A Trip to the DMV

"...Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me."

2 Corinthians 12:7

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Thorns take the shape of many things.  Of course in this verse, Paul is talking about a thorn in the flesh which tells me he is referring to something physical.  However, I think thorns could be other things too.  A person's ongoing struggle to make a decent French knot, for example.  Or, for the purpose of this post, the thorn of unphotogenicness.

I renewed my driver's license this past Thursday.  When we moved here, I was quite impressed when the DMV clerk took 4 photos of me, grouped them together, & asked me to choose which one I liked best.  Like a proof sheet!  Back in the days when people used to take photos using cameras with film in them, professional photographers, especially those who photographed Hollywood stars, would use rolls of film during a photograph session & would then have the photos developed onto proof sheets, like this one.

Usually the photographer would then choose the photos he liked best for distribution. Note how only 4 of the photos on this particular proof sheet were deemed acceptable, but the photographer in this instance had no say in the matter.  This actress, Marilyn Monroe, had it stipulated in her contracts with photographers that she would look at the proof sheets first.  She would then mark a big X over the photos she thought were unflattering.  Per their contract, the photographer would not use them.

My license was due to expire next week. About 2 months ago I received a card in the mail reminding me of this fact.  I put the card where I could see it so I wouldn't forget.  I kept putting it off ... waiting for a time when the angels might possibly smile upon me so that I might end up with a decent photo.  Thursday was the day.  No marks on my face, my hair cooperated with my styling attempts, & my eyes were still sparkling with happiness due to the euphoria I was still experiencing from the snowfall earlier in the week.  I felt the time was right. I headed to the DMV. 

Marge, or whatever her name was (I'll call her Marge) called me up to the counter to confirm that my information was still the same & to get the 20 bucks the devil's playground charges for a person to renew their license.  She then told me to sit down in the chair across from the camera.  Her instructions were "Look at the blue dot & smile big."  I guess Marge has a quick trigger finger or something because no sooner than I began to smile, she took the photo. Because of this, I am shown not smiling big, but in the process of smiling big.  I look like some kind of mutant farm animal.  It doesn't help that the DMV ... or maybe it's just Marge ... decided that the photo should show nothing but my face.  A great, big, boxed closeup of my face.  

I looked for a photo online that would somehow convey to you what my photo looks like on my license ... the photo I am going to have to use for identification purposes for the next 4 years if this house doesn't sell & we are stuck here that long.  The best I can do is show you that on my driver's license photo, I look something like this.

The really sad thing is that now when someone asks me for my ID & I hand them my license, they will look at it, then look at me, then look at my license again, & then had it back to me saying "Yep, that's you!"  Sigh!

On a happier note, I took some additional photos of the snow God blessed us with this past Tuesday & here they are.  These are taken from the porch looking straight out at our front yard, then to the left, then to the right.

Makes me smile just looking at this scene again!  Of course the snow is all gone now, but hopefully it will come again.  If nothing else, it's been a bit on the cold side as Sophie shows us in these photos.

I think it's so cute how she curls up over the heating vent to keep warm   : )   

It's IHSW weekend (see link on sidebar).  It snuck up on me this month!  Like last month, I'll be stitching things I won't be able to show you, but I'll figure something out to share with you   : )

Have a great weekend!