AND THE WINNER IS...

For as long as I can remember the Oscar's was a part of my life.

Mama and I watched it together every year and I continued to do so throughout my life.

Every year there was a mad rush to see as many of the nominees as possible.

This year for Best Picture I did 6 out of 9.  It was easier when it was only 5.

Santa, on the other hand, was clueless of my obsession with movies.

We had a crash course cramming in as many films as we could before the Oscar's.

Santa liked the old films best.  Which made me think,  as a photographer, 

maybe we could have some fun.  I did a lot of head shots early on

and Santa seemed more than willing to my model.

Here we go...

JOHN BARRYMORE

MARLENE DIETRICH

GENE KELLY

Wait for it...

CARMEN  MIRANDA

MOTHER BATES

 BEHIND 

THE SCENES

JUST ME...

THE OSCAR'S 2013

P.S. YEA...  ARGO

"NO DOGS IN THE HOUSE"

Growing up in Forest Park, my Dad was the dog lover.

He had several, all outside dogs.

Beagles were his favorite.  

I, of course, had a monkey named Jasper.

He ended up at Grant Park Zoo...

That's a whole 'nother story.

Daddy's dog Doby.

This is my dog Shelly.  I got her while  living in Hawaii.

Took her to Forest Park, then to Colorado where she passed.

This is Kaya.  Born in Georgia and raised in Colorado.

Kaya with Charlie who was Shelly's son, also born in Hawaii.

Shelly and Charlie went to Forest Park, then to Colorado,  

and back to Stockbridge, Georgia, where this photo was taken.

This is where Charlie passed.  His passing was sudden and I took it pretty hard.

This is the result of grief...

Cassie and Coco.

Coco

Cassie

...and the man of the house PACO.

Forest Park,  Colorado, Stockbridge, Eagles Landing.

We all live IN this house... with ...

THE BABY SITTER.

VALENTINE'S REVENGE

I...........

LOVE..........

C

H

 O

C

O

L

A

T

 E

I NEED A DOCTOR.........

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AFTER

2013

VALENTINE'S PLAY ?

Christmas is known for peace and joy.   Thanksgiving, family connections.  Valentine's Day is best known as a day when lovers show their affection for each other with gifts and other expressions of 

love, usually symbolized with a heart.  Why should only couples have fun just because one of them

slipped the other a credit score busting ring in a box of thigh packing candy in a restaurant where

the bill would have been best used for that last payment on your car from college.  

Since love is an emotion based on strong feelings and personal attachments and the heart is the

emotional center, shouldn't we all be able to enjoy this day with all the ways we experience love.

 Love in loyalty - what I get when I come home and my dogs remind me that I am the most  important

 thing to them.

 Love of material things (or nature) -  your Keurig just made you the best cup of coffee that you're

 enjoying on your patio while watching the morning sun cast shadows through the trees, across 

 your dewy lawn.  

 Love of remembrance -  photographs that bring back memories of times gone by.

 Love of pigging out - that last fork full of Dwarf  House chocolate pie enjoyed from childhood.

 Love of  family -  the moment you first saw the likeness of you in your newborn child.

 Love in sacrifice -  a foot rub from your unwilling spouse.

 Love of self - knowing you've been a good person and you gave as good as you got. 

                      You fill in the blanks...

 Love of...

 Love of...

 Love of...

FROM OUR EMOTIONAL CENTER TO YOURS

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

FROM

ME AND SANTA 

                        

                   

                                      

SANTA'S SECRET ?

After our bout with the flu, I was doing some cleaning and came across

Santa's bag in his box.  Among his personal belongings I  found these

mug shots.  What could he possibly have done to have been a guest

at the Forest Park Police Station?

1.  I am sure you don't need a license to drive a sleigh.

2.  A bag full of gifts certainly can't be a crime.

3.  I doubt that anyone reported the missing milk and cookies.

I've been too embarrassed to ask.  Curious as all get out.

I would just like to know what he's really been up to

for the past 30 years...

Until he tells me, I'll respect his privacy and just say...

WHAT HAPPENS IN FOREST PARK

STAYS IN FOREST PARK.

MY SECRET...

I was 10 years old when Santa came to live with us.  My secret memory is that no one in my family knew that until I was 21 I was looking out the windows.  Let me explain...  my bedroom was at the 

front of the house where I could see people driving by to look at our decorations.  Each night after 

the family went to bed I stayed up for my nightly ritual.  I was a night owl.  I started with my bedroom window peeking out the side of my curtains.  Then I would go to Santa's window and sit on the platform where no one could see me.  The den was next because I could see the cars turning down the side street to view the decorations in the back yard,  some of which went up to the roof at the back of the house.  I did all of this before midnight when Mama got up to turn everything off.  

NOW YOU KNOW MY SECRET...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

ME AND SANTA WOULD LIKE TO WISH MY STEP BROTHER STEVE,

A HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY

2-06-1953

SUPER BOWL?

Hard to believe that there could be someone who has never heard of the Super Bowl,

but then again not many people have been in a box for 30 years.  As a matter of fact the

 first Super Bowl was in 1967,  Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs  35-10.

Four years after he came to live with us,

I explained to Santa that people usually bet on their favorite team,

while downing a few beverages,

and massive amounts of heart clogging food,

I gave him the first quarter of the game so he could decide which 

team he liked best,  (I already made my pick before the game)

You can tell by his face he hadn't been exposed to a lot of women.

He actually stopped eating at half time.  Beyonce was way to much

for him to comprehend...xoxoxo...

He looks a little smug here with all them bones and bottles 

while we waited during the blackout,

GUESS WHO LOST?

GUESS WHO WON?

SUPER BOWL XLVII

2013