Monthly Archives: May 2016

Vintage––Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge, Week 17

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Pisco is a  brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling grape wine into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th century Spanish settlers as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain. Hopefully, the term “vintage” still applies, since somewhere along the line it was wine!  I viewed the process in Peru. I still have a bottle I’ve been saving. Hope it is still good.

https://hughsviewsandnews.com/2016/05/31/hughs-weekly-photo-challenge-week-27-vintage/

Circus

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This is a piece I did a few years ago entitled “The Circus.”  It deals with that part of us that wants to run away and join the circus.  The porcelain doll has my mother’s face superimposed on it.  Over my mother’s face, I put several layers of Frida Kahlo’s face, peeled off in varying degrees.  Over Frida’s face is a miniature antique paste mask that can be pulled aside or allowed to fall into place.  In her hands are a tiny pair of silver scissors and around her waist is a tiny bag woven of morning glory vines.  She rises out of a toy chest decorated with Loteria cards.  On the chair to her left is a small clown figure with wings.  He is painting a portrait of Frida. Many discarded portraits of her lie crumpled and discarded on the floor. They are all the same. Below him are circus animals and a juggler who have spilled from the pages of a tiny journal that has a story written inside about creativity, sides of the brain, intuition vs. reason and imitation vs. unique inspiration. The overall piece is about the importance of coming from a unique place in ourselves rather than depending upon judgement and imitation. For me, the purpose of art is that experience of going into new realms of ourselves—to allow ourselves to do what most of us couldn’t do when we were young—to run away to join the circus!

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/circus/

Frangipani (Plumeria)––Flower of the Day, May 31, 2016

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This is the tree I asked Pasiano to cut down twice six months ago, when it was in its messy dormant stage where it was dropping all its leaves to stand ugly and gray beside the pool.  I guess I’m glad he didn’t, but may change my mind when it is once again flowerless and leafless!

https://ceenphotography.com/2016/05/30/flower-of-the-day-may-31-2016-sunlit-rose/

India Shot Bloom: Flower of the Day May 30, 2016

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Since a few people commented on the India Shot seeds yesterday, I thought I’d take a photo of the one bloom I found on the plant today:

The India Shot is a lily closely related to the canna–the yellow spotted flower that has grown in abundance in my lower garden since before I bought the house.  The India Shot I introduced, not realizing it was even in the same family.  I like to think I brought the seed from my garden in the states, but I don’t think I did. Ah well, I brought the memories of it with me.  The Indian army once actually used the very hard seeds of this plant as shot when they ran out of ammo.  It is said that people picked up the used shot, planted it, and it grew even after being fired from a gun!  I love plants with stories.  Love anything with a story, as a matter of fact.

Go here to see the interesting seed pod and “shot” seed for this flower: https://judydykstrabrown.com/2016/05/30/indian-shot-flower-of-the-day-may-30-3016/

Flower of the Day – May 30, 2016 – Iris

Blankety Blank

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Blankety Blank

I’ve no one but myself to thank
for this prison cell so small and dank,
for when I went to rob that bank,
the truth is, if I’m being frank,
I was a doofus––a real wank.
In short, my planning really stank.
For when my gun I chanced to yank
to use against that man of rank
who challenged me as feckless crank,
my confident demeanor sank;
for I fear I drew a blank!

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The prompt today was “Blank.”    https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/blank/

Spare

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From a spare black dog to a spare cookie, sparing is ok ok.  Be sure to bring your spare junk over to Jan and she’ll make something  else wonderful out of it.  Spare petals from my Poinsettia tree collect on bird of paradise mega leaves. The landscape may be spare, but there is always beauty there—like this lovely little cactus or the lone bird in the blue sky.

 

And a spare dog dish can’t hurt, either!

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/spare/

Indian Shot: Flower of the Day, May 30, 3016

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I love this Indian Shot flower in its two stages of going to seed.

I did a second posting for “Flower of the Day” today because I wanted to show the flower of this seed pod for those who have never seen it.  I took this one yesterday, but today just one flower had opened up so I did a new shoot!  Go here to see it:

https://judydykstrabrown.com/2016/05/30/india-shot-bloom-flower-of-the-day-may-30-2016/

 

You must see Cee’s pinstriped Iris. Definitely best of show: https://ceenphotography.com/2016/05/29/flower-of-the-day-may-30-2016-iris/

Wild Hair Day––Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge 2016, Week 22

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I love this shot of Yoli’s hair in the lake breeze!!!

 

https://ceenphotography.com/2016/05/29/cees-odd-ball-photo-challenge-2016-week-22/

Golden Shower Tree––Flower of the Day May 29, 2016

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I couldn’t reisist three more shots of the “Lluvia de Oro” or Golden Shower Tree.  The sun was right today and they are so exotic up close.

https://ceenphotography.com/2016/05/28/flower-of-the-day-may-29-2016-peony/

Orderly

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Fulfilling Order

How does one get orderly?  I fear I must confess
the only way to get  there is by first making a mess!
Since I have put this off for years, the fault is all my own.
Procrastinatiion is a fault for which I must atone.

I sort the photos into piles by topics or by years––
photographs of family and landscapes and my peers.
I wish my album stuffing were not in such arrears.
They’ll take a month to organize, or now it so appears.

I locate half-filled albums  and plastic sleeves and pages.
It seems I haven’t filed a single photograph for ages.
I try to be most organized and get them into line,
then fall into reflection of the lives of me and mine.

I have company coming and a meal that I must cook.
I’ll find the table easier to clear if I don’t look,
but oh that slumber party that the boys decided to crash
and all those tame adventures where we thought we were so rash.

Who knew that all this sorting would lead to this great mess?
and yet I am enjoying it.  Who would ever guess
that sorting under pressure would still lead me to this?
Memories of parties, of camp and that first kiss.

Sixty-seven years of life all spread out on my table.
I’ll clear them all by nightfall, then cook if I am able.
Too bad the nearest Colonel Sanders is so far away,
or I would save the cooking for another day.


One “find” in the thousands of photos I have yet to stow away in the headboard filing cabinet of my bed that has been recently cleared of poems was these photos of the night John Kuckleberg and Doug Tedrow raided our slumber party.

PJ’s!!!!!

This was not as racy as it looks. The fellas were there before the shortie pajamas were donned, and by the looks of it, boys danced with boys and girls with girls.  The fish, by the way, were plastic ones from my dad’s den in the next room. There has been some progress since the 7th and 8th grade party. Looks like I’d tiled the floor, my sister Patti and I had painted the walls and she had painted a somewhat strange mural of a man leaning against a cactus to take a siesta. I think this was my junior  year. The ceiling had not yet been installed by my dad and me! It must have been Rita’s birthday as we seem to have been giving her a spank for each year.

The prompt for today was “Orderly”   https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/orderly/