You could really say it glowed-
We spent a good part of the day together, Maura (3) and I. Her brothers and sister at a swim meet for hours.
Got jammied up for nigh time.Then came out into the setting sun with Murphy and danced around in the driveway.
The angle of the sun does amazing things as it prepares to slip away for the day. Had just the iPhone with me.
The list of activities is long
Eating, talking on the phone, putting on makeup, shaving with an electric razor, texting, singing, listening to music, drinking coffee. How about this one?
But I have never seen an electric toothbrush at work in this location!
No kidding. And this shot spotted by granddaughter Anna from the back of the van on our way to her Buckeyes swim practice.
or What Love Looks Like-
It’s been almost two years since I posted Baby Doll (the loved doll) and her “sister” who was bought as a replacement but never really played with or looked at as far as I know.
Baby Doll (b. 1979) belonged to Erika when she was little and now Anna has loved her for 8 more years. I just stitched her arms up as they were coming off. And since I’m visiting the family and not driving around the city today I am showing the effects of two more years of loving. Maybe someone who reads this post will send a photo of the same doll in a similar condition.
One thing I know is they are most cooperative when I set them up to pose for the shooting!
Sunday afternoon. We’re doing family things. Gathered together for lunch.
We had just left the Northstar Cafe on High Street and instead of turning to get on the Interstate, Erika drove north on High Street which was definitely the scenic route.
I enjoy being the passenger and thought there might be something interesting to photograph on the way home. Stopping and dilly dallying was not an option with four kids in the back of the van and the high temp outside. (Stef, I was like Quick Draw McGraw)
More like snapshot time and a slice of the scene around Columbus.
Everything a bit tinted by the van windows shading. Makes the photo quality poor and a bit retro.
Two out of the three Erika called!
I was too busy looking to see.
This is not my usual method of photographing for the blog, subjects and scenes usually just present themselves and I don’t go out to hunt for material.
Remember Erika found the men painting the water tower almost a week ago.
The pickups stopped at the intersection were first. I shot right through the glass window. The GoodGuys Rod and Custom Association Car show was this weekend in Columbus at the Expo Center.
Then she said “Look at the pig.”
I’d gotten the local Dairy Queen before and I know PIERCE Cleaners was a subject for signage at night time once on the blog. One of my followers and longtime friend Mary Corbett used to say this exact message on the sign at the cleaners.
Pig and another American flag.
German Village, Columbus OHIO. Back to the Book Loft on Third Street.
We were headed to Cup O Joe for an iced coffee or something wet. The thermometer said ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN!
And the humidity was right up there along with the temperature. The boys T-ball games cancelled due to the heat.
When I showed the iPhone image to Mark after supper, he called the boys to look at the photo asking them Who would like this picture? They said it would be me.
They looked more carefully than I did. They saw the Stars and Stripes of the American Flag reflected. Because I was born on the Fourth of July, my DIL and son have told the grandchildren how I love American Flags and everything Red White and Blue. A real Yankee Doodle Dandy !
They point them out everywhere we go. It has become a game in the car to see who can find them.
How comforting it is to know that when I’m gone and they see one (sometimes they are 1/4 of an inch on a cereal box) I will come to mind-
They call to me and tell me to look so I can see it. This year one of my birthday presents was a Red White and Blue apron with a flag motif.
Being so focused on the temperature this afternoon and the quick iPhone shot as we left the Book Loft, I did not even notice or see the reflection of the flag at the 12 spot if it were a clock.
What a gift of a reflection, captured unintentionally.
Four images. Fourth of July. Starting with………….
Fourth of July Parade with Ballerinas just before noon in a sweltering heat, a blazing sun, scorching pavement…..okay, enough descriptors.It was hot hot hot. Or should I say HOT HOT HOT. (sorry, Arrow) Today we were all practically listless. Laura and James power is back on after five days but Marlene and Donald have been without power for a whole week and hope tomorrow is the day. So the holiday took a different turn than planned as I wrote before. The evening was a challenge as I tried to shoot the sparklers with a slow shutter speed.-
–
and for the sparkler portion of the evening. I sure wish I realized I had brought my tripod in the back of the car.
Found it there today when loading up some groceries.
Daddy Mark puts on a sparkler show for the kids as they watch the fireworks over the pine trees. It was a fun time and a great birthday party.
\
We popped in to the local Old Navy store so my DIL could return something. My DIL’s mother Marlene was the spotter for this shot for the blog today. Thanks to Tim who didn’t mind that I snagged his putting the shoes onto the uncooperative mannequin. He is the one who told me you need larger shoes for the feet.
It was a wonderful milestone birthday celebration and there are photos of sparklers and candles and fireworks seen from the backyard. They are still in the camera.
The cake Laura baked, Erika’s garden eggplant, Mark grilling shrimp, the kids enjoying Grandma’s birthday party, the card they made for me- waiting on the flash card til tomorrow. Below is the breakfast of a special raisin loaf (avert your eyes, Greg) that Marlene (Erika’s mom) brought up from Roanoke. You might remember we were supposed to go to VA for the fourth celebration but they lost power in the violent storm almost a week ago and still don’t’ have it back.
And a crazy couple of shots from a sweltering parade July 4th AM. They are in the camera on the flash card and not uploaded tonight. But I wanted to return to this scene on Tuesday to photograph the sign on the water tower I had photographed on Monday..
No longer just d-e-l-a-w . You might have seen the partially painted message on Tuesday’s post d-e-l-a-w-
I offered to return the library items and took Murphy for a ride, cranked up the AC and left the rear window open a crack for that rush of air he likes to feel on his nose.
Pulled over right after the railroad track and got out and took three shots. How those men were able to paint in this extreme heat I can’t imagine.
I didn’t know this area was considered a playground but it is complete and here is the photo of it.
And isn’t this handy? A drive through library return? I ‘ve never seen one where you drive through. In the city they have large metal depositories outside the library but nothing this convenient. A smart design.
But I really grew up in New Jersey. New York always sounded better to me and I have held onto that fact all these years. Joisey, the Garden State, just didn’t seem as cool.
Yes, it is my sixtieth birthday today. YIKES! We were supposed to drive to Roanoke VA but power outages from the bad storm last Friday knocked that plan out! You’ve seen a lot of my life these past three years on the blog. The art room adventures, some knitting, my pleasure in the eating and making of food, my family, the city, my travels, and as Arlene says, the ordinary- making it interesting!
I have been talking about turning sixty since I turned fifty-nine last year. Go figure.
My friend Mary Ann told me someone asked her if she was afraid to turn sixty and she told me her response was, “I’m afraid to NOT turn sixty” Many are denied the chance.
If you are born on the Fourth of July you receive a lot of red, white and blue presents. One has to post a little red white and blue on the Fourth of July so here are the two free marzipan macarons you receive when you buy the dozen at Jean-Marc in Millvale*
And here is my mom holding me. My cousin Paul sent me this photo last year at Christmas and it is the only baby photo I really have of myself. Looks like I was bottle fed. How about that wallpaper?
And then there is this prize winner of my wonderful haircut and chubby cheeks, I think I was three, This picture is stuck in one of those “magnetic” photo albums- meaning nasty glue that ruins your photo and you can’t remove it- EVER.
And here is what I looked like last week in the heat at the Pirates Game in Pittsburgh with my three year old granddaughter Maura. A nice woman filling the ketchup dispenser came over and asked it I wanted her to take it of us. She enjoyed seeing Maura enjoy her cone and I had photographed her eating it (of course). I don’t get in many photos which is just as well at this point. But when I think about what makes me happy in my life, my family is at the top of the list. I am fortunate indeed.
Here is a picture a first grader drew of me last year which I photographed on my phone. I am so glad I documented this artwork cause on the rough days and the long days of teaching art in the city, I can read her inscription at the bottom.
Ms. Hendricks is my hero.
It doesn’t get any better than that!
And I found this next photo in New York City when I visited my sister a couple months ago. Once I was visiting a family friend, Naomi, in a home and she said told me how she would think of all she was grateful for in her life and when she focused on a theme of gratitude she just couldn’t feel bad about anything. I remember her words and she died shortly after the visit. It is easy to forget to be grateful. Once I read about thinking three things you are grateful for each day, right before you go to sleep and I try to remember.
I am grateful to my family, friends, fellow bloggers and followers and wonderful commenters who have encouraged me in my photography, blogging and writing.
Today is a very happy birthday! I am surrounded by my family who love me.
Thanks everyone. (And Happy Birthday Suzanne who shares the date!)
*Here is a shot of Millvale,PA taken the day I bought the macarons!
We were driving back from the store and I was in the third seat of the van with two of the grandchildren.
My DIL said, quick get your camera. There are men painting the water tower. d-e-l-a-w (a- r -e) I think.
Talk about fleeting moment, she was about to fly by and I was stuck in the back of the van.
She said, I’ll slow down ( going about 45mph) Ha. Somehow I shot through the back window’s glass. You can see the reflection of a white fence. I had the 24-70 lens on the camera.
The one we scraped the stickers off the window just recently. Good thing. I can’t imagine working that high off the ground.
