Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship

The sunflowers are a gift from a friend.

This photograph was taken in the art room today on my iPhone.  Most of the middle schoolers were on a trip. After lunch I had a few who didn’t get to attend.  This wonderful painting was created by a young man named Scott.  He painted the sunflowers a friend had brought me.

I didn’t want to leave the flowers at home alone so took them with me to school. They were so vibrant and summery.

Oh, the unexpected surprise of the gift of flowers from a good friend.

Friday after school,  I put the bouquet on the front seatand when I arrived at my son and DIL’s home  and took them out of the car, my granddaughter ran down the hill of the front yard to greet me and said excitedly when she saw them, “Oh we studied that artist! ”  Later in the craft store she picked up a Starry Night Umbrella and told me it was the same artist as the Sunflowers. She’s 8 1/2 and just completed second grade Tuesday.

Thanks for the flowers, friend.  I thought it would cheer you to see them in Scott’s painting.

(And that eyeball glaring from the chair is from the cover of a book that belongs to Scott’s classmate and friend, J, who told me he has checked out the photos on this blog!  Cool. )

To see other responses to the weekly photo challenge click here

Rusty the Long Hair Dachshund Chases a Spot of Light

While in the middle of a friend’s photo shoot of vintage clothing, her mother’s long haired dachshund started following my watch reflection and chased it all around.  I’ve never seen a dog exhibit this behavior.  Trying to capture it was spontaneous and difficult as the watch was on my left wrist and the camera in my right hand.  No chance to focus. It was just happening. Stop action seemed the best way to try and show the motion. Min Pin Tigger makes a cameo appearance.Wish I had a real video to show it better.

How to Keep Four Children Entertained at the Motel

Well, three of them.

You know how I love to capture those candids.  When electronic devices are involved they’re in another place and pay no attention to me and my camera.  Shot in October 2009 but when I found it today it made me chuckle.

Fresh Baked Pies on Handmade Ceramic Pie Stands at the Farmer’s Market

(I am posting this with our dear friend Rob in mind . You might remember he guest blogged for National Pie Day when he was a pie judge) 

Okay, I posted the donut for National Donut Day and then yesterday’s baked goods upgrade of the elegant French macarons.

Today it is the fresh baked pies. Fresh Baked Pies from Annie Oakley’s Kitchen that is!

Meet Annie the owner of Annie Oakley’s Kitchen and her sister-in-law Christa, who is a pie apprentice.  They were sporting company shirts and aprons and selling delicious looking pies at the South Side Farmer’s Market on Carson Street.

I loved that they had a box of forks so you could dig right in after purchase.

Annie the pie maker on the left and Christa (sister-in-law) the pie apprentice on the right.

And Mom, Bryna, is the ceramicist who created the pie/cake stands for the display.  She also makes ceramic pie plates for sale.

What a fun booth they had set up in the Farmer’s Market on Carson Street.  They are at the Whitehall Farmer’s Market on Mondays.

I sampled the apple butter which she sells on ETSY  for just $4 a jar.

I bought two small strawberry rhubarb pies for $5 which was a sweet deal.

Macarons by Jean-Marc in Millvale

Not just motorcycles in Millvale.  Took these assorted macarons to the graduation party as a hostess gift.

They’re so colorful. And they melt in your mouth delicious.

Jean-Marc was featured on the blog before.  We are so fortunate to have a true French bakery right in Millvale.

Here ‘s what Jean-Marc says about the macarons on his website

Macarons, or French Macaroons, are GLUTEN FREE meringue-like almond cookies

filled with a buttercream or white chocolate ganache that is infused with natural flavors.

Extremely popular in Paris, Macarons are now available for Pittsburghers who long to

revisit their memories of travel abroad, or for those who want to try them for the first time.”

All Things Harley-Davidson

Meet Donna.  She owns the Spirit Ready-Ride Motorcycle Boutique in Millvale PA.  The location is a repurposed church which used to be an antique store.  I saw it when I left the Millvale Post Office across the street and went in and introduced myself and Donna graciously consented to my blogging the boutique.  They don’t sell motorcycles but everything you need to go with your Harley is available and then some. Repairs is a big part of the business.  The back part of the place is the service area.

Be sure to “like” them on Facebook click here 

Going to return to Millvale soon and add a couple of photos to complete the story. Turns out I missed two important people.

Here is the comment I received from a follower of Ready-Ride :  

Hi Ruth, loved the blog on Spirit Ready Ride but was wanting to see a picture of Matt he is the main mechanic at shop and does a great job and had a big following also. Plus the other owner of the business Honey Sanford would have loved to see her on the blog also. Maybe you could stop back down or grab their pictures and write something on them also because that shop works as a team and they have a great respect and love for each other that’s why it works.  Megan Copeland

 

And yes, that is a Harley-Davidson Black Leather Couch and Easy Chair in the slideshow.

Meet Richard (from Rhodesia) an ironworker who repairs Harleys and rides.

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Class of 2012- Congratulations Luke

Headed for the University of Michigan. The high school graduation ceremony is Monday night.

At the party it felt a bit like football weather tonight. Guests had on sweaters and jackets, long pants.  Last week it was 90.

Luke and Friends sang and played musical numbers during the party and it was a lot of fun. His grandfather accompanied him on the guitar singing New York New York and Vanessa and he sang The Prayer at the close as Kim, his mom, played the keyboard for them. I don’t have the playlist but know that Brad Yoder played guitar with Luke and also Nina Sainato sang Quando Quando with him. A little jazz, some standards,  a little show tune, a lot of musical improvisation.  Congratulations Luke and all the best to you!

You have grown into a fine young man and will do wonderfully in whatever you pursue.

I like the one with the balloons but we decided on the one below.  Hope you are okay with the two cause I could’t decide.  I like that some of the party scene peeks into the background and the balloons declare it a celebration!

39 Years Ago Today

Happy 39th Anniversary Marlene and Donald! Send me a wedding photo to add to the church shot. My DIL’s parents were married here in Swissvale PA on June 2, 39 years ago today!!

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Today

Two friends from work (JS) and (MK) alerted me it is National Donut Day.  Or is it Doughnut?

It is the 75th one so where have I been all these years?

I usually get that kind of info from Foodimentary blog and he is saying it is National Doughnut WEEKEND!

The Weekly Challenge came in this afternoon that you must take the photo TODAY so I shot a few photos of the  Highland Park fountain in the rain on the way home from school and the lawn ball in the garden with water drops for today’s post  of TODAY

and then my friend Steve came home with a chocolate donut he had gotten for FREE at the Giant Eagle.  Can you believe it ?

And he offered it to me.

So of course I took that donut and unwrapped the wrinkled bakery tissue from the sticky frosting (humidity is high high high today) and put it out on the front porch ledge and started to shoot away.  I did take a bite out of it for photographic purposes. Honestly, they don’t make donuts like they used to back when I was a kid………… The peeling paint on the stone ledge adds a lot to the photo in my  opinion.

(If I were to eat a doughnut it would be without chocolate  frosting)

Free from Giant Eagle today on National Donut Day.

Mother Daughter iPad Time

So engrossed, they don’t notice

old Grandma and her camera.

(Posted with permission from my DIL Erika.)

At Grandma Marlene’s house in Hardy, VA. The kids call us both “Froo Froos” but Grandma is self-explanatory.