Trauma! and recovery

The dogs are still escaping! We are still trying like crazy to prevent that. So, on Friday I left Bo in the house when I went to get J from school - he can't escape from the house, and Leo won't leave the yard without him. I was so sure this was such a great plan.

Until I got home. That blankity blank dog literally ate my SLR digital camera! It had been set on the table, in a "safe place," and I never thought of him eating it. The rubber body cover on the right side, where I hold the camera - completely torn off. The flash, mangled! The door where the SD card goes - very damaged! I was devastated. I don't have another camera - not even a cheap point and shoot. And I certainly don't have the money to replace a camera at this point.

After praying that I wouldn't make an idol of this camera and that I would remember it was just a thing, not a life, I sat down and figured out what was salvageable. Fortunately, everything but the flash. And, the place where an external flash can be attached is safe and sound. It is an ugly camera now, and the door for the card has to be handled with care, but it still takes photos. I even sewed the strap back together.

This, as some of you can imagine, was a very traumatic event for me. Really, knocked the wind out of me emotionally, when I was already pretty unsteady. But, recovery was made. I won't be doing any indoor photos for awhile, but I don't do much of that anyway. I figure I need to teach some classes and work at the LSS and use the money to buy the external flash before Christmas, because that is the next time I'd be likely to really want to take indoor flash pictures anyway.

Friday night I did a photo shoot with that all chewed up and ugly camera of mine. It was a shoot of of three really super cute kids - friends! Unfortunately, none of the group photos turned out fantastic - hard with a little one. But, got some wonderful individual shots. I think I am so much better at individuals. It's good practice, and I so enjoy it!

Then, the sky looked like this after they left:

Yesterday was spent all day at the Focus on the Family Truth Project launch training. I'm all trained up, have the DVDs and ready to lead a group. Such great material on Christian World View. Amazing how important this stuff is!

The, spent the evening trying to train dogs to stay inside the fence. Not sure I had any success. But I did take my camera with me as I hung out in the neighbor's field for an hour waiting for them to try to come over the fence. Here's a peek.

Today, go to church, clean a little, finish my Bar Exam application, and hopefully, scrapbook. Always "hopefully scrapbook!"

Also, super excited about the Studio Calico October kit, and the Alice add-on. Wish it were going to arrive at my home today, but have to wait a week or ten days! Oh well, it's good for me, right?

Tomorrow I'm teaching (substituting) at J's school, which is a crazy thing because I'm so terrible at teaching children. But there was a need. Then, I go to the LSS and pick up some of the Tinkering Ink Christmas paper and embellies to make pages for a class at the retreat in late October. That is a good reward, don't you think?

Have a good Sunday!