or where they went, but of who they were.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  They don't have to be perfect.  They don't have to be professional.  Just take pictures.  And take them often.  Someday they may be all you have.

As a photographer we often take for granted what our images mean to our clients.  Day in, day out we go through the motions of doing our job, sometimes forgetting the effect our work can have on a family, especially in times of tragedy.  It's a big reminder to all of us photographers to never take for granted how lucky we are to do what we do. 

I will hug my loved ones a little tighter today and hope you'll do the same.
H

Happy Birthday, Leah!

By the time she gets this blog post in her inbox it will no longer be her birthday, but I just HAD to give a little birthday shout to one of my very loyal blog readers, Miss Leah Lowry. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, girl!  Hope you had a fantastic day!

(Gotta love facebook for telling when everyone's birthday is...)

If She Were President

Rilee came home from Grandma's tonight to find the television on in our bedroom and asked what I was watching. When I told her I had been watching the election coverage this was the conversation we had.

RILEE: Mom, guess what? I voted at school. I voted for John McCain. I wish I could live in the White House.

ME: Well if you do, can I sleep in The Lincoln Bedroom?

RILEE: Mom, you can sleep in my room. I'll decorate it with ponies. I'll be President Pony and you can sleep with me.

Three words, people. RILEE FOR PRESIDENT.