perfect day*

Mom, I miss you. If I were with you today, we would wake up and visit the bakery to buy lots of goodies to share with the men at home. You'd be sure to buy danish, and I'd be sure we left with cookies. Then we would be off to the plant store, where we would shop for big, hardy mums, and pretty gourds to decorate your fireplace mantel. If we didn't find what we needed, we'd head to a different plant store instead, and you'd find an orchid, and argue that yes it is seasonal, and needs to go home with us. You'd sneak a candy apple into the cart to give to me later, since that was my childhood favorite. Soon it would be time for lunch, and we would go to Chilis. I'd order the fajitas, and I wouldn't roll my eyes when you'd order the ribs. We'd agree to split the eggrolls but I'd eat more than my share, and you'd let me. At lunch we would talk, and I would listen. And you would listen, but you were always good at that. Afterwards, I'd surprise you and we'd go apple picking, and as we did I would rattle off all the recipes I learned from school and what I could make for you when I returned home. But most importantly, mom, I'd tell you that I love you, and that I always will.

* My mom had a stroke three years ago today. She held on with life support for two more days before letting go. It's taken a good two years for me to accept that she is physically gone. (Above, my mom as a teenager.)

Updates and happenings!

Wow! I was thrilled to see today's POE Blog! My new barn shot is one of the featured sepias! I tried to figure out for over a year how to frame that barn, located in Williston, Vt. You can see the Green Mountains in the distance. I'm pretty happy with the result!

New Card Display!
Jeffrey from Smile Moon Woodworks has done it again! He created a beautiful wooden photo card holder for use at the fairs. I will be unveiling it at the ...

Craft Show this Weekend
This weekend, Lauren and I will be at the Meet the Artists and Artisans event this weekend on the Milford Green from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. (Directions: I-95 North exit 37 [High St.] ; I-95 South exit 39A ; Merrit Parkway exit 54 to NY , go right. Follow Yellow Artist/Artisan Arrow Signs to the Green.)

We'll be sharing a tent under TM Creative (our photography business). If you are in the area, please stop by and say hi! We'd love to see some familiar faces!

New Donation Total
I figured out my July and August donation for 3Bunnies, and it came to $11.13, making the year-to-date total $60.22! That's fantastic! (For those new to the blog, I donate 20 percent of an Etsy purchase from my shop --minus listing, shipping and paypal fees -- to 3Bunnies.) Once again, I'll be rounding up, so 3Bunnies will get a $25 check. You may have also noticed the new Petfinder bug in my sidebar. I'd love for every bunny to find a safe home, and this is a good way to get the word out! It shows all the available boys and girls just in Connecticut alone.

America - A Photo Essay

Gerry Beckley (lead singer) and Rich Campbell (bass)

Woodsy (just that damn good)

Rich Campbell (bass solo on "Here")

Hank Linderman (filling in for Dewey Bunnell)

Isn't it fabulous when bands allow photos?

New photo collage

This fine art photo was created by overlaying two of my photos. The text, though light, reads:

"I wish you were here. There was a beautiful sunset
tonight that I think you would have enjoyed. Time
passes so slowly now without you here. It’s as if I
am all alone, even though I am surrounded by so
many. I miss you terribly. I just wish to fly away."

Summer's gone

Gosh it's cold today. I guess it really started yesterday but I'm still not warm enough today. I've got the heat on in my office and even my heated floorpad.

I even broke out the fingerless mittens I crocheted a few months back.

I knew I'd need them. But I'm still cold.

Even Ginger is hanging around my office. Hmmm... maybe that sweater would keep me warm.

Ah... guess I'll freeze. She looks way too comfortable.

BTW, I'm totally enjoying my new camera phone.

Remembering 9-11

Driving to work this morning, I was reminded that today was September 11. While listening to the coverage on my local NPR station, I found tears swelling in my eyes.

Listening to people talk about this day seven years ago brings all the memories rushing back. I remember it was a beautiful day- I remember leaving for class hearing about a "freak plane accident in the World Trade Towers" and coming back an hour and a half later to find the towers were gone. The rest of the day was a fog- trying to reconnect with family and friends and trying to absorb what had happened.

The photo above has special meaning to me because it reminds me of a more carefree time. It was taken during a summer day in 1996, while I was in Manhattan and pretending to be a tourist for the day ("pretending" since I lived a bourough away). I remember walking past the towers, looking up with my point and shoot nikon, snapping this one photo, and running off to catch the next attraction.

I luckily did not lose anyone I knew in the attack, but I still collectively mourn with other native New Yorkers-- with others around the nation. Sometimes I fear that over time, the intensity of this attack will be forgotten, sort of in the way that I can't fully understand the ramifications of the attack on Pearl Harbor and how that effected Americans at that time.

But today, I will remember, along with countless others.

Reminiscing

I realize that vacation wasn't that long ago but as my schedule gets back to normal, I'm really beginning to miss it.

I love to read the Quit Your Day Job feature from Etsy. I'd love to be able to make this work full time. I've read (and come to learn) that positive thinking can help get you to where you need to be. I hope in the coming months that my positive thinking pays off.


In good news, our cupcakes were featured on the POE Blog today. Check it out. :)

Why we should vacation more

Gosh he looks happy. :)

I have an uncanny habit of always finding scenic trees to pose Rob in front of.

... Rob accuses me of photographing the trees more so than him.

20% off items in my shop-- and other members too!

One of the Etsy street teams I belong to, EFA Artists Helping Animals, will be celebrating its birthday from Sept. 15-30.

More than 150 members of EFA will be participating (for an official list, click here). No matter what shop you decide to visit, you can use my coupon code, JMCG, to get 20% off your order (excluding shipping) -- in all participating shops. (Fine print: You can only use it once in each shop.)

To use the coupon: When checking out on Etsy, put in the notes to seller field, "efa birthday bash coupon code JMCG." You will either get a revised invoice or refund.

Why use my coupon code? It's because there will be different codes for every shop participating. So be sure to send it to your best friend, your sweet grandma, your weird Uncle Fred--you get the idea.