On Saturday, I hosted the first Workshop for Inspired Beginners at my home here in Wisconsin.

When I picked the date for the workshop it was just any old Saturday.
A Saturday when I didn't have other photography obligations and
a Saturday that Emma could come home from college to model.

I thought there was a good chance it would not be snowing.

But as life happens....my sister Sue was diagnosed with a enormous
brain tumor two days after I advertised and sold each seat for the workshop.

The next two months were filled with thoughts of Sue,
trips to Missouri, life around here and worries that I would have to cancel
the workshop.

As it would happen,
Susie died right after my workshop was over.

Is that a coincidence?

I sat down to look at Cindy's facebook with a Diet Dr. Pepper after the last gals left
and I cried tears of joy as I looked at the pictures of Cindy and Sue's friends who
gathered to walk in a 5K on that very morning. Cindy had planned her walk for months and
as she stepped out of the car she was greeted and surprised by a huge group that had come to
walk with her.




I cried tears of joy and love for Cindy and Sue. To see my sisters supported and loved this way
filled my heart to overflowing. And when your heart overflows the tears come out....I have decided.

Right then Cindy called to tell me Sue had died.

Tears of joy turned to tears of pain and sadness.

I don't really know what I am suppose to gather from this....
this strange confluence of happenings. The best and the worst on the same day.
It has my head spinning, I must say.


All I know is that instead of worrying on that Saturday I was teaching.


I was teaching six excited, interested, fabulous women as much as I could about their cameras and the light and photoshop as I could squeeze into our seven/eight hours together.



And even tho the clouds were gray and heavy we found the light.




It wasn't always easy.




(especially when I grabbed my d80 instead of my d700}



(This is why I needed a new camera. I wore my d80 out. Can you say grain? at 400iso. not good)

But we walked around the capital and took loads of pictures anyway!
The rain held off and the fog rolled in.
And we took more pictures.




The flowers look fabulous on cloudy days and we even had water droplets to add to their beauty.







There was lots of talk of metering and exposure,
aperture and iso.



The students and teacher and models were all pretty tuckered out by the end of the day.

I am so happy that the workshop went so well and I feel very lucky
to meet such lovely and sweet women.

Thank you for coming Jeanie, Christine, Kristin, Becky, Holly and Carolee!

Jeanie posted about the workshop on her blog today:

Confetti House Journal

Christine posted too!

Posey Patchworks


*****

We are headed to Missouri tomorrow.
Matthew and Melinda are coming. I haven't seen Melinda's baby bump yet.

Like I said the other day, joy and sorrow stand side by side in my heart.

I know it does for you too.

We just have to be there for one another either way.


Encourage one another,
Donna