Crazy Newfangled Gadget

I got a camera! A pretty darn nice one, too. And it scares me a little. Why? Shooting film should be the scary camera. Digital should be so easy - push a button and there it is. But a million buttons with icons that I can hardly see, let alone decifer, do not make me feel confident. I want knobs and dials with f-stops and shutter speeds.  Already I'm missing the process of film.

So here I am, watching one of the three DVDs that came with the camera (there are also two cds and one fat old-fashioned paper manual).

I have charged the battery and formated the memory card, and am wondering what's happened to the world and how am I going to survive if all the tactile experiences, all the process is removed from my life. And I can't take any time to notice anything today . . . except that I feel very old as I fumble along with this crazy newfangled gadget!

Cool graffiti/mural

Old Photos

I think I've finally decided on the camera I want. It will probably be the most expensive thing I have ever purchased for myself. Sort of exciting. But I'd better get one tomorrow because I have pretty much run out of old photos that I can bend to my needs for this daily blog.

So . . . wish me luck on my shopping spree tomorrow. And this, hopefully, will be my last "old photo" post.

The family grocery business in Crockston, MN.
My dad's father's business went under during the Depression and they moved to California.
 I wonder who was it that had a camera back then.

Round apartments

When I was a kid, I thought this round apartment building was the absolute coolest and wanted to live there; after all these years, still think it's pretty cool.

Workin' at the Y

Sharing Hawaiian music and stories and hula with kids at the Y

Feeling blessed

Pink roses

Loving spring and all its blooms.

Christopher Street

Christopher Street

Greenwich Village

NYC

(A reminder of another era)

No One Has What We Have

Sitting in the backyard, D. looked up at our rustling palm trees and said, "No one has two palm trees in their backyard." (I thought about that. Palm trees in one's yard doesn't seem too out of the ordinary, but I didn't say anything.) "Or stairs out their back door that go UP to their backyard." (Yeah, that's a little unusual, but we do live on a hill, so there are probably others.) "Or a bathtub like that," he said pointing. (No, not too many bathtubs like that, I readily and happily admit.)

Shell treasures

My found treasures draining in my colander.

Which train is the next to leave?

When confronted by two trains 

sitting side-by-side

signs like this make life a little bit easier.

Dreaming of a Camera

Cactus nest in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park

Last night I had dreams of walking in unfamiliar neighborhoods, lost but not lost. In every yard was something interesting to notice. I kept saying, "Dang, I wish I had a camera because THAT would be great for the blog!"

Woke up this morning with a new determination to find the right camera for me. Heading out, right now, to a camera shop where I know the sales people will be patient with an old 35mm-lover like me.

Legos

This trio is made entirely of Legos; I find it incredibly awesome.

Construction Permits

There's more paperwork than construction happening at this work site.

Hmm...

A Quiet Day in Northeast L.A.

Here is how I spent my Mother's Day - drawing tiny fruit. Interrupted only by a long break to lie in the hammock while my guys bar-b-cued ribs in the backyard. I lay there in the hammock and listened to the birds and our conversation, and I wondered at how unusually quiet it was in northeast L.A. No sounds of baseball games at the park, no racing cars down Eastern Ave, no police helicopters circling overhead. Everyone seemed to be home, quietly celebrating their mom.

Purse Face

I came home and plopped my purse down on the table. I put away the groceries, then headed out the back door to water the garden. Coming back in, I was startled by this face.

Mother's Day

When I was growing up, my mom and I (and various friends/family) would make a weekly trip to Long Beach, CA where she would swim to the buoy and back and then we would relax on the beach and look for shells or play in the sand and eat red licorice; so this morning, in honor of my mom (who I was unable to be with today,) I went to Long Beach and walked along the shore and reflected back on fond memories of those times spent with my mom.

Disney Queen

Every few minutes the curtains draw back from this castle window and the Evil Queen surveys the crowd below. I always find this cool.

Sunflower House

When D. was about five years old, we planted a sunflower house. In a rectangle about 10 ft long and 5 ft wide, we planted these giant mammoth sunflowers that towered overhead, and morning glories that climbed up string and created our walls. We sat inside our sunflower house that summer and played cards and ate strawberries. He doesn't remember. But I say, I still get some good-mom credits.

Scenery

I frequently drive to Camp Pendleton to pick up my son for weekends yet I'm always rushing to get there and get out but I had to wait a while for him and was able to sit back and take in my surroundings which when you look beyond the tanks and camouflage is really quite breath taking.

Taffy

some poor kid dropped their taffy

while heading into school.

i found it sitting on the sidewalk.

they're gonna be bummed at lunchtime.