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It always fascinates me to discover what people save and collect. Perhaps it is just a dysfunction of mine... but I love the whole psychology behind it. Shows like "Clean House" and "Hoarders" are a guilty pleasure of my TV watching time...

One of the things my mother and I have been doing is going thru clothing and personal items of my dad's... and packing up some things that might be beneficial to someone else. And in the process... I am re-discovering weird and wonderful things about my dad. For example... he loved to dress well. Not that he was vain or anything... far from it. But he had a certain pride in his appearance and liked to be clean, and pressed, and presentable. ((None of this ... shorts hanging out of his pants... which are down to his knees... kind of thing like you see some people dressing like.)) He had a ton of ties. He used cloth handkerchiefs. His socks matched his outfit. He actually shined his shoes. Yah, I know.

And it got me thinking about what we all collect and save... and how it reflects on our personalities so very strongly. I would not classify myself as a hoarder... but there are certain things that I can't get rid of either. I know... shocking. I have a deep love of fabrics and threads and buttons and such. I am sure this comes from my grandmother... who not only could sew anything she laid her eyes on... but often did. I keep old books. I justify keeping them to myself by saying they are reference material for art... but in reality... I just love old books. I get this from both my grandmother and my father. And I am obsessed with little bits and bobs and little anythings that I can potentially make into jewelry. I can't help it. My daughter jokes with me that it is because (in the Chinese zodiac)... I am a dragon.. and dragons love to hoard all kinds of shiny things... and she very well could be right. Who knows where I get that from... but it is definitely ME.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Pennsylvania is a gorgeous place. It really is. If nothing else.... my daily drives prove this to me. On the flip side... I have had bad allergies... and a migraine to top all migraines... and I feel as if my body is at war with me this week. It will pass... I know it will.... but in the meantime... I am cranky, sleep deprived and miserable.

Fortunately for you... I will quit whining... and just show some pics :)


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today my mother and I watched the movie "The Long Long Trailer"... circa 1953; starring Lucy and Desi. Well... more accurately, I should say... that my mom watched it (I did see it years ago)... and I caught the ending just as I was waking up from a nap. What can I say... I took Benadryl 2 days ago, and it is still in my system.... but I digress...

The movie is classic. It features a young couple... who buy a pull-behind trailer and set out as newlyweds, and travel from Colorado to California. Along the way... lots of mishaps ensue... and it is great fun to watch. I remember always wanting to travel like that... but then, I am more of a VW bus kind of gal than a travel trailer.

The trailer in the movie was made by The Redman Trailer Co, which apparently, is still in business today. I personally, prefer the fabulous stylings of the Airstream trailers. Those silver bullets are so very cool! Amazingly, as my mother and I have discovered, there are actually 2 of them here in town for sale!
The outsides look fabulous... but I am sure the insides need work...




*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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When I was a kid, I would go with my (then) Sunday School teacher to visit all the shut-ins of the church once a week... and I would do little things for them such as dishes, dusting, whatever. As the years went on... I would do more... from gardening and such to cleaning... to running errands. No strings attached... it was just the "right thing to do."

A friend of mine and I were talking a week or so ago... about how things have changed ... even in this little corner of the world. He was talking about a woman who was very active in her church, and had been for years and years... and how this woman had a series of events happen whereby her house was in much need of help... in particular, she had no running water, and her refrigerator had died.. and she had no means to replace it. I asked him if this lady's church had helped her... and he said that he had approached some of the elders of this church, who flat out told him that they couldn't help her. It wasn't that they didn't have the means too... they just refused to on the principal that "then they would have to help everyone."

Somehow I thought that that was the whole point. I realize that these are tough economic times... and that some things are certainly more feasible to do than others... but I would also like to think that if a church had the means and the ability to help it's members... that it would. Perhaps this was a singular event... perhaps there was a misunderstanding... who knows. But it is a sad story. The good point is, that there were some people who didn't even know the woman who did help her out...

And conversely, the opposite can be true. People who really don't need help... who get hand-outs and help to the point where they don't have to do a thing for themselves. Somewhere in there should be a happy medium. It's a hard thing. How do you know who genuinely needs help... and who is just looking for an easy ride?

I suppose that I am certainly not the one to ask. I was burned by formed religion after decades of dedication and service... so perhaps my view is a little askew... but I still have shining hope for the principals of helping each other... of lending a hand when needed... of showing kindness and compassion when you are able. Some churches do fulfill needs in their communities and are shining examples of how to treat each other kindly... some are not.

We have been very blessed since my father's passing... and there is still a grouping of people who continue to call and give a word of cheer... or the occasional hug... or card... long after the "rush" of it all has since passed. These are warm and caring people. Some are old friends, some I don't know well at all...

And in the end I suppose it doesn't matter what "the church" does... we are all called upon to help each other at some point... and we can all choose to "do the right thing" as individuals...

Imagine... one person... helping another person.... who in turn helps a third person... and on and on it goes.....

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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One of the "perks" of being here in the country... is that when the weekend comes... it is pretty much your own to do with as you choose. I think living in a city of substantial size kind of ruins the weekend in a way, as I always feel compelled to get out there and do alot on the weekends, as so very much is going on. But here... not so much.
See... the week (for me) is busy with phone calls to utilities, insurance, etc... to straighten things out. But on the weekends... things aren't open... so it's a built-in excuse to take it easy. Also... my mother's sabbath is Saturday... so, we take it as a day of rest ... and Sunday... well ... Sundays ya just don't want to do anything either.

So. Today we went for another one of our "famous" drives... this time over to Genessee where there is a Natural Food Store. We got some great foods ( on an aside... I was astonished to discover that my mother has never ... NEVER.... used olive oil. This is just wrong)
... and then we went into the town of Genessee... where we proceeded to drive around and just look at stuff. We ended up stopping at a fabulous diner... after starting up a conversation with a girl who works there.... and got one of the best cups of coffee ever.
Jeez..... I really, really, love diners.

This weekend has been full of visits to friends and family... and it has been fun.
We also saw a mother deer and 2 young-uns today.... but alas, they were camera shy...




*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today I was feeling a bit giddy. See.... I had woken up early to take my mom to her church services, and knew that I had a couple hours to myself. WoOt!!!
And so.... I made some coffee.. and settled in for a good hour or so of reading some of my favorite blog writers. I then decided... that I could take advantage of the quiet, and take a nap. And so... I let Sabrina out to run around the yard, and prepared myself to settle in to some super fine quilts. I let her in and she raced to the bed... happy and ready to nap. I crawled in... and started sneezing. Then I started wheezing. Then my eyes started to burn...
and I realized that there was something fowl in the air.
You see... there has been lots of construction in this neighborhood, as they are repairing one bridge, and removing another -- at opposite ends of this street. Apparently, Sabrina had found a nice smelly puddle of creosote or some such fowl smelling liquid... and brought it home with her.
So... after several puppy scrubbings... and several loads of laundry
... I gave up on the whole notion of a nap.

Instead... my mother, Sabrina and I went for a drive in the country. We saw gorgeous fields of corn, cows... and then we saw an entire field of sunflowers!!!
For a photographer... this is pretty much as close to nirvana as you can get.
We had a great time... and here are some photos from the day...



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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It doesn't look as impressive in this photo... but this is one of the main hills that the kids in my neighborhood learned to ride our bikes down in summer... and sleds down in winter.
Myself included. YIKES.

What you don't really notice in the picture, is that it is actually fairly steep and rough... and once you get to the bottom, there is a bit of a hump... and then a slight uphill to the bridge... where you slow down ever so slightly... before going slightly downhill again and going across another street (US Route6).. .and hoping there isn't a truck barreling through town at that very moment.
My hubby's older brother once crashed and burned on this hill...
getting a severe road rash on his face that lasted about a month.
It's amazing what you are willing to try when you're a kid. I remember being very scared to ride my sled down there one winter, as the road was a solid sheet of ice. But then a couple kids dared me... and that was all it took. I made it clear across Route6 and about half way up the other side of the hill before the sled ran out of steam...

And some things don't change. When my son was about 4-5yrs old and we were visiting his grandmother here; he had a scooter. And unbeknown to anyone (he was quite sneaky)... he trekked clear up there and took on the hill with his scooter. Needless to say... he got quite the whoppin' and the hollerin' from his grandma when she caught up with him...
~~~

And this was my photo for the day (below): This is actually a weed... and people here pull them up and burn them so they won't come back. I've always thought they were really really pretty though... and when I came across some today, I had to take their photo. They are very small clusters of buds that grow on leaves no bigger than most grass... but the stems can grow up to about 12 inches.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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As Batman says in "Batman: The Movie"... "...some days you can't get rid of a bomb!"
Today felt like that in alot of ways. It was one of those days when things just kept cropping up... and no matter how much you think you already did... there was always more. Actually... yesterday was worse..... so everything in perspective.
Some days are like that.

On the plus side... when we were "hanging out" at one of the doctor appointments, there was a huge window that gave us the view of a lovely garden... and we had a great time watching all the birds, as well as several chipmunks flitting about.

I think we are beginning to make some head-way on what seems to be an endless list of people and organizations that need notified after the death of a loved one. There is just a little bit more to go. Some of the info needs to be changed via snail mail... so that is coming as well.

And at night, as there is no TV here... and quite often no internet (ie: at my mother's house); I have been reading. This is not a bad thing. I have read several books as of late... most recently finishing one called "A HomeMade Life" by Molly Wizenberg. It was a very good read. As a bonus... each chapter includes at least one delicious recipe... which is just awesome. Makes me wish I was a better cook... or at least... at home. At any rate... I highly recommend it.
And now I am reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. So far... really good.
Both of these books talk about food... travel... and enriching your life in ways that are meaningful to you. Life is so short... and can really be complicated at times... and how wonderful is it that even in the worst of times, something as simple as a well made cup of tea ... or a scone... or even a salad... can make the whole day seem a bit more hopeful.



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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For the record... I really hate drama and conflict. As a kid... I would try to go out of my way to try to smooth things over... make things right... whatever it took. I felt, almost... like it was my job. When I came back from Germany as an exchange student... I was much braver... and I tended to speak out a bit more, which sometimes got me into trouble.

Perhaps it is getting older... perhaps it is that I am becoming less tolerant... perhaps it is because I am a natural redhead... who knows--- but I find that I am much more inclined to speak my mind nowadays. I am never intentionally rude... or intentionally hurt any one's feelings... but sometimes it happens. And for that... I am sorry.

I think perhaps, it is a natural tendency for people to take things personally. I know I always did. I always felt that everything was my fault. Someone upset? Was I too loud? Someone sad? What did I say? tidal waves in the far east? Probably something I did... the list went on.

But I've learned you can't be everything to everyone. You can't make everyone happy. And you can't solve every one's problems. I've tried. It doesn't work. Heck... half the time I can't even figure my own stuff out :)

And so... I try to apologize when I need to... and I am able to... and I move on.
Perhaps that is all any of us can do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the photos for today: I almost forgot to take photos for today. Just as it was getting dusky, I ran to the back yard and took a few shots of some of the plants in my mother's yard. The light was awesome... and I am a sucker for ferns and flowers.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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The thing about family..... there are good points and bad points..... and you always have lots of examples to choose from. Today I went to visit a cousin-once-removed... henceforth known as "TT".... and we got to talking about family. Ours is a family of "collectors"... (shall we say)... everything from books... to paper ephemera... to clothes... to fabric... to "things that might be useful to someone someday..." We run the gamut. And at some point... one has to shake their head and wonder where all this stuff came from. We all do it to some degree.
We come by it honestly, and well meaningly. I personally, think it goes back to our Irish heritage (on my father's side)... and the notion that we can fix up most anything... especially things that other people... *dare I say... normal people* ...throw out. And... we occasionally do... which is why we accumulate so much of the stuff.... because we have had some degree of success in the past. It is actually a compliment to my forefathers and mothers... that they were talented enough to make something out of virtually nothing.

And so... TT and I got to going thru stuff and organizing it a little... and we had fun talking about heritage... genetics.... family quirks.... and such. It was great.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell


About the photos for today's post: I took these photos about a week ago. They were taken on a farm just outside of town... and it is so very picturesque there... right out of a Rockwell painting. The sun was setting on the fields... and the cows... who may have thought I had food (sorry gals)... started heading up towards the fence line where I was...
and allowed me to take their photos.
I know. It has nothing to do with what I wrote... I just thought they were cute.

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It's rained off and on all day today... and it was very quiet around town. I suspect that today there were lots of picnics, house parties and such in the area.... lots of burgers on the grill... potato salad... corn on the cob...
children running and playing... dogs barking...

And mom and I got to visit with a dear friend, and wander about her gardens....


About my photos for today: These photos were taken at the house of a friend. She is a lovely person, with an equally lovely house. Surrounded by gorgeous flowers... it was not hard to find things to take photos of.

Some days are easy like this.... others not so much...
I applied a vintage "through the viewfinder" layer, to help the photo on the bottom look more aged. I think it suits it.



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Every family has it's quirks... and mine is no exception. I used to joke with my dad that our family put the "fun" in "dysFUNctional"... but it was merely a ruse. He... in turn... liked to recount the time when I was a younger teenager, and I was bemoaning the fact that "between heredity and environment... I was screwed." He found it amusing, fortunately... but we both knew that truth is usually veiled in humor.

My family's particular curse happens to be addictions. We have 5 generations (on both sides of the family)... where the men especially, happen to be prone to alcoholism... but there is also drug addiction and smoking and such... as well.
Anyone who has every been around an alcoholic... will understand what I mean when I say... it's not easy.

Today was a family get-together, and while I certainly enjoyed the company and the great food... the scenery and the conversations... it seems like my family can't have a get-together without a little drama. And so it was with great disappointment that I had to take one family member home because of an issue... and check in with another because of the same...

My father was a complex man. He certainly was no angel... and he certainly had his struggles with alcohol in his younger years. But he quit drinking the summer I went away to Germany... and he was definately a better person because of it. I remember his not so pleasant days... but I also remember how he worked hard to change. It was a very profound lesson to me... that we can all grow and change...we can all strive to be better people.... no matter our age, heredity, environment... or past.
... and it made me admire him all the more... to know that he wasn't perfect... but that he was trying hard to be the best person he could be...with no excuses... and no exceptions...


Oh... and by the way... we had clams, and they were excellent!
I highly recommend steamed clams with just a little melted butter on top... YUM.


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today was the annual town-wide yard sales extravaganza here in Coudersport. This event was cooked up by Shirlee Leete... who is a great friend of my parents. It takes alot of organization, but she managed to gather over 100 different homes for the event... plus people who sold on the courthouse square... and lots of impromptu sellers... and even had a map for the event that was distributed. As a bonus... there were stands of Kettle Corn, home-made baked goods... even the band boosters were selling barbecue chicken! It also coincided with the Saturday Farmer's Market... so there were lots of fresh, organic produce to be had as well.

Needless to say, I not only had alot of fun... but also had a fab photo opportunity as well. PLUS... I got some great deals.... alot of old books for art/collage/reference, a shirt for my daughter, a baby blanket and some stuffed toys for my soon-to-be-born granddaughter, 5 large puzzles for my husband's aunt who is in a care facility, a small tv with a built-in DVD player for my mom, a pair of earrings for myself, and lots of organic produce, home-made bread and a small blueberry pie (YUM).. all for about $50...


*photos by Elaine A. Russell
~~~
About the photos for today's post: These were all taken at various sales around town. I saw everything from toys...to clothes... to books... to dishes... to antiques and collectibles... even (yes) a brand new kitchen sink! Photo opportunities are everywhere if you take the time to look.

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(photos by Elaine A. Russell)


Today was spent out at Carter Camp... which claims to have a population of 2. Now, I was questioning this highly... until I tried to do some internet research... and couldn't find anything really on this little village. It is basically only mentioned because Ole Bull Park and Museum are close by... which was once a sorta "famous" place to visit.... at least by local standards.
We went to visit some friends of my parents... and they have a really nice place out in the middle of the woods there. We had a great time... and it was nice to be in the middle of nothing but trees.
On the way back we saw a wild female turkey... some great views out near Cherry Springs, PA... and lots of gorgeous nature soaking up the summer sunshine.
And we are in for the night... very tired..... but having enjoyed the day.



~~~~~
I have to admit that I was feeling rather down today... I had gotten an email notice of an art show coming up that I had intended to participate in this year... it's only 2 weeks away. And I was feeling like a colossal failure as an artist because I haven't been able to do any shows really this year due to travels and such. I was having a bit of a pity party I guess.
I need to remember that I don't do art for shows... I do it because it is part of my very being... and that I cannot not make art. I need to remember that I have accomplished a few things professionally as an artist this year... and that is well and good.... but more importantly... I have done what I needed to do for/with my family... both here and in ABQ... and ultimately... that is the only reward I need.

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I feel like this week has sort of been like a bad episode of a equally horrible game show... and I keep expecting an announcer to come out of the shadows and tell me what prize I have one...
will it be door number one ... or door number two... or the box that Carol is holding?

Not to say that there haven't been awesome moments... and generally... it has been fine. It's just every now and then... I feel like I am completely and utterly lost...
Like I have misplaced something really important and I can't remember where I've left it.

Realistically, I know that I have done things... but it feels as if there is so much to do yet...
and I can't help but feel occasionally like I am merely treading water.

That said... tonight I got to visit with a cousin that I really haven't known very well, but have the opportunity to get to know better now. It is amazing to me how alike we are in so many ways... having not had a whole lot of contact with each other over the years. One of those great mysteries I suppose...or perhaps there is more to genetics than most of us care to admit...

Today's ride was a brief one.... taken while my mom was busy with an appointment. I drove out Dingman Run Road... and made a couple odd turns onto other roads... just to go down some areas I had not seen before. Perhaps that is where we learn and experience the most... by taking side "roads" in life... just exploring... and being open to whatever lies ahead
... no matter if there is a "big prize" or not...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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I believe that things generally happen for a reason. That said... we don't always know what that reason is... and maybe we never do figure it out... but I'm convinced that usually wrapped up in the stuff of life, are lessons to be learned if we take the time to listen.

The past couple of days have shown me some unexpected surprises....yesterday a sharp shinned hawk not only came specifically to my mom's yard (which they never do)... but it fluttered and flapped until it caught my attention... looked me in the eye... and then took off.

About an hour later... somehow a little black-capped chickadee got into the house.... and sat on the window right beside my mom who was taking a nap in a chair. Startled awake... she called me... and the bird not only let me catch him in a soft towel... but let me take him outside, where he looked at me, and quickly flew off... unruffled by the event.
(backstory here ... is that my mom and dad loved to watch the birds)


And today... everywhere we went... I saw hearts. Hearts on flowers, and on leaves...


...even in the form of deck chair designs....


... and when I finally laughed and said... ok ok... I get it .... a friend of my mom's was tossing popcorn into a pond in front of me while he was talking to my mom ... and these huge fish jumped right out of the water... only about 1 foot in front of me..... and all I could think of was my dad laughing out loud and wishing he had a net!

Thanks Dad, I needed that... and I love you


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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All I know is...
that I am here... in this moment...
at this place... at this time... and I am alright.
I am tired... so very tired... but I will be OK.


Today's ride in the country was preempted by a spontaneous picnic at a local park with my niece and her kids. We ended up completely surrounded by Jr. football players... random kids ... cheer leading tryouts... more people than I had imagined would be there. It was rather chaotic... and in a way... completely and utterly peaceful. And so... we had fried chicken... potato salad... fresh fruit... corn on the cob... and spice cake muffins. We watched the kids play.... and I got to wander thru the park taking photos ...and it was wonderful.

Sometimes the very thing you need... is the the thing you least expect...



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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It always amazes me how very hot it gets here... and then I have to remember that it is really the humidity that gets to me more. And so... with the air conditioning on full blast for a bit... we took a drive over to "Lyman Run" ...more properly known as "Lyman Run State Park."

This is a PA state park... with a man made lake ....that is basically surrounded by the Susquehannock State Forest. It is a fabulous place for fishing, swimming, playing in the sand... or watching the sunsets on the lake. It sports a relatively new dam... which was a major project a few years ago.

I remember a few glorious days as a kid... getting to swim over there... and run around the forest. (this would not be the day that my brother left me there all day to fend for myself while he hung out with his buddies... but hey... that was a good learning experience too... ). But I digress. It is really pretty there... as was the entire drive over there thru the woods.

Things are starting to calm down a little... and yet... there is so much yet to do. I didn't realize all the places you need to call when someone dies... insurance companies, social security, car registration folks, house titles, the bank for joint accounts... all kinds of things.
And so... that is what we will start with tomorrow.




(*photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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It is definitely summer here in Potter County... with hints towards the coming fall. Today for our daily drive, my mom and I went over to Bradford (about an hour away) to visit with her sister and her sister's husband (AKA as my favorite aunt and uncle). Sabrina went along for the ride... and seemed to enjoy it.

Along the way there were some detours... yes, there is road work even here in the backwoods of PA. We went thru little towns such as Coudersport, Olmstead, Mina, Roulette, Burtville, Port Allegheny, Turtlepoint, Eldred, Prentisvale, Duke Center, and into Derrick City... and yes, those are the real names too.

We had a nice visit... and I walked around the back end of their yard... past the little field where we used to have occasional family picnics... where we tossed lawn jarts at each other (before they were outlawed as dangerous)... and past where the old badminton nets used to be.... towards the woods. Past the crab apple trees that the deer love.... past the black walnut tree where the squirrels live. Dodging bear scat... and the occasional gopher holes... and took a few photos... which you see here. The lantern is on their little barn.
Because sometimes you just have to take some time and wander.....


(photos by Elaine A. Russell)