Artic Traveler

My son likes to travel and take pictures. Check out his site for pictures from Tanazania, Greenland, Budapest, Bruges, and beyond.

Billy - Rest in Peace, July 13, 2007

Billy was a little dog with a big heart. He loved to run
and to be chased. He could play catch with a beach ball.
He loved people and was easy to be with.

For Harry, 1921 - 2005

The Scent of You

We couldn’t get the guard rail down.

I climbed over and you shifted to make room for me.

Our sons looked on and showed no surprise.

Your brother’s eyes widened, but I don’t know.

Yesterday he thought you were your father.

I wanted to turn my back to where we were headed.

I wanted the comfort of you spooned around my back,

arms wrapping, coaxing me to sleep,

so that I could wake and recall a dream.

But, more, I needed to quiet you and sink into your scent.

“I will never lose this,” I thought.

“I will breathe so deeply that your scent will become part of me.”

I closed my eyes to the purple gathering on your limbs.

Then the nurse smiled down at us. They were ready.

A shot for the ride, hugs and goodby.

I rode in the front, but your scent was with me.

“I will never lose this,” I thought.

The driver turned and looked at me sharply.

I wondered if I had spoken the words.

The nurse took you to the room. I made arrangements.

Before I was done, the nurse returned to confirm the purple.

“We are talking hours not days.” I nodded.

When I came in to your room, you were curled on your side,

and when I tried to get in next to you, you made no space.

Peter came with Billy, but when he jumped up, you pushed away

and he jumped down to sniff out the room.

The scent was gone, of course; I leaned in and confirmed Billy.

Quietly and almost unnoticed, you slipped from us by morning.

I sat by your bed and your breaths were part of the room.

I stepped out to the hall to find my pills,

and swallowed them as I returned.
The room was changed. The breaths were gone.

I felt your chest with my shaking hands,

but my own shaking was all that I felt.

At home, I went straight to the laundry chute.

The sheets were still there and I grabbed them quickly,

tied them in a trash bag,

and hid them behind a box of old paint cans.

They will be there if I need them.

For now I still have the scent of you.

In the middle of the night, I turn and bury my nose in new sheets.

If I do it just so, I have the scent and drift off again,

as if spoon-soothed and recalling but a dream.

April 13, 2007

I Love This Stuff!

I truly enjoy using Photoshop Elements to create backgrounds. I am not an artist, so this enables me to have fun without talent! I like to take a picture such as this one and play with it until I have something I can use. (See photo 1, a freebie from Aileen [Pronounced A-Leen] of Outside the Margins)

Today I used the magic wand filter to extract the flower. I then altered the flower, using various filters such as brushstrokes>accented edges, artistic>drybrush, distort>diffuse glow, artist>filmgrain. I adjusted the colors, brightness and contrast. Then I did the same thing on the lilypad background, and pasted the flower on it several times until it looked like this. (See image 8)

Now I will use this on white Polyshrink to make the base of a necklace similar to "Nancy's Wig" (see earlier post) I use the cookiecutter tool for the shape. (See image 9) I will also try to cut a flower out of the shrink plastic and glue it to the base.

Here are some other versions of the same photo. (See images 2,3,5,6,7)

Mom's Excellent European Adventure: Paris, London, Bruges

( Photo of Bruges, Belgium canal by © Photographer: Janvm Agency: Dreamstime.com, used by permission)

Tomorrow's the big day! I take off in the evening and my son, Bob, will meeet me in Paris Monday morning. He left his home in Tanzania ten days ago and has been traveling--Prague and Budapest. He will be the guide, and here are the plans:

Mom's European Adventure 2007

Monday, March 19, 2007 Arrive Paris
Lodging in Paris four nights at: Hotel Dauphine Saint Germain

Activities for the day: General sight-seeing aroundParis,early dinner.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Activities for the day: Tour Louver Museum and other Paris attractions. Dinner near Montmartre (Mountain of the Martyr) with tour of evening artist market.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Activities for the day: Tour of Versailles outside of ParisThursday,

Thursday, March 22, 2007
Activities for the day:

Friday, March 23, 2007Depart Paris via THALY Train to Brussels Activities for the day: Breakfast / Coffee at a Brussels Café Depart Brussels via EuroStar Train to London at 11:55 AM
Lodging in London three nights at: Private Apartment off Oxford Street's Bond Street Underground Station
Activities for the day: Slow day, Oxford Street, Buckingham Palace, Possible Theater Show, etc.

Saturday, March 24, 2007
Activities for the day: Breakfast at the apartment; visit to half priceticket outlet to get Theater Tickets: Les Miserables, Evita, Underneath the Lintel, Antony and Cleopatra, The Tempest, or The Glass Menagerie; Lunch at Borough Market, Theater.

Sunday, March 25, 2007
Activities for the day: Columbia Flower Market, Visit National Gallery & Portrait Gallery, Visit St. Martin in the Fields & St. Paul Cathedral, Dinner 6pm The Ivy Restaurant Monday,

March 26, 2007 Depart London Arrive Brussels Depart Brussels Arrive Brugge Lodging in Brugge two nights at: Bed & Breakfast Activities for the day: Tour Brugge

Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Activities for the day: Tour Brugge

Wednesday, March 28, 2007Depart BruggeArrive Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport Hotel

Thursday, March 29, 2007 Depart Paris and head home