coffee

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-----> photo by Elaine A. Russell


I am taking it slow today... a lack of sleep and what is probably bronchitis has reared it's wheezing ugly head. But it's been a wonderful day...organizing, donating, and throwing stuff out... we even sold a couple of things.
Progress is being made on what will be the hubby's new office space... we had lunch at Flying Star... some friends came over to the house for a short visit..... all is good.

I am trying to envision what my new workspace will look like when I am done with it. This is going to be my next project, and I have been giving it some thought. I have been re-reading "Creative Time and Space" by Rice Freeman-Zachery... and it has given me lots of inspiration. While it will still (obviously) be a garage studio... hopefully, I can get it organized... and cleaned up... and full of charm and motivation in the on-coming week. I have a major photo shoot next weekend... and at the end of the month my father will be discharged to home and will need round-the-clock hospice care. I am not sure when I will be needed to potentially help out... so I am trying hard to get things sorta caught up before then...

About the photo for today's blog post: This is actually a pretty clean and crisp photo of a coffee cup (with steaming goodness) taken at the Flying Star Cafe. Today I altered it by decreasing the saturation of the colors, adding some grit and grime... adding some "noise" or texture to the main part of the picture, and adding the vignetting of an old time camera shot. Once the "feel" of the photo was properly goth... I added a tattoo design to the cup by way of making it a new layer on top of the original photo.
With coffee holding me together for most of today.... it seemed appropriate to fashion a cuppa into some kind of deadly brew...

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------------------> photo by Elaine A. Russell


One of the things I have insisted on over the years... is a weekly "date" with my hubby.

Over the years... it has included movies... games... reading magazines together... taking a walk... as long as we do it together. Even when I have been away from home in PA... we found a way to play Scrabble and talk on-line together for our "date."

This year has been so terribly chaotic... and this guarded/planned/ reserved weekly time gives us a moment to catch our breath and go over stuff together.

I have found that this time is not only essential to our marriage...
...but also essential to my emotional well-being as an individual.

...what are the rituals and traditions that you have incorporated into your life
that have become essential?

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------------->photos by Elaine A. Russell

Today was awesome. Normal everyday stuff... made extra-ordinary simply because I am in my own home and doing my own thing. Laundry, cooking, walking the dog... all simple chores... but joyfully done today because I am so happy to be home.


We are extremely broke... and tomorrow I am going to start the process of cleaning the house and clearing out items that we no longer need or want. If these trips have taught me nothing else... it has taught me that it really is so very important to have all your finances in order, all your information/ passwords/ codes for things etc tucked away in a safe place... and to downsize your stuff as much as you feel comfortable with.

I am also really looking forward to working in my studio space. It is a complete disaster at the moment; not just because all my art supplies and such are in chaos... but also because the area ends up being a dumping ground of sorts for excess stuff around the house.


As an extra bonus... my hubby not only got me some beautiful flowers to welcome me home... but he also bought me a container of Kona coffee :)
he knows me sooooooooooooo well.

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artwork by Scott Garcia (http://www.hypercanvas.com/)


...today I went to the "Celebrate the Earth Fest" here in ABQ today and it was fabulous!
In a perfect world... I would have been able to be part of it... but it was wonderful to be able to go and see all the great items for sale by vendors, and all the information booths.

I am truly a "hippie" at heart....or whatever that means and implies.

I was born in the 60's.. and even though most of my memories are really of the 70's... I identify more with the whole "peace and love" movement.
I really felt at home at the recycle show.
There were solar companies... herbs... plants....tons of art....ROCKS!!!.... and great music.

I was doubly blessed... to not only be able to go to the show with some great people....but I also got to meet and get re-acquainted with several artists that I greatly admire.

So--- sit back... and I hope you enjoy some photos from the event:

Old New Mexico Birdhouse Company by artist Thomas Hogan


organic coffees brought to you by the Seventh Generation Institute (http://www.seventh-generation.org/)


fabulous artwork by Josie Mohr and daughter Jacque (jmorhstudio.com)


gorgeous rocks, jewelry and beads available at the Kosmic Trading Post


honey and bee products from the Sparrow Hawk Farm (link: here)



this is a close-up of a Tibetan Rug being raffled by the Green Tara Foundation

(http://www.green-tara.org/)



and fabulous Cajun music by Bayou Seco (http://www.bayouseco.com/)


*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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(photos by Elaine A. Russell -- this one was taken at the 2nd Time Around antique shop)


Today we started out near St. Louis, Missouri....and tonight we are in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today has been sort of a rough day. Lots of construction on the roads... and some bad experiences with other drivers have made it a little difficult. Also... the roads seem to be in worse condition than I remember... or maybe it is just because my back is more sensitive to every pothole and bump in the road *(and there have been alot).

That said... we have seen some gorgeous scenery. Kristin did alot of the driving today... so I was able to look out my window at the stunning countryside. We saw lots of rivers and streams... and lots of really pretty birds.... tons of cows... horses and such. We even saw an alpaca farm off in the distance.

And there were the pleasures of being in more "city" areas as well...

We stopped in Springfield, MO for a Starbucks (my first in about 6 weeks)... and we discovered this awesomely loaded antique shop called "A Second Time Around." See this link: here

I think every square inch of this place had cool treasures to see... and we saw a ton.


For dinner, we stopped in Miami, OK at the Waylan's Ku Ku Burger (link: here). This is the cool place that I took a photo of last summer when I was in Miami... but I didn't get the chance to eat there at the time. This time... we took our time and sat down for a bite. It was really, really awesome. This place had been a nationwide "hot spot" since the Route66 days... and it is still going strong.

I had a fantastic steak sandwich, home-made fries and fresh coffee... FABULOUS.

Almost to our stopping point for the night, we saw a red glow and alot of smoke. Turns out.... some local farmers were burning their fields... and boy did it look cool.


These purple trees were everywhere... and boy are they gorgeous!


Cows... grazing in the fields....


Waylan's Ku Ku Burger joint....



...and fields ablaze....

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-----------------------------------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell



Today we woke up and left the hotel around 9:30. We drove until lunchtime... and stopped at a Waffle House in Indiana. Those of you who know me... know I love diners. I know the food isn't the best for you... I know the music is generally awful.... I know they are usually all sorts of tacky.... but I just love 'em. There was a park nearby, and Sabrina was so happy to see actual grass... she ran around and ran around and rolled in it; smiling and panting the whole time.

We made several short stops today... but basically concentrated on driving and getting as far as we could. Surprisingly, there is very little snow about. I remember it usually having tons of snow still in March... so it really surprised me.

We saw tons of police en force on the highways.... really. Not sure why. ... but things were pretty uneventful. Kristin did have a relatively close encounter with a groundhog... she even got a photo of him... which was pretty cool.

Had my last Starbucks around dinnertime... figured it was the last one I was going to be near for awhile. It was good ♥

Made it to the backwoods of PA... about 2hrs from our destination when I got a call from a friend of my parents to call my mom "immediately." So I pulled off and called. Turns out my dad has had a turn for the worse. This am; they had told my mom that he was going to be transferred tomorrow to our local nursing home for rehab... and that he would be leaving by ambulance tomorrow.. and that I would need to come and get her in Geisinger. Well. Apparently he is not doing well...and that is all on hold for now. I am anticipating driving the 3hrs to the hospital tomorrow sometime to be there.... but my mom told me to just stay put for now.
So... At this moment I am at my parent's house in PA... doing laundry... and unpacking.


I have a "1 bar" connection here.... so ... internet is sometimes fleeting...but I will post when I can.

Nick Sedillos

UPDATE ! You can reach Nick at nick.sedillos@gmail.com , and his blog is at http://swizzlestuck.blogspot.com/




I've been trying to get a hold of this artist to tell him I wanted to do a blog post on him... but all my emails are getting returned... so... if you see or know Nick Sedillos... tell him I like his work.. and that I posted about him today :)


Nick is showing his work at Winnings Coffee Co right near UNM. http://www.winningcoffeeco.com/
Above is a small collage of some of his work. Great job Nick :)
Click on the photo to see it bigger....

hump


-----------------------------photos by Elaine A. Russell

When I was back in high school (albeit.. the dark ages)... wednesday was known as "hump" day. As in mid-week hump. As in ... half a week to go.. hump. Course, there were "kids" who had another meaning for hump.. but we won't go there today.

Today was a great day to just sit around at Starbucks and enjoy a coffee... and the birds singing.. and the panhandlers panning.. or whatever.