BoKay

Anyone know what my bokay is made of?

a representation

Tonight, I feel like the one on the right looks. Thank goodness every day starts over!

Make a Wish

We had another dandelion day in my photo class.  I had to patrol the neighborhood again for dandelions.  Not as easy this time, we seem to be at the end of the Spring dandelion season.

Then I didn't feel like much 'post processing'.  I just wanted to see a litte stem and the seed parachutes. Come on, you know that when you blow, the little brown part looks like a parachutist.  If that's not a work then work with me.

As I worked on this, I tried to think of a wish for each little brown thing I could count.  What does it mean if you can't think of very many wishes? I got to 5 before I ran out. Health, wisdom, wealth, passion, and peace, not necessarily in that order.

Last time I had to pick some dandelions, we used them to 'wish' Marlene a safe and fun trip to Alaska.

Do you wish on dandelions?

Screened Porch Weather

A New Voice

Squander it all!

Hold nothing back.

The heart´s a deep well.

And when it´s empty,

It will fill again.

Greg Orr

 
I just learned about this poet from Nancy Pear.  I think I like him.  Tomorrow it rains.  A trip to the bookstore is just the thing - I can look him up.

Too High a Spirit

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
                                                                                               Emerson

Yahoo!

My photo for yesterday's class prompt about seeing circles has been featured on the Shutter Sisters website.  Please go take a look!

Cherry Blossom

The cherry blossoms mostly adorn the lawn now, but I couldn't resist sharing this one last photo.

It's quite busy at work this week, and will be next week.  This is when I most enjoy my hobbies, and right now it's mostly photography.

And reading.  I have 3 books going right now and I can't figure out which one to spend the evening with so I'm blogging.
Do any of you remember pro football player Rosey Grier who crocheted or knitted?  Recently I read about truck drivers who take their sewing machines and supplies with them and they quilt while they wait for the return load. I think it was in the Wall Street Journal.

I've met a blogger who makes wonderful pottery pieces - hello, Sorrow - some had wonderful creatures emerging from them similar to the Michelangelo series of the people emerging from huge blocks of marble.  The Slaves I think they may be called.

Time to go.  I can read for an hour before I turn into a pumpkin.

Competition & Confetti

From the photo class - the cherry blossoms and pine thingamajigs look like confetti in the grass, don't they?

So far, I haven't been selected to have a photo shown on the Shutter Sister's website, but I keep trying! If you haven't been to that website, you should visit. It's a great place to see good photography.  And some other photos from my Picture Spring class.

Get Your Play On

"Play With Me!"  "NO!"

"But...why?"

"You are too rough.  You pull my ears and tail, bite my toes and push me into the fence."

"Yes!  Let's Play!"

"Please?"

"Nice dance."

"What's this?"

"You are so easily distracted."

"Check with me tomorrow."

My Back Yard in Spring or, the Azalea Mohawk

Every year the azaleas explode in my back yard.  This year, it's more pronounced than ever, because very little hasn't bloomed - seems every bud got the same memo: We go at midnight on the 14th!

And, every year I get to chuckle at the pink stripe in all the white azaleas (white is on the other side of the back yard, too).  The original owners were a man who worked making bombers during WWII and his blind wife.

I like to think about his putting in all the flowers and how he described them to her each year.  By the way, she had a German Shepherd seeing eye dog.  And I can just imagine how he skipped the fact that he mixed the colors the way he did.  But I bet her son told her at some point and she privately smiled each year as her husband described the progression of snow drops, then daffodils and finally the azalea explosion each year.

At least, that's the picture I see.

I Ask You

In my photography class, we get an assignment a day. 

So this was the story I tried to tell.

Does it come across? I got positive feedback, but those folks knew what the assignment was.  I wonder if it makes sense to anyone outside the class.

What do you think the story is here?

Friday Night Bridge Show

Here they are, the Friday Night Bridge Show.  Plus me.  But I couldn't photoshop me in, so I used this photo.  Marlene, Cindy, Sammy. 

One of us is leaving in about a month to go work in Alaska until September.  Yep.  That's our Marlene, mistress of adventure. 

That means it will be 5 months until we can play bridge again. 

I fear what passes as my bridge skills will atrophy.  Just when I was getting the hang of it, too.

Shush, ladies. 

This is my blog and I can say I was getting good better tolerable if I want.

Church Lady

I took my mom to brunch today since she couldn't go to brunch or lunch on Easter Sunday (hope your back is still feeling better).  When we walked in, I immediately noticed a booth full of ladies in Sunday attire:  dresses or suits, hats, elaborate earrings, hose and heels. 

I had my camera with me.  And my iPhone.  I tried to figure out an introduction that wouldn't result in a plate of eggs in my face.  The best I could come up with is 'can I take your picture?'.  No panache. I chickened out.

We were shown to a booth next to the Church Ladies. 

Plan B.

iPhone to the rescue.  It was more subtle.

This may be one of my favorite photos.

In other news, the photo two posts ago of the doorknob got a "that's beautiful" from the professional photographer who leads the class.  I'm still grinning when I think about it. I should probably learn something from the fact that I took the doorknob picture while I was putting together supper for bridge and didn't overthink. 

Ack.  Tomorrow is Monday.

Ready, set, go!

Hip

I love my iPhone for on the spot photos like the double rainbow before grocery shopping.

But then I learned that for the low, low price of $1.99 I could buy a Hipstamatic feature with 3 lenses, two flashes and a couple kinds of film.  It's the digital effects of a brief moment in photo history.  I'd never heard of it before, but loved the looks the iPhone app gave.  Click here for a blog post that seems to be authentic and explains the Hipstamatic history.

Back to my art work.  I found myself behind this truck with a bright red rear door ad.  And no camera.  Except the iPhone with my new Hipstamatic app.  I think it's pretty wonderful.

Everyday Beauty

Do you remember those things that were popular in the 70s and 80s that showed you a seemingly random number of geographic shapes that once you 'saw' it the right way became a word?  Or the ones that if you let your eyes go slightly out of focus the secret image appeared?  There was one that was a letter sized series of lines that ended up being a wizened old crone-like woman.

Once you 'saw' it and knew it was there you didn't miss it again.

I have things like that in my day.  Things that are easy to overlook, but once you notice, you wonder how it escaped you.

In this house, built in 1936, it's almost 50-50 between good and bad.  I try to overlook the bad.  Like the way the toe mold doesn't hug the floor, but floats a good half inch away from the floor.  Or the crack in the bathroom floor that is slowly lengthening. 

Then there are the good things.  The cool plaster walls. The wavy glass window panes.  The floor in the attic.  The glass or crystal door knobs throughout with brass fixtures.  Except for the one on the back of the bathroom door, which is chrome and must be as bright as the day it was installed.  The smaller glass knobs on the built in corner cabinet.  The built in corner cabinet itself.  The bowed out windows in the dining room. The french doors to the screened porch. 

What do you see in your everyday?

Sparkly Wishes

From my photo class...a sparkly dandelion. 

Today we were to work with water droplets.

I had to stage it. 

The rain washed away the pollen before I got home.

And there weren't many droplets around.

It was very frustrating.

So I picked some dandelions on the dog's walk.

And misted them with a fine spray.

Put them between me and the light.

And then I got two complements within 15 minutes of posting this picture in my class gallery.

I felt the effort paid off.

It just goes to show you.

Never quit trying.

Pastel Pizza

These trees are glorious every year.  I've been planning to stop every year but never do.  This year, I stopped and parked in the Catherdral's parking lot and snapped away. What a great view for the diners across the street.

Self Portrait

So, I'm taking another online photography class .  Today's assignment was a self portrait.  Fresh face, I believe it was called.  The emails with the assignment are in my email box each morning, so as I drink my coffee I ponder the assignment.  This is what I settled on. Not so bad, but it's easy to focus on the flaws.  I won't go there.  But I will say that from this angle, today, I see things I haven't seen before.

I suspect that's point of the assignment.

Spring Color

Not quite what you expected?  Well, I got this as a Christmas gift from my sister and resolved to save it for Spring.  Last Monday, I decided that Spring had finally committed, and tranferred all my stuff to this bag.  Each time I look at it, I get a little spark from the color.

Do you have something that signals Spring when you put it on or get it out?

A Smattering

Is there anything that starts out looking less like it ends up than a fern?

The Creeping Jenny is trying to take over the world, beginning in my yard. But I love the greens!

This is a delicious combination of color, and when the chocolate chip ajuga blossoms open, it will be glorious.  The ajuga blooms are periwinkle blue.  Or dark lavender.  Either way, bravely holding their own with the creeping jenny, it will be beautiful!

Every morning, Gus looks out the window for the cat.  Every morning, I look out the window to see the progress of the dogwood - today they are opening!

Suddenly, the trillium are in bloom!

Good Friday Morning

Every morning I make a cup of coffee in one of my Disney mugs, feed the dogs and sit down at my desk to see what the feed reader brings me from my favorite blogs.  Design, crafts, humor, faith, life...I find myself thinking over these things throughout the day.

Today I'm mulling over the events of Good Friday and what I can learn from them.

What do you do every morning?

[And thanks for the comments yesterday Mom, Sorrow and Merry.  That building is one my company built, and when I saw it that day, I grabbed my camera and snapped away.  I had a little fun with it at work.]

Aliens

Are they coming or going?