questions and answers with Fifi

i got interviewed by fifi over at the french cupboard and had a lot of fun. plus, i am giving away a photograph. visit there for the frivalous goings on.



plus - what are the politics of setting up? do you do it? were you fixed up? did it work out (i married a blind date and it lasted a while so i like the fixing up thing). and "guy cute" and "girl cute" is there really a difference?

insert smilie face here

i got errands half-way done, i think that's a good compromise. i even read cassaundra's blog and decided to do the tag where i write six things that make me happy.

photography
don't everyone get all surprised at once yo...yes, photography makes me insanely happy. it was an old friend that i dumped after the sadie hawkins dance in high school and shamelessly picked back up in 2007. i bought her a fancy case and she caved after a few rounds of i'm sorry and a plethra of flowers, trips and a few good looking guys. today was one of those days - you know if you have photography as a hobby - the kind of day where you take a shot and your heart beats a little faster in your chest and you want to race home to download the shots just to see how "that" one looks. more later about the drive along seven bridges road...but here's my favorite sneak peek.


please excuse the softness - this was fully telescoped out to 300mm on a tamron lens (which leans towards softness anyway) with winds gusting to 10-15 mph and it was handheld. i love it anyway.

my family
i'm a goof ball about my family. i'm lucky that way. i know there are people that are not and it makes me sad. really sad. my siblings and i know each other well - all of our faults, flaws, bits and bumps...as well as the wonderful things about each other. it's perfect. plus i have insanely beautiful nieces and nephews. seriously.


I don't lie.

stupid television
reality television - it's soooooo stupid and ridiculous that i love it sometimes. yes, it's rotting my brain (as dennis leary says) and no, it has no socially redeeming features (except maybe how not to act) ... but i grew to love taylor over her short sojourn on tough love and though i haven't voted on american idol, i dig the song stylings of adam lambert. mostly, it's background noise most of the time....but i can live with that (but don't call me during 'the big bang theory' or 'how i met your mom').

music
i've loved music i think since i could form words - some of my most early memories are of music and i can remember very early going to see elvis at the garrett coliseum. though at the time i was in love with paul, i could see what my mom saw in that dark and mystery hip shaker. i remember my ex-husband singing to me in the kitchen while i cooked dinner and weeping copiously to 'i can't make you love me' after the divorce. there are songs that i can't listen to without crying ('amazing grace' and 'wonderful world') and there are my anger songs (yes julie, alanis). but mostly, there is music to anchor my life. my current soundtrack includes...
:: you don't miss your water - otis redding
:: sea breeze - tyrone wells
:: sara - fleetwood mac
:: just my imagination - pete yorn cover
:: georgia on my mind - ray charles
:: push - rob thomas acoustic cover
:: shelter from the storm - bob dylan
:: moon river - patty griffin cover
:: turpentine - brandi carlile
:: solitary man - chris isaak cover
:: northern sky - nick drake
:: the galway girl - sharon shannon
:: someone like you - van morrison
:: into the mystic - van morrison
:: world spins madly on - the weepies
:: i don't know - lisa hannigan

fresh flowers
it doesn't matter if it is wild flowers, grocery store flowers or the florist. i'm crazy about having fresh flowers on my desk. there is something so hopeful about flowers and they always make me smile. well, except for that nasty instance recently with finding aphids all over my soda - they hatched from the queen anne's lace and window warmth and plotted a takeover of my studio. lesson learned about bringing wildflowers inside.


sure - they look all innocent here...but, the aliens were plentiful and fast.

candles
i love candles but it can't be perfume-y candles or crud that makes my head hurt. it has to be lightly scented and natural smelling. so, that usually means some variation of either vanilla or citrus....and occasionally coffee. living in an older house with a full basement and three animals makes candles necessary but moreover, they make me smile. they're warm and inviting. monday nights nights is my cooking night and my sister and her two boys come over to eat and watch television. after shopping for dinner and cooking, lighting the candles just seems like home. even if it's a simple meal like pizza this week.

those are my happy...anyone else feel like sharing happy?

may day may day (not really - but it is may day)

just ever have one of those days where more things work in your life than not work? today was one of those days. though it wasn't all the things i want (no job still), i found a great deal on some photo props and make a major sale in the shop. i'll take those and run with them.

i found wild shrimp in the specialty market yesterday and though they were three dollars more for the pound it was sooooooooooo worth it. i prepared them simply - peeled and deveined, sauteed in the pan with an olive oil/butter combo and some basil/sun dried tomato/garlic seasoning. served with some angel hair they were ever so yummy. next time i would like a bit of mushrooms and perhaps some red bell pepper. if it was just me some asparagus too...but somebody doesn't like asparagus. can you imagine?

tomorrow the farmer's market is also a flea market so i need to get up bright and early. maybe i can find some treasure. and veggies...absolutely some veggies. now i need to go water the flowers because the rain they're getting north of here - it's not here. it's warm, sunny and 85. perfect i think.

above the the latest flowers that i will probably wear out. mary knows the name that i fail to recall. but they remind me of roses i think. you can also see the top of the last thrift find i made - an old milk bottle ($1). i also got another blue ball jar without a lid (also $1). i'm so into glass lately.

hogatha (aka: lizzie) is belly crawling towards me. she knows dinner maybe soon and she's excited. moses continues to ignore me unless i have food or pete's away. then he's all about me. hey - in case you didn't know, the flu is going around. make sure you wash your hands.