Category Archives: Day Jobs and Dream Jobs

Good Vibes Hippie Chick Edition

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It was the most inopportune time to travel to New Jersey, one week and two days after launching my business. A family matter awaited and it needed 96 hours of my time. On Saturday morning I loaded the kids into a rental car and loaded enough granola in its cargo space that I would be able to fill at least the first of the web orders that came in while I was away. That granola was sold before I reached the New Jersey State line. Tamara’s Blend sold out before I got to Maryland. I felt blessed…and a little stressed … Continue reading →

Maybe This Could Be Big

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Her heart sank as she watched her girl’s squad on the performance floor below, from the middle tier of Sun National Stadium in Trenton. They hugged and screamed and jumped into each other’s arms.  It was a victorious moment, discovering that they qualified for the national cheer competition in Orlando.  But for her mother, it was a moment of panic. She knew the expenses would be high when she signed up her daughter for cheer, and she was aware of the costs of the national competition.  From sign up day to present moment, her life had changed precipitously. She had … Continue reading →

Signs

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It had been an unseasonably warm day for January, the kind of weather that we’re all pining for right now. It may have hit seventy degrees by that afternoon.  The kids ran door to door without jackets after school helping Fiona sell Girl Scout Cookies.  Afterward, they took out their bicycles. I couldn’t keep up with them as they sped around the block.  I was nursing a minor running injury and walked quickly but avoided a full out jog.   The older kids flew ahead of me on their two wheelers and even Scarlett managed to gain momentum on her training … Continue reading →

You Gotta Be: Ask Away Friday with Tamara Camera Blog

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Well, hey, there, blog! Remember me? Yes, blog, you’ve been neglected but admittedly, I have a lot of distractions right now. Like this storefront. Hey, readers!  I miss y’all! Want to take a look at what lies beyond that building permit? Yeah, I’m loving the purple and green. And when you come to visit me this summer, (see how I’m not saying “if” but “when?”), there will be photos Swami Satchyananda at the opening ceremonies of the Woodstock Music Festival and of Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon adorning those purple walls. You want to see something else? Meet the face … Continue reading →

Upside Down

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“I fell in love,” I said, wrapping my hands around my coffee cup. “Well, that was a mistake,” he replied, shaking his head from side to side. “You can’t do that when you go into business. “ I looked out the window of the coffeehouse, which faced the main drag through town, and recalled the moment it happened. I had given up on finding a commercial space to rent through a real estate agency.  The broker listings were scarce, they stood in undesirable locations, or commanded too much rent.  One morning, feeling particularly frustrated with my choices, I drove the … Continue reading →

Something Has to Give

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“Cut it to my chin,” I say emphatically. “Are you sure?”  The stylist asks. “I’m sure.” I sit back in her chair and watch as the hip, youngish woman slowly snips off my long, dark, shoulder skimming layers into a pageboy bob.   She told me her name when I walked into the salon, but I don’t remember it at that moment.  Maybe I was too busy checking  my Blackberry, or the time, or thinking of what I had to get done when I got back to work. The haircut had been an impulsive decision but a necessary one.  Maybe there … Continue reading →

Ordinary World

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It wasn’t bad as far as summer jobs were concerned. It was rock and roll, kind of. By day, I babysat, and by night, I looked after famous people, or looked after the people who were there to see famous people. There weren’t many women on the security detail at the summer concert venue where I worked.  The uniform was pretty awful, a short sleeve pinstripe oxford and ill-fitting blue khakis, but I managed to make it mine by wearing a tank top as an exposed undershirt, a wide leather belt, and my ever present Doc Martens. It was a … Continue reading →

Never Mind

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I sift through piles of hard plastic cases, many of the names and titles long forgotten, after nine years in my attic. “What are those Mama?” My daughter asks. “Music,” I say. There must have been hundreds of CD’s spread out in front of me, all listened to, all loved, at one time, back when buying music was a commitment and not a whim we acted upon while playing on our laptops or phones.  It was the pre-download era, a time when you didn’t buy songs but you bought albums. Every title I scanned in that pile was more than … Continue reading →

My Dreams

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It’s time to mingle once again!   I wasn’t sure what to serve today for my guest of honor, Tricia, from Raising Humans.  If you were at Bloggy Boot Camp in Charlotte over the weekend, then you would recall I said “no” to the pie, hoarded fruit, and really love black olives.   There has to be a menu in there somewhere, right? Tricia is one of those gems that I found through the SITS Girls.  She’s a gifted writer who inspires me in every post to capture the small moments, moments which Tricia articulates with thoughtful attention and heart and beautiful words.  I am in love with this post … Continue reading →

Play for Her

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  “Today’s the day,” he said, as he stood next to my mat. “Today?” “Come on, let’s go,” he said, not giving me a chance to change my mind.  “Clasp your fingers behind your head.”I placed the crown of my head on my mat and clasped my fingers together as he had instructed.    “Kick your legs up.” I kicked my legs up into his hands and he lifted them straight into the air.  He held my ankles, firmly at first, then lightly, and then he let go of his grip entirely. My legs began to sway back and forth. “Don’t talk yourself out of it,” … Continue reading →