Ma & Pa Shuffle Snap

The NLCC 2nd Annual Film Festival was a success! There were 10 short films in all and they all were very entertaining! This is a snap from the movie The Ma & Pa Shuffle and Friends itself, that the Yokley family filmed and produced. Gives you a little peek into how out of our comfort zone we became. More than the movie, the family project was a great way to do something zany together. We all had a great time making this movie!

Ma & Pa Shuffle

This photo is the house (In Hornitos, CA) we used in our first Ma and Pa film last year. My friends, Cherie, Judy and I went on a photography road trip, last week, to the mountains and foothills. We found some real treasures. This one perhaps isn't all that great of a photo, but it does remind me of what is happening in our resent lives. For the past 4 weeks we have been filming and producing our new Ma and Pa movie called, The Ma & Pa Shuffle and Friends. All our kids were involved with this one (along with some friends), and we never have laughed so hard...at ourselves and each other. What a great family project it has been. Everyone had to put away their inhibitions, pride and be exposed...not an easy thing to do, but for a great cause. To support our youth for church camp this summer. This Friday, along with the Ma & Pa movie we will get to view 7 other short films (10 minutes or under) at our 2nd annual NLCC Film Festival, and we can't wait! Oh yeah, again Clifford is the star of the movie!!!

Having a Coronary?

Tonight while I was folding laundry in the living-room, the girls were loading the dish washer and washing the dishes that didn't fit. Maycin was also in the kitchen. Ashlee, with an alarming tone said, "Maycin don't do that on Nana's table. She'll have a heart attack!!" Those were words that made a little uneasy jump in the pit of my stomach. I had two choices. I could go right into the kitchen and investigate for myself, what she was talking about. Or, I could completely ignore it. I chose to put the clothes, I had just folded, away in the opposite direction. Believe you me, it was not an easy choice!

Front Porch Adventure

It all started on our front porch...Cliff has been on call all week with more business than he really wanted, and I was busy with studies, photo shoots and such. So, we decided after we ate our warmed up Taco Bell taco (I ordered too many the night before and they are never good after 2 days!) dinner, we'd sit on the porch and reconnect! Cliff sipped his wine while I sipped a home made frap. The air was very nice with a bit of a breeze and we talked and talked. Our conversation went all over the place...my heart was stirring as here we were, all alone (that is a rare moment) and what are we doing? We are sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch and my mind went to, "Oh my gosh, we have turned into our parents!" I challenged Cliff with, "Let's do something spontaneous! Let's take a drive up to the foot hills (it was dark by this time) and look at the stars! It sounded fun to me. Cliff had an idea too, "Let's go out for a piece of pie!" I still liked my idea, but the pie was sounding pretty good. So, Cliff jumped in the shower and by the time we got to the restaurant, it was well over 10:00 pm (getting very close to our bedtime). Cliff ordered a humongous french apple pie with, drizzled carmel, ice-cream and whip cream in a clear stemmed bowl so you could see all the decedent morsels! My order was a bit modest compared...coconut cream pie. We looked at each other and began to chow. Now I got about half way into my pie and realized I was beginning to have a sick feeling in my stomach. But, did I stop? No!!! This was coconut cream pie that I hardly get a chance to eat. I almost had that puppy put away, but I just couldn't get the last 3 bites down and sat there guzzling water and hoping the feeling would subside. Cliff also was experiencing the same...we left and all the way home we said, "we'll never do that again! We should have shared...we should have ordered something like soup...we should have..." So, we laughed at ourselves. Morning came and we both woke with the Hershey squirts (as our kids call it) and sugar diabetes comas (what a headache I had). Cliff and I did decide we have arrived. We are our parents!

Today

Life is much the same for me today and yet it's not. Going through the motions of a scheduled day of work at the office and home. What makes it different is that, again, a wonderful person we know is suffering with terminal cancer...Ashlee's mother-in-law, Margaret. She is in the hospital and her organs are shutting down. The family is preparing. How can anyone go on through their day without being moved by the circumstances. One thing I'm sure of, God is in the midst of it with His love, His comfort and His peace for those who want it.

Bass Lake, CA Again

A little straighter? With a photo program, I straightened it out.

Bass Lake, CA

This is my tilting lake...I'm still trying to work on that!

Wedding Couple

Had another opportunity to shoot a wedding...

60th Wedding Anniversary

I had the privilege of photographing a 60th wedding anniversary shoot with this couple yesterday. I love this shot as it is a bit mysterious, nostalgic and what are they smiling about? Perhaps remembering their first date, first kiss...It was a total joy for me to watch and shoot at the same time! (I don't know why, but when I upload my pix they never upload sharp and always a bit grainy. I did soften the edges of the photo...Do any of you have any ideas why?)

Summertime (photo challenge)

My grandson, Maycin, had a bug hunt summer day today, here at Nana's. He was finding "rolly polly bugs."

Before The Wedding

I was asked to be the wedding photographer two days before this wedding (yesterday). It was only my 2nd wedding (the first was a gift to the bride and groom). I liked this shot even though there is a bit of a shadow around the little girl's face. We were in a little cubical area and not much chance of escaping shadows with a flash. Although, not totally candid (posing for a family member), they were unaware that I was shooting them as well.

What Youth Do For Fun!!!

I have the privilege of working with our church high-schoolers every Thursday evening. Our youth pastor always has the most interesting and fun challenges during game time...taken last night!