Friday, November 20, 2009

Friday Favorite Photo: Groove

This is one of my all time favorite macro abstract photos. I call it groove and I think it's pretty groovy. Taken at the junkyard in my hometown, it's part of some discarded, rusting machinery. I think the colors are really beautiful and I love that curving groove.

I sometimes get funny looks when I'm crouched down in front of some piece of junk with my little point and shoot. It can take a long time to get just the right shot. I tend to approach dumpsters, alleys, and rusty objects slowly and study them carefully; it's necessary to really look in order to find these kinds of abstracts. But they are everywhere!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I love pomegranates

I'm so glad I finally discovered pomegranates. I love them, but have only been eating them for the last four or five years.

It's funny how a food can become a fad. I don't remember seeing pomegranates in stores in the past the way you do now. Or maybe I just wasn't paying attention? In any case, they sure are plentiful now, and sure do help make the winter months tolerable.

I was in grade school the first time I saw a pomegranate, but didn't know what it was. My friend, Maria Mucci,  had been born in Italy, and I remember her father, who spoke very little English, showing me this weird fruit.

Mr. Mucci held half a sliced pomegranate in his hands and laughed at my reaction as he split it open. I must have had a look of horror or revulsion on my face as all those red seeds were revealed. I'd never seen anything so strange!

Many years later BB and I were in Key West and I watched in fascination as a woman at our resort pulled a pomegranate apart and added it to her yogurt for breakfast.

Not long after that I bought one for myself, sliced into it, and ruined a good shirt when the bright red juice splattered everywhere. My kitchen counter and walls looked like a crime scene.

I was glad to learn the trick of slicing a pomegranate: while it's immersed in a bowl of water. And now I find pleasure in the process of separating the seed from the skin - the work of it so worth the sweet, tart, crunchy, juicy goodness.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

The lull is over

My lull of quiet solitude has ended, BB has returned with stories to tell of her travels, a car with a smashed rear end, and a little something she picked up along the way.

Our calendar has suddenly filled with activities. Which is not a thing I'm complaining about - though it does leave less time for creative pursuits, personal projects and deep thoughts.

I made this photo yesterday. It's a collage of two photos layered together, one is of leaves, the other is rust.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Solitude & Iris

While BB is away on a trip I've been enjoying the solitude. Today is the fifth day and I'm not the least bit lonely or in need of company. I'm getting tons of things done and appreciating the quiet & calm. It's a lovely little lull.

I rented three movies this weekend, Away We Go, which was a big disappointment, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, which was only mildly entertaining, and Iris, which I loved.

I missed this movie when it was released (and nominated for several Academy Awards) in 2002. It tells the story of Brittish novelist Iris Murdoch, played by Kate Winslet as the 1950s Iris, and Judy Dench as the 1990s Iris.

In back and forth scenes between the decades the young, vibrant Iris is contrasted with her older self as Alzheimer's takes hold. It's a heartbreaking film, but the performances are incredibly good.

Here's a clip of Kate as Iris singing :