SMW 2013 Photo~Art Calendar

So much water under the bridge since I last posted. I spent the first part of the year (2012) on a photo per day project. In the process I ended up with some pretty nice shots of which I have now put into a calendar for 2013. I am posting a sample of the pages here. The calendar has just gone to print - I know, January is moot but oh well, I did not expect to have so many of the great people who purchased my 2012 calendar requesting not only another of the Obsolete Iron (choppers n stuff) but a photo~art calendar with some of my stuff from last year. I have gone through and chosen some of my favorite shots - it was a tough job to pick - and here are the copies of the pages so if you want to order one, you can! - An informed decision after viewing the pages, no less.
I will post a link to Paypal so you can easily order online soon. Keep watching for the link. I hope to be a little more active on the blog this year. Just trying to balance work, play, kids and art. It's a lot of balls to juggle but I'm going to try! ; )

SMW 2013 Photo~Art Calendar Sample Pages:

So there you have a sample of the art in my 2013 calendar. Stay tuned ... in a day or so I will have a paypal order link up. or leave a comment with your email address and I will contact you regarding delivery. Base price is $20 per calendar and the photos are frame quality matte finish. Thanks for looking in.

Hello Old Friends...

I have been gone for so long here! I am so busy with my so many other accounts and blogs this one has suffered and I am sorry.
I will try to be brief in my update. Life goes on, the economy sucks, the grand kids are getting bigger, had a couple of birthday parties and a preschool graduation in that quadrant, trying to keep our heads above water work wise, lost over 30 pounds since I have gone Paleo in my diet and feel so much better in health mind and energy level, photos have not really sold but I have been accepted to the Art in the Park show in Martinez in August (more on that later) and well, it's summer and I am so happy!

As I work here, I have two little ones asleep (I hope) in the back for a Sunday nap - that actually sounds delish but I have promised myself to get this done.... Yesterday was our family reunion. My sister and I did most of the (well, pretty much all) background work. You know, invites, collecting and shopping for the food and getting it organized. We got some help with the set up and the men did the grilling ~ as men do ~ and the rest of the folks brought side dishes and desserts. We gathered and had a great time. I wanted to post here because I have photos and some of our family is not on Facebook so this is the best way to share them. I want to add here my beautiful Aunt Joanne's letter I got yesterday after the event.
I was so very tired when I got home... and then I got this note from Aunt Jo. You are the best! Love you all and am so happy to be so privileged to have such a wonderful family!
From my Aunt Jo:
HI GIRLS - I BET YOU ARE BOTH SO POOPED.   YOU DID A GREAT JOB.  EVERYTHING WAS WONDERFUL AND NO ONE COULD ASK FOR ANY THING MORE OR NICER.  I KNOW, ESPECIALLY GRAM AND YOUR DAD WERE SO PROUD OF YOU GIRLS.   I KNOW THEY ALL WERE AND  SO WAS I. 
YOUR FAMILIES ARE SO CUTE AND THOSE LITTLE ONES ARE GETTING SO BIG I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

 

ISN'T IT WONDERFUL BEING A PART OF SUCH A BEAUTIFUL FUN LOVING FAMILY AS OURS?  I AM SO PROUD OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.  I HEAR SOME OF MY FRIENDS TALKING AND I THANK GOD FOR OURS.
I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR ALL YOU DID.  I HAVE TO SAY I GOT A BIG KICK OUT OF JASON STAPLING ALL THE TABLE CLOTHS AND PICTURES. I'M SURE HE USED A BOX OF STAPLES.

 I  ALSO GOT A KICK  OUT OF WATCHING ALL THE FELLOWS COOKING AND TALKING AND HAVING FUN WITH EACH OTHER.

WHEN THE WIND WOUND ITS WAY AROUND THE UMBRELLAS AND BLEW THEM OVER. HOW FAST THE FELLOWS GOT TOGETHER AND FIXED THEM.

IT WAS CUTE WATCHING ADAM IN THE  JUMPY HOUSE PLAYING WITH THE

KIDS.  THOSE KIDS WERE LIKE LITTLE ANTS JUMPING AND THEN COMING DOWN THE SLIDE.

 THE FOOD EVERYONE BROUGHT WAS DELICIOUS.  I WAS TELLING ZE ABOUT THE DAY AND THE DIET YOU ARE BOTH ON AND PAT NOT HAVING ANY MIGRAINES AND SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO LOOK INTO IT.  SHE GETS THEM BAD AND OFTEN.  MAYBE I'LL EVEN

TRY IT...

.

...IT WAS SO NICE TO HAVE UNCLE BRUNO, AUNT MARY AND AUNTIE ANN THERE TOO. THEY HAD LOTS OF FUN AND LAUGHED ALOT.

FREDA ENJOYED HERSELF TOO.   I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM ONE OF THE "OLD FARTS" NOW. HAHA  CAN'T SAY I DON'T LOVE IT.

 AGAIN THANKS AGAIN FOR A BEAUTIFUL MEMORABLE DAY AND ALL YOUR HARD WORK.

LUV YOU LOTS  AND GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU  AUNT JO

And then there were more...

Spring, Baseball and My Favorite Things

Hell Yeah! Go Giants!

Ok, fellow Giant's fans...
First spring training game in AZ was played yesterday afternoon. And what an afternoon it was! Temps around the 74 degree  mark, my back yard all to myself and the birds tweeting like a teenager at a rock concert. The game feed was only on internet - if you pay for the subscription - and AM radio... that would be KNBR home of the SF Giants Baseball Radio. No satellite feed - XM - which is usually where I find my broadcast. And here I am frantically looking for a radio from which I can get a signal on the AM band.

It was almost comical as I scrambled from room to room in my house to find the speakers that attach to my "boom box." All the while I was hoping that even though the last time I could not get reception, somehow the radio waves realigned in the universe and it was going to work this time. In the process of looking for the speakers; to which are still hiding in a closet or box in a corner somewhere, I found my old Sony Disc Man. You all remember these, right? Big round yellow case to put your CD and hook up to headphones for your personal stereo listening pleasure... It had a big strap you could wrap around your waist for jogging or working out at the gym. Weighs, like 2 pounds... yeah, obsolete is not even close. Tube type radios and these are almost on par with each other these days. BUT! It has an AM/FM radio too... Hah! I found it on top of a box of old cables and such I don't seem to be able to throw away. (Keep that in mind if you ever need an old printer cable.)

I put fresh batteries in my Disc Man and plugged an accessory cord into the earphone jack ... the other end to an old set of Creative speakers and FaShizzle! KNBR in it's full glory! I was rather irritated that I did not start looking earlier for the equipment to listen. It was already an hour into the game when I tuned in. But as I worked so hard looking for a radio, Someone upstairs was looking out for me because there had been a swarm of bees on the field which had delayed the game for some 45-50 minutes.

I proceeded to clean and prune my lovely back yard in the lovely warm temperature listening to the lovely sound of Mike Krukow announcing the game which ended in a score of 11-1 in favor of my absolute favorite BOYS OF SUMMER!

The game ended, my husband came home and my wonderful break on a perfect day evaporated in a wisp of fairy dust as if it had never been. But I knew better and despite proof of my efforts during the day, the trimmed and tailored look of my back yard, the gossamer and ethereal sounds of summer baseball on the radio drifted softly in my mind as I closed my eyes at the end of the day.

Life is good....

Pete Fecteau

I am so very sorry it has been so long since I have posted. My photos and such are being constantly posted to my Google+ account (here) or my Facebook Sometime the Magic Works fan page. I have been posting and blogging occasionally on my other blog site, Obsolete Iron but that's just mostly motorcycle stuff.
Life is weird. I have worked 2 days this year so far in the trucking business. I have taken a LOT of photos due mostly to the fact that I embarked on a "366" project - one photo a day for the year (and it's a leap year). The photos are average to pretty good so far. I am sure as the year progresses if I can hang, there's going to be some skunks in the woodpile. I am just hoping I will hold onto this project and see it to the end. Here's a couple of the better ones:

Tomcat from the Photo Walk on the USS Hornet

Record Album Cover for my little musician. It's a mock up....She's not on You Tube or anything.

Photo Walk to Home Depot Nursery

My wonderful Aunt Jo. One of the sweetest ladies on the planet!

Then, on top of all the photos and stuff involved in taking a picture a day - like the going places to find new stuff to shoot, my husband and I have started a new eating regime. It is focused on weight loss for now but also and very importantly, it is for eating healthier. I am as tentative about this diet as I am about my 366 project but we will see what kind of tenacity I can show in the coming months. 

Cherry Blossoms in Tapestry

We have adopted the guidelines for the Paleo Diet. That would be the Cave Man diet to some of you. Kind of an Atkins version of eating, mostly meat, veggies but also fruit and nuts. Whatever the cave man could hunt and gather cooked al'dente`... Lots of fish (because I love fish) and fresh veggies. Unlike the Atkins, some root veggies like orange yams and fruit after you loose the weight, although I am doing fruit now because I have to! I have lost around 15 pounds which means Mark has as well. Not really focusing on the scale, just watching myself melt to the point that my tight clothing is now loose. It's a pretty good feeling and I will probably hang in there for some time. The best part is that all the gluten is out of my diet and my joints - especially injured and healed bones that normally feel the barometric pressure rise - are free from pain and my energy level is increasing daily. Feeling so old and fat that I did not want to do anything, I am relieved that it was not my age, but my diet. I can't change the age thing (I am glad to age as the alternative is pushing up daisies) but the diet is easily done, with a mass amount of will power that I argue with daily - no, by the minute. I hope the advantages of this diet finally make my mind stop craving a doughnut or pie, but I'm sure it will be a life long battle.

Spaghetti Squash with my regular sauce and grilled Salmon

Paleo Veggie Chili without beans

Pecan Crusted Chicken, Mash Potatoes (Cauliflower) and Broccoli with Shitake Mushrooms and Bacon

You are now caught up on my happenings. I will try to update this more often but as it stands right now, changes are in store and who knows where the next month will take us? Keep posted.

In closing, I offer you this insight to a cool artist I found on the web. Here is his blog link. This man has made a mural from Rubiks Cubes. Check out this video from FOX news or look at his blog. Pete Fecteau.