October 31, 2009 on the ofrenda on my front lawn in Santa Ana, California.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Miss You, Mom
My ofrenda from last year for Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos. Mom had died in late November in 2008, and I kept my promise to her by making he the guest of honor on the altar.
November 1, 2009 in Santa Ana, California.
The Devil Went Down to Louisiana
For Halloween, a picture of a scary dude from my trip last November to New Orleans.
Is it time for my annual rant? I think it is.
PEOPLE, HALLOWEEN IS NOT THE DEVIL'S HOLIDAY! Halloween is a corruption of the term "Hallows E'en" which was the old way opf saying "Hallows Eve", which is the eve of All Hallows or All Saints Day. Yes, Halloween has pagan roots (as does Christmas) since the Irish monks and missionaries who brought the Church to the Emerald Isle supplanted Samhain with All Saints Day. Superstition created the idea that on the eve of All Saints Day, ghouls and goblins would be out and about, mad at the fact that they "lost" and hence the whole tie-in with witches and whatnot.
Now, do I think kids should dress up and emulate the Devil - in short, would I want my kid to look like the guy above? NO. How about a gory costume? Prefer not, but also realize that it is part of the maekup of little boys to go for the gross-out. Do my kids get well-educated about All Saints Day and All Souls Day? YES. As most of you know, I combine Halloween with the Day of the Dead, and celebrate the lives of past loved ones, while good-naturedly thumbing my nose at Death, knowing someday I'll be on the altar for Dia de los Muertos . . . but not just yet.
I know a number of Christians prefer to eschew Halloween and instead sanitize it by calling it a "Harvest Festival." Really? That actually brings it back to its pagan roots since Samhain was, in fact, the celebration of the last harvest of the year, before winter set in. So gimme some of that old-time religion, eh?
Goodbye, Norma Jean
Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. November 13, 2009.
Hallowwen is coming . . .
Trinity Crucifix
Tombstone with Crucifix at Trinity Church in New York City, New York. October 9, 2010.
Ann
Ann Hirota Spencer of Cheap Date at St. Joachim Church's fiesta on October 24, 2010 in Costa Mesa, California.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Carnies
Taken in October 2009. I was recently reviewing some old iPhone shots I had, and decided to do a little Photoshop processing on this as a tritone.
USO Singer
This is Ellen Hirota of the band, Cheap Date. Taken on October 24, 2010 at St. Joachim Church's fiesta in Costa Mesa, California.
I thought the picture suggested an old-time USO singer, what with the flag in the background and Ellen's vintage shirt. I spent some time tweaking the colors here, including using a quadtone as an overlay, to keep that nostalgic feel.
Cheap Date is a wonderful band, BTW.
Mary Rocks the Fedora
Mary Hirota Walters of the band, Cheap date, rocking at the St. Joachim Church fiesta on October 24, 2010. She had grabbed her brother, Dom's, fedora.
I love watching Cheap Date perform! They are all classy folks.
End of Life
I saw this dead butterfly on a tombstone at Santa Ana Cemetery in Santa Ana, California, while taking a touring on October 23, 2010.
My sister-in-law died from surgical complications last night. Beth was only 47. Remember her in your prayers, and especially her three kids. The kids are all in their young 20s now, but it is hard, very hard, for them.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Giants Chopper
October 11, 2010 at Orange County Chopper in Orange County, New York. Handheld HDR.
GO BIG BLUE WRECKING CREW!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thus He Perished
Perhaps the Navy was not a good fit.
Old Jonesboro Cemetery in Jonesborough, Tennessee. November 22, 2006.
Amity Cemetery
Neighbors in death.
Amity Cemetery, Pine Island, New York. October 6, 2010.
It's that time of year!
Brothers in Death
The Brothers Howell, together for eternity.
Amity Cemetery, Pine Island, New York. October 6, 2010.
Part of my Halloween Cemtery exhibit online.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Things You Gotta Do to Make a Buck
The Naked Cowboy . . . I don't envy his job.
October 10, 2010 in Times Square in New York City, New York.
Hipster Elf
Someone needs to turn that frown upside down.
October 10, 2010 at the corner of Houston Street and 1st Avenue in New York City, New York.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Kid in the Candy Store
Here, let me take a break from cemetery pictures and throw a happy one up from this past week . . .
I have a friend whom I regard as my baby brother (and, likewise, I am the big sister he never had). Every once in awhile, we do a "field trip" on a Thursday, his day off, and head out with backpacks and a sense of 3rd grade fun.
We had attended a conference in San Diego a few weeks back and decided last Thursday to go back to San Diego, via train, for the day. I knew my buddy was excited when he remarked how it has been years since he rode a train and was even more excited as soon as we got there to head over to the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier that is now a museum. Can I tell you how delighted he was to crawl into every aircraft they had there (both fixed wing and choppers on the flight deck), try out the various seats, flip the switches (now defunct, but use your imagination and you're shooting Zeros again), and poke around the machinery? It delights me to see an adult escape the drone of daily work and become a kid once again . . . thanks for a great day, Johnny!
Bobby
The grave of a child, no matter how long ago his death may have occurred, is always sad.
Eternal rest grant him, oh Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faith departed rest in peace in the mercy of God. Amen. (+)
October 6, 2010 at St. Stanislaus RC Church in Pine Island, New York.
I am processing my cemetery pictures from my trip back East. It is the time of year to do so.
Shut Eye Jesus
October 6, 2010 at the St. Stanislaus RC Church cemetery in Pine Island, New York.
Jesus seems to be having a restless night or He is really, really concentrating on something.
DigiTravel Log: Pacem in Terris - Art in the Woods
Whenever I travel back East, I can always count on my brother, Greg Martin, and his friend, Vic Sansone, to bring me to some unique place. Both guys are the types that love nothing better than to jump in their cars and hit the back roads.
This past trip they said, "We gotta show you Pacem in Terris." Pacem in Terris was the home and workshop of the artist Ferdinand Franck. He was a personal friend of three noted persons: Pope John XXIII, Albert Schweitzer, and D.T. Suzuki (a noted Buddhist scholar). Now deceased, his home has been opened by his family so that others can wander its sculpture garden and see his artwork.
Franck was affected deeply by childhood experiences during World War II, in which he watched local Jews being marched off to their deaths. He worked to promote peace and human dignity.
Pacem in Terris is located in Warwick, New York, itself a very beautiful town. Get off the beaten path and go make one of your own in the labyrinth or beside the brook at Pacem in Terris.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Open Season
Taken October 6, 2010 in Stokes Forest, which is located in Sussex County, New Jersey.
Driving through the forest, we came across two hunters. They were brothers, and explained to us that they came down from New Hampshire "'because there ain't no deer." Jersey, it seems, has such an abundance that they issued licenses to take doe, in an effort to curb the overpopulation.
I know some people will be upset by this. Get over it, really. We're part of the food chain and these guys were planning to pack the meat and bring it home. BTW, they were bowhunters, so it meant hours stalking the forest and having to be skilled enough to get close to make the kill.
Check the sky tonight - the Hunter's Moon is above.
Alien Skeleton
Taken October 21, 2010 aboard the USS Midway in San Diego, California.
I don't know what kind of machinery this was, but my friend who was with me thought it pretty cool, saying it looked like the skeleton of an alien. So I took a shot and grunged it up for him.
Across from the shop, a Tea Party was in full swing. November 2nd is coming, folks!
Blue-Eyed Ninja
Today my son showed me his Halloween costume. Beware a blue-eyed ninja walking your block. Just give him the candy and no one gets hurt.
DigiTravel Log: Kiryas Joel - Waiting for Moshiach
Some folks have contacted me to say, yes, well, we enjoy your pictures but please get back to writing some stories. *Sigh* I cannot promise I will, as time is scarce, but I will offer this today.
I recently made a trip back East to visit some relatives. On October 11th, I met up with my cousin, Peter Koretzky, who works as an EMT for FDNY. Like many firemen, cops, and paramedics, he lives in Orange County, New York. A beautiful autumn day, he offered to drive me around his area.
"I want to show you something, Steph," he said, and told me we were going to visit the "town" of Kiryas Joel. Kiryas Joel is not an official town, but rather a very tight enclave of Hasidic Satmar Jews living within the town of Monroe. I had heard about them when they tried unsuccessfully to have public monies fund their religious school and more recently when they erected the sign you see at the bottom of the photographs above.
Now, the dress code and such are merely a request to act accordingly, since there cannot be a law requiring it, as it would not pass constitutional muster. However, simply driving through the town, it is easy to feel unwanted and an outcast. Not that there was open hostility. Indeed, most people would glance at our car, see that we were not "one of them," and quickly look away, usually with a frown. My cousin explained that despite the roads being public, they do not want outsiders driving through their area.
I was more taken aback by the shabbiness of the community. If you look at the pictures I grabbed from the car, the housing appears cheap and crowded. The common green areas usually had trash and tricycles strewn about - in fact, that is what struckl me the most, literally hundreds or tricycles but no young children were about, except for some babies being pushed in strollers. There was hardly anyone outside. The streets were mostly empty and while I can expect that midday on a Monday there would not be many men or school children about, I expected to see more women and smaller children present; given the birth rate of the Hasidic Jews, I figured if there was one thing I would see in abundance, it would be children.
If you look at the stats behind Kiryas Joel, it has the highest poverty rate in the nation, according to the 2008 census. More than 2/3 live below the poverty line and 40% receive food stamps.
I found it bizarre. It seemed to fit the historical definition of a ghetto and for those united by faith, a rather joyless place.
Do You Believe?
I posted this over on my Facebook and am getting some interesting responses, and it is that time of the year for ghosties and spooks, so here goes . . .Yesterday, I visited the Whaley House in San Diego. This residence is officially designated to be "haunted" by California authorities - don't ask me who makes that determination or how, but I suspect it is someone from the California Tourism Board.
Accompanied by a friend (who suggested to the tour guide that the only spirits at work when people report supernatural occurrences are those in a couple of double margaritas), we listened to the stories and this led me to pose the following questions to YOU:
1. Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?
2. Why do people want to hear ghost stories and believe them?
I will share from facebook and interesting observation by a popular Cathoblogger:
I do believe in spooks. I do. I do. I do.
If we believe in heavan and hell then we acknowledge "realms" outside our existance or understanding. I believe in angels and demons, I believe that souls of the departed and saints are active in ou...r lives whether we aware of it or not. I think many people confuse this activity as a "ghost" in general. Have you seen the purgatory museum in Rome... perfect example. If some one who didn't have a religous faith or understanding experienced this kind of contact they would not understand it's source. It's also easy to dismiss paranormal activity as noonesense when in fact demonic forces could be behind it. You know the greatest feat of the devil was to convince ppl he doesnt exists. By dismissing it or not protecting yourself you are now open to it's evil...
Your thoughts? And yes, above is a picture I took at the Whaley House yesterday.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Chapel of Our Lady at St. Patrick's Cathedral
October 10, 2010 at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. I did not see the signs prohibiting photography in this area of the cathedral (behind the altar) and took this shot without realizing my bad. Another handheld HDR.
This was at night and the throng of tourists was not as great, making this chapel a serene and special place.
Mary, Mother of God, ora pro nobis.
FDNY Chopper
While back East recently, my cousin, Peter Koretzky, who is an EMT with FDNY, took me to vist the showroom of Orange County Chopper, in Orange County, New York. I did this handheld HDR of the bike that Pauly Sr. did for New York's Bravest.
October 11, 2010.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Urban Vaquero
When the Village People get salsified.
At the annual fiesta for St. Joseph Church in Santa Ana, California.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Loteria
Loteria, for those who do not know this game, is a sort of bingo played in Mexico, only instead of letter/number combinations, a person matches pictures.
During my church's annual fiesta, the loteria room is a popular spot, as about 90% of our parish are Mexican, mostly immigrants. As you can see, they play simply. Ours is not an affluent parish.
Taken October 16, 2010 in Santa Ana, California, at St. Joseph School.
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