The first days of a new year always disappoint. We expect things to turn on a dime but they rarely do.
The super Moon actually occurred yesterday but clouds obscured my view. This morning's cloudless sky gave me a second chance. So, I guess it's 'almost' super.
Becoming.
I seem to make these every year about this time. But they're very labor intensive and this might be my last batch.
Blogger is pissing me off. It acts up whenever I try to add a photo.
The sky on Christmas night. Not gonna lie, I'm glad it's over.
However, I am filled with plans, goals, ideas for the new year. All in the 'self improvement' melieu.
It's one thing to be alone when most people are at work or school. But when you know everyone else is gathered with family and friends and you're alone ... it aches.
My daughter-in-law drew a picture on the wrapping paper of her gift to me. I don't think anyone has ever given me a drawing/painting that they created. For me. I am very touched and grateful.
... to end all Eves. This is a photo from 2013. Very festive. When I look back, I see a major shift in my universe since then. I've moved (thrice), Angie passed away, Todd remarried, Brandon is dating Abby Haney.
I'm still adjusting to apartment living. The country is in a huge mess. I can't begin to describe the atrocities happening here. On our streets! I don't know if I'll live long enough to see us overcome all of this.
Anyway, Merry Christmas.
Dreading Christmas Eve. Isn't that a sad statement. Since his remarriage, my son has transformed his beautiful home into a chaotic space that includes six dogs and a decor that looks as though cracker barrel threw up. The new wife is (among other things) a lover of chaos. And all things macabre.
Fa la la la, la la la la.
I think I might as well journal here. I downloaded an app to my phone, but I have to log in each time. Ack.
Goals for 2026
1. Survive
2. Learn to sketch faces
3. Walk more
4. Improve my handwriting
5. Stop wishing, start doing
Astronaut Jim Lovell passed away recently. As part of my job in the Flight Crew Training Building at Kennedy Space Center, I often interacted with the astronauts regarding documentation of the simulators and various illustrations for their individual check lists. Jim was a very likable guy and one time, as we were discussing configuration drawings, one of the NASA photographers who were documenting the training sessions snapped a photo of Jim and me. I think I commented at the time that would probably be the only time I would ever be photographed with a Hasselblad camera. Unfortunately, the photo is lost - somewhere in the many years that have passed.
Moon, waning gibbous
July 27. In a few days, I'm going to level up and celebrate another trip around the sun. If I ever wondered, in my younger years, what my life and the world would be like today... I could never have imagined it. When I was battling cancer, I didn't think I would live this long. And I certainly never expected this country to fall so far. I am ashamed of america. (and no, it doesn't deserve a capital A)
Back to the morning of getting nothing worthwhile accomplished. I wanted to print out a couple of photos on my Instax printer. The paper/film is similar to a polaroid. While looking for the charging cable (because I use it so seldom that it always needs to be charged), I came across a memory card (4GB!) from my Nikon D700. Plugged it in to see if there were any photos still there. There were a few from June 2022.
This is one that I hadn't processed .
The moon phase widget on the right-hand side of this page stopped working so I removed it. Technology bit me yesterday as well. Long story short, a printer firmware update caused the printer to no longer recognize third-party ink cartridges. Genuine epson ink is nearly 3 times the cost of third-party. Thanks, Epson.
First, I apologize for the Comments hiccup. Thank you, Monte and Jeri for your kind words.
I had decided to paint a lion. I sketched and I sketched and I sketched. It still didn't look great but I began painting anyway. I started with a mop brush because I wanted it to be loose. I had a great time. I brushed, I splattered and eventually, I added pastels. I stood back. He looked like the grandfather clock from Captain Kangaroo.
Still convinced that I could save it, I found a tutorial online for drawing a lion's face. Using pastels (because the opportunity for paint had long since passed), I made the shape of his face more angular. Now, he looks more like a shaggy dog. And I just noticed that his left ear got lost in the hullabaloo. Maybe it was shot off. lol
Lion #2
Try, try again. Sketched another lion. Painted him with more care and intention this time. But his face was too long and narrow. He looks like he hasn't killed a gazelle in a very long time.
Lion #3
This will be the final attempt. Maybe. I hate to give up. (A personality trait that has caused a lot of trouble in my lifetime)
Update: Success! Now I can move on to other subjects.
These words are on the inside of a box that contained a watercolor brush. The box is kinda cool and for some reason, I haven't thrown it away. But today's the day. I had forgotten the words printed inside the top cover. Photo taken, box tossed.
Mid-July
It seems impossible that we're already into the second half of the year. It's been a horrific year to-date and I don't see any improvement on the horizon.
Horizon: the limit or range of a person's outlook or experience.
My niece reminded me of something my mother used to say: "this world and the next". Although I am almost positive that my mom was referring to heaven, it could mean other things as well.
"In essence, the phrase "this world and the next" encapsulates a fundamental human curiosity about the nature of existence and the possibility of realms beyond our immediate experience."
Why is is so difficult to take a photo of a painting and get the colors true? I'm very happy with this painting of lemons but getting the color, tone, values, etc correct in a photo was nearly impossible. Until I took a sideways shot of it.
