Category Archives: Uncategorized

The photography adventure continues

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Friday, I saw an email from my photography professor in my inbox. He was very encouraging and complimentary for the work I’d done for his online class since January. He liked how I followed assignments and learned techniques. But he said that even with my hard work, if my photography hadn’t improved, he wouldn’t be giving me the following opportunity:

A workshop for advanced students which is by permission only.

Yikes. I had a zoom call with him Saturday to find out more details. It sounds intense, but I’m going for it. It starts in the fall. We have individual projects, a group final project, zoom calls and visits to galleries and art museums.

I’m the only student invited to the class from Intro to Photography. He said there are five other students in the workshop including one who has taken it one time and a person who has taken it for seven years. He said everyone is very encouraging and regardless what level they are at, everyone is learning and wanting to improve.

We will be sharing our work through zoom calls as well as making presentations. I will need to learn to use Adobe Photoshop — photo editing is allowed. The professor gave me a few more tips on Saturday including turning VR on my lenses (vibration reduction) for hand held photos.

I told him I was somewhat intimidated because I came into this class without knowing much. I was a clean slate. He said that was good, because I didn’t have preconceived ideas and was open to learning. As an adult returning student, he said I have more knowledge and the ability to manage my time perhaps better than a young student would.

I have to say I was not expecting this! I think it will be exciting to learn and improve my photography skills some more. It will also be interesting to see what others are working on. That was one thing in having a strictly online class I missed. I never talked to another student or saw their work. I’m looking forward to learning from the other five students.

I hope the photography community will be as welcoming as my blogging one.

Any thoughts on my choice to go forward with this new adventure?

A week of saying “NO”

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I had a quick visit by a Harris’s Hawk the other day. I was writing an article for my HOA newsletter about Harris Hawks and my proofreading newsletter partner told me it’s Harris’s Hawks. It doesn’t seem grammatically correct, but I looked it up and that’s what it is.

I had a super busy week with an upcoming charity event that I’m responsible for creating the program plus all publicity. Then there’s the aforementioned HOA newsletter plus my photography reading and assignment.

I also had lots of social activities including traveling to a wedding this weekend, luncheons with speakers, my weekly zoom call and dinner out with friends.

So, to preserve my sanity and to do my work I started saying “No” to lots of social stuff. I realized I didn’t need to spend hours at luncheons listening to speakers. I didn’t have to sit for two hours on the zoom call. I did say yes to going out to dinner, since it was an early bday dinner. Our friends will be on vacation during my actual date of birth.

By saying “No” a few times, I got work done and I could breathe.

Here are some fun facts about Harris’s Hawks:

These social and intelligent raptors are known for their remarkable behaviors and unique characteristics.

Harris’s Hawks have dark brown plumage, with reddish-brown feathers on the wings and upper thighs. The upper tail coverts are almost black with a white rump and a white band on the tail. When viewed from underneath, the inner wings and underwing coverts are reddish-brown.

They are 18 to 23 inches long. They weight from 18 to 30 ounces.

Their wingspan is 40 to 47 inches.

Harris’s Hawks live in the United States and Mexico, but migrate to South America for the winter. Their migration is driven by the need for prey items, such as small mammals or reptiles, which cannot survive harsh northern winters.

Their diet consists of large insects, small mammals such as squirrels, desert cottontail, and mice. They may also prey on larger animals like great blue herons, jackrabbits, young wild turkeys, quail, or doves when opportunities arise.

In the wild, their lifespan is 10 to 12 years. 

 Harris’s Hawks possess excellent color vision, which is one of the best among animals. Their vision is so sharp that they can perceive details and colors, making them efficient hunters.

Young Harris’s Hawks typically remain with their parents for up to three years, forming strong family bonds and learning valuable hunting skills during this time.

When do you say no?

Book Review: “Daughters of Shandong”

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I’m on a roll of reading good books! Don’t you love that when it happens?

A few weeks ago I finished “Demon Copperhead” and I asked for book ideas HERE.

I got a good list, plus got more ideas from my friends who share books during our monthly lunch. Also, my dear friend from Santa Barbara calls me whenever she finishes a book she loves.

So why did I like “Daughter’s of Shandong?” I am a fan of books about China and the dramatic changes when Mao took over. It’s both frightening and fascinating how evil people can be to each other. “Red Scarf Girl” is one such book which is a YA autobiography by Ji-li Jiang. It’s about her life during the Cultural Revolution as a child. It’s another book I recommend as well as books by Lisa See.

It’s hard to fathom in our comfortable, easy lives how the characters in “Daughters of Shandong” survived so much hardship. Here’s the text from Amazon:

In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother—abused by the family for failing to birth a boy—finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.

Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family’s crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.

From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they’ve known also comes new freedom—to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.

Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.

At the end of the book is an author’s note that really touched me. It added so much depth to the entire novel. This is a debut novel and the author is so talented. Here’s bit about the author from Amazon:

About the author

Eve J. Chung is a Taiwanese American lawyer and women’s human rights specialist. She has worked on a range of issues, including torture, sexual violence, contemporary forms of slavery, and discriminatory legislation. Her writing is inspired by social justice movements, and the continued struggle for equality and fundamental freedoms worldwide. She currently lives in New York with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Have you read “Daughter of Shandong? If so what was your opinion of it?

How about “Red Scarf Girl or books by Lisa See?

Here Comes the Sun!

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pool photo with fountain and fake alligator
My backyard pool view complete with fake gator.

After a cold few months — I guess that’s why it’s called Winter — a bit of warmth from the sun has returned.

It’s the first time I’ve been able to sit in the backyard by the pool in months. We were having highs in the 40s but now it’s in the 70s. It’s still cold at night, but what a treat to take a break in the sun.

I’m having a time with an upcoming fundraiser where I’m contacting magazines, newspaper, radio and TV to drum up coverage with the hope to sell tickets. I’ve started the dreaded tax prep. I have an HOA newsletter due. I have a board meeting to review our progress on the fundraiser…

Then there’s my photography class. Each Monday morning the professor posts a new module which includes reading what he’s posted, plus the textbook, and learning the basics of how my camera works. Then there are quizzes. We haven’t gotten into the fun stuff yet. But to be fair, it’s only week two.

I’m worried I won’t make my deadlines or be able to finish my tasks. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and stayed awake. I turned on Audible with “Travels with Charley” by John Steinbeck. It was somewhat calming, but the story and writing is so beautiful I wanted to listen rather than fall asleep! I’m not finished with this book, but I highly recommend it. Steinbeck travels across the country to discover America with his poodle Charley. His observations about different areas are intriguing.

I’m also reading the “Daughter’s of Shandong” that I heard about from one of my blogger friends. In any case, taking a few minutes to be warmed in the sun, reading, is saving me!

What is your go to to control stress when life gets too busy?

Who was your favorite Beatle? Hint: Mine wrote this song.

A Classic

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Remember the Monte Cristo sandwich? I went to a cooking class Friday and the menu included a Monte Cristo, salad and Harvey Wallbanger cake. This is a Monte Cristo I made at home for hubby and me. The class was held at Sweet Basil Culinary Center.

A neighbor who is president of the charity I’m involved with invited me to a second cooking class. Unlike the first one, where pairs of us were given assigned recipes to prepare, this class was called “Lunch and Learn.” That meant we sat and watched a demonstration and then ate lunch. It was fun and relaxing with no pressure.

I remembered Monte Cristo sandwiches from my younger days. They were popular and on many restaurant menus. Then they disappeared. Poof!

After eating two Monte Cristo sandwiches in two days, I figured out why the sandwiches are no long en vogue. Our dietary tastes have changed. It’s not a sandwich for light eaters. It’s on white bread with mayo, ham, turkey and cheese, dipped in egg and milk batter and fried in butter — the original ones were deep fried! Then sprinkled with powdered sugar and a dash of raspberry preserves. I could feel the sugar rush through my brain while the cholesterol roared through my veins.

At the class, they served an amazing salad that was light and citrusy and made a perfect contrast to the heavy sandwich. The Harvey Wallbanger cake (another blast from the past) was moist and delicious, but I could only manage a few bites. They served the cake in baby bundts, one for each student.

Here’s the salad recipe:

FYI, the instructor said the salad dressing keeps for up to two weeks in the fridge. It was really good. I plan on making some today.

What foods do you remember as being popular that we don’t often see anymore at home or in restaurants?

My mom used to make Oyster Stew and Liverwurst Sandwiches — haven’t seen either of those since my childhood.

Christmas Party Time

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Look at this charcuterie and appetizers!

Last week, after my encounter with a pack of coyotes, I had to get dressed up for a Christmas party. If you missed the coyote post, it’s HERE.

I was kind of worn out, stressed, and not feeling up to it. But we were driving another couple from our neighborhood, so there was no backing out.

It was a Christmas/Holiday party for my charitable group that raises funds for a residential facility that helps rescued sex-trafficked women return to a “normal” life. I’ve written about The Dream Center HERE.

One of our members opened her home for the party. It was catered and I have to share the beautiful display of hors d’oeuvres and her Christmas decorations.

Dessert.

This is the other side of the island with more delicious food and gorgeous decorations.

I wish I would have taken photos of her backyard. You can see the photo above, how the glass doors disappear into the wall. The hostess and her husband are Italian and their backyard looks like a Roman style garden. It was a beautiful evening with friends.

The hostess had a surprise for us:

Dickens Christmas Carolers!

The party put me in the holiday spirit. I’m so looking forward to Christmas this year with my children and daughter-in-law.

When have you not wanted to go somewhere and it turned out to be better than expected?

What puts you in a Christmas/Holiday spirit?

Black Friday

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A cactus in bloom last May.
A cactus in bloom last spring.

Black Friday is an interesting day for me. When I was 20 years old, home for Thanksgiving weekend, I drove from our town of Snohomish, Wash. to Bothell to hear a band play at a grange hall. I was with two high school girlfriends, Mary and Rebecca, who were sisters.

People in the band were friends. My goal was to ask one of the guys in the band to our sorority dance. It was a Tolo type of dance, where the girl asked the boy.

We parked across the street. Rebecca was stopping cars on the busy highway so we could cross. I froze in the headlights and held onto the hood of Rebecca’s parka, when a pick up truck came racing toward us.

The truck hit us both.

I bounced onto the hood, shattered the windshield and landed 35 feet on the other side. I was on the highway lying in a pool of blood with tires driving by — inches from my face.

Thank goodness for Mary, who wasn’t hit and watched it all happen. She called the ambulance and I was off to Evergreen Hospital for a few weeks. Rebecca refused to be admitted and lost a kidney later.

This is another one my memories of Thanksgiving week that isn’t so great. Our dear friend died Thanksgiving 2021. Kitty died Sunday and then I have the memory of getting hit by a truck.

But one of the unexpected outcomes of that Black Friday was gratitude. Yes, there was pain. Months of not walking. I had to come home from college for a quarter.

My priorities in life profoundly changed.

Waiting in the hospital bed for a physical therapist to show up, I realized my two strong desires. To walk again and be able to go to the bathroom. I no longer cared about losing five pounds. I didn’t care about the latest fashion. I didn’t care about grades.

Life is precious. And I appreciate every moment.

What life changing moment have you experienced where your priorities changed?