We held a special Halloween Portrait event today, offering up packages for portraits of your wee ones in costume. We got quite a few wee ones, and a couple of not-so-wee ones. We saw astronauts, chickens, and a pirate.
The cute little pirate above, by the way, is my grandson. He’ll be four on November 20. 🙂
An upcoming Jefferson High graduate, Albey wanted us to take his yearbook photo. He wanted some casual photos, too, but not for this session.
Diana and her mother’s birthdays are only five days apart. As a result, each year we get together with family and friends (mostly family) and have a big family dinner. It started many years ago, and we’d get together at Old South Mountain Inn, near Boonsboro, Maryland.
Over the years, as the kids got older, and we’d invite them along, it got to be such a big affair that it became impractical (and too expensive) to hold in a restaurant. So we started alternating where it was held, but usually at someone’s home. This year, it was held at our home.
We grilled big steaks, had baked potatoes, a salad with everything, lots of big shrimp, and lots of fun. Traditionally, we start off the evening with strawberry dacquiri’s. I think it was around the end of the second blender full that we discovered that we might also want to drink something else. 🙂
My brother, Jon, was also a guest this year, along with our younger daughter, Tara and her fiancee Jake. Along with Diana’s sister Joyce, her mom and Joyce’s husband, Bruce, we had a great time.
I look forward to this dinner every year. But it’s over for this year. 🙁
A lovely time was had by all as Witt and Gary tied the knot at Three Onions restaurant in Shepherdstown. Since Diana and I were also guests, I photographed their intimate ceremony and pictures of very close family and friends. Afterward we had a yummy brunch meal and more laughter and fun.
I don’t think there was a single photo that Witt and Gary didn’t like.
Congratulations, you two!
I spent a little time with a featured crafter I was photographing for Valley Homes and Style. This lady takes average items and makes them extraordinary by painting them, giving them character and adding sayings or symbols.
The item above is made from a piece of wood, and some fine screen materials. A little paint and a few nails and you’ve got a crafter’s treasure.
While I was there, several shoppers at the Crafter’s Gallery were making purchases of Jan’s items. They have an appeal… you should take a look at them.
My last visit to an eye doctor was too long ago.
You need to go get your eyes checked. Trust me.
The visit was painless and quick. The doctor said my eyes were in great shape, save for a little nearsightedness. Good eyes are pretty important in my business, so I’m glad I got a clean bill of health.
I ordered new glasses. I usually wear contacts while working, but at the house I like to give my eyes a rest and wear glasses instead.
Did you call your eye doctor yet?
When Jay’s mom called to set up an appointment for his senior portraits, it was like a blast from the past. We used to work with Donna, and befriended her and her family long ago – even before Diana and were married. While her family dynamics have changed a little, Donna has not. She’s still funny, still direct, and still completely devoted to her children.
Jay was a willing subject, even climbing a tree for his photos. I remember Jay when he was about three or four. He could probably climb trees then, too.
On this, my older brother’s birthday, we went to Reston Hospital to sit with mom while dad was getting chemotherapy. As many of you may remember, my father was diagnosed with cancer last year, and has been doing quite well since then. He is presently in remission, but the doctors wanted to “put some icing on the cake” and administer two more rounds of chemo to give dad a more solid chance against the cancer returning.
So we sat and talked with mom. I also edited pictures, Diana knitted and we generally had a nice visit. As with so many hospital visits, there was a lot of waiting. It didn’t seem to bother dad. His approach is “I prefer this over the alternative.” A positive outlook, indeed.
We also had lunch with my sister, her husband and my nephew, Andy. I ate half a chicken. Okay, I shared a couple of bites, but I’m not big in the sharing department when it comes to chicken.
We left around 4pm to beat the worst of the traffic, and dad was grateful we made the trip. It’s always great seeing him (and mom, of course) and we were glad we had the time with them.
Today was an adventure.
“There’s a fiber festival in Montpelier Station, Virginia,” Diana says.
“Um… where?” I ask in hopes that it is in our neighborhood.
And so the adventure began. Our limited free time sometimes takes us to new destinations in a quest for something we haven’t seen before. This day it was a fiber festival in Orange, Virginia, near Montpelier, Virginia. We all know what famous home rests there, right? NO!? go look it up! (Hint: His wife was quite the Dolly)
We got there just after it opened, not having got lost (much) along the way… sometimes online directions aren’t all they are cracked up to be. I need to have a talk with NavTeq about locations outside the big cities.
Anyway, we met up with a friend of ours, who lives a little closer to the festival site. It was ridiculously hot (like 98 degrees). But there were herding dog trials, so I had somthing else to do besides look at endless miles of yarn and yarn products. I do like the colors and textures, but I’m about yarned out when I get to the second hour or so. So watching the doggies was fun.
We made it an early day because it was just so hot, and miserable. We left at mid-day and took a slightly different route home… and don’t ask me how we got there. I’m surprised we got there. We did have one interesting a fun stop along the way, though.
We stopped at a convenience store for a beverage. When we walked in, I think we also walked backwards a couple of decades. Wood floors, chairs sitting around for people to sit down. No tables, these are chattin’ chairs. And aside from the shop owners, there were 2-3 people in there “chattin'”. One lady was showing off a young puppy, and offered it to us. We declined (we have three dogs now), paid for our drinks and snacks (peanuts) and left.
And there was an antique shop across the road. Well, we had to run through there. I saw a few old cameras, but I’m more of a new camera model type. There was a very intersting old tripod, which was more suited to the equipment used in land surveying than photography. The funny thing is that the store cat followed us – everywhere. I was beginning to get the impression that he was the store detective. He showed us out as we left, too.
Good kitty.