Our resident photographer is up next! A few hours early, as I'm not sure what my schedule is going to be for the next few days.

I marvel each time you post your photos in the Dailyshoot thread. They always have that something extra that is the mark of an artist. My attempts at pics are snapshots; yours are photographs.

Not only are they technically good, but they tell a story and capture the imagination. Is this a skill you come by naturally, or do you really have to work at it?

And maybe everyone else who's been around here knows, but how did you come up with your screen name, and how is it pronounced?

Yay! An excellent choice, WTG.

Dol, did I read somewhere you were going to China?

Will that interfere with your duties as WTF'er of the month?

jf, still enjoying your photos

quote:

Originally posted by Jack Frost:
Dol, did I read somewhere you were going to China?

Will that interfere with your duties as WTF'er of the month?

I noticed that, too, but she said the trip isn't scheduled until March. She also mentioned leaving for vacation "tomorrow" about three days ago, but has been posting since then.

If July isn't a good month for you, dol, let us know!

Thanks, Well-tempered gardener! I am on vacation, but I'm just at Mister Soak's house, so I'm able to post while he's working. July is a perfect time for me, because I don't have that pesky job to get in the way!

quote:

Is this a skill you come by naturally, or do you really have to work at it?

Thanks so much for the compliments. I would say it's a combination of both. I've always loved visual art in general, and have tried my hand at a number of artistic endeavors - costume design, drawing, painting. But I was always frustrated because my skill in representing things was lacking - I'm just a cruddy draw-er! I was more successful with quilting and fabric dying, because that element wasn't there. Photography is therefore perfect for me, because I just have to capture the image that's already there. I think composition comes fairly naturally to me (though I still have lots to learn), and my arts background from my theatre days gives me the technical basis with the elements of design. Technically, I still have a LOT to work on - but I'm loving every second of it! I'm hoping I have more chance to work on some of those skills during the summer months!

quote:

And maybe everyone else who's been around here knows, but how did you come up with your screen name, and how is it pronounced?

Dolmansaxlil is from Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy". It's the name of a planet that mass produces inexpensive and ill-fitting footwear. I've always pronounced it "dole-man-sax-il" but that might not be what Adams had in mind.

quote:

Dol, did I read somewhere you were going to China?

I am indeed! I am a chaperon for a group of highschool students for 12 days next March. I'm ridiculously excited about it - especially the "going for free" element!

Question away - I have lots of time!

OK, I will!

I know you were a theater (oops, theatre) major--what was your path from there to teaching?

There are a few WTF members with little kids. What's your best advice to give them as parents in order to support learning and keep their kids interested in school (when they get there, in some cases)?

Do you say 'eh' a lot?

Silly me. I was thinking maybe you played saxophone...

I googled dolmansaxlil and found the connection to shoes. I never read the Hitchhiker series, but after perusing the Wiki entry, I'm thinking I need to remedy that!

So how did your fetish interest in shoes originate?

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
OK, I will!

I know you were a theater (oops, theatre) major--what was your path from there to teaching?

When I was pregnant, I was working as an administrative assistant for a box-book store. I hated it. I was looking for a new career path. When I was home on maternity leave in a new city where I knew no one, I went a little stir-crazy and wanted an adventure. I thought very seriously about moving north (Really north - igloo north), and discovered programs where you could teach in an isolated community while working toward your Bachelor's of Education and getting paid REALLY well to do so. I was in the process of doing applications when we discovered Liam's milk and egg allergy, and decided that taking an infant with severe food allergies to a place where medical care and variety of foods were both scarce would be irresponsible. But by then I was already hooked on the idea of becoming a teacher, so I applied to a local university for the program. I'm glad that stir-craziness led to that - this really is what I was meant to do!

quote:

There are a few WTF members with little kids. What's your best advice to give them as parents in order to support learning and keep their kids interested in school (when they get there, in some cases)?

Read. Read some more. And some more. Keep reading out loud to your child even when they are old enough to read themselves. Do not shun ANY reading material they are interested in. If they want to read graphic novels, let them. If they are obsessed with Pokeman and all they'll read is the books with all the character stats, let them. Better to foster a love of reading, despite the insipid selections they may make, then have reading be a chore. They'll eventually discover the reading material that suits them best - and I promise it won't be Pokeman forever!

The second piece of advice I'd give is to answer their questions, always. Even when they get annoying. Even when the questions are silly. As they get older, help them to find the answers - if you don't know, sit down with them in front of the computer and work with them to google in info. Liam asks so many questions it borders on the absurd, but at the same time, his depth and breadth of knowledge is astounding - and he now knows how to find answers for himself, too.

quote:

Do you say 'eh' a lot?

I really do. "Eh" is much like ending a sentence with "you know?". It's turning a statement into a question to seek confirmation of understanding. Not quite how it's portrayed in making-fun-of-Canadians-movies, but that's how it's used. I do it a lot, eh?

quote:

Originally posted by well-tempered gardener:
Silly me. I was thinking maybe you played saxophone...

I actually did, for a time. And Clarinet and oboe. And piano, of course. Though I haven't touched any of them in several years.

quote:

I googled dolmansaxlil and found the connection to shoes. I never read the Hitchhiker series, but after perusing the Wiki entry, I'm thinking I need to remedy that!

So how did your fetish interest in shoes originate?

When I was in theatre school, I was a costuming major. In our fourth year, we had to do a major independent study project. It counted for 4 full year courses, so it was huge GPA-wise. It was literally a make or break project, as failing it meant failing 4 courses, and therefore expulsion. We had a full year to do it. At the time, I was considering going back to school the next year to get my Masters in History, so I wanted to do something with a fashion history focus. There are oodles of fashion history books, but I noticed that there was no comprehensive book about the history of footwear. I decided to write one as my project. I spent days upon days (upon weeks...it was pathetic) in the Bata Shoe Museum - they gave me access to their archives and private research library. In the end, I had boxes and boxes of research, and wrote a 100 page paper outlining the history of footwear from the early renaissance to the present. The website I run is the original text of the paper, and judging by the number of questions from fashion magazines, historians, academics, etc, that I get, the instinct that the topic needed to be addressed was well-founded. I wrote a second paper on the topic for a history course on Early Middle England, discussing the reasons for changes in shoe style over the course of that period in relation to social and technological advances, but unfortunately lost that one in a computer crash before my website went up. It should also be noted that at the time I wrote the paper, I owned only four pairs of shoes: a pair of black Doc Marten boots, a pair of green suede doc shoes, steel-toed construction boots, and a pair of black dress shoes that I wore for opening night parties.

So, Miss July, do tell....

Are you a native of SW Ontario?

What do you think are the best and worst parts of living in the most temperate part of Canada?

Since you became a teacher, has there been an experience you have had that was both frustrating and rewarding at the same time?

What's your favorite historical costume period? (But from a construction standpoint, not necessarily by looks.)

Windsor or Sarnia?

Have any of the border guards started to recognize you from all the trips you take into the US and back?

How did you come to know the elusive "Mr. Soak?"

So how did you come upon the photo of the day and how the HECK have you been able to sustain it all this time?? ...We are living viariously thru you, I have to say...I am so impressed that you have been so disciplined in doing this...

Ever Geocached? Maybe you can come with us on our adventures while you are here? (We are headed to "Skull Cliffs" tomorrow....cue twightlight zone theme)

And how is life in Wooooster? Might you be in the area long enough that we can pull together a forums get together/bbq?

quote:

Originally posted by BeeLady:
So how did you come upon the photo of the day and how the HECK have you been able to sustain it all this time?? ...We are living viariously thru you, I have to say...I am so impressed that you have been so disciplined in doing this...

+ 1

I'm glad you're still posting them.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt G.:
So, Miss July, do tell....

Are you a native of SW Ontario?

I am indeed. Born and raised about 15 minutes from where I live now. I moved to Toronto for about 8 years, and then spent a year in St. Catharines, Ontario. I'm a city girl at heart, but I'll be staying in very rural SW Ontario at least until Liam is an adult.

quote:

What do you think are the best and worst parts of living in the most temperate part of Canada?

The best part of living here is probably the small town feel. I can leave my door unlocked, I can let Liam play outside in the neighbourhood. The worst part is that I have to drive to EVERYTHING, and the cultural activities available in this area are severely lacking. I HATE the winter, so even though I live in the "Sunparlour" of Canada, I could do without the weather from November to April. But I do love our spring thunderstorms!

quote:

Since you became a teacher, has there been an experience you have had that was both frustrating and rewarding at the same time?

I had a student who was exceptionally impulsive. He just couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut. One day, when he had spoken out for the eight millionth time in a twenty minute lesson, I barked, "In the hall", more so I didn't completely lose it than anything else. I gathered my thoughts and walked out into the hall to find a sheepish Chris (names changed to protect the innocent) leaning up against the locker. "Do you know how many times you interrupted during the lesson?" He shook his head yes, but I saw something else in his eyes. It suddenly hit me. "You really don't, do you?" He looked at me, took a deep breath and said, "I really don't. I always get in trouble and I don't even realize I'm doing it!" He barely stopped the tears, but not the catch in his voice.

So we worked out a plan. Every time he spoke out at an inappropriate time, I would put a tick mark on the board. I wouldn't say anything - just put up a mark. "How will that help?" he asked. "I wonder if you see how often you're doing it visually, it'll help you stop it." He was skeptical, but agreed. He went for break, and I had his class again afterwards for 20 minutes. I started adding tick marks, teaching from that section of the board because walking away was pointless. More than 20 marks in that 20 minute lesson. When the bell rang, he came up to me and said, "I am SO sorry. I really didn't know". We had to use the tick marks for about three days - every time I walked to the board, his head would drop a little. But after just three days, the interruptions had all but disappeared. I stopped doing it then for weeks at a time, until he started forgetting. Then all I had to do was walk to the board and pick up the chalk. He'd catch my eye, mouth the word "sorry!" and it would be fine for a few more weeks. The frustrating part is that I had already taught this kid for over a year. But our relationship was SO much better after that point, so it was a success, even if it was a bit late.

quote:

What's your favorite historical costume period? (But from a construction standpoint, not necessarily by looks.)

Elizabethan, for sure. I love the complexity and the heavy fabrics. The embellishments are fantastic. I wouldn't want to wear it, but seeing those pieces and building them is wonderful.

quote:

Windsor or Sarnia?

Ugh. Do I really have to pick? That's like choosing between a root canal and an enema.

quote:

Have any of the border guards started to recognize you from all the trips you take into the US and back?

No - though I recognize some of them.

quote:

How did you come to know the elusive "Mr. Soak?"

Oi. That's a long story. The short version: we were both on a message board very similar to this one. Both of us were going through our divorces. We clicked.

quote:

Originally posted by BeeLady:
So how did you come upon the photo of the day and how the HECK have you been able to sustain it all this time?? ...We are living viariously thru you, I have to say...I am so impressed that you have been so disciplined in doing this...

Thanks, BeeLady! A few of my teacher colleagues on Twitter were doing it, so I jumped in. I'm SO glad I did! I have quite the network of photographer friends on Flickr, and I learn so much from seeing their work every day. It's been a LOT of fun! I've decided that I'll do it for a year, then i'll just switch to a general 365, where you take a photo a day. I think dailyshoot will have outlived its usefulness by then.

quote:

Ever Geocached? Maybe you can come with us on our adventures while you are here? (We are headed to "Skull Cliffs" tomorrow....cue twightlight zone theme)

I've thought about it, but have never done it. I'm more of an indoor girl. But going with a group would be a lot of fun! I like the treasure hunt aspect.

quote:

And how is life in Wooooster? Might you be in the area long enough that we can pull together a forums get together/bbq?

I'm here for another week, then I'm gone for two, then back for two. We have a pretty full schedule (a couple DJ gigs for Mister Soak - I'll be attending as roadie) but let me chat with him and I'll get back to you!

As far as Wooooster... it's a weird place right now. They've shut down main street for drag racing for the weekend. Last night, on the walk home from fireworks, the drag races were still going on but some of the cars (and fans) were trying to drive down the absolutely packed street where the fireworks were letting out. Much spinning of tires and heavy smoke as a result. Then one racer was driving through a parking garage we were passing revving his engine to set off car alarms. The cops on the streets below just looked up with this resigned expression. I'm sure they LOVE the Chamber of Commerce for this idea! But it made for excellent street theatre!

And musicasacra - thanks! I'm glad people are enjoying them. It's nice to have a place to post them!

I love your philosophy of read, read, and read more. My parents started me reading very early, but the one person I remember distinctly who really solidified my love of reading was my fourth grade teacher.

She read us a chapter from a Nancy Drew mystery during the last five or ten minutes of the day, a couple of times a week. I spent the summer after finishing fourth grade going to the library and devouring every Nancy Drew I could get my hands on. Reading is still one of my favorite pastimes. Teachers rock!

We hear about the challenges that American schools, teachers and students face. I don't know much anything about the Canadian education system. Do you have the same challenges that we do, such as inadequate funding, kids bullying each other, drug use? Are there things that Americans can learn from how Canada runs its schools? And the other way around?