fall

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One of the best people I have ever known is having a health crisis of sorts today... and I am concerned about her. While I have faith the she will be alright no matter the outcome... I wish only the very best for her and her health. I am so proud to be able to call her "friend"... and I hope that she is feeling better soon.
Life is so very short... a lesson I seem to be reminded of on a fairly frequent basis... and it becomes even more apparent on occasions such as this... that it is so vital to enjoy each and every day... to appreciate all that life has to offer... to love deeply... to care for one another...


Later on today... BAJ and I went to Trader Joe's to get some fresh fruits and vegetables... and some groceries in general for the week. Along the way... we got some fabulous pumpkins for the holidays, and some gorgeous flowers for the house.
One of the downfalls of the Kodak was that I had alot of difficulty getting macro shots ... it just didn't have the lens capabilities that I now have with the Nikon D300. The purple hydrangea shot above became my photo for today... but I am also quite fond of the orchid shot below...

Either way though... it was great to see so many gorgeous plants and flowers at Trader Joe's...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today I took alot of drive-by photos out of the car window as we drove around town just enjoying the scenery. We had a fabulous late lunch at Kelly's on Central Ave... and spent alot of time just watching the clouds rolling in. We also stopped at the Grower's Market on Morningside/Lead... and got some of the best produce ever :)

I got notice that my art piece arrived in New York City safe and sound today... and will be putting a link on my blogsite to the gallery. And after having my Etsy store closed for several months, I re-opened the other day and already got 3 orders!!!

Now to get the hubby feeling better... and new grandbaby born... and my photos done and sent for the show in PA...

But in the meantime... here are some photos from the day...





*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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After sleeping in a little this am... and helping write some notes of thanks to people for all the help we received since my father became ill... I packed up and left my mom's house around 3pm and started on my way back home.

Sabrina and I made a stop at the Allegheny National Forest... and delighted in the gorgeous scenery there. TONS of colorful leaves... stunning streams of light coming in through the trees... it was incredible. Soooo meditative... so restful... it was exactly what I needed.

After the break... the weather became increasingly stormy... and I drove the rest of the miles in PA in the thunder and lightening and rain. And so... we have stopped early for the night at a very posh hotel... and are enjoying some relaxing time.



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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It's been raining most all of today again... and the water in the flood channel is fast and furious as it moves along. Alot of the trees are beginning to lose their leaves... what with the rain and the wind. And tomorrow starts the long weekend featuring the "Falling Leaves Festival" here in Potter County.

I am beginning to fear that I won't get all of the things done that I would like to do... before heading back to Albuquerque. Part of it has been my own procrastination on things (why do I do this?!)... part of it has been due to the way paperwork moves within government systems. I have been inordinately tired this trip... and some days it seems all I can do is get out of bed... muddle through a couple of things... and the next thing you know... it's 2am.

I don't have a deadline (per se) of when I need to be back in Albuquerque... but I miss my family... and I have a granddaughter due to be born somewhere around the 11th of October. And so... I need to "get it in gear"... and get things done.

One thing I have accomplished on this trip though... is that I have made it a point to go on a drive... even a short one... each and every day. Because of these drives... I have really enjoyed the changing of the seasons... and the beauty of nature that is all around us. Even on rainy days such as today... I was able to get photos that will continue to remind me of the wonders of nature... and the beauty to be had in the everyday.


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Tonight is a full moon... and I am catching glimpses of it off an on as I sit here on the front porch. It has been raining for most of the day... and now there is a heavy bank of clouds that are playing tag with the moon.

I can hear the crickets chirping... and a dog barking off in the distance...

I can see the little brown bats as they dive for bugs under the street lamp...

I can feel the crispness in the air as the weather slowly changes to fall on this ... the autumn equinox...

I can taste the pungency of my bergamont tea...

and I love the smell of the rain on the grass tonight.



((I took my mother out for dinner tonight to a local cafe for garlic hummus and pita bread... fresh from the oven... tea.... and a wonderful Greek salad...Everything was awesome.))


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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You'd think being "out here in the country"... (said in a voice like a Tom Bodett commercial)... that people wouldn't succumb to the drama of life. Or, better said... that people would be too busy with more important stuff. You'd think... living in a city with half a million people... I would be more accustomed to the particular quirks natural to humanity and living amongst the throngs. But I am not.

The past couple of days has shown me, however, that people are people... no matter where you live. And no place is immune to the stuff of life. That is to say... we all get our feelings hurt... we all occasionally feel put-upon and taken advantage of... we all feel like perhaps there is something "greener" somewhere else... or with someone else... or if we just had "blank" ((... insert thing here...))... life would be easier.

There is a song I know with words in the chorus that go.... "It's a hard life, it's a hard life... it's a very hard life. It's a hard life wherever you go. But if we poison our children with hatred...then, the hard life is all they'll ever know."
The song is specifically talking about bigotry... but it really could be applicable to other things as well. Taken further... we can apply it to ourselves. If we poison our own minds to something... it can truly slant our perspective.
IE: if we expect something to be awful... it generally is.

Now, that is not to say that if we put on rose-colored glasses... our entire life will be sweet as pie.
Far from it. But there is something to be said about hoping for the best... and doing whatever we can to bring that into being.
Positive thoughts... then positive action.

Seems like every book I have read lately has had to do with finding your passion in life... and following your dreams. About being positive in a negative world. About not letting things get you down or destroy your goals. About being optimistic in general, and drawing people to you that are also of a positive mindset. I don't think it was a conscious effort on my part to have picked all these books with basically a theme... but there ya go.

And hey... if nothing else...
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." --Albright

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Another week has begun... and it was full of sunshine and warmth today. It has been unusually chilly for here (me-thinks)... of course... I am used to being in much warmer weather. However... with the chill comes the reason that so many leaves here turn such brilliant colors... so I cannot complain.

Today our drive in the countryside took us out over Dutch Hill and into the fields and back roads of Jenkins Hill, Ayers Hill, and such. The leaves are beginning to turn... and the sunset was gorgeous.

A couple weeks from now will be the local "Falling Leaves Festival"... and the gun show. The business stuff/paperwork I have been doing for my mother is finally winding down... and things are almost completely taken care of. There are a couple projects I would still like to do... and a few people yet that I would like to see..... but things are getting there.

But for right now... I am enjoying a warm cup of tea...
and the warmth of the sunshine in these photos...


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Somehow, I have managed to lose the better part of this weekend, although I am not sure how this has happened. I have been sick... headache, body aches, and with a fever off and on for several days now. Little things seem to take me forever to finish. It is very frustrating. I am sure it is my Lupus... agitated and spurred into action by allergies.
On the plus side... at least it is a familiar problem... and one I can deal with, no matter how annoying.

Today we had a wonderful visit from my fav aunt and uncle... and I have started reading a couple new books, "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, and "Secrets of the Fire King" by Kim Edwards... and tonight I stopped at a local fav place of mine to take my photo for the day...


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Exactly 30 days ago... my father passed away.
The sun still greets me every morning.
My coffee still tastes good.
My dog still wants me to take her for a walk every evening.
The moon still cheers me up.
The leaves turn... and time passes on... But I miss him.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Overwhelmed. Seems to be my word for the day. Overwhelmed with things to do... people to see... stuff to take care of... and I am sick. Overwhelmed with news from home... missing my kids and hubby... and news of a HUGE payment on a new water treatment system (*apparently ours died when the city was flushing the lines... and my dear hubby had it replaced yesterday). I am tapped. Broke. Broken.

Tea. Sometimes what I need to do is sit with a warm cup of tea and try to remember that things will work out. Don't know when... don't know how. I just have to believe it. And so... I am trying... (and a cookie can't hurt...)


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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-----------------------------------horses grazing in the fields of Gold, PA


So... today; we had alot of company at the house... which is good, but can also be very tiring.

I loaded the car full of recycle-able goods... and headed over to Gold where there is a recycle plant. Unfortunately, by the time I got there.. it was closed. Apparently, it closes daily at 3pm; instead of the 5pm that I was told. Ah well. No bother. It was a very nice ride; and I can do it again tomorrow.

For dinner, my daughter and I stopped at the Sweden Valley Inn again. She has never been there; so we sat and ordered some food. She got the "double baked" potato soup... which was absolutely fabulous... loaded with yummy melted cheese on top. Then she had a salad with shrimp on it. I had a cheeseburger with bacon and blue cheese, and an order or mozzarella sticks and some fries. As a special treat... I had another one of those butterscotch schnapps hot cocoa drinks I mentioned a couple of days ago. It was still just as good as it was the other night.
As a bonus.... we sat more in the dining area this time ... and there are lots of vintage photos on the walls of places around town... but circa 1900 through the 1950's. I was able to take photos of a couple of them... and will post them on my flickR account as soon as I can.


------------------------ "double baked" potato soup at the Sweden Valley Inn


My dad managed to fall in the shower today... banging his hip that he had the surgery on. Fortunately... he didn't seem to do any damage.... I think he hurt his pride more. Problem is... my mom tried to pull him up... and hurt herself as well. Sort of a comedy of errors I suppose.... but not funny at the time.

I mention this only in the context of .... I never really thought about this time in my life. When I was younger, I dreamed of being in love... perhaps having children... traveling.. that sort of thing. And after I got married... I would daydream about growing old with my hubby... always in a "rose-colored glasses" kind of way.


I don't recall however, dreaming of being middle-aged. I don't like to think of myself as middle-aged. I am not sure what that even entails. But I don't like it much. It is very strange to have my kids on the cusp of getting married/ leaving home... and at the same time... being in a position of taking care of my parents and helping them out as much as I am able. It is a very strange in-between time. I am sure I will get used to it.... but for now, it is almost freakish.


------------------------------------the pond beside the Sweden Valley Inn


**all photos by Elaine A. Russell

fall foliage





*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

Yesterday's freak snowstorm, reminded me of how very short life really is... how quickly the season's can change... how temporary things truly are.
I love fall. I think it has alot to do with growing up in the NE... and having such glorious fall foliage every year. Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. I usually am sooo incredibly happy this time of year. Today seems to be a black spot on an otherwise perfect sky. There is no reason for it. Sometimes it just happens I guess.
So-- rather than ramble on... I will stuff you full of pretty fall foliage pics that I took Tuesday at the entrance to the BioPark. I didn't have enough money to actually go in that day... so I took some shots around the parking complex and the entryway to the park.

renovations


photo by Elaine A. Russell

Renovations are seriously underway. Like fall.. we are beginning to see some real changes here.
  • Instead of barely functioning sliding doors to the backyard, we now have working french doors with locks.
  • Instead of a front door that hangs lopsided, so that the locks hardly work... we now have a brand new steel door and accenting side windows.
  • Instead of outdoor brass & glass 80's lighting that was hung in the dining area and hallways... we now have beautiful frosted glass globes that hug the ceiling.
  • several holes have been patched, the area around the fireplace has been demolished, finished and textured, and the doorway to the garage has been moved over to accomodate a kitchen re-vamp coming in the next few weeks.

There have been a couple of "oops"....like.. today the doorknob was put on backwards to the garage.. and I didn't notice until the crew had left. Ah well. But all in all.... fabulous work so far.

leaf turning time

photo by Elaine A. Russell

I was reading Robert's blog (http://robertredus.wordpress.com/) this morning ... and for me, it felt like he was talking about making decisions.... making changes... being comfortable with the way things are heading. He closes with this quote:

“The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.”
--W.E.B. Du Bois

The quote really got to me. It's as if Du Bois was saying... make the decision you are comfortable with.... but make sure you know what you are getting into... because you will be changed. There is no going back.

Reminded me of the way the fall leaves are turning right now. It's not like the maple tree can decide that if it doesn't like that particular shade of orange-red... it can go back to being green for a bit. It has already changed. No going back. It will never be quite that shade of green again... at least not in the current incarnation.

Kinda like people. The interactions we have in our lives do change us. Sometimes not necessarily for the better... that is up to us and how we choose to deal with things.
But change us they do.