Vietnam Adoption 16 years later!

Sixteen years have flown by since I went with my sister and brother in law to document the adoption of their daughter. She was just a few months old when we first met her and since then, we’ve enjoyed so much watching and being part of her growing up. Here’s one of the first videos way back before everything went to high definition.

Here she is after just learning to walk, still in low-def…

Then we did an update 11 years later…

So, naturally we’ve updated the video and now here she is 16 years later. What an amazing journey so far and we’re all excited about the many decades to come!

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Framed Photography for Home Staging

I’ve put together a gallery of one-of-a-kind photography that I’ve edited in a way to fit a neutral theme, perfect for staging a home that’s for sale. I’ve chatted with a few realtors for input and I’m excited about this collection of photos. Click here for the full group of images, and I’ll include some below.

Some of these look quite a bit different from the original. Some came from an evening where I got on this creative streak and edited pics to fit the idea in my head. But all the pictures were created or included with the idea that they could hang on a wall in a house where potential home buyers are walking through. Do you have a favorite? If so, comment below and I thank you in advance!

-Out of the Wilderness

Pennsylvania Senate Debate – thoughts from a non-Pennsylvanian

My mom, sister, and I watched the debate between John Fetterman and Dr. Oz last night, mostly in disbelief. Can a candidate be in the condition Fetterman is in and still win an election? We live about 6 states away so a lot of what they talked about didn’t really apply to us except for federal topics like abortion, infrastructure, immigration, and inflation. As unbiasedly as I can say this, it was heartbreaking to watch. Fetterman had a stroke a few months ago and clearly hasn’t recovered. That’s not really up for debate, as his many blunders, gaffes, and setbacks have been recorded and kept at the forefront of the discussion.

In the hour-long debate Fetterman had a few coherent answers but for the most part we had a hard time following his train of thought. My mom and I exchanged confused glances more times that I can count and I guess when Fetterman’s very first few words are “Hi, good night, everybody!” you might think the night’s not going to go so well for him. Dr. Oz was much more clear in his answers, was able to thoughtfully connected ideas, and he communicated effectively. Maybe you don’t agree with his stance on things, that’s a different story, but he came out looking much better than Fetterman.

If Fetterman wins, it’s 100% Democrats voting for a Democrat. As one person said on Twitter, they’d vote for a potato before voting for Oz. That isn’t exactly a shining endorsement of Fetterman, right? If voters simply vote for their party without thinking critically about the actual candidate, where is our country headed?

Any Democrat who watched that debate cannot, with a clear conscience, vote for Fetterman. His health is not good and after the debate all I could feel is compassion for him and worry for the people of Pennsylvania if they can’t think objectively. Fetterman won’t drop out, it’s probably too late for that, but I’m guessing a lot of PA Democrats will just be a no-show at the voting booth. They would rather not vote than elect Fetterman or Dr. Oz.

It should be an interesting two weeks between now and November 8th, when all the votes will be counted nationwide. Republicans are predicting a red wave, Democrats a blue one. It sounds like one is right and the other is desperate, but I guess we’ll see!

-Out of the Wilderness

2022 Car Show Was A Sight to Behold

The other day I went to a car show and had no idea what to expect. I’m a self-proclaimed “not a car guy” so while I like seeing cool cars, I have no desire at all to get into fixing them or learning much more about them beyond their color and style. But this show was pretty awesome, and the cars were beautiful! My favorite was a yellow Lamborghini. I gravitated towards the antiques from the 1970s but there were all kinds of cool cars and motorcycles.

Of course, there were also a few that were perplexing. I’m thinking of a PT Cruiser. Why it was there, I’m not sure? But then I started focusing on headlights and close-up details. I love how these photos came out!

Check out more photos from the car show here and more close-ups for purchase here. Think about one of these images framed in your favorite room, they’d look great!

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Amazon Holiday Ad Wants You to Hoard “Stuff”?

I came across this Amazon ad recently and I can’t decide if I like it or not. On the one hand, I *love* the 1970s mostly for the clothes, furniture, and cars. This ad clearly pulls from that decade, just check out the sweaters.

But ever since learning that Amazon helps pregnant employees travel to states where abortions are legal, I’ve kind of soured to the idea of ordering from them. On top of that, the ad is attempting to be funny but the only line I halfway chuckled for is “stuff to squeeze between your buns.” I *do* love ketchup, however I don’t know anyone who buys ketchup online! Ok, Whole Foods counts, I guess… but you have to be a Prime Member, not just a casual Amazon shopper.

Back to the ad, the harmonies are fine. The lyrics are clever. I guess I just wanted to laugh more. And, too, it bothers me a little bit that we’re not even through October and Christmas shopping is already being shoved in our face. They (they = corporations, advertisers) won’t ruin Christmas for me but I’m becoming less and less enthused about the greed surrounding the holiday.

I rather anticipate the excitement of lights, family, classic songs, and the most important thing- celebrating “the reason for the season,” Jesus. I’ll go ahead and give this commercial a thumbs down for those reasons and also that I’ve become somewhat of a minimalist. Living in a travel trailer will do that to a person! The last thing I want to do in a small, confined space is gather more stuff. That’s the habit of hoarders, right? I’ve seen a few homes where a hoarder lived and trust me, it ain’t pretty.

My home on wheels

Enjoy the commercial, but I’m going to think twice about where and how often I spend my money. Lately, I’ve enjoyed paying for experiences, not things. Like booking campsites in state parks where I took these pictures.

If you’re just dying to buy something, skip Amazon and head over to my SmugMug art gallery where you can buy framed stuff to keep or give to loved ones. That’s the best use of your money in my unbiased opinion… 😉

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness