spellbound jungle

Your name in print

2010-08-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

I want to start doing some more writing for writing's sake over here on Spellbound Jungle Blog 1.0. So, here goes.

Sometime this summer Truman pulled out all my old high school and college newspapers from their accordion folder tomes and started scattering pieces around the basement. I stopped him, laughed at some of the inserts, then put them back away.

I thought about why I was keeping these relics that are quickly gaining this old newspaper smell. Not the good kind that comes after 20 years of yellowing and dog eared pages, but a the smell of trapped ink that hasn't off-gassed.

It's because I remember how much they meant to me once. And I remember that thrill of seeing my name in print for the first time on a story about the La Jolla High School band that trying entirely too hard to make the band sound cooler than it was because I wanted a story that sounded good.

I was doing more with words than with story, then.

In college the paper was a labor of love. I remember once sitting next to a student who was reading my work. I felt like a time traveler stumbling upon herself in danger of creating a paradox that would rip a whole in the very fabric of space and time — because, for me at least, the time period in which I wrote something, and everything that went into that, is part of the final product.

When I read the words I remember it all.

The reader, though, just sees the text before him.

Feeling dangerous and sneaky, I asked the guy what he was reading about and if he liked it. He was reading my article and he did.

Elation. I don't write to be liked, necessarily, but I do write to be read. Knowing someone was reading what I was writing gave so much more meaning to the process.

That same year I got my first check for writing from a little alternative weekly in San Diego I freelanced for. My name in that print — that check ink — was amazing to see. I felt legitimate, that this wasn't just a hobby, but something I could do for a living.

I still a photocopy of that check scanned into my computer. I've held onto it because it reminds me of how proud I felt to be making even a tiny sum off of the written word.

Last year there was get-together for USD Alumni in Minneapolis and I talked to someone who was at the school around the same time I was. I asked about the paper before revealing who I was and he said he remembered it turning around when I was editor-in-chief.

Writing is often a thankless job. It's rare to get comments and when you do they are often angry, especially when it comes to newspapers. Hearing that the work I did — the late nights and general hard-ass stance I had to take — actually made a difference in someone else's mind was like getting that first pay check all over again.

Now I write online for myself, for my photography business, for my son and freelancing for MPR. Somehow in some weird way online publishing isn't as exciting as print.

Maybe it's because I don't expect to stumble upon someone in the real world reading a blog. But with smart phones and e-readers all around, I probably should.

There are many elements I love about writing on the web, but that doesn't make me miss seeing my name in print any less.

2010 Walsh Family Road Trip Day1: To Fargo we go!

2010-06-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Preface: Each year Joe embarks upon a wondrous journey helping coach the Milaca Speech team and judging at Speech meets while I embark on an equally wondrous but more whine-filled journey of having no Saturdays as a family from Jan. through March. As a result the money earned from judging is mine to spend.

Last year we bought a bike trailer for Truman to ride in (remember everyone tripped on it at the State Fair?). This year I dreamed bigger.

This year we headed on a 10 day road trip to Yellowstone National Park. This the true story of the 2010 Walsh Family Road Trip to Yellowstone.

You will also find tons of pictures here, but the really stunning pictures worth mulling over in photoshop will be posted on www.spellboundjungle.com, and a few stories related to our potty training adventures while camping will be posted over on www.spellboundbaby.blogspot.com.

June 3rd: After Joe got off work he came home and we finished up packing. I had almost everything packed already, but you know how it goes prepping a house to leave for over a week — turning everything off, asking my neighbors to water my garden, double checking that things were unplugged/off, running back in the house 5 times to grab various items.

Then we hit the road.

We picked up sandwiches (and cookies) in St. Cloud then made our way to 94. Then we ate said sandwiches and had a cookie party. I had a total mom-win the day before when I realized his highchair tray could be used as a car seat tray.

We stopped at this rest stop with newspaper boxes for such periodicals as "Country Singles," "18-wheel Singles," and "Diabetes Cure 101.com."

Truman spent some time ever-so-carefully crossing the 3-inch divide between two benches and then leaping off the end to land 2 ft. below. I didn't bring my camera out at the time, so later I channeled Demetri Martin and drew a diagram:

Then we got to James' and Nikki's house in Fargo, ND and spent a lovely night sleeping in their guest bed (Thanks again J&N for having us!).

As Truman fell asleep he hugged Joe tight, telling him over and over again "I love you."

I had been telling him for weeks that daddy would be with us every day for 10 days on our vacation and I think he was really looking forward to it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

We're having a family get together over the weekend to celebrate a multitude of things, so I'm posting my little Cupid today. Have a great weekend!

Cooking with Brooke: Icelandic Fish Soup

2010-01-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

A few years ago when my little peanut was literally the size of a peanut (sans shell) Joe and I traveled to Iceland for our delayed honeymoon where we encountered the worst food we've ever tasted.

Why, then, you ask, am I creating a recipe to duplicate something from the land of fire and ice?

I'm so glad you asked. You see hidden in a tiny gift shop along the shore of the glacial lagoon, Jokulsarlon was the best soup I have ever eaten. This brothy, hearty fish-based soup that I have found myself dreaming about since.

I had done a cursory google search to see if the recipe was available a few months ago and found nothing. But yesterday I took charge and realized I never tried searching for "Icelandic Fish Soup," which was gross oversight.

I found a few recipes, melded them with my own ideas and tada:

Icelandic Fish Soup

Though I had long dreamed of this soup, I have to say I was afraid that I only remembered it being delicious because I was so starving that in comparison to all the other food the island offered it was astounding, but when pared with my kitchen of endless possibilities it would fall flat. It did not. This soup is amazing.

Obviously, you could use any vegetables you like, I am writing it with what I used.

Makes a large pot of soup
Takes approximately 1 hour

5 cloves of garlic
1 large onion
2 large carrots
4 medium yellow potatoes
2 golden beets
1 head of broccoli
Handful of green beans
1 jalapeno
1 chipotle pepper or ancho chilli
3 bayleaves
1T. fennel seed or fresh fennel
1 1/2 T. tumeric
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. chilipowder
2 pinches ground cloves
salt & pepper as desired
12 oz. crushed or strained tomato
32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
12 oz fish (I used white fish in the form of Mahi Mahi, you could use any fish but white fish will be the least "fishy")
Handful of shrimp
butter

Chop vegetables and onion. Saute onion in olive oil and butter (or butter substitute) on medium heat while you chop the garlic. Add garlic and spices and saute for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Remove bay leaves and use an immersion blender to smooth onion. Feel free to skip this step if you like onions. But if you don't (or are married to someone who doesn't like me) this is a great way to add onion flavor without the textural mishap.

Add veggies and cook for a few minutes, then add tomato* and broth and 1 1/2 cups of water. Boil for 30-40 minutes. While it is boiling, cut the fish into small pieces and prepare the shrimp. Right before you are ready to serve it, throw in the fish and shrimp and continue on a low boil for 3-5 minutes. I used still frozen fish, but it may take less cooking with fresh fish.

Turn the heat down to low and serve when ready.

Joe said a nice crusty piece of bread would have made a good accompaniment, but I think the soup was hearty enough on its own.

*A note about canned tomatoes: Most people have caught on that BPA, which is used when making plastics can act as a hormone disruptor in humans. It's why we don't drink from polycarbonate plastic water bottles anymore, right? Well, unfortunately we actually get most BPA in our system from canned foods and (this is really scary) carbon copy receipts. The more acidic the canned food, the more likely the can is lined with BPA.

The solution? Buy tomatoes from a glass jar. I finally found some made my bionaturae.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T07:01:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to all! I hope everyone is surrounded by love, family and warmth as you celebrate. We're snuggled up in our house with family watching feet of snow pile up (well, Joe has been shoveling a great deal of it, too).

Here are a few pictures from last night's celebration. We hosted family and then headed to "midnight" mass at 9:30, where Joe cantored and Truman slept in his stroller/my lap.

I have to thank my family for letting me get in some off-camera flash practice. I set my Vivitar up on lightstand pointed at my white ceiling triggered via pocket wizard and wandered.

Joe's stunt double — err, brother — James playing Wii with his own doppleganger-nephew Josh:

And the gift-giving:

These slippers Kellie gave Truman are made with recycled sweaters, how cool (and they fit his giant feet):

I did a big knitted Christmas this year, making everyone I thought would enjoy a knitted goody a hat or scarf:

(p.s.: For those wondering, no, my son is not wearing pants. But when not wearing pants he is potty trained. We accept the trade off. Can you guess what my project in the new year will be? We'll just call it Project Pants.)

Caillou's bald head

2009-12-04T22:51:00.000-08:00

This post could also easily be entitled "Things that bug parents in the wee hours of the morning when they are trying to get their kid back to sleep and are so tired they turn on the TV to try to occupy their night owl toddler," but I thought that was a little long for rss feeds.

Caillou is the little bald boy star of a PBS children's cartoon about the daily trials and tribulations, not to mention learning experiences, of a toddler. It's a pretty good show other than the fact that the boys baldness is never explained.

For the longest time I just assumed he had Alopecia or a similar disease that rendered him hairless and maybe it was a learning opportunity for kids. So I've been waiting for the Alopecia episode.

BUT IT NEVER CAME.

Tonight, sick of waiting I finally came across the answer: there is NO REASON he is bald. He just is. And apparently the producer's focus group said it didn't matter.

That's because their focus group was made of kids. It's the parents they are driving mad.

Now, this shouldn't be a big deal, as this blogger points out: Caillou means "bald head," and there are lots of reasons he could have lost his hair, such as giving himself a haircut. Sure, I buy that.

But then someone please tell me why they had to give his sister, mother and father ridiculous, obnoxiously luscious heads of hair? If it weren't for the stark contrast my Caillou quandary would have been dropped long ago.

Just look at his father:

Even his little sister has gobs of hair:

And why doesn't his hair ever grow back?

Caillou's world just doesn't seem fair. If he has to miss out on that hair he should at least be given the decency of a reason for his baldness.

Coincidentally, I think all the parents subject to his whiny voice deserve the same.

Fedie Family Fun

2009-12-02T19:43:00.001-08:00

Say that five times fast!

Seriously though, the Fedies are my neighbors and good friends whom I was honored to photograph a few weeks ago. It's always fun to do family shoots with toddlers because they are busy, busy, busy.

On another note, thank you for those who've been checking the blog through my little blog sabbatical. I'm hoping to hop back in now, so stay tuned.

TC Birth & Baby Expo Tomorrow!

2009-10-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'll have a booth at the Twin Cities Birth and Baby expo in Minneapolis tomorrow. The event will be held at Midtown Global Market (920 E. Lake Street) from 10-5 on Oct. 10.

If you make it to the expo, be sure to stop by to say hello!

More information about the event can be found on their website.

By the Light of the Moon

2009-10-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

Joe went outside to get something from his car when he spotted this moon configuration hanging eerily surrounded by clouds.

Out in the chilly fall night photographing our quiet suburb I was thinking about the moon and my father, who died a little over a week ago. For a long time I have felt a closeness to my father while on nature-photo expeditions because he was the person who first inspired me to fall in love with the night's sky, lugging out his telescope and pointing out the constellations, Mars, Saturn and comets when they were near.

When we camped my dad would set up cots and we'd sit gazing up past tree tops at the magnificent show in the sky. A few days ago I found a sheet of paper on the ground on my landing. It containing an old memory I had written down while I was in college those nights camping. It reminded me that I often stayed gazing long after others had moved closer to the fire to talk or roast marshmallows. While my dad got me interested in the stars, I new my desire to observe quietly surpassed his. And so it is in nature that I recollect the ways in which he and I were the same and different.

And I carry him with me, as I always have, in moments like this. And although the memory of his death is new, I don't see these moments as sad. There is peace in having that kind of connection with a person that exists outside of physical existence. I am lucky to have had that relationship with him.

I am sure I will write more about him as I remember things. His memorial service will be held at his California ranch on Oct. 24.

Ed Fest 2009

2009-09-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend our church held it's annual festival (Ed Fest) and Joe and I did our part as gate keepers of the Bounce Castle. Joe also cantored during the preceding outdoor mass during which time Truman explored another child's wagon and a tree, then made friends with a dog (who ended up making a little too good of friends with me).

Truman then found a series of different sticks and had a blast with them, went in the Bounce Castle three times, danced, played the drums for a minute, ate lunch, then promptly fell into a deep sleep.

It was fun to get back into shooting straight photojournalism. I miss covering events like this for a newspaper; but it was fun to actually enjoy a festival instead of just observing.

MN State Fair: No Place for a Jogging Stroller

2009-08-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this and thinking, as we did, that your bike trailer that converts into a jogging stroller seems like the perfect companion for Minnesota's Great Get-together (with it's sun/rain hood and pockets to carry snacks and water) do yourself a favor and think again.

The plan looked good on paper, but we forgot that the site of all those people and things on-a-stick renders most fair-goers ignorant of their feet. People were tripping over the front wheel at every turn and one tween nearly fell into the stroller while we were stopped.

So this year's State Fair trip elapsed in two parts. Part One: Ballad of the Obnoxious Stroller, began like this:

We made one detour to the dairy building to recreate a photo from last year:

Then returned to the car to get rid of that stroller and returned for Part Two: Stroller Be-Gone.

Part two was much more fun and included an amazing fish taco, burger and fries, ice cream, pretzel, and Joe chugging two servings of all-you-can-drink milk (which he wouldn't want me to remark was "udderly delicious") and then one glass of chocolate milk for me, but only one photo, which appears above.

Verisimilitude, But Not Actual Verity

2009-08-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

I started as a writer-turned-journalist-turned-photojournalist and have spent the last year immersing myself in non-journalistic photography. Specifically, the art of portraiture and all the technical elements that go into the art form. But when I'm shooting it doesn't feel technical. It feels familiar.

In the past, I've seen what I used to do as very separate from posed photography. But I have since refined the way I think about and execute these images and have found myself reaching for the tools from my previous life.

As a writer I control time. Real time is linear, elapsing quite orderly from the hour we are born until the moment we die. Occasionally it feels slow or fast, but it's always ticking away at the same pace.

On the page, everything is different. A writer with no sense of timing is quickly lost in a sea of quotations and plot devices. Masterful writers extend and contract, bend and twist time until they achieve what all artists are trying to achieve: not simply to tell a story, but to evoke emotions in their audience. Writers do this by creating the illusion of reality. How much of an illusion depends on where one lies between journalist and poet.

As a photographer I control what you see and seek to use these elements to create the same illusion of reality. It's a mixed media process, really, combining constructs that are visually evocative (light, color, backdrops, positioning) with real people and their own evocations (laughter, love, excitement, youth) to create art that looks effortlessly real.

I was thinking about this process while watching Gabe Askew's glorious fan video of Grizzly Bear's Two Weeks:

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear from Gabe Askew on Vimeo.

The video is computer generated but uses photographic elements to create a mixed media film that marries the realistic and the fanciful. We see what seems to be real dioramas mingling with animated fishes and birds creating a more beautiful image than either media would create alone. Then, what gives the video emotional output is the appearance that we really are traveling via film across box after box of cardboard cut-outs and the fantastical notion (and sight) of such a dramatic endeavor. (Read more about how the video was made here.)

Whereas I began my career as a photographer trying to capture what I see, even in portraiture, I am now working more and more to create, instead, an artistic rendering of reality. I'm utilizing all the things lay observers and amateur writers take for granted as so-real-there-is-no-need-to-contemplate-their-explanation — things like intensity and color of light, the tilting of heads and subtle expressions — to create verisimilitude, but not actual verity, in my images.

Whereas I once sought strict fidelity to a collective reality, I am now courting photographs that reflect a world containing all those natural elements but appearing much more beautiful. I'm now making art.

Adventure Tuesday: San Diego

2009-08-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

For our San Diego style adventure we headed to the New Children's Museum, which puts a modern art slant on museums for kids. Truman had a blast with his Nana, though much of the stuff was geared toward older children.

My mom pretending to be a rock-throwing giant in the toddler area:

They had a giant room filled with old mattresses to jump on and these pillows shaped like tires My mom took these lovely photos:

Objects of Curiosity: Book House

2009-08-14T06:01:00.000-07:00

While in San Diego we had the awesome opportunity to see Aaron T. Stephan’s Building Houses/Hiding Under Rocks, a cube-hut of books that I was magnetically drawn to because it reminded me of The Raw Shark Texts (blogged here). Besides being an object of pure curiosity, the cube was built with great precision — none of titles of any of the books were visible because we're meant to forget that these are books. The center of the cube is carved into a sphere so carefully the interior acoustics are enhanced like a tiny amphitheater for one.

I suppose I'd be the perfect place to read over drafts of your own poetry aloud alone, letting your own voice, traveling through your own words, return back to you from the walls of books.

I could of stayed in there all day, but it was a behind-closed-doors exhibit at the New Children's Museum and we had to wander the rest of the place.

If I'm ever near another one of Aaron T. Stephan’s exhibits, I'll definitely want to check it out.

Clocky's illegitimate son, Andy

2009-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you thought the Clocky Saga (featured here and here) had ended. Surely there can't be more clocks masquerading as men or acting as poorly chosen mascots loose in the collective consciousness.

Wrong.

Meet Andy, Clocky's illegitimate handyman son, whom I met in downtown San Diego last month:

Apparently Andy is so distraught over the distance between him and his father that he forgot how to use the letter "i," opting, instead, to spell words such as "time" and "smile" with a "y."

As if the clock character wasn't beating the we're-available-around-the-clock concept into our heads enough, they had to add a word pun. What's funny is that wherever I find a Clocky, I'm sure to find a terrible tag line. I call this The Curse of Clocky.

Adventure Tuesday: Minnesota Science Museum

2009-08-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

(What's that weird thing bisecting the picture, you ask? Why it's Truman's painting I just happen to snap as it whisked to the ground.)

We cheated and did Adventure Tuesday on Monday this week with Sarah and Khai because the Science Museum runs a special Preschool Playdate event on Mondays. Kids under 5 are free and there are activities specifically geared toward little ones, such as watercolor painting and fun with wind tunnels, both of which we tried.

Truman loved just about everything and ran all around the museum like a banshee. Although I guess a banshee would probably float. He found a small living room built into the middle of the light exhibit where families cool read books and take a rest. He was having a good time there until he noticed that there was a tiny closet-sized office tucked into the corner that contained a computer and other office accompaniments. Of course, this quickly became the most interesting exhibit on display.

The museum worker was kind enough to show them some special non-exhibit items from the closet-office — a ball that lit up when you touched two metal segments on it and a strange puzzle that involved a glass tube, sand and a ball bearing that she challenged me to solve ("I bet mommy can't even figure that one out"). I was on my way to proving her wrong when he realized the light up ball, like all balls, looked great when you throw it and we began bouncing from exhibit to exhibit for a while.

We forgot to pick up the paintings the boys made, but here are some pictures of the painting process:

Oh, and he loved the musical stairs just as much as you would expect a budding audiophile to.

A bride & a baby

2009-08-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

amount to a fun day of photography. Here are a few of my favorites from yesterday.

First I went to visit my friend (and Joe's co-worker) Jill to shoot make some photographs of her new daughter, Elizabeth:

Then I headed to the Sculpture Garden for an after-wedding shoot with the lovely Hannah and her husband Jon:

Thanks for the great day, Jill & Elizabeth, Hannah & Jon and my wonderful helpers, Sarah, Dean & Khai, who chased Truman around the Sculpture Garden while I photographed. Here's Dean wearing his own son and carrying mine:

My Husband Fritz

2009-08-03T11:04:00.001-07:00

I guess I never thought I'd say that; but here's Joe dressed as Fritz Robinson, the oldest brother in the Swiss Family Robinson clan.

I took this last night while working on some photos for the press material to promote the Mille Lacs Area Players performance of the musical Swiss Family Robinson, which runs August 13-16 and 20-23 at 7:30 p.m. in Milaca, mn.

A few other photos can be found on picasa.

Mill City Adventure Tuesday

2009-07-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

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I met up with my friends Pat and Heather for an educational Adventure Tuesday at the Mill City Museum, where we were treated to this gorgeous view of the river. After watching me snapping away with my lens nudged against the glass, the tour guide kindly pointed me onto a balcony. My lens and I were thankful; these were the result:

The museum, housed in the old Gold Medal Flour mill, offered more than just a pretty view. We learned a lot about the history of the mill and Minneapolis. Did you know that for a while Minneapolis milled more flour than anywhere else in the world? There were lots of hands-on activities geared toward older children; Truman's favorites involved water (no surprise). We also road the excitingly named "flour tower," which was a lot less like the Power Tower than some would hope, but much less nauseating.

In fact, we left the museum hungry, on our way to The Spaghetti Factory for lunch.

This is what I would look like if I were insane, but enthusiastic (notice the thumbs up?) living in a giant field of wheat:

This is what it looks like when play food at a play dinner table is inexplicably glued together and you try to indulge in a nice slice of felt bread while your child wonders where their bread is:

Not enough pictures of me looking crazy for you? After the museum, Pat and Heather headed home and we went to visit my friend Vanessa, where I became a robot:

Or maybe an iPod, depending on your preference.

A Musical for the Whole Family

2009-07-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, our very own Joe will be playing the role of the eldest son in the Mille Lacs Area Player's upcoming production of Swiss Family Robinson, which runs Aug. 13-16 & 20-23 in Milaca.

But you may not have known that I have been hard at work behind the scenes creating some pretty posters to publicize the show. For more details about the show, see the above poster. A factoid for the photoshop nerds out there: most of the design elements on the poster come from brush sets created from scans of actual antique maps.

We'd love to host anyone who wants to come up and see Joe in action. Just let us know when you'd like to visit so we don't over-book Hotel Walsh.

Although, as long as you don't mind sleeping on an airbed it is pretty hard to overbook the expansive Hotel Walsh.

Happy Birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JOE!

2009-07-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Joe has work and play practice today, so we won't have much time to celebrate. When he forgot a few things at home today, I took the opportunity to ambush him with balloons and sing him our crazy version of Happy Birthday, which involves lots of Punk Rock screeching (the one from Truman's birthday).

Happy birthday, my love!

The "Intruder"

2009-07-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

While driving down our street last weekend we noticed the usual suburban ornaments — our neighbor's lawn windmill, the black decorative street lights that invade my bedroom with light at night, the giant trampoline near the stop sign — and then we saw something new, an RV called "The Intruder," parked in front of our neighbor's house.

It looked like this: Intruder picture.

I guess it's the RV for the horribly annoying guest.

Seriously, who names an RV "The Intruder?"

Hat and Onesie for Jill

2009-07-10T15:55:00.001-07:00

I made these for my friend Jill who is expecting a little girl sometime this month. I can't wait to see her in the hat.

Thanks, Amy, for teaching me the joys of applique.

Mothers Day Lake Maria hike

2009-07-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

This photo is just a few matching shirts away from Awkardfamilyphotos.com, but there is something about it I love. Maybe it's the look on Joe's face. Maybe it's my hair in Truman's hand or my half-face. Somehow that combo really reflects our life right now.

It didn't happen on Mother's Day, but we headed to Lake Maria State Park in celebration of motherhood. It gave us the chance to try out our new hiking pack (Joe gave it a good review) and gave me chance to photograph the forest while risking life and limb to a bunch of starving ground mosquitoes.

The reason I'm a mother:

Flight (words)

2009-07-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that there is a point right before a bird takes off in flight where they pause, glancing upward, then bend and push off on their pointy bird-feet to get the leverage to fly? Watching that quiet moment outside my window gave me the kind of deep recognition you only get from seeing someone do something you've actually done before.

We all try to gauge how well something will go before we jump into it for the first time, but flight seems so intrinsic to being a bird, I assumed they could do it with their eyes closed.

Now that I have the time to think and notice these kinds of things I've been amazed by the sheer effort it takes to accomplish most of the tasks we take for granted — mental and physical. That is, until we can no longer do them easily. I've been resolving to take with me into my everyday life the kind of mindful-appreciation it takes to wonder at the magnitude of each moment without dwelling so that I can actually live in the moment. Just as difficult to do as it was to say.

Do I wish I had a picture of the bird crouched just before take-off? Perhaps. Do I wish I had photographs to stand as place markers for the millions of poetic moments my prose-speaking-mind fails to capture metrically? Sure.

But all of these moments live somewhere in my mind waiting to be recalled and used as fodder for a future creative endeavor. And sometimes it's nice to write without pictures in order to remind you all where I started. Sometimes its nice to diversify my creative energy even if just for a moment before I plunge back into the world of shutter speed and light.

Spellbound Baseball

2009-06-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

My nephew's little league team has a stylish color scheme going on. Oh, they play some good ball, too. The Mets won their little league championship yesterday and luckily I was there to capture the action. Way to go Mets!

See all the photos on SmugMug.

Hiring me to come and shoot your son or daughter at a sporting event can make a unique alternative to traditional portraits. We can even squeeze in a few more traditional portraits before or after the event. Pricing is similar to traditional portrait pricing. Contact me for more details.

Bingo Baby

2009-06-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

We headed to the Saint Stephen's carnival in Anoka today to play bingo with the Walsh clan. Before I took the photograph below I said I was excited to compile all the images I have taken of my nephew Joe at his high school graduation open house (which is quite a few years in the future). This one will definitely have to make the cut.

Stairway to Heaven: St. Louis Arch

2009-06-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I was down in Missouri, land of relentless humidity, where I discovered that the St. Louis Arch looks a lot like a stairway, or escalator, to heaven while on an adventure to do something entirely different in the city.

We got lost on the way to this museum:

And decided to head toward the most recognizable element in the downtown skyline:

Where we also enjoyed lunch and walked under a nifty bridge:

Climbing trees, scaling rocks, taking pictures

2009-06-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

That's what I did today with Nick, who celebrated his last day of high school today. This was the most adventurous portrait session I have done yet. Thanks for all your effort, Nick, I think it was worth it.

More from this Coon Rapid's Dam portrait session.

It really is the perfect time of year to take senior portraits. The weather is great, the light is beautiful and the bugs haven't joined the party everywhere yet. If you're interested in booking a senior portrait session, call me at (763) 389 • 8733 or email me at brooke [at] spellboundjungle.com.

Cooking with Brooke: Profiteroles with "no business being this good"

2009-05-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

Sometime a few years ago I fell in love with profiteroles we had for dessert at Chez Danielle. We've returned on various special occasions, often with profiterole-virgins in tow, to eat this dessert. You'd think it be something terribly elaborate to entice us so, but in reality it's just a vanilla ice cream-stuffed cream puff shell with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. But, my friends, it is amazing.

We made it for our friends Derrick and Carrie this weekend and all came to the conclusion that it's really better than it should be.

Joe: "It has no business being this good."

Cream Puff Shells:

• 1 cup water

• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter

• pinch of salt, if you like

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/4 a cup whole wheat)

• 4 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Bring water and butter to a full boil, stirring. Add flour, stirring until it forms a ball in the center of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before adding eggs (so they don't cook). Beat in eggs one at a time.

Place on a greased cookie sheet aproximately 2 inches apart. Squish down any points. Bake for 25-30 min. without opening the oven.

Makes 12.

While they bake make the chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

Chocolate Sauce:

Melt 6 ounces of good chocolate (we have an on-going feud in our house of milk v. dark, but agree on Ghirardelli) and 1/2 cup of water in a heat-safe pan over simmering water until the chocolate and water are combined and y
item, if you have a fast mixer.

Profiteroles:

Cut the cream puff shells in half, place a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom half. Place the top half on top, cover in chocolate sauce and dollop with whipped cream (or use a pastry bag and tip to make it pretty, as I did).

And there you have it, a dessert so good you won't believe it.

Thanks for coming to visit Derrick and Carrie! And for anyone else who's been contemplating a visit, I hope this tempts your tastebuds.

Lake Mille Lacs Part Deux

2009-05-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

We headed back to lake Mille Lacs while Joe's parents were visiting. This time we drove all the way around the lake, stopping for garage sales and view points. We attempted a hike but the bird-sized mosquitoes scared us off for now.

We also returned to the giant guided fish. Then stopped at roadside Happy's for some ice cream. If you're headed up I-169 I'd recommend a stop; they have outdoor and indoor play areas, a basketball court and, right now, bunnies!

Spring-time garden planting

2009-05-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Don't let the sweatshirts and winter hats fool you, it's spring. We were down at the Walsh Farm for Mother's Day where Truman got his first taste of wagon rides and good old Southeastern Minnesota soil.

Truman training for the hands free phone usage portion of the Microsoft customer support training test:

More garden:

As if we hadn't worked Josh hard enough in the garden:

The diaper Houdini strike again:

(notice he also has a phone in his hand.)

Chariot's Maiden Vogage: Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

2009-05-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

Joe has been playing basketball Tuesday nights, so Truman and I have been taking day trips fondly refered to as adventure Tuesdays.

Last Tuesday Truman and I took our new bike trailer (called a chariot) out for it's maiden trip — a jaunt around the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Intense gusts of wind and the slippery sandy trail cut out trip short, but we did get a chance to stop and eat lunch near the eagle's nest. I think I need to do some longer paved drives before I attempt this again, but the trip was still exciting. I found an eagle look-out point and we saw a huge snake. SSSSSssssss is Truman's favorite animal sound, probably because it's also our sound effect for peeing.

Hmm, he must think snakes are always peeing.

Congratulations, Mom!

2009-05-08T13:53:00.001-07:00

With Mother's day around the corner I'd like to take this moment to gush about my mom who is graduating from college May 22. She's worked hard for this, and I am very proud of her. Go Mom!

I made this invitation for her today using photos I took while she was visiting. Isn't she beautiful?

I am fully equipped (with tech and design savvy) to create any number of cards or invitations. If you or someone you know is looking to create graduation announcements (or any kind of card) feel free to give me a call (619) 302-7363 or email me at brooke@spellboundjungle.com.

Mille Lacs: driving on the edge of the middle of the sea

2009-05-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Truman and I took a field trip to lake Mille Lacs, a huge lake just under an hour away (yes, we live that far north =). The lake is so huge, you can't see the other shore if you look directly across the water, making it look eerily like the ocean. But even with wind blowing it was calm, so I kept getting this odd sense that I was driving on the edge of the middle of the sea.

My first good look at the lake:

I thought it was weird to see someone taking panels out of this sign at the casino:

It took me a while to find a good picnic spot, so ultimately we ate in the car parked near a giant golden fish.

The fish:

The lake:

(don't worry I was holding tightly to him)

Then we headed to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park where we saw a deer:

and took a short hike:

This porcupine bid us farewell:

Pirate-Lincoln

2009-04-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is probably the weirdest thing I have ever seen on money. My Brother-in-Law James pulled it out of his wallet while we were on the way to a yet-to-be-blogged (awesome!) Andrew Bird Concert April 11.

What's the weirdest fore-father graffiti you've seen?

"My shoes came in on my hands"

2009-04-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

When Joe said, "my shoes came in on my hands," he meant he carried them in the house. But this is what I pictured:

I like my version best. It's much more entertaining. Hope you had a happy Easter; we did!

Utah

2009-04-06T20:45:00.001-07:00

I've been digging through old pictures this evening. This one was taken in Utah on our honeymoon. Every time I look at this picture I feel relaxed and happy. I remember the warm, dry air and the cool silk shirt I was wearing when I took it. I remember the crunching of coarse sand and pebbles under my tennis shoes and the story I heard several years before when I first visited Zion about how amazed Victorian-era Americans were when they first set eyes on the red rocks in Southern Utah but how it's not quite as amazing to us because by the time a modern-era child is four they've seen thousands of images of the rocks in the backgrounds of advertisements.

Regardless, it's still always breathtaking to me, even in photographs on chilly spring evenings that are far removed from a summer sunset in the southwest.

Then I remember the state of mind I was in then and the person I was. It makes me feel old in a good way. It makes me realize how much I have grown as a person and as photographer since then.

For these reasons, and others, I love this photograph.

Margot Jean

2009-03-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

My good friend Vanessa gave birth to a beautiful Margot Jean March 21st. Here are a few images I made visiting them on her second day out in the world. Welcome, little one!

I love photographing newborn babies.

Congrats Milaca Speech Team!

2009-03-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Joe has been helping coach Milaca's speech team. Today I headed to their sub section meet to grab some team photos of the lively bunch. The team took second at the meet! Good work!

Truman getting in on the action:

In which I become technologically lame

2009-03-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

(What does this picture have to do with this post? Nothing. Think of it as a mental pallet cleanser.)

Let me start off by announcing that my cell phone became a phonesicle, but it still worked. However it has been MIA since last Saturday. So, if you are trying to reach me, please use email.

I have, thus, spent the last week partly unplugged and, much to my surprise, loved it. When was the last time you left the house without a cell phone? Do you remember what it was like to just exist in the world without spending every spare second calling, texting or playing a cell phone game?

I do. It was glorious! Without the phone-mistress to tempt me, I spent my time just existing.

So I've been thinking about my other techno-ties and wondering what else might trap me more than expand my horizons.

I'm talking about you, Twitter. And don't look so smug, Facebook, I'm talking about you, too; your status updates are just less aptly-named tweets.

Sure, I could catalog my every waking thought for all the world to see. But who is going to read it? And would my life be enhanced by the practice? Twitter seems like an overflow of information to me, particularly for bloggers.

To me, there are two kinds of stories, the kinds meaty enough to blog (or write, or tell someone) about, and those too small or insignificant or with too limited an interested audience to blog. So twitter either robs blogs of good content, or is created from blog waste — the soy pulp of the internet, if you will. I like the challenge and formality of blogging.

And so that is why I haven't tweeted. Feel free to convince me otherwise.

I should note it took me a long time to hop on the blog train because I liked the formality of institutional journalism. So, who knows, I may be tweeting before you know it.

March 9 Rally For Better Birth

2009-03-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

(Photo of Me and Truman taken by Sarah F.)

Yesterday I marched with my good friend Sarah and many mothers, fathers, doulas, midwives and even grandmothers through downtown St. Paul to the capital to bring attention to the cause of helping women and their children have better births.

A haunting fog permeated the air as babies bobbled in wraps along the 1/2 mile path. See more photographs on smugmug.

Photographing pregnant women, laboring mothers and new babies is an incredible experience that always makes me feel as if I've witnessed something otherworldly and blessed.

I am currently working on a birth photography project. Please contact me for more information, or for samples of my birth photography.

Vanessa's Maternity Portraits

2009-02-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

Last week I shot maternity portraits for my good friend Vanessa, who is expecting her second child to arrive next month. We headed to St. Paul to the Como Conservatory to soak up some warmth and humidity among the beautiful plants.

More from the shoot can be seen on Smugmug.

Cooking with Brooke: Shrimp Vindaloo

2009-02-20T05:17:00.000-08:00

My first Indian dish went so well, I decided to tackle one of our favorites, Shrimp Vindaloo. Here is the recipe taken from myrecipe.com with my additions (not as many this time). We thought it was delicious, though I will be tinkering it in the future to get it just the way we like it, which is exceptionally hot. You, of course, can make it as hot or mild as you like. I served it with Basmanti rice.

Shrimp Vindaloo:

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt (as I said before, I just eyeball salt)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (I used mustard seed and crushed it; I'd suggest buying already crushed)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used Cayenne once again because it is what was in my kitchen.)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (I used white vinegar, which led to this funny exchange:
Joe: I thought that was poisonous.
Brooke: No, it's just vinegar.
Joe: Well, we keep it with all the poisonous cleaning supplies.
Let it be known white vinegar is a magical substance that will clean your diapers and floors then make you Shrimp Vindaloo.)
1 tablespoon canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (I pulverized them into a mush because Joe HATES onions and it turned out fine.)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped (omitted)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Combine first 9 ingredients in a small bowl. Add vinegar, stirring to form a paste; set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons ginger and garlic; sauté for 20 seconds. Add spice paste; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and raisins. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add shrimp; cook for 4 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring occasionally. (As you would expect, I was not focused on the exact times for each step, except the shrimp. Over cooked shrimp is gross.)

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup) It fed me and my food-camel husband with the left-overs pictured above.

For fun, here is what it looks like sitting in a lightsphere, aglow in wonderful spiciness:

Cooking with Brooke: Khichri

2009-02-19T06:20:00.000-08:00

Last night for dinner I made Khichri, which just a version of Indian lentils and rice. I'm terrible at following recipes and generally don't like to use timers, so my version was certainly slightly different than the recipe I am about to share, but even with all of my additions it turned out fabulously, making me assume this is a recipe you can't mess up (as long as you stay in the same flavor neighborhood). For fun, I'll include all of the changes I made in this color.

Taken from Extending The Table:

In a large sauce pan ( frying pan) heat 2 tbl. oil; I just eyeballed the oil amount.

Add and saute 2 minutes: (I sauteed longer to better enhance and combine flavors, and because I was busy organizing the spices)

1 large onion, chopped
2 green peppers, sliced (I used 1 orange. Two would have been nice)
2-inch stick of cinnamon (I didn't have a stick, so I used ground, eyeballing and, mostly, smelling how much)
4 cardamom pods or 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom (omitted)
4 whole cloves (again, I substituted ground spice here, being careful not to add too much. Cloves can be powerful.)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
Curry powder
Cayenne to taste. I actually only put a little in and added the amount I wanted to each bowl so Truman could eat the un-spiced version.

After two minutes (or more) add:

1 cup uncooked rice (if brown , soak 30 minutes and drain first) I missed that instruction because it was at the end of the recipe, so when my rice wasn't done at the end, I simply boiled the whole thing until it was done.

1/2 cup lentils. I chose to do 3/4 cup for both rice and lentils because the ratio seemed off to me.

Stir-fry for 5 minutes, then add:

1 1/2 cups of potatoes, cubed
1 cup cauliflower (omitted)
1 large tomato, chopped (omitted)
1 1/2 tsp. salt (added random amount of sea salt that was almost certainly less than this)
4 cups water

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice, lentils and vegetables are tender, 20-30 minutes. Consistency will be like stew, not dry or fluffy.

The recipe also suggests using any vegetables you want, especially dark green leafies. I suggest garnishing with cilantro.

If this post hasn't scared you away from ever cooking with me then you should try this. It was delicious and, really, It would be hard to mess it up, as you have seen. Next time I am picking up the missing spices and adding in the cauliflower and maybe some carrots.

Side note: The book says "Khichri is one of the foods that Hindu people serve to the gods and goddesses during Pujas (prayers). It is also one of the first solid foods offer to babies."

Birthday Adventures

2009-02-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

Joe took off work yesterday so we could head on some birthday adventures.

We began the day at the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis where we checked out a pass to the Bell Natural History Museum (our next stop), checked out some knitting books and saw What's New? Phase 2: 32 x 4, a photography exhibit about the people who inhabit local neighborhoods. Four photographers with varying techniques and obsessions displayed images meant to encapsulate the twin cities. There were also historical photos on display that added a richness to the exhibit, reminding me that though a lot of these images were quite contemporary, someday they'd be historic.

In the library:

It was finally a warm day for my birthday. It hit at least 40. As a result, window washers were out in full force at the library:

I thought this font was very cool:

Then we ate lunch at Pagoda, which offers a variety of Asian dishes, in Dinkytown. We had the Kung Pao shrimp and it was pretty good. Not excellent, not bad and a very good portion for the price.

Next we headed to another photography exhibit at the Bell Museum of Natural History, which is located on the University of Minnesota campus in downtown Minneapolis. Life: A Journey Through Time displays photographer Frans Lanting's attempts to represent the entirety of the evolution of life in images captured from around the world. The original project is also compiled in a book with a similar title and the exhibit includes a lot of textual information to supplement the images. I would highly recommend checking it out. And, if you head to a metro library, even if you have an out-of-metro library card, you can "check out" 4 free adult admissions to the museum for free.

There's a "Touch and See" area of the museum where kids can get up close and personal with antlers, bones, bugs and even a bear:

Look, a family portrait:

(In college, when I was Editor in Chief of the school newspaper, I once coined the phrase "mad like a rhino." Then our web editor made a giant rhino for me out of cardboard and we hang it up near my desk at the paper. Since, it's become something of my power animal.)

A freaky white squirrel on exhibit, just for my sister-in-law Kellie, who is a affectionately afraid:

They had this giant tortoise shell displayed in the Life exhibit area. I didn't realize that turtle spines where fused to their shells, but we learned in the exhibit that turtles began as land mammals who traveled back to the sea. Their shells grew out of their expanded rib cages. Whereas frogs are water animals that evolved to grow on land, yet must return to water to breed, turtles are land animals that evolved to live in the water, yet must return to land to breed. Cool, huh?

We ended our day at Chez Daniel, a French restaurant located in the Embassy Suites "Just east of France" (Avenue, that is) along the 494 corridor. ProTip (as Joe would say) If you purchase an Entertainment book, you can use your card to receive buy one get one free discounts as many times as you like. We went there especially for the dessert—creme puffs, or profiteroles for the French, stuffed with ice cream instead of custard, with a fudge sauce.

Truman created a little savings account of food just below his chin:

At 24 I now realized how truly amazing your birthday is, only because I have now birthed a child myself. It feels very special to be celebrated on your birthday once you realize what it takes to be born. Thank you for all the "happy birthdays," this was a great one.

And, of course, the 5 cards my mom sent telling me how wonderful I am didn't hurt, either.

Happy Birthday To Ya

2009-02-17T07:18:00.001-08:00

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

We're headed into the city for some birthday adventures, but I wanted to continue my tradition of birthday multimedia treats with this snazzy play list. I started it off with the Beatles, because my mom has been singing it to me for the last few days.

By the way, how's the memorization of last year's song going?

Also, for your amusement, a slice of life vignette from last night:

I had read that Montessori believed your brain continues developing through your 23rd year. We were heading upstairs at 11:55 last night.

Brooke: My brain still has five minutes to develop.
Joe: That's the funniest thing I've heard all year.
Brooke: The year is still young yet.

Elegant Troll Hat

2009-02-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

I finished my first cabled hat (well, my first cabled anything) last night. The pattern called for Bulky weight yarn, but I found some really cool Super Bulky weight yarn and figured, "how much bigger can it end up being?"

It turned out a little big, but absolutely beautiful and warmer than it would have been in lighter weight yarn. Joe thinks it looks like something a big forest troll would wear, but the cables make it elegant. It's the Elegant Troll Hat.

I believe this hat's destiny is to live on the head of Marian, my mother-in-law, if she so desires. It is extremely cozy and should be able to keep her head nice and toasty.

Darkness, You Have Met Your Match

2009-02-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

I'll start off by saying I love natural light. I would love to shoot in natural light all the live long day and night, but the reality is there just isn't enough light for that. While I've been filled with lighting ideas for some time, I haven't had the equipment to execute them. That changes now.

I begin the year with equipment that's going to help me give darkness a run for its money. I added a second flash to my arsenal, pocket wizards and two Gary Fong Lightspheres, as well as a less exciting, but just as useful, light stand and tripod. I also got my hands on a much longer pc cord, which doesn't sound exciting, but trust me, it is.

I haven't had much time to play with them until last night. I turned off all the lights and lit some portraits of Truman using just my two flashes off-camera using camera settings for broad daylight (ISO 100) — one placed behind him and one coming down from above to the right of the camera.

I sat him on one of his new chairs. He doesn't understand how to get down from them, so sitting him there is like holding him hostage. But he put up with it for a few minutes.

I suppose I'd also like to brag that I knitting him that hat. I'm a little addicted to orange and blue, what can I say?

Children's Letters to Obama

2009-01-31T07:25:00.000-08:00

This American Life ran an inauguration week show that included letters to Obama from children in the online addition. Some of them are quite poignant and remind me that many children, even at the age of 10 or 12, have adult ideas. But some of them are just hilarious.

I wanted to share the funny ones.

Twelve-year-old Weslie Jackson's account of what life would be like if he were president is a must-hear. Among other things, he'd like to give everyone a piece of Reese's candy.

Perhaps you've wondered what ten things Obama would do first once he got to the White House, well Chandler Brown (12) has his own suggestions at the end of his clip. I especially like that one of the ten is "enjoy moment."

Last, but certainly not least, is little Alexis Feliciano who is very concerned about inflation's effect on the price of whipped cream. This clip is short and sweet.

The whole show can be streamed here.

Happy New Year, Suckers!

2009-01-01T18:57:00.001-08:00

Love,

Joe's XBox

Joe's XBox decided to red-ring today, which is the death-cry of the game-world. Strangely, it started working again about a half hour later. We're still planning on sending it in. Joe says they call the box you send it back in a "coffin."

Overheard in the Walsh Home

2009-01-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Joe, after picking up the remote control: "Oh my God I just hit previous channel and it was another Tournament of Roses Parade!"

Brooke: "I know, I was watching two of them. That way when the commercials came on I could flip to the other one."

Later, as I am blogging.

Brooke: "Is it called the 'Tournament of Roses' or the 'Tournament of Rose Bowl?'"

Joe: "I dunno, what are you doing, getting a live feed?!"

When my knitting needles arrive on Saturday I think I will officially become an old lady.

Nickle and Dimed

2008-12-31T12:12:00.001-08:00

Most of our junk mail heads to the recycle bin without a second glance. But every once and a while something like this comes along:

Yes, this is a letter from a charitable organization containing a real nickle. A nickle it's own envelope is telling me can help save these children:

So then why, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, did you give me a nickle, then pay postage to send that nickle to me?

Giving away money seems like a strange way to raise money, but maybe that's just me.

Merry Christmas From Us!

2008-12-24T14:45:00.001-08:00

I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season! Enjoy our eco-friendly Christmas card:

Color Smart

2008-12-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

How well can you descriminate between similarly hued colors? Test your color I.Q. to find out.

They give you a score from 0-100, with zero being a perfect score. I knew this was one of my strengths, so I was happy with my score of 6.

If only color differentiation were part of the SAT ...

Mmm ... delicious Eiffle Tower

2008-12-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

One could almost call the TV battles between Joe and I epic. Tonight I was watching Top Chef and we had this conversation in which Joe explains why he hates top chef.

Joe: "They take the food way too seriously. Food is one of the few things in the life that is not confrontational and they make food confrontational."
Me: ...
Joe: "Food doesn't have to taste like the Eiffel Tower."
Me: "I think the Eiffel tower would taste pretty crappy, literally."
Joe: "I didn't mean taste like the Eiffel tower tastes, I meant taste like the Eiffel tower looks."

Here's to hoping your next meal tastes like the Eiffel tower looks.

Daleks!!! Tasty?

2008-11-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

If when I say I'm a huge fan of Battle Star Galactica and Dr. Who you think of this or this, you should do yourself a favor and check out the modern incarnations of these shows.

We actually started watching Dr. Who because it came on SciFi right before Battle Star Galactica; so they're kind of a pair in my mind.

If you're already a fan, then you'll understand this post. Over on Cake Wrecks they posted pictures of some terribly constructed Dalek-shaped cakes.

Too bad the Daleks aren't made of cake in the show, then maybe we wouldn't have to watch them invade twice a season.

Ludovician Bait

2008-10-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

We spend our lives trying to make sense of an infiltration of information. From birth, we're assaulted with sounds, sights, smells, tastes and emotions. Then later, thoughts, theories, stories and complex explanations. A big chunk of what makes us who we are is how we put together these pieces, creating our outlook of the world and the way in which we reverberate back what we see.

This reverberation is an artist's work. Some concepts can be manifested simply — love, laughter, friendship, marriage, joy, the kinds of ideas that bind us together on a basic emotional level — through symbolic images or even simple phrases. We can do this with everyday language both verbal and non-verbal. Doing so allows us to create order among the chaos of bombardment.

But there are tons of ideas that bombard us that can't be ordered using conventional methods. It's these ideas — and a longing inside myself to find a way to order them — that drive me to create. And I think that is why art exists — to create an order to the pieces of our lives that seem impossible to order using conventional methods.

Both Joe and I are heavily engrossed in The Raw Shark Texts , which fits right between magical realism and science fiction along a book shelf organized by genre. It's a sort of text-obsessed psychological thriller that evolves by unraveling the mystery of the main character's identity, which was lost along with his memories and personal contacts before the book begins.

The book seems heavily engrossed in trying to create order from the fragments of reality that exist outside of order. It spurred these thoughts in me and is inspiring me to write more.

Black and Whites

2008-10-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

I've been growing increasingly fond of black and whites recently. I love vibrant color so much that I am always looking for it when I take photographs. In that way, I'm usually shooting to produce color images. But I love the way black and whites turn the focus of the photograph back to how it is lit. And, in cases where the lighting is nearly divine there is something much more beautiful about black and white photograhs. They look almost instantly classic.

Part of me thinks this is just a trick our minds play on us because old photographs have no choice but to be in black and white. Therefore, a black and white image is "classic." But I think there is something more to the medium that forces the modern photographer, with all the technology in the world at their fingertips, to pause and take notice of the fact that sometimes it's not technology, or even color, that improves an image. Black and white photography takes you back to the basics — back to lighting, back to focusing on the moment.

Although I posted this photograph of my son and his aunt in color on my baby blog, I couldn't resist sharing it in black and white, as well.

Iceland Day 1: Reykjavik . Geysir . Gullfoss . Storinupur

2008-09-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of blog posts about our Aug. 2007 trip to Iceland. All posts can be found by typing "Iceland" in the search bar.

I figured it was about time I blogged about Iceland.

We tried to sleep on the flight to Iceland because we knew when we arrived it would be morning and several hours off of our schedule of when morning was, so we wanted to be as rested as possible. But, honestly, it was hard to sleep beyond all the normal reasons it's hard to sleep on a plane. I was excited.

We picked up our rental car at the airport and headed to Reykjavik, where we had breakfast. It was the most expensive meal of our entire trip and consisted of what we'd consider a pretty normal breakfast buffet of eggs, sausage, potatoes, breads, jams, butter, milk, juice, cereal and apples and oranges. Iceland, you have a beautiful country, but your food, frankly, stinks. It isn't really your fault, though, because only 1% of your land is tillable soil and you're far away from everything else.

As we left Reykjavik we wandered down a long street that bordered the bleak sea, dark rocks and road made from those dark rocks separated us from the sea. We realized we weren't going the right way and Joe stopped to ask this woman walking her dog for directions. They chatted for quite some time. I think because she really didn't know which way to tell us to go.

We headed out but quickly grew tired, so pulled onto a large gravel parking area and took a nap in the car. Finally, we headed to Geysir, the geyser after which all others are named. Now elderly, Geysir erupts only about twice a day and sits watching over the much more regular, Strokkur.

(view large for full effect)

Then, with little sun left to light our way we headed to Gullfoss, a large nearby waterfall.

There was a long path to a visitor center where we found this diagram that explains how the falls was made:

We used the final shards of sunlight to find Storinupur, the farm where we were staying. Though it was only one family's farm it had its own road sign, just like larger towns. There was also a church nestled into the short hillside with it.

We ate something, pushed our twin beds together and went to sleep.

Spellbound Web

2008-09-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

The photography website is now up and running at www.spellboundjungle.com. Enjoy!

I suppose this means my maternity leave has official ended.

Self Portrait

2008-09-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this was not staged. Truman simply wanted to nurse and there I was in front of the dairy barn at the State Fair. It seemed intensely appropriate, so I asked Joe to take this picture.

Clocky, I Am Your Father

2008-08-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of the saga of Clocky, the mascot of the newspaper I used to work for. If it sounds crazy, try reading the first post.

When two mascots fall in love they sometimes create a baby mascot. That baby is Clocky. Today, I met Clocky's father, Mr. Minuteman in St. Cloud. He was casual, as usual:

He was representing an extremely small copy shop (there were only two copiers in the place) and leaning against the M in the shop's sign as if to say:

"Oh, Clocky, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

You see, he let me in on a little secret. Clocky is a little slow.

Oddly enough, Mr. Minuteman has a tag line as awkward as Clocky's:

I guess the gear doesn't fall very far from the clockface.

Teenage Mutan Ninja Turtle Savers

2008-08-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

My mom was in town visiting the last few weeks. While we were out checking out a garage sale in the country I spotted what looked like a turtle on the edge of the road about 1/4 mile from a small lake.

My mom with the little guy:

So we turned around and picked him up and released him back near the lake.

Is there such a thing as a turtle saving badge? If there is, I think I've earned one.

Wildflowers

2008-08-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

I took these in the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Zimmerman today. All of them were taken along the side of the road on the Wildlife Drive. It's amazing how many things you notice when you take a nice slow drive down a road of prairie. To get the full effect, click on the images to view a larger version.

This strange grass flower stood atop a long stem:

My New View

2008-07-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

We've relocated to Princeton, Mn and I look forward photographing people and places in the area. I caught this dragon fly snuggled against the screen outside my office.

Birth

2008-06-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

I was honored to photograph the birth of Sarah and Dean's baby boy, Khai Liam June 20 and 21. The images made during the intensity of labor encapsulate such pure emotions. In the above photography I cannot avoid seeing the most intense expression of love I've ever seen. Not only the love between husband and wife as he supports her in a time when she needs support more than ever, but the love of a mother bringing her child into the world. In that photograph there is anticipation and pain — not the kind of pain to be feared, but the kind to be revered. It was one of those images that I knew was remarkable the moment I took it.

Toward the end of labor she asked me why it had to be so painful. I told her it was to teach us how much we can love someone.

Sarah + Dean + Baby

2008-06-15T07:07:00.001-07:00

I shot some maternity portraits for my good friends Sarah and Dean a few weeks ago. We took them at Dean's parent's house where the two of them were married. I can't wait to meet their little one. More can be seen here.

It's Turtles All the Way Down

2008-05-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

We spotted these turtles on a walk a few days ago all lined up, sunning themselves on this log. I was excited to see the little one standing between two bigger ones on the right. A few weeks ago this lake was still frozen and Joe and I were walking along it trying to get labor going. When we saw these turtles it was our first time taking the walk with Truman out and able to look around and feel the breeze.

I love spring.

Newborn Portriats of Truman

2008-05-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Truman Time

2008-04-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Things are little slow over here because I've been on Truman time. For the next few weeks keep up with us at my other blog as I enjoy my babymoon with my new son.

In a few months I hope to be back to taking photos of things other than my little man. Feel free to contact me if you're looking to head out for some portraits this summer.

For Those Sick of Being Tricked Today, a Comic:

2008-04-01T10:46:00.001-07:00

Catch-Up, It's Not Just for Hamburgers: My Birthday

2008-03-23T18:45:00.001-07:00

I'm playing a little blog catch-up this week, so stay tuned.

Who's that strange looking fellow snuggled up to Joe, you ask? Why, it's me, of course. We headed to Osaka (a Teppanyaki restaurant where they cook food on a griddle in front of you; similar to the chain Benihana) for dinner on my birthday. They not only sang a spirited and very odd song to me and brought out tempura-fried bananas (interesting), but also plopped this fine mask over my head.

Alright, I actually kind of thought the mask was cool and wanted to wear it, as you can see below:

(photos by Nikki)

James, Nikki and Kellie joined us.

The Ritual Apology

2008-03-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

I keep encountering people during interviews who proclaim themselves woefully inept at communicating or brand themselves as boring. And, yet, often these people end up being the most interesting once they get going.

I wonder if the whole concept is similar to what our writing crew at the University of San Diego used to call "the ritual apology" — an affirmation of inadequacy that is offered prior to presenting one's work that often consists of such gems as "I wrote it at five in the morning after getting back from a bar," or "I wrote this several years ago" — which we found ourselves doing before reading each piece in our little writer's club. Once we branded it, if anyone began to apologize for their work, we'd stop them, chiding in unison "ritual apology" and get on with the workshop.

I think maybe sometimes people just want to free themselves from negativity they're holding inside — these thoughts that what they have to say is not important.

One of the things I try to do in my writing — journalistic, fiction and here — and photographs, is to show that nothing is by definition insignificant.

Sure, we have to filter things we encounter, choosing what is more or less important, but that doesn't make the things we overlook any less significant to someone else.

Paperless Nostalgia

2008-02-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

Joe and I have found the perfect way to satisfy my pack-rattery while maintaining order in the house. We like to call it Paperless Nostalgia.

Basically, we're going digital with all of our little paper and photo keepsakes and sending mounds of former trees to the recycling center. In honor of the occasion, here's the rest of that letter Joe received from his alma mater, you remember, the one that began "We've been thinking about you (name):"

We probably should have started this process oh, say, a year ago when we purchased this scanner/printer ... But let's just say the program didn't get installed until a few days ago.

We might be procrastinators, but soon, we'll be Paperless Procrastinators with a wonderful digital collection of our lives. And we might just have to share some of the gems that turn up during our switch-over.

Speaking of which, here's a flashback portrait of me from Joe's old wallet:

Crazy Griddle

2008-02-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

If I were you, I would never buy this griddle:

The Teflon on our Black and Decker griddle started scratching off (oddly, where some peanut butter fell on it) so Joe went to find us this one as a replacement. It sounded great, like those As Seen On TV products loud smiling people try to sell you late at night.

It even seemed to work fine, at first. Then we noticed that the cooking surface not only has hot and cold spots, but also seems to randomly choose what temperature it's going to be.

But the best (i.e. worst) thing about this griddle is that when it's about to do something crazy it starts to make this clicking sound. Of course, you never know if that means it's going to get super-hot, or way too cold or take off into space.

The other day, Joe thought he heard the clicking sound when the griddle was not plugged in. It's going back to the store today.

____________________________________________________________________

p.s. What we really want is a table top griddle that doesn't have non-stick coating. Our research tells us this is impossible to find at a price we're willing to pay. But if anyone ever sees one that's affordable, let us know.

My Birthday Gift to You

2008-02-17T11:24:00.002-08:00

It's my birthday. This year, I'm giving you the gift of the craziest birthday song ever created (courtesy of Saturday Night Live and Jack Black).

I expect you all to learn this song and recite it from memory for my next birthday.

____________________________________________________________________

And I'll also offer this aside about music infomercials:

The other night I fell asleep with the TV on and started having a dream that involved a bunch of 70s music. Right before I woke up I came to this realization in my dream that 70s love songs were actually pretty awesome. Then I woke up to a TV trying to convince me of the same fact.

I think that's their goal, to get you to fall asleep and play enough music that you grow a subconscious attachment to their crappy cds. They're dream advertisers.

Attack of the Giant White Duck

2008-02-16T18:02:00.000-08:00

This was taken moments before the duck and little girl in its stomach took a dramatic turn and headed straight for me. I managed to get out of the way, mostly. The only casualty was my pinky nail.

So, how did I get run down by a giant duck? We were at an Art Sled Rally in Minneapolis, where people sled down a hill in artistic sled creations, some being more decorative than functional. The pictures probably say it best:

And my favorite, the Mammoth:

Rock Band

2008-02-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

Joe and I spent Friday and Saturday night at a conference for my work at the Northland Inn, which we thought would be the perfect chance to try out Rock Band with a large group of people. After dragging the whole Rock Band get up — the XBOX360, drum set and two guitars — along with the Wii, we were devastated to find the hotel TV wouldn't allow us to plug in any kind of external device.

So on Saturday Joe saved the day by driving back home to get our own TV. We were surprised we didn't get more strange looks as we carried it in, up the elevator and to our room.

It was worth it, as you can see:

(photo by Erin)

(photo by Erin)

The Cephalopod Effect: Commode

2008-02-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

See original Cephalopod Effect post first.

Joe and I were brushing our teeth, when he turned to say something to me, screaming "OWE!"

Brooke: "What?"
Joe: "I hit my leg on the commode."
Brooke: "The what?"
Joe: "The commode. You know, the cabinet."
Brooke: "I'm pretty sure commode means toilet."

A Wikipedia search returned this definition: "a cabinet, with one or more doors, which served as a washstand with a washbasin and water pitcher..."

He could offer little explanation as to how he knew what commode meant, considering it is a pretty archaic word from the days before plumbing. Though we both suspect his dad, friend of old world novelty words, probably uses it.

I wasn't completely incorrect, however, as Wikipedia continues by stating that commodes "also offered an enclosed area below for storing a chamberpot."

The Cephalopod Effect

2008-02-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

Press Play to begin.

Joe and I spent a lot of time listening to Andrew Bird's album The Mysterious Production of Eggs yesterday, particularly the song "Opposite Day," which begins with Bird's astonishment that he has "not become a cephalopod."

Neither Joe nor I could explain what a cephalopod was off hand. Nevertheless, Joe came up with this elaborate scenario for a music video for "Opposite Day" involving a factory worker who turns into an octopus.

Then, this morning, Joe created this pancake, which he says was not created purposefully ("I dripped and was trying to connect the drips to make a pancake," he said):

(I added the blueberry eyes for effect.)

Finally this evening I decided to look up what a cephalopod is and was astonished to find that an octopus is a cephalopod! And this image, which I think look astonishingly similar to Joe's pancake, was sitting right there on the Wikipedia page:

(photo by Hans Hillewaert)

This has led to the conclusion that my husband has a mind like a steel trap that is subconsciously storing information without his conscious's brain's knowledge, then regurgitating it as appropriate. I think I'll call it The Cephalopod Effect.

I also think I'm never going to bet against him when it comes to obscure facts ...

Thank you blog readers

2008-01-18T23:48:00.000-08:00

I decided to look back through my entire blog tonight and could scarcely believe all of the things documented within it. It made me realize how fun its been to write this blog, even if it sometimes becomes difficult to keep up with everything I want to write about.

Then I realized that if no one read it, I'd have little motivation to collect all of these thoughts, images and videos into one document.

So, thank you to everyone who reads this. You give me a reason to write.

These Kids Rock!

2008-01-16T19:43:00.001-08:00

I'm working on a story about the Paul Green School of Rock Music in St. Paul. Here's a photo I made Saturday straight out of the camera. I love the movement and light; it's even better than what I was imagining when I set up the shot, waiting for the light to be eclipsed by her figure. By the way, she's 14!
More photos.

Land Snorkeling

2008-01-13T11:45:00.001-08:00

My sister in law, Nikki sent me this photo this morning from an October trip to the Minnesota Zoo. I always feel a little strange when Joe's wearing our camelbak and I start drinking from it, especially when I'm walking.

It's kind of like land snorkeling...

Introducing Clocky

2008-01-06T10:15:00.001-08:00

Despite the fact that I am a dismal doodler, I often find myself not only doodling, but showing off my doodles. Once I even printed one of these "cartoons" in my college newspaper as art with an opinion piece about blogging. After some teasing, I had to make a personal rule not to publish any more of my "artwork."

Nevertheless, I'm letting my doodles back out today.

About eight months ago I created a new mascot for the newspaper where I work named Clocky. He is loosely based off of the clock clip art that sits on the header of each of our front pages, as seen below:

Although our online news may never stop, the news in our weekly papers so obviously does stop (every day but Saturday) that I've always found the tag line and clock ironic.

And so, when we were thinking of ways to market our papers in parades Clocky was born:

Since, I've been doodling him here and there, giving him thought and word bubbles when appropriate and even naming my fantasy football team "Tick-Tock Clocky."

He has quickly become one of my best-loved doodles.

But I hadn't thought about Clocky much recently until I saw Mr. Goodcents beaming from the side of a Mr. Goodcents sub shop in Mankato on Friday. It was as if, finally, someone else appreciated my concept of placing goofy arms, legs and eyes on an inanimate object to create a nearly nonsensical mascot.

Here he is in all his glory:

I was so impressed with the mascot that we stopped to get a sandwich there. The sandwich was okay, but the endless mascot branding all over the packaging and napkins was what made the meal. He looks like Clocky's long-lost penny-shaped cousin.

New Year, New Laughs

2008-01-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty low-key new years eve at home last night with James and Nikki playing games, eating quesadillas and laughing ... a lot.

My favorite moment from the final hours of 2007:

Brooke: "Thanks, Joe for cleaning up that milk I spilled on this chair."
Joe: "Uh ... I didn't clean up that milk."
Brooke: "Um ... Well, thanks to whoever cleaned up the milk on this chair."
Joe: "No one cleaned up the milk."
...

Brooke: "Thanks to whoever's butt cleaned up the milk on this chair."

Happy new year to all!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2007-12-25T21:23:00.001-08:00

We had a very hap-hazard dinner at Denny's Christmas Eve during which a very cute 3-year-old was overheard from a nearby table saying "Happy Birthday Jesus!" while her mom tried to get her to eat her macaroni and cheese.

Merry Christmas one and all!

Why Stop at Halloween?

2007-12-21T22:04:00.000-08:00

Why stop with pumpkins?

I've been eating a lot of oranges lately. Gotta spice them up a little.

Action and Adventure

2007-12-16T13:32:00.001-08:00

It's been a lot of fun watching my nephew, Joe, grow as a wrestler. When we walked in and started paying for our tickets to event, the salesman asked us if we had a wrestler. Joe put his hand on my belly and said our wrestler was still in there.

Keep up the good work, kid.

Recognition

2007-12-05T21:35:00.001-08:00

I made this picture during the tricycle and scooter races at Rambling River Days, the town festival in Farmington, MN. The photographer from our competitor newspaper was shooting the same event and I remember watching and wondering what he was seeing and thinking of what I wanted to see.

It seemed the glory for these kids was at the finish line, so I put on my long lens and hoped for the best. Lo and behold, I'd read the situation right and the above photo is what emerged. I love the drama and whimsy of the image. It's clearly a simple event — the trike tells us this. Yet the emotion, the attempt to capture it for all time on video and the juxtaposition of the teenager in the left corner, inattentively and talking on her cell phone make this image very real for me.

This year, I took second place in our company-wide editorial contests for Best Feature Photo for this shot. It was nice to be recognized, especially for such a fun shot.

I was also excited to win a few writing awards, including a first place for Best Social Issues story for a piece I wrote about Oral Cancer. It's gratifying to win the award, though I'd already been heavily rewarded through feedback I'd received from people who were helped or enlightened by the article.

In both cases, I felt the award winning work was created because I had the ability to recognize the possibility in situations that evolved on their own. That's the beauty in journalism and photojournalism — using knowledge, skill and intuition, not to create, but to capture what has already been created and represent it in such a way that others are able to access its message.

Sweet New Wheels

2007-12-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

note: future baby posts can be found on my new blog, Spellbound Baby.

(I'm 23 weeks, or about five and a half months here)

While I was on vacation in San Diego my family threw me an early baby shower. Among the mound of awesome gifts bestowed upon Spellbound Baby was this stroller, which we came in the mail yesterday and was assembled this evening. We brought the baby over to get acquainted with its ride.

It's amazing how much thought goes into choosing each of these baby things. After what seemed like a complicated series of algorithms, we decided on this one because it offered us a full sized stroller that was light weight.

Plus, it matches the blog =)

Thanks for the stroller Dad and Sally. I'll post more pictures of the baby shower once I get them from my mom.

It's Cold

2007-11-27T09:49:00.001-08:00

Not much of a newsflash for anyone living in the Midwest, but it is cold today. When I got home from San Diego yesterday it was no-coat-necessary weather (in the thirties) so I was a little surprised at how cold I was when I walked outside this morning coat-clad.

The suddenly frozen lakes should have tipped me off that it was about 9 degrees around ten this morning.

The greatest thing about this winter is that the baby will emerge from it with us.

Half way there, baby

2007-11-18T08:27:00.001-08:00

Spellbound baby is halfway here. So I thought I'd post a little update:

We kind of think the baby is a boy. We have no reason for thinking this because we're not finding out the sex ahead of time. But for whatever reasons we find ourselves saying "he is kicking" or "I wonder if he ..." When we do this, we usually recover with "or she," because the baby might be able to hear us now and we don't want to give her a complex if she is a girl.

My mom, niece Elizabeth and friend Amy think its a girl. Feel free to guess for yourself; the odds are great.

As implied above, I can feel the baby kicking now. I started feeling him or her around 16 weeks, but the movement of their little hands and feet are a lot more regular now. Joe even felt the baby the other day, but that was a super-ninja kick.

After the baby is born we will stick their ninja feet in these starfish booties.

In other news, I'm headed to San Diego tomorrow to visit family. I'll be gone for a week.

Fire Coverage From the U-T

2007-10-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Union Tribune had an interesting article about people who didn't evacuate today. It talked about both those who died or were injured and those who were able to save their houses.

The story humanizes the fires by bringing to light an on-going battle we fight as human beings — is any kind of property worth risking your life for? It's easy to say no; but the question becomes complicated when you think about wedding and baby pictures, old letters and family heirlooms.

Even if you'd never dream of risking your life over a piece of property, you can understand how some feel a need to when you think of pieces of property as memories instead of paper, glass and wood.

A portion of the story:

On Sunday, four firefighters were injured trying to rescue a father and son who tried to keep their Potrero house from being destroyed. The father – Thomas Varshock, 52 – was killed and his son, 15, badly burned.

Yet as the fires progressed this week, even some firefighters couldn't find it in themselves to second-guess homeowners who remained on their land. It was as though the decision whether to flee or stay and fight was such a personal one that to question it would be like challenging someone's religious beliefs.

Jim Nadal, who stood ground Tuesday morning as the Rice Canyon wildfire roared toward his Fallbrook house, said he felt “a little sheepish” as firefighters approached him while he was attacking the flames with a giant hose. He knew he wasn't supposed to be there; his Red Mountain Heights Drive neighborhood had been evacuated the previous afternoon.

SEAN DuFRENE / Union-Tribune

Jim Nadal, ignoring an evacuation order, sprayed down hot embers Tuesday morning as he battled to protect his Fallbrook home. Nadal said that had he not stayed behind, his house would have been lost.

Rather than yell at him or drag him away, the firefighters simply told him to be careful and to stay on the high ground. Then he and the crew attacked the flames together.

Nadal, 52, a real estate broker, credits the firefighters with saving his house. Still, they didn't arrive until dawn Tuesday, after he'd spent several hours battling the flames on his own. (His wife and 16-year-old son had evacuated the neighborhood on Monday night but returned Tuesday and joined the fight.)

“There's no question in my mind that if I weren't here, my house would have gone,” Nadal said.

View the whole story here.

Things You Can Do With A Macalester Education

2007-10-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

Joe received this in the mail today from his Alma Mater:

They clearly have been thinking about him.

How I love my husband (name).