I finally received a picture of myself receiving the UASGAUX National Publication Award- and it is in focus! Last year, I was all dressed up because I received the award at the banquet. This year, it was presented during the general assembly so I was in uniform. Every picture of me receiving the award last year was poorly focused. This one, I can print and save.

I have a lot to do today. I have to finish one newsletter and write two awards (for others). I don't particularily like writing awards. They follow USCG format and require a specific data and verbage. The officer I am writing the awards for (he does not know about them) sent me an email yesterday to tell me he is presently reading my book and is impressed with my writing style. I did not even know that he bought the book! At any rate, he mentioned that he just took my writing for granted because up until now, all he has ever read is what I write for our newsletters.

I guess I could work harder at being creative when I write for our newsletters, but tend to follow the news pyramid and deliver just the facts. I think that is because there is so much work involved in editing other's submissions and laying up the newsletter, that when I have to write an article, it is usually about an event for which I have photographs and need text to accompany the photos. The only 'creative' writing I have done was the article I wrote about the Beach Pounders that I posted here a few months ago. That was a fun article to write because the topic interested me.

I still have not gotten around to painting. Yesterday I did paint a hat- a red one for the Red Hat Society. Most of our hats are frilly, this one is silly and pretty, I think.