Open and Close

The photo challenge this week has been things that open and close. I have always liked photos of doors and gates. Because they do open and close, I decided that I would find several to photograph.

Open and close really has meaning for us right now. A door closed when we found out Dean was being laid off. Now, we patiently wait for another door to open for the next stage of his career. It will happen. Maybe not as soon as we would like for it to, but it will happen.

Because we hear it so much, I wanted to find out about the quote that talks about doors closing and windows opening. I found two references. The first was

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look
so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we
do not see the one which has opened for us.
Alexander Graham Bell 

The second is Maria in the Sound of Music when she says, "When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window."

Right now, we are looking for that window. We know the door is closed, and we are not looking at it long and regretfully - believe me, I did it long enough with the first job here. I am not doing it again. 

We are looking as hard and as diligently as we know how. As soon as we find what looks like a window opening, it seems to get slammed shut. As I have stated here before - God is never late - He is always on time - His timing is not always our timing. We do have hope, because we have seen him work in so many ways so many times. We know that one day soon, the door/gate/window is going to open wide and we will be able to walk into the light on a path that has been prepared for us. 

Photos around El Paso

I really want two specific photos here in El Paso. I am on a quest to get them. One of them, I could have probably taken this morning, if I had not gone to church. Another one, I attempted tonight, but the clouds and sunset were not right. I took a few others that I liked.

Less than 3 weeks until unemployment happens

After today, there are 13 work days left for him. Yes, I will confess I am concerned. We talk and laugh about it, but it is more a nervous laugh.  We don't know what is going to happen. Dean just keeps saying that he will find something. I know we still have 13 days. I know God is never late - he is always on time. Unlike Dean, he doesn't tend to be there early very often. And so, yes, I am expecting him to provide. I am expecting him to take care of us. And yes, we do still have a few days.

We have watched the calendar as we have sent out numerous emails and resumes. We have gone through headhunters, online data bases and referrals. We have even written down names of companies off trucks we see near post and contacted them. We have sent in required/requested document.s We have been diligent in our search. We have updated the resume, personalized the cover letters, rewritten the cover letter and on and on and on. As of today, there has been no real progress.

There have been a couple we thought would be interesting - one overseas, one for a non-profit. We have done what we could to make sure all important information has been sent in to them. Nothing.

And so, we keep praying. We keep sending out the resumes. We keep hoping.

A different photo project

This month we are doing concepts on the photo challenge. This week is open and close. I have been wanting to do a series of gates and doors here in El Paso. I went out for a little while and looked around. I saw the gate below, but I couldn't stop just then. I went back later and parked across the street. This little cutie was crossing the street and ran right up the steps and then turned to look at me.

Because we really might not be here a lot longer if Dean finds a job somewhere else, I am trying to get in some photos that I have wanted to take. 

Asarco is a copper plant that has been closed for years. They want to tear it down, but it is an El Paso icon. I have a couple of ideas for photos of Asarco, but I have not been able to find the perfect location. The location I would like to shoot from is not accessible or safe. So, these are just playing around shots. I am going to go back to this location and see what else I can do when I have more time and at a different time of day. 

Babysitting

A couple of weeks ago, Joy Anna was sick. She was scheduled to babysit. I got to do it in her place.

 

While I was playing playdoh with the cutie above, the boys were watching cars. Yep, even the tiny one.

I had lots of fun with kids.

Product photos

Product photos allow me to exercise a different creative direction. I get to call on my past experience with props in theater. At this location, I get to surround myself with beautiful jewelry.

 

I know the watermarks really distract, but since these are ads for a company, I really want to make sure they don't get used by anyone else. 

Waiting and waiting and waiting

Waiting gets harder every day. Maybe because each day moves us closer to the last day of February. Too bad they couldn't have let him stay through March - one of those months with 3 pay periods surely would have been nice. Oh well, it was not to be.

Finally, with all the searching, there is a job that is actually appealing - not just a job that will do as so many of them have been. It is across the country. It would be closer to Eric but so far from Joy Anna. Unless we find one in Little Rock or Monroe, LA, we are going to be a long way from at least one of them. He has applied for the job. Applicants are accepted through Friday.

I need to be motivated to move forward with prepping the house for whatever - clean out, getting rid of things, having a garage sale (to get rid of things and hopefully, make some money), packing up. Even if for some reason we stay here, we have to find a different house. I can't live another summer without refrigerated air, at least not comfortably.Instead, I would rather stay in my pajamas and do nothing except read. Not the best way to be, is it? And so today, I will try. Put forth the effort. Make it where it is more pleasant to come home for Dean and Joy Anna.

We did get some good news yesterday - Dean's test for diabetes was the best it has ever been. Since we only have insurance for another month, we are going to have to figure out how to get his meds. They are finally all working together and lowering his blood sugar. His neuropathy is worse, so they are sending him for a test. Hopefully, they can help that situation.

Today, I need to get moving. I look around and it is overwhelming. I have always heard the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. And so, one tiny baby step at a time, I will try to eat away at the chaos and craziness that has overtaken us in the last month.