New Kid on the Block

It's easy to forget that I've been a photography nut for only a few short years. Sure, it's been nearly five, which frankly, I can hardly believe, yet compared to some folks, it's but a heartbeat. When I apply for art show acceptance I'm competing against folks who have generally been practicing the craft for decades. Which is why I'm not at all displeased that I have been put on the wait list for the WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL!

This morning, after making tea and drinking orange juice, I checked my email and was most delighted to find the notification. Can you believe it??? I sure can't. I entered on a whim, thinking what could it hurt, however, I never expected to be taken seriously. For those in the know, I don't need to explain all this. For those who don't live in our area, this is big my friends. 250,000 people attend the festival. Yes, you read that right. Wait, just a minute now. According to their website, 350,000 people come. Oh my, oh my. Plus the artists come from all over the country to do the show. Now you can imagine why I'm pretty much tickled pink! Chances are I won't be called, but you never know. The booth fee is pretty steep, so maybe, just maybe, another artist will drop out? March 16 is a long ways away.....

Wouldn't you just know it? After writing that my bougainvillea would not bloom, it up and bloomed! Or, at least it's beginning to do so. I'm a real sucker for the orange color family, including all the shades of coral. Mrs. Cardinal is pondering the new blooms, which coincidentally match her beak!

I took the cardinal picture through my screen window, thus it's not perfect, however, the one below is through our glass door and isn't it just the cutest? By the way, the little blue clamp is on there because of the darn squirrels who kept knocking the feeder over. You should see the mass bloom of sunflower shoots underneath the feeder! I dug them out by the thousands today! In case you're wondering you're looking at the safflower seed Lisa recommended to ward off the squirrels.

Actually there were about SIX on the feeder at once with one waiting his turn:

Duh, I didn't upload the one with six, but believe me, it happened. Apparently the different coloration has something to do with diet. My sons will remember a very funny/sad family finch story. As you can imagine I was pretty much freaking out.

Apropos of nothing in this post, which I'm allowed to do because it is my blog, I'm including this photograph taken at Winter Garden because it is one of my favorites:

All righty now, let's move on....

My sweet friend Lois, of the Master Gardener fame, is moving soon. Although I'm delighted it looks like her home sold after only ten showings, I'm not thrilled she's leaving. She and Bob are moving to Gainesville to be near their daughters and other extended family, which I can appreciate, however, I know she's nervous about starting life over at age 70. I can hardly imagine she's 70, but she is. Before she moves she wanted to buy some vegetable photographs to give to a friend, so yesterday, once the rain finally quit, I went over for a visit. After some chit chat we ended up outside on what turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon. Not many flowers blooming, but at Lois's house, there are always some.

And what looks almost like baby's breath but isn't:

Where else in Orlando will I get my tulip fix? Or gladiolas, or daffodils, all of which are terribly difficult to grow in Florida. If, by some miracle, my tulip bulbs bloom, I'll be thinking of Lois.

One thing we have in common is a love for the unusual plant or flower. My caladiums are pretty much worn out, as I believe, I've mentioned. This morning I went to Home Depot looking for something striking to take their place. I was thinking petunias, so when I saw this one

it was love at first sight. The stripes are actually a bit yellower than they look and the purple is almost black. No doubt, you'll see them again, maybe so much you'll be sick of them. I won't make any promises on that score. Unfortunately there were only two good hanging baskets which I'm wont to purchase and split. I haven't planted them yet because I'm still puzzling, however, I'm thinking they will have to be bookends to a mass of marigolds. Purple and yellow are so terrific together aren't they?

Another of Lois's favorites are dahlias which I've never tried before. I'm thinking they aren't the easiest to grow, however, I could not resist the coral color of these dahlias which are in the ground planted between  the spiky yellow flowers around the new tree:

Apologizing in advance, I'll be showing these babies off in a future post because this photograph isn't really doing them justice. Matt will be home in just a few short weeks and we want the yard to look spectacular, now don't we? I'm working on it!

Speaking of Matthew, last evening, coming to my computer to check on the difference between self-rising and regular flour, I noticed he'd called on FaceTime. Before I go further, I do know the difference, just not the exact measurements needed. In case you're wondering add  1/4 t salt and 1 1/4t baking powder per cup of flour. No baking soda. Anyway, while we had a slight chat, a trick-or-treater came to the door. Bruce answered because I was busy. Too bad I was because the children were FEW and far between. As in maybe ten total. It shouldn't really surprise me because folks in our neighborhood are mostly older, but some years there have been more. When the night began Bruce was concerned, thinking we'd run out of candy. No such thing. We did, however, run out of candy corn. You know who the culprit was already! This morning I made a candy corn run knowing the stores would cut the price in half. I'll hide it and dole it out a little at a time I'm thinking. We've got to eat all the leftover M & M's first.

Of all things, after accepting an invitation to play bridge this evening, knowing Bruce is NEVER home on Tuesday night, he is. Or, at least he will be. Mostly when he's not traveling he's working from home. Today he is making a rare office appearance. I hope all the ladies gush over his new haircut. At our age we need all the compliments we can get!

Wish me luck tonight. Beverly invited me to join her and two of her friends. So hoping I don't make a fool of myself.

the new kid,
Gail

On Photography

Five years ago if someone suggested that I'd be taking photographs for money I'd have thought they were crazy. I'm mean seriously off their rocker, if I may use that old-fashioned term. Of course I may, this is my blog!

When you had to pay to take pictures, I never took as many as I would have liked. There was food and clothes to buy for six people, Little League money, swim team money, school related costs, and the list goes on. When I see those figures released each year on what it cost to raise a child, I think they are outrageous, but I will agree it does cost a lot of money to raise children. Just not as much as they say. I've never regretted a penny of it; I only hope our boys think we did good.

So..........the digital camera revolutionized my life. Now I can take as many as I darn well please. But that doesn't mean I know what I'm doing. I just take a lot, hoping for the best.

There's a reason most photographers are males. Don't get all up in arms that I'm stereotyping please because that's not my intention. There are some women who are great at depth perception, math and science, however, traditionally males are better at those subjects. I can't explain it, but that's been my experience.

Remember when I was taking math and science at Valencia? I somehow managed to get through those classes, just like I did physics while in x-ray school, but it doesn't mean that I really understood those subjects. I faked it. Just like I'm doing with photography. Having a curious mind is what keeps me in contention.

Here's my work station where I spend time figuring out what photographs are interesting. Most are not. Most are ordinary. For Christmas Jonathan gave me two photography magazines which for the most part are filled with gear reviews, photoshop techniques, the sort of things that don't do much for me. It doesn't stop me from devouring them. Yesterday American Photo, the artier of the two, arrived in the post. I've got a new mantra going forward that I read in an article about shooting burlesque. No, I won't be shooting burlesque any time soon, just using a quote from one of the photographers to inspire me. Henry Horenstein related that early on in his career, actually his first professional assignment, he was paid $5.00 to shoot a picture of a new country singer named Dolly Parton. And I quote, "She offered one of the best pieces of creative advice. She said, 'Honey, people don't come out to see me look like them.'" I've tried to do that up to now, however, her words will ring in my ears as I sit at this desk.

I do shoot all kinds of photos, they just don't sell. People in a photo are a no-no to date. If I was famous, that might not be the case, but every time I put out something with a person in it, even if they are anonymous, the print stays in my basket until I remove it. That's one reason I like shooting at the market, because having people in the photographs is the point. I'm only sorry I cut off this darling boy's foot in my haste as he walked by. Can you tell what the front of his shirt says? The Godfather.

I'm working with my new camera every day to get comfortable. Here's an attempt with the "soft focus" setting. Speaking of Valencia, my professor, Burt Stout, taught me my other great mantra--photography is light management. Simple. The morning sun is streaming through the blinds on this shot which if I'd waited much longer would have been too bright. Instead of getting too caught up in the technical details which stymie me as I've mentioned already, I work hard at using the available light to create moods.

There are so many uses for photography that I suppose there is room for all kinds of shooters, including me. For the most part I shoot, or at least I put out to sell, decorator type photography. Pretty things. Sometimes interesting, sometimes just about color. At this time of the year I'm working on my entry for the Orlando calendar, which because I've been featured in the past, they sent me an email last month with a map of this year's neighborhood. How do I put this? It's not the best part of town, for sure. Parramore and W. Church Street are the main commercial streets for the African American community. Yesterday morning, armed with my new camera, I parked in front of J. Henry's Barbershop. One of the barbers was eating sunflower seeds and relaxing in front of the shop. Generally I've found if you are upfront with folks they have no problem cooperating. I told him what I was up to, he replied, "Stick your head in, that's J. Henry up front." Stepping inside, I introduced myself to these gentlemen; this much I can tell you--they seemed proud their neighborhood was being featured. He readily agreed to this shot:

See me in the mirror? I've never been in a black barbershop before. Now that I have, I'm very intrigued with the aprons all the barbers wore. The sign on the door reads--"Cover your underwear before entering the shop", and I love the slogan painted in white on the window--"A place to get your head together." Very clever. Although I like this shot (click on to see bigger--lots going on), it won't be entered as the assignment is for architectural elements, which in this case is proving most difficult. There are many empty shops, as well as run down ones. As well, I not interested in exploiting the people or the neighborhood. I think I've got three that will suffice for my entry.

Whenever I get a new camera or lens, it takes awhile to adjust. This time of year the weather makes shooting somewhat difficult because there is generally a haze in the air due to the humidity,  but practice I must.  After leaving downtown I drove to Cypress Grove Park near our home to wander. Because I've been there multiple times, it's challenging to come up with new ways to shoot the same landscape. Not only that, the camera requires constant thinking and the light was entirely wrong. That did not stop me from trying. Below is a shot upwards of the ubiquitous moss hanging from the cypress trees. As I typed that I recognized that these two photos from the park demonstrate exactly my point. The one above is pretty, but ordinary. The one below hopefully requires more thought.

Do I know what aperture I used? Of course not. How about shutter speed Gail? Why no. I did, on the other hand, do my best to position the sun behind the branches and moss, thinking all the while about light management. 

There may come a day when the technical details become clearer to me, however, I'm not counting on it. In the meantime, maybe, if I keep practicing, as if my camera were a musical instrument, I'll improve.

Are You Sober?

As you well know, every market day is different. Of course, when you are constantly interacting with people, that's just the way it is. This past Sunday morning Bruce left me a little early to get some things done for our trip, one of which is a check list so I don't forget anything. He is well aware of my horrid memory!

So, there I was, hanging the last of the canvases, getting the bags ready, putting out business cards, you know, the usual. A young woman came into the booth, started looking at prints, and then received a phone call. Asking permission first, she sat down in one of our two chairs. Originally they were for Bruce and me, however, they've come in so handy for visitors and regulars, of which I have many.

Anyway, because we were in such close proximity I overheard some of her conversation, and frankly I thought she was talking about a break up of some kind. Concluding her call, she once again began looking, saying she was interested in something for a gift. All of a sudden, while I was minding my own business, hanging the price tags, she looked at me and asked, "Are you sober?" Clever readers may have immediately deduced what she was talking about. Your much slower blogger was somewhat taken aback by her question, completely confused. I stammered, yes I was sober, after all, it was only 9:30 on a Sunday morning. Then the light bulb came on...she was talking about AA. She remarked that so many of my titles had a spiritual angle to them, prompting her to ask. I got it. Following this exchange she began relating her story which was not pretty. Becoming hooked on crystal meth at, God knows what age, she became sober at age 19. Yikes! Five years later, she began drinking, she hoped like a normal person might(her words), but it wasn't working out, as you can well imagine. Additionally, she told me her mom died when she was 9, forcing her to care for her younger brother, who is now in her custody. All this by age 24. She eventually picked two prints, however, to date her credit card has been declined. That, I guess, is what I should have expected, but somehow I hoped for better. Her name is Dina and she needs help.

Something a little more cheery--isn't she adorable? After my closet cleaning last week, I took some items to the thrift shop which is where I found her.

And then there's this:

The magnolias are blooming like mad these days. I've always loved the little pieces that look like a pile of match sticks.

Jonathan posted some storm chaser pictures on Facebook which led me to this blog http://www.extremeinstability.com/. Simply amazing!

I thought you might also like to hear this little story from the market. I told you I never know what to expect each Sunday! A fellow came up with mega cameras hanging around his neck. Naturally I was curious about his stuff, which as it turns out he was one of the photographers whose work was shown on Saturday night as part of the Snap event I told you about. His images were striking, but what really struck me was his bio, wherein he describes being hired by the Orlando Sentinel Star at age 17. Can you imagine that happening today? Here's a link to him: http://murdercityphotography.com/

During our conversation he gave the run down on who he's worked for, including 17 years with National Geographic. Other notables are Time and Newsweek, as well as People, which he described as National Enquirer with better paper! Currently he's freelancing and has multiple corporate clients, including Progress Energy. Using one of the mega cameras, he did the shoot, then, just as he was getting into his car, he shot 6 images with his camera phone. You guessed it, they chose one of the camera phone pics, paying $6,500 for the privilege! Let's all repeat together: It is the photographer, not the equipment!

Time to get to the check list, my gentle readers....

Started Off With a Bang

and closed with a torrential rainstorm! Oh my, how it poured on our drive home from Lake Wales, enough so that I had to pull off the road for a bit, hoping it would slow down. Not happening friends!

First off, I hope you like the new layout--clean and fresh.

Because of Bruce's awful schedule we did not set up the show on Friday night, instead opting to get up early and head over in the dark. Seriously, it wasn't a bad drive at all, a little over 50 miles all on highways. It took around an hour, which truth be told, it takes me about half that sometimes to get to shows in town. I had a lovely spot right on the lake with the added bonus of being able to park our car right behind the booth on the other side of a large bike path. Perfect start to a perfect day. Here's what it looked like as the sun was coming up:

Working against the clock, we finished setting up with only minutes to spare. Before Bruce left to head home, I went to use the restroom. Walking back toward my booth, I saw a woman with a bag in hand that looked just like mine. Guess what? It was my bag. Bruce already made a sale minutes after the show started. This felt like a very good omen to me. Although he hated to leave me on my own, his workload demanded he do so. From then on I was inundated with both buyers and lookers, only finding time to eat the pizza slices I'd brought from home around 2. By the time I left a little after 5, I'd sold 50 pieces which I thought was a record. Lots of them were small purchases but they do add up. Predictably I sold some of the same stuff I always sell, but there were other images who found first time homes. That first buyer came back a little later wanting to trade the one she'd bought for two others and purchased what we call a baby canvas as well. She mentioned how lovely my husband was which always makes me happy. The weather was picture perfect the entire day--nary a cloud in the sky, cool breeze, and mild temperatures. Arriving home a little after 6, I was tired, but in a good way, even having enough energy to prepare a little supper before collapsing in bed.

Although I'd seen reports that rain was in the forecast, I was hoping it would hold off. Well, it did hold off pretty much until after we packed up, but not by much. Sunday morning I left the house a little after 8, arriving in time to open up the tent. That is one of the things that takes so long setting up a show, attaching all four outside walls. I won't go into how complicated it all is, but it definitely makes things harder. Anyway, this time Bruce put the zipper in the back, which was new to us, but something we'll adopt in the future. Very good. The wind was so strong, however, that I had to re-zip it to keep things from blowing around. That action did little to keep the dirt out, which blew off the ground onto everything in its' path. My little table in the back that I use for transactions was covered with dirt all day long. It's a darn good thing the prints are all in plastic is all I can say. Early on people were discussing closing due to said winds and expected rains.

This is where things get difficult for organizers of events like this. On the one hand, they want to protect the artist's work, on the other hand, they have to respect the people who've driven a ways to attend the show. The bottom line is that they closed the show at 2:00. I'd called Bruce earlier, telling him things were looking iffy and he should probably come by 3. I forgot to re-phone him until after 2, at which point, the weather was rapidly deteriorating. Fortunately he was on his way. By the time he arrived it was pretty much empty, enabling him to park right in front of the booth. Flanked by two vehicles, working together, we got it done. Did I mention Baxter came along for a Sunday drive with Bruce? Did I mention he was perfect?

When we left it looked like this:Don't let that picture fool you, it was only the beginning of the deluge. Look closely on the right and you'll see the road sign advertising the show!

I'm not too keen on driving when I can't see, however, I had no choice as the rain continued for the entire drive. Barely getting over 50mph any of the way it took us much longer than we'd have liked. The good news is we both arrived home safely about the time we'd have been closing the show. Wait--did I say we both? I left out Baxter's safe arrival. Shame on me!

Lest you think Sunday was a bust, although nothing like Saturday, I managed to sell 17 more things including a canvas. I'd expected things to be slow in the morning because of Palm Sunday, and they were; add iffy weather and you've got an equation that is not great for an artist. Once we'd completed our loading I noticed a tent still standing with a woman calmly sitting inside. I went over to chat a minute and she said she COULD NOT WAIT TO GET OUT OF FLORIDA! She and her husband travel the show circuit, staying mostly in Florida during the winter. They live in Ohio so you can see why! Anyway, she complained bitterly about the early closing, as well as the horrible winter we've had (still better than Ohio I imagine). What can you do? I checked the paper and this month we've had more than double our usual amount of rain; I only wish all that rain would be during the week!

One thing you've probably already guessed is that there are always lots of photographers at a show. This one had sixteen including me. That is a lot of competition, mostly with people far more experienced than I, not to mention those who have a following. As well, when I began this journey, Bill suggested I would have to learn Photoshop, which I've yet to do. Most of my competition are masters at the game, taking from one picture something they like and moving it into another, creating something entirely new. I just can't bring myself to do that--I love taking the photographs, and coming up with ideas to create something, I just don't find editing exciting. So now you know just how lucky I am to have the sales that I do. I'm very, very grateful.

Expectations

I finally figured out what was making me so anxious about this show--there is an expectation that I'm somebody, when we all know that's not true. Let me restate that--I am somebody--a wife, mother, sister and friend--just not in the artistic sense yet. I'm trying.... In today's paper the art columnist described the gallery, "Local art hot spot, Comma..." He did not run one of my photographs, which is just as well. Secondly, they are pricing the pieces; believe you me, they are much, much higher than I would, which most likely translates into no sales. Only five more days to go! I read in a post from Matt's blog about the Obama's art choices. What really struck me was a quote that said something along these lines: The pieces have real "Wall Power"--very colorful. I'm going to think that way when choosing pieces to print from now on! Wall Power all the way baby!

I'm including a couple of kitchen shots with today's post because I'm a bit crazy for photography. When I see the light a certain way, or something is colorful, I just can't help myself. You are good to indulge me....

This is the marvelous drawer Bruce made for our pantry. The pantry is narrow, deep, and dark, making things hard to locate in the back. As you can see I have my oils, vinegars, and sauces in one neat spot. The skylight is above this, making everything sparkle.

This is our counter fruit bowl fresh from the dishwasher. Although I thought I was randomly placing the fruit in the bowl, I just liked the way it looked. That's a tea towel from Crate & Barrel underneath.

When I posted the slideshow the other day, I neglected to mention something I hope you'll find interesting. Central Florida may now have leaves that change, but it doesn't mean we don't have our own version of fall color. Remember I mentioned I took the long way home? I was driving along when all of a sudden I came upon this gorgeous scene.
I wish I used my Panasonic because I think it would have been better, but the Nikon was the closest on the seat. Anyway, as far as the eye could see, there were small yellow wildflowers blooming. What a treat for both the eyes, and the soul. As well, along the roadways there was a beautiful grass-like plant with almost golden tassels swaying in the breeze. I suspected it might be goldenrod, which after a bit of checking, confirmed my suspicions. Here is something amazing I found in Wikipedia, or at least it is to me. I've always had an extreme fascination with Thomas Edison.
Industrial use
"Inventor Thomas Edison experimented with goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally.[6] Edison created a fertilization and cultivation process to maximize the rubber content in each plant. His experiments produced a 12 foot tall plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber. The rubber produced through Edison's process was resilient and long lasting. The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Ford were made from goldenrod. Examples of the rubber can still be found in his laboratory, elastic and rot free after more than 50 years. However, even though Edison turned his research over to the U.S. government a year before his death, goldenrod rubber never went beyond the experimental stage." Simply amazing!

And then there are the golden rain trees blooming throughout the city. So who says we don't have fall color?

Did I mention the heat? Oh my it's been hot, all week over 90 degrees. I read in yesterday's paper that the temperature on the day of my beach trip was the hottest, October 7th since 1992. No end is in sight as of this post. Of course, I could be freezing like it is in Chicago. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, however, Jonathan mentioned snow is predicted for the weekend. Matt turned on the heat in London. Unfathomable. Yours truly will be out being a street vendor for about 17 hours--Lord help me! Actually the market hours on Sunday are extended until 6pm because of the Pride parade which runs on the street alongside the market. Sadly, last year that was one of the worst sale days, so it's not for that reason, more a logistical problem of not being able to retrieve our vehicles. Maybe this year we'll be pleasantly surprised.

News flash!! The Capital Grille passed final inspection yesterday! You knew he could do it, didn't you? Two more tough weeks until turnover which will require travel, travel, and then some. It is kinda sad that Mr. Bruce will be unable to be there with me on Tuesday night, although I know he will be in spirit. Remember, this whole gig was his idea.

Cleaning

Yesterday morning I did a little photo shoot of the gardens at Casa Feliz, the Gamble Rogers's house that was moved to Park Avenue a few years ago. The gardener there also does Regina's yard (my awesome neighbor); she shared a few pictures I'd taken with him. As such, he wanted me to photograph the gardens so he could have a picture for his office to show off his handiwork. It didn't take long so just down the street is the Winter Park Cemetery where there is the only angel monument I'm aware of in town. Pictured above is yesterday's shot, below one about a year ago. I seriously thought it was brand new! I was absolutely amazed when I saw the transformation. Frankly, for a photograph, I think the dirty one has more interest.

Today, Mr. Coleman, along with his assistant Mike, came to the house to clean. They cleaned the white sofa in the sunroom, the striped chair and throw pillows for the sofa. Moving into the living room, they did both couches. Mr. Coleman was kind enough to show me the dirty water from the living room couches.....nice. I explained that we'd had them for probably ten years without even one cleaning and they should have been dirty. These days no one hardly even sits on them except for Baxter who squished in between the cushions to watch the world go by.

Today, however, he's had to hunt around for a dry piece of furniture to snuggle on. My bed was moved to clean the carpet underneath and as such I had to get the stuff from under there out before they came. I was delighted to find a box containing our negatives from our last trip to Europe, which was way too long ago. Anyway, I'd searched before without luck, cursing myself for throwing them out. Happy news, they are still here! I thought it wasn't like me to trash something like that, and now I know I didn't. Not that I can do much with them, but still....

As well, I found a portfolio of Matt's art work from when he was in high school. That boy is talented for sure. That's one reason I rely on his expertise when choosing something important. I'll have to get his opinion on this next gallery show set for October. We've discussed that haven't we? If not, we'll talk about it when it gets closer.

Wouldn't you know it...not a drop of rain these last three days. In fact, there was only one day of rain last week aside from Sunday's downpour. It is threatening as we speak and I wish it would just go ahead and rain so the sprinkler system won't come on in the morning. Last week, the aforementioned day was Thursday afternoon, just hours after the sprinklers soaked the yard. Please, please, no rain on Sunday!!!

I delivered a canvas yesterday morning after the shoot to a customer from Whole Foods. I was delighted to hear that a print they had previously purchased from me as a gift was extremely well received this last weekend in Miami. Those kind of comments make it worthwhile!

I've spent time today dragging things into my new iPhoto library. Because my online gallery is linked to it, there are pictures that have to be there. One thing I can tell you is that I've taken an awful lot of terrible shots. As I scrolled through the months I cringe at some of them, but hopefully all that practice has paid off a bit. I'll be updating my gallery either this evening or tomorrow. Then, if you have time check it out and let me know what you think.

I took a little break to eat my dinner with the newspaper keeping me company while I ate. I read this little blurb about John Travolta's son's death. What struck me in the article was that Scientology does not recognize autism. Are those people crazy or what? Who doesn't recognize autism???? That just blows my mind, but then again, they don't recognize depression do they? Hmmmm......

Lastly, I've mentioned in this space before about all the celebrity deaths this year, well, here's the photographic evidence.
Deaths in 2009 Photo Gallery

Shared via AddThis
Ending on a happier note, after resting most of the day Monday and Tuesday, I'm back in business. Thank you for your well wishes dear readers.

One of my all time favorite Coldplay songs:
----------------
Listening to: Coldplay - Clocks
via FoxyTunes
----------------
Listening to: Semisonic - Closing Time
via FoxyTunes

Here's Some Color for You

As some of you know I have lots of daisy pictures but not so many of hibiscus. I've been doing my best to get a great picture of a red hibiscus, a flower I adore. For those of you unfamiliar with them, their beautiful blooms last just one day. I've probably already described how many beautiful colors there are in a previous post, today I want to mention that red flowers are very difficult to get right. I found this paper at Sam Flax and have tried to make something of it. It may be too much for most folks--what do you think?

Previous posts, indeed, there have been many. For many, many years I tried to keep a journal and never got past about a months worth of entries. I can hardly believe I've kept this up for more than two years.I go back in time (re-reading old posts)infrequently, but it's nice that I can.

Hurray! I've successfully cleaned up the external hard drive! Let's hope when my new Leopard operating system arrives in the mail next week I'll be so lucky.

Remember when I signed up for facebook? I'm glad I did. Jonathan, Alissa and Matthew are attending big summer music festivals in their respective large cities and I get to see photos right off--nice. In other facebook news, we learned we are now Great Aunt Gail, and Great Uncle Bruce, to Mallory's beautiful new baby, Annabelle.(Capitalizing great seems wrong to me--is it?) Michele is bursting with joy. No waiting around for pictures--we have instant access to them. Last week or so I heard this piece on All Things Considered:Mom + Facebook I hope our sons did not struggle so before befriending us!

So yesterday I forgot to mention two things I read in the paper. One is that one of the members of the band Beastie Boys has parotid (spell check does not recognize this word btw) gland cancer, if you can imagine. How is that for a coincidence? Just last week we discussed my pg problem, which seems to have disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Secondly, the man who was responsible for making WD40 a household name died. Apparently it stands for Water Displacement and 40 tries to get it right. I love trivia like that.

I'm going to try something new tonight--photographing one of those crystals under a black light--we'll see how that turns out.

Bruce is home all week. Fantastic--I get to cook. Tonight we're having "Creamy Dreamy Polenta" from the Flying Biscuit Cafe cookbook. I fixed it once when Alissa and Jon were home and she became a big fan. Sliced tomatoes, crusty bread, and a fancy green bean salad from the Times, which we've never tried. I'm infusing the olive oil as we speak, the balsamic vinegar is reduced, and the walnuts are toasted. It doesn't matter what time in the afternoon I begin to cook, Baxter plants himself in front of the door assuming Bruce will be home for dinner, sometimes he is, lots of the time not. You've got to feel a little bad for him the nights he just has to hang out with me!
----------------
Listening to: M83 - Don't Save Us From the Flames (Superpitcher Remix)
via FoxyTunes

Untitled

This Australian black swan is like me--a sleepy head. Got about nine hours last night!

It has surely been a summer of celebrity deaths hasn't it? My goodness. The latest, of course, is Frank McCourt. I was a huge fan of Angela's Ashes; I only wish I could remember how I came to read it. Knowing how much I admired him, Jonathan sent me a link to this: Memories. I can only imagine the fond memories former students would write about my infamous sister-in-law, Judy. Those who know her know just what I'm talking about! Through the years, because we share the same last name, I've heard so many wonderful comments about her--"although I got a D in her class, she was my favorite teacher," "she was such an influence on my life," "hardest and funniest teacher I ever had," to name just a few that come to mind. This has gone on for over thirty years! I even met a young man at the convention I did in October who had her back in the 80's, he told me how much he loved her. Judy and Mr. McCourt share a few things--both are Irish, Catholic, and witty. One thing they don't have in common is sentence diagramming expertise, a skill that Mr. McCourt seems to have lacked. Judy, on the other hand, can diagram like it's a competition sport! She's finally having a summer to herself--maybe she'll start writing.

Oddly enough Maureen called yesterday afternoon hoping I'd remember a book we both read a while back. She reminded me that x-rays were part of the plot. Although I couldn't remember the name of it, I did remember that photography was also featured in the novel. Wracking our brains together did nothing, however, after we hung up she did a little searching, coming up with the name, Evidence of Things Unseen. If you didn't read it the first time I blogged about it try doing so now. So what pray tell, aside from plugging the novel again, am I getting at? Well....just the other day I was considering how much all my years of taking x-rays has helped my photography. Jokingly, when people ask how long I've been a photographer, I answer, "most of my life, I just used bigger equipment!" Which is actually true. I learned how to look at things in a three dimensional way which I think helps my compositions. When x-raying, say a wrist, you take three different views showing how the same subject takes on a totally different look, something I try to do with what I'm photographing these days. I learned about contrast, particularly with mammograms. Exposure time--in today's cameras, ISO. You get the picture.

It has been a while since I've passed on a household tip hasn't it? I'm rectifying that as of today! Baby wipes apparently are just as good, if not better, than a stain stick. A shirt I tried on at JCrew had makeup on the front which the clerk removed in a jiffy with a baby wipe. Obviously it wasn't my makeup because once again I went out looking like a hag. That, of course, is beside the point. They tell me it works miracles for all sorts of clothing mishaps.

Speaking of mishaps, my external hard drive has essentially eaten my iPhoto library. Sad, but true. I spent nearly two hours with Apple support folks this afternoon confirming what Matt already suspected. I would be crying if not for Picasa which copied loads of my pictures (lots, and lots of terrible ones I might add); as well Roger has nearly 500 images of mine, much to his amazement. When we began working together he never dreamed I would try and sell so many different images! He has a backup system times three so I think those are safe and sound.

Jonathan gave Bruce three months of movies on Netflix for Father's Day, which has been very interesting. Bruce's que has included some really terrible movies, one of which garnered a 5%, yes I wrote 5%, on Rotten Tomatoes. I watched for about fifteen minutes, bitterly complaining the whole time, and then looked it up on RT. It was one with Mandy Moore and Diane Keaton, the title of which I've promptly forgotten due to the utter stupidity of the movie. Anyway, when I sent Jonathan an email telling him about it, he hardly believed that a movie had that low a rating. When I saw it made me laugh much harder than my fifteen minutes with the movie! I'm urging him to rethink the queue!

Time to reformat the hard drive--I hope I can pull this off by myself!

It's What I Do

I take pictures.

I've only just realized that when something interests me I tend to get a bit compulsive. If I think back over my life there have been different phases of compulsiveness, beginning with sewing, which kept me occupied for many, many years. It is kinda fun looking back at old pictures seeing all the old clothes I made that everyone wore except for Bruce; he was exempt from homemade clothes. In fact, in our foyer there is a picture of me with my mom in a gown I made for her when I was around 17. She would have been 46 at the time. I remember it was for a big charity ball and I was put on serious restrictions because I didn't work hard enough on it, instead spent time with Bruce when he visited. And then there was cross stitch, quilting, cooking, of course reading goes without saying. You will notice an absence of anything physical.

So now I'm obsessed with photography. Today there will be pictures, and more pictures. I was absolutely delighted to see this on the home page of the Times:

Nothing escapes Matt, even though he is far, far away. He posted a version of this on his blog (link to that on side bar--fiftyfivehundred), his is infinitely better than mine because I've no idea how to do a screen capture even though Jonathan has tried to teach me how to do it. Matt called me "intrepid" which sounded kinda good and the feature "crowd sourced". What it amounts to is that they've asked for readers photos, which of course as it turns out, I have plenty....

Somehow I've deleted my sidebar!! A project for the morning.

I neglected to mention swimming on the above list just because it is part of who I am--I've never gotten over my love of water. When we bought this house nearly 14 years ago I was so thrilled to finally be able to have a pool. It was a shame that the children were mostly grown--Jonathan used it before he became addicted to a computer game that will go unnamed, and, truth be told, Bill and Dave did plenty of tanning in the pool during their modeling days. Anyway, those few faithful readers, and you know who you are, know that the chore of keeping the pool up has come up lots, probably too many times, in this blog. After getting rained out at the market on Sunday, I arrived home to find this pool cleaner (study photograph). Mr. Bruce surprised me--Christmas in June!!! The only trouble is that it's not working just right; we seem to have an air leak which is causing it to crawl, not buzz along the bottom, as it should. Tomorrow I'll probably have to call a repair person to get things working properly, and then I'll be in hog heaven! The pool looks mighty good though....

Because it seems as if Mr. Bruce has the obesity gene in his family I'm trying my best to help him not gain any more weight. Traveling for a living doesn't help much, eating out all the time. At home I've been making soup (the splatter incident, you may recall) and other meals with lots of veggies. Last night we had this:

Pretty huh? I love deviled eggs, somehow I don't make them often enough although I made my share while Mom was dying. I'd make a big batch and she'd have them for lunch because they were so easy. I've finally learned how to make them just right so peeling is a breeze.

Tonight the Magic take on the Lakers at home. This is a do or die situation because we are down two games. This afternoon Michelle and I were chatting about Sunday's heart breaking loss in LA, with her saying she almost cried when they lost in overtime. When I parked the Element to take photos of the Church Street Station for the calendar contest I saw this:

When I was looking for photos to put on the blog today I thought that this is how most fans feel right about now--deflated, and hanging on by a thread (string. The city is emblazoned with Magic paraphernalia right now with massive poster type things on the high rises downtown. While watching the games from LA I wondered how Orlando would hold up to such pressure--turns out not so good. Tonight, however, the fans are still hanging in there (balloon metaphor), let's hope the team and Orlando put on a good show for the worldwide audience expected to tune in!

You know how I started by saying I was compulsive about certain things, maybe it would have been clearer if I'd said I was obsessed. Yes, that's the correct word for it. The Magic--I was obsessed with them for years, only letting my interest wane in the last few. The boys will remember that Bruce and I went to the very first exhibition game twenty years ago while Maureen watched them. I spent years listening to the radio broadcasts of games while sewing nightly....obsessed, that I was. Tip off in about an hour. Let's go Magic, let's go!

Auction

For quite a while now I've been meaning to write about my friend from the market. Here's what I know about her: Her name is Wafaa and she's married to Rick. She is French and spent some time living in Morocco. She and her mother along with Regina and her husband make the most amazing food. I first met her at the Whole Foods market when she was set up next to me. The first thing I tried was a Napoleon and I thought I'd died and went to heaven. The oh-so light pastry with the creamiest filling you can imagine. Following that I began to sample her ample varieties of quiches which are simply delicious. Her almond croissants, strawberry and lemon tarts, not to mention sandwiches, are some of the best things I've ever tasted. Add the fantastic food to a great personality and it is no wonder her business is a great success. During one of my weekly market photo strolls I took this one of her next to one of the 10 foot tall guitars being auctioned off this very night.

Which segues nicely into my photo shoot on Monday. I got a message from darling Amber at City Hall that they were looking for local photographers to shoot the motorcade of guitars as they made their way to Universal Studios for the auction this evening. Although I needed to do stuff to catch up around the house, I decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Turns out I was right. My pictures are only so-so, for a variety of reasons, but it was very fun nonetheless. I met a really great photographer named Cindy.Cindy Ord She moved here from NYC three years ago but still travels there twice a year to shoot Fashion Week. Her real goal is to do photojournalism, but for now wedding photography is paying her bills. We stood together on the bridge over I-4 for about thirty minutes chatting and getting to know one another. It was quite a thrill being over the highway; when a semi drove behind us you could feel the bridge shaking just a bit which was a tad scary. All of a sudden here the trucks came! She shot from one side, me the other. Here's a sample from me:

They passed under us in all of about two minutes or so it seemed! In the background the new arena for the Magic is pictured. I read in the paper on Tuesday that later in the day one of the cranes toppled, injuring no one; it seemed so weird that the day I shot this an accident occurred later. Anyway we then made our way to City Hall to upload the pictures in the Communications Department. For our trouble we received two passes to the auction tonight featuring a performance by the Blue Man Group. Of all things Bruce won't be in town until later so I'm taking Maureen. The thing is that he's been bugging me to see that show and I've resisted. Here's yet another link detailing not only the event, but the benefiting charities. Tonight's the Night
It seems as if Orlando is not the first city to have a Guitar Town, I'll have to check out the website further to see the ones done in London. Speaking of which I had a lovely, (always long) video chat with Matt on Tuesday afternoon. It's always such a nice surprise when the phone rings and I see all those numbers come up. From there we switch to visual because it is so much nicer. Matt not only looks good, but is doing well, aside from having to work longer hours than he'd like.

As you well know Mr. Bruce travels most weeks and has for years and years. Lately that hasn't been the case so much, which is super good. Last night I realized that I'd made dinner for the both of us for twelve days in a row which is some kind of record. When the children were home I pretty much cooked all the time; it's good to see I haven't lost my mojo in the kitchen.
----------------
Listening to: The Cure - Pictures Of You
via FoxyTunes

Officially Spring

Living in Florida, as you know by now, one experiences mostly two seasons--hot, and less hot. That said, this year has been a bit different. We've experienced much cooler weather than the previous three, or four years, with several freezes thrown in for good measure. This is a good thing; it seems criminal to run the air conditioner in January! To anyone who lives up North that smacks of fiction, but I swear we've had to do it before.

Today has been glorious with mild temperatures, blue skies, and a wonderful breeze. Angela and I went to the prestigious Winter Park Art Festival early this morning to beat the crowds. It is usually so thick with people you can't even see the booths so Friday is your best bet. We saw some very nice things, many of which are familiar to me because we've gone to lots of shows. Guess what the entry fee is? You'll never guess. Have I got you curious yet? Ok--$475!!! There are thousands upon thousands of browsers, not so many buyers. Imagine being an artist who travels from say Michigan, paying that kind of fee, staying in a hotel for probably five days minimum; you've got to sell a lot of art to make up for those expenses. To tell you the truth, I'm glad I'm not big time. There are over 200 artists, and for most people that is art overload. I'm glad I can only get into the small ones where at least I have a chance to be memorable.

Which brings me to a subject that I've given some thought to. Photography has a reputation for not really being art, and after seeing the displays today I would have to agree. Mostly what I saw was what I call "travel photography." Gorgeous pictures of Venice, or Paris, or you name the beautiful place, and we saw it. What they lacked was any creativity. Furthermore it is my contention that most people if given a big time camera and a travel budget could turn out spectacular images. I can just imagine Matt shaking his head no at this point, and hopefully I'm wrong. I hate to think of being judged by those standards. One girl's photos stood out however. Using little figures next to food and everyday objects, she created whimsical photographs that weren't suffering Photoshop overload. I wonder how many she sells.

Which brings me to the pricing. Wow, I'm cheap compared to lots of those folks. What I charge $250 for, they charge $900! Lots of canvas and even photographs on basically foam core. Let's just say it was an "eye-opening" experience.

It seemed like everywhere we turned there was someone I knew. The Whiteds were out in full force. I got to see four of their grandchildren, and two of their daughters, which is always a joy. After strolling through about half of the exhibits we took off for the Ravenous Pig, a wonderful bistro nearby. Angela and I shared our entrees making for a very tasty lunch. Maureen would have joined us if not for her interview today. No details to report as of now.

I may have mentioned that Mr. Bruce has spent some Sunday afternoons sprucing up the yard while I'm hawking my wares. Here is one of his little projects. You are seeing only about a third of the trunk of this gigantic oak which he swears will fall down on the house one day. I respond that we have insurance for that sort of thing.

After you have established yourself as camera crazy people seem to be quite gracious allowing the practice of same in their gardens, especially master gardeners who love to show off their work. We've got two who live nearby that never turn me down. I took this in the yard about two blocks away. This won't ever see the bins in my booth but it feels like spring to me.

Yesterday I planted two tomato plants, along with thyme, parsley, basil and a red pepper plant. The Obamas and I think alike. Now we'll have something to look forward to together. I'll keep you posted on the progress.
----------------
Listening to: Bloc Party - Banquet
via FoxyTunes

----------------
Listening to: Bloc Party - Banquet
via FoxyTunes

Three Faces

The weather was gray and dreary yesterday morning during our set up with rainstorms predicted during the day. This always makes one leery of setting up but set up we did. Bruce put up the sides just in case. This always takes longer than you want. As well Mr. Roger was a bit behind in getting me some new baby canvases. We planned our display including them and hung the walls accordingly. Mr. Roger arrived and Bruce set to work putting wires on them. He has to use our table to do this so the browse baskets were on the ground or in a chair. Much to our surprise people started coming to the market early, going through the baskets wherever they were. I had six sales before we were even ready. As you can well imagine I was not complaining!

One of the buyers was a woman who loved the picture below. She was returning to Philadelphia later in the day so couldn't purchase it. Additionally she really needed a portrait orientation piece. Of course, I'd taken it that way and our agreement was for me to email her the image and if she liked it we will ship it. It is one of my most popular images and I don't think you've ever seen it.

As we've discussed in the past I'm always having photographers want to talk technicals, an area I'm woefully unqualified to discuss. They ask me how I got this image etc., etc., etc. I think some of them don't believe that I don't have any special lighting, photoshop, or that I take so many pictures with a point and shoot. You can see for yourself how this was accomplished--very professional, huh? While looking for the portrait version I found this:

So now you know my secrets.

Arriving home after a good day (no rain!), I found two new shelves over my desk Bruce installed during my absence. I was surprised and thrilled. The light is poor right now or I'd show you my new set up. Bruce is so great at displays as you can see from the picture of his desk. He set mine all up and it is wonderful! What a man!

He's off to Pennsylvania this morning, heading to both Erie, and Pittsburgh. He plans a side trip to Falling Waters, a place he's always wanted to see. Unfortunately the tours are not running during the week in the winter but hopefully we'll be able to head there when the weather warms up a bit. When Matt lived in Chicago he made sure we saw all sorts of great places, one of which was Frank Lloyd Wright's studio in Oak Park. We didn't have adequate time to tour the studio, however, we will have to get back there on a visit to see Jonathan and Alissa.

Speaking of them--they are way, way over this winter. It seems interminable this year. The snow of last year was a great novelty for Florida kids--this year not so much!

I wonder what photographic opportunities will come my way today?

Finally, for Valentine's Day Bruce surprised me with a super cool vase and silk orchids from Crate & Barrel--another addition to my office space. My stomach hurt big time when I returned from Saturday's market and stayed that way all evening so we stayed home. No worries--it is VD around here all the time!

-----------------
Listening to: Snow Patrol - How To Be Dead
via FoxyTunes

Huge on the Text

Today's title refers to something I heard on BBC Radio 1 today. While driving to the framers BBC 1 was broadcasting what I think used to be called a call in show, or a request line if you will. Today it's a text line I suppose, however out of context it seemed sorta comical to me.

So, we are back. We got home last evening before dark after a lovely little stay in St. Augustine. I tried not to take too many touristy shots but it can't be helped. In that spirit I give you St. Augustine as I saw it:

Now that you've seen the show you are thinking to yourself several of those don't seem like they are St. Augustine to me and you would be right! On the way I couldn't resist stopping at a state park called Washington Oaks. There was a lovely formal garden with the largest and most fragrant roses I've seen since a visit to California. As well on the beach side of the park there are those rocks that intrigue me although I'm certain I wouldn't want to swim there for fear of hurting myself while body surfing. If you people up North can imagine there were people in bathing suits!

We stayed, per Maureen's insistence at Casa Monica. I believe Bruce paid a small fortune for the room but I'm not going to look at this point. It is a beautiful place situated across from Flagler College. In the past we've discussed Henry Flagler's impact on our state so I won't belabor it; he sure knew how to have built magnificent properties. The memorial church built for his daughter is included in the slide show as is the vault where he is interred.

I must confess that we did not stay up till midnight. I still wasn't 100%; after a great time people watching, having a martini at a place that I told Bruce, "how could you not stop?", (because it was so inviting) we headed back to the hotel. The bar spilled out into the lobby with all sorts of people! We saw people in all manner of dress including a bride and groom with their wedding party. There were two women in heels that I swear were 6" tall! Across from us an older couple (probably our age) sat with what I'm presuming was their daughter and her date. While the young couple were there everyone chatted; when they left for a bit the couple just stared into space which made me sad. It seemed as if they had nothing to say to each other unless others were around. I'm so glad to report that Bruce and I never have that problem even after all these years. He kindly relented when I said I was too tired to stay up any longer.

Tomorrow is the hanging of the show. I'm picking up the pieces this evening on our way to meet Briggs and Victoria for dinner. Earlier today the pieces were on Nancy's work table as pictured in the slideshow.

I love my birthday gift from Matt as pictured on the left side of my bulletin board. That girl is going to be watching over me as I work.

I've realized in the last few days that what I want to show are pieces that are "compelling." That sounds kinda corny, but I want ones that invite a second look or are good enough to make someone either smile, go wow, or scratch their head and wonder what I was thinking. That will be my 2009 goal.

Thanks to all my wonderful family for the gifts, phone calls, and well wishes. I couldn't keep on without your love and support!

Speed Limit Birthday

Yes, that's what I'm having today, although not a speed limit I actually like to travel--55. Maybe I've told you before that my friend Dean uses that little phrase to describe birthdays and I like it.

I've finally quit blowing my nose (now that I have three boxes of tissue in the house) with coughing mostly limited to when I'm lying down. Thankfully this is the case! Bruce has agreed to take Wednesday and Thursday off; we're heading up to St. Augustine shortly, but not before he returns with my birthday breakfast of choice--a poppy seed bagel from Einsteins. I love to toast them and either use butter, or cream cheese. I'm one of those people who like my toast dark contrary to what they usually serve in restaurants. I hate it when they only barely warm the bread.

Most of you know that we honeymooned there for two days thirty five years ago. We've only been back maybe two times since and never overnight. Turns out the city strings two million lights over everything for about ten weeks this time of year with lots of fun activities including ice sculptures and the like. You, my dear readers, will experience it via photographs in only a few short days.

Speaking of photographs, we went to see Florida State play in the Champs Bowl on Saturday night. Earlier in the day I'd done the market, taking my weekly photos for posterity--actually they are for Whole Foods, but you get the idea. Anyway, when I returned home I thought maybe I should change batteries even though the current one had 2/3 charge left. Grabbing the spare from my camera bag, off we went. This was a STUPID move on my part. Ordinarily the battery in my bag is fresh, this time, not so. I must have changed it somewhere, forgot to charge it when I got home, and was stupid enough not to check it while still home this time. I got maybe four shots and the camera died. Not good. I was so hoping to share some great shots with Jonathan since he couldn't see it in person. I'm checking all my batteries before I leave the house in the future!

By the way, Bruce's inspection went off without a hitch. At one point the job was two weeks behind but with super project manager Bruce on the job they finished in time with a minimal punch list. Now why doesn't that surprise you?

Yesterday I finally saw the prints of what is going to be in the show. One of them did not print as well as I'd like, so before we leave I'm picking up something else to drop off at the framer. I like her very much; her mission is to enhance what I do and for that I'm grateful! I am trying not to get to nervous about the whole thing. Mainly I hope people come and I can feel proud of what I'm showing, mostly things no one has seen before. Time will tell. Of course time tells about everything, doesn't it?

----------------
Listening to: Adele - Daydreamer
via FoxyTunes

----------------
Listening to: Adele - Daydreamer
via FoxyTunes

----------------
Listening to: Adele - Daydreamer
via FoxyTunes

Bits & Pieces

The other day the post on Digital Photography School reminded me that there are close up lenses at the camera store just waiting to be purchased. As such, I zoomed (notice I no longer motored as that is a term reserved for MINI drivers) over to Colonial Photo and Hobby and purchased some. They come in a set of three for around thirty dollars which you screw on in front of your lens like a filter. As you know, I'm not a huge fan of changing lenses; instead of buying an expensive dedicated macro lens I figured I'd give them a try. The camera struggles to autofocus, giving me an opportunity to once again practice my manual focus. Here is a tiny, tiny little butterfly, somewhat out of focus, but cute nonetheless.

Yesterday I went to the mall for some pre-Christmas shopping. I always take the baby camera with me in case something presents itself which is the case more often than not. I got a big kick out of seeing these dis-interested men sitting. Need I say more?

One of my favorite aspects of Christmas is listening to music. While visiting Matt was kind enough to purchase a new Mary Chapin Carpenter album for me which has already given me a great deal of pleasure. Of course there is always my perennial favorite, Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians. As well, last year Jonathan gave me a terrific James Taylor Christmas cd.

I received the strangest e-mail last night from a stranger. He said while buying orchids from Tom Ritter (THE orchid man in town) he came across my photos. Now how this could be possible, I've no idea, but somehow he got my email address and had all sorts of complimentary things to say. Who knew?

As is always the case, there are things going on behind the scenes with Out & About Photography that would bore you if I documented everything. I will tell you that Mr. Bruce asked me to make some desk calendars for his workmates with separate ones for ladies and men. He chose from a batch and Vista Print made it happen, with a little help from me. Arriving in yesterday's post, we couldn't be happier with the product.

When Jonathan vacuumed on Thanksgiving day we all agreed that the vacuum smelled dreadful while running. Talk about recycling, have I got one for you! Finally I was getting around to vacuuming this morning; immediately removing the bag, I rushed it to the outdoor trash can. Unfortunately it turned out to be my ONLY bag. Orek bags are to be found only at their store about 14 miles away leaving me with two options: retrieve the used bag or not vacuum. You know me well enough by now to know what I did next. Talk about an unpleasant task! I grabbed hold of the ICK and started pulling. Before you get too grossed out, stick with me a minute, this is a tale of being green--not throwing away a perfectly good vacuum bag. With the bulk of it emptied, I replaced it on the machine, but not before liberally dousing the inside with the strongest perfume I have, a John-Paul Gaultier. I'm assuming this perfume has not been previously used in this manner, however, there's always a first time for everything. I sprayed the cavity and the outside of the bag as well. It worked pretty well for a makeshift idea. This way I can go get the bags at a more leisurely pace, or not.

With all the talk of David, Matthew, and Jonathan, you might think I'd forgotten that I have another son to write about. Shame on me for neglecting to mention that on Thanksgiving Day we all watched a DVD featuring Bill (among others) giving a guitar lesson on finger tapping. It is part of a project produced by Mark Tremonti, the guitarist for Creed. He and Bill have been friends for years which is mutually beneficial. Bill has taught him a lot about guitar playing while Mark has introduced him to influential people. It doesn't hurt that they just plain like each other either! That said, Bill does a remarkable job--we are all so proud and a bit awed at how poised he is. He went to Chicago to do the filming and there is the cutest segment of him at the door watching the snow fall--that's a Florida boy for you. Lest I forget to discuss the lesson--he is simply amazing. We realized he'd been playing now for over half his life. I still remember the first guitar I bought from the newspaper which seems a bit quaint now. I'm thinking it was a Christmas gift. From there it was the pawn shop to today when Dean Guitars builds him his own model. How about that?


----------------
Listening to: Vince Gill - Do You Hear What I Hear
via FoxyTunes

So Much To Say

These have been busy days my friends. So many places, people, and events to report on that I thought I might make it easier by showing you.




I took a trip to the zoo the other day which definitely received mixed reviews, not only physically, but photographically. I tried my best to focus inside the cages with very little success. I was positive I had the Toucan, alas it was still a bit fuzzy. The building with the snakes and reptiles was one of my favorite parts because they were so colorful. I managed to get this picture of a Skank of all things. I hardly knew that derogatory term was a real living reptile. I'd not been to the zoo since the children were way, way young. I just realized it was even before Jonathan was born. I've got a darling photo of the boys having a pony ride. No ponies these days. I will say that although the zoo is poorly funded, they do a good job with what they have.

Barely home for long and then off to see Jane's son Carter, and his girlfriend, Lauren playing at a downtown bar to raise funds for literacy. A good time was had by all.

I am happy to report Bruce got home that night. He had a meeting on Thursday morning but stayed home the rest of the day working. He did take a bit of a break midday and we did a few errands together which is not something we get to do very often these days.

Which brings us to Friday/Saturday and the Fresh Summit convention. Turns out it was a huge produce marketing convention. Arriving on Friday we were a bit lost, but Jane kept a level head and eventually we got set up. Our convention center is massive; parking and unloading at the farthest from your assigned space is NOT my idea of fun. She reminded me that we were here for the adventure. Our location did not receive many visitors however I did manage some sales. It was pretty cool to see new produce products including the dragon fruit pictured, as well as those reddish spiky things. I wish I could remember the name of those because they were fascinating looking. Although they look sharp, they feel more like plastic scrubby things you would use for cleaning in the kitchen. Once opened it almost looks like an eyeball minus the pupil--not so appetizing to me, but it may find a market.

One of the customers told me that she first saw grape tomatoes a few years ago at this same convention. Her husband predicted that no one would buy them, but as we all know now, they are hot sellers. I love to pop them in my mouth like fruit. Apparently they are easy to grow and less labor intensive than cherry tomatoes which have all but disappeared from produce markets.

Sunday's market was my second best sales day there ever. Having picture perfect weather must have helped, but frankly I was surprised after the challenging economic news last week. Did I mention I was delighted as well?

While at the market I picked up the latest copy of Orlando Weekly, our local alternative newspaper. Last week Ruth altered me that the accompanying photo with the review of the "Love Works" show was mine. Forgive me for the poor wording of the above sentence, I can't seem to get it just right. Anyway imagine my surprise seeing my piece along with my name in the paper. There were so many pieces that it was a total shock. Thank you Ruth,you are such a great support.

Finally, I was also mighty surprised to find a new format Rolling Stone in the mail. After all these years they have shrunk down to traditional magazine size. Paper costs?