17-APR-2010
Waiting to Bloom
The tulips at Locust Grove are just about ready to bloom.
11-APR-2010
Purple Tulips
Springtime in NYC continues!
07-APR-2010
Divine Devotion
I recently rescued these items while cleaning up my parents' home. My folks were devout Catholics, and always kept a religious symbol or two in each of our living areas. I do not know the origin of any of them and no longer appreciate their spiritual significance, but I felt compelled to keep them for sentimental reasons. From left to right:
The Infant of Prague - this plaster figure always stood on my Mom's dresser. It is looking a bit battered these days, thanks to my Mom's curious cat, who I'm sure knocked it over more than once over the past few years.
The Crucifix - this wooden cross hung in the hallway of the house in which I grew up, and later in the bedroom of the home to which my parents retired. It is in near perfect condition, likely because it was out of reach of just about anyone or anything that could do damage to it.
The Sacred Heart Jesus - this plastic statue always graced one of our vehicles. A magnet in the base kept it mounted to the old metal dashboards; once they switched to vinyl, the statue was relegated to the ash tray. It accompanied me to school in the car my father loaned me, and became affectionately known by my college friends as the Sacred Heart Amputee due to its missing right hand. I think I'll be putting it back in my car, for old times' sake.
04-APR-2010
Easter Remembrance
We spent the afternoon wandering around through Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, looking for ancestors that were buried there. It was nice to see so many here remembered and honored with flowers and flags.
21-MAR-2010
Daffodils on Broadway
A beautiful Spring day in NYC, taken from the pedestrian mall on Broadway. You know, after all these years, I still haven't seen The Lion King!
15-MAR-2010
Spring Blossoms
There were lots of plants in bloom in Seattle, much nicer than the dreary weather we'd been having in NY earlier in March!
14-MAR-2010
Space Needle
Back in Seattle for another conference. The weather was much nicer than it looks, especially for Seattle - rather mild temperatures and fairly dry days, for the most part. We arrived early on Sunday and had some time to explore the city. We even managed to work in a little geocaching.
06-MAR-2010
I Love...
A late entry for a February photo assignment. I was struggling with what I could photograph that could fit this theme, and came across these chopsticks. A number of things immediately came to mind. I love:
Asian Cuisine: This is the obvious first thought, but I really do love it! The first restaurants I'd ever eaten at from a very early age were Chinese. My tastes have grown over the years to include other Asian cuisines, including Japanese (sushi!), Thai, and Vietnamese (and so have my skills in using chopsticks).
My Family and Friends: Although I've had my share of lonely Chinese take-out meals, I have also had countless memorable meals over the years with family and friends.
Disney: Who else but a huge Disney fan would own chopsticks with Disney characters on them?
To Travel: These particular chopsticks were purchased in Hong Kong, during a trip to Asia with someone who is very special to me.
Who would have thought that a bunch of silly sticks could conjure up so many wonderful thoughts and memories!
26-FEB-2010
Fall Colors in Winter
I'm a little late with a photo for last week, was having a little bit of trouble finding some inspiration. I finally went out during a lull in the snowstorm we had yesterday and explored the woods near my apartment. Most of the view was stark white or dark brown, but then I discovered these leaves, which added a splash of color to the scene.
15-FEB-2010
Lucky Money
I am always uncomfortable being the recipient of these bright red envelopes containing cash. As I understand it, it is thought to be good luck for married people to give money to children on the Chinese New Year. I'm in my mid-forties and ok financially, yet I still manage to get handed a couple of envelopes each time. From what I can tell, it's not like Christmas, where I'd give a gift in return. So I just smile and say thank you, and remind myself that I should feel lucky that they think enough of me to include me in their tradition.
06-FEB-2010
Still Life with Staples
Saturday's project - deconstructing my old box spring so that I could dispose of it without needing a truck. It took much longer than I thought it would. It was easy to get the boards apart, but I wanted to remove all of the staples so that my brother-in-law could use the wood for kindling. That part took over 2 hours, and my wrist still hurts from twisting the pliers dozens of times trying to extract the extra-long staples.
29-JAN-2010
Widescreen TV
I finally broke down and got myself a new television. This one's a 40" LCD from Sharp. I got it just in time to watch the original Turnblads tackle racial integration.