31 January 2009 Photo: Sunny Side Up

Just a quick photo I took this morning before I made Bill's omelet. No real inspiration today for a posting about omelets so I will just wish my brother Angelo a Happy Cyberspace Birthday and leave it at that! Oh, and celebrate completing my first month of my photo a day blog!

30 January 2009 Photo: These Are The People In Our Neighborhood

We live in a suburb in Central NY and it is very small town with only a few stores/restaurants. One of the places we have been frequenting since the day we moved here is Robbie T's Pizza. Robbie T is one of the friendliest people we've ever met and always has a smile on his face and a gregarious hello when you walk in the door. He is very active in the community and everyone loves him.

I decided to employ my husband to be the guest photographer for the day since he was going to get the pizza and I wanted to start doing some pictures of the people in our neighborhood in the blog from time to time. I have been schooling Bill in how to take a good picture almost since we met so I knew I could trust him to get me a good photo of Robbie. He came back with great picture of him and a couple of his staff. So if you are ever in the area, stop by Robbie T's and have a slice!

29 January 2009 Photo: Champ the Lake Monster

On my way home today, I took the ferry across Lake Champlain. It is something that I have done several times over the last few years and it never gets boring. I love seeing the Adirondacks on one side and the Green Mountains on the other side. Since it is the dead of winter, the lake is frozen. While I prefer this trip in the fall when the colors are vibrant, the winter is pretty cool too.

My friend Brad was also on his way to NY so I convinced him to go on the ferry as well. As we hit the ice and watched it/heard it crack, Brad asked..."Haven't these people ever seen the movie, Titanic?" Ha! I gave him a lesson on Champ, The Lake Monster. If look close at this picture, you can almost see Champ lurking in the deep dark icy waters, can't you? If you can't, maybe Champ is visiting his cousin Nessie over in Scotland for the winter.

28 January 2009 Photo: The Facebook Phenomenon

Are you part of the craziness they call Facebook? I actually had joined FB years ago when I worked at Cornell and then promptly forgot about it. It was not until a former student that worked in our office found me on my newest email address, that I remembered I had an account. He said I "facebooked" you and didn't hear from you. Facebook? I don't have a facebook account. Well when I went to the site and did a search, I found...myself. By some miracle I remembered the password and so began the addiction! Thanks Bryan! So now I too use facebook at a verb...poke people...write on people's walls...and update my status WAY TOO OFTEN! Imagine if we traveled through life the way we do on facebook. Check out this video spoof from a BBC show.

All that being said, it has been a wonderful way to reconnect with old friends, family and colleagues. I had dinner with an old friend from when I worked in Vermont. As mentioned before my job has me traveling to locations far and wide and so these FB connections sometimes become face to face re-connections. Here is a photo of Nicole, Christine and Ollie the puppy. Nicole was a student at Johnson State College when I was a Resident Director there. She was one of the amazing students who made my time in this sleepy little town in northern Vermont a memorable time in my life. I have worked in higher education for the almost 18 years and have interacted with thousands on students and Nicole is one that I made special bond with but we lost touch. Through the magic of FB, we are found.

27 January 2009 Photo(s): Serenity By The Sea

The ocean...the sea...crashing waves...sunrises...sunsets...sand beneath my feet..warm sun on my face...HOME!

Anytime I am near the ocean, I feel at home. Whether it is in Westerly, RI or on the other side of the globe, just seeing the water makes me feel at ease. Undoubtedly, if I could live anywhere, it would be on the ocean. Not near the ocean but on it. Hear the waves crash in the morning is musical and powerful. I live near a small lake now but it is not the same. No waves...no smell of stinky seaweed...no salt in the air.

I put up two photos today taken in Newcastle, NH. The one below I played with in terms of the focus but the one above is pretty much how I saw it this morning.

26 January 2009 Photo: Hotel Mania

This is my first full week back on the road for work and although I already did several visits, this was my first hotel stay of the semester since I stayed with friends and family last week. I am on the road about 3-4 days a week during each semester and spend a lot of times in hotels. I thought in honor of my "Road Warrior" life it would be appropriate to have photos from time to time of the hotels I stay in. They are usually pretty nondescript but when I walked into my hotel room today in Portsmouth NH, I saw a lot of my favorite color. Can you tell what it is?

25 January 2009 Photo: Betting On The Ponies

As a child, my number one favorite thing to do was to go on the carousel. Growing up in RI and being at the beach everyday in the summer, I frequently went on the merry-go-round in Misquamicut. I had my favorite pony and had been known to wait (somewhat impatiently) if another child was on my horse.

The best treat was when I got to go down to the Flying Horses Carousel in Watch Hill. The Flying Horses Carousel only operates in the summer, is the oldest carousel of it's type in the U.S. and survived the 1938 hurricane which wiped out all the houses on Napatree Point, Watch Hill.

What makes this carousel unique is that it does not have a platform and the horses fly out at it goes round and round. Much to my dismay, only children are allowed to ride this carousel and during the ride they have the chance to grab for rings. If you get the brass ring, you get a free ride.

I brought my niece down there last summer for her first ride, I showed her my favorite horse and she wanted to ride that one too! No doubt there will be photos of the Watch Hill Carousel when the summer comes around and I am in RI visiting my family.

This photo is of the merry-go-round at the Carousel Mall in Syracuse, NY - not quite as spectacular as the carousels of my childhood memories, but I have ridden on this one too!

24 January 2009 Photo: I Want To Be An Obama Girl

Since I had a late meeting in Boston on Friday and had to sit in traffic for over an hour, I decided to stop in Springfield to stay with my brother and niece rather than drive all the way home and not get there until after 10pm. It was great to see my brother out of the hospital and spend time with my niece. It was heartwarming to see the two of them together back at home. It made me think of our new President and his daughters and the letter he wrote to Sasha and Malia. Several times during dinner and without prompting, Angelee went up to my brother and hugged him saying, "I love you Daddy!"

I asked Angelee if she watched the inauguration and what she thought Sasha and Malia. "I want to be one of them," she answered. Me too Angelee, me too! When my brother said he wanted to be one of them too. She said, "You can't...you're A BOY!!!" I may be biased by I think my niece is as cute as the Obama girls and has a daddy who loves her just as much!Ok...I couldn't resist putting up another picture or two! One of the tattoo that my brother had done of a mermaid with my niece's face and the other of Angelee acting like a goofy mermaid flopping into the sea.

23 January 2009 Photo: The Green Monster

I was in Boston for a couple days this week and to stay with my "as American as apple pie" theme and the Chevy song from the January 21st post, I decided to highlight baseball. Now I could have found a Red Sox sign or the outside of Fenway but I decided to go with an icon that has been known to Bostonians and anyone who has watched a game in person or on TV at Fenway - The Citgo Sign.

This sign has been part of the urban landscape since 1965. When it was threatened to be demolished, like their Tea Party forefathers, Bostonians protested and succeeded! Today the sign still shines in the Kenmore Square area and I feel badly for anyone who ever makes the decision to try to take it down in the future.

22 January 2009 Photo: Purrrrrty Kitty

This is Hugo of Jamaica Plain. I know it is supposed to patriotic week but I am sure if Hugo could have voted, he would have voted for Obama! I also decided it is much more difficult to take pictures of cats instead of dogs. Mona responds when I say treat...Hugo...not so much!

21 January 2009 Photo: As American As Apple Pie

Ok so this picture is neither pie nor real apples but you get the gist. Today was my first day out on the road for work. As I was getting ready to leave my house at 6am to trek 5 hours in a car to have a meeting, I quickly took this picture just in case I didn't have time the rest of the day to get a "patriotic" picture. Who thought of this patriotic theme week anyway?

Anyway, I tried to convince my friends to pose for a patriotic photo but no luck so hence the apples in my kitchen. Here is some interesting wikipedia "facts".

Although apple pies have been eaten since long before the discovery of America, "as American as apple pie" is a common saying in the United States, meaning "typically American". The dish was also commemorated in the phrase "for Mom and apple pie" - supposedly the stock answer of American soldiers in WWII, whenever journalists asked why they were going to war.

Advertisers exploited the patriotic connection in the 1970s with the TV jingle "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet". There are claims that the Apple Marketing Board of New York State used such slogans as "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" and "as American as apple pie!", and thus "was able to successfully 'rehabilitate' the apple as a popular comestible" in the early twentieth century when prohibition outlawed the production of cider.

Leave it to the ingenuity of those New Yorkers to find a way to keep making money even when they were not drunk on cider! And apparently our love for Chevy has stuck around according to this updated version of the commercial from the 70's but now tauts stolen bases, goat cheese pizza, bottled water along with the Chevrolet

20 January 2009 Photo: The Moment

I am giddy with excitement, full of hope and sad that I am in not in DC to witness "The Moment" in person (which is why there is this photo I took from the TV) . I was moved by the truth in his speech, the concern in his voice and the hope he has instilled in millions of people. We have a responsibility to work with him to make the changes he spoke about, to hold him and one another accountable and to come out of this difficult time in our country stronger, wiser and more open-minded to what we don't know or understand.

Here are President Obama's words in case you missed it or want to read it again.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

19 January 2009 Photo: Do You Have a Dream?

I was hoping to head up to the Syracuse University campus for a candlelight vigil in honor of MLK but the snow and cold kept me inside where it is warm and dry. So instead Bill remembered he had a Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative stamp. When we went to look for it, we found it was on a card with John F. Kennedy. These historical figures have delivered two of the most profound speeches ever given.

Tomorrow Barack Obama will become our 44^th President and he has already proven himself to be a great speaker. Here is a combination of the speeches of these three men...amazing!

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility - I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.

YES WE CAN!

18 January 2009 Photo: Proud To Be An American

The title of this blog post is not something that most people have ever heard come out of my mouth...at least not in recent history. I can say that for the first time in a long time, I am hopeful and excited about what the future may hold for our country. I know we have a long way to go but feel like we have a much stronger person at the helm who was actually the choice of the American people. I will be thrilled when President-Elect Obama is finally President Obama.

As we are about to embark upon a time of historical significance on so many fronts, I decided I am going to try take pictures this week with a focus on these events! I wish I was able to be in DC for the inauguration but I will certainly be following the events on TV and online.

17 January 2009 Photo: Watching You...ALWAYS Watching You

I have been playing with some new camera equipment I got a couple days ago. This is the macro lens. You can also see me reflected in Mona's eye so I guess it is a self portrait. Anyway, Mona does not quite get the concept that she is not a lap dog. She is not allowed on the couch but sometimes (especially when it is cold) I let her up to keep me warm...this is her chillin' on my chest.

16 January 2009 Photo: Winter Wonderland

As I was taking today's picture, I thought about how cold the people must have been yesterday that were in the plane that went down into the Hudson River. It was called Miracle on the Hudson and it truly was as the pilot skillfully put down the plane in a way that all passengers and crew survived. Now if USAirway could hire people who were as adept at handling baggage, it would be a great airline. Seriously, kudos to the pilot and I am relieved that everyone came out of it alive.

This photo is of a property near our house. Hopefully the people inside did not think I was casing the place. While I keep saying I am sick of winter, snow and cold, it is beautiful when the sun shines so bright on the snow and the sky is so blue!

15 January 2009 Photo: Baby It's Cold Outside

You expected another cold weather picture...sorry to disappoint. It is FRIGID in central NY and pretty much in most of the U.S. (except Southern CA of course). The high today in Jamesville, NY is supposed to be 4 degrees! Are you kidding me?!?! I am really glad I didn't make that trip to Minneapolis today where it is -25 degrees! So to add a touch of heat to the blog, the dried hot peppers came out of hiding from their little container. These are actually peppers I grew in the garden 2 years ago and they have been drying ever since. Luckily I don't have to go out anywhere today and my heat is working so I think I will stay put and get some work done!

14 January 2009 Photo: I've Got The Whole World...

...in my hands.

As I prepare for my "road warrior" life to begin again, I thought it appropriate to photograph a small globe ornament we have in our home. While I can't say I am eager to start driving hundreds of miles a week again, I am excited to share the world with college students. My job advises students, faculty and staff at colleges and universities around the northeast about the options we have for study abroad with Arcadia .

13 January 2009 Photo: Choo Choo Charlie

We have train tracks behind our house. When we first moved it, I was jarred awake every night/early morning to the sound of the train whistle as there is also a railroad crossing signal just down the road. I swear the conductor blew that whistle for 2 miles on either side of that crossing. It did not take long before I could barely hear it and now at night, I sleep right through it. Too bad that is not the case with my husband's snoring!

Anyway, as I was taking this picture today, I thought of an old Good n Plenty commercial . I am not sure how I remember this commercial as it supposedly stopped running before I was born.

12 January 2009 Photo: Be Yourself!

I am embracing the snow...like I have a choice! We currently have at least a foot on the ground here in Central NY so you will likely see more snow photos before the winter is done. So is it true that no 2 snowflakes alike? Here is what they say at CalTech . And there are some pretty cool galleries of snowflake pictures from someone with the right technology to take these pictures. Here is my attempt to capture the individuality of each flake. If you click on the picture, you can see some of the flakes up close.

11 January 2009 Photo: Three's Company

We went to see Slumbdog Millionaire yesterday and one of the storylines was about the book The Three Musketeers. Do you know that name of the original 3 musketeers? I thought I did but I was wrong. Anyway, go see it! It was a great story, cinematography was wonderful and characters were interesting.

10 January 2009 Photo: Spirals

When Bill and I were getting to know each other, I saw him doodling on a piece of paper and noticed him drawing spirals. I was intrigued because whenever I doodled (which I do frequently) spirals were always part of my repertoire and I like them in design items and art.

I found out that spirals for Bill was a part of the Celtic history/traditions (of which he is obsessed) that he knows so well. When I first went to New Zealand, I found this symbol is also important in New Zealand and Maori culture. It is called the koru and is prominent in the landscape and design of kiwi life. "The spiral is the most ancient symbol found on every civilized continent. Due to its appearance at burial sites across the globe, the spiral most likely represented the "life-death-rebirth" cycle. Similarly, the spiral symbolized the sun, as ancient people thought the sun was born each morning, died each night, and was reborn the next morning."

This is a piece that we bought and you will find spirals all over our home...one design feature we DO agree on.

9 January 2009 Photo: Mirror Mirror On The Floor

Ok so this is my second picture of Mona, but she is the fairest of them all.

8 January 2009 Photo: There's No Place Like Home

This image makes me want to curl up in the chair, light a fire in the fireplace and read a good book. Seeing this photo makes me realize I don't spend enough time here. It is my favorite room in our home and I need to enjoy it more!

7 January 2009 Photo: Romper...Bomper...Stomper...Boo

I am sure I am dating myself with this one but when I saw this picture once I downloaded on my computer, it reminded me of Miss Molly or Miss Jean (ok I don't remember her name) and the Magic Mirror.

"Romper, bomper, stomper, boo.
Tell me, tell me, tell me do.
Magic mirror, tell me today.
Did all my friends have fun at play?"

Life was so much easier especially when Miss Molly would look through her Mirror in Romper Room and see WENDY!!!!

6 January 2009 Photo: Shout Out to George Eastman

Paul Simon says it best...
"They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day,
Oh yeah I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away"

Film was the name of the game when I first got interested in photography. I remember pouring over black and white photos when I was the yearbook editor in high school. Wow...that makes me sound old! And when digital first came out, I resisted for a long time. I wasn't going to do any of that digital new fangled stuff. I was a photo purist - I developed my own film, printed my own pictures (color and B&W), and believed the quality is so much better with film and paper. Well like most photographers (professional and amateurs), I sold out. Digital has come a long way, but sometimes I still miss the smell of the chemicals in the dark room.

I have a collection of old cameras and photo items that I started probably about 10 years ago. I am sure they will make it into the photo a day blog at some point. So here is the first shout out to George Eastman and Kodak. The company is in nearby Rochester, NY (RaChaCha to those in the know) and has been there since the late 1800's. There is a great museum so if you ever in that area, check out the George Eastman House .

5 January 2009 Photo: Night Vision

Today just about got away from me with the craziness of getting ready for the semester. In trying to keep with my photo a day project, I decided to go outside and do some night photos - not a big deal if you live in Florida, but in Central NY I could get frostbite. Of course it may have made sense to put a jacket on before I went outside.

As you can see, I fibbed a little when I said we were taking down our Christmas decorations...we got all of the inside ones down (that took about 4 hours) but didn't get to the outside decorations yet so this was the subject of todays photo. I did used a tripod and the timer to keep it in focus. The more I look at this photo, I think we may actually leave those lights up as we use that patio a lot when it's warmer!

4 January 2009 Photo: Only 354 Days Left

So today I went to Wegman's (fondly referred to as Weggie World in our house) and I thought I may find a good subject to photograph there since it is almost as big as Disney Land. Well stupid me forgot the camera in the car which I had to park far far away because apparently EVERYONE in Syracuse shops at 12 noon on a Sunday...I knew there was a reason I usually went early in the morning! To make matters worse, the shopping cart driving in Weggie World was abysmal.

So choice two was to capture the last moment of our Christmas decorations. We are finally done procrastinating and are taking them down. So today's picture is a photo of our tree before it became naked once more. There are only 354 days until Christmas 2009...will YOU be on the naughty or nice side of the list?

3 January 2009 Photo: Reflections

The first thing I saw when I walked outside this morning, was glittering snowflakes coming down. Not a particular surprise in Central NY in January; however, I decided to grab the camera as Mona was outside doing her business. I took a few photos and my favorite was the one above where the flash created these orb like images around the wind chime. It has me reflecting on family and friends who have moved on from this world, but I still feel connected to them.

The Christmas season is always a bittersweet time in our family because my mom's birthday was December 22nd or 25th (a story for another time), the last time she was home from the hospital for a day was Christmas eve 1986 and today (3 January) is the day my mom passed away 22 years ago. This year was difficult for the family again as my brother, Angelo, has been in the hospital for a month dealing with complications from his diabetes. He was not able to spend Christmas eve with us this year but we went up to see him in the hospital on Christmas day. He is doing much better as I write this post and here's hoping that he will be out of the hospital soon because I know he misses his daughter and she misses him!

2 January 2009 Photo: Oh my darlin' Clementine

Clementines!!! I am not really sure when I first discovered the juicy sweetness of a little clementine but I know I look forward to the season every winter.

What is a clementine, you ask? Well even if you didn't...too bad. Thanks to Produce Pete for this excellent description.

"Clementine's are the tiniest of the mandarins. Imported from Spain, Morocco, and other parts of North Africa, clementines are a cross between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarin. They are small, very sweet, and usually seedless. Most people think of clementines as small tangerines, but they're a different variety entirely, with a distinctive taste. Clementines have been available in Europe for many years, but the market for them in the United States was made only a few years ago, when a devastating freeze in Florida made domestic oranges scarce and expensive.

The origin of clementines is shrouded in mystery. Some attribute their discovery to father Clement, a monk in Algeria, who tending his mandarin garden in the orphanage of Misserghim, found a natural mutation. He nurtured the fruit tree and subsequently called it "clementino". Others, like Japanese botanist Tanaka, believe that clementines must have originated in Asia and found their way through human migration to the Mediterranean. Whatever their origin, the fact is that clementines found their natural climate and soil in Spain, where they developed their particular aroma, sweetness and taste. "

I was l lucky enough to be in Spain during clementine season a few years ago and happily ate several of these delectable bursts of citrus that I bought from the market in Barcelona . This year I had to depend on Wegmans for my clementine fix. In fact I think I will go have one right now!

1 January 2009 Photo: Moo Doggie

Happy 2009! Here is the first photo of my photo a day blog taken on New Year's Day of my sweet Mona. There is over 9 inches of snow from the day before but today was a bright sunny day and VERY cold. Mona braved it to be my subject for my first photo! She loves the snow, although she does come in a bit quicker these days as she is getting older and doesn't like the cold quite as much. She will be 9 (or 63 in dogs years) in February. I still remember the day I picked her up from the Farmers Market in Ithaca. Went down to get some produce and found this tiny 2 month old pup in the back of a pickup truck looking for a new home. She has been a faithful companion ever since.