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

Later on today... BAJ and I went to Trader Joe's to get some fresh fruits and vegetables... and some groceries in general for the week. Along the way... we got some fabulous pumpkins for the holidays, and some gorgeous flowers for the house.

One of the downfalls of the Kodak was that I had alot of difficulty getting macro shots ... it just didn't have the lens capabilities that I now have with the Nikon D300. The purple hydrangea shot above became my photo for today... but I am also quite fond of the orchid shot below...

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

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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What I didn't mention in yesterday's post... was that no sooner had we begun visiting with our new granddaughter... that my dear hubby (henceforth referred to as BAJ...Beyond Awesome Jim-- a moniker a friend christened him with)...started to get extreme pain with an oncoming kidney stone.
Now ... BAJ is no stranger to kidney stones. In fact... he has gotten them many times over the last several years... and is now considered a "kidney stone former" ... by the medical people.

So... after visiting with family for a couple of hours... we promptly went to the ER. A liter of IV fluid and about 20mg of morphine later... he still hadn't produced the evil stone that was plaguing his insides. Now.. the good news is that he is usually able to pass them on his own given enough time and enough fluids in his system. The bad news... is that it hasn't happened yet... so who knows when/if the blasted little thing will come out.

If not... there may be a CT in his future.

For today's post... I was going to include some photos from our hospital adventures. ... but they seemed kind of superfluous. Today was all cold and windy... the kind of day when you want to just snuggle up in a quilt with a good book. And so... that is essentially what we did today (in addition to giving BAJ his regular doses of medications).

I had no idea what to do as my photo for the day... and so I began experimenting with layers of photos that I took today around the house. Both of the photos on today's post are the results of several layers of photos being sandwiched together to form a single photograph. This is not a new technique... and one that Photoshop and several other programs are famous for. However, it is a technique that I have been playing around with for a few months. I like the whole concept of being able to more eloquently tell stories with photographs... and this kind of layering allows the photographer to add more depth and detail.... more tales for the telling...


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Welcome to the world baby Sophia Griselda Russell, born today... weighing 7 lbs and 10 ounces... and stretching out to 19 inches in length.
Her mommy and daddy (and her) seem to be doing well..... and we are overjoyed at her birth ♥♥♥

♥May your life be long, joyful, and full of love, health and happiness♥

*photos by Elaine A. Russell (aka Grandma)

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Having used my Kodak pocket camera for over a year now... I am really happy with the photos I have been able to get with it. It is affordable (other than the batteries... it was awesome cost-wise)... easy to carry with you all the time... and surprisingly technically good for such a small camera.

I am a firm believer that the camera does not make the photographer. Over the course of the past year... I feel like I have learned that lesson well. Using a point and shoot encouraged me to go back to the basics... to really focus (as it were)... on what I wanted to accomplish with each shot... the feeling I wanted each shot to express to whomever saw it... but within the limits of a point and shoot camera... and that was an incredible lesson to learn.

It also encouraged me to concentrate on the art of the photograph. The composition... the color... and not just the technical stuff (aperture, focus, lighting, depth of field, etc). Simply put... there are some shots that you can do with a point and shoot camera... and ones you can't. But just as true... is that a point and shoot camera can be much more accessible than a big digital SLR.

And now... ((as of a few days ago))... I have the Nikon D300s with an 18-200mm zoom lens. Now.. I begin the "work" of combining a more technically savvy camera and all that goes with that... with what I re-learned about composition and color and feeling... and it is a wonderful feeling.

So.... can you guess which shots on this post were taken with the Nikon and which with the Kodak?

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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It's been raining off and on here today... and it's colder than I thought it would be for this time of year... but it was still an awesome day.
I got some items listed on Etsy... updated my blog links... took a few photos walking around the neighborhood... did some laundry... did some cooking... and spent some time with family.
Awesome.

And I made some fresh roasted roma tomatoes... and then some fried green tomatoes to go with a couple ham steaks for dinner.

Ingredients: Garden fresh green tomatoes, 2 eggs & milk whisked into one bowl, about 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of cornmeal in a second bowl, butter, salt, pepper.

1. Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
2. Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Mix cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper in another bowl. Dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs and flour mixture to completely coat.
3. In a large skillet, melt a little butter. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. Season them with salt and pepper as you desire. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. I cook them on low heat on both sides first to get the tomatoes all warm and juicy, then increase the heat to brown them on the sides. Serve hot and enjoy the sunset :)


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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

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

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

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

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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These past few days have been very odd. My hubby is on vacation... which in itself.. it a small miracle... but he has also managed to become sick... which is not good. He had started a new medication for his high cholesterol... and within 3 days... began peeing blood... having muscle soreness... and a slight fever. Needless to say... he has stopped the medication (and the doctor is aware).
So... while we are technically on vacation... we have not really gone anywhere. This is fine with me, as I have also been sick... so it has been sort of a "stay at home vacation" time for us.

Plus... my son and his wife are expecting their first child any day now... so perhaps it is a good thing that we are staying in the area.



Just over a year ago... I put a camera on lay-away at a local shop. This year has been really difficult financially... what with me traveling back and forth to PA so much... that I had barely made a dent in the payments.
However, my hubby surprised me and paid the camera completely off!!! ... and today I got to play with it for the first time. My daughter and I went out on the west mesa to the volcanoes... and tried to get a couple of photographs. It was very quickly getting dark... and it was severely overcast as a major storm was rolling in...

Having not even looked at the manual for the camera (*yah... I know)... I was sort of shooting blindly... and was really surprised by some of the shots when I got them unloaded and onto my computer tonight. This last one became my photo for the day :)


*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today has been interesting in alot of ways. I keep having these "spells" (for lack of a better word)... where I get anxious, dizzy, and a horrible headache. About an hour later... I am completely wiped out. I can only assume it is blood sugar problems... but man... it is almost like going through various stages of shock on a fairly routine basis.
I have been eating very well... so... I am confused as to the reactions and why they are occurring... but hey.

That said... my daughter and I went downtown and enjoyed some wonderful food from Annapurna's... which I adore. I also managed to get my submission completed and mailed in to the NYC gallery, Charming Wall... and it will be featured in the show running all of November. This is their final show... and I was very fortunate in getting in.

My submission is shown below...


I was torn as to which photo to pick for my photo of the day project. I saw the wonderful painted VW bus near UNM today as we were driving around (see the first photo above)... and it was just freakin awesome! It reminded me of the old SNL skits with the "land shark"...

But I had also taken the photo below... showing a package sent out in today's mail... and that was the one I ultimately went with.... as I just felt it was a stronger photo in it's composition. More importantly though... is that I am back in the swing of doing art... and that is wonderful :)

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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All day today... I kept thinking it was Sunday. Partly because my hubby is on vacation... and so it still feels like the weekend to me... and partly because we chose to do things today that are normally Sunday type of activities for us.

For lunch... we went to Winning Coffee Co... which is one of my favorite places to go. We got a most excellent Peruvian coffee, as well as Quiche for me and a beef and green chile sandwich for him. Bradley... of Bradley's Books was there... and we had a great time perusing his vast selection of books while we sipped our coffee (and got a couple great books!).

Afterwards... we headed up to Barnes and Noble where we spent several hours enjoying a small mocha... and looking at a huge selection of books and magazines. I love to go and get ideas for artwork... crafts... all kinds of projects. One of the artists whose work I came upon is Takato Yamamoto... and a portion of one of his art pieces is shown below...fabulous stuff...



For my photo for the day project today, I chose to alter a Polaroid shot of the gates to Old Towne here in Albuquerque. I altered the color slightly, and tried to give it sort of a glowing effect. I wanted the photo to feel as magical as the place... (shown below)

And tonight I am finishing up an art piece to mail out to a New York City gallery tomorrow. I have printed off one of my square format photos, and used a transfer technique to mount it to a small 6x6 inch framed canvas. I have painted the sides, and plan to speckle the print slightly with paint for a cohesive, yet rustic look.

I love days like this.... photography... art... books... good food... good coffee... good company... and inspiration!


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today has been an exhausting day... but an awesome one. Today has been a day for wonderful conversations... wonderful food... and a decadent nap (post benadryl for allergies-- which are really ugly today).

We went to dinner at Los Cuates... which was soooooo good. I really missed being able to get green chile ... and I took this photo (see below) looking out the restaurant window onto the sunny street. This was one of only 2 photos I took today... but I am happy with it.

I am discovering how sick I have been this year. ... and the past few days I have woken to massive bruising all over my legs. Twitches, tremors, headaches... close comrades of mine for the past few days as well. And so... I am on a quest to watch my diet a bit better. I did really well in PA despite all that was going on... but I need to be more dedicated if I am going to get back my strength and my health.

And in the meantime... I have been accepted to show a piece in a New York City gallery... provided I can get a piece of my art ready and in the mail in the next day or so... and so... back to ART!


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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(photo by Elaine A. Russell)


Today started off bright and shiny... like a new penny... and ended in a flood of craziness.


We started off the day gloriously by heading off to the farmer's market downtown. It was awesome... and this is one of those events that really makes Albuquerque so freakin cool. Fresh garden produce... handmade jewelry, art, crafts... lots of friendly people just enjoying the moment, the live music, and playing with their kids and dogs in the sunshine of a beautiful park in the heart of the city. It was great.


We got some fresh veggies... and some fruits... and then ran some errands for the day. We had a fantastic lunch at Flying Star... haircuts at the mall... and visited with friends and family.


At the end of the day was alot of interpersonal drama... which I abhor. It just drives me crazy... and it really is such and unnecessary part of life... at least for me. There are some people who like drama on a day to day basis... but I am not one of them. It is times like this that I need to step back from the situation... and just breathe. In AND out...

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So today... after making friends with some of my fellow motel customers (a very nice couple from Tennessee and their newborn daughter)... and some of the hotel staff (2 very nice ladies in the hotel office that talked with me about rescue dogs and Smartcars and such...)... I got some fresh coffee for the road and headed out.

This overnight stay has sort of changed my perspective a little on Texas... and that is a good thing.

Driving through the desert is a wonderful experience. And I was rather surprised at how happy I was to be back in New Mexico. Not just because I happen to live here and was coming home... although that is certainly a crucial factor. But it was more that New Mexico seems to be such a sacred kind of place. Yes, the economy sucks. And yes, there are certainly distressing things about living here... but it is also a very serene kind of place... almost eerily so at times. It's like you can feel the land and the stories it is trying to tell...

And so... I got home late in the afternoon... and it was an awesome thing to behold.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today was spent traveling from Missouri.... through Oklahoma... to Amarillo, Texas. I wasn't sure I would actually make it this far... but the driving was good today. Today was a huge day for reflection... and it made the hours in the Jeep go by rather quickly.

I stopped for a late dinner at The Big Texan... you may remember it from a previous post. It is a fabulous ... kitchy... interesting place. The last time I went here... I noticed that there was a row of buildings next to the restaurant that are available as hotel rooms... so I decided to check it out. Indeed... rooms are available, and are very "cowboy" inspired. I got a room that was all decked out like the interior of a rustic cabin... complete with large log furniture and cow print duvets. The bed was extremely comfortable. In fact, my only complaint was that I had no wifi connection... but perhaps that was for the best.

Sabrina and I thoroughly enjoyed our take-out dinner from the restaurant... consisting of a top sirloin, roasted tomatoes and onions, mashed potatoes, rolls and iced tea. It was scrumptious. For dessert... I tried a very small piece of their home-made fudge... which was exquisite.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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After a restful night's sleep in Indiana... I woke up early and headed out on the open road again. By late morning... I was sipping Starbuck's in Terre Haute~ it was awesome. Even Brina took a little siesta on the patio...

I really feel like I am running behind for some reason. I know that I am not "on a schedule"... but in the back of my mind... I am wanting to get home before my son and his wife have their precious baby. And I have had a sense of urgency... and underlying current of stress... this whole drive back.

I stopped at the Driftstone Pueblo... one of my fav places to look at stones, beads, feathers, jewelry... even flutes! This shop is in Illinois, and behind it is a wonderful lake area. I am told it is a good fishing area... but seeing as I didn't have my pole with me this trip (I know.. I know...)... I decided it was the perfect spot for some meditation.

And it was.... and it relieved me of alot of the urgency I had been feeling these past few days.

Tonight I am staying in a Holiday Inn Express in Springfield, Missouri(!!!)... and I am delighting in how wonderful it is. Brina enjoyed her portion of my KFC dinner... and is now happily sacked on the bed while I enjoy some great shows on the Food Network :)

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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It's been an odd day...

I woke up at 6am... and anyone who knows me, knows that this is highly unusual. Perhaps I should have taken this as a sign to go back to bed... but instead I headed out around 8am. My first stop for the day was at an Ohio rest area. Which... I have to say... Ohio has some of the most beautiful rest areas of any of the states. This one was full of quite an assortment of trees... all in their fall colors. I would also say that Ohio had much better leaf color this season than PA did when I was there... and it was gorgeous as I drove down the highways this am. Ohio also can boast of some of the best radio stations... as I was able to cruise thru the whole state today listening to great songs from the 60's to now. It was awesome.


Unfortunately... I also got completely overwhelmed with fatigue just before lunchtime... and ended up taking a 3hr nap in the Jeep ... which I definitely could not have done in the SmartCar.
I am not sure why I am so exhausted... but I am. Normally, I would have been much farther along on my way home on the 2nd day... but between leaving late yesterday, and my nap today... I am way behind.

Dinner was spent having a picnic alongside a fabulous cornfield. It was fabulous to be able to walk around the fields... and it was very peaceful in spite of it being near a highway.
And now, I am in for the night, having driven to Indiana...
and am looking forward to watching a little TV...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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

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

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



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Tomorrow (barring anything unforeseen)... I am leaving PA and heading out towards home in ABQ. It will take me several days to get there... but the hours driving in the Jeep is always a soothing time for me.
And so I leave from this trip...

• hopeful that I was helpful to my mom and family members
• sad at the loss of my father... but grateful he is no longer suffering
• relieved that I got some things done... especially all that wretched paperwork for my mom
• tired
• blessed... to have received a pocket watch that belonged to my father's grandfather. Though it hasn't worked in forever (and is beyond repair)... it is cool. I also was gifted the compass that my dad took hunting and fishing with him... some of his ties and handkerchiefs (to embroider on)... his Irish driving cap... some clothing and memorabilia for my kids and hubby... tokens and keepsakes that I treasure.
• excited at the prospect of a photo show coming in a few weeks (but anxious to get the pieces done and sent!)
• supported by friends and family... throughout this whole event...
• full of promise for the future and the many lessons I learned from this episode in my life.

...and this photo is from the Falling Leaves Festival last weekend. I enjoyed the "Bwana Jim Wildlife Show".... and got some nice photographs of the some of the animals. After the show... I had the opportunity to hold and get my photo taken with WALTER... who has got to be the coolest Opossum ever... he was awesome!

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Important papers in the mail? check

Recycle stuff gathered? check

New birdhouse stained and hung on a post? check

New birdfeeder stained and hung on a post? check

New birdseed bought and placed in storage containers for the winter? check

Lots of old junk gathered and taken to the burn pile? check

Table brought up from the basement? check

Hangers put on some artwork? check

Visiting with family? check

Thank You notice sent in for publication to the local newspapers? check

--Feeling like I'm finally getting some stuff done??? PRICELESS.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Today was a much better day... and while I still have a headache... at least it's not screaming at me. I got the final bunch of paperwork done for my mother... and hopefully everything will be straightened out as soon as it is processed.

I have a couple small projects to finish up over the weekend... and then... it's back on the road and heading home...

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Today I am posting on a FlickR group I belong to; called the ECHO Project... and catching you up on the last several challenges. The "prompts" or themes for each of the diptychs is under each photo that was done in collaboration with my fabulous partner... Brenda Seaholm-Wampler.

"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.

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

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Theme: Blur

Theme: Splash




Theme: Portals

Theme: Sweet

Theme: Minimalist

**all photos in these diptychs (c) 2010 Brenda Seaholm-Wampler & Elaine A. Russell

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Migraine... (I actually went back thru my blogposts and discovered that it's day 10 of this horrible migraine). And it's going as well as you'd think it would be. However... I did help my mom get some financial stuff settled today... and we did take a drive... and I did get some photos... and I did visit briefly with a friend of mine from high school... and it was all good.

If I can finish the paperwork that needs done... and help my mom with a few things on the "To Do" list... then I feel like I will have done as much as I can for this trip. Not to say that I've done alot... as I feel like I have been pretty much useless (*but I have tried... I think it's just that I have been sick and I always feel pretty much useless when I am sick)... but right now I am overwhelmed... and ready to be going home...

(and in the words of my very wise daughter... it's time).

*photos by Elaine A. Russell