My Life Lately: A Little Update

Hey, y’all, hey! I feel like I’ve been missing from this space forever. In fact, the date of my last post is 14 August — almost a whole month ago! A lot has happened since then, so let’s get into it:

MY PERSONAL LIFE

I’m trying to think what’s been going on personally? Hmmmm… Oh, I binge watched St. Elsewhere and, y’all, I cannot believe how ahead of its time that show was. They dealt with topics like AIDs, racism, transgender rights, and more. I’ve been trying to make it my mission to rewatch my childhood favorites when possible, just to see if things hold up and, so far, I haven’t been disappointed. I recently rewatched Designing Women and, omg, those women would have a field day with what’s going on right now. Same with Murphy Brown.  whew I loved myself a show with strong women. Have you gone back and watched old TV shows that you used to enjoy as a kid? What’re your thoughts? Did you learn anything new?

Oh, I forgot to mention, I had the opportunity to be part of a new promotional campaign for our region! The Real Easy LA encourages people to “Discover the real meaning of easy living in Central Louisiana.” You can see my interview by clicking here. It was such a fun and unexpected surprise to be asked. People ask me all the time if I like it here and I can say without hesitation that I love it here. The community is open and welcoming. There are so many small businesses – restaurants, boutiques, etc. – that are run by people who have a heart for the area. And then there are the community festivals: River Fete, Art Fete, Mardi Gras, etc. Alexandria is my place, my home. I’ll never leave.

MY GARDENING LIFE

I started a garden mooooonths ago, just a few containers of cucumbers, bell peppers, strawberries, garlic, cherry tomatoes, beans, and wild flowers. I was so excited. Everything looked like it was flourishing; I even had fruit popping off. Then I went on vacation for a week and everything died. Yes, everything. To be fair, it was peak Louisiana heat and there was no one here to water my plant babies. Still.  I thought I’d be able to save something, but nope. So I dug everything up and started all over. And, for whatever reason, nothing took. I moved things around the yard, put plants in the greenhouse, on the patio, out in the sun, in the shade, but nothing worked. I was just about to give up and turn my greenhouse into an outdoor library, but I decided to post an update on TikTok first and, y’all, I received so many helpful tips and words of encouragement, so I decided to give it another try. I now have purple bell peppers, green bell peppers, garlic, spinach, and alfalfa sprouts!! When I say this was the highlight of my weekend, it’s not an understatement. You can see the video by clicking here.

MY PHOTOGRAPHY LIFE

Last month was full of photography firsts…

MATERNITY SHOOT

A former coworker turned friend asked me to take her maternity pictures and, of course, I had to say “yes.” We decided to take the pictures in historic Natchitoches {the setting for Steele Magnolias}. I love this area, it’s absolutely stunning with its old buildings and cobblestone streets, all by gentle waters. I wanted the vibe to be vintage modern, you know, elegant, intimate, slightly sexy, with a bit of fun. I think we achieved my goals.

The parents and I have already made arrangements for me to take the baby’s first pictures. I cannot wait.

TEDX MARKSVILLE WOMEN

Ashley Love, a member of my Leadership Cenla cohort {I’ll share more about that below} organized the first ever TedX Marksville Women event and asked me if I’d fill in for her photographer who was unable to make it. My answer to almost all questions like this is “yes,” even when I’m not sure how I’m going  to accomplish the task. You see, I’m a natural light photographer, so I don’t shoot with flash lighting at all. And, as an avid TedX viewer/listener, I’m familiar with TedX events; they’re always filmed/photographed in low light settings with a red spotlight. Not at all my wheelhouse, so I knew this was going to take a lot of prayer to get right. My first few shots were an “adjustment,” but I was able to get my groove after I switched seats.

I’m pretty proud of the results.

The topic for this inaugural event was “Changing the Narrative.” The event was organized by Ashley Love, founder of #IAmSimplyBeautiful Global, an organization focused on empowering ‘minority and indigenous women in rural and underserved communities.’ There was so much emotion in the room, I feel like I was able to capture it all.

MY READING LIFE

I recently finished listening to The Inmate by Frieda McFadden. And, good gracious of life, Brooke Sullivan was the most naive individual I’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering in a novel about psychopaths. Brooke is a nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum security prisoner where her son’s father also happens to be an inmate. And it only gets wilder from there. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I’m a Frieda McFadden fan and I don’t think there’s too much she can do wrong by way of psychological thrillers. If you’ve read this book {or any of her other ones, I’d love to discuss}. As soon as I get my act together, I plan to pick up another book. I just haven’t been in much of a reading mood lately.

MY WORK LIFE

A few months ago, the chancellor, Dr. Sawtelle, and my supervisor, Dr. Poole, asked if I’d be interested in applying for Leadership Cenla. Leadership Cenla is an eight-month long interactive leadership program that trains participants to become leaders in the community. By the end of the program, members are to be ambassadors within the region, with the ability to:

• Cultivate regional impact through exclusive access to key sectors: economic development, healthcare, education, culture & arts, and public safety.
• Connect with influential leaders across business, government, healthcare, education, and community sectors.
• Strengthen leadership skills through hands-on experiences tailored to Central Louisiana’s unique landscape.

Of course, I said “yes” even though I wasn’t sure how I was going to accomplish the mission with all of the other things I have going on {namely imposter syndrome}. Yes, even after all these years of sitting at the table, I still feel like I don’t belong; but my coworker said something during one of our Leadership Cenla meetings that stuck with me: “If your words didn’t have value, you wouldn’t have been asked to speak.” Over the course of the program, we’ve toured the Alexandria International Airport, participated in art therapy at the Alexandria Museum of Art, volunteered at various charitable organizations and so much more. I’ll do a deeper dive into this program at a later date, but, suffice it to say, I’m so happy to be part of this program

Now It’s Your Turn

How are things going in your world? Any good news to share? If so, leave it in the comments below, I’d love to celebrate with you.

THANK YOU

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new. If you like what you read, please consider sharing this post on Facebook or Pinterest. While I pay for many of the items I share on this blog out of my own pocket, some items are gifted to me {I always disclose those items}.

Come back soon,

 

 

 

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AFFILIATE INFORMATION

As the blogger and photographer behind Living Outside the Stacks, I independently select and write about stuff I love and things I think you’ll enjoy too. Living Outside the Stacks has affiliate and advertising partnerships so I get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase. Thank you for your support.

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