A Fancy Colorful Flight

My friend Donna stopped by the other day to show me her new feathered buddy. He was quite entertaining and very loving. You have to be around a bird for a bit before their personality becomes readily apparent, but they do have one all their own. There are some interesting things that come through my office.

photo blues

Lugging my new Canon XSi to the Grand Rivers Community Center on Saturday evening was no mean feat. Camera strapped around my neck, purse slung around my neck and my hands full (as usual) I dragged all into the line forming for the spaghetti dinner.

$5 for dinner, what a deal! Many of our local residents were present. Some were already sitting down to what turned out to be a pretty good meal. I unloaded my camera, coat, purse at the first chance and joined BCD in line.

Just as we got to the front of the very slow line, the good volunteers ran out of noodles. No matter, I'll just eat sauce say I. Cup of sauce and a piece of homemade cake in hand I trapse back to our seats.

We really enjoyed visiting with friends and listening to the jam session by local musicians. Some of the musicians had never played together. Everyone playing and helping to serve were volunteering their time raising money to purchase needed tables for the community center.

Which was the reason I dragged the camera with me, the heavy camera with the big lens, to take photos of the event, the friends and the volunteers. Finished with my sauce, I roped the camera around my neck and began to mill around, looking all the while like a big city reporter. Yeah, right.

Snap! May I take your photo? Great, snap! I took pictures of everyone. Some posed for me, some did not. When I arrived back at my table, I took a few photos of our friends Mike and Debbie. I asked Mike to take one of me. Snap! Great shot, let's see it!

I turned the view option on. Nothing. No photos. The error message said: No digital memory card installed. Arrrrggghhh!

Collectors Anonymous

Some people collect things like buttons or cigarette lighters.

I've been collecting digital files. It started when I began learning desk top publishing with clip art, that led into photographs. Other people's photos purchased from stock photography companies online. Some of them I actually used for print advertising. Some of them I just liked. Filed away never to be seen again. Lately I've been collecting embroidery designs. Lots of 'em. I'll probably never use them, but I have collected them.

My hobby/side-business is embroidery. I love color, rich colors, all kinds of colors. Color in photos, color in fabrics and especially brilliant sheen thread colors. Embroidery is an extension of the colors, adding colors to fabrics, painting thread pictures. Actually, I really like fabric embellishment of any sort. Adding something of value with color. For instance, you can take an inexpensive sweatshirt and make something of worth by adding embellishments and embroidery. Very cool.

But embroidery is the latest avenue in which I am able to feed my obsession with collecting digital files. I'm especially fond of free ones. Do you think I would be alone in a Collectors Anonymous group?

By the way, I just read some of those buttons in the photo above. Not really my taste or philosophy. Just goes to show you, one should be more picky when choosing digital files to collect.

Show Me The Way

Ole Sexy Sadie's voice guided us all the way to Chicago in June through the miracle of Garmin. BCD and I went to Chicago in June to visit our son Ben, first time. We borrowed a Garmin from friend Mike and the thing made the trip a breeze. We named the voice coming from the Garmin box, Sexy Sadie. She told us every turn to make, even when to back up and start again. I want one. Coke is running a contest this summer, you just enter the numbers from the red caps (mine are red because I drink Diet Coke) and then enter into a sweepstakes of your choosing. I chose the Travel sweepstakes because they are offering a Garmin. I want to win that thing. The contest closes on the 30th and I am faithfully entering numbers till the very end. I guess if I don't win one I'll have to break down and buy one before the next trip. It's been a challenging contest and I'll feel victorious no matter the outcome for having played the game.