My front door shall always be red. Red is for the sanctuary of my home. It reminds me every day that behind that door is my safe place, my creative space, the ones who love me no matter what I face or how I choose to go. I strive to remember when I enter my home to enter in reverence not just of those with home I share it but also in honor of myself. My sanctuary is as much my making as theirs. Harmony has been between what makes our home their sanctuary too.
The front door to my soul is red for there I hold all that is good in world and sweep out the debris of daily trials. There the pains of the world cannot take away the beauty I’ve encountered. Death of a friend cannot penetrate those red doors and remove them from my heart. Failure cannot cross that threshold and smother my dreams. Work problems cannot enter and rob me of inspiration. There in the deepest lightest part of me I hold all that give me joy from cuddly puppies to funny kittens, from the words of sages to my own word creations, from the whispered I love you that fell on my ears only to the raucous laughter of friends enjoying themselves. There within me my red door shields it all while standing open to greet not just me but more moments that need preserving, feelings that will never fade, and hopes that need nurturing.
Yes, my home is my sanctuary and holds a red door than only I see.
Drive up banking in the winter – when you make the passenger get out and knock the ice off the card slide
Let me first start by stating the obvious – IT IS COLD OUTSIDE! Yes it was -16F when I woke up. No that IS the actual TEMPERATURE you don’t wanna know the wind chill – somewhere in the -30sF. I don’t plan to go out until afternoon when we are supposed to warm up to about oF. Okay formalities taken care of I’ll start on my post now.
Due to work I didn’t go down to see the folks (mine and his) until after Christmas. It worked out just fine. Aaron and Sara came down later and stayed after us as they wanted to celebrate New Year’s with their friends here. Ahh I remember when we actually stayed up in dressy clothes and partied with others. Now just staying up is the challenge. Funny as I get older I get more like a baby routine keeps me from being grumpy.
Any way here are a few photos from the trip. Not much as I only had my phone.
We visited my parents for a few days. Here’s Mike and my folks outside a Mexican restaurant in their town. Yes we had to show our support for the Tennessee Volunteers – all graduates of the University of Tennessee ya know. Dad is a golden grad and got his 50 years since graduation pin.Mom’s kitty Sylvester – I have two black cats, Mom has one, Aaron has one, and my bff Patricia has two – do you have a black kitty?The house shoes my parents gave Mike – yes they are slippers!That’s Greeneville Tennessee the town to where I grew up out in the county. I’m setting a novel (urban fantasy with a rural setting) centered right on the corner where that church is.The view of the Smoky Mountains from my in-laws neighborhood. As you can see there was snow on the mountain but it was still nice enough in the valley to go golfing.Jellico Mountain area of Kentucky on the drive home. The roads were clear the whole way just a long drive.The snow just started as we hit downtown Chicago.Back home to typical Wisconsin Winter views.
Okay tomorrow and Thursday I work so hopefully I’ll get another post in the pipeline for those days – maybe about the great YWriter and a postcard from the past… or maybe swamp tour or Colonial Williamsburg… or maybe not… Until next time!
Ice cased Adelie penguins after a blizzard at Cape Denison, photograph by Frank Hurley from The State Library of New South Wales as a member of The Commons on Flickr. No known copyright restrictions.
When I got up this morning it was -6F and the temperature was to fall from there. It is but we haven’t reached the predicted -20F yet and I’m hoping that we don’t.
Since it really isn’t fit for man or beast out there I wisely stayed in. I worked on my novel I’m going to pitch in March (hopefully). Then I decided to the files. Normally I do new files for our personal finances every year. However last year I intended to but still recovering from surgery in November I never really felt like it until today.
Okay you got me… I did feel like it before then but well 2013 was getting filed with 2012. So why mess up a working system eh? Sure the drawer was getting stuffed but it worked. So yesterday and today I cleaned those out of the drawer, moved them to a lower drawer and made new files for 2014. Ahhh a new start always feels so fresh!
I bought some more beads at end of year sales. Now I’ve got to get them all into inventory so I can use them. Started some work on that. Anything to avoid the cold!
Also my new camera came today. It is fully charged so I’ll get to know it.
Which gives you a short pointless post today. Hope you are keeping warm and don’t have to brave the weather if it is bad where you are.
Woman with Camera from the George Eastman House on Flickr The Commons. There are no known copyright restrictions.
If you have followed or browsed my blog you know I like to take pictures. This is partly because I have no talent to draw something, but I can take a picture of it.
I’ve been doing photography for years. It all started when my parents built a darkroom in the basement for printing black and white photographs. I became my high school’s photographer.
Over the years I’ve dabbled in and out of it but honestly it took the digital age for me to really enjoy it. In those intervening decades from basement darkroom to paintshop I developed a few things I like in a camera. I actually developed two types of cameras I like to use.
Praktica Super TL2 by Cezar Popescu from Flickr The Commons with no known copyright restrictions. This camera looks very much like the first SLR I used and learned about photography using.
The first one is the SLR with fully adjustable settings – I can do what I want with this one. I like the feel of focusing, playing with depth of field, using sensitivity (ISO used to be ASA) and aperture to get the effect I want, and controlling shutter speed. All these are factors in creating the image I want to capture the moment. The digital SLR I have I saved for it over a year with discretionary income. I love it. It’s what I take with me when I go out to shoot photos most of the time. Alas here is where the WOE comes in – The battery for it no longer holds a charge. **SIGH** Yes I know get a new one. I will I promise and soon! But plate full thing and even though I enjoy it – it is winter with below zero temperatures so there’s no rush as I’m not going out to make pictures any time soon. Heck I’m not going out unless I HAVE to do so.
Second the compact but versatile point and shoot. It only takes one day of wagging around a big SLR at a theme park to wish for a small light camera you can tuck into your pocket. (Yes, yes I know phones have good cameras today but I don’t like them – more on that next. ) Except I don’t want to give up some adjust ability. So I look for ones with settings – Image stabilization is a must on these. First off the viewfinder has all but disappeared from point and shoots. This takes away a very stable body position for making pictures. Yes holding a camera to you face to look through that tiny hole had a purpose – it brought your arms in and braced them against your head and possibly your body thus giving the photographer a more stable stance / less shake. Sadly it is now only the pervue of the upper end models not ones you want to take on the roller coaster at Universal. Also if I’m going to spend that much I want an SLR where I look out the actual lens rather than an above the lens where there is the issue of parallax distortion. BUT for snapshots and fun photos that’s not a concern. Bonus is that in an affordable model I can get the same quality as far as megapixels and processor speed as I have in my SLR. Also they have enough body weight to help with stabilization and give this old photographer a sense of the shot I’m taking. Also the weight of the body suppresses the camera’s susceptibility to shake from the photographer’s natural breathing which would start to show up at 30th of a second or so for me on these (more sturdy SLRs it’s a bit slower – psst lean on a wall with camera to the face to help with this when at slow speeds). So it’s photos for quick fun where the camera thinks and I just point and shoot.
Now for another tale of WOE – my point and shoot after years of faithful service has given up the ghost. It turns one zooms then makes various chirping and tweeting sounds and dies. It is the fourth one I have literally worn out. BUT not to fret a new one is ordered on Christmas gift money (Thanks Mom & Dad, still supporting my photography habit after all these years) and will be delivered soon. If the snow storm doesn’t delay it.
Finally my take on cameras on phones – Okay in a pinch. I don’t like how they feel in the hand – too light too subject to photographer shake from even natural breathing. Also adjustments on the screen so again more prone to unwanted movement. Finally no viewfinder only LED screen that when you get in sunlight turns black – also a downfall of the newer point and shoots. This as become the most frequent reason I have my SLR with me and set on automatic – I can see through the viewfinder in bright light. So for me the lack of knobs/buttons, the screen issue, and the extreme light weight of it are all reasons I shun using it except in a pinch. It’ll do and the processor speed/megapixel quality has improved greatly – yet to this old dog it still doesn’t FEEL like a camera.
So for now I’m reduced to the phone which means I do little to no photography this holiday season. But soon – yes soon – I’ll have a new camera to play with in my spare time that is currently used to sit – stare into space while eating bon-bons. Yeah like I got LOTS of that time – pfft.
Until next time which will hopefully be sooner rather than later!
So part of 2014 starting off right was clearing the picture taken in 2013 from my phone. I don’t use it often so here in no particular order is a sample of 2013 as seen by my phone.
Here’s a bit of our craft booth we had at Harbor Market in Kenosha, WI every Saturday in September.We went lamp shopping for the living room. This lamp did NOT come home with us.A pair of these lamps did come home with us.In the summer we grilled out a lot. Here’s a typical chicken dinner with grilled tomatoes and grilled eggplant.We ate out too. Here’s a dessert Mike had all by himself when we were on vacation.We went riding around in the Mustang and found this on the side of the road in the Milwaukee area.Enjoyed a nice drive on a sunny day to find this historic lighthouse turned to a museum (but it was closed).Late October early November was vacation time for us… and we again toured the Everglades by airboat.Then the snow came to Wisconsin. **drat**Then the holidays came…
Why hello there! It’s been awhile since I’ve been here. Lots has happened and not so much has happened. I do have a good excuse as to why I’ve been gone.
First off Miss Mo my female kitty got worse. It was very sad. She died and we did discover that the issue was a fast developing spinal cancer. I still miss her very much. She was a very special girl.
Miss Mo at the Vet’s. She made a number of visits before the spine cancer took her.
Next Mike graduated another post-grad program in Norfolk. It was another trip there for a few days. I was very proud of him. While there we went to Colonial Williamsburg. I made lots of great picture. Yes I’ll do a very belated post about them.
Then there’s work. A few times we’ve had short staff for medical reasons, people moving, etc. At times I’ve work full time rather than part time to help out. I love what I do so I don’t mind. BUT for me it’s a side thing.
Finally my writer’s block broke. Yes I furiously wrote 41 chapters of a whole new story, 21 chapters on my Urban-fantasy with a rural setting, and about 12 on my steampunk novel. The muses were so demanding I’ve been cramming in writing where ever I could. Now my goal is to go to an event in Madison by their continuing education branch where I can do pitches to publishers and agents. Oh to get an agent! My focus will be on the whole new story and getting it prepped as that muse is the most demanding.
He’s a cadet now. He’ll be commissioned as an officer upon his graduation. This photo is from his graduation from basic earlier this year.
Aaron is doing well in college and in ROTC. He got a full scholarship in bio-chem from them. He loves having his own small apartment. No roommate problems that way. Being one who has to report to PT at 5:45 am with roommates who think 10:45 am classes are early can be difficult.
The holidays were nice. Our big present this year was a new furnace and boiler. Our 30+ year old one finally gave up the ghost. Heat is a must in Wisconsin and a new system isn’t free. So each time the radiators bang with a surge of new heat we wished each other a very Merry Christmas.
Did craft fairs again this fall and winter. They went very well. Now maybe I’ll make time to get an on-line shop up in 2014 along with a book agent and a few novels sold! Eh? why not dream big!
Mike and I took a vacation to Florida in the fall. Again we enjoyed an airboat tour. Also we managed to not go to a single amusement park. Did hit the beach though!
Wonderful airboat tour to ourselves!
Health wise 2013 was one of improvement. My 2012 surgery seems to have helped many issues. It’s a slow and gradual process getting healed and stabilized but well worth it. Sadly as you get older bouncing back from such things goes slower than I’d like.
Finally for Mike – he’s nearing the end of his Navy career and retire looms on the horizon. I don’t know what we’ll do with ourselves. We’ve spent all our relationship with our lives accommodating the Needs of the Navy first and foremost. Now, there will be no monthly drills, no 2 weeks or more of active duty, no call ups – just waiting until we need to collect retirement. However that might be pushed off another year or two if he can. Captain Mike loves his Navy.
Yep Blue is the leader and the cause of frequent screen repair in the summer. As you can see his brother hangs back to ensure all is well.
Our remaining pets the two Furry Boys – Red and Blue are facing problems of aging cats. Red has chronic kidney insufficiency. Blue had hyper thyroid. They both take medication regularly. They are healthy and happy but aging like the rest of us.
As for comics… Yes I’m still into them. Saw Thor The Dark World and enjoyed it. However I do agree Tom Hiddleston’s Loki got the best lines. Then again I’ve always enjoyed snark (sarcastic humor). As for reading – I am behind. As in a few short boxes behind not counting those I only get in digital form. So be patient with me, I’ve been writing more than reading. However if there’s an issue you really want to chat about – shout out to me and I’ll be sure to move that title to the top of the catch-up list.
I guess that gets everything caught up about me and mine. Hope you and yours are doing well, had a great holiday season and are looking forward to 2014.
I apologize from missing a day in posts. I had work and am battling a slight sore throat that just won’t go away. So work and straight to bed consumed my day. Hopefully Sunday I’ll feel better and get back on track. Speaking of that Mo is better but hobbling as I’m sure her little hip is very sore.
Back in June Mike had two weeks active duty in Naples, Italy. Here’s a few of his photos from around Naples.
As always there’s more over at my Flickr account you can get there by clicking on any photo. Until next time!
Miss Mo is getting to be an old kitty. She has trouble with her hips from the arthritis that developed there. Doesn’t help she was hit by a car when a wee thing and has lived with the crippling injury of that all her life. (I found her injured and adopted her.)
So she has her good days and bad days like all of us with arthritis and some decades on the chassis. We do meds, supplements, and even acupuncture when needed to help her manage it. Yesterday was a bad day, a really bad day. I gave her the reserve pain meds and she slept most of the day.
This morning she couldn’t walk so it was off to the vet. She’d injured her hip, rolled it out of socket. So they got it in did some anti-inflammatory, Vit b-12 to help with the palsy, acupuncture since that helps her manage pain, and sent me home with hopes for the best. She’s back on the infirmary in my office with fav bed, litter box, and all close so not a lot of walking.
This took a good part of the morning. I wasn’t feeling so grand myself after settling Mo in at home I gave up being productive today and took a nice long nap. Then I got up and did what needs to be done. So that is why this post is late… and not the scheduled post. I blew off post writing to sleep after the vet run.
Yes, I’ve seen the movie. Yes I liked it very much. Yes, I thought it was better than his Origins movie though I never thought that was as bad as some made it out to be. For me the stinker was X-Men III. I regretted that this movie had to pull from that one but Logan’s pining for Jean Grey is legendary. So it’s an important character element. I still have issues of casting Famke Janssen in the role.
The movie takes a classic and beloved story line of Logan meeting one of the major loves of his life Mariko and tells it in the film universe. Sure some changes are made in the telling but the heart of the story is there, and the story is about the heart of a warrior falling in love with a quiet powerful woman and having that love returned. Some of the changes I like – I like Logan having to face his healing power being diminished. He deals with fatigue, blood loss, medical care, and stuff all of us would have to deal with being a hero. I also like that he gets it back in time to be what many come to see in a Wolverine movie – kick ass. I fear the comic’s attempt at copying this idea of losing healing will not be executed so well and will fall into the category of the 1992 nose-less feral Wolverine no one at Marvel ever acknowledges much to the relief of fans (may the whole Romulus crapfest, Native’s frozen wolverpups, and Agent of SHIELD all fall into this category).
I liked the movie and found it a stronger better story than his Origins one. It didn’t feel rushed nor that it was an attempt to shove in as many mutants as possible into one movie. The characters served purpose to build and move the story along. I think the action scenes were well done (but really for all fanboys goggling over the train scene I preferred the funeral one hands down for action). I did feel that the climatic scene between the Silver Samauri and Logan was a bit over the top for this movie’s style. I also wasn’t a fan of the Silver Samurai being a giant. That said I like how Logan recovered from the attack of the admantium cutting sword. That was awesome!
Viper was interesting but I missed her trademark green hair. (Also don’t forget she has a thing for Logan, even blackmails him into marrying her but even then he’d sleep with just about ANYONE but her). She had the right level of self-centeredness to make the character recognizable but would like more of a hint of her lust for Logan’s body in her reaction to seeing him shirtless & cleaned up.
Mariko was Logan’s first wife for a long time but then he got his memories back and remembered Itsu (Dakan’s mom). Now Mariko isn’t even considered his wife but instead one great love that took him years to get over losing. For those who don’t know she’s poisoned and dying, she begs him to kill her so she won’t have to suffer the agonizing death for which there is no cure. He does then revenges her death on those who killed her to get her conglomerate.
Yurkio being psychic about deaths only was a nice touch. I don’t consider this a mutate so much since it happens among normal people. It’s just a fun element to give a ninja woman. I like how her friendship developed with Logan. Eventually after Mariko’s death she’ll help Logan raise his foster daughter Amiko. Sure at times they are friends with benefits but when one or the other is in a relationship they support that. It’s a complicated friendship but one that isn’t overburdened with romance. I like how it started here and feel it’s got a good future on screen should it be developed.
Logan himself – what can I say but WOW! Jackman pulled out the stops in getting into Wolverine shape. He does the comic proud. Also the short hairstyle is awesome and more what I picture the up lifts being – side cowlicks that just curl up. I did enjoy his mountain man scenes and long for a bit more exploration of that since it was a frequent retreat in the comic books. I get that this movie wasn’t about that so in interest of moving the story along it was just enough. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy a bit more of the surly mountain man kicking the city slicker hunter’s ass in the dive bar. LOL!
Finally the kicker after the credits (Marvel is famous for that always stay in their movies to see them) was awesome! It’s a nod to Days of Future Past coming out in 2014. This is another classic comic tale for the whole team but in the movies it will blend the cast of First Class with the cast of X-Men I. I am hoping that it is along the lines of this movie and First Class in tone not the hyper frenzy of X-Men III or Origins where it was thought the more thrown in the better (psst I prefer Taylor Mane as Sabertooth sorry Liev ).
In the end I think The Wolverine is a rare comic book movie that doesn’t suffer from being over done. It doesn’t suffer from what I call Fanboy syndrome of constant battles. It takes time to have action and emotion. It does well to juxtaposition peaceful with traumatic imagery. I think that unlike some comic book movies this one is more accessible to those who don’t know the comic. The Romeo/Juliet or right/wrong side of the tracks romance between Logan and Mariko is something many people can understand. What makes this movie stronger than many of the ones before it in Wolverine’s story is that it has a core, a heart, and isn’t afraid to be quiet and serve that heart, much like best portrayals the Wolverine himself.
How I came to this book is through research. I am looking into the various creepy crawlies of various cultures folklore. I asked a friend that was raised in Russia about Russian folklore. She gave me The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia to read before we discuss it.
I have to admit that once I started this it was a page turner. It’s set in modern times but draws on the legend of pre-revolution and revolutionary Russia. Heck we even see Soviet Russian fall into legend.
The story is bleak much like what I’ve been led to believe is the traditional Russian outlook. I found it interesting to hear how the average person felt about the Soviet fall. Before the fantasy part comes forward in this urban fantasy we get a glimpse into post-Soviet Moscow.
The heroes and villains of the fantasy segment are all new to me and fascinating. I especially liked Koschei the Deathless. He was a very intriguing fellow. One-eyed Likho was intriguing and very creepy. Also the November Revolutionists Wife Marya Morevna was a more modern myth that was elegant and tough.
Overall the story was fast paced and kept me turning the page to see what happens next. The ending was very fitting for the story and we learn why people were turning into Jackdaws including the main character’s sister.
The only thing I found distracting was the over use of the ‘said’ tag. I noticed it early on and at times became distracted by it. Maybe it was an artifact of bad editing after translation. One of the first thing in writing is learning that said is dead in dialogue. There are many ways to indicate who is speaking. Often you don’t need to indicate but the flow of conversation between two will naturally do it.
I recommend this book to get a view from Russian eyes. It’s an urban fantasy that’s got a unique perspective this book is for you.
Mary Louise Eklund 