Category: Guest Blog

Orchid Cactus’ Short Bloom

My friend Kristin sent this beautiful Orchid Cactus (epiphyllum) blossom from Florida- on the phone!
I invited her to guest blog it. I had never seen an orchid cactus before.

The cactus blooms once a summer and the flower lasts about 24 hours.

Glenn Rice’s page states “Opens and closes in a single night” opens and closes on a single night

That’s it. A beautiful short life.

Kristin got the cactus at a local/ native nursery.

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From behind the bloom

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Thanks Kristin for sending the beautiful blossom. I forgot to ask if it has a scent.

by Categories: Garden, Guest Blog, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , 12 Comments

Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia

At least a year ago, my friend Connie W. from Florida, sent a newspaper article from an Ocala paper about the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb Croatia.  Connie must have read it and thought of Matthew, my son who lives there.   I asked him one time about it and then another time and we didn’t talk about it or mention it for along while.  Then I said I hope he could take Flat Ruthie there as I thought it would be an interesting place to visit.  Then Flat Ruthie went missing. And besides Flat Ruthie  hasn’t really had any relationships to break up  that I’m aware of………….

Today in my email I received photographs of his visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships.  Here is what Matthew wrote:

 
My Blog-following friends- Sasha, Ana Maria and Tanja asked if I had taken Flat Ruthie to the Museum of Broken Relationships.  I hadn’t.  So we decided to go together and take some pics for the Blog.  Flat Ruthie was too busy exploring the remote reaches of my desk drawers, so she opted not to join us this time.  I bought a Bad Memories Eraser for Mom at the gift shop, but a few hours later ran into a friend who needed it more.  Her boyfriend has gone to NYC to play the drums.

 I wonder what she’ll donate to the museum: a pair of scuffed sticks or an abandoned ride cymbal?  Hopefully, she’ll update us when she decides –   Matthew

Welcome to Museum

It isn’t just the objects.  It is the stories behind the objects.

Boots

 

 

Biker Boots

the story behind the boots

 

Ana Sasha Tanja

Tanja, Sasha, Ana at the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb

 

 

 

 

A wisp of hair

 

 

 

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Axe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wedding Box

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEdding Box

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Flyer

 

 

 

Keka Flyer

 

 

 

Chocolate

At the gift shop

 

 

Blog Followers

I am so happy you all encouraged MAtthew to go to the museum!!!

 

I am not sure to whom the credit should go to for the photo of  Matthew at the entrance.  Let me know and I can edit the post.

Museum of Broken Relationships

Photo credit to Sasha, Tanja or Ana Maria- Thank you

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by Categories: Family, Guest Blog, Photography, Photos from CroatiaTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 18 Comments

My Conversation With God – Guest Blog

 

My conversation with God 7/13/13

I don’t want to talk about the Treyvon Benjamin Martin story

Because it’s been told before        because I know how it ends

black boy      dead boy        no boy wins.

And you,

you were supposed to be watching

keeping him from harm.

His mother prayed and prayed    and

you said you would       she believed

you could

he was the one in the hood

and you just didn’t.

Maybe you looked away for a second

got distracted,

heard thousands calling your name

so much you couldn’t hear him

couldn’t decipher it from the voices

the noises,

maybe you confused it with a cheer

when the field goal was good,

or a hymn        that was really loud

maybe you didn’t like what he had to say

all young and un-educated like.

but really,

how long would it have taken,

how long did it take

for you to call

for him to leave,

join you,

be rewarded

such a short time

in your care.

Was it just too dark that night?  Was he just too dark that night?

They say he looked like all the others, “all the other punks that get away”.

 

 — a poem by Cj Coleman

Cj teaches in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, is a Western Pennsylvania Writing Project Fellow (U of Pittsburgh) and a member of Madwomen in the Attic (Carlow University)

Cj emailed me this poem and I found this photograph in my archives to accompany her words.

Hoodie Day March 30, 2012
 Hoodie Day March 30, 2012                 Pittsburgh Public Schools
by Categories: Guest Blog, poetryTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

Roast Beef Sundae – Guest Blog

Sunday afternoon at the car show in Columbus, Ohio-

my son Mark saw this sign, photographed it and sent it to me on the phone.

I’ve not seen a sign like this before, so maybe it is new to you, too!

Roast Beef Sundae Sign

by Categories: Guest Blog, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

1949 Chevrolet Ambulance and Our Brother’s Birthday

My sister Mary sent me these photos she took on her phone in NYC.

She texted the year- 1949. a very good year!

A Chevrolet Ambulance.  Looked up definition for the word Chevrolet and found Louis Chevrolet “a Swiss Born American Race Car Driver of French Descent”

I’ve been saving the photos to post for our brother David’s birthday today, also Flag Day.  (You might remember how bad I am at sending out a card in time.)

Happy Birthday David.  Thinking of you and hoping you have a wonderful day.

Love from your sisters,

Ruth and Mary

Chevy 1949

 

 

 

 

Side View 1949 Chevy

 

 

 

 

 

1949 Chevy rear view

 

 

by Categories: Family, Guest BlogTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments

Hail Storm in Zagreb Croatia- Guest Post

In my email this morning-

Dear Mom,

 A hail storm broke out in Zagreb today and my friend Maja captured it with her iPhone from her 9th floor office.  She was a little bit reluctant to be blogged, but she had this to say about the picture :   “It looked so great and it made me so happy that I wanted to share it.”

And it reminded me of the sentence from the film “American Beauty” – “Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.”

I think that quote is a great motto for us to live by.  You and your blog do a great job reminding us all of the beauty that surrounds us every moment of every day, so I knew what to do with Maja’s picture right away!

 Love you,

Matty

Thank you Maja for sharing your beautiful photograph of the hailstorm from the ninth floor window and thanks Matty, too.  

Hail Storm Zagreb Croatia

by Categories: Guest Blog, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments

This Little Piggy- Wait, It’s THIRTEEN Piggies- Guest Blog by Marlene and Donald

Down on the farm in Virginia.  Mar said it was dark in the barn. Thanks for a fun guest blog. We don’t see this in the city!

Lots of new life appearing at your neighbor’s farm.

Springtime action in corrals and pens and barn.

See proud future Dad.      His “wife” is sitting on 17 eggs.        (Not sure if Turkeys mate for life like other species you hear about. hmmmm)

Future Thanksgiving Dinner?

Future Dad Turkey

 

Future Dad Turkey

 

Future Mom sitting on 17 eggs!

 

 

 

 

Turkey sitting on 17 eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watcha Looking At?

 

Waiting for baby horses- another blog, another day

 

 

 

 

a litter of piglets eating lunch

 Click on Video below -A little dark in the barn.  That is if you want to see 13 new piglets scramble at feeding time.

by Categories: Family, Guest BlogTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Anna and Her Sock Monkey Photo Shoot

Anna set up the sock monkey clan in the family room and photographed them. The most cooperative subjects you would wish for. A couple sock monkeys must have been hiding but collecting four grandchildren’s monkeys is the challenging part. Trying to get the real family for a group shot is much more difficulty. I get a kick out of the kids trying out their photography skills. Anna(9) photographed this one with the iPad. Thanks Anna for the guest blog.

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by Categories: Childhood, Guest Blog, photo of the day, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , 22 Comments

Longaberger Baskets Home Office Guest Blog

Laura drove past the home office of        longaberger  ( click for building specs)
Longaberger Baskets in Newark Ohio
Thanks for the shot today Laura! (taken March 25th )

I have to go there one of these days soon.

This basket shaped building was listed in the book of Ohio Oddities and you can tour the building but if you have a large group,call first.

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by Categories: Guest Blog, photo of the dayTags: , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Music and Chocolate Cake in Zagreb, Croatia

So I got home from my weekend in Ohio, Sunday night with no chance to photograph the neighborhood for the weekly photo challenge as it was dark outside.  Changing the clocks didn’t help me with enough light by the time I pulled in the driveway

-but in my inbox I found a message  from my son Matthew who lives in Zagreb, Croatia (9 years already!)

The  subject of his email:  Guest blog 🙂                  The dilemma of what to post?                    SOLVED!

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Dear Ma, 
Yesterday I spent the evening with the Kaplowitz family.  My dear friend Joe Kaplowitz is pretty much the only American I know over here and he invited me over for an American-style chocolate cake.  Not only is he a brilliant jazz musician but he is quite an accomplished baker to boot!  His beautiful wife Lela is a marvelous singer and they recently came out with a big-band album of original compositions called With Every Breath that you can hear (and buy!) here
 
After enjoying a generously-sized hunk of cake chased by a glass of milk, Joe, Lela, their daughter Lucija and I played a cut-throat game of Name That Tune. Lucija is also a budding musician, so as you might imagine the competition was pretty stiff.  Then we headed to the parlor for a concert.  Joe and Lucija, who plays the violin, teamed up for a set of traditional Croatian melodies played over some soulful blues piano.  
Perhaps I was witnessing the concept for the next album being born.
Joe’s cake was so tasty that I plan to go back over tomorrow for another sliver.  
In keeping with the spirit of the blog, will get the recipe tomorrow and send it to you!
 
Love, Matthew
p.s. Here is the recipe, just in from Zagreb this morning    

 
only got 3 stars but i thought it was fabulous!

Kaplowitz Family

 
 
by Categories: Baking, Guest Blog, MusicTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 13 Comments