Headspin, whirlwind, madness, being busy...whatever you want to call it.

I cannot complain. I am busy. But at the same time, it's overwhelming. Its basically just me that runs the entire show. Between my 5.5 year old son, my mom living with me and me being responsible for almost 90% of her things (bills, taking her to the store, being the fix-it dude around the house, helping her with her computer, etc) and then trying to run a photography business as well as a production company...oh and do things for myself like workout, go roller skating or just sit and stare at the intellectual thief known as the TV, it becomes almost impossible. But somehow, somewhere, I find strength and get it all done.

A sweet friend of mine made the comment that I must be "Superwoman". Um, yeah, I am so far from Superwoman status it's ridiculous. But, often times I wish I could wear a cape and stand proudly in the wind to watch it flow behind me as I honor the efficient accomplishment of all sorts of tasks in record breaking time. Of course, the only way to truly achieve that status is to take care of business AND do my hair, get my nails done and have some additional "me-time" in a bubble bath with candles, flower petals and a glass of champagne, nightly. Man, would I be the envy of all my friends. Trouble is, I don't accomplish all my tasks efficiently, or at all for that matter, so I can't justify wearing the cape until I can completely get my act together. I know, good luck with THAT one. Sigh.

"Never let them see you sweat" is another great phrase I enjoy using. There are days where I run myself ragged in the morning answering emails, updating my social media networking, make the beds, cook breakfast, run to the store, tend to my son who has asked me to take apart the 100th lego piece he cant slip his tiny fingernails under, return phone calls (barely) and still somehow fix my hair and maybe get one eye's worth of mascara on before I run out of the house leaving one earring behind on the counter. But no matter what, they always say "Never let them see you sweat". Well then, remind me not to lift my arms, 'cause honey, I'm sweatin'.

And my all time favorite quote is "running around like a chicken with its head cut off". First of all, I had no idea that chickens ran around after their head was removed. I thought that only pertained to lizards after you took their tail off. Either way, that is the best description of me and the way I run my life. I think my only defense is that even through all of the "madness" I still seem to get-r-done and satisfy my clients. And without a doubt, I never miss a moment to love on my son.

Well, here I am. A Blogger.

Ok, ok. Everyone kept saying, "Gee Amanda, you should start a blog!". Um, a what? A who? A blog? Do I need medication for it? Does it require feeding, vet bills or constant watering? Because if so, I am in no need of a blog. No time. No thanks.

Apparently, a blog is not a living thing that needs a home, something that requires eternal care (or maybe it does) or something I should be discussing with my Doctor. It is, however, a fabulous tool for me to use so I can share my daily doings as a modern day photographer living a smallish-town life.

I entered the once forbidden full-time single mom status in May of 2009. With my new adventure ahead of me and my then 3.5 year old by my side, I have had little chance to blink for my own self let alone spend precious time doing that "blogging" thing. Then, my dad passed away in March of 2010 and any chance of developing a blog was shot to hell. I crawled into a hole shortly after he passed and have only come out to see the light recently. I pretty much decided that if I didn't get my ass up off the pity couch, I was going to get struck by lightning every time I took a step. Those strikes of which I am sure would be compliments of my Dad screaming down at me from Heaven. He was not one to accept laziness or excuses for any sort of answer. So even after his death, I still manage to oblige and obey his life policies.

I grew up a big-city girl in "The Valley" just outside of Los Angeles. After 20 years as a freelance, self-employed photographer and producer in the Los Angeles area, I moved my big city self to a small town east of the Cascade Mountain range (with a small 4 year stop in Hawaii). It's what I believe to be one of the most glorious places on earth to live...Bend, Oregon. Please come visit, but don't move here. It's perfect just the way it is. And yes, I can still make a living doing what I love in my sweet, beautiful small town life in Bend. I would have to say it's primarily due to the fancy technology these days including the internet, Facebook, networking sites and this wonderful, but time consuming thing everyone refers to as "blogging".

So, here I go. I shall blog. About what you ask? About everything I do as a photographer and the small-ish town life I live and work in. Believe me...it's an interesting journey. I hope you enjoy the ride.