Shapes: Underfoot

This is a Reflexology Foot Path. In Reflexology, massaging certain portions of your feet has beneficial effects in different areas of your body, somewhat like acupuncture without the needles. The path uses different sizes and shapes of stones to do the massage as you walk the path barefoot. I don't know that I would particularly want to walk the portion on the left side of the photo--it appears painful just looking at it!! I like the path for the patterns that are laid out and the different types of stones used.
A couple of manhole covers from last week at my DD's outside of NYC. The light snow in the 2nd really emphasized the design.

Shapes: just for fun

Aren't these the coolest things? They had them at Le Tarzhay Boutique (aka Target) and I couldn't resist. They bounce, and have lights that come on when the balls hit something hard. I LOVE the colors and the way they intertwine.

This didn't turn out like I would've preferred, but I was trying to hold the lid and take the photo at the same time, trying to keep things lined up... Ya learn something every day... Next time, have someone ELSE hold the lid!

Shapes: Circles, Balls, and Lights

This is for Jewells----as you can see, I am hooked! (A screen capture is tricky! An awful lot of unintended visual texture shows up...)
These balls are in front of our Target store. I was out there just before opening the other day, taking this photo, when one of the employees came out and asked me several times if she could help me. What--an old lady, in a dress, taking a photo, looks like a terrorist??? HA! I know she thought I was slightly "out of focus"...
Thought these lamps in Target were interesting. Lots of cool shapes going on, but I sure wouldn't want one in my home and have to dust it!!!

Shapes 3: Chihuly Glass

I love blown glass. When I was a kid, there was a glass blower in the little town near our summer cottage, and I got to buy a couple of blown glass animals every year. Part of the treat was watching him blow the glass and form the animals--fascinating.
Moving out to Seattle was like hitting paydirt, with Dale Chihuly and the Pilchuck School. I love love Chihuly's work--so vibrant and fluid and organic. These are from a shopping mall near me; I love the chandelier. It is three separate layers of all these colorful explosions of shapes and forms.


The green is from a water feature on the ground floor--several of the reed/grass type green pieces come up out of the water. Behind them is a 3 story piece of clear glass that has water sheeting down it, which gives the other pieces of glass sculptures behind the glass a really other-wordly look. Anyway, I LOVE Chiculy's work and want to get down to Tacoma to go to his Museum of Glass and see what else will blow me away.

Shapes 2

This is a detail from the Ugliest Building Ever To Be Built, AKA the Experience Music Project in Seattle. It looks like a gigantic soft drink can that someone stepped on. HOWEVER, the details are awesome!! Depending on the weather and the light, it can look completely different each time you look at it. The shape doesn't improve, unfortunately.
Part of a decorative fence in downtown Seattle. Love the curves and curls--such a change from what you expect in a wrought iron fence.
And--this is so cool. This is a wall in the Seattle aquarium--I LOVE the sinuous shapes and curves and lines, and the way they catch the light and shadows.

Finally, these are for Sara, who said she wanted to see the elk in my yard... Here are a few of the offenders, caught in the act yesterday morning. The first one is taken from my family room, on the 2nd story (we have a daylight basement); the other 2 were taken from a window in the daylight basement. As you can see, they get pretty close to the house.

Shapes

These were placed randomly in a flagstoned area--I think they are there to help with drainage during the heavy rains; I really like the combination of curves and straight lines.
And I love how these curve and follow the shape of the flagstone to the left.
This is a few weeks old, back when we had some snow. These are the shapes I HATE to see in my yard--they mean the elk have been through, molesting my garden. In fact, I had fresh ones this morning in the grass, but these show up much better. When we moved out here I was so excited to see elk, never realizing that they are really large pests and worse than deer when it comes to messing up a yard and garden. I know they were here first, but they are lazy and stay in the neighborhoods where browsing is easy. So, I HATE to see these shapes in my yard...

Love: Times Three

Ok, I try hard not to do too many sappy gramma posts, particularly since my people photos are more snapshots than portraits. I could blame the atrocious lighting in my DD's apartment, and the fact that no one there ever holds still, but bottom line is that people, even ones I love, aren't my forte.
Anyway, these are my three little loves, who I spent the last 12 days loving, chasing after, and adoring. Being a GM is the greatest job in the world!!!

Love: Captain Romance Strikes!

I love my DH, but have known for decades that he is not the most sentimental or demonstrative man around. I was flabbergasted to receive this gorgeous bouquet today, from him, with the adorable teddy bear (he knows how much I like them). I love the mixed roses, rather than all one color. Usually his idea of buying me flowers is telling me to go ahead and get some if I want them... Not the same, buddy. However, this time he came through!!



Not only that, but little did he know that this is a multi-purpose bouquet. It is gorgeous, it smells heavenly, it brings color into the house in the middle of dreary days, and it is also a wonderful subject for macros!! I am SURE he never thought of that!
As for the photography end of things, there is an IOU for a tripod. I am going to have to break down and get one for some on my close-in stuff. I usually hand-hold, but real tight macros, and waterfalls, are going to need the tripod. So, Capt. R. gave me carte blanche for one. What a doll!

Love: Valentine's Sweets

Don't these look scrumptious???

Valentine's Day is a big deal around our house...well, at least in my mind. It is not only a great holiday, but my birthday, and thus my DH has a chance to blow 2 big things at the same time! LOL! It's a good thing I'm old and past the hurt feelings stage; I've come to expect a lot of last-minute "thoughtfulness". I just got home from 12 days of baby-tending, and he did tell me something was going to be delivered tomorrow, so we shall see what tomorrow brings! (Probably nothing camera-related, darn.)

WHAT was I thinking???

Ok, so I've been out here at DD's for 10 days, helping her with the newest DGD and the other two. I brought my camera, my card reader, and many good intentions to actually take photos, do a little posting, and get around to commenting on everyone's blog.

Yeah, right.

Reality is: the 4 yr old and the 14 mo old are up at 7 am and on the go. By the time the 14 mo old goes down for her morning nap, the 4 yr old is in Full-Speed-Ahead gear and Babycakes is ready for another feeding. DD needs to shower and get ready, and the 900 sq ft. apartment they live in is ready for yet another toy decluttering session (at least 8 of those a day...sometimes more.) Laundry, dishes, diapers, 4 yr. old off to preschool, back home where 14 mo old goes down for afternoon nap and Babycakes is up and needing some serious Nana Adoration time. Mid afternoon brings "I just had my birthday and I'm 4!" home at full speed, and middle sis up from her nap, and all the chaos that brings. Then strikes Grumpy Hour where everything starts to unravel and we (DD and I) try to keep everyone together until Blessed SiL gets home from work to share the Joy. A quick bite to eat, baths, reading nighttime stories, tucks into bed (multiple tucks for Miss 4), and we all collapse, exhausted. Then SiL needs the computer for his work stuff; I sit comatose in a chair until I can politely excuse myself for bed, to recharge for another day (unless I am needed to spell someone on the Wee Hours Shift).

HOW ON EARTH did I do this when I was DD's age?? I know I didn't sit on the floor and put together the same jigsaw puzzle 7 consecutive times (no exaggeration--that was last night). HOW do all of you young moms do this? I love this, but my upcoming week in Hawaii looks even better. I've been reading blogs, sporadically, but it is really hard to post when you have an infant or 2 kids on your lap. At the most I've had 5 minutes uninterrupted, so apologies to all for my absence. However---these cute little faces make all the chaos, noise, crankiness and busy-ness worth every single second. Thanks to Laura for letting me use one of her photos.

Hopefully I will be back home by the weekend and able to get back into the POTD routine before DH and I leave for our Midwinter Break.

Horizontal and Vertical: Day 6

This is my last H/V post, and my last post for a while, since I am off to help my DD with my newest GD. She has 2 other girls, ages 4 and 14 months, so things are going to be very hectic in their tiny little apartment. But, here are my "farewell" H and V views....

This is the mountain behind our house. We had a fresh fall of snow last night at the higher elevations, and when the sun came over the higher mountains, the top just lit up. Then to make it perfect there was river mist/fog drifting up...


Couple of drips, of course!

And, these aren't great, but I love the shared drop that forms between these 2 berries. Plus, these barberry berries keep a sheen of water across their surface when there is a drip at the bottom--pretty neat.

Horizontal AND Vertical: Day 5

Today's post is a slightly different focus: I kept thinking of horizontal AND vertical in the same shot, as opposed to horizontal VERSUS vertical. So, here are some H and V things that caught my wandering eye.