219:365


My dad is getting ready (I think)... to pass on. He woke this afternoon and was expressing his goodbyes to my mom. Thankfully, he seems to be resting in between doses of pain medicine... and I am hoping that he is comfortable. He had a visit from his minister... and hospice has been checking in with him and my mom.

And so...I am trying to wrap things up for another trip back to PA... and the day has been quite chaotic...


About my photos for today's post: Sometimes you have to take inspiration where you can get it. Today I was mostly at home because I was trying to get some things done... and so I knew I had to take a photo for today of something here at the house.
We seem to have an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables here... and so I took a couple photos of some gorgeous radishes. Growing up, I remember eating radishes alot from my grandmother's garden... and so it was a nice memory.

"Radishes and their greens provide an excellent source of vitamin C. Radish leaves contain almost six times the vitamin C content of their root and are also a good source of calcium. Red Globes also offer a very good source of the trace mineral molybdenum and are a good source of potassium and folic acid. Daikons provide a very good source of potassium and copper.
Radishes, like other member of the cruciferous family (cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts),contain cancer-protective properties. Throughout history radishes have been effective when used as a medicinal food for liver disorders. They contain a variety of sulfur-based chemicals that increase the flow of bile. Therefore, they help to maintain a healthy gallbladder and liver, and improve digestion. Fresh radish roots contain a larger amount of vitamin C than cooked radish roots. Radish greens, contain far more vitamin C, calcium, and protein than the roots. "

218:365

--->photos by Elaine A. Russell


Today ... got a great small painting from a local artist.... went to Talin Market and got some awesome groceries...went to Winning Coffee (which is awesome) for lunch... and then picked up a stack of used books at a local book sale. I haven't been sleeping as well as I would like to.... and have generally been feeling blah... .so today was a great day to take a nap... and to try to recoup.

(photo shows the Mediterranean plate from Winning Coffee....humus, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, peppers and a bagel with cream cheese. I added fresh squeezed orange juice and an iced coffee for a complete meal)

~~~
Supper was a feast of fresh fruit ... mangoes, papaya, peaches, nectarines, apples, oranges, plums, grapes, melon, blackberries... it was awesome. Paired with a fabulous grilled steak... and ta-da!
~~~

Some days may seem rather boring..... but they are still important. Like the photo you take that may seem like a loser... you may come to find that it really speaks to you later on. I am not suggesting that you keep every single photo you take... but sometimes it is the ones you least expect that turn out ultra cool....

217:365


Today was an interesting study in contrasts. Went to the doctor's (which I hate)..... but then had a nice break at Barnes and Noble where this ultra cool musical duo were playing outside for tips.


Ran some errands... but then had a nice visit with friends.....


Had sort of a crappy lunch.... but then had dinner at Cocina Azule... and it was fabulous!


It began raining... then just as quickly

..... it cleared up and there were these stunningly beautiful clouds overhead.



On the way home..... I saw these interesting sky colorations. I remember reading about this phenomenon once... but I can't remember the name of it now..... so incredible!

~~~

Life....like in photography... is all about the contrast sometimes... the yin to the yang... the up to the down... perhaps just another way that the powers that be "keep it interesting....."

216:365


I am in love with water.... and yah... I live in a desert. Some things in life just aren't planned out... and moving here was definately one of them. That said... it is a gorgeous place to live.

I haven't been getting much done... at least... not as much as I would like to be. I am feeling a strong push to be more productive ... and my body just won't oblige.

This past week, my father came home from the nursing care facility he was at for the past couple of months. I am positive he is happier at home... but I am concerned about the amount of care that has been foisted upon my mother. She is getting some help from hospice... and a portion of help from her church community... and from family... but the majority of it has landed on her shoulders.

What do these three snippets have in common? They are all things in my life right now that are relatively out of my control. All three have been weighing heavily on my mind... some definately more than others... but there you have it.
As a working artist, and having my studio at home... life can completely overwhelm the time that is allotted to working on art. The lines of what is work time... and what is home time; often blur. It's easy to fall into the trap of not working on art because other things need done ... laundry... errands... etc. And I am as guilty of that as the next person. It takes alot of discipline to work from home... and I am working on getting more control over that time and trying to be more disciplined.

About my photos for today's post: While running errands today... I happened to drive by this spot way off on Unser Blvd on the westside of ABQ. I love this little pond of water... and it always suprises me when I come upon it. In this desert environment... it is completely astonishing... and out of the realm of what most people think of when they think of living here. Sometimes a little surprise and break in the "normal control" of things is good....

--->photos by Elaine A. Russell

215:365


So... I've been busy the past couple of days ... trying to clear out some stuff that we have had stashed in our garage
... and it's been interesting ♥

Today I listed 18 items on Ebay... and I am continuing my listing of stuff on Freecycle... (one item for every day of the year --and this is my 4th year). The other night I listed a bunch of stuff in my Etsy store... but I have a small ton of things yet to list.

It's been a long process... and I still have a long way to go yet. But I also know that I am on the way to getting it done. Currently, I am going thru stuff I had stashed aside with the hopes of selling at some point... and just never did. Then ... it will be a matter of going thru all my craft and jewelry making supplies. The hardest part is going to be the TON of fabric that I have stashed in the attic space above the garage. Alot of it was my grandmother's... who was a very talented sewer. Then it was my sister's stash... and she did alot of quilting.... and now I have added to it all as well.
It has become a huge amount of stuff.

~~~
There are major studies being done on hoarding behaviour. Now... I am not a hoarder... not even close. But I do know several family members that do have that tendancy. It is very interesting to read the psychology behind some of the habits...
(look HERE)...

214:365


Another long sleepless night. I am beginning to think I am cursed... well... not really. But you know what I mean. Around 5am, the daughter and I headed out to Satellite for a steaming cuppa... did you know they open at 5:30am? Eeeeeegads that is early. However, the coffee was hot and fresh... and the company was awesome. I also noticed that they have local artwork on the walls by Alexandra Gjurasic. Alexandra was one of the fabulous artists featured at the Chinese New Year show in 2009... right before I left the Wooden Cow Gallery and Art Space. She does fabulous stuff... and you can see more of it HERE...



From there we went to KrispyKreme ... who has THE BEST glazed doughnuts ever... and discovered that they have the coolest couches in their cafe areas (I'm told they just got them a couple weeks ago). We drove home, and watched the sun rise up over the Sandias on the way.... it was awesome.



I love my bed. A couple years ago... the hubby and I splurged on a TempurPedic wonder. While it took us forever to pay it off.... it has been well worth it. Handmade quilts.... flannel sheets... it is a wondrous thing to behold. Not to mention ... sweet, loving Sabrina..... (and my dear hubby of course)



I have been having a conflict with a loved one. I won't detail it more... because it is a delicate and personal matter... but I felt that I owed my readership an explanation of sorts as to why things have been a bit wonky around here. It is a horrible and tragic thing.... to love and care for someone and not be able to do a dang thing about the tension and stress of a crappy situation. It's hard to love someone for a long time... and have things fall apart ... especially over what seems to be trivia in the whole scheme of things.
But. I am ever hopeful. Ever optimistic. This morning as I was getting ready to try to sleep... there were tons of rainbows flitting about my bedroom. I have long had the habit of hanging crystals and beads and things from my curtain rods... and today I was swarmed with the bright lights and glitterati... it was fabulous... and hopefully... a sign of good things to come...


**photos by Elaine A. Russell

212:365

---> photo by Elaine A. Russell

There is something so refreshing about a rainstorm. I have always loved the rain... the thunder... the lightening... it is all fabulous. However, since moving to the desert... it has become SO much more to me. It is amazing to me how such a "simple" thing can really mean life or death to so many plants and animals... Let alone peace of mind/ serenity... to humanity.

Mentally... rain symbolizes alot of things... but mainly people think of cleansing when they think of rain... and no wonder. After so much chaos in my life this year...... and even more so this week... it was an incredibly awesome event today to have the clouds gather... to start their rumbling... for the drops of rain to come down... one... two.... three..... then a massive downpour... washing away my stress away drop by beautiful drop...

211:365


--->photo by Elaine A. Russell


This week has just been very stressful... for a variety of reasons. I have come to the conclusion that no matter how much you love someone... or how much you want situations to be different... sometimes there is only so much you can do. People; being individuals... have to make their own choices... even if they don't align with yours.... even if they don't make sense.... even though you may wish their choices were different.

I have to reconcile myself to this whole idea of letting go... of everything... and it's hard. And short of ending up on an episode of Jerry Springer... I don't see things changing... even if I wish it to be so.

And so... I must move on. ...and it's hard.

210:365

--->photo by Elaine A. Russell


"Dance like no one is watching.
Sing like no one is listening.
Love like you've never been hurt
...and live like it's heaven on Earth."
— Mark Twain


About the photo for today's post:
-put on an outfit you like... go outside.
-twirl til you get dizzy... taking photos all the while.
-combine.

209:365

--->photo by Elaine A. Russell


This whole year has been rather surreal... conflicts, illness, financial concerns... huge changes in the family structure, my son got married... a baby is on the way... traveling... taking care of the parents... it's just all been alot.
The process of going thru all our belongings and cleaning out has been therapeutic in bringing some order to a chaotic situation. I got a little side-tracked with being sick... but I am hoping to resume work tomorrow on it.

Tonight I was watching a tv show where they were discussing order and chaos..... and I was reminded of the quote:

"I have a great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift. "
---Septima Poinsette Clark

This really speaks to me..... and thought I would include that today. What do you think?
~~~
About the photo for today's post: Several months ago... I was taking a class that was really instrumental in awakening my inner artist. There was a party afterwards, and one of the guests has this gorgeous passionflower sitting in a glass on the table.
When I was editing the photo today... I wanted to bring out the juxtaposition of the grit of life... with the surreal beauty of the flower. (sort of like... living passionately... in perhaps the most chaotic or gritty of situations).
Hopefully, I got that across.

208:365

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

...life is complicated. People oftentimes make it worse. Supposed wrongs.... hurt feelings... sometimes the drama is so exaggerated and unnecessary.
Today was one of those days. And like my photo for the day... I am trying to take a backseat to it all... rest... and stay out of the craziness.

207:365


Today was a busy day. I am still trying to recover from the bronchitis... and so every thing I try to do wears me out more than it should. But alas. I got my hair cut and colored at the mall... and saw this gorgeous rainbow on the way there. I also went with my daughter to Savers... and got some awesome deals... and some kick butt boots!!! that I love.
For (a very late) dinner... we went to India Palace on the westside... which is simply awesome. The people there were incredibly nice... and the food was delicious... beyond words.... fabulous. I can't recommend them enough... (7 different kinds of Naan bread! chutneys... tandori chicken...simosa... nom, nom, nom)


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

206:365

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

About my photo for today's post: Alot of the stores in Nob Hill were having sales because of the festivities yesterday. This collection of items was outside one of my favorite stores... and I couldn't resist taking a photo of it. I destaturated the colors quite a bit... and added some grit and a vignetted edging. I felt that this made the photo appear perhaps older than it was... and gave it a vintage feel.

205:365

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

Today I spent the entire day taking photos at the "Nob Hill Days and Nights" festival (otherwise known as SummerFest)... located on Route66, here in Albuquerque. There was a vintage car show, tons of vendors and food, TONS of live music... dancing... demonstrations, ..... so much fun!
And now I am home... and wading through the photos briefly before heading off to bed.

204:365

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


I have the feeling, that this whole weekend is going to be sort of a blur to me. I am working most of the weekend on a photography assignment, and I am really excited about it.
Tonight I went to the preliminaries for a car show here on Route66; and it was awesome to see the old cars and trucks.... even though it wasn't the most ideal situation to try to take photos of them.
My father is a huge car aficionado..... and growing up, we would go look at the cars together. What little I know about cars; is definately due to his influence. I am hoping to print some of the photos to show him when I go back to PA to visit.... and am sure he will get a kick out of them :)

203:365

Theme: Stripes

Theme: Market

Theme: Meander


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Today I am posting on a FlickR group I belong to; called the ECHO Project.


"In Autumn of 2009 we (Christy Hydeck & Susan Tuttle) decided to take a creative journey together, a collaborative photography venture we simply titled: ECHO. "
Every two weeks, a new theme is posted... and photographers in the group (who generally are paired off into teams), come up with a set of photos (or diptych) created with one photo from each of the partners... based on that theme.
My partner is Brenda Seaholm-Wampler (blog site here), and together we have done 15 challenges... I posted photos of the first 12 diptychs here..... and today I am posting the most recent three.

(if you click on the photos, they will enlarge so that you can see them better)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am so excited to be part of this group. As a reminder; an article about this group is being published in the next issue of Artful Blogging magazine... which should come out next month. Several photos are included in the article from different members of the group... and I was really fortunate in that one of mine is going to be featured. WoOt!

202:365


Tonight there was a wonderful storm here on the westside of ABQ. It's been so very hot... and today the storm clouds rolled in and took up residence. By suppertime, the rain was coming down... the relentless heat was abated... and it became fresh and alive again here in the desert.


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

201:365


Having dealt with debilitating illnesses before... you'd think that I would know when to slow down. Or stop. But I don't. I think sometimes that illness (at least in my case) can therefor sometimes be a good thing; in the sense that it forces me to take time and rest.
This whole past month I have been working up to a "good" case of bronchitis. And now, for the past several days... it has consumed most every moment of my existence.
Stupid stuff completely wears me out.

I have been trying to sort thru the house ... and this past weekend I sold some of the stuff off of Craigslist. The stuff that didn't sell.... I loaded up and took to Goodwill this afternoon. It was all I could do to basically drive it up there... and somewhat help unload it (fortunately... I very nice guy helped me out). By the time I got home... I was ready for another breathing treatment... and some Tylenol for a killer headache.

One thing that never seems to wear me out though... is taking photographs. Both of the shots for today's post I took on the way home from Goodwill. They are sunny.... and remind me to keep "looking up".... and keep on keepin on....


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

200:365

---> photo by Elaine A. Russell


straining, desperate
ragged breathing -- gasping air
trying to surface


About the photo for today: I have had a couple days of great difficulty breathing... and it's beginning to get to me. Sticking close to home; I wanted to find an interesting photo for today's blogpost... and had these gorgeous figs in the refridgerator. They were not only very photogenic... but very tasty