Boosting the Signal: Small Business Owner in Trouble

This lady makes gorgeous snoods, and is in dire straits. Without a car, she doesn't make it to the biggest sales opportunity of the year, which will kill her 15-year old business, and the one thing that allows her to be there to care for a special needs child.  Totally a worthy cause to look into helping if you can.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/124665

Cool Flowers On A Hot Summer Evening

The days have been swelteringly hot lately, making me more than a little loathe to stir myself up and off whatever piece of furniture I've melted onto.  Day Job has also been hyper-stressful, which is also not helping matters.  (It's very hard to be creative when one is a raging stress-bunny.)

I've been pondering an idea, and it's one that I haven't got a firm grasp on what the particulars are just yet, but I've been working on coaxing it out of my brain.  

I have this thing for postcards.  As an inveterate wanderer and would-be wayfarer, this is perhaps not overly surprising.  At one time, I had a collection of postcards from all manner of places, though only a few remain in my possession these days.

So, I was thinking...  I have these pictures; drawings, doodles, photographs of my travels and wanders.  Postcards fascinate me.  I kinda want to combine these two into A Thing.  Not quite sure of anything beyond that, just yet, but I'm still trying to convince the reticent little artist in the middle of my brain to talk to the rest of my brain so everyone can work out what on earth Artist is doing in there.  

In the meantime, have some pretty flowers from the yard.  I "picked" them just for you.  ;)

"And when the storms come..."

There are thunderstorms rolling through today, and they're making me a little fae.  A conversation on Twitter reminded me of something I'd written back in 2006, in a June week much like the last several days have been...


June 6, 2006

~And when the storms come, I will take the wind for my lover and we will dance with the rain as our drum~ 


It smells like thunder today. 


I love this part of storms. That time before they hit, when the air is heavy with anticipation and possibilities, and you can smell the lightning on the breeze. Especially days like today when it's been hot and humid, and your clothes cling to you, damp with sweat. I love when they are close enough that you can just start to feel the thunder as a soft vibration on your skin, and the electricity starts to dance across your nerves. That time when the wind stops and you stand and ache for its touch again, and when you almost can't stand it any more it returns full force, bringing with it the first heavy drops of rain like wine in the desert. Those times when you feel more alive, more real, than at almost any other time.


Of course, once it actually hits, this is generally the point where the fear of being struck by lightning sets in and I go hide. But there nothing in the world like that time before the storm.

Relay Day!!!

Every year for I walk in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in my hometown of Epping, NH.  I do it for a number of reasons, but mainly because I'm sick and tired of hearing friends and relatives utter the word "cancer" in relation to themselves, their friends, their loved ones.  I'm tired of crying when I lose someone to it, or when a friend loses someone to it.  I'm sick of feeling helpless time and time again, while people I care about go through hell and there's not a damned thing I can do about it.

So, I walk.  I walk and walk and walk and I wreck my knee and my tendons and walk on anyway because hopefully someday I'll be able to help us all walk away from cancer and it's devastation forever.

I walk because cancer's a bitch of a road that no one should have to walk, but if nothing else I can do something to walk alongside them, if only for a little while.

So, yeah.  That's my plan for the day.  If you happen to be in the area, stop by and take a walk around the track with us.  We're Team Hope On Fire.

From 2009 Relay.  I'm in the middle.

A Couple of Pretties in Passing...

I know, I've been terrible at this writing thing lately. I've been very busy, which is no excuse, but since I'm going to be busy for a few days more, as yet, I'll leave you with a pair pretties.  Welcome to Summer!

Shiny New Toy!

Huh...  Did you know that real cameras have lens covers? That you have to take off if you want the camera to show you anything but a black screen?  Who knew!

I mean, er, nothing!  Not at all! I have absolutely not already managed to forget to take the lens cover off!  I swear!

Oh, yeah.. I got a new camera today.  It's even fancier than the one I was originally planning on, as it was on fantastic sale, dropping it into the upper range of what I was willing to part from my bank account.  It meant less in the way of accessories (like a carrying case), but it's also got a much wider low-light range and what-not.  It's verra purty and shiny and OMG I'VE GOT A REAL CAMERA AND CAN TAKE REAL PICTURES!

*faints*

Now, dear gods of toast and tiny fishes, I just need to figure out how to use the damned thing.  It's got, like, a bazillion buttons on it...  ;)

Sunshine, Warmth, and Momma Needs A New Camera

I can't stand it anymore.  I just can't.  The graininess, the blurring, the slowly dying shutter...

It's finally time to let my poor old Olympus gracefully retire.  She's old and tired, and was just never meant for the workout that I give her.  She's been good to me, though, and so it is with a heavy heart that I make the decision to put Ol' Bessy out to pasture.

Today, the sun is shining, it's warm out (at the same time, even!) and the forecast only calls for the odd thundershower here and there. A good omen for the day I decide to say to hell with it and go look for a new camera.  The last few weeks have been miserably cold and rainy, which more or less saps my will to live.  There's something horribly wrong when it's so cold and damp you have to turn the heat back on and break the fuzzy pants and blankets back out!

Happily, it is simply, stunningly, wonderfully gorgeous out today and I have two whole days of time all to myself.  The Boy is off doing his own thing this weekend, so I've got free adventure time to do absolutely anything I want for however long I want.

I can't wait to see where the open road takes me today!