Excitement! Challenges! Goals! Dreams!

This is an exciting day for me but really should be a no-brainer. I'm headed to the classroom to teach - something I am excited about but nervous in doing. It has been many years since I stood in front of a classroom - and it has changed. Why am I nervous? Technology.

I'll be using a powerpoint presentation, on a projected screen and have students on computers that are live on the internet! The last class I taught on computers was simple applications on Apple IIe's that we had to tear down every night and store in a locked cabinet! Times have changed. My children then in 1st and 2nd grade were in those classes. Now they are my support system for the computer at 25 and 26! They love telling people I was their first computer teacher. Even then it was a stretch - I'm a trained secondary teacher in Home and Consumer Science I believe they now call it - Home Economics when I was in school. In many ways this is still in my field.

Consumers need to be observant, evaluate, and analyze before they purchase or use something. I am still passionate about being good consumers but more so now in "Going Green" we should evaluate if we need to use it, have something we can re-use to keep out of the landfill, share by giving an item to someone who needs it, or recycle it.

Back to my day! Wish me luck - this eBaygrandma is going to TEACH! "The Basics of Selling on eBay!"

Memories - Photographes - What are they for?

The idea behind a camera is to record memories, facts, information. When they were first used only by professionals a picture was a big deal. Well thought out and usually if it was of people they looked like mug shots! As we finally got cameras down so that the general public could afford them we have actually come a long way quickly.

This all came about because I was asked about the first item I bought or sold on eBay. I finally realized the first memory I had of an eBay purchase was my 1999 F350 dually! Not a small purchase by any means. You know I can't locate a picture of it. I drove that truck over 150,000 miles delivering recreational vehicles. I have a few pictures of damaged trailers and this strange sign in Wisconsin that I took while waiting for them to "check in" the camper. The business had misspelled their sign!

Do we really remember to take pictures of the things that mean the most to us? Now that cameras are so inexpensive to have, so easy to use, are we careful to record what we should. When traveling I have trained myself to take a photo when you first see an item or you will forget that it is really different. That is training from years ago - nearly 40 when I went on an exchange program and I had very good training. That was a camera - a single lens reflex camera with external flash and I learned to use a light meter. I do have a great record of that trip on slides and in my journal.

Last Christmas my Grandson got his first camera - at the age of 4. He had always been fascinated with cameras so Mom got him a child friendly digital that puts out quite a good picture. We do talk about composition a bit but he usually does his own thing. The fantastic thing is that I have pictures or myself, my daughter has some of herself on different site online that he has taken. I have a great portrait of his little sister, Mom and Me. Professional quality. Hope he doesn't loose the interest.