Gratitude: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

"Changes"

Philadelphia, PA

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  And not because I was born on Thanksgiving, believe me I've had a lifetime of "Man, you must have been one BIG turkey" jokes!  But because it really is one of the few holidays that isn't over-commercialized and we celebrate what was actually intended...gratitude.  So this week, in addition to counting down the days til I get my birthday present (a new camera!!!), I'm also counting down some of the things I am grateful for (BESIDES my new camera).  

I  love change.  Sometimes not necessarily the actual "change" itself (it CAN be downright depressing)...but definitely the process of change.  Like, the change of seasons.  My family will be the first to tell you that I can't STAND winter.  The cold, the cold, the cold...did I mention the cold?!?!?  And the dark, the dark, the dark...yes I DID mention the dark!  But as much as I envy my friends who live in warm weather and sunlight while I'm putting on an extra layer of long-underwear and turning on my lights at 4 p.m....it truly is a momentary feeling.  Quite honestly, I think I love and appreciate the spring and fall so much because I have lived thru the frigid winter and the sweltering summer.  And as much as I envy my Floridian friends while I'm shovelling snow, I feel badly they do not get to breathe in the beauty of a gorgeous fall day... I just keep repeating that mantra with each shovel of that wet slop I'm heaving.  I've never been able to grasp the concept of how something can be truly appreciated  if it is considered "normal".   I need the valleys to savor the peaks.  I need the change.  I need a reason to change out my wardrobe every few months!  I get bored!

One of my favorite quotes is "Nothing will change, if you change nothing".  I don't even know WHERE I heard that.  Might have been a Snapple cap OR fortune cookie.  But I am grateful for change.  It takes a life operating at a steady beat...and gives it some rhythm.  Ch-ch-ch-changes...


--Kathy

Two Tu-Tu's Tuesday...

How's THAT for alliteration!  When I saw that Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday theme this week was "two's", I knew I was going to pull a photo from the archives, and I knew just which one.  

"Inspired"

Paris, France

EXACTLY one year ago today, the Better-Half and moi were in Paris celebrating his big 5-0. It was cold, it was rainy, it was Paris in November.  I had to keep reminding myself better to be in Paris in the rain than....Philly (not that there's anything WRONG with that!). Thing #3 is a huge  "Phantom of the Opera" fanatic. So we made sure to slip into the Opera Garnier (where Phantom took place) and called her on the handy-dandy  I-phone JUST to rub it in some...gotta love modern technology which enables trans-Atlantic teasing!  After a self tour, we exited thru the gift shop which apparently was the home for wayward tutus and all things ballet.  Having an "inspiring" ballerina drooling at home, we found some dance related clothing and paraphernalia to bring her from her dream destination.  Luckily, it was all "light weight" so it wouldn't interfere with the bottles of French Wine we were tucking into our luggage and those dreaded airline weight allowances.   Plus...we had some brown nosing to do for our teasing, and we can ALL use some inspiration to keep us motivated, right?

Linked to  Kim Klassen's "Texture Tuesdays" :  pink overlay, "Inspired" texture at 50% linear light, removed texture from tutus, wiped off drool marks from Thing #3.

Au voir!

--Kathy

I'm in Love...

...with a handsome red devil

"Reflection"

Philadelphia, PA

Tis true.  Sigh.  He had me at hello, as I rounded the bend in the path.  Who would have thunk I'd find this looker, with just the right amount of aging to give him that perfect distinguished look...NOT nestled in a rustic little town, quiet hamlet or charming forge.  But in, gulp,  PHILADELPHIA?  They say you find love when you least expect it.  Yep, my "City of Brotherly Love" works it's magic again.  

      I'll take "Bridges for $500, Alex".

     "The only major U.S. city home to a covered bridge"

      "What is Philadelphia?"

       Ding, Ding, Ding...we have a winner!



Next time, I'm bringing a Cheesesteak "wit whiz" and hangin' awhile youz guys, just so I can look at that reflection in that wooter!


Have a great Tuesday!

--Kathy

Blowin' In the Wind...

"Blowin' In the Wind"

Whitemarsh, PA

I'm late to the party today.

I had an amazing photo session with a spectacular tree the other day.  Actually I was there to photograph a Civil War Encampment for my church, but the tree wound up being more exciting (sad to say).  I had planned on waiting awhile to post any photos from my tree adventure via Civil War non-lollapalooza. BUT...I've had a couple of days that I wish I could wish away that changed my outlook.  

I just got home from my "Parental Unit" visit.  Yep, a quick visit turned into an over nighter.  Not to get too detailed but I just want to say...getting old stinks!  And my dad is feeling the brunt of it right now.  I  took no photos of the glorious Lancaster County autumnal sights.  Nothing was interesting or inspiring.  Apparently my mood converted all the brilliant fall colors to dull grey.

But upon returning home I glanced thru my weekend tree photos and this one just called out to me.  A pretty strong wind was gusting this day, making these pods hold on for dear life.  Yet they all survived anchored to their branch.  The sky was brilliant and blue, belying the fact that a storm was brewing.  A bunch of pods hanging strong together, bending with the winds so they don't break...yep, I can relate to that.

So I just want to say to my mom and sisters...hang in there my pods.  And to our branch, our anchor, our dad...we love you, stay strong!

--Kathy

Stuck in traffic...

"Rural Red"

State College, PA

So what are the odds of being stuck in traffic amidst cows, horses and farmland? Well, it happens way too often when the road leads to Penn State and Happy Valley on a football weekend.  And how fortuitous to come to a standstill during the golden hour, as the sun is starting to set and everything is bathed in beautiful honey tones! ALMOST makes you thankful that all those out-of-towner Hawkeyes from Iowa had no idea where they were going, which results in going NOWHERE....for awhile.  So happy the Better Half was behind the wheel, so I could be behind my camera and hanging out the window. Probably an all too familiar sight for Thing #3 from the backseat of our car.

Not sure anything is more perfect in red than a red barn dotting a landscape.....EXCEPT perhaps a pair of red patent leather pumps donning my feet!  I'm fairly confident Dorothy would concur on both accounts.

Happy Tuesday!

--Kathy

Have gratitude for the bridge...

...that carries you over.

I wish I knew to whom I should attribute that sentiment. But it is something I heard at one point and it stuck. This week's theme at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesdays is "gratitude", and I immediately began thinking of MY bridge. My dad.  I am so grateful I still have both my parents in my life.  Not too many of my friends are so blessed.  These are his hands...my bridge that carried me thru childhood and into adulthood.  He might not know it, but even as a 52 year old woman, he still carries me thru life.  He might not be able to tell me what I should do anymore, but he will always be my moral compass.  If I could, I'd wear a "WWDD" (What Would Dad Do?) bracelet.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it (something else I heard, once upon a time).  It's a terrible gift to waste.  So Dad, I love ya and I hope you know that I have the sturdiest, most grounded, and most handsome bridge around...thank you!

I've ony been blogging since July, but I am repeating a photo here. This was one of the first I posted.  But when I heard this week's prompt I had to go back and revisit it. Especially considering in the course of only 3 months I have learned sooooo much about photography.  I didn't know what a texture WAS back then.  I hadn't even opened up my PSE9 program yet.   I've come a long way baby.

--Kathy

update:  A shout out to Kim at Picking Poppies for identifying the author of my post title...George Coleman. Thanks Kim!

I love to laugh EXCEPT...

...when milk comes out my nose.

(Woody Allen)

"What's So Funny?"

State College, PA

However, ANYONE who knows me knows that milk makes me GAG! My milk paranoia is so deeply instilled I didn't even kiss my kids when they had "milk lips".  But I HAVE been known to shoot a Snapple out of my nose when an unexpected laugh catches me off guard.  By the way....it BURNS! The older I get, the more I realize a day without laughing is a day wasted.  Sometimes you just HAVE to find the humor in a situation.  It is so much better than crying over spilt Snapple.  

Which wasn't so hard to do this past weekend when someone grabbed my camera and took a snapshot of  moi with my beautiful Things #2 and #3.  Not sure who actually took this, but they caught us in a good nose snorting guffaw. So thank you to whoever captured this moment in time. It contains many things that I love....Penn State football and tailgating, spending time with my family (especially my mini-me's), and laughing. It just doesn't get much better. It also includes a "surprise", which sometimes I like and sometimes I don't. But this one was pretty cool because Thing #2 drove from Cincy to State College to surprise me for the weekend. Gosh I miss my reality television fellow junkie!

Linking up to Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesdays.  The theme for this week is "Love" and the use of her textures.  Even tho I didn't take this photo, I did do a bit of editing:

1.   Convert to B/W
2.   Cappuccino tint
3.   "Yesteryear" texture, overlay blend mode at 25%.
4.   "Crackerjack",  multiply blend mode at 74%.
5.    Erased "Crackerjack" from my familial unit...because
      I spend enough money on beauty products so  that I
      DON'T look "cracked"!       
6.    Lightened up the texture on the corners.

Gosh, it doesn't look like I did that much, does it! Hmmmm, that's the secret to good makeup application too...are you listening to me Thing #3???!!!???


--Kathy

P.S.  Breaking news:  my Better Half has informed me that he was the one who captured the women in his life.  I'm sure he felt he needed to document a moment where NONE of us were causing him any angst :)

Out of the Blue...

Not sure where I heard this, but someone told  me the bluest skies occur after a hurricane.  I thought that might be an old sailor's tale, but it looks like they weren't exaggerating.

Black Eyed Susan

Beads of sweat glimmer to the ground

Golden tears shimmer, soft and round

Throwing small shadows

I catch those that fall at my feet

Black-Eyed Susan dancing in the breeze

"Orange is the happiest color," Frank Sinatra (really?)

And one more Black-Eyed Susan photo for a new venture..."Texture Tuesdays" with Kim Klassen.  This week's theme is "orange".  I'm not sure I EVER combined the colors blue and orange together before in either my wardrobe or decorating.

Actually, I do remember my Oma knitting my sister and me sweaters for Christmas one year when I was in elementary school.  We opened up our presents Christmas morning and it's been a family joke ever since.  There in glorious techni-color were MY olive green and orange sweater, and my SISTER'S blue and orange one.  Gag!  The joke was that my mom promptly unravelled the yarn from both sweaters and recycled it into some other craft project.  Those sweaters and color palettes have been our family's joke and our measuring stick for everything considered in bad taste since that Christmas morning.

But these flowers are more of a yellow-ISH orange.  After last week's earthquake AND hurricane...I'm just gonna leave the outdoor decor and color palette to Mother Nature's very good judgment, and not my Oma's.

--Kathy