Project 365 - January 30, 2010

Homework Again!


I started my advanced photography class this past week and we already have homework. The task was to do "Five Sets of Five." My teacher leaves most of the interpretation of that instruction up to us.

So I decided to not only shoot in black and white, but to do a progression of events that add up to a set of five.

Adina needed a haircut, so I decided to take a few shots in sequence and keep the best of the best. Shooting on manual, I had several factors working against me . . . florescent light, low light, slow shutter speed and lack of time.

So I shot about six to 10 shots of each of the events that I wanted to catch. Below is the end result of the fruits of my labor. It is only the first attempt at the assignment, but I will do more later.

Comments??

Project 365 - January 29, 2010

Friday Night Fun

Whenever Adina's friend, Rachel, comes over, they are always doing something creative that I want to photograph. This time they were putting on fake tattoos in the bathroom!










In this photo, they were posing with one of Adina's drawings. The drawing is actually of a woman that had posted this really dumb video on YouTube. Here is the link if you care to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYW6C44zo24

The drawing is pretty accurate, if you watch the video, I think you will agree!










This was the end result of Rachel's creativity. She is a silly girl!













Adina is taking an American Sign Language class in high school. So she made this shirt and is signing the gesture for the word, "What?" It is pretty much all that Adina asks these days because she doesn't really pay attention to conversations. However, this too shall pass. It is a 14 year old thing!

Project 365 - January 25, 2010

I am Now Married to a Senior Citizen

Oy vey, when did this happen? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was sitting in my bedroom at 25-37 Healy Avenue in Far Rockaway, with the red carpet, surrounded by my vinyl albums, hundreds of plants, my dog, Sam, and worrying if it was a good or bad hair day? Jump forward a few years and here I am celebrating Joel's 55th birthday! How did the time go so quickly? It really is amazing how many years I have known him. He was 13 maybe 14 when he moved from Flushing, Queens to Far Rockaway. We were friends for years. We didn't date until I was a senior in high school. That is 42 years!! Like I said . . . where did the time go?

However, we are still celebrating all the good times with our family and friends. Here are a few silly photos from Joel's birthday celebration.










My dad is in the spirit. Can't believe he will be 91 in a few weeks! He is as sharp as ever and can reduce me to a 15 year old emotionally in a heartbeat, and he knows it! But he was having fun here! I believe that Adina took this photo.










Lynn and Richard joined in the fun. If you see the computer on the table, that is because we were using Skype to include Rachel in the singing of "Happy Birthday" and the blowing out of the candles! I know, I know. We are so silly!











You can see the cake that Joel made for himself. I was going to do it, but he insisted. Who am I to argue?? He is the cook around here! Rachel is on the computer screen torturing her boyfriend, Noah!











And here is the blowing of the candles! Rachel ceremoniously joined in!!

Project 365 - January 8, 2010

I Can Be Comfy Anywhere

Newton can find the strangest place in the house to get comfortable. As I was reaching for my camera, I had bent down and lo and behold, I was eye to eye with my kitty. He had made himself at home on my newly cleaned out closet shelf of tee shirts. I thought he looked cute, so I snapped this.

Project 365 - January 6, 2010

Like Old Times

This reminded me of a typical school night when the girls were engrossed in whatever they were doing . . . homework, chatting with friends on Facebook . . . messy room! However, Rachel was still on vacation and Adina had already returned to school. So the situation was a bit different, but their relationship hasn't changed a bit. I took these photos like a fly on the wall because I didn't want to disturb the moment. If you look in the mirror you can see Rachel's reflection. I didn't plan that, but I like the result.

Project 365 - January 3, 2010

It's a Family Affairs

A family outing is rare these days. So when we are all together, we try to doing something fun and wholesome. There was a art festival taking place along Las Olas Blvd. in downtown Fort Lauderdale all weekend, so we jumped into the car and headed down there . . . as a family!

It was one of the coldest days, but we bundled up in sweatshirts and drank hot coffee and tried to stay in the sun. I was in my glory going from booth to booth, taking to the artists, looking at their art, mostly the photographers. I am trying to get ideas of framing and alternate ways of printing out images. One that I really liked was to print onto metal. It gives the photos a sheen that I really like and then you don't need a frame!

These photos were taken throughout the morning and then as we were headed back to the car.

Project 365 - January 16, 2010

Saturday

Saturday is always a time for us to do silly things. We picked up Adina at her girlfriend's house and then we went to the Tower Shoppes in Davie to walk around. It is an outdoor shopping area, bigger than a strip mall. We went from store to store doing silly stuff. First we played with the puppies, kittens and birds. This really pretty bird insisted on sitting on my arm. There were two birds in the cage but the other one only wanted to bite me so I stayed far away from that one.

Then we went into Bath and Bodyworks and tried all the creams so that we didn't smell like animals anymore.

Then we went into Ross and tried on weird hats. I thought that Adina looked quite attractive in this one! Very practical for the 80 degree weather that has returned to South Florida once again!

Project 365 - January 13, 2010

Mid-Week Fun




Grace is not a social animal. However, the house is still chilly from the 14 straight days of unseasonable weather and she crawled up onto Joel's lap and he really didn't believe it because she is NOT a lap cat at all! So he sent me this photo!

After work Adina and I went out for dinner and to Target to get a couple of things. She decided to spend some of her well-earned money on this really cute dress! When my eccentric daughter wants to wear a dress, I really think something is happening in the universe! But then, of course, she makes it her own style with the red tights and the sneakers!!

Project 365 - January 11, 2010

Avatar


I know that this looks like an image from an ad for the movie Avatar, but it is actually a drawing that was done by Adina. She used oil crayons (Cray Pas -- if I am spelling that right). I just couldn't believe how good it looks. And I was watching her create this, so I am not exaggerating. She did this freehand! I just love her talent.

Project 365 - January 10, 2010

Another Typical Sunday

Last day of my vacation. What to do? Go food shopping with Joel, clean house, wash hair, do nails, then what?

I was ready to return to work after two weeks off. But of course, it is a short week because Friday is the first Furlough Day and then the following Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday so we will have a four day weekend. Not bad really!











We went to Doris' Italian Market. They have interesting products there like frozen rabbit.











and frozen lamb head. What do you do with a lamb's head?? Stew??











And of course, Newton can make himself comfy wherever! It doesn't matter if it is a crevice where the drawer is or a cushy chair in the living room!
























And dinner was an Italian feast of four different types of ravioli. The Kaplan's joined us too. Both Lynn and I took the same photo to send to our college kids!! They both had the same reaction, "wish I were there."

Project 365 - January 9, 2010

Back to Normal

So with Rachel back to Indiana and Adina at a debate tournament that lasted all day and most of the evening, Joel and I had plenty of time to do whatever.

So we filled our time. In the afternoon we went to a holiday party for my Cultural Information Center volunteers. It was held downtown at Briney's Pub. We had about 35 people there and I got to see one of my former employees. I actually had to lay him off due to the reduction in force (as the County calls it). However, that same week he got a job as a history teacher at a private high school! So I was pleased for him.

In the evening we went to not one . . .but two events! The first was a wine tasting event at the Kaplan's house. The second was a birthday party for my photography teacher. He threw himself a party at Timpano's on Las Olas Blvd. We really had a full day and lots of fun.

It was a VERY cold day for us. The temperatures really never got warmer than the 40s and I took a photo of the temperature gauge on my car to prove it! It wa 39 degrees at about 7 p.m.!!!











Once Rachel got back to the dorm, she rearranged the furniture because her roommate dropped out of school so for now, Rachel has a single room. We are sure it won't last, but she is enjoying it while it lasts! According to this photo, looks like she made herself right at home!!










Here is actual proof of the temperature!!










And, here is Richard telling stories about each of the 20 wines placed on the table in front of him. He talked so long that I didn't get to taste any of them because we were off to the birthday party!! Oh well. Next time!

Project 365 - January 8, 2010

Sweet Goodbyes

Once again we traveled to the airport so that Rachel can return to Indiana. It is always a bittersweet moment when we are happy that she is going back to college, she is doing so well with her studies and on the newspaper and at the Foundation office. But we miss her around here and during the holidays we got used to her being here. She was here for three weeks!

But, of course, the Leshinskys make a fun event out of day! These are the photos as we were saying good bye and watching her go through the security. Of course, as soon as she got to the terminal she was calling and texting me! Gotta love technology!!!

Project 365 - January 7, 2010

Miscellaneous

My Dad took us out to dinner because Rachel was leaving on Friday. We went to Outback and had a very nice time. We talked and laughed and ate and drank and just had a nice family outing.

The girls were silly too. After this sweet photo, they ended up wrestling and we had to yell at them to stop!

The second photo is where Rachel is headed on Friday! This is Lafayette, Indiana at the home of her boyfriend. He took a photo of the snow and sent it to her! It is pretty, but I am still glad to be living in South Florida!

Project 365 - January 6, 2010

BRRRRRR



Snow and ice in Florida?? Yup! It was a very strange beginning to the new year and decade. A polar blast from the north blew into our area and dropped the temperatures to a very unseasonable 35 degrees! This is Joel's car and I scratched the date onto the roof and back window. This is what I moved south to get away from!

However, it is fun to complain about it because we know that won't last long and before long it will be in the 70s and 80s and we will have the humidity to complain about!!

Project 365 - January 4, 2010

Off on an Adventure

So Adina had to go back to school today but Rachel was still home from college until Friday. So we decided to go to the zoo in Palm Beach. It was still about 40 degrees and windy, but to Rachel, that was spring!! For me, well, lets just say that I had to wear several layers of clothing, a scarf and gloves!! I know, I know, what happened to the girl who used to live in New York and play in the snow for hours??











This first photo is an anteater. Not sure if you can actually see anything because my sweet, younger child decided to take my memory card out of my Nikon camera and never returned it, AND DIDN'T TELL ME!!! So I told Rachel to take photos with her new Cool Pix camera. Well, she took about three photos before she realized that Adina took her memory card too! Oh well. So we just snapped away with the Blackberry!!










I actually took this same photo two years ago when I took the girls this zoo on spring break!











Albino Aligator!










We went to a cute little restaurant in Lake Worth along the beach. Then I made Rachel pose for me. She was FREEZING here because the wind was really blowing hard. I wanted to walk on the sand but she refused because she was wearing flip flops! What is wrong with my child??













And this photo was taken in an antique shop along Lake Avenue. We wandered for a couple of hours up and down the street. It was fun and then we took the long way home along Federal Highway.

Truly, it didn't matter what we did, but we spent a lot of time together and just chatted away like girlfriends.

Project 365 - January 3, 2010

Just Because



So you ask, "Why?" So did I. But there really is no answer here other than, "Just Because."

My daughter is always looking for creative ways to do things artfully. She has this really nice plastic chair that we bought her last year at Ikea. She decided to cover the chair with florescent colored duct tape.

Like I said, don't ask. It isn't worth it. Just go with the flow here. There are larger battles in life to fight!

Project 365 - January 2, 1010

Homemade is Always Better




For Rachel's 19th birthday, Joel and I decided to make her a strawberry shortcake! It was fairly easy to make! She and Joel LOVE this type of cake. As for me . . . well, if it isn't chocolate, I can take it or leave it. But I was very impressed with the end result! It looked and tasted great and Rachel loved it too. So did my Dad and Elaine and Michael!

The fun part was making the whipped cream! I think we had more all over us than on the cake!