Guest Blogger’s Response to Yesterday’s Waiting for Spring Post

Okay Aunt Bobbie (the one who gave Anna the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls).  Bobbie  saw my almost Spring post of the flowering pear trees and then sent me a photo for the blog today.  YIKES!

I was so hopeful.  Just when I was thinking of how the earth will warm up and the buds and blossoms will burst. I was counting the days until Spring, ready for the winter to be OVER!

I love it when someone is inspired by my photos on the blog, though. Even if it is a snow photos.  Well more that just any snow photo.

21 inches of snow in Kansas City in a week!!!

(Chicago John, this one is for YOU, too!)  For everyone shoveling and plowing and hopeful that it will just all go away….and SOON.

(Rob, you must be so glad you moved out of Northern Illinois to Florida this year.  Kristin, how was Hawaii?   Sue, you enjoying Spring training in Bradenton?)

Thanks Bobbie for the photo today.  Where are the crocus?

Kansas City Snow

 

 

A p.s. to Aunt Bobbie’s picture

Two more responses, this time from faithful blog reader ROB

 

writes to

Ruth,

After seeing your blog I wanted to share these photos.  The first photo is from a traffic cam showing my “old” office in the background and then I immediately went out and shot (with my trusty iPhone) the photo out our back yard, probably less than 2 minutes apart.  I sent these back to my old office staff just to show them the “real reason” I moved from Northern Illinois…just in case someone really needed proof.  Needless to say I got varied comments.  Thanks again for challenging all to see life through “a different lens”.
Love ya,
Rob

 

IL_21_@_Washington_cctv_East_LegIMG_2032

 

Brrrrrr.

Reminds me of a song that my Music  Monday Maestro  might find….

“Button up your overcoat, when the winds are free.  Take good care of yourself, you belong to me.”

Waiting for Spring

The Spring Equinox is March 20 at 7:02 AM.  Just THREE weeks to go.  I checked the Old Farmer’s Almanac for the official word.

In another 5 weeks, it’ll look like this in our part of the country….I have to keep it in mind.

Blossoms and green grass, bulbs shooting up through the earth. The RedBud will bloom.

Three weeks ’til Official Spring.  This photo was taken two years ago the first week of April.

March is Friday.  I think I have it calculated right.

Flowering Pear Trees

 

 

 

Old State Road in Columbus on the way home.  (I pulled over!)

Raggedy Duo in Public Domain But Does Anyone Play With Them Nowadays?

Never used nowadays lately but had to look it up to be sure I spelled it correctly.

While in Ohio this past weekend, I was helping sort through some toys in the playroom.  Matchbox cars here, a duffel bag of puppets, strollers and baby dolls and a whole tub of action figures like Batman and Star Wars light sabers.  A box of wooden blocks.

The grandchildren are growing up and many of the younger toys aren’t being played with and room needs to be made for new ventures.

These Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls were gifts from Great Aunt Bobbie when Anna(9) was born.  They looked exactly the same way they have smiled at me for all these years. No change in expression.  Just grinning. They looked almost brand new.

I took them upstairs and set them up in my father’s old oak rocker which is now in Mark’s office.  They didn’t object to being photographed.  I started thinking about rag dolls and how they aren’t trendy and I wondered if people are still buying them.  These are lovingly handmade in Kansas City and  I think of them as classics.  Nostalgia sets in.   Continue reading

Studio 35- Oldest Independent Cinema & Drafthouse, Hosts Free Oscars Event in Clintonville

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On my way to Laura and James’ house, I saw this cool theatre, Studio 35,  and read the marquee.  Pulled over to the curb and got out the camera.  Thought it sounded like a fun evening.  Took the shot from the car and the day was a gray one.

This theatre looks l like the ones I knew growing up.  No theatre in Pittsburgh serves beer as far as I know.

My DIL was teasing about my getting home to watch the Oscars Sunday night, live stream on a computer as I have no TV that gets any channels. It is always fun to see the best and worst dressed though.  A lot of hype in the media.  But this image evokes nostalgia for me.  One of these visits to Columbus I am going to have to go watch a movie here.

Continue reading

BUCKEYES Reflection- Guest Blog

My son Mark sent this to me  from his phone today.  He was with Anna at an Invitational Swim Meet, Ohio State University – The Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion to be exact.   The text he had written to me with the photo was:

Photo Challenge Reflection.

No matter that the Weekly Photo Challenge for Reflection was the beginning of December.  I thought it was fun to receive the photo he took with the accompanying words.  He saw that and thought of the Photo Challenge Reflection. And he thought of the blog.  It was nice to receive and so I’m sharing it you.

Thanks Mark. Continue reading

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

Forward on the soccer team?  Forward as in pushy, aggressive?

I’m thinking FORWARD motion cause that is what I came up with as I skimmed through my photos.

The Weekly Photo Challenge seems like a real challenge to me this week. Guess I am taking the word Forward, literally.  The sensation of moving up, plowing ahead, going forward. Here are the photos I chose for the theme FORWARD.  (I like to think a bit of blur illustrates the forward motion!  HA!) 

Trying the new option, well new to me…..click to see the photos.  Let me know if it works.   Continue reading

Night at the Museum for Oh Snap!

The Carnegie Museum of Art had a wild evening featuring the Oh Snap!  Project  where museum goers are invited to respond to one of the 13 photographs recently acquired by the museum-  “a collaborative project”

and the place was packed when I arrived.

When I came into the crowd I asked a nice couple, what they were in line for and they responded, “Drinks!”

Ahhh.

I went drinkless into the gallery where  the thirteen photographs were hung.   Surrounding each photograph were several selections from the submissions of photographs in response to the Museum’s 13.  (Oh Snap! Project explained here if you are interested in submitting your photo inspired by one of the museum’s)  Everyone  please consume their snacks and beverages prior to entering the gallery with the photographs on the wall.  

No problem for me but others had to wait.

The gallery a bit crowded to savor and digest all the photos on the wall which is often the case with openings, receptions  and events. Definitely planning a return trip to take it all in.    I saw photographers I knew milling about, checking it all out.    It was a vibrant scene. Abuzz.  A green screen the backdrop for antics and people with props as in a photo booth.  Having a blast being silly. (I remembered the Photo Booth Laura and James had at their wedding, what fun for them to pore over the images of the guests)

Then I headed to the Hall of Sculpture and I chatted with one of the photographers with a Canon on a tripod, capturing the Light Writing with the LED Hula Hoops and various swords, necklaces, and eyeglasses that glowed, sparkled and flashed.  It was cool being in the Hall of Sculpture with the lights out.  Definitely a Night at the Museum   I told her how I worked with the hs students and we’ve done light writing in the former darkroom.  How the kids love doing it and the results.  We talked settings and equipment a bit and I watched the hula hoopers.   The admission?  FREE!

LED Hula Hoop

 When I left,  I captured the scene from the bottom of the Sculpture Garden stone stairs.  You can see how the new project was well attended.

The goal is to “spark a creative response” and I would say that goal is well on it’s way to being accomplished!  

If your photograph is chosen, you get a free pass for admission.

Carnegie Museum of Art

Getting Ready for Baseball Season in Pittsburgh AND Florida

Everyone has their favorite teams.  Depends where you live, where you were born, where you moved, or who your family roots for, what players you like…..

some fans prefer football but the beginning of baseball means that Spring will be coming.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training is already happening in Bradenton, Florida.

I know cause my friend and frequent commenter, Sue R.  is headed down to watch some games. Has her tickets.   Seriously.  She is one proud Lady Buc!

This post is for her so she knows that the fans at home are getting ready, too.

My favorite part of the photo is that the house number is also the Pittsburgh area code.  412!

Hope you are enjoying the warm weather and that the Pirates are looking good, Sue.  It’s snowing right now.  Nothing major but it is gray and cold and snowy.

You can find Sue at PNC Park when the season starts.  And then it will be SPRING!!!!

Baseball Team Window

Inspired by Christopher Boffoli Miniature Food Work

When I saw photographer, Christopher Boffoli’s work, I thought that this was something we could do in the digital photo classroom.  He has really perfected the art in this department of miniature food scenes.   And we tried to recreate one of his ideas at school. The miniatures are so appealing.Miniature Food Scene

Only problem is 6 mini HO scale figures run almost 14 bucks at Esther’s Hobby Shop  so that makes it pricey.          They’re fragile too but oh so fun.

The Oreos were on sale at Giant Eagle.  But they don’t last, either.   I took in beans and rice and we had some Cheerios but it just wasn’t feasible for more than 120 students to get satisfactory results.

This is one of my practice shots.  The students liked the little figures.  I had some larger plastic dogs that they photographed, too.

Thanks Mr. Boffoli for the cool inspiration.  It isn’t that easy to do it as successfully as you’ve done.

I’d photographed a model railroad mother hanging out the wash before but not the whole scene with props.

Be sure to check out his picture show at this link cause his creativity and imagination is endless.

If You Need a Polish Platter

At the end of the Bloomfield Bridge, when I sat at the red light, I saw the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern in the snow.

The Polish Platter “Red” consists of
Pierogi, Kielbasa, Golabki, Haluski,
and Kluski

Open Mic Acoustic Night on Tuesdays at 9PM

Bloomfield Bridge Tavern