Happy Birthday Dad

Today would have been my dad's 70th birthday. He passed away suddenly almost seven years ago and I still miss him every single day. There was nothing unsaid, no emotion not expressed. I don't have regrets. It's just that I miss shooting the breeze with him, because he was sure good at that. He was the kind of guy who claimed he didn't like parties, or meeting new people for that matter, and yet, as he walked through town, driver after driver honked and waved hello. The dry cleaner, the mailman, the plumber, the chief of police, the woman who owned the bakery, they all knew his name and he theirs.

You don't have to call your dad and say, "I love you," because just calling your dad to talk to him, and to listen to him, says I love you.

I wish I could call my dad right now and just shoot the breeze.

On Notice[ing]

I'm into "noticing" lately.

I love the Noticing Projectt blog (what a great name). It's especially interesting when the two women post similar photos. I think it's this photography jag that I'm on. That's how I roll though. I seem to slide from one obsession right into the next. It's always some art form which gets ratchet up into an obsession. Do you do that? Mark has referred to me as "Jill-of-all-trades." He means it quite endearingly, which is so lovely of him, and so lucky for me.

Photography Assignment 2: essence of a store

OK, I have such a hard time with this one. I still don't have the nerve to ask people in stores if I can take their picture. So here are a couple of shots of my friends in stores. Tomorrow is the deadline. Must. get. to. the. store.


Also, I'm back from a long weekend with three of my dearest friends -- my college roommates. We get together at least once a year and it's always a fabulous weekend filled with laughter and lots of chatting. I love those girls. Girlfriends help keep your boat afloat, don't they?

Looking at the Lawn - Photography Adventures

Here's what happens when you have a to do list which includes:
- packing for a girls weekend (hurrah! so necessary, but so much work to get away)
- writing up everyone's schedule for the next few days
- folding laundry that has yet to become self-folding. Will someone please get on that?
- running to the pharmacistdrycleanergrocerystorebank for the millionth time. Frequent flier miles anyone?
- putting out the recycling, which seems to have multiplied over night
- blah blah blah

You decide a little creative time will be just the mood adjuster needed to get going on said list. And wow, is that yard GREEN, but for some reason, all of my pictures look so drab here.  Check them on flickr.  See what I mean?  What's up with that?

Shopping for Saturday

Shopping for Saturday
Originally uploaded by ido1

I looked on flickr for inspiration for my photo assignment (see previous post). Here's a good one.

My Assignment -- Should I Chose to Accept it

Like Jack's learning to ride his tricycle, I'm learning more about photography. I'm taking a very basic photography class at the local arts center and my assignment this week is to capture the essence of a store by shooting someone who works there. Quite a creative assignment for our first one. I'm such a chicken about asking strangers if I can take their picture. I haven't done my assignment yet. If it were about a color, or a word, or kids, I'm all over it. But this whole stranger thing makes me skittish. Sounds funny, but it's my challenge this week, not just my assignment. Anyone else willing to try it?