Can we ignore 2025

I don't hold high expectations for the new year. Me. The ultimate optimist. Grief doesn't magically disappear at midnight on December 31. 

And then. And then, the most despicable piece of crap on the planet will set out to destroy everything. Sigh.

On a lighter note, the unpacking continues. I have found my solitary blue ribbon, won for my loom painting. And I found some of my son's 'artwork' from pre-school. Yes, 50 some years ago. I chose a few to commemorate with photos:

Next, I have numerous studio umbrellas/stands. Not sure what to do with them as I doubt most Goodwill shoppers would have use for them.  

Books & Birdgirl

I finally got my South Carolina library card. I've lived here for two years and kept putting it off. No specific reason, just too many other things going on. 

I prefer to read ebooks. It began years ago with my first Kindle. Ebooks are perfect for traveling. I've continued buying/checking out electronic media since then. I can't remember the last physical book that I read. 

I had many, many books at home in Georgia. When I moved I donated all of them. Well, almost all, I kept a few - mostly photography books, but also a couple of fiction. One of them is 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'. I loved that book. Gary and I visited the Bonaventure cemetery on a trip to Savanah once. We also purchased a replica of the Bird Girl statue. When I sold my house, I left the statue there - no place in apartment living for something like that. 

This is an infrared photo of my Birdgirl statue. 

The book jacket

packaging

We all survived, just. I hate to be a Negative Nancy but Christmas is usually  a huge disappointment - a result of overly optimistic expectations.

Anyway, it is done

Packaging

A morning

A morning

I went to the bathroom and noticed my phone clock read 3:40. Got back into bed, couldn't fall back to sleep. I have a clock that sits on top of the armoir and projects the time onto the ceiling. So, I looked up to see the time and couldn't find it. Looked at the clock itself and it read 12:01. Checked my phone again - 3:45. Was the power off during the night? Checked my Ring videos to see if there was a gap. Doh, it's on a battery. Turned on the TV to look at a webcam in South Africa that I like... tv couldn't connect to wifi. What has happened? Four hours later (I was afraid troubleshooting the TV issue might make too much noise), I've reconnected the wifi, set the clock to the correct time. What else. Oh yes, I decided to get my eggnog glasses from the upper cupboard. Got the ladder out, got the glasses. Hmmm, while I'm up here I'll see if there's anything in this other cupboard that I need. Ah, shaped cutters (too small for cookies though - still haven't found those). As I was retrieving these, one container fell and small metal cutters clanged all over the floor. "Sorry upstairs neighbors".  

Soldier Man

With all of the things I have not been able to find since I moved, this guy made it through. You have to laugh. 

 

Memories

I've been unpacking a few boxes that have been in storage since I sold my house in Georgia in 2019. One box contained my father's slides. I had gone through them quite a while ago but it was fun to see them again. He was a very good photographer. I wish he had lived long enough  that he and I could share this passion.

I no longer have a flatbed scanner with which to copy slides, but I put them on a light box and used my phone to capture... the gist of them anyway.

 

The thirteenth

I'm not actually superstitious about Friday the 13th, but it snuck up on me and I'm a little... like when you get zapped by static electricity. 

Anyway, here are a few pics from recent days.

If you haven't worked the Squareword puzzle for today, then don't look below.

Wordle and Squareword are how I wake up my brain each morning.

Frustration with a capital F

The list of "things I cannot find" grows longer. At the moment, I'm missing two sweaters and my father's baby bonnet. I moved from my 4 bedroom house in 2019. Moved in with my niece for a couple of months. Then we moved to another apartment in September of 2019. Most of my belongings were put into storage by my son. In 2022, I moved once again. There are still boxes from the original move in storage. I'm waiting for my son to go to the storage building and tell me what is still there. It's very frustrating, on top if this holiday season being the worst ever! 

But, here are some wet leaves, caught in the crevice between several stones. 

The choices of pie

The pie was pumpkin cheesecake. It's by no means a gourmet recipe, but it's delicious. My mom was a great pie baker. She would have prepared pecan, cherry, and apple pies. And we couldn't/wouldn't choose, instead opting for a small sliver of each.  

Note: Angie is wearing me down re: Christmas decorations. I believe I would honor her memory more by putting up a tree than by being filled with sadness.

Nope

I've decided not to put up any holiday decorations this year. I hate this year.

I had made the same decision last year, for different reasons. But my daughter-in-law persuaded me to put up a tree, at least. She passed away in January. If she were here now, she would talk me into getting into the spirit. I'm sorry, Angie. But I just can't. 

  

Natures display

The week of giving thanks. I give thanks every morning, for another day.

 

Grrrrr

This is my beef today: I'm sick and tired of people (who do not know me) saying I'm wrong/mistaken/out of my depth as a response to a comment I've made on SOMEONE ELSE'S post. Bye, Felicia! 

 

Leaves, Stones, Moon

Bleached Leaves

Stones & Shadows

 

Super Moon (aka Beaver Moon)

Up/Down, To/Fro

Friday. Mid-November. Everything is different, yet the same.

Continuing on my journey to a healthy mindset. One day at a time.

Blue sky one day

Rain the next

And fog

 

Push back

ALBERT CAMUS 

He said, "In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. I realized, through it all, that in the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there's something stronger- something better, pushing right back. 

From the kitchen sink

Stones and Straw

Lone Leaf

 

untitled

I couldn't come up with a word or two for the title that describes how I'm feeling. Each day I feel less bereft. Is that the right word? I don't know. 

Snapped a couple of photos, looking down instead of up.

The base of a crepe myrtle.

Straw and stones

 

Despair vs Hope

 

Today is the day

I managed a sunset photo last evening. The time change and the removal of a few tall shrubs in front of my porch have given me a nice sky view. Taken with the Leica.

We may not have the final tally by the end of today, but surely we will have a feel for what our future holds. Or if we even have a future.

 

Memories

I dusted off my little Leica the other day and to my surprise, there were photos of Beau on the memory card. Sweet memories, indeed. 

In other news, I believe I enjoy using filters to edit photos because the straight photo rarely gives me the 'feels'. I didn't say never. I have many, many photos that were exactly what I wanted, right away. But I think I'm blurring the line between photography and painting.  

Leaves

Signs of life

I feel like maybe I'm getting my photo-mojo back. I hope so.

At the carwash

 

Untitled

Blue Sky, Day Moon

I finally took the Zeiss lens (my favorite) off the Fuji and loaded a zoom lens. 

Waning Gibbous

Some color on the corner

Eggs & Grapes

In the first pic, steam fogged up my lens so the eggs were very blurry. Photoshop filter to the rescue!

Also from the kitchen, grapes

It's been so long since I posted from a computer instead of my phone, the keyboard feels strange. 

Still Here

I haven't posted anything for two months! How is that possible. Life has been quiet and uneventful (for me, thankfully). The devastation in western North Carolina is , well, it's hard to describe. Small towns basically wiped out by flooding. People are still being rescued, more than three days after the storm. 

It has been 37 years since my cancer diagnosis, always good to celebrate that milestone. My prognosis at the time was, AFTER chemotherapy and radiation therapy, I had a 40-60% chance of surviving five years. I sometimes forget what a dark time that was for me and my family. But here I am, still. 

It's nearly impossible to avoid the political storm in the country. In less than 3 weeks, early voting begins in South Carolina. I can't wait to cast my vote! 

Here's a photo from 2009, taken in Bloemfontein,  South Africa. 

 

Celebrate

I celebrated another trip around the sun. Thanks to my family for making my day special. 

The summer doldrums have a stranglehold on me. No creativity - painting or photography - have occurred for at least a month. I suppose that's not so very long. Perhaps a respite is good for the soul. You can't force creativity, of that I am sure.

A little minor surgery for a skin cancer and now I'm good for another 50,000 miles. 

Time

Holy moley, I've just realized that I painted this 34 years ago. It won a blue ribbon (and I have no idea where the ribbon is today) in a county art competition. I took a photo of the loom while visiting Cades Cove, TN. 

Back then, I wasn't afraid of a full sheet of watercolor paper (22"x30"). Today, I'm painting a 5"x7". 

 

Sally and Sunflowers

Reminiscing about the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph, Charlottesville, VA 2015. One of the guest speakers was Sally Mann and I was lucky enough to get an autographed copy of her book - "Hold Still". 

And a collage of sunflower paintings. I think I should move on to a new subject.

 

New Moon

Lately: 6 month checkup with the doc (everything is cool), covid and rsv vaccinations (had a slightly achy reaction), managed a sunflower watercolor that I'm actually happy with. 

Tomorrow - starting a new acrylic painting. 

Sunflowers and Lists

I'm currently working on a sunflower, in watercolor. I haven't had much success painting sunflowers in the past. As with all things, I'm hoping that patience is the key. 

 I also came upon a poem by Linda Pastan: