WAKE UP AND SMELL THE....CRAYOLAS

As the song goes, "Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime!"  Our grandson officially is a rising first grader. He's excited about some sports camps this summer, but guess what? Most of the time he will be staying with Omi and Opi (that's us) while Mommy & Daddy go to work.  So on this first morning of the official summer vacation we opened up what was a treasure when I was growing up, a brand new #64 Crayola box with a built-in sharpener!

He was delighted and broke them in properly by creating a sign for his new "cafe" where we eat lunch everyday. It's a room I typically call the kitchen.

I'm looking forward to the smells of a childhood summer such as rows and rows of books in an old library that has a squeak in its wooden floors; coconut sunblock at the pool; peanut butter sandwiches; waxy crayons, paints in primary colors, popcorn during a matinee at the movie theater, play dough and the best smell--a sweaty hug after playing in the summer heat.

To be a grandparent to appreciate the joys of youth again.    

THE EARTH KEEPS GOING ROUND n ROUND

As daffodils, rhododendron and flowering trees gave up their blooms, we've welcomed summer in Virginia with the sights and sounds of cicadas and rain.

For those who haven't experienced cicadas, they truly deserve the term "unique." These large (over an inch) winged bugs only live a few weeks. The males create a chirping sound to attract the females and when thousands of them are in your trees, they offer quite the background noise---think very loud crickets. The females lay eggs via slits they create in tree branches (doesn't hurt unless it's a young tree), the babies hatch in a few weeks, burrow into the ground to feed on tree roots (again, normally doesn't hurt the tree). The cicadas return 13-17 years later!!!  (Timing depends on the type of cicada according to my Internet sources) The bug crawls out of the ground when it gets warm enough, attaches to your flowers popping out of the ground, then when it dries, the large bug now with wings comes out and flies EYERYWHERE. No harm. You can eat a cicada. Why you would want to do that I do not know.

And rain, we've had LOTS of rain. I couldn't take my precious camera into the yard when we received inches of rain in an hour. Our backyard is anything but flat so the result was a small but rushing stream about 3 feet wide that moved leaves and fallen branches out of its way. No damage, just yard work.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea showed the east coast who is boss yesterday--more rain--but today Mother Nature is rewarding us with a lovely June day. Walking through the water drenched mulch yesterday, I noticed pieces of dead cicadas. Strange. Beautiful. Unique. The sound of cicadas is lessening. Soon I will wake in the morning to birds chirping without the background bug love song as the earth just keeps going round and round.

LIFE IN THE CITY

Vacations stay with us. The memories of sunny beaches, a cruise, or a relaxing meal away from our busy everyday lives can make us smile and relax a bit when the days get a little tense.  In this case, my memory is of a walk to the Sullivan Street Bakery (not located on Sullivan Street).  I highly recommend the bakery if you are in New York City.

The photograph reminds me of the neighborhood near our hotel. We passed this street almost daily to and from the bakery. I expect no one is surprised to know that space is at a premium in the city. Row after row of what might be called townhouses in the suburbs are a 3rd floor walk up for others. While strolling, my husband and I often talked of the requirements of city living. Think....very expensive parking so why own a car?  What about buying groceries, carrying them home on the subway or through your neighborhood, then you still have to get them up those three flights of stairs. Apartments are generally small, kitchens --tiny which I guess prevents buying too much at one time. We saw people buying goods at a Home Depot and trying to stuff them into a tiny car.  Now just imagine getting  through traffic, stopping on a narrow street lined with parked cars on each side, unloading your treasures, getting it up the stairs, parking the car, going back to your apartment,  then where to put your newly acquired stuff?  Gee, I hope it isn't raining while you are doing this.

Personally, no thank you big city. Chicago, NYC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, New Orleans or D.C....I love you all and I am so very, very glad I don't live in any of those places. You have interesting things to see and do. And don't get me started about the food. I LOVE to try new foods and the big city is an ideal place to do that. But I'm happy where I am and I'm glad we can visit those bustling cities from time to time.

Life in the big city may be intense, but I sense people seek the calm of nature. Central Park is a wonderful example. During our walks there, it appeared there were more locals than tourists enjoying the beautiful spring flowers. And walking to "our" neighborhood bakery, we could admire tiny attempts to bring life to the concrete jungle. In paved gardens smaller than our king-sized bed, these city dwellers planted pots of flowers and in this case, a tree struggling under the shade of tall buildings and old trees that lined the street. The blooms brought color, life and light to the city and reminded us to slow down a bit and enjoy springtime in New York.

Do you have a favorite vacation memory to share?

PHOTO NOTE: I used the Channel Mixer adjustment layer in photoshop to desaturate the color in the photograph. Then I "painted" the flowers with black at 16% opacity to bring back some color. Finally I added a Kim K. texture (Aurora I believe) in soft light mode and about 45% opacity. I again created a mask on the texture layer to "erase" some of the texture from the flowers. Really easier than it sounds.

NEW YORK CITY

Guess where I've been! My husband and I spent a lovely week in the Big Apple where we walked and ate, ate and walked.  Of course there was Times Square, plays, the Ferry, Little Italy, China Town, the Empire State Building and the 9/11 Memorial. We've visited NYC in the past for the day or a short weekend, but never for an entire week.

I loved it. And I was struck by two things. One--people were soooo friendly.  Strangers on subways offered directions to us or others when they saw us staring at a map. They stopped us on the street and said, "Make sure you check out the park up the block where West Side Story was filmed." We weren't looking for the park, but it was a nice gesture.  We talked to young women who were born and raised in the neighborhood and were starting their careers.  People offered menu tips at more than one restaurant. The noise, confusion, the dirt, the sheer volume of traffic and people had not taken away the inherent friendliness and need to connect.  We are all different. We are all the same.

Second, I was constantly aware of the contradictions of New York.  Cities smell.  There always is trash of some kind, the diesel truck idling on the curb making deliveries, the oil from engines and trains, the stale stench of old beer from the bar with its doors open to the street. And then there is the corner bakery with recipes older than grandma offering delicacies from Greece, Italy, Germany or those tempting American cupcakes laden with icing.

More contradictions? Think noise of people and traffic contrasted against the quiet of a walk in Central Park; the blinking lights of Times Square clattering for your attention and the darkness of a theater as actors pull you into their story.  There are dozens of tulips blowing in the spring breeze of Rockefeller Center and there is a city of subway trains under your feet.

NYC is exciting and full of so much to see and do. I'm so very glad we went, I'm so very glad we are home.  Do you have any vacation stories to share?

Photo Note: This is the first collage of this type that I've tried.  It was from a template. Once you get the hang of keeping the layers straight, it isn't difficult. You should try it.  I also noted (again) that I'm graphically oriented, especially in the city. Can't help myself.... those shapes seem interesting to me.

WAITING FOR SPRING

This is my "snow" photo from our latest round of a few inches. It also qualifies as a personal version of an inside out photo for a Beyond Beyond challenge.

One of the many wonderful things about living in Virginia is that we get snow and it melts, then we get snow and it melts.  Sunday evening the yard was white, today most of it is gone.  I'm ready for the warmer temperatures to show up. I'm tired of pulling dead leaves that have blown into the rosemary and picking up fallen limbs. I'm ready for some green! There is promise out there. Walking around the yard today I can see the pink tint in the tight blooms of the little redbud tree and our lilac is showing shades of green.

Tomorrow hubbie and I are headed to a large nursery to browse and gather inspiration. I'll buy annuals  for the pots on the front porch (cheaper now because they are smaller--besides I can't wait any longer.)  And I know I'll find some other annuals and perennials that would look perfect in just the right spot. Then we begin the daily task of putting them outside to soak up the sun and bringing them back into the garage to doze in safety from freezing temperatures at night.  Even that task has a hopeful quality to it of things to come.

Walking through a nursery in March nurtures my soul. The smell of moist earth mixed with the glorious riot of colors brings out a creative frenzy in me. I have to restrain myself from seeing more potential than the yard can hold. 

It's fun to welcome spring with dirt under my fingernails.

EVERYDAY AGREEMENTS

In the room where I journal and read there are three book shelves. One contains more photography or business books, another are just books I want to read or reference and on the top shelf that is so high I need a step ladder to reach it, I put the books that made me think. No novels---those favorites have their own shelf, but here you can find small precious books such as, A Gift from the Sea, A Year by the Sea, The Invitation and The Four Agreements. 

I'm reading The Four Agreements by Don Miquel Ruiz--again.  The premise is that we are taught or agree to certain behaviors from the time we are small.  Many agreements are based on culture--how to speak, act and talk. We don't have a lot of choices, our parents and teachers dictate what is right and what is wrong. Unfortunately, as we grow and learn to get along with others, we still manage to find ourselves surrounded by our insecurities and self-judgement, even self-disdain. The Four Agreements is an offering of four simple statements that for me, need to practiced everyday for the rest of my life!

 Reading this little book I've felt haunted to "create something" using the author's words. My original is 12"x12" that may end up on the wall as a daily reminder.



Each agreement reminds me that change is always possible.

1. Be impeccable with your word. I am reminded this means to everyone, all the time. That includes communication with someone I don't agree with, it means gossip, or the way I talk to myself when no one else is listening. Ouch! 

2. Don't take anything personally. Big One! Mr. Ruiz claims that we all have our own agendas and to base our lives on someone else's opinions or actions opens us to needless suffering.

3. Don't make assumptions. Alleluia! Isn't that the way misunderstandings flourish? I've been guilty of that one.

4. Do your best. The reader is reminded that our best changes with our moods, the situation, our health, etc. Guilt isn't part of the equation! If we do our best in the moment, that is all we can expect from ourselves.

What do think of the Agreements? Agree? Disagree? Do you think using them in your day to day life will make a difference?  I look forward to hearing from you!


with peace and gratitude, Angela

 

PHOTO NOTES: For this project the texture was the initial focus with the photo of a lily as an afterthought.  Kim's texture already includes the subdued text, I added the darker text creating 5 different text layers so I could play with font, size, leading and placement. Finally, I added the photo of the lily. It is above the texture (in Photoshop layers) however I reduced the opacity so the texture shows thru. Then I added a layer mask to the photo layer and using a black brush with about 70% opacity, I "masked" the edges of the photo and around the flower so you can't see hard, straight edges. 

INTENTION - no snow photos



The title may be misleading. Actually, I love snow photos. I just didn't take one today despite the yard full of the white stuff.  In Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains, snow isn't unusual, but it is an event.

 

I promised myself last night to focus my work today on my 2013 word, "intention." So I "intentionally" avoided the snow photos (It's still white out there but raining now.)  This afternoon I got out my Wacom tablet, my updated PhotoShop CS6 and my experience.

 

Here's the result.

My intention was to create a slide for PowerPoint that can be used at our contemporary service when someone is baptized. This week also was about experimentation because I normally work in Manual Mode but tried Aperture Priority (a challenge from one of Kim's classes.)  

 

Looking at the end result, I am pleased, but even more satisfying was the journey--working alone in a darkened, quiet sanctuary with a tripod and my camera was a spiritual experience. And having the time, the creative energy and the tools to make something a little different and new is satisfying. Thank you for a snow day that reminded me to slow down and just take the time to listen.   

What's your creative voice telling you?

 

Photo Notes:

To get the reflection of the window in the water I took two photos. The focus point on the first one is at the front of the bowl. For the second photo, the focus point was the reflection. In PhotoShop, I pulled one over the other, created a mask and use the tool brush at 20% opacity to brush away the out of focus window.