And Baby Makes Half A Dozen, So Far....

Our daughter Carrie had a healthy little boy this morning, our sixth grandchild, but the first boy born into the family in 30 years. My second child, Brad, has been surrounded by girls for those three decades, but seems to have thrived on it.

As for me, having grown up the second oldest of six brothers, with no sisters, it has been a wonderful adventure having so many daughters and granddaughters, but we are all excited about this baby boy. His name is Nico.

 

Here are some photos I’ve received this week of the other grandchildren, six and counting. Am I lucky or what?

Our little Sadie, just turned 2.

Brianne, Aspen and Callie, three wonderful little girls

Our Lucy, getting so big.

 

You Gotta Love Halloween, Even Though The Grandkiddies And Most Of The Kids Are A Thousand Miles Away

 

I love Halloween, and some of the girls have had a chance to celebrate earlier in the week. Here are photos, starting with Brianne and Callie (I think, anyway), dressed up for a pre-holiday party. Everyone was thrillered. Ha ha....

Lucy got two costumes, both adorable, a baterina and Hello Kitty, only cuter. Kelly made this one.

 

Baby Aspen in her Halloween jammies. Let's hope she is more alert tonight.

 

 

 

This just in: our little Sadie, cute as can be. She reminds me of that old saying, "I can't wait until tomorrow, because you get cuter every day." Am I right? 



 

Of course, here's me with my very own Purple English Teacher, heading off to class. Of course, she gets cuter every day, too. Woo hoo!

 

Am I lucky or what. Everybody have a fun, safe night.

A Labor Day Of Love

 

Our holiday weekend started with a trip to Mimi and Papa’s house for a Skype visit from Lucy. We got to spend 15 minutes with her and it was wonderful. She was so happy to see each of us. As we moved the laptop camera around to each person, she would squeal with delight and call out their names.

 

Unlike our unlucky friends who had to go boating or fishing or picnicking or to a baseball game or something dreadful like that, we got to spend 78 hours at the mall on Monday. Oh boy! It might have been less, but it seemed to make the long holiday weekend seem much, much longer.

 

One of the girls has a school dance coming up, and she has spent the past couple of weeks worrying about a dress and about who would ask her to go. She turned down one loser who asked by text message.

 

At the end of the night, she had her invitation – a balloon inside a balloon, tied to our front door. Interestingly, the boy put the surprise on a neighbor’s house by mistake, but luckily the neighbor knew her name and moved the invitation to our door. We didn’t settle on a dress, but at last, she had her prize.

 

And the other met up with an old friend….

Van Gogh Has Nothing On Us

Aubrey and Libby are the Self Portrait Queens, as is clear from their Facebook pages. However, looking for photos to support and illustrate this theory, I found plenty of evidence that they are not alone. It appears the skill or the need is in their genes….

Lydia and Sadie

Jessica and Sadie

Me and Uncle Dan

That's baby Lucy, long, long ago....

"What Kind Of Camera Do You Have" And Other Discourteous, Ill-Mannered, Insolent Questions

I’ve taken and sold lots of photographs, and even put myself through college taking pictures. I can’t count the number of times people have asked, “Ooooh, what kind of camera do you have?”

Why is that?

I’ve written and sold many dozens of stories and articles, even wrote a book or two, and no one has ever said, “Hey, nice article. What kind of word processor do you use?”

Why is that?

Aren’t photography and writing both forms of creative expression? Don’t both require technical skill enhanced and empowered by individual sensitivity and emotion and vision? Aren’t they both the result of perspective, of thought, even passion? Aren’t they both intimate and personal, and when done well, universal?

Aren’t they both, you know, Art?

So why is it that the one seems to be the result, perhaps the inevitable result, of mere equipment, while the other is not? Did anyone ever say, “Leonardo, that’s some picture – what kind of brushes you using?” or, “Michy, that David, it’s nice. What kind of chisel you do that with?”

I doubt it.

Is it just me? Has this happened to you?

What do you think?