Guest Photographer

Today I feature a photograph from our friend Jandra Torres who went out in our neighborhood this afternoon with Loretta and friend from forever, Marili. Jandra's a recent ASFG graduate and great photographer whose photos can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rishrishrish.

gardening

Today I spent the morning in our patio gardens. Replanted some violets in pottery my mom made and sent me home with, replanted the parsley in the kitchen garden, and started some sunflowers that promise to be huge.

Nostalgia for the summer already...

Today I went into work and saw how the school has been busy while I've been gone. The Early Childhood office has been beautifully remodeled. I loved seeing friends - so many were there working when we are officially "on vacation" that it reminds me how much we are drawn to the place and how lucky we are to have that place in order to have each other.

I feel torn - I'm looking forward to returning to work and excited about a new school year full of potential and yet I'm not quite ready to give up this feeling of summertime potential - the idea that I can stay up very late reading or talking with family - the way there is time to read old journals and correspond with old friends during the summer, the time I've found to be taking the pets out in the driveway to brush them and then give them treats, all that stuff. I want to find a way to have both - the rush of work with the calm of wearing the same jeans for days in a row. Meanwhile, I have a few more days of documenting summer before I head into work on Monday.

My Sister Laura's Book

Due to hit the bookstores any day, and already available on Amazon, I am enjoying my sister's book on aging and what we can look forward to as we grow older. I can highly recommend it!

old things in new places and a fat cat

Loretta, Emilio, and I are home in Guadalajara. It's wonderful to see Miguel and the pets and to eat Mexican food. We had such a great trip and this morning unpacking our bags brought up lots of fun stories for Miguel.


The dancing bear is from my days in New York City and now he's living up with the Huichol dear behind the volcano.


This little bear is probably from a trip my parents and I took to northern California to see my brothers when I was ten years old and the little sheep is from my father's home in Nebraska. The sheep sort of busted in the suitcase and her stuffing of sand broke loose but she's been around for so long that she still holds a shape even though she's hollow!

And speaking of hollow - I think Loretta's cat is pregnant. Look at that belly!! She wasn't like that when we left.

Loretta and I were downstairs in my parents' basement and she saw this old bottle of Cling Free and asked, "What's thaaaat?" Along with being a little scary - the way the can is corroding...it's also hip advertising. That got us noticing other products around the house whose beauty I’d taken for granted.

And the oddest one yet....

...a bottle of Russian (?) Champaign in the closet with the bedding and towels! Cheers!!!

Rochester

My mom has a beautiful stretch of black-eyed susans in her yard, which often oblige us by blooming during our summer visit.



This is an afghan that my mother made for Loretta to take to university.



Chris and Dave came over for tea this afternoon. They just moved to Rochester as Chris was offered a job here in town. It was fun to give them some postcards they’d sent me 23 years ago when I was living in NYC.