Luogo di Cassaro

2 Picture Posts Today

2010-02-14T15:54:00.000-06:00

Because I didn't post yesterday I will do two photos today. So, you know what they always say about being prepared and having the right intentions? I will say that Friday night I saw the fog and knew that the temperatures would drop freezing the mist to the trees and making for a very beautiful scene. I made sure my gear was ready to go, then... Nicholas got up in the middle of the night and was up for a while, so I overslept past my intended time and missed the great scene that I wanted to capture with the light at the peak. That is what I wanted to post. But here is what I will post, just a couple more pictures from the Maui trip, one will be a Valentine's Day themed photo that I snapped from my phone, so the resolution isn't great but it conveys the spirit of love.

-Enjoy

This picture is from under the largest banyan tree it was really a cool thing to see, so if you ever find yourself in Lahaina on Maui go check it out it is pretty neat.

This was shot using the iPhone's camera. I think that the cameras capability is lacking, but with that said, it was the only one I had with me at the time. To give a little background we were driving around the northern shore of Maui on the western side and we were stopping at scenic overlooks and a few of them had these rock formations that people had stacked and I was curious to know why they stacked the rocks. Clearly, some were stacked up for an obvious message (see the picture above and the heart below), others made less sense. But it was still really cool.

Okay, so I have posted more than two pictures, but it was more to illustrate the stacking.

-TC

It's Feb 12th and I am starting my 365 photo-blog now???

2010-02-12T07:42:00.001-06:00

Okay, this is a test to see how well I can stick to a thought. I know, I will really be testing the boundaries of my self-diagnosed ADD (no H cuz I'm not that hyperactive), so if you catch me drifting then give me knock up the side of the head.

My intention is to try and post at least a photo-a-day, now in my interpretation of this is that I may post seven photos a week (maybe all on the same day, but in the end we should get 365 total photos). I promise though not to post 364 photos all on Feb 11th, 2011 and overwhelm the Blogger site with my flooding it with pictures; if anything I will give up about a quarter way in after getting distracted by the bright, shiny objects that often distract people like myself (see ADD warning above).

My intention with this blog is not to underwhelm you with my mediocre photography "skills", it is more a try to push my creativity to the edge of a figurative precipice and cooly strut back...or burn out my camera in the hopes of getting a new one.

I will take reasonable suggestions as to what to try to capture, though I would ask that you to keep the request somewhat vague to help spur the creative juices; I will also ask that you keep them fairly local (Twin Cities area, unless I announce that I am traveling out of town) so as to not draw me away from my family.

My attempts will be to utilize my Nikon D50 as my primary camera, though once in a while I will probably use whatever picture taking device I can get my grubby little fingers on (I may be mediocre, but still somewhat of a photo-nut and attempt to use anybody elses camera in order to see if I can figure out how to use it).

You will also notice (if I haven't driven you away from the blog already because you are telling yourself that I should be showing pictures and cutting out the incessant rambling) that I tend to parenthasize a lot and I do a lot of ..., it's habit, not always a good one, but I type like I talk with pauses and a lot of asides. So, if you have stuck around this long you just might get past the ADD and my quirky typing habits, I promise that it may not always be worth your coming back to see my "art" but I hope so.

So, just a few more "housekeeping" items, I will try to give you some of my thoughts as I was taking the picture; or the strategy I employed to execute the shot, as well as some of the meta-data so as to give you the "stats". Now, finally, on to the picture showin'...unfortunately, I don't have anything incredibley new, but after some reviews I will show one of my recent favorites, I promise that one of the next posts will feature a new picture (I define new as taken within a day or two of posting). Since I am a music fan you may also see me employ a trick they use in the music biz to fulfill a contractual obligation to the number of albums they are contracted to record, so if I hit a creative rut then I will probably do a greatest hits week, or something to that effect and highlight my favorite photos from the past.

Okay, this was one of my favorite photographs that I took of my wife on our recent trip to Maui. She has always been my reluctant subject/model and may be a frequent subject of future entries (along with our son Nicholas).

Thoughts: So, we were walking the beach at sunset and I decided just to kind of point-and-shoot to see what I'd get. Since light was diminishing it triggered the flash and put some really good fill light in the picture. I think it appears that the picture is slightly tilted for two reasons, one because it probably was since it was a quick shot; and two because of the tilt of the sand/line of the beach. But what I think makes it is the way she is looking off and almost drinking it all in.

Data:

F-Stop: f/3.3

Exposure Time: 1/320 sec.

ISO: 200

Focal Length: 28mm

Max Aperture: 3.5

Flash Mode: Flash, auto, strobe return

It's Been Such A Long Time...

2009-01-21T19:46:00.004-06:00

Okay, so it's been a little while since I have posted anything. I guess we got a little busy with the baby and the Holidays and stuff. Funny, but not ha-ha funny, Nicholas will be 10 months old at the end of January. As you can see, he loves being bundled up for the cold Minnesota winter.

Hannah took him to his nine month Dr. appt. on January 8th and we got some pretty funny results. He is healthy and happy, so nothing to be afraid of, but we got his size stats. He is 22lbs, 28 inches long; his weight was in the 76%, length was 35% and his head was in the 86%. So we have a short little chunker with a big melon (it must be because of the large brain he is growing, he is not hydrocephalic).

Nicholas has changed so much over the last couple of months . He crawls all over the house and he loves climbing the stairs. We've realized that we need to pack up about half of the house now because he can get into pretty much everything; we were forewarned that this day would come, we just didn't it would develop so quickly, one minute he could barely turn himself over, the next minute he is in a full on crawl and bent on chasing Lily. He loves to take DVD's out of the armoire and take books off of shelves so those must go.

The thing I love the most is that he loves to feed himself now. If we give him some cut up pancake it is fun to watch him try to shove 5 pieces into his mouth. He very much is getting into the "I want to do it myself" phase.

I tell you, it is a great blessing to be able to work from home when I can. I get to experience some of the moments that I would have missed otherwise. It is also great to build a bond with him. His first words were da-da (I repeated it to him enough, it should have been), of course Hannah says this is code for ma-ma, but I'm not buying it, I think that is code for jealous. I know someday he will be a mama's boy, so I'll take what I can, when I can.

c-ya...for now.

It's Been Such A Long Time...

2008-09-13T23:27:00.003-05:00

Okay, wow, it's been a while since I have added anything new to my blog. I guess I am a bad blogger (please forgive me!). But a lot has happened over the last few months that has not really allowed me the time to sit down and write a litle something.
So where do I start? Hmmm, let's see, Nicholas has gone over the five month mark and we are now only a few weeks away from 6 months; we are guessing that he is around 18lbs now, we'll know soon enough I guess. It is amazing, it seems like I did blink because the summer just flew right on by. We did our annual stop at the Cannon Valley Parade on the 4th of July. Then in late August we went to the Minnesota State Fair. On Labor Day at the MN State Fair we went to see Toby Keith with my parents and sister Kelly, this was a very good concert, he can really put on a good show. Two days later we flew ou to see Hannah's sister Heather and her family out in the DC area. Nicholas did well for his first plane rides. Very little fussing, slept most of the time and was in really good spirits when he was awake. We drove up to Gettysburg (really cool); we saw the Holocaust Museum in DC (very eye opening and very important for anyone going to DC to put on your must see list); hit the Bureau of Engraving & Printing and saw $$$ being printed (very interesting process). It was difficult to see these two for me since I like to take pictures and at the Holocaust museum they don't want you to take pictures out of reverence for those impacted; and Engraving & Printing said that if you take pictures, video or other recording that they would stop the tour right there and have you escorted out by federal agents (I think everyone got the message...). But here are some of the pictures that I was able to take.

Ciao!

Global Warming Scam

2008-06-17T11:35:00.004-05:00

More and more people are jumping on the Global Warming or as it is now being referred to Global Climate Change (to take some of the nonsense of using the word "warming"; and so that they can use cooling as a way to help explain the myth of warming) bandwagon. It is refreshing to see that there are still some level-headed individuals in this country.

Here is more: http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=11548

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADBF_enUS278US278&q=global+warming+scam

http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscorner/19842304.html

Hannah's Church Talk About Family

2008-06-15T14:05:00.003-05:00

This Sunday (Father's Day, June 15th, 2008) Hannah was asked to give a "talk" with Family being the subject. She was nervous as it had been seven years since she had given a talk in Church. I was really proud of her; and she received many accolades for her talk. Below is the text of the speech. Let us know your thoughts...

Good morning Brothers & Sisters and Happy Father’s Day to all that are dads!

I have been asked to talk today about the family. When I started preparing this talk I had a difficult time trying to decide what elements of the family I wanted to discuss; so I chose a few that I thought were very important to me. The three things that I have chosen to cover are:

1. The Family is the center of Heavenly Father’s plan.
2. Worldly influences on the Family.
3. What Family means to me and what my role is in my family.

I know that the Family is the center of Heavenly Father’s Plan. President Gordon B. Hinckley had prophesized the attempts to erode the structure of the family when he offered the Church’s official stance on what family is and the roles that we play in Heavenly Fathers’ plan in “The Family, A Proclamation to the World” at a general Relief Society meeting in 1995. There are a few things in the proclamation that I want to touch on.

In the proclamation it was declared that that marriage is “between a man and a woman and is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” Lately there have been many attempts in our society to dissolve this belief and has become a political hot topic. The enemy would have us believe that this is not an issue and that it is okay to allow this sacred covenant to be destroyed. We should always work very hard to not be drawn in to believing that any other type of marriage is part of HIS plan.

I also like the instruction that “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

One way that Satan tries to destroy the structure of the family is by introducing worldly influences in an attempt to divide the family against itself. Each member of the family experiences their own set of worldly challenges. Kids today experience peer pressure unlike any that we have ever seen. It has become increasingly more difficult for teens, and even now, pre-teens to steer clear of drinking, sex, drugs, pornography and bad video games (whatever happened to the days of Ms. Pac-Man?). Advertising depicts sin as glamorous, Nike says “Just Do It”; “IT” being whatever that person chooses. TV shows depict a world where non-traditional families are the norm. But these are just outlets for people who are feeling lost, negative or don’t see that they have a lot of value within their families. It can be hard to stay strong when many around you are choosing those bad things. So, just remember the primary lesson to “Choose the Right”; after all, what would be a better way to honor your Father and Mother than by doing what is good in Heavenly Father’s eyes.

Parents experience stress in trying to provide for their family in a day and age where that seems to be getting tougher all of the time. It is getting harder to find the proper “work/life” balance because we are trying to meet all of the demands of work, home and Church. Jesus teaches of this in Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Mammon being greed or riches). The first things parents tend to cut out when they are tired and stressed is Church. It is easier for some to go to the water park or go shopping on Sunday because they don’t have time to do it any other day. The next thing parents tend to do is cut into family time. You are opening a door for Satan to enter into your home by not setting aside time for your family. The “wants” of everyday life can sometimes tempt us to let our guard down, but if we do, he is waiting eagerly for us to slip up so he can jump in and tear apart our families.

Negativity is one of the worst things that we can allow to enter into our homes. Be optimistic; share good cheer within your family. Don’t teach your children to look at the proverbial glass as being half-full; teach them that it is full. Heavenly Father only wants what is absolutely best for us, not what is mediocre. This mindset will help your family look beyond these worldly influences; because we know that there is an eternal promise; this is something the enemy cannot offer to families, which is why he breaks down the individual.

The best thing we have as a family is we can rely on each other when one of us is feeling weaker hopefully someone else is feeling strong so we can use that strength as well as prayer to get us through our hard time. [If it were me (Tony) writing this I would refer to Ronald Reagan talking frequently about “peace through strength”. I would note that a strong family bond maintains a higher level of peace within the home. That strength would also build a formidable defense against worldly influences; but that’s just my line of thinking…]

Growing up, I would watch some of my siblings struggle, or I myself would struggle with worldly influences; but we always knew that one of the other siblings, who was stronger at that time would be supportive of the one having a hard time and remind them that they didn’t think they should be hanging out with the wrong kind of people or going to that kind of party. Gratefully there always seems to be someone who is strong enough at the time to point the other person in the right direction. The Holy Ghost is working through that other person on our behalf to get the message across. That is also the great thing about family, they are not afraid to tell you the truth and say I think you are making bad decisions. At least they aren’t in my family.

So, what does family mean to me and what is my place in it?
In the proclamation it talks about a Husband and Wife rearing their children. Ideally that is the perfect family and I think it is what most people want and strive to have. But unfortunately we all have different challenges and trials here on earth and not all of us will get the desires of our hearts filled while we are here. So family to me means many other things. Many people move away from the extended family and consider their ward to be their family. Others may be aunts and uncles that have no children of their own but take an active role in their nieces and nephews lives.

Before Tony and I had Nicholas we were unsure if we would be able to have kids and as painful as that thought was we had to start thinking about if that doesn’t happen what does Heavenly Father want us to be doing then. I truly believe if there is something that you are missing in your life then it is either not your time quite yet or Heavenly Father is trying to steer you to something else that will fulfill you. So we did what most couple’s do that are struggling to have children, we got a puppy. We got Lily (our little, very needy wiener dog) so we had a little someone in the house to take care of. We also decided to enjoy having all of this time as a couple that some people don’t get. We feel very blessed to have Nicholas now and are very grateful for his presence in our home and I wouldn’t change that; but at the same time we still know that for some reason we needed to wait for this blessing. There were things we needed to learn first. I think we will now be better parents because of it. We created a great foundation in our marriage so that when kids arrived we were ready as a couple to take on that challenge.

I also thought that since I was not a Mom yet I was still a part of a family. I was a Daughter, a Sister, an Aunt and a Wife. I still had a lot of roles to fill and ways that I could be a help to my family. It can be easy to look at only what you don’t have or what you aren’t yet; but when you look at what you have already sometimes you aren’t as empty as you think.

I look at my Mom who I know would love to have a loving man in her life and how it would be so nice to have someone to do things with and to help with the general upkeep of maintaining a home. But, I am proud of her because I feel like instead of being angry about it she is now realizing there might be a reason for it and looking to herself to get stronger and enjoy the things she does have. I think she is getting to point where if it happens it would still be a very welcomed thing in her life, but if it doesn’t she is finding other ways to be happy. She feels very blessed to have six kids who love her and 17 grandkids (and one on the way. Not mine). Even though she is divorced the blessings of her children and grandchildren lives on because of that initial union.

I encourage every one to cherish the roles they have in the families that you are apart of and continue to nurture them. Even if you don’t have what you see as the “perfect family situation in your life” you are important to many people and have the ability to influence many around you. I thought when you grow up you get married have kids, have your dream house vacation at least once a year and that is life; however, I was a little delusional on how easy that would be. So enjoy the families that you have and don’t put too many stipulations on them and you will learn to enjoy what you do have more.

Because the family unit is so important it is obvious why it would be attacked. If you can break down the family then you break down the best support system people can have. Without support or a feeling of belonging to something people don’t always feel the strength or want to feel the strength to say no to certain temptations. Feeling alone is one of the most dangerous feelings someone can have, in my mind, because that opens you up to feeling weak and possibly easier to tempt. Read, understand and teach each other “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”. And understand your role within your own family and Heavenly Father’s family and know that it is very important.

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-06-09T10:26:00.001-05:00

Two Months Already

2008-05-23T07:48:00.005-05:00

It is very hard to believe that today (5/23) we are going in to the doctor's office for Nicholas's two month check up. Time surely is flying right by (remember "Don't Blink"). I will update with the results/stats of today's appointment and with the emotions that come with watching him get some shots that will certainly cause him some pain.
Here is a picture of mother and child trying to take in a nap...

Nicholas is very healthy and has grown by leaps and bounds (I am not sure what that means or where that saying came from, but, oh well). He was 6lbs 6oz at birth and was 19" long; he is now ove eleven pounds and 22" long. It is amazing to witness how much he has grown. It was sad to watch him get his shots; although it was when the nurse pinned his legs down to keep him steady while she administered the shots that he disliked the most and not so much the shots themselves.

Don't Blink

2008-05-09T21:35:00.002-05:00

If you know me at all you know that I am a big fan of country music. I find that so much of it is relevant to life. It speaks to us with a message the majority of us can either appreciate or could use in our lives. Before Nicholas was born I never gave much thought in to how fast time truly goes, but I look now and pretty soon he'll be two months old, and it seems just like yesterday. I was really annoyed with all of the people saying things like "oh it goes so fast" and I felt like saying don't rush the process, just let me enjoy it all one day at a time. Then I hear this song and it just really puts a lot of it in perspective. I don't want my little guy to grow up that fast. My favorite country songs that apply to fatherhood and how we should approach things are as follows (please feel free to add some of your own, or check these out and see if they don't kind of "center" you):

*these are not ranked in any particular order

Aaron Tippin - You've Got To Stand For Something

Kenney Chesney - Don't Blink

George Strait - I Saw God Today

Billy Ray Cyrus - Busy Man

Montgomery Gentry - Lucky Man

Alan Jackson - Drive (For Daddy Gene)

Gary Allan - Tough Little Boys

George Strait - The Best Day

John Anderson - I Wish I Could Have Been There

Montgomery Gentry - That's Something To Be Proud Of

Ricky Van Shelton - Keep It Between The Lines

Sawyer Brown - The Walk

Sawyer Brown - The Dirt Road

Tim McGraw - Live Like You Were Dying

Toby Keith - My List

Tom T. Hall - I Care

Trace Adkins - Then They Do

Tracy Lawrence - Til I Was A Daddy Too

Van Zant - That Scares Me

Paul Overstreet - Seein' My Father In Me

I probably have missed some. But check these out. And let me know what you think. Tell me at least some of them don't hit you.

Later!

Nicholas Has Finally Arrived

2008-04-07T08:40:00.001-05:00

On March 28th, 2008, after waiting for 36 weeks and 6 days, Nicholas Anthony Cassaro came into this world. He was 1 day (technically 8 hours and 16 minutes) premature; however, since he was 6lbs 6oz and 19 inches at birth he was not physically premature. He is such a blessing to us that we can already tell that there is a spiritual change in our home. Mom and Dad are adjusting to the new sleep deprivation program that he has us on; our dog Lily is also adjusting well to the new addition to our family.