blogaway

Free Syria

2012-02-06T10:12:00.003-06:00

I was downtown on Saturday and happened on this protest march. The people carried flags and posters and chanted: "Free, free Syria." Good luck to them and others in finding political freedom.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

2012-02-05T14:40:00.002-06:00

Or, you're never to old to do something new.
Today I changed some light bulbs. I know it doesn't sound like anything to brag about but these were on my car. Sad to say, I've been driving around for months with only one working headlamp on my car. This has annoyed my spouse to no end but not enough for him to get the bulb changed. Last night I was set to win the procrastinator of the year award when the second bulb gave up the ghost. Today being Sunday, of course no one was going to be able to service the car so I took the reins and Googled how to change a car light bulb. Next a search for an open auto supply store with the bulbs in stock and off I went hoping I wouldn't mistakenly buy the wrong product. Then for some time under the hood doing little praying that I wouldn't break something in my car. There were a few missteps--a dropped bulb, fingerprints on said bulb necessitating solvent to clean off the grease (as per instructions), some scrapes and grease on my hands--but things seemed to finally go through for the first bulb. But then the light still didn't work. Assuming I'd misconnected something, I looked more closely at the second light and changed that carefully. Still nothing. Finally, I figured out my mistake--I'd changed the high beams which were working, not the low beams. Feeling very glad no one was watching, I got back to work and replaced the other two light bulbs! Now my car has 4 working lights and I am, despite glitches, very proud of myself. And my family and I can drive to tonight's Super Bowl party safely.
In honor of "in the picture"--this month's theme "write on!" I commemorated the moment on my somewhat battered and greasy hands.

Night Shots

2012-02-04T13:00:00.004-06:00

Well, I got a bit stuck again after a good run at posting but last night I went out and looked for some neon to shoot. I find it hard to get the right amount of color, light and contrast on these shots but came up with a few that were at least satisfactory.

The largely Hispanic neighborhood west of my house is great for finding neon signs. It also made me crave tacos as there were a lot of tasty looking restaurants in the area. Unfortunately, last week I had a similar craving for Mexican food and found a little taqueria. One burrito, many chips, and 10 hours later, I came down with a nasty bout of food poisoning. Long story short, no tacos for me last night.

A Piece of Me

2012-01-29T09:42:00.004-06:00

Urban Muser has a lovely photography blog and is running a year long self-portrait project. I'm not all that keen on self portraits as I don't like to see myself, ever, in front of the camera, but what can be better self-therapy for camera shyness than posting pictures of myself. Muser started easy anyway with a request for a piece of oneself. This little piece of my came through playing with a mirror and my arm reflected. I kind of like the effect.

Here is another piece of me. The wedding ring was my grandmother's, now mine, and the mirror was my mother-in-law's. It has a warm feeling although the two never met and both are now gone.

The Sketchbook Project

2012-01-28T09:46:00.003-06:00

Sketchbook cover

Last summer a touring exhibit came through my local art center. It was called the Sketchbook Project and was a collection of sketchbooks from artists from all over the country (and some international folks too, if I remember correctly). The little books could be checked out and viewed and I just loved looking at and handling them.

I decided with heavy trepidation to try one myself for 2012. The trepidation results from my awareness that I am not talented in the drawing/sketching department and don't want to parade myself as being on a par with the talented folks who will be submitting theirs. On the other hand, there were many styles of sketchbooks and why not? Don't I need to lighten up and live a little? At 50 do I still care if my peers think I'm a dork and a geek? (Answer is, often, yes). So in the light of getting over myself I am submitting my little sketchbook this week (the deadline is the 31st). It will be out there for others to mock, ignore or enjoy as they will.

The theme of my book is Travel with Me. There was a choice and I chose to take my little book along with me to France this summer. As you can see from the pages I'm posting, mine is a cross between journal and scrap book with a few awkward sketches thrown in. I rebound the book and added additional sheets of paper, some from recycled paper items and a few from purchased sheets. At this point, I need to say, "It is what it is" and release it. I'm in the process of putting on the finishing touches and will likely post more scans in the next few days.

Cold Seats

2012-01-26T08:49:00.002-06:00

Bikes and snow don't mix all that well.

For Photo Sunday: Winter.

Winter is Here

2012-01-22T10:39:00.002-06:00

Well, worries about global warming aside, winter has arrived a few weeks late, but here at last. We've had our second heavy snowfall of the month and temperatures are in the 20's (Farenheit that is, for people who live in the rest of the world). I went to the University of Chicago campus to look for a few good pictures and here is what I came up with.

Play with Your Food

2012-01-21T17:03:00.004-06:00

I was thinking of taking a food macro for a photo meme and realized I had access to an unusual but interesting background material--fresh snow! So I grabbed some candy in a pretty dish, and a few veggies and ran outside. Unfortunately my green pepper didn't come out well but here are my two best images.

After the Storm

2012-01-17T09:23:00.002-06:00

All that snow makes for a lovely picture (and cold fingers).

Derivative Art or Homage a Irving Penn

2012-01-16T13:28:00.003-06:00

I admit it, I'm bored. I hate going out this time of year and am at the tail end of a long weekend. Don't take me wrong--I like being off work but these winter days are so dreary! I don't feel all that sociable either.
So, I've been looking for a few photography memes to play with and found Photoblog Challenges. This month one of the challenges is to imitate another photographer's work and since I've found myself interested in still life photography of late, I surfed the internet looking for photos to mimic.
Given the winter shortage of fresh flowers and green leaves and my desire to imitate on a budget, the number of choices wasn't all that large. I did discover a new photographer (new to me that is) by the name of Irving Penn. They do say that imitation is the best form of flattery so here is my version of one of his still life photos.

For his original, you will need to go to this site or do your own internet search.

Visual relief from winter

2012-01-15T16:47:00.000-06:00

Growing wild in the Bahamas.

Danger de Mort!

2012-01-14T21:42:00.002-06:00

I believe this is warning fisherman not to get their lines caught in the live wires which were, incidentally, at least 20 feet up in the air. Electrocuting oneself would have been quite a feat.

For See It Sunday--theme "danger."

Global Snowing

2012-01-14T12:40:00.002-06:00

Well, winter was a little late in arriving but it's here! We get to participate in all those delightful activities such as making puddles on the floor of the house with melting snow, listening to the anti-lock brakes go as your car slips on ice and, of course, my personal favorite--shoveling! Fortunately fresh snow is pretty enough to almost make up for the hassles.

Of course if you don't like winter you can always make like a cat.

Shadowed

2012-01-12T09:15:00.002-06:00

My son and I were playing with our shadows on a walk we took over vacation. Three to six inches of snow heading my way today. I miss the sun.
Our weather reports are increasingly histrionic. No snowpocalypse comments, after all six inches is quite manageable, but the report I read included such phrases as: "extremely hazardous travel conditions," "very slippery roadway conditions and very poor visibility," and "plummeting temperatures, snow, howling winds and blowing snow." Aack, we're all going to die!

I've my 35 minute each way commute today under these terrible, very dangerous, frightfully frightful conditions. I'll let you know tomorrow if I survived. Have a nice day. S

Sea shells by the sea shore

2012-01-11T12:18:00.002-06:00

I collected these on the beach in the Bahamas. The picture had no color to speak of so I adjusted it to black and white. The animal is a mollusc known colloquially as Flamingo Tongue. Its scientific name is Cyphoma gibbosum. I actually saw one of these feeding on a sea fan while I was snorkeling. Alive, they are gorgeous but I didn't have a camera to capture how they look. They look sort of white with orange and black polka dots. I can't do justice to them so if you're curious do a brief image search on line.

A Warm Place for a Nap

2012-01-10T09:04:00.000-06:00

Just my cat being cute.

Mangled Money

2012-01-09T09:08:00.003-06:00

I'm rambling from past to present with my posts but bear with me.
We left the Bahamas the day after Christmas which was a holiday. We had time on our hands between the ferry from Great Guana Island to the airport in Marsh Harbor and nothing local seemed to be open. Our taxi driver suggested we go to this little cafe just outside of Marsh Harbor International Airport--one of the smallest airports you'll ever see that claims (truthfully) that it is international. It was one room with customs, immigration, baggage and ticketing all mixed up in and outside the building. On boarding a sign notified passengers that conch shells had to be checked in luggage not carried on the plane. I had to ask. It occurred to me that if they weren't well cleaned they might stink up the cabin but it turns out they might be used as a weapon. Who would've thunk it?

Sign in airport declares: "Penalty Imprisonment: X Months $XXX Fine."

At any rate our cabbie told us that her mother worked there and that we should mess with her by calling her by her first name when we walked in. We did so and she gave us a funny look, then said: "You met my mom." I think this gives one a feel for how small town the Bahamian islands feel.
Anyway we had breakfast/lunch at the cafe which was plastered with ornamented cash from prior diners. I found cash from multiple locations in South America as well as the expected US and Bahamian dollars. What fun. The food was "interesting." I ordered (for the experience) grits and tuna hoping for fresh fish. What I got was grits and a ball of tuna salad. I wouldn't especially recommend it. I should have ordered the fried plantains.

Out and About

2012-01-08T11:24:00.004-06:00

January 2008

I'm trying to get back to touring Chicago looking for the perfect(?) shot. Too often I get the feeling of "been there, done that" which I think is beside the point with photography. To continue the theme of past and present, here are three pictures of a nearby Chicago small church. The church added an awning since the first photo. I am puzzled by the words on the awning under the church's name. It says: "The church where Jesus is bigger than that?" I'm at a loss.

October 2008

January 2012

Note the first and last photos were both taken in January. Where's the snow this month? 36 degrees this morning and we've had weather in the 50's this week. Everyone is talking about global warming. We're also all going for walks.

Two Old Doors

2012-01-06T10:00:00.002-06:00

I loved this image when I took in in 2007 back when I was just starting to take pictures. I still like the look of these two doors so I went back to them a few days ago. I'll be saddened when they are repaired or the building is torn down.

Old Houses

2012-01-05T09:53:00.005-06:00

Vermont in the summer.

Bahamas in winter.

Chicago in winter

Gotta run to work now. Stay warm wherever you are.

Winter Begone

2012-01-01T16:20:00.002-06:00

Happy me--I spent a week with my family in the Bahamas for break. It wasn't a very wired trip so I didn't post for the duration but I did take a lot of photos. I will share a few with a tale or two now and maybe more as the week progresses.

To begin with, we stayed on a small (10 mile long) island in the Abacos, called Great Guana Cay. Initially I thought "Guana" was the same as "Guano" which seemed a bad start but actually Guana is a name of a lizard. Although we did see a couple of small lizards, they weren't the highlight of our trip. As might be expected that was the beach! I'm a bit of a gourmand for beaches but this was pretty special. The sand was as soft and fine as anywhere I've walked on and the water was so many shades of blue that I wouldn't know words for them. The camera definitely doesn't do it justice.

It is still winter in the Bahamas so temperatures varied from chilly, with a stiff wind, to balmy, sleeping with the windows open. After being home in Chicago for 4 days I especially miss the windows open part. I get cold easily so the one day we took a boat trip to a snorkeling preserve I actually wore a short wet suit and still found it cold. My memory of my last trip to the Bahamas (my honeymoon 22 years ago) was much warmer weather and water but of course that was in September.
The island was quiet--only 150 or so permanent residents and not too many tourists when we were there--and only accessible by ferry. Mostly residents walk or drive around in golf carts. We rented a cart one day and the kids had fun driving it. We tried to explore that day to both ends of the island but found that each is occupied by an exclusive club and is closed to the public. One end apparently houses a number of celebrities, we heard tell of Martha Stewart and Matt Damon. Apparently riffraff such as ourselves are not invited.

Pre-performing

2011-12-08T14:21:00.002-06:00

Tonight is dress rehearsal and there are performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday of my local Nutcracker show with me making a cameo as a, gasp, adult in the party scene. More importantly my younger son plays the eponymous Nutcracker. Kudos to him--it is a lot of hard work, especially as finals have started this week and he has a head cold.
I enjoy my minute or two in the limelight, something that comes as an absolute surprise to me. I was the kid who detested the school play but now I've discovered that although I'm a little nervous right before curtain time, I've finally learned not to care so much about how I seem to the audience. One good thing that came with age, I guess.
The picture is of me in my dress. I had to take it home to hem the skirt so I was able to pose in front of the bathroom mirror. For tonight's dress rehearsal I'll look much the same except I'll be wearing makeup (tons) and will remember hopefully to take my watch off! Getting my hair to cooperate into a bun shape is a bit of a challenge! It always has a tendency to escape from all attempts at control. I plan to spray (Aqua Gel believe it or not!), gel, tie, twist and hair net into submission. Kind of like wrestling with a python.
Wish me luck.

Airport photos

2011-12-07T12:04:00.002-06:00

On the way to Seattle before Thanksgiving I had a few moments to take airport pictures. Airports aren't too bad for photography. Sometimes, like in parts of O'Hare they can be quite eye-catching. In addition, I always have my camera and sometimes have nothing better to do. Here are a few shots.

For those of you who have never flown United through O'Hare airport, this is looking up in the lighted moving walkway area. It is great fun to take pictures of.

Looking through a circular screen in the food court.

Have One for Me

2011-12-01T10:46:00.002-06:00

Downtown San Francisco has some charming clocks to add to my "collection." For more clocks see my Flickr set.

Plotting

2011-11-30T12:12:00.002-06:00

Last month I attended a conference in San Francisco. I still haven't processed the photos but I did score a few more clock photos for my "collection" on Flickr. I stayed in a trendy-seeming hotel, a bit too trendy for my middle aged tastes, one of the highlights of which was this postcard.
Still trying to blog a bit more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T11:58:00.002-06:00

No turkey was harmed in the printing of this vintage postcard--I'm guessing around 1920's. Enjoy your holiday, day or weekend.

UN

2011-11-20T17:45:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I've been so UN--my last post was over a month (two?) ago. I've been uninspired, unavailable, uninteresting, unpleasant, unhappy, uninvolved, uninvested, uncool, unintelligent, etc. It is a bit of my annual fall laissez-faire, added to a bit of worry and woe and a bit of everyday ordinary laziness.
So what have I been up to during the past months' brain fog? Playing too many games of on-line Scrabble, reading books, making meals, watching TV, helping my son with Geometry (talk about ancient history for me), a bit of travel to San Francisco for a meeting and starting rehearsals for my annual Nutcracker show. Oh, I almost forgot, I work too. Unfortunately my creative brain took a leave of absence, hence too few photos and no blogging. I hope this will change soon enough. Perhaps this is the day. After my headache goes away.
TTFN.

Without Reservations

2011-09-25T11:07:00.006-05:00

Siena, Italy

I just finished reading Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach. It is the story of a nearly year long "sabbatical" she took from her career as a journalist to live and travel in Europe and try to find herself along the way. I saw a lot of myself in the book as I read about her. She was 50 something at the time, her kids had left home and she was coming to terms with being in the latter half of her life.
This has been on my mind a lot of late too. Many existential questions of where do I go from here? On the one hand I think I love my work--note that even there I am losing my certainty. On the other hand part of me wants to "run away from home" and find a new life.
The back to school season leaves me thinking about transitions and empty nests--my oldest has moved into his own apartment near campus and my youngest started high school. In four years it will just be me and my husband, cats, turtle and fish rattling around in a too big house. Even before Alice suggested the idea by her own life choices, I had been thinking about what the next steps will be.
There are all these lists nowadays--50/100/1000 things to see/do/read before you die. I don't need a book to come up with my own list. It is there in my mind, more so when I get itchy feet and need to do something new or challenging.

Paris, France

Ms. Steinbach spends her year of wandering in France, Britain and Italy. She writes concisely as in a series of essays about her experiences of each place she stops, as well as her experience of herself in those places. Not everyone can do what she did--it requires a financial freedom and a freedom from pressing responsibilities that not everyone has. It also requires a degree of courage and spirit of adventure to make the leap.
I'm not likely to make any great leaps until my son graduates high school and heads off to college but I'm dreaming now. I hope I make the right choices for me when the time comes.
But back to the book. I very much enjoyed it. It is a relatively light read--easily accomplished in a couple of days but journeying with the author was a pleasure. It also may inspire me to pick up the works of some of her favorite authors: E.B. White, Freya Stark and Janet Flanner.
What's on your life list?

Thinking of Spring?

2011-09-16T18:34:00.003-05:00

The days are getting shorter and the nights colder. The turtle is inside all snug in his container of dirt. I'd like to hibernate but instead I'm dreaming of April Fools Day in Paris. The "poisson" always makes me laugh.

Postcard Friendship Friday

Night Lights

2011-08-28T11:43:00.003-05:00

La Rochelle harbor at night.
I find I'm getting pickier about my photos. I took several harbor photos and none are to my liking. Does this mean I'm getting to be a better photographer or just more selective in processing and posting? Whatever.

For Weekend Reflections.

Great Grapes

2011-08-27T18:04:00.003-05:00

One of my first nights in France this summer, we stayed in a chateau. Actually we stayed in the outbuildings of a chateau. The place was charming but we found our hostess cold and unwelcoming. I guess not everything that glitters is gold.

For See It Sunday--grape.

A Day at the Beach

2011-08-26T19:39:00.004-05:00

I got to indulge my weaknesses for old postcards, photography, and flea markets while in France. I still love it that I can buy a tiny piece of history for around a Euro, the same price as for a glossy modern tourist postcard. There is nothing written on the back of this postcard but the label is printed upside down to the photo. I can't help but ponder all the details--all the men with berets and mustaches, the child's lace up boots, "grandma" wearing mourning clothes perhaps. There is a tale here if only I knew how to read it.

Today's theme for Postcard Friendship Friday is National Dog Day. Note that this family brought their dog to the beach.

L'Horloge

2011-08-23T09:52:00.002-05:00

Back when I was studying French I used to enjoy puzzling through the poems of Baudelaire. Some poems are transparent and enjoyable for that reason; some require work to feel at least somewhat connected to what the meaning is. Baudelaire was in the latter category.
I had a momentary lapse and forgot the French word for "clock". Whilst looking it up (poetic word intended), I found a link to one of Baudelaire's poems, L'Horloge, from Les Fleurs du Mal (Flowers of Evil). Here is an excerpt with translation:

L'Horloge

Horloge! dieu sinistre, effrayant, impassible,
Dont le doigt nous menace et nous dit: «Souviens-toi!
Les vibrantes Douleurs dans ton coeur plein d'effroi
Se planteront bientôt comme dans une cible;

The Clock

Impassive clock! Terrifying, sinister god,
Whose finger threatens us and says: "Remember!
The quivering Sorrows will soon be shot
Into your fearful heart, as into a target;

Quote and translation from http://fleursdumal.org/poem/218

Makes one feel one's mortality, doesn't it?

A Very Big Shadow

2011-08-21T11:19:00.003-05:00

Shadow of the Lighthouse of the Whales, Le Phare des Baleines, Ile de Re, France

Playing a new photo meme--Shadow Shot Sunday.

So many photos to process, so little time.

Nantes at Night

2011-08-21T11:04:00.001-05:00

I spied on the neighborhood nightlife from my hotel window in Nantes, France.

See It Sunday--Night

Much Ado about Deux Chevaux

2011-08-18T09:57:00.004-05:00

I don't care much for cars except for a way to get to point A to point B. My husband will gleefully point out how poorly I take care of my current vehicle but I can't help but not care as long as it drives. Maybe it is just a girl thing. In this case (as in quite a few others) it makes be proud to be female. Call me sexist, but there it is.

However, I saw a convention/gathering of fanciers of the Citroen 2CV while visiting the Chateau of Chambord in France and have to say I found them intriguing in an anachronistic way. Sort of like a vintage Bug I'd say. These cars were all over the place when I lived in Paris in the early 80's. I'd not thought about them since and now, like me, they are vintage. Alas, I doubt I'm considered a collectable.

One or two bits (horses?) of history: the Citroen 2CV (deux chevaux--two horses, meaning two tax horsepower--not sure about the tax part) was made from 1948-1990. It was intended as an economy car and as such was much cheaper than the aforementioned Volkswagen Beetle. It even had a bit part in a James Bond film.
OK so maybe I'm not car crazy, but cute is cute.

Looking at the Past

2011-08-17T12:19:00.003-05:00

It's not even my own past, I know! Is nostalgia simply a product of getting older? I'd have to guess not given the resurgence of interest in classic rock music and clothes and styles of the 60's to 80's among the younger generation. Maybe I should have been a historian like my uncle and cousin since I like to dig through the history of objects, generally every day objects like photos and bits of paper, but especially photos.
I picked up some old photos at flea markets in France. They aren't too expensive a hobby compared to, say, that of a young friend of mine who boasted recently about having made an incredible deal on a Chanel purse in Thailand. She positively glowed with triumph. I on the other hand strive for a more modest 1 Euro and under fee for an early 20th century photo postcard. And I can't even wear it! (Although I did score a couple of 1980's blouses at a thrift store in Paris--another tale).
I spent a fair bit of time trying to trace some roots on the above postcard. In the interest of time, I'm just going to post what I put on my Flickr site:
I tried to date the postcard (blank on reverse except for Carte Postale imprint) by the journals. The Petit Journal on the banner was published from 1863-1944.
The woman is likely holding a journal Le Petit Parisien which was published from 1876 to 1944.
My best (uninformed) guess would be the photo was taken sometime between 1910-1920. Don't hesitate to educate me.
If you are interested in either of these old French journals, the Biblotheque nationale de France has all the editions scanned on their Gallica website. Pretty amazing. Here's the link:
gallica.bnf.fr/?lang=EN
They even have sound recordings. I could spend hours.

Actually I did spend hours. Here's another photo. It looks like it could be Paris but I have no further information. I feel as if I could write a novel just based on this one photo.

Jeudi, le 28 juillet, 2011

2011-08-13T15:50:00.002-05:00

Now that I have time to post about my trip, I'm going back to my first day's journal entry. Here goes:

Craches, France
Are we there yet? Jet lag is still muddling my sense and senses but here we are in a small town somewhere near Chartres. Our arrival in France was unremarkable. Driving here involved a few wrong turns due to an unfortunate lack of a good map and a French-speaking GPS. (Actually it turns out it spoke English too, and probably Swahili if I'd tried to check, but we didn't figure that out the first day and by the time I had done so, I was stubbornly determined to use the French voice as part of my continual aspiration to maintain my French language skills). My French is good but having to adapt to "Tout droit," "Prenez le rond point. . ." has me surprised that GPS devices don't swear, along the lines of "You effing moron; you were supposed to turn back there!"

St. Aignan, Chartres

We visited Chartres and its wonderful Cathedral. It is under construction which is unfortunate but even so it is a wonderful building. Cathedrals such as this make me half wish I were Catholic so I could have the spiritual experience of praying in one. Fortunately, the urge passes quickly. I also feel drawn to lighting a candle but don't.
Our night is spent at a farm turned B&B in Craches. "Tres atmospherique," I'd say in French.

Paris hasn't changed much in the past millenium or two

2011-08-06T09:43:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd just copy here my journal entry from yesterday afternoon:
August 5, 4:45
I've been wandering the Marais area all afternoon. I wound up continuing to shop--buying some old paper and an embroidery stamp at an antique shop in the Village St. Paul area which was, the shop I mean, stuffed to the brim with small items--sewing supplies, linens, buttons, items for school kids of earlier years, etc. While I was in the coffee house earlier, I had read through a picture book about the author's school days in the 50's and many of the things he mentioned were for sale there in the shop. I then found a "vintage", ie used, clothing store. I've been in search of a skirt as I overpacked shirts but found one pair of jeans, one pair shorts (not appropriate for Paris) and one dress wasn't quite the right mix of clothes. I didn't find a skirt that fit in the store but I got three great floral short sleeved blouses--one by Cacharel--probably from the 80's. I'm happy. While waiting for the changing room, I watched some French ladies browsing through the dresses--they favored red ones-- and some Asian (probably Japanese) girls trying on shorts. They were giggling in the dressing room for the longest time and left an enormous mess of empty hangers. I asked the sales girl and she said they did spend a fair bit which I hope justified the extra work they left her.
I was also able to visit a real antique store, mostly carrying iron work. The owner kindly educated me about "les heurtoirs"--door knockers but I couldn't afford the lovely item he showed me--a 17th century piece priced at 1700 Euros or so. It would have been so nice on my door too. He showed me one in a Druot catalog (like Sotheby's) of a hand shaped knocker--also 17th Century)--beautifully done with veins and finger nails evident on the iron hand. That went for 15,000 Euros. I still want a hand door knocker but I'll have to look for a "cheap" 19th Century one. As for now I only have a collection of pictures of them--I still find them quaint.

This journal entry was written while drinking Perrier in a Scottish pub. The bar man turns out to have been English not Scottish but after more than a week in France he felt like a compatriot. Sometimes my brain feels tired from straining to think in French. BTW the music in the bar was Dylan. It is rare to hear French music playing in a shop or cafe.

Chambord

2011-08-02T11:15:00.003-05:00

Not bad for a country home. It makes me understand the French Revolution all the more. The interior is as fantastic as the exterior. Full of tourists but rightly so. I have to leave the gushing at that. The internet connection is too slow for multiple uploads and I should certainly be doing something other than blogging at the moment.
I'm currently in Le Mans, headed to Paris tomorrow. I'll try to post more from there. Paris should be great but I'll miss the smaller cities and towns and the drives through the countryside.
A bientot!

Greetings from the Marais-Poitevin

2011-07-30T03:22:00.003-05:00

The photo is of Chartres, France

Look it up! It is kind of interesting and I'm not sure I have time to explain in detail. I am running between this stop and our next with a boat trip on the "Marais" which means swamp but which is really a system of canals first created in the middle ages by a group of monks for control of water levels. It is nicknamed the "Green Venice." I'm sure I'll be taking a million pictures. I hope I don't drop my camera in the water!

Gotta run! Having a great time!

Going, Going. . .

2011-07-24T21:08:00.001-05:00

Not quite gone. But I'm going back to France! We leave on Tuesday for a two week trip. I will be spending around 10 days on the Atlantic coast of France with my husband and then a solo 5 days or so in Paris. I've spent too much time on line trying to find the perfect itinerary, perfect hotels, etc. but who's complaining? I'll try to post a bit while I'm gone but that depends on time and internet access. Life is good.

Outgoing

2011-07-20T10:51:00.003-05:00

So, what am I up to? Working, reading, taking photos, dancing, and too much time on the internet. I liked the look of my outgoing mail today so I scanned it for you. Two of the letters are to my son who is away at a camp on wheels--today I think he is in Idaho. The letters will find him in Jasper! What a great place that is. One of the most beautiful parks in the world in my book.
More news to follow.

It's My Birthday and I'll Cry if I Want to.

2011-07-11T11:11:00.003-05:00

I'm taking the day off work to play in town in honor of my hemi-centennial. Can't decide quite how old I feel. Depends on the moment. The book is more vintage than I am though.

Here is a quote from Chicago Confidential, by Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer, c. 1950:
"The actual circumscribed Loop was once hailed as the diadem in Chicago's golden crown. But it became the stone in her gallbladder."

I think I'll go check out the stone and see how bad it really is in 2011. Cheers.

Layers of Limestone

2011-07-09T09:13:00.003-05:00

Seen on the shore of Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, they are beautifying the lake and removing some of the old stone clutter. It will indeed look nicer but somehow I'd prefer the lake less tamed.

For Shutterday: Stone

July 4, 2011

2011-07-08T11:55:00.004-05:00

I have to get some chores done but I thought I'd just post one or two pictures from my July 4th celebration. There are many more to come, as we had a lovely but too brief trip to New England for my cousin's wedding. So this is just a teaser and to let you know I'm still here.

From the Archives

2011-06-17T21:34:00.001-05:00

Amazing what photos I've never bothered to post. Here are a few that caught my eye.

5 years, 1132 Posts

2011-06-10T20:59:00.004-05:00

Niagara Falls, 1964

I guess I've been keeping busy. Today was the 5th anniversary of this blog. 1100 plus posts isn't too shabby even if I post less frequently than in the past.
Today I spent several hours scanning old family photos. These are of my in-laws' family so there are no personal memories attached. I don't have my old family photos in my keeping since both my parents are alive but I have become the archivist for my husband's family. I see it also as keeping my sons' legacy for them. Truthfully, I'm the only one in the family with the will to do it anyhow.

(unknown location and person somewhere in Australia)

The unspoken rule is that I rigorously maintain the privacy of that side of the family but I though it would be cool to share a couple of vintage travel shots. These are from Australia and Niagara Falls. The man looking down the edge of the waterfall is an unknown acquaintance. I've posted on Flickr to see if I can find out what fall this is. 2010 safety rules doubtless would not permit one to stand on the edge of this fall and look over. How life changes!

American War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
Memorial is inscribed with the following words:
In grateful remembrance of the vital help given by the United States of America during the war in the Pacific 1941-1945.
Unveiled by
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
February 16, 1954

Vintage Book Covers

2011-06-04T19:05:00.003-05:00

Are going to be outgoing postcards. Sizing them accurately down to 4x6 turns out to be a little tricky but I think I'm getting the hang of it. My first efforts seemed to crop off some of the edges even though the pre-printing image looked fine. I'm wondering if I ought to try reading the books too.
Damon Runyon is going out to the Missive Maven. Maven definitely has a fun blog about letter writing and related themes. I hope I don't creep her out with Damon--some of the cover faces are a bit sinister if you ask me. Perhaps it is a bit better than sending The Loved One to a complete stranger--does it have a hint of stalker about it?

I'll keep on blog hopping as time permits.

Chain Mail

2011-05-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

In the distant past, I did a couple of blog walks, heading from one blog to a linked one to see where I wound up. Today I had the inspiration to do the same for mail oriented blogs--blogs where owners post an address and swap postcards, letters or mail art. There are some interesting ones out there, as I have discovered. The catch is, I will mail something to each of the addresses and see what comes of it.
I'm going to start with TheSnailMailer with the postcard posted above--if it rains anymore here in Chicago, I'm going to have webbed feet and mold growing where the sun don't shine. Becky, of the SnailMail blog claims to be a stationery addict. To date I haven't heard of a 12 step group for that one but there's always room for one more!

What's Up Doc?

2011-05-29T12:19:00.002-05:00

Dinner in Chinatown

I can't believe how boring I've been. Hopefully, my real life is more interesting than my blog-life of late. Here are a few pictures of my recent non-adventures.

Watching the cat watching.

My son takes a trip for his 8th grade graduation. Lucky dog.

Working on it.

Muted

2011-05-20T13:10:00.003-05:00

It sounds like a bad joke along the lines of: "What do you call a shrink who loses her voice? Unemployed." Ha, ha, ha. Yes, I have lost my voice. I hope to find it again someday so unemployment seems unlikely but it feels strange to be unable to talk. Is there some sort of theme here? Not long ago I largely banned myself from the internet due to an arm problem. Now I can't talk. Typing, talking...hmmm. What next?
Actually, my arm is improving although I'm still taking it easy with the computer time. No Mortal Kombat for a few more weeks. Kidding. Otherwise I have this stupid cold--cough, sore throat, the works, and silly me, I chose to keep working through it. I just hate calling in sick. Not that I have anything against vacation days but sick days are hard when you are a doctor. They're so...unplanned. Well, the best laid plans of a control freak are not proof against a virus. I worked through it Wednesday and stumbled home with my throat on fire and my voice gone. So I called in on Thursday. No choice, really. I spent the day in front of the TV which thanks to TiVo and Netflix is more interesting than it might otherwise have been but succeeded in making me desperate to be functional again.
Happy Friday.

Mail Art

2011-05-15T13:10:00.003-05:00

I'm trying to stay "relatively" off-line because I seem to have developed a repetitive motion injury--not quite carpal tunnel syndrome since it involves the ulnar nerve (the proverbial funny bone)--and I need to be careful.
Here is one of the many things I am playing with lately. Copy to be mailed off to a friend or two. Anyone else want one? Just send me an address if I don't have it already.

Pinholed

2011-05-10T09:26:00.003-05:00

Still playing with the pinhole camera. I finally got to turn my negatives into positives in the dark room. Here is a sample. The thing I am enjoying with this little camera is how the lack of a lens and fish-eye effect makes the world seem very different and slightly alien.

We also played a bit with double exposures (easier said than done in my book). I'll post some of those when I have a bit more time.

Gotta go or I will absolutely be late to work!

Me and My Pinhole

2011-04-30T15:22:00.002-05:00

Having fun with pinhole photography. The images come out as negatives on paper and have been scanned and inverted on Photoshop. Next week I will be printing from the negatives in the dark room. I can't believe how much fun this process is!

A Day at the Aquarium

2011-04-29T09:50:00.003-05:00

The last day of my so-called "staycation," I convinced the kid we should go to the aquarium. I was amazed at how much admission was! Now we're members so here's hoping we'll go back this year. The fish were great and the kid had more stamina than on our last visit so we actually got to see quite a bit. The jelly fish exhibit was amazing. I sure wish my pictures were better, though.

April Flowers

2011-04-25T10:31:00.003-05:00

Bring May showers? I hope not. I'm all rained out.

Rear View

2011-04-22T19:26:00.001-05:00

Still looking backwards, I guess.
No sun whatsoever this week. This photo is from early April.

Foggy, Foggy

2011-04-20T20:21:00.001-05:00

So far Spring has been painfully cold and wet. I so would like to see a day or two of 60 degrees and sunny. I feel moldy.

Crafts and Arts

2011-04-16T16:07:00.002-05:00

I've been playing with making my own little hand bound books. Nothing fancy or professional--I don't have the time, materials or skills--just little hand bound notebooks or journals, made largely out of recycled materials.
Here are a few:

These two are made from a recycled, felted sweater with liners of old sheets I salvaged from the cleaning rags. I added vintage buttons, crochet and other bits and pieces I found around the house as details.

These two are made from old coffee bags. The handles are from Starbucks brown paper bags and the clasps are buttons on one side and shell on the other. The interior paper is recycled from old calendars, graph paper, my kid's homework, paper bags and other bits and pieces from around the house.

Now all I need to figure out is what I want to do with them.

Fun with Photoshop

2011-04-05T14:48:00.005-05:00

Not the best photo of an interesting sculpture in Atlanta.

Greatly increase contrast, crop and posterize. Much better IMHO.

April Fools

2011-04-01T14:14:00.002-05:00

Of course it is raining today.
The text of the card translates, to the best of my ability, as:
April 1st. Threshold of spring, April says to the fish: sow joy, and leave the harvest to others!
On the reverse of the card is written in French:
Little Rora,
Receive best wishes for April 1st from all your good friends from 83 rue Galilee as well as those of Maman Jars who says to you, until next week. Many kisses from all, Maman Jars and Louillaud. The card was sent to Bordeaux, France. There is no stamp or postmark. I may have the names wrong as I find the capital letters a little hard to read.
From a brief internet search, I find that April Fool's Day most likely originated in France. One tradition is to tape a picture of a fish to someone's back. Seems a fairly quaint and harmless prank, n'est-ce pas?

Boring

2011-03-30T10:57:00.001-05:00

Yup, that's me.

Indulge Me

2011-03-25T12:25:00.002-05:00

The theme for Moody Monday is "indulgent" and I'm going to indulge myself by posting more than one photo. None of them are exactly award winning as the conditions and the photographer weren't the sharpest but here are some indulgent goodies from last year's trip to Spain. Yum. Are you hungry yet?

Light and Shadow

2011-03-23T10:24:00.002-05:00

Still life from my analog photography class from last year. Scanned from black and white negatives.

For Shutterday: Vintage

Mysteries on the Shores of Lake Michigan

2011-03-22T11:12:00.002-05:00

Too heavy to carry home, not sure what I'd do with it anyway.

For Photo Thursday: Metal

Wisconsin Solidarity Rally

2011-03-18T10:22:00.002-05:00

I took pictures at a political rally a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed the show in spite of the snow.

For Shutterday: The Mob

Not Quite Spring Yet

2011-03-17T09:51:00.002-05:00

The winter storms have left a lot of debris on the lake front.

The knife was a bit distressing but I decided it was too flimsy to have been used as a weapon.

Snow Blower

2011-03-09T11:02:00.002-06:00

I still haven't sorted through all my blizzard photos. This one caught my eye.

For Thursday Challenge: Cars.

Loot

2011-02-25T17:44:00.005-06:00

Wupatki National Monument, Arizona (my own photo)

I'm racing through my back-pile of books to read although I sheepishly have to admit that the local Border's is closing and I bought a pile of new books at 60% off. It seems unlikely that I'll ever clear out a bookshelf.
My next book to review is Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World, by Roger Atwood. I had a great time reading this one. It is a non-fiction work about the illicit trade in antiquities, centered largely on Peru. It reads like a book on Global Warming--message, the world is going to hell in a handbasket and no one can do anything to stop it.

Petroglyphs, Petrified Forest National Park

It is also reminiscent of the effort to protect wildlife in poor countries. How can you stop the poachers (in this case looters) from taking items they can sell for a profit when the crime is supported by the need of poor people to eat and by the desires of rich people for more trophies for their collections? In Peru, ancient tombs are being raided daily by local people, but the trade is fueled by the wealthy buyers (including museums)in developed countries.
The author interviews people at all sides of the antiquities industry from the looters themselves, to private collectors, archaeologists and law enforcement people. His message is that the world has to collectively take action to prevent the destruction and theft of local treasures.
I can understand the urge to dig for buried treasure and then to hoard and acquire these treasures. I'm not confessing to any misdeeds, mind you, but I've always wanted a chance to participate in an archaeological dig. Not that I ever considered a career in archaeology but maybe after my younger son leaves home, I'll sign up to volunteer to sift sand in some exotic place. I'd love to find a few pot shards or ancient bones and I promise not to keep any for myself!
Back to the book--it's great. Read it.

Ghostly Tree

2011-02-21T18:21:00.001-06:00

During the great blizzard of 2011.

Thursday Challenge: Trees

Just Say No to Snow

2011-02-16T10:10:00.003-06:00

I have a photographic collection of these neighborhood block club signs. I find them an intriguing bit of urban sociology.
By the way, the snow is melting fast. Fortunately blizzards are ephemeral, as is winter. We are so looking forward to spring here.

Lensday, Signs.

Because It's There

2011-02-15T10:47:00.004-06:00

I joined a couple of book memes last month. I had done a few when this blog was younger and am trying to wake up both myself and this blog so went back to them. They are both TBR memes. TBR means to be read and they have to lofty goal of getting rid of books from old piles or shelves of unread material. In my case, there is no shortage of TBR books.
I am now proud to report that I have read 4 of 12 books on my list with an additional one almost finished. These were books I have been procrastinating on reading, some for years. So I'm half embarrassed at how easy they were to pick up and read with the right motivation. Now I'm procrastinating on reviewing the books but here's the first.
Eiger Dreams: Ventures among Men and Mountains, by Jon Krakauer.
I very much enjoy Krakauer's writing and am an armchair mountain climber. Except for my dream to someday climb Mount Rainier (a non-technical climb that can be achieved by wimps like me), I have no ambition to confront my fear of heights and dying in a more direct fashion. Even so, I love to read of other people's courage, drive and stupidity.
Eiger Dreams turned out to be great fun. There is some stirring prose and plenty of humor. Here is a bit of the former: "By and by, your attention becomes so intensely focused that you no longer notice the raw knuckles the cramping thighs, the strain of maintaining nonstop concentration. A trance-like state settles over your efforts, the climb becomes a clear-eyed dream. Hours slide by like minutes. . . . At such moments, something like happiness actually stirs in your chest, but it isn't the sort of emotion you want to lean on very hard. In solo climbing, the whole enterprise is held together with little more than chutzpah, not the most reliable adhesive." By G-d, I almost get it.

There is a piece on canyoneering that had me itching to grab my hiking boots and head to Utah, and stories on the dangers and physical trials of climbing that had me vowing never to climb anything taller than the flight of stairs to my office.
Here is Krakauer describing inside terminology for falling off a cliff:
"'Peel,' 'catch some air,' 'take a screamer,'log some flight time';such are the quaint turns of phrase climbers use to denote the act of falling."
Actually hitting the ground in a fall (as opposed to being rescued by one's ropes), is referred as "cratering." Cool.
I have made a commitment to myself to take my family backpacking next summer. That will probably be adventure enough for me. As to this small collection of essays, they are not of the caliber of some of Krakauer's longer books, such as Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, but it is well worth a few hours of reading.

P.S. The photos, as always, are my own--Half Dome in Yosemite and a slot canyon in Zion National Park.

Me, Myself and I

2011-02-15T10:26:00.003-06:00

So I was at a conference in Atlanta this past weekend. The area I was in seemed to be a land of glass reflective surfaces, as was my hotel. So here's a little narcissism.

Honey, I Moved the Camera

2011-02-14T09:55:00.001-06:00

But I like how it turned out. From my office window.

I'm No Ansel Adams

2011-02-10T11:30:00.003-06:00

These photos show that I'm less than a rank beginner at black and white film photography. What is cool is that I've finally learned how to scan negatives and can put these pictures from winter 2009-2010 on the net. From my family trip to Zion and thereabouts.
With a little more time, which I don't have now, I could clean up the negatives and get rid of those nasty white spots and lines.

Walk the Drive

2011-02-09T10:11:00.002-06:00

I've only seen Lake Shore Drive closed on a few occasions--immediately after the July 3rd fireworks downtown, and for the annual Bike the Drive event. Last week's blizzard closed it too. Walking across it, I kept expecting to get mowed down by a motorist.

Kick Your Shoes Off

2011-02-06T09:54:00.002-06:00

Last fall we threw a party for the younger teen set. I stand by my rule to keep the kids out of my blog but this shot suffices to prove the dancing was good.

For Photo Sunday: Shoe

Nicely Ice Suffices

2011-02-03T09:47:00.004-06:00

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost

Back in a by-gone era when us kids had to memorize poetry in junior high school, most of my classmates picked this one for its brevity. Being proudly original and a bit of a suck up I picked another, longer poem but I heard this one recited in class so many times that I had it memorized anyway.

Contrary to popular opinion, Chicago did not perish in the storm yesterday but it did close down. Except for people shoveling which brought out the entire community in a good-spirited way, Chicago put up a big sign saying, "Closed for the duration."

Lots of fuzzy--hatted folks were out with their digital cameras and cell phones taking pictures for posterity so my photos are not especially original. It made for a fun outing although my thighs, knees and back are now protesting the unaccustomed wading through drifts.

The civic spiritedness will end as soon as the fighting over shoveled parking spaces begin but it was fun while it lasted. I did chat with one University of Chicago graduate student who was forced by his advisor to remain on campus for a seminar Tuesday night and wound up sleeping on the office couch.
Life was not so good for the poor folks who wound up stranded on Lake Shore Drive. Fortunately I was working in my local office and only had to drive the mile to pick up my son from school, which was challenging enough.

Two days off of school is making the kids happy. I still haven't quite figured out if any of my patients plan on coming in today. This will decide if I have to make the frosty drive to work today. It is only 10 degrees F. so I'm not particularly looking forward to going out. The sun is shining though so it should be a pretty commute.

When in Doubt. . . .

2011-01-31T09:37:00.005-06:00

Write about Chicago weather. It is always varied, always interesting. Well, maybe not so much if you don't live here.
I haven't found much going on in my head worth writing. I can't quite tell you why that might be so; it just is. We had a warming spell here (meaning slightly above freezing) and much of our accumulated snow melted but it has been gray and gloomy. It felt even too dark for a photo outing. But this morning I awoke to the dulcet tones of my clock radio saying something about "blizzard." I honestly thought at first I was hearing the weather on the East Coast. But no, weather is arriving here tomorrow. I haven't shoveled snow in at least a week and I was definitely getting out of shape.

I was reviewing my photos of Spain and found that what I assumed was a clock was instead a weather gauge. I see on it "Muy seco" but whatever the Spanish word for blizzard is, it isn't up there. Anyone up for a trip to Madrid?

Curvaceous but Spiny

2011-01-23T10:38:00.001-06:00

Melon Cactus seen in Guanica Dry Forest, Puerto Rico. For Moody Monday, Shapely.

B is for Blue Gloved Snowman

2011-01-21T20:26:00.001-06:00

I have a collection of photos of awnings with an initial on them. I imagine there was one very successful salesman back a few years--maybe 70's or 80's? I don't have the whole alphabet yet--I'm up to 17 letters.

For Shutterday--snowman.

It was a good weekend

2011-01-20T09:58:00.000-06:00

See?

Sadly, I'm Home Again

2011-01-19T12:01:00.002-06:00

An all-too-short long weekend in Puerto Rico. No more Seasonal Affective Disorder, until next week.
No, I'm not complaining yet.

In Haste

2011-01-14T20:31:00.002-06:00

I'm heading out of town first thing tomorrow. So this is a hasty post.
I decided to join another TBR (to be read) book challenge. I like the idea of getting a pile of books read that have been loitering on my shelves for far too long. My hope is also to add a bit of literary life to my blog which is still alive but not as active as I would like it.

Here is my list of 12 books which have desperately needed reading with alternates.
1. Mary Mackie, Cobwebs and Cream Teas: A year in the life of a National Trust house
2. Andy Behrman, Electroboy
3. Mark Oppenheimer, Thirteen and a Day
4. Russell Martin, Beethoven’s Hair
5. Edward Himes, School of Dreams
6. Jon Krakauer, Eiger Dreams
7. Roger Atwood, Stealing History
8. Peter Gay, My German Question
9. Bernhard Schlink, The Reader
10. Doreen Orion, Queen of the Road
11. Sherwin Nuland, The Mysteries Within
12. Naguib Mahfouz, Midaq Alley

Alternates

1. Das Sijie, Le Complexe de Di
2. Madhur Jaffrey, Climbing the Mango Trees
3. Wallace Stegner, Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs
4. Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name
5. Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman
6. Howard Dully, My Lobotomy
7. Muriel Barberry, L’elegance du Herisson
8. Lauren Willis, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

Some of these books have a back story (where I bought them or why but that will have to wait until I return.

Hands of Perfection

2011-01-13T10:37:00.002-06:00

2011 (now)

Auto detailing operation, I believe.

2007 (then)
The second photo is from one of my early ventures out into the neighborhoods near my home.

Over the Top

2011-01-13T09:17:00.002-06:00

Someone bought out the Christmas store. Actually, words cannot express how happy I am to be able to walk into a store and not hear canned Christmas music!

For Photo Friday--suburbia--because displays like this are never seen in the city near me.

"How" Strange!

2011-01-12T09:26:00.003-06:00

This display is probably very old but from a 2011 perspective it seems in very poor taste. It is a lousy photo as I took it from my car window while at a stop light but it is worth sharing, I thought.

Moody Monday--Other-worldly

Golden Chicken

2011-01-09T17:18:00.001-06:00

So I took a few photos in the neighborhoods a bit north of me. Here is a picture for Moody Monday: Open.

Gargoyles

2011-01-09T13:18:00.002-06:00

The University of Chicago has its Gothic moments. And no, I was not referring to the students. I caught a few pictures of them on Christmas Day. Needless to say the campus was quiet and nearly deserted, making it a good time for photography. I particularly like the drooling gargoyle.

Stork Struck

2011-01-05T10:30:00.005-06:00

I never finished telling stories about my trip to Spain so if you don't mind me boring you with tales about how I spent my summer vacation. . . . One of my favorite "finds" in Spain was that it is inhabited by storks.

I went a little stork crazy in fact. My husband sort of introduced me to birding in the first place and in fact I'm not much of a birder being too sluggish to awaken to view birds at dawn. Nonetheless he finally had to put limits on my request to stop and take more pictures of storks and their nests. I got quite a few anyway and here are a few of the best.

Storks are doing well in Spain, apparently profiting from ready access to food in dumps. I found census data which showed a low of 7005 pairs in 1974 to 33217 in 2004. I guess garbage is good for something! Incidentally, these are white storks, Ciconia ciconia.

I feel compelled to share my bad pun title for this photo--Four Storks and a Crane.

Submitting to I and the Bird blog carnival, hosted by Birding is Fun on January 6.

Summer Days

2010-12-30T11:10:00.001-06:00

Thinking longingly of summer. Photo taken in Spain this summer.

A Little Night Photography

2010-12-28T22:20:00.002-06:00

Christmas lights and neon. What could be more fun?

The More Things Change

2010-12-23T11:01:00.003-06:00

December, 2010

I can't believe I haven't posted about this house before. Here is a small retrospective of the past four years of photographic ventures to this wonderful old site.
This house is known as the Raber House and is one of a few homes that managed to survive the great Chicago Fire of 1871. Although a designated Chicago landmark, it is in a lonely state of disrepair. It was originally part of a six acre estate built in 1870 for John Raber. No one seems to know what to do with the sad old house but the City of Chicago has discussed turning the area into a park. Sounds great, but I'll believe it when I see it. At least they are removing a dump of old automobile tires from behind the place. I guess that is progress.

September, 2009

December, 2008

January, 2008

April, 2007

February, 2007

Nutcracker Redux

2010-12-17T09:06:00.004-06:00

This is my fourth year performing in a local Nutcracker ballet. For those who haven't heard the story, I am most adamantly not a dancer. I regard my part in the show as more of an extra but it is a lot of fun. I never took a single dance class as a kid. Although I can hold my own in many sports, if not compete, I totally have two left feet. Plus I was not a girly girl and preferred climbing trees and catching frogs to wearing a tutu. I'd say I never wanted to dance as a child but I remember listening to the Nutcracker and Swan Lake on my little record player (I think one of the records was actually pink!) and dancing around my bedroom. So maybe it was fated that one day I'd get a chance to dance it.
Of course, given that I'm on stage you don't get to see a whole lot of pictures of me dancing. One small drawback to being the photographer in the family. We get a video every year but I haven't figured out how to (illegally) upload it onto the net so there you have it.

My younger son performs in the show every year which is how I got into it but I have reservations about posting his life story publicly since, after all, it is his life and not mine. But I thought I'd share one or two pictures of how the show looks.
In my humble opinion, yours truly was merely above average but the show was amazing!

Stained Glass

2010-12-15T10:17:00.002-06:00

Seen in Alcazar, Segovia, Spain. I think it is just lovely.

Let It Snow

2010-12-12T10:58:00.002-06:00

It's not like we have a choice.

Pride Cleaners

2010-12-07T13:59:00.000-06:00

A favorite Chicago sign.

Happy Hannukah

2010-12-04T22:46:00.002-06:00

To everyone, even if you don't celebrate it. We all need a little light.

Playing with Snow

2010-12-01T12:42:00.002-06:00

Not snowballs or snowmen but snow photos. Using different lenses and manual settings changes the image in dramatic ways.