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(House of Care, Danville PA)
--all photos by Elaine A. Russell--

(Geisinger Medical Center, Danville PA)


It was an interesting night at the House of Care. The place is very, very nice... but I was sharing a room with my mom... and it just felt strange. Coupled with some alarming news from home... I just couldn't sleep. We got up early, and got to the hospital just in time to see my dad getting loaded and transferred via ambulance to go back to PA.

(Treats at Mom's Dutch Kitchen)

We then went to Mom's Dutch Kitchen for breakfast. This is a local (in Danville) restaurant with an attached gift shop that features alot of Amish related gifts. The food was a typical small town diner type experience... I had steak and eggs, hash browns and coffee. It was awesome. We then went back to the House of Care to do some of mom's laundry, and to wait for my aunt and uncle to arrive. They got there around 2pm, and then they all left for Philadelphia to attend my Uncle Ed's funeral.

I stayed around Danville briefly and took some photos... Danville seems very Colonial in style. They have some beautiful stone houses and churches.... and the flowers were starting to bloom a bit.


(Hellebore plants around the Presbyterian Church in Danville, PA)


(Historic "Montgomery House" in Danville, built in 1792 ... it was the home of William Montogomery [the founder of Danville PA]... now the Historical Museum)



I then headed out with all the stuff to drive back to Coudersport. The drive back was very scenic. The weather was nice... and I was able to get a few photos along the way. Just outside of Wellsboro, I stopped at an alpaca farm. The alpacas were very adorable ... and very friendly.


(the cutest little alpaca in the world)


I stopped at various area "landmarks".... Nine Mile Inn ( fabulous pond, creek, and cabins), the marshlands at Wolf Run (Canadian Geese hangout), Galeton (scenic downtown), Wellsboro Diner (converted train car/ now diner), Denton Hill Ski Resort, the old red schoolhouse (now an antique place), etc.


(Nine Mile Inn near Galeton, PA)



Once I got back to Coudersport, I went up to Charles Cole Memorial Hospital and visited with my dad in his new room. He is not horribly happy, as he is having to stay on the extended care ward... but he will be OK.

It was very late when I got to sleep... but I had a warm cup of fresh brewed coffee with my daughter, and a snuggle with Sabrina... so all is well ♥

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Woke up initially at 6am... just in time to see the sun rising over the woods near CARP park on the north end of Coudersport, PA. (see photo above)
Took Sabrina for a short walk, and went back to bed. It is amazing how much rest a person can need... and yet, still feel tired.

Did some household chores, and called my mom. My dad is tentatively being transferred from Geisinger Hospital back to the hospital in Coudersport tomorrow.. so he can have a few weeks of rehab before coming home. He still needs surgery to completely repair his should socket, and to remove the large tumor on his clavicle... as well as biopsy his lymph nodes... but that will happen down the road a bit. He has done well with his hip surgery... just had a bugger with complications afterwards. Being almost 77 yrs old... I think he is doing really well.

So... here is the plan. I am going to drive to Geisinger this afternoon; stay overnight.... and come back to Coudersport the next day with all the stuff that my parents have had at the hospital (clothing, etc). Dad is going to be transferred via ambulance. My aunt and uncle are going to be driving from Bradford, PA to Geisinger on Wednesday morning, and will pick up my mom and take her with them to Philadelphia.... where they will be going to my uncle's funeral on Thursday.... and then they will bring her back to Coudersport on Friday.

The Wellsboro Diner.............

UPDATE:
I got to Geisinger just fine. I only made one slightly wrong turn; but figured it out right away and was able to turn around. The highways in PA are actually quite nice... some of the best I have seen in the US.

It took me about 3 hours to get to Geisinger. I stopped in Wellsboro PA to have a cup of coffee and some cream of potato soup (and to take some Tylenol for a pounding headache and fever) at the Wellsboro Diner. It is an old train car, that was converted into a diner, and has been in business since 1939. It is right on Route6... and has a distinctly 1950's feel. There is an attached gift shop as well.

On highway 15 ............

From there... I traveled through several small towns. PA is like that. You get little town after little town... with lots of farm land in between. Rarely... will be a town/city of substantial size..... at least, not in the areas I am traveling in. I saw ice and snow on some rock cliffs, several rivers, a swamp area with tons of Canadian geese....and a few Amish carriages driven by horse.

I was able to visit with my dad, and then my mother and I stayed at the "House of Care" .... a guest house for patients and their families... right next to the hospital. The House of Care is a fabulous place. Really affordable rooms ($15 a night).. kitchens... bathrooms.. laundry area... living areas with a library, fireplace and big TV... all snuggled in a little part of the Geisinger campus surrounded by some nice woods. We had a room in the back... and had an excellent view of trees and grass.

Amish carriage near Muncy PA......

Sunset near Danville, PA

(**all photos by Elaine A. Russell)

Links to Wellsboro, PA: here and here
Link to Geisinger House of Care: here
Link to Geisinger Medical Center: here

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...all photos by Elaine A. Russell.

Photos were taken today at St. Eulalia Cemetery in Coudersport, PA.

I slept late again today. Between the drive, the time change, and still being in a Lupus flare... my body is just tapped. So too... are my emotions. It's an odd thing... being in my parent's house with them not here. This is not the home I grew up in though.

Between birth and about 4yrs old... I lived in the town of Bradford PA. My mother's sister; and her family, still live there as well. When I was 4; my family moved to Coudersport. We lived in a fairly old farm style house on a hill. We had a double lot of land, right next to the woods... and the woods was my playground. Trees were my friends.

When I was a little over 13, we moved to live beside my grandparents in a double-wide trailer. It was more in the middle of town.... but about as far from idyllic as you could get. Up until I went to college at age 19 ( I worked for a year to save up tuition money)... it was a living hell. The bright spot being when I went to Germany as an exchange student in 1981.

My parents continued to live in that trailer for another 10yrs or so ( my grandparents now being gone)... and then they bought the house they live in now. It is still right in town... but at least does not hold any of the bad memories that the other house did. In an ironic twist of fate... the entire neighborhood where I had spent my teen years is now under about 10 layers of asphalt.... and it is now a massive parking lot... formerly owned by Adelphia Communications.

This "new" house is pretty normal I guess. It is a one story modular home with a good sized deck out front, and a fairly good sized patio in theback. It backs up to the channel... where the mighty Alleghany river runs through the center of the town. Every wall in this house is off-white. .. save the weird flowered blue wallpaper in the bathroom. The ceilings have some sort of sparkle to them, which I can only assume is glitter that was mixed in with the ceiling paint. All the carpets are beige. All the furniture is shades of brown. It is immaculate. My mother is more than a little OCD... so, as you can imagine.... everything has a place... and is in it.

It is not the kind of home I would choose to live in; nor my lifestyle at all.... but it suits my parents just fine... and they are happy here.

The town has had it's ups and downs. Having years when John Rigas had Adelphia Communications here (Link: Adephia)... it was majorly booming... home were restored... parks built...businesses started and flourished. Since the company's demise (or at least most of it) in 2002... Coudersport has gone back to a sleepy little town.... but with expensive homes and huge buildings, now mostly empty. It's rather odd. Some townsfolk prefer it this way... others miss the hustle and bustle of a slightly bigger town.

As for me... either way; it's still my hometown.


To see more about Coudersport: link

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Current Police headquarters for the town. It used to be the train depot. It is gorgeous.

Vintage train caboose... now part of the Coudersport Arboretum display

Back view of the caboose at night......

Today has been a really, really, long day. First of all... I slept til 2pm (except that I soon discovered that it was actually 3pm because if Daylight Savings Time). Took a shower, did some chores around the house.... and realized that today was the last day to enter photos in the Alibi yearly photo contest... so I worked on that.
Then, my niece called... so I spent the early evening hours helping her and my daughter put together a set of bunk beds (and watch 3 kids). It took longer than I thought it would... but they look great... and the kids seemed excited.

Afterwards, we went over to my local "Sheetz" gas station/super mini store extraordinaire... and started to take my photo of the day (with intent to include it also in my blog with a blurb all about Sheetz and how cool it is to have a 24hr mart like that in the little town of Coudersport).... but then the manager came out and proceeded to chastise me about illegally taking photos of the place (even though it is in the middle of the town... and I was across the street on other property). So... I deleted the photos. How sad.
So... instead I went to take some photos of the old train depot and a train car that is right nearby... and of a vintage sign.
It's such a small town... and most everyone is extremely nice... it just surprised me that she was so defensive and adamant about it all.

I am exhausted. Completely and utterly. And I didn't even really do anything today.

In other news: ... my dad is doing a bit better today. He is still massively distended... but he is progressing along. Still has the NG... still in alot of pain.... but better. The doctor told him that the pain meds may be contributing to his constipation/ distention.... so he didn't take any pain meds today at all. I encouraged him to at least take it at night. He is so stubborn.
No word on his impending transfer to the local hospital, so I will wait on going down. On one hand.... it would be good to go down and be supportive to my folks. On the other, if I go down too early I will really rack up the hotel fees, food costs, etc while staying there... which I can't afford to do. Somewhere in there is a happy medium that I am striving for.
My uncle's funeral is Thursday, outside of the Philadelphia area.... not sure if I can go or not.

It is still raining.
I fear this may be a trend. ie: Elaine is in town... it must rain.
The river is really high here. It runs right behind my parent's house, and through the middle of town. I am reminded of back in 1972 when we had a really big flood here. At that time, we were living in a bigger house on a hill... and when the floods came, we took in a couple other families that had been flooded out of their homes. I remember packing sandbags along the channel with my brother and dad. And as traumatic as it probably was at the time... I don't remember it being a scary thing. Plus.... the air around here smells so good .... wet and fresh with a hint of pine ♥

And... I saw some headlines as I was reading the news on MSN today. Apparently, those tornadoes and storms that passed through the Midwest when I was traveling..... they were only about 10 miles away from us; and only a few hours ahead of us. How scary is that.....and how fortunate we are ♥

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

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It's still raining... and for brief periods... it is snowing. Somehow, I managed to sleep 'til almost 2 o'clock this afternoon... woken only for the phone ringing... and for the Jehovah's Witness lady that came to the door. (I think she saw my car with out of state plates... and figured I needed religious help).

By 4pm... I was on the road with my niece... driving to Bradford, PA to the Walmart store there (*the closest one in the area... and about an hour away). She got new bunk beds for her 2 boys who are sharing a room. Miraculously, we got the box in the van.... along with her 3 children, carseats, both of us, some toys, etc. While we were in the area... she stopped at my Aunt's house so that I could see my Aunt and Uncle. I love these guys ... and I think they are some of the best people on the planet. They have been having some health issues... and I was glad I was able to visit for a short while.
And... we got back to my hometown around 8pm.

~~~

Talked with my mom... no word on a possible transfer of my dad to a local facility. He still has an NG tube... but no further bleeding in his stomach/bowel/ innerds. Still has an IV... still getting pain meds... which are (fortunately) holding back most of the pain.

In other news... my mom's only living brother passed away early this am. Mom is the youngest daughter of 10 children (5 boys/ 5 girls)..... and now it's down to just my mom and her next older sister who survive. The news was very traumatic for both my mom and her sister... whom I visited with earlier today.

~~~

The photos for today's post are a bit of a diversion for me ... I guess I needed one.....

The first shot is a house that was built in the 1930's by architect Lynn Hall. He later became the lead contractor for Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Waters" house... which is pretty famous. When you look at the photo (and the link)... you will see that Lynn's house heavily influenced Wright's house. (link: Lynn Hall House info)

We were driving in the rain when I took the shot... so when I edited it, I tried to make it look very retro feeling... to set the mood.

The next photo is of a mysterious looking factory in the middle of nowhere ... in the woods... just outside of the town of Smethport PA. I didn't even realize it was there until we took this road to get to Bradford. Apparently, it was built in 1923, and was originally an oil/petroleum factory. Later... it bacame a wax factory (wax that is used to line cups, boxes, and also for tires, candles and such). Somewhere along the way the EPA got involved... because the info I saw on-line about it mentioned that they were working to resolve some issues in regards to soil and water contamination. Yikes. (link: Weird Factory)

I digitally colored this photo. I used to do alot of Infrared B&W photography, and I hand colored the photos with Marshall's Oil paints. I love the look... and tried to replicate it here with this shot of the factory.

Then... just some pics of what PA looks like right now... (ie: chilly and rainy)....




And lastly... a photo of the woods near Bradford PA. I thought it was looking rather "Blair Witch" out there in the dusky light... so I tried to make the photo appear a little creepy....

(link: The Blair Witch Project website)

...............................................................all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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

wow. I am exhausted.

My parent's home is like Grand Central Station. I think the phone never stopped ringing.. and I have to wonder how the entire county seemed to figure out someone was home.
Got some laundry done.... got some groceries.... visited with my niece. That was really about it... in between all the phone calls. Did I mention it never stopped ringing?

I only took 4 photos today in totality... so I was very limited when it came to my photo for the day project.

Ah well. Hopefully it is OK.

At the grocery store... I found some wonderful items... including the makings for some fabu blue cheese and spinach bruschetta...which I am making right now. Yes... this very minute.

It's been raining all day. Weird. My niece reminded me that the last time I was here... that it rained most every day.

My dad seems a bit better today. According to my mom; the doctors seem a bit baffled as to the source of his internal bleeding... supposing that it may be a reaction to the stress of surgery, etc. But... 2 units of blood later... the bleeding has slowed, and there is some color in his face. He continues to be quite distended, and they are suspecting a bowel obstruction... which they are working to resolve. He is still in alot of pain... but fortunately, is getting some pretty good meds for that. Mom has moved into his hospital room from the guest house ... and is trying to rest in between stuff. She sounds completely tapped.
At this point, I am planning to drive to the hospital on Monday... in anticipation of his transfer to our local hospital. This will put me there.. hopefully not too early so as to just wait around and stay in a hotel.... but be there to drive my mom and all the stuff back to our hometown. In the meantime, I am fixing some stuff around the house, and tomorrow will clean my dad's car (my mom thinks it's filthy)..... course... she is a bit OCD....

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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.

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(Waylan's Restaurant.... Miami, OK)

Well.. ... we are having fun... but we are making lousy time. I am blaming it on all the weird weather. The wind is still pretty incredible. We are getting blown around a bit... and the driver's door is a little stiff since it got massively jerked once when I opened up my door just as a huge gust of wind caught it on Monday.

So. Last night we staying in Miami, OK. The town is just quaint. I was trying to think of another word... but quaint is appropriate. Alot of the buildings are brick, and look to be circa 1890's. Most of the styling of things seem to be leaning towards the Victorian end (or cater to the route66 theme). We stopped this am to get gas, and also found a Walgreens to get batteries for my camera. Whilst driving thru the main part of town... I decided to get a daytime shot of the fabulous Coleman Theatre in yesterday's post (the last pic that was panoramic). While there... this guy came out of the theater and asked me if I wanted to see the inside? Of course! So Kristin, Sabrina and I all got the deluxe extended tour of the place. WOW. I would go into great deal... but I think I will save it all for an exclusive post on the place. I will say, however, that if you are ever anywhere near Miami, OK... this is a DEFINITE... MUST SEE place.


(Skies in Missouri)

We got back on the road... and drove most all the day.... although we really didn't seem to get as far as we had intended. Along the way today.... we stopped at The Heartland Antique Mall in Lebanon, MO. This is the antique mall that I stop at every time I go back to PA. It is pretty big... has a huge selection of stuff... and it is connected to both a cheese factory outlet, and a Russell Stover Candy Outlet. Yah.. exactly. I got a few treasures... took some photos... ran into my friend Mike that I met last summer when I went to the mall. He has a booth there... and he is an awesome guy.


(Heartland Antique Mall, Missouri)

Driving through the rest of Missouri seemed to take forever. But... I must say... I do like Missouri. Years ago... I would have thought of this state as just being a typical humid... buggy... boring kind of place. I have since come to realize how diverse a state it actually is.... and it really is quite pretty. Caverns.... fields... farms.... interesting rock formations and walls where the road is simply cut through the middle of a mountain. Lots of trees... critters..... people are really friendly... It's a nice place. The weather throughout most all of Missouri today was overcast.

We made it in to Indiana tonight.... and have stopped just outside of Indianapolis. I am estimating that we have about 550 more miles to go... which doesn't seem like alot... until you realize that most of it will be on back country roads once we hit PA... .and those take longer.


( on the road in Indiana)

Our hotel room tonight is on the scanky side... but it was the first one we stopped at ... and the desk clerk said that very few hotels will take guests with animals here... so I opted to just get it. As I said to Kristin... well... it looked OK on the outside...

Talked with my mom on the phone... Dad seems to be in alot of pain... is very distended... but managed to get out of bed and walked about twice today (with much help) in his room. No word yet on a definate discharge date... no word on the possible transfer to a rehab place. So... we'll see.

Tomorrow will probably be a long day of driving... and it is already 1:30am ... as we lost 2hours to time changes. Will post as soon as I can tomorrow... connections permitting...



**all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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(Vintage Conoco Station in McLean, Texas)

After yesterday; frankly; I was a little reluctant to head out on the road again.

But head out... we did. Somewhere near Kellerville, TX we drove by a nasty accident where it appeared that there were several fatalities. A helicopter was trying to land nearby... presumably to transfer a survivor that all the medical people were attending to. The police had traffic stopped on I-40 heading east, and were waving people to go on.. on I-40 heading west. I tried to find out what happened... but couldn't find anything. Within the next 20 miles or so... we saw almost 30 dead dear along the road as well. All I can think... is that the storm that has been around us... was actually ahead of us at that point... and must have caused some awful winds/ storms or whatever and caused the damage the day/night before. Tonight... while watching the news... I did see where tornadoes had touched down in that area as well. .. and also in Oklahoma.
It was all very surreal.

Life is so precious. I think that sometimes we take it all too easily for granted.

(local farm in Texas)

The rest of our day was relatively uneventful. We drove.... alot. When we were in Elk City, OK.... we found a massive 18 wheeler sized truck wash.... and washed the SmartCar. All the mud from last night's fiasco was erased... at least from the outside of the car. Kristin drove the better part of the Oklahoma turnpike route... and around the city of Tulsa. She did a fantastic job.

(Southwest Antiques, in Weatherford, OK)

We would stop... but mainly for gas,water, or to walk about.
We stopped at a fabulous Antique Mall in Weatherford, OK ( it was much bigger on the inside than it appeared from the outside); and for burgers at Braum's ( and Kristin got an awesome hot fudge Yogurt based sundae).

The scenery is changing from the almost completely flat fields and ranch land... to slightly more hilly areas... red dirt...and trees. It was great to see the wind farms in action... they are really cool. We are gradually seeing more water as well... rivers, creeks, and ponds. Signs of spring are peaking about as well... some fields have been really, really green. ... but most are still dressed in their winter clothing.

(sunset in Oklahoma)

And we stopped for the night in Miami, OK... just a few miles west of Joplin, Missouri. We are staying at a MicroTel Inn; and it is fabulous. Last night we paid about $50 for a really tacky and somewhat questionable Motel 6. Tonight; we spent about $60... and have a beautiful room; clean and fairly posh... and we get breakfast as well. Go figure.

( Theater in Miami, OK)

Talked to my mom on the phone... the hospital (actually .. a social worker)...is talking about the possibility of transferring my dad to a rehab place of some sort. She apparently told my mom that dad could be transferred as early as tomorrow. He just had massive surgery yesterday. He is still in a heavy fog of pain... and can't really move at all. Sometimes I really don't understand hospital/ insurance stuff at all. I can't really see how that could happen... but I am trying to get there.... in the meantime, I encouraged my mom to talk to someone tomorrow about it.

But for now... rest well. Be safe. Appreciate the bounty we all have.... health, family, friends... blue skies, happy puppies.

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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

We did not get an early start... but we got the car checked at Jiffy Lube and were on the road around 1pm.

Today has been an interesting day. My dad had surgery this am... and according to my mom; is having a very rough post-op. The surgery took much longer than anticipated.. and frankly; I am not sure what all they did. I know it was focused on his hip joint... which was so full of cancer, that the bone had essentially deteriorated and was ready to crumble. But that is really all I know at this point.

I did not know that when we set out on our journey today. We ran into interesting weather before we even got out of ABQ. When we hit Tramway Blvd & the base of the Sandias... a huge storm was gathering and the wind was building. By the time we got heading up the mountains... we had snow. Snow and lots of wind. We traveled in and out of this storm for quite awhile.... experiencing snow, hail, rain, massive winds... and about 3 miles of calm in the middle of the eye of the storm before we went thru it all again.

The scenery is just gorgeous though.. and for awhile... it was really nice out. Windy... extremely windy... but nice. Awhile later, we ran into massive dust storms that pushed all kinds of red dirt everywhere. It was like driving in fog.
Kristin drove the rest of the way to the edge of Texas --- when we stopped at San Jon, NM. San Jon is a small town... very small. We stopped at "A Taste of India" cafe/truck stop/mini store.... really, expecting it to not be that great. We had seen signs along the highway for authentic Indian food... and we decided to check it out. We were very pleasantly surprised. While the outside is heavily under construction... and makes the place look a bit "questionable"... the inside has a wonderful little cafe. The owners are first generation Americans who serve awesome authentic Indian food. They were very friendly, very nice... and dang was the food good. According to the last census, about 300 people lived in the San Jon area... but the owner said now it is down to about 7o homes. Apparently, there just isn't a whole lot to do in ole San Jon....

Bellies full and very, very happy... we headed out again. Finally, we made it to Amarillo.... and considering the weather and such; we decided to just stop for the night. An early night; we thought. Take a long bath... watch a movie... we thought....

We got a room at Motel 6; then decided to go get a burger for Sabrina's dinner as a special treat. However, once we got the food... we couldn't find a way to get back to our hotel. Lots of one way streets... overpasses.... etc. We ended up taking a back alley-way that we thought we take us in the direction of our hotel. We ended up on a dirt road behind all the hotels on that strip, which was great... except that it was very muddy. Kristin decided to turn around when things started looking bleak... and we got stuck in the mud. Not just stuck. Really, really stuck. We tried for about an hour ... pushing, yanking... swearing... then we tried 411 to get a tow. After the 4th try of not being able to reach a business that was open... Kristin went to the nearest hotel and asked for help.
Fortunately, we got a tow from a great guy... and a chuckle from the local cops who came to check it out as well, and even a laugh from a passerby on a bicycle. "Angel" (yes, that's his real name)... the tow truck guy....was able to get our car un-stuck... and even drove ahead of us to our hotel so that we would be able to get there in one piece. And now... having had a warm shower... and snacks we got at from the "Taste of India" store.... we are safe... warm.... and in for the night.

I wish I would have thought to have taken a photo of the car stuck in the mud.... but a SmartCar up to it's bellybutton in mud is not a pretty sight....


Link to the Taste of India: http://tasteofindiaamerican.com/

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

so.. in my mad rushing about; I actually forgot to write a post for yesterday. I think that may have been the first time ever that I missed a blog post... in the entire 430some posts I've written so far.

Oooops.

So. Yesterday.... I did manage to get an enormous amount of stuff done... thanks in great part to my family... who pitched in. I got my hair cut... got groceries... cleaned the car... transplanted a bunch of plants into new dirt that needed transplanted...swept the patios... cleaned the entire house... gathered garbage.... did laundry... did cooking for the week so that the boys didn't have to.... did dishes...did my business taxes for the quarter... mailed out some packages from sales and such...and burned a bunch of cds worth of photos for people.

I have been very fortunate in the past few months, and have had people request permission to use my photos for their websites, etc (Los Poblanos, ABQ Trolley Co, South Broadway Cultural Center, the Santa Fe Recycle Show folks, and the guy we hired to do our kitchen remodel)... so that has been absolutely incredible. Yesterday, I got all the photos burned onto cds and mailed out (thanks to my hubby who did the actual burning).

It was simply amazing. I have been sick for long enough... that I had gotten way behind on the everyday stuff that it takes to manage a house, etc... and it was kinda overwhelming in what all I had gotten behind on. .. or at least it felt that way.

When my son got home from work... he went out and not only got me an ice cold coke... but he bought me a snazzy food cooler for the car for this trip. And... my daughter has decided to go along... so that is awesome.

So... starting with the next post... we will be on the road... traveling from ABQ to PA... 1900 miles one way.. .. in the SmartCar ♥

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



I am swamped. Simply swamped. I am planning on making another roadtrip to PA... and am tentatively leaving on Monday. My Dad is hoping to get discharged from the hospital this coming friday.... and I want to be there to help my folks get back home... and begin the recuperation/rehab/etc.
So... I have a HUGE list of things I have to try and get done around the house.... things done in my studio..... things ready to pack... things to mail out (things sold and such).... it's insane.

I had hoped to have a bit more time to rest and get over this Lupus flare... but such is the way things go sometimes. And so... I am leaving perhaps a bit more tired, a bit more sore, a bit overweight... and a bit overwhelmed.

It's frustrating... as I had planned on participating in a couple photo shows in the next month... and I had to cancel. And... the money I am using to travel on... was set aside for painting the inside of our house.....But... I also believe that things work out the way they are supposed too... so I am looking forward to the adventure of it all.



And so........... I am heading off to bed... in hopes of waking up early-ish.... and hopefully getting alot done tomorrow.

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(*all photos by Elaine A. Russell)


It's Friday! ... and my Art Gallery "Sneak Peek" is: the Matrix Gallery
(peek #9 in my series)


One of my all-time favorite galleries in ABQ is the Matrix....located on Central Ave in Nob Hill.

"The Matrix was founded in 2007 by its director Regina Held. Originally from Germany, Regina received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. She is also the founder and director of New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery, located next to Matrix Fine Art. New Grounds has been in operation since 1996."




"Matrix Fine Art reflects New Mexico's artistic diversity by featuring two- and three-dimensional work ranging from landscapes to abstract and figurative themes. The 2,000 square foot gallery mounts twelve exhibitions a year with receptions taking place on every First Friday Artscrawl."... the Matrix website.




The front room... currently featuring artwork by Raul Dorn,
and porcelain work by Elizabeth Fritzsche



artwork Karl Koenig



artwork by Jacklyn St. Aubyn



artwork by Susan Reid



artwork by Archer Dougherty



artwork by David Koch



The Matrix Fine Art Gallery is always a place of inspiration. They have a huge variety of work, the place is fabulously curated, and it has a very pleasant atmosphere.

With the New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery and on-site artist studio spaces;
it is also a working, vibrant, active space.
I absolutely love this place... and I think it is a MUST SEE for art lovers in and around the ABQ area.







***Link to the New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery website: http://www.newgroundsgallery.com/

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

(as seen through the windows of Masks Y Mas on Central Ave in downtown ABQ)

** and in other news... I am featured in this week's ALIBI newspaper for having won the shutterbug photo challenge for this week... ♥ ♥ ♥

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...................................................................................(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

I am late in posting today... I have intentions of posting earlier in the day... and somehow it just doesn't happen. I don't know if it's from all those years of working night shift... but I really do more productive work at night. Plus... it's kind of a meditative thing to write my blog post summing up my day... at the very end of my day.

Still in the Lupus flare... annoying. I have been inordinately tired... and not getting much done. But it is simply nothing compared to what is going on with my parents. Tomorrow, they are driving a fair distance to go to a specialty hospital so that my dad can get some surgery done to combat his newly diagnosed bone cancer with mets. I am not sure what all they are going to do... and frankly, neither is he.

And so... feeling a bit low... and frustrated... and sad... I went down to the river late this afternoon towards sunset. I love the water. It always has a very zen/ meditative effect on me. I used to always dream of living near the ocean... but really; any body of water will do. And so, I trekked down to the river's edge. It was awesome. There were Canadian geese, ducks, bunnies... and the more I walked about... the calmer and more clear I felt.

Simply Living Tip for the Day: relax. Life can be sooo stressful sometimes... and if you let it build up inside... whammo. The good news is... there are as many ways to de-stress as there are stressors. You just need to find the ones that work for you. Pick one... and try it every day for a week or two. ... then take note of how it made you feel. If it worked.. great! If not... try another...

Here is a good link with the top 10 ways to de-stress: HERE

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...today I didn't even get out of bed til 4pm. I have been sick, and I seem to be sleeping (or trying to sleep) more than usual. My hours are totally mixed up and confused... my sleep pattern... erratic at best. I have some pretty vivid dreams... and occasionally they are quite disturbing. So when I woke up, I quickly tried to do some housekeeping... and then I despaired because I thought I had lost what little light was left for me to take a photo for the day.... and then I went outside.

What had appeared to be a totally dull, lifeless, and blah kind of day inside.... was certainly not what was happening in reality outside....

These two photos I took of some items I have hanging on my front patio. The green wire globe is a set of wind chimes that I got several years ago... they make a beautiful tinkling noise in the wind. The globe and wire contraption is an art piece I got off of Craigslist about 3yrs ago. When it twirls, it gives the illusion that the glass globe is moving up and down the wire spirals.... It is an awesome effect.



These are the views from my driveway... looking south. It was just beginning to turn into a stunning sunset, and the clouds were on fire in multiple shades ...turning from pink to burnt orange in a matter of minutes...



And then I drove out to the edge of the housing neighborhoods... and this was our view looking westward....



So for now.... goodnight my friends...Stay warm. Rest well. And try to enjoy the beauty that is around us all... all the time....

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So.... I was running errands today... and came across one of those tacky-rific crane machines with stuffed toys in it. This one, however, was full of St. Pat's themed toys.... how cool is that?!
The photo of the ivy is from a brief stroll through the plant section at Home Depot.
Hence, my photo for the day...

And, I am posting a new Haiku....

((.....thoughts of march.....))

Gaia sings at night...

tall bare trees dance in the wind

spring is coming soon

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(click on this photo to see it bigger)

Today was a day of rest, good food, and good company. And of course.... the weekly date to Barnes & Noble for coffee with my honey. I was also able to get a couple panoramic photos of the view of ABQ from the westside... I just loved the clouds today....

On an aside....I love murals. When I was walking about Nob Hill yesterday; I was reminded as to one of the reasons why I love living here... the street art. ABQ has some very cool murals and graffiti... and one day I hope to capture them all photographically. In the meantime... here are some that I really like....

And now.. I am off to bed.... see you all tomorrow....
(*all photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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So ... February has been an interesting month.

I am applying for a photography grant... the deadline being in May. It is very exciting... and very intimidating at the same time. I have never applied for a grant before... so this is a first.
On the plus side... I was recently commissioned by a local group to take photos for them --- part of an on-going public relations kind of thing. This is extremely exciting, and I am so thrilled to be asked to participate... and today I worked on some photos for this project. Being as it is a potentially long-term project; it fits in nicely with my goals/ intentions for the grant. Funny how things work out like that.
And, provided I get the grant money... I will be able to replace at least some of the photography equipment I lost/sold last summer. That would be awesome.

I was "down" most of the month with my Lupus... which is frustrating... but not exactly critical. It had the bonus effect of forcing me to rest, re-group, reflect and re-organize a bit. I still have an awful lot I would like to do... and alot I am behind in doing... but at least I feel like I am moving in the right direction.

The book I was asked to participate in... and in which I have several photos being published...is almost ready to go to print. This is soooooooooo fabu. This will be my first publication in a book... but hopefully not my last.

I have been keeping steady with the FlickR 365 photo a day challenge, the 52 Weeks of Creations challenge, and the ECHO project bi-weekly photo challenges. It has been "challenging" some days... to say the least.... but I love photography, and these projects have been really encouraging me to stretch my creativity a bit.

But most on my mind these past few days have been family. My father was diagnosed with bone cancer... and recent reports from the doctors are not very promising at all. But I know my dad. I know that he is made of tougher fiber than most. In an essence, he said that he will "do whatever it takes"... in order to get better. He is strong, he has a great support system, and a profound faith.
My husband's sister was also in the hospital, very sick... with a staggeringly high blood pressure. She is home now... and hopefully well on the way to mending.
And I have seen 2 close family friends pass away this month.


Life is so short. Sometimes events make it feel even shorter and more precious. And that is good, I think. ... it keeps us from getting complacent... tired....weary... and numb of mind. For me, at least... it has encouraged me to keep life so much more sacred... to enjoy these moments... tough as they may be at times.

So. Here's to March. Let's see what March 2010 has in store....♥

(*photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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It's Friday! ... and my Art Gallery "Sneak Peek" is: the ClaireWorks II Gallery
(peek #8 in my series)


In December, owner Claire L. Haye opened her second gallery here in New Mexico.... this time in wonderful Nob Hill. The original ClaireWorks studio and gallery are located in the charming village of Arroyo Seco, New Mexico, a short drive from Taos, on the road to Taos Ski Valley.

Claire L. Haye is the owner and exclusive artist at ClaireWorks, and has been creating art for the last twenty five years (primarily paintings and sculptures) and jewelry for the last fifteen.

I stopped in this week to check it out, and the manager Nancy (as well as the ever handsome Beau the terrier)... was happy to show me around. Featured in this small; but very classy gallery are a few of Claire's sculptures, some very bright and fun paintings, and a wide variety of sterling and precious gemstone jewelry.

All the pieces are very well made, designed, and executed with flair and quality.

I was very impressed with the layout, colors and displays.

In short... if you are looking for a wonderful, quality piece of art or jewelry.... you will definitely want to check this place out.

For more information on this gallery, check HERE

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell