Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above
There’ve been a lot of directions in the challenges.
Up, down. Round. Forward. No inside out. Yet
this week it’s FROM ABOVE.
I stand over garbage, see a lone glove on the road-
take a shot. A single baby shoe in the gutter.
Weddings from a church balcony, the mezzanine.
Not often, though. Directly above is rare, more likely above from an angled side.
Have they done sideways? I like that movie.
Here’s my From Above Gallery, though not celestial.
Laura and James at Marjorie and Dan’s Wedding Reception. Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
Seventh (Andy Warhol) and Ninth Street Bridges taken from the Renaissance Hotel.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Shadows at the entrance of school
John and Angie’s Wedding
Franklin Park Conservatory Columbus OH
Anna, Baby Jack and Michael March 2007
Roberto Clemente Bridge and PNC Park from the Renaissance Hotel
Last Year’s Rose
French Fries on Carson Street
Porsche Engine
Batteries from a week in digital photo class.
Dunkin Donut apron in the school parking lot.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Kiss
For the weekly challenge I looked to my own family to help me out.
I figured they wouldn’t mind. The wedding clothes photos are the ones I took 6 months after the wedding. Thanks Laura and James. (Hope it’s okay!) Love, Ma
Matching Satin Bows
From the wedding archives- a little more than 3 years ago. Chair sash and flower girl.
The matching satin bows caught my eye.
Pignolis- An Heirloom Recipe from a Friend’s Mother
The one thing I can tell you is, don’t mess around with the confectioner’s sugar amount as it is needed to make the cookie take shape!
Parchment paper is key, too.
You can see I should have put this recipe in a plastic sleeve. It is well used and always appreciated. People devour them.
Thinking of how wonderful it is that Esther was so generous to share her hand written recipe at least twenty years ago. Her daughter, Diana, will take her iPad to show her this post on Tuesday as we have no school due to the storm winds and rain predictions. I called and asked if it would be okay to post and Diana said, “Yes” so thank you Diana and her mother, Esther.
I baked these for Laura’s wedding last year and made them for the House Concert for my gluten-free friend.
(Smidge, this recipe is for you, too!)
La Porte County, Indiana Road Sign- a Nod to an Ardent Blog Reader
A guest blog by Mark and Erika and a special nod to a dear family friend!
My son Mark has been wanting to photograph this sign for years.
When you’re driving on the turnpike, it’s fairly impossible. This weekend as they headed to a Chicago wedding, with Erika driving and an iPhone camera, he was able to capture this special road sign for his good friend’s father who bears the same name.
Although Mr. Wozniak doesn’t write comments on the blog itself, I receive the loveliest of emails in response to many of the daily photos as they trigger a memory or story from his growing up.
and since we are talking Polish heritage (see info on the Jacob Wozniak from Indiana who was a wagon painter here)
Erika sent a photo of the wedding dinner from the Polish wedding they attended in Chicago this weekend while I watched the grandchildren. They said is was delicious and served Family Style.
St. Stanislaus Kostka
In Ladder Tower #3- Just Married in Somerset, Pennsylvania
The first day of fall was a beautiful wedding day for Prudence and Jordan in Somerset PA.
Sunshine then intermittent showers but then some wonderful sunlight breaking through the clouds, too. Overcast skies make for no squinting during outdoor picture taking!
The sun and light matched the gorgeous bouquets of sunflowers.
Jordan is a Volunteer Firefighter and a Somerset Police Officer and his colleagues provided escort service for the couple to the reception, honking the horn as they made the short trip to the Somerset Country Club from West Church Street. It was a wild ride. Prudence was a lovely bride.
They were a great couple to photograph as was the rest of the bridal party and they graciously permitted me to post a few wedding photos from Saturday afternoon on the blog today.
I got to sit up front in Ladder Tower #3 and filmed a short video to share with grandsons Michael and Jack when I visit. I had crawled into a firetruck once at an open house in Ohio but never got the thrill of riding in a giant Ladder Tower truck. It was exciting, fun and memorable. All the best to Prudence and Jordan!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Close
Godmother and Goddaughter- (Lala in her Cheesecake Factory days with the tie)
More than close being “near- meaning very little space between” I was choosing based on close “as in relationship and feeling.”
Brothers toasting before a wedding.
And 100 fellow bloggers define close in photography in a variety of ways. Check some out!
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Alexis and Jarrett Tie the Knot and Jump the Broom
A happy wedding celebration. Alexis and Jarrett exchanged vows and rings in a beautiful ceremony, witnessed by family and friends. They were declared husband and wife………..
then they jumped the broom (the bride’s mother had decorated it in the wedding colors)
Alexis and Jarrett granted me permission to post photos from their Saturday March 31st wedding.
Wishing them every happiness!
(You might remember the Christmas party of Pastor Garland (his mother) when I photographed their church dinner. They’re in that picture too!)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Between
Youngest granddaughter Maura Clare dancing between Erika and Mark at cousin Jaclyn's wedding
To see fellow bloggers responses to the challenge click here
* and my photo classmate and new blogger Francine in Retirement posted a classic Pittsburgh image in response to the weekly challenge here
Brother and Sister Waiting for Brother and Sister
Waiting for the school bus at the end of the day. You can hear it round the corner. My sister sat on the curb with Maura and Murphy- Super Jack was ready for action. November afternoon with the grandchildren. It is going to be hard to leave and return to normal life.
There were chores to accomplish today, debrief from the weekend celebration. Got J off to Omaha before breakfast. We returned the layer separators to the cake baker’s place. The lost engraved forks were found in the kitchen of the Athenauem where the reception was held. Tomorrow the wedding dress to the cleaners in the morning. Visiting with Matthew before he returns to Croatia. La and James are on their honeymoon! Thanks for all the wonderful comments and notes. It was nice to share the wedding excitement with my blog followers.
Guest Blogger Photographs the Bride
Donald Payer (Mark’s father-in-law) was using his new camera and did a great job capturing Laura as a bride before the wedding. Thanks Donald. He also was the chef for Saturday’s breakfast at Mark and Erika’s home (assisted by Aunt Linda, Aunt Georgeann,Marlene and Uncle Frank) It was a wonderful weekend celebration.
Bride and Groom at the Hotel Parking Lot
What a beautiful day!
James and Laura are married. Friends and family shared in the celebration. And I was off duty with a camera. I did get this one of the couple at the end of the night as we pulled the cars into the parking lot. Specifically for the blog. Laura is sporting a Faux Fur from Paris that my sister brought from NYC. Years ago, on the streets of NYC, Andy Wahol complimented the coat (when worn by my sister’s friend Blanche ) Mary brought it out from NYC .
It was a beautiful day.
More on it to follow at another post.
Bride and Groom To Be
Tonight I made the pretend bouquet with the shower ribbons. Laura thought they were discarded but they were in a bag at Erika and Mark’s. I tried on my dress and shoes and got a positive response. This outfit is the mail order one I got last week. Tomorrow the rehearsal and bowling pizza sub buffet at the Columbus Athletic Club. Cookies in the back of the car waiting to be delivered to the reception venue on Saturday. Temperature in the 30′s. My sister and brother arrived about ten thirty after a day of travel from Okanogan and New York City and I drive around in circles to pick them up curbside at the airport. So that is the iPhone update. Marlene brought cookies from Hardy Va. We are gathering in to celebrate Laura and James. He’s holding the toasting glasses from my parents used by Mark and Erika at their wedding and the framed legend of the cookie table,borrowed from a teacher friend(thanks Amy ) and ready to grace the actual cookie table at the wedding. Tomorrow morning all these items will be delivered to the Athenaeum. Thanks for all the well wishes and love. I am grateful.
777th POST and Local Man Discovers New Use for Plastic Newspaper Sleeve-
Okay first things first. Cookie Table preparations are in full swing as you know. The pignoli/almond paste cookies are baked and are they ever tasty. There weren’t any real rejects so a fully formed cookie had to be eaten! And the Split Second cookies with Bonne Maman Apricot Preserves and Schwartau Raspberry Jam inside. I overbaked a batch of those last night so baked a do-over today! The baking is complete. Three friends brought up cookies tonight.Another friend made her grandmother’s fudge. Pittsburghers bake their hearts out at wedding time!
and now for something completely different…………….
Scroll down for the photos of Local Man Discovering a New Use for the Plastic Newspaper Sleeve
In addition to the usual canine clean up capture, my neighbor showed me a new use for the plastic sleeve that covers his newspaper. You know the slim bags, sometimes a color like green or pink or blue, that thing that keeps your morning paper dry! Well, how about protecting your tie?
His demonstration of an alternate use for the plastic sleeve made me laugh out loud. And if you want to learn all about how he and his dog were featured testing the Thundershirt and were interviewed by local TV channel(seriously, if you are a dog owner you might need one of these if your dog is afraid of thunderstorms) The little video clip is here.
And being a great neighbor and friend he picked up Matthew from the MEGABUS this afternoon when I was still at school. When I went to get Matthew, I interrupted a Ukelele impromptu lesson on the 12 fret blues or something close to that.
Anise Cookies
This recipe has been in a folder for ten years. I have now made it twice. I
Like anise but many do not care for it. The recipe has a name on it. I also baked Mrs Scarano’s strip cookies. Twice. Don’t like to double recipes. Taking the split second cookies out now raspberry Jam apricot preserves and Fig jam filled.
From the phone. I hope it works
Knit Yesterday, Baked Fruit and Nut Biscotti Today
Here is a bit more on knitting first. Molly showed me all of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s books and told me about the quote at the end here. Not that wedding preparations are crises but you get the idea.
“Zimmermann was the first knitter to be honored with a full obituary and article in the New York Times titled “E. Zimmermann Is Dead at 89; Revolutionized Art of Knitting.” It appeared on Sunday, December 12, 1999. Her motto was
“Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crises.” “
And on to the recipe from the NY Times.
When Matthew graduated from college in St. Paul his friend Patty’s family from Vermont, brought these biscotti. I thought they were delicious. Baking them for the cookie table. My friend Lara typed up the recipe.
I use the apricots, dried cranberries, pistachios and almond combination. The lemon and orange zest are fragrant. I bake them about 28 minutes at 350. You can slice and bake again to dry out the slices. When you make the logs, you need a bit of flour to shape them as the dough is a tad sticky and wet. 
Anxiety? Knit a Hat
Less than a week to the wedding
Woke up feeling anxious- that free floating type- some situational also.
So instead of doing everything I needed to do, I knit a hat Sunday morning. It was a total knit knit knit so could really relax.
Am also testing the blogging from the phone…thanks for bearing with me. Seeing if I can photograph and write and upload with success. I see I posted an empty post a few minutes ago.
Molly gave me one ball of Noro yarn ( Iro, the bulky one) and it made a great hat which I wore most of the afternoon.
just checked the post and see that the photo is upside down. Back to the drawing board on the blogging from a phone. Maybe it is trial and error? Or a tutorial in my near future.
Maura Eyes the Wedding Cake Being Cut
First cousins once removed on her mother’s side. That is such a strange sounding label! She’s also my youngest grandchild. Fun to be part of a family wedding. Congratulations to Jaclyn and Michael. It was a happy night.
WIsh I had a quote from her. Will have to show her the photo and add it!
Thinking about Wedding Cookie Tables, Again
Cookie tables at weddings? A recurring theme, I know. The biscotti in the basket, the pizzelles in another. Trays and trays of cookies. Little boxes or bags to take cookies home. Anise, vanilla, the scent of fresh baked cookies. Today Laura and I shopped in a restaurant supplier for trays for the cookie table next month. We’re thinking a lot about cookies. I’ve posted cookie table photos before. I’m sure I will be posting them again. 
The Towel, the Apron, the Cake, the Robe, the Afghan, the Flowers
Laura’s getting married. And it’s fall. Was it ever damp and cold today but inside a lot of warmth and love. Some of the people who attended met her when she was six years old (when we moved to Pittsburgh)
We ate Baked Orecchiette with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. Salad. Bread. Spinach pie and fresh fruit. A cake with fresh raspberries from Jean Marc in Millvale PA. Flowers from Joan’s garden. Donna D crocheted the afghan which Laura wrapped up in after she opened it. Little jars of spice from Pennzey’s for favors. Mary put them on the Lazy Susan like a wedding cake. Joanne in Omaha recommended the organza bags to hold the spice jars. It was a happy celebration with friends and family. Aunt Mary made it possible with all her hard work. Taking her to the train to NYC in the morning before school. It was a wonderful afternoon with family and friends sharing our excitement. My heart is full! The Royal Wedding Towel from Aunt Mary got a good response. The flower girls were a big help with the presents and trash, too! 
Weekly Photo Challenge: Sunset
Sunset at Destiny Hill Farm in Washington PA. A beautiful wedding, a beautiful couple!
Sunset photos in my library are just not exciting enough. Sure there are some intense colors, some trees in silhouette, the city, and a bridge or two but I wanted sunset with something HAPPENING! And I remembered the wonderful July wedding of colleague BobbiJo and her husband Tim. Plus the bonus of the niece in the cowboy hat holding the Bride’s dress.
Backlit Bridal Party in Baseball Dugout
Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA. A relaxed bridal party shot on campus, Saturday’s wedding. Both bride and groom are alumni, as are some of the attendants, too. The groom played baseball and football and the bride a serious runner (just signed on to run the Boston Marathon again, oh my)
Bright sun, green mountains and blue sky. A happy couple. A perfect day. Wishing them every happiness, always! 
You know you make me wanna (Shout!), Kick my heels up and (Shout!)
“Throw my hands up and (Shout!)”
SHOUT- Originally recorded by the Isley Brothers in 1959- Here Nancy and friend Eric kick up their heels at Lauren and Jesse’s wedding in Alexandria, PA. It was fun to catch them mid-air.
(I know, the woman’s legs under Eric confuse the photo but I liked the effort and energy of their enthusiastic dancing)
Bridesmaid Nancy and friend Eric dance to SHOUT!
Our family friend Ben assists my grandson Jack AKA Superman
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