smile

it has rained so much lately.

i usually don't complain, as i love the rain - the sound. the smells. the breezes that come with it;

but it has rained so much. that its really hard to recall any days of sunshine that we've had.

they say all the rain and cooler weather will make for beautiful fall foliage. && that im excited about that. we are awaiting the leaf changes, as we are having fall photos done outside.

& these, embarassingly so, will be our first professional photos really since our engagement,

or, of course the wedding. ridiculous, right?

ive asked for a new camera for Christmas, one of the fancy ones.

i had one, once. didn't know what i had, and sold it on ebay.

i chalk that up, as yet another time, "my momma was right."

let me tell you the story, the brief version.

i once went on a business trip to new orleans.

my hotel card key was stolen. and my hotel room broken into.

i didn't realize this until i started looking for my cell phone charger, which was in my laptop bag.

i quickly realized that my laptop,

the laptop bag which also had my cell phone charger and billfold,

my camera; fancier than the one i have now, but not as fancy as the one i want, &

my purse - weren't in my room.

i call hotel security.

they could do nothing.

&& this was the hilton garden.

so they called the police.

the report wast taken.

the next morning. i got a strange call on my cell -

from a man who owned a business several blocks away.

he verified my name and the company i worked for.

he had my business card.

a card in which he had found inside my laptop bag -

that he had found stashed in a hot dog cart, outside his office.

the police was called and it was returned to me.

my camera never was recovered.

this camera was so special to me.

it was my gift from the Mr; one Christmas when we didn't have much.

so getting it back, my efforts were relentless.

the hotel wouldn't replace it.

my company wasn't going to replace it. but, they did.

&& with the much flashier. much more complicated one.

all i saw was numbers on the shiny digital screen. it was colored a crisp black.

even came with a lens; that had to be used. but it was all german to me.

i tried & tried to figure this camera out, but no luck.

so on ebay it went; & in return i got a way cheaper digital camera & a new desktop computer.

&& it wasn't until after it sold, did i realize - i had one of those fancy ones.

so heres to hoping santa has noticed how sweet ive been, this year.

what a sweet week