A little experiment

Playing with gradient maps on this glass of wholesome milk.

Trying out Live Writer

Here I am, 11 months into the blog experience, and I have just discovered a new tool that might make the last month of posting easier – Windows Live Writer. I’m composing in a window outside of Blogger. When I’m finished, the entire post will appear on my blog.

Here is a cool map of the Microsoft campus, inserted with one of the Live Writer tools.

I think I may try this for the rest of my blog posts. It’s a free download from Microsoft.

Time for a snack?

Pumpkin spice cake. Very seasonal. Very delicious.

November trees

Count carefully...there are eight.

It's all Greek to me

Actually, this production of "Medea" was quite well done, if a little creepy. After all, how many shows do YOU know where the lead character kills her kids??

The waning days of autumn

This forest preserve path is strewn with faded leaves.

One goes with the other...

If you're going to have coin operated machines, you probably also need one of these.

Brownie Batter Blizzard

Say THAT three times, fast!

Even in November, this DQ frozen treat hits the spot!

Treasures

I was fortunate to have my grandparents until I was in my mid-40s. When my grandfather passed away, I asked for his large dictionary, a well-thumbed volume gifted to him from my grandmother before I was born. He instilled in me a love for wordplay - crossword puzzles, Scrabble, puns.

One keepsake from my grandmother is this lovely tea cup. As a child, I can remember her hosting bridge parties. We grandkids were shooed off to other areas of the house, and these special cups were brought out for her guests.

They may not hold much monetary value, but these heirlooms are priceless to me.

I admit it...I'm hooked.

I've never been much of a gamer, but this Pop-Cap activity has become my new obsession.



Want to try it? Here's the link.

Can you guess the nursery rhyme?

(Processing is from a technique learned at the Photoshop Down & Dirty workshop in Chicago).

One, two, buckle my.....

These police-issue handcuffs are just the kind of fastener needed for unruly offenders.



Thanks to my faculty colleague for loaning me these long enough to snap a photo of them!

PS: Ellen...how'd you know I was going to post this?? (comment from yesterday). You must be psychic, girl! :-D

They have to start somewhere...

Before young police officers can bring their stories to the halls of justice, they first must finish their schooling. At my college, our Criminal Justice program is very popular.

A better mousetrap?

The mechanism on this model indicates if the trap is set. Mouse walks in, the floor tips, closing the door behind him.

Button, button, who's got the button?

Idle hands are the devil's playground

...so they say. Idle hands probably look a whole lot better than mine, however. An afternoon of yardwork, followed by an evening of wall-painting left my nails a mess.

Big entertainment...small package

The controls on the face of my Zune. The whole device is about the size of a deck of cards, only thinner. Amazing.

Why can't they "leave" me alone?

It's Saturday morning. Can you guess my big chore for the day??

Who'da thunk it?

Even though the heat is switched off, my electronic thermostat displays the comfy indoor temperature at 10:00 at night....in northern Illinois...in November...

I'm thankful for these little blessings!

Take a walk on the wild side

We visited many wild places this summer, but one of the most desolate was the Frying Pan wilderness area in Capitol Reef National Park. We hiked the 5 miles from our campsite to Cassidy Arch (pictured on this blog back in June). This image was taken from a vista above the canyon area during a rest stop after we'd crossed through the worst of it. When we left camp, temps were in the low 70s, but the warm air was trapped in the canyon, elevating the temperatures. There was very little shade, and it was slow going.



This next image shows part of our trail. We hiked for about a mile through Cohab Canyon, climbing up to and over a pass in the "vee" at the back of the photo, then down, down, down into Frying Pan. In the lower right corner of the photo, we began climbing out, resting where this picture was snapped. Enlarge the image to see arrows tracing our route. From the point of the vee to where this picture was taken, it was about 3 miles. We still had another hot, arid mile to go to reach the arch.



It was beautiful, but more fun to think back on than to actually do!

Major ouch??

Jon, who is a technical theater teacher, recently went to a theatrical makeup workshop. He both aged himself and made himself look as though he sustained some injuries. Before he showered off his handiwork, I snapped his photo.

Shall I eat the cracked corn or the sunflower seeds?

This blue jay seems to be thinking, "With all these goodies on my table, I'm not sure where to start!"



(OK, so it's a stretch...but I liked the photo and couldn't fit it into any other theme)

Cousin Mia takes a nap

Mia's mom covered her to shield her from the light and hubbub of a family gathering during a nap. As she lay sleeping, the only part of her that was visible was a tiny foot.

Cousin Mia

Is there anything as soft as a baby's skin?

He says, "Son, can you play me a memory?"

Perhaps, if I hit the right notes.

Built Ram tough...

The symbol of Dodge motor company.

Is it live, or is it Memorex?

Guest photographer alert!

At a recent visit to a pumpkin farm, Jon took a photo of some squash the farmer had on display. Each squash was decorated with a pair of eyes. In Photoshop Elements, he later had fun with the image, adding and distorting some "squash chickens" to make the photo more appealing. Before you scroll down to see the original, can you tell which squash in the photo are real (the original) and which are artificial (cloned in)??

Squash Chickens


(Scroll down to see the original)

The "eyes" have it

I have many self-portraits of my partner Jon and me (you know the kind...tuck your heads together, extend your arm as far as it goes, say "cheese" and hope for the best). Here's a glimpse of one...

Shave and a haircut, two bits

Razor sharp...

On your mark...get set....go!

I used to participate in local running races - mostly 1 mile to 5K - and won a few awards for finishing in the top of my age group. These sit in a little pile on one of my office bookcases. I had to dust them before taking their picture. (Where's that blushing smiley when you need it?)

Used a little Topaz Buzz Simplify to tone down the glare from the shiny parts.

Thinking about Thanksgiving

In a moment of (insanity??) generosity, I volunteered to cook the Thanksgiving turkey for the gathering that is traditionally held at the home of one of Jon's many relatives. I haven't cooked any poultry larger than a grilled chicken breast in years. To get ready for this endeavor (which will occur the day before...and should I have a trial turkey before that???) I had to purchase some new cookery. At least that part was fun!