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You and me. That's what this page is about. How did we meet? School or community band? Church band or handbells or choir? Were you a subscriber to a publication, or an attendee at a conference, or did you come to one of my concerts? Maybe you have one of my books. Are you (were you) one of my private or class students? Perhaps you are among my professional musician friends. No matter how we met, you are important to me because we have made music together. Please use this page to add your recollections of our music making for all of us to enjoy.
36 thoughts on "Our Story"
Hey there! I miss our in person lessons because your attitude is so sassy and easy-going. You always call me out if I haven't practiced and you are very honest with me when you give me feedback on things. I remember how nervous I was to sing "The End of the World" and how you told me "It isn't really the end of the world" and encouraged me to do better which I did. You are always there to listen when I have something to ask advice on and you constantly show me by example how hard work pays off. I wanted to thank you for welcoming me into your church choir when I was down in Galesburg and accompanying me in the Beecher reenactment. I will remember those times for life! I hope I can keep you laughing each lesson because I know I can say or do the most ridiculous things and I love our lesson times 🙂 .
My 4 year old son, Landon just completed the Wunderkeys program and he loved it. He was so excited to start lessons and this was the perfect way to do it. We would come home and he would be humming/singing all the songs and talking about his finger friends. We would sit and practice together and I was amazed at how well he was retaining all of the information. It was a great program to start and I am so glad we did!
I loved it when Gail showed me the organ in her church during one of my piano lessons. It was the first time I'd ever seen an organ up close and I had a blast playing around with it and changing the knobs to produce different sounds. Seeing how the organ worked in general and checking out the upstairs room with all the pipes was incredible. I also had fun playing for her church during one of the services. I'm always nervous playing in front of a large group of people, but the atmosphere was very welcoming and the experience was ultimately very enjoyable. The same can be said for my day-to-day lessons. I never thought I would look forward to practicing every day or learn as much as I have in the time Gail's been my teacher. There's also a degree of freedom I get when it comes to selecting the music, which I never got from past piano teachers. Thanks for everything, Gail. You will be missed! 🙂
Oh my gosh, now that I have a free chance, I don't even know where to start. I am one of Gail's former students from northeast Texas. From the upstairs apartment/music room, to the new house and awesome music room that I remember her loving so much (of course, Gail puts her whole heart into anything she does), to the store, playing everywhere we had the chance…..so many great memories! Nursing home recitals, Wildflower Trails parades, and of course Gatsby's!! Band concert with you and Ronnie dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Laura and Lisa dressed up elves (I still have that pic somewhere). You and Ronnie made a great team when playing together and were always so fun to watch! I so remember the Hughes Springs Community Band that you even got my Mom involved in (making me have to give up claim to her flute for a bit, lol). It was so interesting to see the adults show off their musical talent that we kids mostly knew nothing about. Thinking back now, there was always lots of laughter at those practices. Every time we performed for the nursing home residents, they were always so very thankful. Their smiles and sweet words made it worth it, even if I felt embarrassed for having praise heaped on me for doing such a small thing (and not very well to my own ears, lol). You pushed me when I sure didn't want to practice and I am very thankful for that. I regret that I didn't work out my priorities better so that I could do it all, continuing with piano on top of everything else, and so wish you lived close so that my own kiddos could take lessons. I know for a fact they would love you as much as I do…..and probably drive you just as crazy as I did. I always enjoyed watching you perform and was in awe of how talented you are…..and knowing in the back of my mind that I would never be as good. To anyone considering taking lessons, or having their child take lessons with Gail…..you can't go wrong!! She is the absolute best, and not only with how talented she is, but as a teacher with her genuine love and devotion to each student.
I spent a lot of time with Gail in band at Lombard Junior High School and GHS. I knew her as a trumpet player and had forgotten that she played the organ as we entered the auditorium. I'm looking forward to her being back in the 'Burg and can't wait to see with God has planned for her!
One more story – Lent was approaching, and you were planning the music, as always. I was hanging around bugging you as I did as frequently as possible, and you shocked me by asking me to sing a song I'd never heard of for Palm Sunday. You played a recording of it, and I burst into tears before it was halfway through, because the words were so moving. "I can't sing that; I can't get through it!", I protested. But you gave me an enormous gift that day. You said something to the order of, "Yes you can. I know you can." And you assigned that song to me. Your encouragement and confidence in me brought me to a new level in my singing. It also gave me a song that I could offer every spring, and now I've sung it at several different churches and spiritual retreats. I remember you and your wonderful way of stretching me (OW! Owowowowowow – OH! Ooooh!) every time I sing it. (That parenthetical business is supposed to illustrate the transition from discomfort to delight.)
I used to work out at a fitness center here on Padre Island, and there was this quiet but funny guy named Rick in our class. One day I was whining about the fact that we had left the church where I had participated with a great praise team, and I really missed the music. Rick said I should come to his church and sing with the choir. After a short exchange, he assured me it was okay to show up on Sunday morning. I PROMISE you I asked him to make sure you were expecting me! But no… in I walk, all confident, and everybody looks at me like I'm about to ask for money! But you were so gracious – after I explained my presence, I offered to stand behind you and sing so you could hear me as the choir warmed up, so you could run me out if I didn't fit. I ended up staying, and as I left the church, I heard two ladies in the parking lot: "Who was that singing in the choir?" "I dunno, she just walked in off the street!" Hilarious!
Attending one of her first football games after moving to Hughes Springs, Texas, I sat by Gail to "welcome" her to the community-and acquaint her with the festivites. The high school band began to play a song which caught Gail's attention–to which she proclaimed with a bit of surprise –That's "The Horse" !!! Gail had played this song years before in Illinois and was surprised that "way down here" in East Texas, our band was playing the same song !! It had not occurred to Gail that the Hughes Springs mascot–was– the Mustangs !!
My son, Carey, and I went to see Gail in their upstairs apartment/studio !! As Gail and I were talking about music/Community Band, we heard some strange noises–as in–plunk !! plunk !! bam !! bam !! Crunch !! Immediately, I knew Carey had dropped my alto sax down the flight of stairs !! With each sound I was hoping to hear silence–silence did not happen until my sax was at the bottom of the stairs !! Several broken pieces of the sax were found in a trail down the stairs !! I thought I held my cool rather well..my son survived !!
We were at a casual performance of Gail's students at Gatsby's Pizza. At an intermission for the students, Gail played a keyboard version of "drop the needle" !! She played brief excerpts of various songs–we had to "Name the Tune" One of hardest for most participants to get right, was about the ONLY one I knew–"Blazing Saddles" !! With pizza, music and games– we all had fun !! Thanks, Gail !!
I loved singing and practicing with Gail because I got to practice with my Bestfriend and it was fun to sing with her and perform it in front of everyone(: I loved Gail's bubbly and outgoing personality and going and practicing with her always put me in a good mood(: I have great memories there and hope to go back soon!(:
I have known Gail for close to twenty years. During that time, I have seen Gail in various roles, all with the common thread of music. We have been personal friends, as well as business associates. She is one of the most thoughtful, caring persons I know. Her life revolves around others, in helping and giving care where ever there is a need.
I first met Gail when she was an artist and clinician for Technics Musical Instruments. At Technics, she performed on the world-famous Technics Organs and Digital Pianos, entertaining many folks over the years. She always seemed to dazzle them with her talent and skills on the organ and piano. She also conducted workshop and training sessions to help others to learn the features and operation of these hi-tech instruments. I also worked alongside Gail when she took positions in sales of pianos and organs, where she was very successful in producing business for the retail businesses where she worked.
If that isn't enough, I have also seen Gail in her role as a teacher, one of her most enduring passions. She has taught piano and organ lessons in music stores and in her own studios, both to groups and to individuals for many years, throughout her professional life. She has shared her talent guiding adults, teenagers, and children as they yearned to learn to play a keyboard instrument. Her students were rewarded with one of the finest teachers one could hope to find. It has been my pleasure to know and associate with Gail. She blesses all whose lives cross her path.
Gail has helped the youth in my church tremendously. I remember meeting her for the first time and thinking this will be fun! choir has been a great experience for me and has helped me open up and make new friends. Besides choir, Gail has given me the opportunity to learn the organ which has been another thing I've enjoyed. Thank you Gail!
I will never forget the first time we met! It was at First Presbyterian Church in Ottumwa. I knew the impact of meeting each other would change things for us in an amazing way, but it has surpassed that and then some. 🙂 Seeing you work with the choir was quite an experience. You were a fun director, yet got us to work really hard without even knowing it! Do you remember Agnus Dei?! Wow…what an undertaking for you, yet it came together beautifully and was a highlight production for the church. It was also a pivotal point in our joint musical career. I started accompanying for you not long after that and I learned so much…more than I ever thought possible to learn from one person! I also played handbells under your direction for a few years and despite having previously played, I again learned many new things. You then started teaching me organ and helped me progress fast enough that I was soon filling in when you were away! Not only did you help my musicianship grow, you helped my faith and spirituality blossom. God always places the right people in our path at the right time, and He could not have blessed me with a better person at what was a difficult time for me.
You are an amazing director and put so much passion and time into everything you do. Yeah, you have your quirks and get picky about certain things, but you are willing to compromise, and in the end it's for the greater good of the music and message you are trying to convey. You also create a close bond with those you work with and impact them in so many different ways. You helped me break out of my shell, and for that I will always be grateful! Anyone would be lucky to have you as a director or music teacher. I only wish I could've been under your direction for a longer period of time.
I can't end this without mentioning our amazing duets!! 🙂 I am so honored to be your duet partner!! You are an extraordinary musician and make music and practicing fun; not a chore. You help make music speak to people, and that's not something many people take the time to do. While you're moving on to newer things, I know this friendship will always remain. You are one of a kind Gail. And anyone interested in music, or wanting to share their talents would be lucky to learn or be under your direction!
Kari Readel
Your accompanist and duet partner!


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Review and Pictures of Giorgio Armani Autumn Winter 2012 Milan Fashion Week Runway Show
2012 A/W Milan Fashion Week: Giorgio Armani
2012 A/W Milan Fashion Week: Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani delivered the art of slick suiting and a master class in bold colour for Autumn/Winter 2012. We're not just mesmerized by the double and triple vision stunts Armani pulled on his catwalk — though the sight of two or three models in the same sharp suiting, brilliant fuchsia and orange, and slick fedoras really drives the point home. Still, even without the "special effects," the collection is built up in confidence. Strong shapes and new silhouettes — like a return to longer menswear-style shorts paired with vibrant ladylike jackets and bold colour-infused woven knits — result in something all at once androgynous and insanely glam. That's largely due to the fact that these new season looks are saturated in hot pinks, purples, and orange; the palette is drama-inducing in itself — but add to that the luxuriousness of fur crystal embellishment and vibrant abstract print, and the resulting styles start to run into diva territory. There are few people, save for Anna Dello Russo or Lady Gaga, who could pull off a cotton-candy-feeling fur coat — fortunately the collection is also much more wearable than that. Grey suiting adorned with rosettes and finished with oxfords has a snappier feel than the lavishness of his colour-saturated fur, and that's the bread and butter here: sportier evening themes and rich colour play.
- Trends: Coloured fur, slick fedoras, colour-blocking, menswear, shorts cropped just above the knee, gloves, textured woven knits, abstract print, and sequins.
- Colours: Red, black, hot pink, orange, purple, and grey.
- Key Piece: The sequined coat has just the right slinky, sexy quality to it; we're taken with Armani's colorblocked hot-pink oxfords.
- Accessories: Cutout gloves, wide-brim fedoras, layered statement necklaces, coloured oxford kicks, slick clutches.
- Who Would Wear It: The risk-taker with an eye for sharp silhouettes and statement colour; Anna Dello Russo could rock the hot-pink fur — but she may just be about the only one who can.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tag Archives: sagittaria japonica flore plena
Sagittaria Species and Cultivars
Sagittaria Species and Cultivars Also known as Duck Potato, Swamp Potato and Arrowhead, Sagittaria are true shallow and deep water marginal plants that are common in the wild throughout the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 30 wild species and … Continue reading
Posted in Nature And Wildlife, Plant Health, Plant Profiles, Pond Design And Planting, Uses For Water Plants Tagged aquatic, aquatic life, aquatic plants, arrowhead, blanket weed problems, clay bottomed ponds, deep marginal plants, double flowered japanese arrowhead, duck potato, Encouraging Pond Life, grassy sagittaria, green water, Healthy Pond Plants, healthy ponds, japanese arrowhead, lakes, lance leafed arrowhead, Marginal Plants, native plants, Planting Marginal Plants, Planting Water Plants, pointed arrowhead, pond balance, pond health, pond life, pond plants, ponds, sagittaria graminea, sagittaria japonica, sagittaria japonica flore plena, sagittaria lancifolia, sagittaria sagittifolia, shallow marginal plants, submerged aquatic plants, swamp potato, Water Gardening, water gardens, water plants, wildlife ponds Comments Off on Sagittaria Species and Cultivars
Attracting British Amphibians to your Water Garden
Attracting British Amphibians to your Water Garden One of the main attractions when creating a water feature in our gardens is, the hope that we will attract that lovely and sometimes comical, array of amphibians. We all like … Continue reading
Posted in Nature And Wildlife, Plant Health, Plant Profiles, Pond Design And Planting, Uses For Water Plants Tagged acorus calmus, amphibians, apponogeton distachyos, apponogeton krauseanus, aquatic, aquatic life, aquatic plants, attract frogs, attract lovely amphibians, attract newts, attract pond life, attract toads, attract water garden life, attracting british amphibians, attracting british wildlife, baby newts, bog bean, bog gardens, British Amphibians, british wildlife, brooklime, bull rushes, callitriche hamulata, callitriche stagnalis, carex muskingumensis, clay bottomed ponds, Common Frogs, common toads, cotton grass, createing planting shelves, curly pond weed, deep marginal plants, design of your pond, duck potato, eleocharis acicularis, elodea canadensis, Encouraging Pond Life, eriophorum, eriophorum angustifolium, eriophorum latifolium, eriophorum russeolum, eriophorum vaginatum, floating plants, free floating plants, frogbit, froglets, frogs, frogspawn, frogspawn in your garden, glyceria maxima variegata, great crested newts, hippuris vulgaris, hydrocharis morsus ranae, inviting british amphibians, iris for ponds, iris in ponds, juncus articulatus, justicea americanum, ludwigia palustris, mares tail, Marginal Plants, marsh frogs, mazus reptans, mentha pulegium, menyanthes trifoliata, myasotis palustris alba, myriophyllum spicatum, naterjack toads, native amphibians, native plants, newts, oenanthes fistulosa, oxygenating plants, palmate newts, phyla lanceolata, pickeral weed, Planting Marginal Plants, planting shelves, planting shelves for ponds, Planting Water Plants, Pond Design, pond iris, pond life, pond plants, pond rushes, ponds, ponds for amphibians, ponds for frogs, ponds for newts, ponds for toads, pontaderia cordata, pontaderia cordata alba, pontaderia cordata pink, pontaderia dilatata, pontaderia lanceolata, potamogeton crispus, rushes and grasses, rushes and grasses for ponds, sagittaria, sagittaria graminea, sagittaria japonica, sagittaria japonica flore plena, sagittaria sagittifolia, sagittaria species, scirpus lacustris, scirpus zebrinus, shallow pond plants, shallow water plants, small ponds, smooth newts, starwort, stratiotes aloides, submerged aquatic plants, submerged plants, sweet flag, Tadpoles, toadlets, toads, typha angustifolia, typha gracilis, typha latifolium, typha latifolium variegata, typha minima, typha shuttleworthii, vallisneria spiralis, veronica becabunga, water crowfoot, water forget me not, water garden, Water Gardening, water gardens, water gardens for amphibians, water gardens for frogs, water gardens for newts, water gardens for toads, water hawthorne, water iris, water plants, water soldiers, water willow, waterlilies, waterlily, wild life ponds for toads, wildlife ponds for frogs, wildlife ponds for newts, zebra rush Comments Off on Attracting British Amphibians to your Water Garden


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Posts tagged with "awesome" and "democracy"
Fri 18 Nov
Pirate Party wins 8% of vote in Berlin elections
I remember when the first Pirate Party was created in 2006 (back in the days when I still read 2600 and went to high school). I'm thrilled to see that in the ensuing years the party has taken hold in multiple countries and has expanded its agenda to become more than a single-issue party. To paraphrase a point made by Evgeny Morozov at a talk I was at yesterday, the best outcome for a movement started on the Internet is the formation of a party that can engage with the political system in a meaningful way to create change.
· Tags: awesome, pirate-party, democracy


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The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) funds, and collaborates with, 18 separate public health districts throughout the state. Each is comprised of one or more of Georgia's 159 counties and county health departments.
Click on a district below to visit the district's website. Download the most recent District Directory in .pdf format here.
Page last updated 05/30/18


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What is "Bring Your Own Horse" Camp?
Hartford County 4-H Camp holds a bring your Own Horse Camp session during the first week of our summer season. This residential one week session is open to youth, age 11 or older, with his/her own horse.
Campers will take complete care of his/her own horse (feeding, grooming, tacking, and exercising their horse as well as barn chores), receive ring and lecture instruction, enjoy trail rides, and participate in a closing activity on Saturday.
Instruction and supervision will be conducted by competent, experienced staff in cooperation with the 4-H Camp Board.
Campers will live in cabins while their companions will be stabled in a box stall. Trailers cannot be left on the grounds.
Camp can accept 48 campers and horses during this co-ed session. Applications are accepted as received.
When is the "Bring Your Own Horse" Camp Session?
|June 23th – June 29th (2019)
|Click to Register Online
- Western, Hunt, & Saddle Seat Instruction
- Trail Riding
- Drill Team
- Judging
- Stable Management
- Safety
- Tack Care
- Horse Show
- You Name It
- Swimming and Recreation
Campers will enjoy three well-balanced meals daily and will participate in a variety of traditional camp activities such as swimming, camp recreation, a variety of evening programs, and vespers by a camp fire.
Important Information for Horse Campers & Parents
Horse Health and Condition
Horses so classified may be sent home at the discretion of the Horse Camp Director. Horses must be properly trimmed or shod. State law requires an updated rabies vaccination. We require a Coggins test for Equine Infectious Anemia and strongly recommend Strangles Immunization. Strangles was on the property two years and there is conflicting information about the length of time it can survive in soil. Please consult your vet.
Please check with your veterinarian before coming to camp about the advisability of immunizations for Tetanus, Equine Influenza, and Encephalomyelitis (Eastern, Western).
Arrival and Departure
- Sunday: Registration is between 2 pm and 4 pm at the Barns
- Saturday: Camp ends at the close of the weekly final activity. Parent, family members and friends are invited to attend. The activity runs from 9am to 11am. Participation is voluntary.
Click for a printable packing list!
- Sleeping bag & pillow
- Plenty of extra clothing
- Heavy socks
- Boots
- Riding helmet
- Rain gear
- Swimsuit
- Towels
- Everyday essentials
- Don't forget your horse!
- Grain
- Tack, tack box, and lead ropes
- Water & feed containers
- Grooming equipment
- Fly spray
- Fork
- Bucket or wheelbarrow
- Rake


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Spending a day exploring the English countryside is one of life's simple joys and there's a huge variety of locations to explore in the North West alone. Just over an hour's drive away from Manchester but a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life is the village of Hurst Green which is known for its historic school Stonyhurst College.
The school has some significant literary links – Sherlock Holmes writer Arthur Conan Doyle studied there and Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien was a regular visitor as his son taught there.
Tolkien is said to have taken much inspiration from the local area for Middle Earth and there's a stunning walk, the Tolkien Trail, allowing you to visit and explore the sites he saw. Standing and ending in Hurst Green, this walk takes features a variety of scenery including open fields (with views to Pendle Hill), woodland and a riverside stroll.
The walk itself isn't too strenuous; it's generally easy going and quite flat throughout so even those with a low level of fitness shouldn't find it too challenging. It can be muddy in sections and it took us about 3 hours to complete – although we did stop for about 30 minutes beside the river.
You can download the walk guide from Visit Lancashire here and take a look at my photo guide to the walk below showcasing some of the sites found on the Tolkien Trail.


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What our social workers say Click to get info
Heather Flinders, Divisional Director for Children and Families, talking about working as a social worker at Waltham Forest Council.
Hear more from our social workers
June 2018 Blog. Do relationships make a difference? by Kobus Grobbelaar, Deputy Head of Service, Corporate Parenting.
We all accept that negative life experiences and/or events can leave people feeling unhappy, mistrustful, upset, depressed, powerless and in despair. These experiences of hardship, being let down, abused and feeling ignored relates to our relationships with others around us. All human beings want to feel better about themselves, others and the world around them. We have to acknowledge that our young people do not always know how to bring about these changes or realise they have a choice within this.
People's resilience was so clearly illustrated to me when I was watching the Chelsea Flower show, where Lemon Tree Trust sponsored a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, created by British designer Tom Massey and inspired by the gardens at Domiz refugee camp in northern Iraq. Syrian's refugees have developed small little gardens within the refugee camps where they were living under very challenging circumstances, enabling them to experience some sense of normality and solace.
I was wondering how we translate this into the work that we do, creating a small space for contemplation and/or positive experiences for our young people we care for. The fact remains that there are a lot of young people who rely on our support and our own resilience to support them with making things "feel" better, creating a sanctuary away from despair (our relationships with them). We know how it feels to have a positive experience which makes us feel good and I was reflecting on how we do or do not create opportunity for our young people to have a positive sense of themselves within the context of "relationships making a difference".
Positive life experiences and events can leave people feeling optimistic, confident, energised, empowered, hopeful, fulfilled, determined and motivated. Do we create these opportunities for our children and young people? Positive experiences can give rise to a sense of hope and aspiration for us, others and the world around us. This openness and sense of confidence can lead to other positive experiences. Do we create this for our children?
It is my view that we quite often get so entrenched in the desperation and anxieties of the day to day challenges that we face, that we do not always allow ourselves to reposition in such a way that we are able to think about alternative/ positive outcomes for our young people, despite these adverse issues. These then become the focus on which our relationships are built with our children and young people. We might want to remind ourselves again what good relationships look like when we support our children and young people. Good relationships are built on trust, honesty, respect, communication, loyalty, happiness, compromise and safety. Only when we have this in place will relationships make a difference in our day to day work.
What we can offer you Click to get info
Retention bonus
Social Worker: Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting who case hold children's cases;
An annual Retention bonus of £3,000.00 will be made to those Social Workers working within these specialisms once they have completed their probationary period with the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
All other qualified Social Workers;
An annual Retention bonus of £2,000.00 will be made for these employees, once they have completed their probationary period with the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Newly qualified Social Worker (ASYE: Assessed and Supported Year in Employment);
Newly qualified Social Workers joining the Council will receive £1,000 upon joining the Council and will then receive £1,000 upon completion of the initial period of 12 months. Thereafter, an annual Retention bonus of £2,000.00.
Career Progression
A clear structured career pathway with a comprehensive learning and development plan for every social worker. You will be fully supported by us to progress in your career at a pace that is right for you, with a dedicated learning and development team providing support all the way.
Please note employees will be required to meet eligible criteria to receive the retention bonus. Bonus amounts will be divided by two and paid in June and December of each year.
We have a comprehensive training programme available with a minimum 5 dedicated CPD days per year. Based in large part on our strengthening practice model, our training offer on the Children's Services side draws on the latest research and direct practice tools to ensure safe and meaningful interventions with service users.
Local Government continuous service
If you become a permanent employee you will start to accrue continuous service which will count towards many entitlements including redundancy entitlement. This will also continue to be applicable if you join another LG authority as defined within the Modification Order.
Occupational sickness pay
Continuous LG service
Up to four months:
Full Pay: 1 month ½ pay: NIL
In the fifth to twelfth month:
Full Pay: 1 month ½ pay: 2 months
In the second year:
Full Pay: 2 months ½ pay: 2 months
In the third year:
Full Pay: 4 months ½ pay: 4 months
In the fourth and fifth year:
Full Pay: 5 months ½ pay: 5 months
Full Pay: 6 months ½ pay: 6 months
Maternity Support Leave
Five days paid leave.
This is applicable when a partner has baby
Maternity Pay
Occupational Maternity Pay. This entitlement is based on 9 week's pay at 100% of the employee's average earnings.
Nine weeks' pay @100%
Eligible criteria must be met. Employees must return to work for three months after maternity leave to receive this.
Pension Scheme
12.5 % employers contribution
Attractive pension scheme administered by Wandsworth Pension service
Pension Scheme – Death in service
3x annual salary
In the unfortunate event of death in service
Car Parking
Waltham Forest major sites have car parking facilities, minimal parking fees apply
The following benefits are provided by an external provider
Childcare vouchers
Childcare vouchers save you money on registered care for younger and older children as you won't pay tax or national insurance on your selected voucher value
£243 per month {Statutory Maximum}
Employee pays £165.24 per month
Salary sacrifice saving of £77.76 per month
Annual saving of £933.12
For those with children at the eligible ages
Cycle to work vouchers
Cycle plus will help make huge Tax and National Insurance savings and get fit at the same time! Freedom, flexibility, affordability. Increased health and fitness. Cleaner, greener and much more cost effective.
Based on a maximum spending of £1,000 (£83.33 per month)
Employee pays £56.67 per month
Overall saving of £320 per annum
P&MM Scheme
Entitles employees to great discounts with major retailers, various attractions as well as cinemas, theatres, restaurants and leisure centre
Based on P&MM data the average saving are 8% per transaction
If an employee spends £500 on reloadable vouchers, they would save £40
Fitness centres
Employees are eligible for discounted membership within the Borough
Benefits scheme
All employees are eligible to save money on shopping at major retailers, holidays in the UK and abroad, trips to the cinema plus so much more
Employee credit union
Forest Savers' credit union offers easy ways to save via payroll deduction and gives borrowing facilities at interest rates below commercial banks
Find out more Click to get info
Learn more about children and young people's social work, and see video messages from our social work staff.


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Our work at Kingsmead is driven by our desire to achieve the best possible outcomes for our students and we regularly look to our practices to ensure they support this purpose. We have very high levels of expectation with regards to student behaviour and one area that we wish to tighten up on is students' low level disruption. This letter is to share with you details of a new initiative that we have trialled with Year 8 this half-term and which we will be introducing into Years 7, 9 & 10 in June.
Any type of behaviour that takes time away from your child's learning because their teacher has to deal with it is considered low level disruption. Examples of low level disruption are:-
These are the stages:
If a student receives a number of C1s and/or C2s over a period of time, there will be an intervention and a sanction from the Learning Director of Department or Year.
We would ask that you support the school with this new initiative and reinforce to your child the importance of following school guidelines.


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Clary Sage
(Salvia sclaria)
Description: Clary Sage is a tall herb with big, hairy, purple-green leaves and small blue-violet or white flowers. The essential oil is steam-distilled from the flowering tops and leaves.
Countries of origin: America, England, France, Morocco, Russia
Characteristics: Strong, sweet, musky, nutty, almost floral aroma.
Properties: antidepressant, antiseptic, astringent, sedative, regenerative.
*Note: Clary Sage is one of the most valuable essential oils in assisting with PMS.
Ironically enough, Clary Sage was an essential oil that I did not take a likening to at first.
I had purchased it on the recommendation to include it in my aromatherapy kit for the work that I share with clients.
I was very familiar with Sage, which I really enjoyed. So, I guess I was under the impression that Clary Sage was going to smell similar.
I experimented with it however, by blending it with other essential oils.
I went through a period in my life about a year ago, where I felt very uninspired and dissatisfied with where my life was. I began to put myself down for perhaps not having made the right choices. This in turn, caused me to feel depressed and despairing.
One evening, I just so happen to pick up one of my aromatherapy books and for some reason, turned to the section which described the benefits to using Clary Sage.
It talked about it's many physical benefits, but also spoke about it's emotional benefits as well. It was said to be a very powerful aid to easing depression, melancholia, anxiety, stress, and general dissatisfaction. It encourages confidence, grounding, and balance.
Since then, after using it on myself quite often (and achieving GREAT results) I've actually grown to enjoy it's aroma!
Suggested Use
*Find about 20 minutes of undisturbed quite-time.
*Place a single drop of Clary Sage into the palm of one hand, and then rub both palms together.
*Cup your hands and bring them about 2 inches from your nose (as if you are going to shout) – take 5 deep breaths.
*Place both hands on your lap or knees (palms up).
*Allow yourself to relax and totally let go for 20 minutes.
*When ready, take another 5 deep breaths, open your eyes…and feel renewed!
Caution Care
*Use only pure essential oils.
*External use only.
*Avoid during pregnancy.
*Do not use when drinking alcohol.
*Excessive use may cause drowsiness.
I guess this just goes to show me, that what may start out as something I dislike…may someday turn into something I end up TOTALLY appreciating!
I happily encourage you to investigate the many valuable benefits to essential oils through Aromatherapy. When used with care and respect, they will give your life abundant, loving support…Body, Mind & Spirit.
Be well!
*For further information on Aromatherapy, please visit the Book Page on this blog.
Portions on this post gratefully supplied by: "The Aromatherapy Bible" – Gill Farrer-Hall and "Aromatherapy for the Soul" – Valerie Ann Worwood
For pure essential oils and supplies: Hands-On Aromatherapy
Photo: llona 68


text:
Originally appeared as "Workflow Week" on byThom. Now consolidated and updated.
I get asked the workflow question a lot ("what workflow do you use?). Before I answer it, let's get something straight: what works for me may not work for you.
A lot of the questions that highly visible pros get are what I call "mimic questions." The purpose of the question is to collect the data necessary to directly mimic the pro (e.g. "he shoots with a D3x, so I'll buy a D3x," "she edits with Photoshop, so I'll buy Photoshop"). As many of you long-time readers know, I don't like this slavish type of following. I try to provide information that you can use to make your own decisions about things. What I need and what you need should be different. Not only because we do different types of photography in different places, but because what we see and what we want to capture is almost certainly different, too.
On the other hand, I understand that sometimes it helps to understand how a pro made certain decisions and why. It may give you a new perspective on questions you need to ask yourself.
One last thing before we get going: workflow changes over time. A lot. Software keeps getting better and new options keep appearing. Some options die or get new liabilities because something else in the chain has changed. Underlying this is one absolute: you must have your images organized and backed up, and those two things shouldn't have to change every time you make a change to software in your workflow. You'll see what I mean by that soon enough.
So, with that out of the way, it's workflow 101.
First, I'm going to outline the overall structure of my "normal" workflow (yes, I use other workflows sometimes). You're going to find it somewhat surprising, I think. It comes in six steps:
- Ingest, rename, rate, save and back up into a hierarchical folder system, using Photo Mechanic. PM is showing its age in terms of its user interface, which now has menus that are somewhat unorganized and sprawling. But it also has metadata down pat, which is why a lot of the working photojournalism and assignment pros use it.
- Move folders from my laptop and external drives to my desktop and permanent storage by brute force when I get home. I travel a lot. This means that what I do in the field has to sync with what I have in the office. Since my folders have hierarchy already implicit in their naming (International/Chile/Patagonia/Torres de Paines/Date), where that new folder goes in the existing structure is obvious. In my case, I use a sync product (Chronosync) to do some work pretty much automatically (okay, it's slightly scripted, one advantage of working on a Mac). Windows users could use Dropbox similarly.
- Convert (high-rated) images using Adobe Converter Raw (with a lot of tweaking). Sometimes for tough images I'll use RPP, though this takes me much longer to get a conversion the way I like it.
- Post process in Photoshop CS5 using Nik, OnOne, and Topaz plug-ins, plus Photoshop layers, tools, and actions. In particular, Nik's Silver Efex Pro is my go-to black and white converter and Topaz Denoise is now my primary noise removal tool. But all three plug-in suites have things I use regularly.
- Ingest finished images into Lightroom/Aperture. I go both ways here. Since I'm not putting every image into a "database," I tend to use both. That's because for some programs on the Mac, Aperture is a better choice because its database shows up in other Mac software (ditto iPhoto at the non-pro level). On the flip side, I prefer Lightroom for other things, like printing, or batch JPEG output. One other critical thing for working pros: sometimes the client wants things supplied in one product or the other. So finished images go into two databases ;~).
- Output from Lightroom/Aperture.
Steps 5 and 6 are somewhat optional for me. Since my images always live in an organized file structure of my definition, I don't really need a database to find them. The one time I tend to use Lightroom from start to finish is at workshops working with student images. In that context, keeping each student's images organized from start to finish is very useful. But since I don't need that database after the workshop (i.e. I delete all student images), I don't have to integrate that accumulation of images and data into my existing structure.
Surprised? I thought so. Will my approach work for you? Probably not. Should you copy it? No.
What you should do is learn from my workflow. Step 1 is critical for me. If I goof at this stage of the workflow, everything downstream is messed up. I know because I've on occasion been lax about doing Step 1 fully in the field and have paid the penalty for it when I got home. And yes, Step 1 is a single step most of the time. One of the nice things about Photo Mechanic is that I can start on the rating and extra metadata entry as it is still ingesting, renaming, and saving.
Anyone traveling has to figure how Steps 1 and 2 go together. Lightroom has a solution for that, allowing you to do things like Export to Catalog on the field computer and Import from Catalog on the desktop. But it is absolutely critical that you understand what is happening down underneath in the "where" and "how" of where your images are being saved. If anything should ever happen to your Lightroom database, recovery is going to be dependent upon your knowing where all the original files are and how they got there. Even if I were using Lightroom or Aperture from start to finish, I'd be using the same underlying file naming and folder hierarchy I'm using in Step 1.
Steps 3 and 4 probably have changed the most over the years and continue to change. I used to do all panos in Autopano Pro, now I only do complex ones with the standalone product. The plug-ins, layers, tools, and actions I use constantly change, too. Basically I try a lot of things and adopt a "best solution wins" approach. As the software companies keep leapfrogging each other in critical areas, the mix of what I use tends to change. I started with Neat Image as a noise removal tool (and it's still quite good and better than the built-in Adobe tools), but today I'm using Denoise. Tomorrow? Who knows? Best solution today wins. But this means that I have to do a lot of experimentation and playing with new products as they come to market.
Some of you will (strongly) prefer different choices in Steps 3 and 4. Each raw converter has its own personality it imposes on the conversion, and the tools you have to work with in fine tuning the conversion are different in every raw converter. Almost certainly you'll have a preference of one over another. Moreover, "high-speed" converters (Wedding photographers, for example) need different tools and performance than "slow-speed" converters (the landscape artist who works on only one or two images at a time).
(Note: JPEG shooters tend to collapse Steps 3 and 4 into a single, simple post processing step. That's fine. But the same things I write about still apply if you care about ultimate image quality.)
So think about the following things you need to do: ingest, rename, tag (metadata), rank/rate, save, back up (archive), move, find, convert, post process, and output. Make sure you're doing all those things. Understand where you're doing all of these things. Select software that helps you do each thing easier and faster, or in a more connected or central way.
At the simplest, workflow can be something like: use iPhoto/Aperture or use Lightroom. The reality for most pros is that it's more like selecting from a Chinese menu (one from section A, one from section B, etc.). Or maybe a giant Lego set of constantly changing parts. But everyone should have a workflow, know what it is, and how they use it.
- Homework: document your workflow. Really. Write it down. Include everything that happens from pressing the shutter release to looking at the final image (wherever it may have ended up, e.g. on a wall, on Facebook, etc.).
Most of our photography starts away from our home or office (those of you who are studio shooters, congratulations, you have the day off). This immediately introduces the issue of how your image gets from the camera as you record it, to someplace else (hopefully a permanent place on your computer or server ;~).
If we're talking about a partial day or even a one-day shoot, then the usual answer is that you bring the card(s) you shot back to your computer and ingest them into your normal workflow. All I can say is that sounds wonderfully simple. I wish my life were as easy.
My photography tends to be done in batches, over a long period of time, and a long way from the office. Sort of like those vacations we discussed last week, only I'm working ;~). I have multiple problems. First, I often shoot with multiple cameras. I definitely end up with multiple cards with images on them, sometimes many in one day. And if (more like when) I fill those cards today, I still may need them tomorrow for another shoot. So I have to deal with workflow right from minute I press the shutter release. Believe me, there are plenty of things that can go wrong, so discipline is paramount.
First up, are the cards themselves. It's not unusual for me to begin with more than 100GB of cards in a couple of ThinkTank Pixel Pocket Rockets (PPR). When I start the trip, all cards are label up in the PPR. That's my indication that the card is absolutely available for use. If I put a card I just filled up into the PPR, it goes label down, an indication that it has images on it.
As you may guess from the above, I prefer having more cards with lower capacities than fewer cards with large capacities. Why? It's called Single Point of Failure. You don't want one. Thus, it's generally better to carry eight 8GB cards than one 64GB card. When your card fails--and it will, at the worst possible moment--you don't want to be stuck with no card to insert into your camera. This is also why a battery-based card-importing hard drive solution such as the HyperDrive or the Epson P-series isn't high on my list, either. I'll use them in a pinch when I'm not traveling with a laptop, but I prefer a laptop.
That's because each night while traveling my procedure is to ingest the images off the upside down cards into the computer and onto a portable external hard drive (backup). Most ingesting products allow you to copy a file to multiple places at once, and that's what I do. In the best case scenario I keep the external drive separate from the computer most of the time so that loss of one doesn't mean I lose all my images.
During the ingest, I'm renaming my files (something like INT or US followed by Country/State/Location, followed by year, followed by camera followed by sequence; example: INT_CHILE_PATAGONIA_2010_D3x_####.NEF). And these files go in a folder structure that is similar (INT/CHILE/PATAGONIA/2010). I also make sure that Copyright and as much other metadata that is the same for all the images is filled in.
I often leave the ingested card upside down in my PPR (second backup!). This requires that I be able to temporarily mark it in some way to indicate it has images on it but can be used in an emergency. Little Post-it flags work fine for this, or any kind of temporary dot/sticker you can peel off later.
On the laptop I'll use Photo Mechanic to perform multiple passes through the imported images (on the laptop's drive):
- The first pass is to simply weed out the things I don't want to save. This usually only takes a minute or two.
- Next, I run through and rank images. How you rank your images is up to you, but I strongly suggest you have one category for standout images you absolutely want to work with more and as few other categories as possible.
- I add (more) metadata to some images. At ingest I added things that applied to all images, here I'm looking at things that apply to smaller groups of images or even individual images.
- I re-rank the images. First I review my standouts and demote any that aren't still speaking to me. Then I go through the rest and promote or demote them.
That's pretty much it for the field. In the best possible scenario I come back with ranked and tagged images and two backups I don't need. In the worst scenarios I have to re-rank and tag images out of one of my backups.
Since I don't use Lightroom or Aperture in the field, I don't have to export/import when I get home. I simply brute force copy my image folder structure from the laptop into its appropriate place on the office network.
Next, let's deal with meat of the workflow, the actual processing of images. I have a few rules I try to follow here, if possible:
- Don't work on the original. Unless you immediately archive your backup of a shoot, I'd say that it's a little risky to be working with the original. We all make mistakes every now and then and hit the Enter key a little too fast when messages come up. One I don't want to see when working on an original file is "File exists. Replace it? Y/N." Not that this is likely to happen with a raw file (but it happens all the time with JPEG or TIFF), but I'm a believer that you reduce the odds of catastrophe whenever you can.
- Stay optimal as long as possible. For raw files that means working in 16-bit and a large Color Space like ProPhotoRGB, for example. Even with JPEG it means avoiding data reduction for as long as possible (e.g. running Levels first is a no no; use Curves instead to do the same thing).
- Save intermediaries as you go. Yes, I know I can step backwards in Photoshop's history. Right up until I crash Photoshop. Of perform an operation that wipes out the history. Or exceed the history state I told Photoshop to save. This step is why my folder is called Work in Progress. It sometimes contains several different versions of a conversion or post processing work. I've been known to change my mind.
So, I'm back from my remote shoot and back home. I've copied my image folders into the appropriate place in my desktop system and run at least one backup. I'm feeling in a post processing mood tonight, so what do I do? I'm going to use Photoshop ACR here as my example software, but everything I note can be translated into other conversion products. Warning: everything I'm talking about here is for a "normal" image. Images with real issues in them, or special cases like HDR and panos I'll deal with some other day.
- Make a copy. Copy from the original folder to the Work in Progress folder. Open the copy.
- Set white balance. Because white balance shifts the red and blue channel data, the first thing I usually do is set the white balance. Someone asked about UniWB workflow: it's no different than regular workflow. If I have a reference shot I took (ColorChecker or gray card in scene), I start my post processing session with it, establishing a white balance I can apply to subsequent images. Otherwise, I have to work from the image itself, which means finding something neutral and eye balling the result (you do have a calibrated monitor, right?).
- Adjust Exposure. This includes not only exposure but also things like gamma, or in the case of ACR, Recovery, Fill, and Black settings. For the most part I'm not trying to get final tonal values set, I'm trying to get my data in the workable set of values.
- Maybe make contrast adjustments. That's a big "maybe" for me. Many people spend a lot of time on contrast at this stage, but I prefer a relatively flat and neutral conversion to start with. I find it easier to add things than take them back out later. All I want is what I said in Step 3: all my data to be living in the range I can work on it. That means nothing near blowout at the top, and things lifted a bit off black at the bottom.
- Invoke Color shifts. In ACR I love to use Hue/Saturation/Luminance at this point to do several things. I'll drop the Orange luminance, for instance, because for some reason Adobe thinks Nikon should output orangey reds rather than dead-on reds. Red is red, not orange. I'll often make shifts in sky values at this point using the Cyan and Blue controls.
- Make Lens corrections. Now that we have this ability at the front end of the converter, that's where I'll do it.
- Remove everything else. No noise reduction, no sharpening, no vibrance, no saturation. There are better ways (and times) to do all those things.
- Double check exposure. The more adjustments you make downstream, the more likely that you've moved the histogram a bit, at least for a channel or two. Verify that everything is as you need it to be.
- Convert as Smart Object. Photoshop gives you the ability to redo all those previous steps, but only if you tell it to.
- Apply Capture Sharpening. Yes, I said sharpen first. The purpose of this sharpening step is only to remove the antialiasing done by the filter over the sensor and the digitization itself. That means it should not be done by brute force Unsharp Mask or High Pass filter techniques. You need a good capture sharpen tool. Nik Sharpener Pro is one, but there are others. Find one, find the values that just take out the AA of your camera, and use that.
- Find the contrast. I have several tools that I use to do micro contrast adjustments. I tend to look at three areas independently: highlight contrast, mid-range contrast, and shadow contrast. There is no such thing as a "one contrast fits all." (Those of you who use Curves are adjusting contrast in independent areas, you're just using one tool to do that.)
- Layer up. This sometimes happen at Step 11, too, but basically at this point all my decisions tend to be "regional" or "like items," and I tend to make those adjustments in layers, and with masks. My current record is 31 layers, but I try to keep the layering to the minimum necessary to do the small touches I want to do. With animals and people, I often find I have a layer or two labeled "eyes." Some of the layers may have sharpening or blurring actions in them.
- Paint in contrast. I use a Wacom Intuous tablet and pen to push dark lines darker and bright lines brighter. But it's very selective, and highly hand-drawn. This is similar to the way I used to burn and dodge in the darkroom (I rarely burnt or dodged large areas, I tended to do very small changes, like darken the folds of the elephant's ears and brighten the lit side of the tusk slightly).
- Save as a Photoshop file. This lets me go back and revisit decisions later. Sometimes in a print I'll see that something I tried didn't quite come out the way I wanted it to (changes in paper texture has this way of needing slightly different contrast decisions).
- Save as a JPEG file. Sharpen for JPEG use first. And save in several sizes: presentation use, Web use, etc.
What I just wrote might take me two minutes with an image, it might take me several days. I'm a low-volume producer, not a high-volume one like a wedding photographer. Having to batch images would probably change my post processing workflow some, but that, too, is a story for another day.
A few points you should take from this (I'm not suggesting you copy my processing flow exactly):
- I have a sequence. There's purpose behind the way I sequence the processing. This isn't random order; I do things in that order for a reason.
- Sharpening happens several times. I was an advocate of Capture, Creative, and Output sharpening long before the Pixel Genius crew made it popular. That's because it makes sense. Capture sharpening removes AA. Creative sharpening is part of dealing with micro contrast decisions. You can't do final sharpening until you know the output device.
- Smart Objects and Layers are documentation. If you pay a bit of attention to naming layers, you can usually see all your "decisions" laid out for you by reading the values in settings in the Smart Object and looking at the Layer titles. When I started doing my gritty Africa conversions, the way I managed to get a consistent style was by looking at what worked in my Smart Objects and Layers and starting to refine that into a consistent process. While some decisions I make in individual images are different, the overall process (conversion decisions and Layers) look remarkably the same across the series.
Finally, it's time to backup and archive.
Hard drives fail. CD-R and DVD-R discs fail. Plus file entropy can hit you hard when you need to move to another computer, new OS, or need to recover a system from some other sort of failure. Trust me on all this: I've personally seen every one of those things in 35 years of collecting digital data.
Let's get over the easy hurdle first: back up your data. Both onsite and offsite. If you've been following my suggestion to pay close attention to where you store your images and the structure in which they're saved, you have a single master folder somewhere on your main computer that contains everything. For example, in my Images folder you might see something like this (this is the International folder; I have similar structures for US, People, Products, and a few other things):
But my point here is that everything is in that one folder. All my originals, all my work in progress, all my completed work. Thus, when I back up this structure, I back up everything.
- You must have a backup. Even if it's only a Time Machine backup on a Mac, make sure you have at least one complete backup of your images. Backups should be done frequently, at least once a week, preferably an even shorter interval. I use two levels of backup: Time Machine on an hourly basis, a full disk clone once a week.
- You should have an archive and it should be offsite. An archive is a more permanent backup, and done primarily as the backup to your backup. Some people do this with CD-R or DVD-R discs, but ultimately that becomes very ungainly. I prefer hard drives or online backup (Dropbox or Mozy both are decent online solutions). The primary reasons the archive should be offsite: fire and theft. You don't want either to result in you losing all the images you collected over the years. If you live in earthquake, Tsunami, tornado, hurricane, or other potential disaster area, the same thing applies: the thing that wipes out the data on your main system can wipe it on your backup if that backup sits right next to your computer!
Drives fail. Thus, the best backups are on RAID-type systems that can tolerate and recover from a drive failure. Even this can be messy. Recently I had both a main drive and a backup drive fail. Getting everything recovered and back to where it should be wasn't easy, as I had to deal with the problems separately and sequentially, and rebuilding RAIDs isn't always as easy as some vendors tell you it is. For instance, in some circumstances, a Drobo drive failure can put your data at risk until the entire structure is rebuilt, and that can take 12 hours or more. Your system better be on a UPS during that time, because a power failure can be problematic. To put that in perspective, my UPS has triggered eight times already this week. This is one reason why I have backups to backups.
The fact that the structures on my backups and archives are the same as my working structure makes it pretty easy to restore. It also makes it easy to double check to make sure everything is the same. This alone should be a reason for you to use a strict structure in which all images live.
But there are issues you have to watch out for. If you're using Lightroom or Aperture, for example, I'd argue that their databases need to live in that image folder structure and be backed up and archived at the same time as your images. Be wary of the database living outside your image folder, it's one of those entropy things that'll eventually make things difficult for you. Some of us go further and create multiple Lightroom/Aperture databases for specific purposes. For instance, I have a separate one for product shots and test images because I don't want my main photography work to be folded in with the images I need for the Web site. You want organization, not catch-all, in your workflow. So where does that product database live? Well, at the top of the product section of my image folders.
That leaves us with one last question to deal with: what about sidecar and other related files? Well, again, that's pretty much taken up by using a fixed, formal structure. Note that I have an "Originals" folder. That's really where the original files live. If I'm going to work on an image, I'd copy the original to the "Work in Progress" folder and work on it there. Any sidecar file generated should be in that folder, too. But my original is still intact. If you use Capture NX2, this is even more important, as it saves changes to the original in the original file. You "lose" your original the minute you start working on it in Capture NX2. Yes, I know you can back out of the changes, but the file itself has been changed. By Nikon software that historically has had all kinds of issues. Anyone that went through the Capture to Capture NX to NX2 transitions knows that file information isn't perfectly safe across versions.
One problem, of course, is that if you've been collecting images haphazardly for a long time and not paying attention to your folder/file structure, you've going to have a very long session getting things organized now. That speaks to a fundamental truth: the longer you wait to organize, the harder it will be. If it's going to be difficult to fix things today, imagine what it'll be like five years from now when you've got another terabyte worth of images you've shot. Get control of your structure now. Don't shoot more until you do.
The last issue I need to tackle with backup/archive is file format. A number of you have written worried about the future of NEF. This is usually followed by "should I convert to DNG?" Right. What's the future of DNG?
The proper way to deal with files is to leave them in their native format until you know that support for that format is terminating. At that point you have to figure out how to either guarantee that you can run a product that can use that original format still (e.g. keep an old computer around running the old software), or find a format to convert to. Even then I'd argue that you should probably still keep "Originals" folders. Just add "Converted" (or "DNG" if that's what you converted to) folders to your structure.
A Bit More on Workflow
Here are just a few of the things that came up when I first posted this article. It seems like the right place :
- Geotagging. I'm not a geotagger. If you pushed me to point to places on a map to show you where I took an image, even one taken 20 years ago, I'll bet you that I can do so with enough precision for my purposes. So I don't need geotagging. The question is whether or not geotagging helps me for anything else (clients may want it). A lot of people don't realize that Nikon ViewNX now supports geotags: you can see on Google Maps where your photos were taken, if that's what you want. Or you can contribute photos to places like panoramio.com. I'm not aware of a product that would do the one thing I'd be interested in, though: convert LatLong data into keywords for places (country, state, city, location, park name, etc.). (Aside: one thing I've noted as I watch others try to use GPS units all the time is that, on the Nikon 10-pin cameras, almost everyone ultimately breaks the cable connector. It's too easy to get something hung up on the cable loop to the GPS and put side pressure on the connector.)
- Keeping every image. I used to do this, but the more you shoot the more you realize that there are limits. When you end up with 8TB backup drives on your desktop, you'll probably not wonder about whether you should keep everything or not. One of the usual comments is that you never know when some software product down the line might be able to "fix" an image and make it usable. Whether it be missed exposure, focus, or not enough pixels on the subject, there's this hope that software will someday remedy the problem. If you chimp in the field, you'll know when you've missed something, and you should just fix it while you can. True, the zebra isn't likely to jump over the lion a second time, but for many shots you can and should just deal with issues in the field when you can. Also, make sure you examine the images you're throwing away. They are a clue to your progress as a photographer. If you're throwing away 90 out of every 100 images, youre either doing a lot of wild experimenting or you need to figure out why you're producing so many non-keepers. Every time you press the delete button you should be learning something. I probably keep more "reject images" than most pros do, as I keep them for illustrating issues in my books and presentations. My comment here is this: keep what you really expect to be able to come back to some day. I can't decide that for you. We'll deal with this subject some more when we talk about backups and archives.
- When? I do almost all my rating the day of the shoot (or at least as close to it as possible). Some of you questioned that. I actually don't have any problem with those that leave their image ranking steps until they get home and have some distance from the actual shoot. I've done that a few times, myself. Sometimes a little distance in time gives you a clearer, fresher perspective on the images themselves. If you rate immediately, you can have your judgment clouded by your memory. You keep the shot of X doing Y because seeing it was a highlight of the day, not because it's a good enough shot to keep, for exmaple. Likewise, you can be overly critical and throw away a shot that probably could be saved by cropping and post processing. So I don't really care when you do a review pass through your images, only that you do at least one (preferably more). I'd go a little further, perhaps, and say that you probably shouldn't actually delete images on your first pass, just mark them for deletion. Then, in a later second pass, verify those deletions.
- Where? This question is one that a lot of people overlook, especially those who entered via Lightroom and haven't really paid attention to what's happening under the covers. One person who did the homework wrote me this: "[I noticed] how many different directory organization schemes I'm using at various places [in my systems/workflow]." Yep, that's a killer, all right. When you have different structures on your laptop, desktop, and backups, it makes it more difficult to ascertain whether everything is up to date and whether you've moved everything to where it should be. Entropy is a real problem with images. They tend to wander off into the corners of your hard drives. And if you use CD-R or DVD-R to save them, you end up with tons of discs that all look the same, any one of which might have the image you're looking for. If you're serious about photography, I'd tend to suggest that you have images all in one place, and that place backed up both on-site and off-site. The OS defaults are for Windows programs to put things in My Pictures and Macintosh to put them in Pictures. But I'd argue that you should have some sort of folder hierarchy in both those folders that further organizes your images. On my machine, for example, Aperture, iPhoto, and Lightroom all want to put their databases in this folder, too, and they have their own ideas about where the actual photos should go. Make sure you're comfortable with that and know where that is. Note that on my desktop machine, that Pictures folder is with all my user data on a separate drive, but on my laptop it's on my boot drive as it normally would be with the OS defaults. Thus, if I'm trying to keep things in sync (and I should be) I have to know those things. If you want a scary wakeup call, try doing a system wide search for .NEF and .JPG files (easy enough to do on a Mac with Spotlight). If you find everything's in your Pictures folder, great. But I bet you don't.
- Which hierarchy? I'm a photographer for whom most of my work is associated with place. Thus, the place/date folder structure I use seems natural. If I were a wedding photographer, it would be bride/date or date/bride, depending upon how I tended to search. If I were an event photographer it would be event/date. This is where products like Lightroom, Aperture, and even Bridge tend to excel: you can create multiple organizations (Collections in Lightroom parlance). Some of those can be very illuminating (e.g. a collection based on lens, or aperture, or ISO tells you something about your photography if you care to look closely). But don't mistake this type of higher level organization from the low level (where; see above). Even if you use the abilities of the database-driven products to organize how you browse and look at your images, make sure you have an underlying folder/file hierarchy that makes sense for you.
- Sidecar files. Here's where the "where" question starts to get tricky. Your backup (and archive) files probably live a cable away from your computer, while your work files probably live on it. So, when you work on a picture in Lightroom or Photoshop CS5 and this creates sidecar (XMP) files on your computer, how do you link that up with your backup without having to do a complete new backup? The simplest answer is folder syncronization, and that requires that you have the same folder structure for your work files and your backups/archives and that you have the discipline to keep that structure intact. Most other alternatives are messy, time consuming, or both. But here's another idea for Photoshop CS5 users: Convert as Smart Object and save your work as PSD into a subdirectory associated with the file (and back that up). Still a little messy, but I like having everything in one file rather than trying to keep original and sidecar together.
A few more responses and comments:
- Microsoft Pro Photo Tools apparently will return an address from a LatLong value. I'm not sure this works for my kind of photography, which often occurs in Wilderness, though.
- If you use an offsite backup service like Mozy or Carbonite or Backblaze or Arq (with something like Amazon's cloud storage), be careful of one thing: since the defaults are to exactly back up your system, if you (accidentally) delete a file on your system it eventually gets deleted in the online backup, too. This is why you want an archive as well as a backup.
- While I mentioned Dropbox and Mozy, there are plenty of other "cloud" solutions, including Crashplan and even Google Storage. Shop around.
- It pays to have hard drive backups that are not directly connected to your computer full time. The reason? If something goes seriously haywire with your OS and it starts corrupting drive data, any connected backup is as vulnerable as your main data. Thus, a Drobo is more vulnerable than a Time Machine, which in turn is more vulnerable than a drive you unplug after making a backup.
- RAID doesn't protect against OS errors (see above). Mirrored RAIDs don't protect against user stupidity (accidentally erase a file and it gets deleted on the mirror). RAIDs protect against a drive failure.
- Shooting UniWB does make initially browsing and ranking a bit difficult. My assistant uses Lightroom. First get a proper white balance from the reference shot taken at the start of the session. Apply it to all the images shot under that light. Then rank and delete as desired. With some other products this doesn't work as easily or as well. However, I'd suggest another possible workflow that starts in the field: shoot the reference in UniWB to get exposure correct, then switch to the correct WB for subsequent shooting. Don't revert to UniWB until the light changes, at which time you take another reference. This works well for landscapes with relatively static lighting, but not for conditions where light changes rapidly.
- A lot of you use file and folder names and structures that are date based. I strongly urge you to double check that this is indeed the way you think about your images. If you think to yourself "I'm going to go back and work on that image I shot last November" then a date system is indeed what you want. If you think to yourself "I'm going to go back and work on that image I shot in Patagonia" then a date system is not what you want. Understand how you think about and categorize your images. That's the genesis of the naming and structure system you should use.


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Wunderlich Farm is a historic German farm in the Klein area of Houston. They are of course on Facebook.
The farmhouse still stands where it was first built in 1891 by Peter Wunderlich, son of Johann Peter Wunderlich who came to Texas from Germany in 1852.
Every 4th Saturday of the month they demonstrate living history while vendors offer a variety of local products at the farmers market.
This the only multi vendor farmers market situated on 20 acres of grass and shade trees. Not to mention it also a real working historic farm. Come and see live farm animals, talk to the characters in period clothing and buy from the vendors.
Wunderlich Farm and market is a nice trip for all the family. There was even a good write up in the Houston Chronicle at the back end of 2016.
We will have a booth at the farmers market 10:00 to 13:00
18218 Theiss Mail Rte Rd, Spring, TX 77379


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Event detail
Composition Colloquium: Ed Campion
Conference/Symposium | February 10 | 3 p.m. | CNMAT (1750 Arch St.) | Note change in location
Composition Colloquium: Ed Campion
Edmund J. Campion was born in Dallas, Texas in 1957. He received his Doctorate degree in composition at Columbia University and attended the Paris Conservatory where he worked with composer Gérard Grisey. In 1993, he created the piece Losing Touch (Billaudot Editions, Paris) at IRCAM ( LInstitut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique) he was subsequently commissioned by IRCAM to produce a large scale work for interactive electronics and midi-grand piano (Natural Selection) (ICMC 2002). Other projects include a Radio France Commission lAutre, the full-scale ballet Playback (commissioned by IRCAM and the Socitété des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques ) and ME , for Baritone and live electronics, commissioned by the MANCA festival in association with CIRM (Centre National de Création Musicale). Campion is currently Professor of Music at the University of Berkeley in California where he also serves as Co-Director at CNMAT (The Center for New Music and AudioTechnologies). Other prizes and honors include: the Rome Prize, the Nadia Boulanger Award, the Paul Fromm Award at Tanglewood, a Charles Ives Award given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Fulbright scholarship for study in France. Recent projects include a Fromm Foundation commission for Outside Music, written for the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and a French Ministry of Culture Commande detat for Ondoyants et Divers (Billaudot Editions, Paris), written for the Percussion de Strasbourg Ensemble. Ondoyants et Divers was premiered on WDR German Radio in the Fall of 2005. A newly commissioned work, Practice, for the American Composers Orchestra was premiered in Carnegies Zankel Hall in March of 2006. Practice, was also preformed by the Berkeley Symphony under the baton of Maestro Kent Nagano in the summer of 2006. Recent commissions include a new work with dance in collaboration with the Drumming Ensemble of Portugal and a new work for the violin and piano duo of David Abel and Julie Steinberg. In 2009, Campion received a commission from the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation for a new work in collaboration with the San Francisco Contempoary Music players. He is currently working on a piano concerto for the Argento Chamber Music Ensembe, set for premiere in New York City in the summer of 2010.


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Whether you are in a branch of the military or if you just need a high-quality pair of military-grade hot weather boots, the Bates Made In USA Men's USMC Durashocks Combat Boots are a good choice. Certified by the USMC as hot weather boots, they feature a breathable lining as well as water, oil and dirt resistant Wolverine Warrior leather and 1680 denier nylon uppers that are easy to clean.
The Non-slip Vibram rubber lug outsoles mean these boots can reliably provide you with support and stability over all types of terrain. Additional durability is provided with the direct attach boot construction.
Your feet will appreciate the superior shock absorption provided by the Bates DuraShocks comfort shock absorbing technology. After a long day on your feet, whether you are marching, walking, hiking or standing still, these boots can help prevent your feet from feeling tired and achy.
- Made in the USA
- Soft toe
- Breathable Dri-Lex lining also provides moisture managment
- Water resistant Wolverine Warrior leather and 1680 denier nylon uppers
- Hot weather boots certified by the USMC
- Non slip Vibram rubber lug outsole is slip resistant
- Non-slip outsole has passed the SATRA WTM 144 test for slip resistance
- Shock absorption with Bates DuraShocks shock absorbing technology
- Easy to clean uppers
- Durability with direct attach construction


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Our April meetings will be held in the morning time.
Post date: Mar 20, 2011 4:39:01 AM
Yesterday we held an officers meeting through Skype for the first time after the earthquake.
Balancing the current electricity outage / safety issues and the Club's role to meet people's needs to communicate each other, share their feelings and help them stay sound mentally, we decied to hold the meetings ** in the morning ** during April.
The details are shown below:
[Date&TIme] April 2, 2011 and April 16, 2011 10:00-11:30
* An optional self-paid lunch will follow the meeting.
[Place] Techno Kawasaki (near the Mizonokuchi Station)
* Please note that the meetings have the possibility of sudden cancellation in case of blackout or other issues that can affect safety of the participants.
We welcome the participation of guests and new membership after visiting us as usual.
As menitioned above, VTMC thinks that it is very important that we offer people in different situations the opportunities to communicate each other. As some other Clubs have not been and will not able to hold meetings for a while, participation from other Clubs (esp. English and bilingual Clubs) are also welcome. Please contact us beforehand (and roles you would like to take, if any) if you belong to another Club and would like to join our meetings as a TM guest.


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In a move in no way influenced by the massive sales of the Ladybird books for grown-ups (featuring The Hangover, The Mid-Life Crisis and The Nerd) which have been piling their way into stockings for the past couple of Christmases, another major book franchise is leaping into the 'adult' trend.
But before you worry that Mr. Tickle - already the subject of a harrassment case - will be making blue movies with Little Miss Naughty, don't worry - they're merely bringing out some new books featuring more grown-up themes.
The Hargreaves estate and brand owner Sanrio are releasing a new set of firmly tongue-in-cheek books for adults, seeing the characters tackling such issues as getting #lean, having to endure small talk at office Christmas parties and navigating Tinder.
There are four stories in the Mr. Men for Grown-Ups series: Mr. Greedy Eats Clean to Get Lean, Mr. Happy and the Office Party, Little Miss Busy Surviving Motherhood, and Little Miss Shy Goes Online Dating.
Little Miss Shy likes being single but finds herself pressured by others into finding a partner via online dating. Meanwhile, Mr. Greedy loves eating but starts feeling shamed by the constant juicing and exercising of others and embarks on a new lifestyle plan. Little Miss Busy is, well, busy living up to her name trying to cope with the demands of motherhood while appearing to be the perfect parent at all times, while Mr. Happy is trying hard to look on the bright side of enduring hours of small talk and socialising with difficult colleagues at the office party.
Published by Egmont and available to pre-order from 2 November, the books will be £5.99 each from various retailers.
We look forward to the second series with Little Miss Stubborn engaged in a series of Twitter beefs about virtue signalling, Mr Clumsy suing various local authorities in no-win, no-fee lawsuits and Little Miss Princess becoming a social media influencer and launching a disastrous high-end festival in Barbados.
(Images: Hargreaves/Sanrio)


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• When should you seek counseling?
• What is professional counseling?
• Who are professional counselors?
• Will my health insurance cover counseling?
• How much does counseling cost?
• How long does counseling take?
• Is everything I say confidential?
• Does going to counseling jeopardize your security clearance?
• How do I find a counselor?
When should you seek counseling?
From childhood through late adulthood, there are certain times when we may need help addressing problems and issues that cause us emotional distress or make us feel overwhelmed. When you are experiencing these types of difficulties, you may benefit from the assistance of an experienced, trained professional. Professional counselors offer the caring, expert assistance that we often need during these stressful times. A counselor can help you identify your problems and assist you in finding the best ways to cope with the situation by changing behaviors that contribute to the problem or by finding constructive ways to deal with a situation that is beyond your personal control. Professional counselors offer help in addressing many situations that cause emotional stress, including, but not limited to:
• anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional problems and disorders
• family and relationship issues
• substance abuse and other addictions
• sexual abuse and domestic violence
• eating disorders
• career change and job stress
• social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness
• adapting to life transitions
• the death of a loved one
"Good indicators of when you should seek counseling are when you're having difficulties at work, your ability to concentrate is diminished or when your level of pain becomes uncomfortable," says Dr. Gail Robinson, past president of the American Counseling Association. "However, you don't want to wait until the pain becomes unbearable or you're at the end of your rope."
"If someone is questioning if they should go into counseling that is probably the best indicator that they should," says Dr. William King, a mental health counselor in private practice in Indianapolis, Indiana. "You should trust your instincts."
Joyce Breasure, past president of the American Counseling Association and a professional counselor who has been in private practice for more than 20 years, recommends counseling when you:
• Spend 5 out of 7 days feeling unhappy
• Regularly cannot sleep at night
• Are taking care of a parent or a child and the idea crosses your mind that you may want to hit that person
• Place an elder in a nursing home or in alternative care
• Have lost someone or something (such as a job)
• Have a chronic or acute medical illness
• Can no longer prioritize what is most important in your life
• Feel that you can no longer manage your stress
"If you're not playing some, working some, and learning some, then you're out of balance. There's a potential for some problems," Breasure says.
Robinson points out you don't have to be "sick" to benefit from counseling. "Counseling is more than a treatment of mental illness," she says. "Some difficult issues we face in life are part of normal development. Sometimes it's helpful to see what you're going through is quite normal."
What is professional counseling?
Professional counselors work with individuals, families, groups and organizations. Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor and client. Professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal mental health. Through counseling you examine the behaviors, thoughts and feelings that are causing difficulties in your life. You learn effective ways to deal with your problems by building upon personal strengths. A professional counselor will encourage your personal growth and development in ways that foster your interest and welfare.
Who are professional counselors?
Licensed professional counselors provide quality mental health and substance abuse care to millions of Americans. Professional counselors have a master's or doctoral degree in counseling or a related field which included an internship and coursework in human behavior and development, effective counseling strategies, ethical practice, and other core knowledge areas.
Over 80,000 professional counselors are licensed in 48 states as well as the District of Columbia. State licensure typically requires a master's or doctoral degree, two to three years of supervised clinical experience, and the passage of an examination. In states without licensure or certification laws, professional counselors are certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Participation in continuing education is often required for the renewal of a license or certification.
Professional counselors adhere to a code of ethics that protects the confidentiality of the counseling relationship; prohibits discrimination and requires the understanding of and respect for diverse cultural backgrounds; and mandates that professional counselors put the needs and welfare of clients before all others in their practice.
Will my health insurance cover counseling?
If you an active duty member seeking counseling, this is normally done through the base's Mental Health Clinic. Understandably, many service members are not comfortable going to mental health for assistance and therefore they look elsewhere for assistance. In doing so, this can mean that the cost normally may be out-of-pocket. However, there are FREE services available to you. You can speak with a Base Chaplain, or make an appointment with a Military & Family Life Consultant, now located one most stateside bases in the Airman & Family Readiness Center. Additionally, see the link to Military OneSource Counseling Options at the bottom of the page.
Many insurance and coverage plans cover mental health services by a licensed professional counselor including some Medicaid programs, TRICARE (formerly CHAMPUS), and other government-sponsored health coverage programs. To query a list of providers from TriWest, see Other Resources at the bottom of the page. If you do not have health insurance, or if your coverage does not include mental health care or the services of a professional counselor, many professional counselors will work with clients on a sliding-fee scale or will offer a payment plan. Talk to your counselor about your options.
How much does counseling cost?
The cost of counseling can vary greatly depending on your geographic location and whether counseling is being provided by a community mental health center or similar agency or by a counselor in private practice. In general, the average paid fee for individual counseling sessions is about $65. Fees for group counseling are generally lower, about $35 per group session. For clients with health insurance that does not cover mental health care and others who cannot afford the counselor's standard fee, some counselors will lower their fee on a sliding scale basis or will work out a payment plan. Your counselor should explain to you, prior to beginning the counseling relationship, all financial arrangements related to professional services.
How long does counseling take?
Ideally, counseling is terminated when the problem that you pursued counseling for becomes more manageable or is resolved. However, some insurance companies and managed care plans may limit the number of sessions for which they pay. You should check with your health plan to find out more about any limitations in your coverage. During the first few counseling sessions your counselor should also discuss the length of treatment that may be needed to achieve your goals.
Is everything I say confidential?
All members of the mental health fields should subscribe to a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice which require them to protect the confidentiality of their communications with clients. Most state licensure laws also protect client confidentiality. As a client, you are guaranteed the protection of confidentiality within the boundaries of the client/counselor relationship. Any disclosure will be made with your full written, informed consent and will be limited to a specific period of time. The only limitations to confidentiality occur when a counselor feels that there is clear and imminent danger to you or to others, or when legal requirements demand that confidential information be disclosed such as a court case. Whenever possible, you will be informed before confidential information is revealed.
When it comes to military members, if you are being seen on-base at the Mental Health Clinic, the information you provide is not provided to your chain of command if you self-referred. The same limitations of confidentiality that you have off-base apply, but the following situations are also reportable when being seen on base by anyone other than a Chaplain. Those include: suspicion of child abuse & neglect, suspicion of spouse abuse & neglect, individuals that are on the Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) (refer to AFI 36-2104), the commission of a crime in violation of Uniformed Code of Military Justice, federal or state law, and clear threats to mission accomplishment.
No matter who you see, or where you see them, off-base or on, they should provide you with their Statement of Understanding before your session starts. This will outline their Standards of Practice and detail the situations that they are mandated to limit confidentiality on.
Does going to counseling jeopardize your security clearance?
In April 2008, the Department Defense Department officials changed a question on the department's long-standing security clearance form referencing an applicant's mental health history because they believe it is needlessly preventing some people from seeking counseling.
The Standard Form 86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions, asks the applicant to acknowledge mental health care in the past seven years. It does not ask for treatment details if the care involved only marital, family, or grief counseling, not related to violence by the applicant, unless the treatment was court-ordered.
Officials said surveys have shown that troops feel if they answer "yes" to the question, they could jeopardize their security clearances, required for many occupations in the military.
As of April 18 2008, applicants no longer have to acknowledge care under the same conditions, nor if the care was related to service in a military combat zone. The revised wording has been distributed to the services and will be attached to the cover of the questionnaire. The revised question should not show up printed on the forms unless the department has not depleted its pre-printed stock.
Read the announcement as published on the Official Air Force website.
- The Mental Health Clinic (if you are a service member on active duty)
- The Base Chapel
- Airman & Family Readiness Center
- Military Family Life Counselors
Off-Base: There are many different ways to locate a professional counselor in the community. Some common ways include:
• Tricare – Go to https://tricare.mil and click on the link to search for clinician. There you can search for a specialty. For example, select "Behavioral Health/Mental Health," specify your location and then distance you are willing to travel. When you hit search it will give you a list of providers within that distance and provide you their contact information.
• The National Board for Certified Counselors referral service (phone NBCC at 336-547-0607 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday to find a certified counselor in your area)
• The yellow pages listed under counselor, marriage and family counselors, therapist or mental health
• Referral from your physician
• Recommendations from trusted friends
• Crisis hotlines
• Community mental health agencies
• Local United Way information & referral service
• Hospitals
• Child protective services
• Referral from clergy
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
Once you have found a counselor you are interested in seeing, you should ask several important questions, such as:
• Are you a licensed or certified counselor?
• What is your educational background?
• How long have you been practicing counseling?
• What are your areas of specialization (such as family therapy, women's issues, substance abuse counseling, etc.)?
• What are your fees?
• Do you accept my insurance?
• How is billing handled?
• Do you offer a sliding fee scale or a payment plan if I do not have insurance for mental health services?
• How can you help me with my problems?
• What type of treatment do you use?
• How long do you think counseling will last?
Some of these questions may be addressed during your initial phone conversation with the counselor and others may be more appropriately discussed in your first face-to-face meeting.
After you have had these questions answered by the counselor to your satisfaction, consider how comfortable you feel with the individual, since you will be working closely together during your counseling sessions. It is difficult to open up and share your problems with a stranger and you may feel awkward or anxious during your initial sessions. But it is also important that you have a "chemistry" or rapport with the counselor. Counselors have different styles, personalities, and approaches. Take time to evaluate how you feel interacting with the counselor and whether you believe that the two of you can work effectively together. If you do not feel at ease with a certain counselor, do not get discouraged. Instead, look for a different individual with whom you would feel more comfortable working with.
Together you and your counselor will set goals, work toward achieving them, and assess how well you are actually meeting them. Counseling can help you maximize your potential and make positive changes in your life. Finally, remember that counseling may be hard work at times but change and progress do happen. A professional counselor can provide the help and support to help you master the challenges of life.