Charlene is my mail lady, who gets in the season.
December 22, 2010 in Santa Ana, California.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Charlene at Christmas
Persephone
Persephone is the Chihuahua of my friend's roommate. She is darling.
December 23, 2010 in Santa Ana, California.
Christmas 2010 - My Church
Another shot of my church, St. Joseph in Santa Ana, California, on December 25, 2010.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Yours Truly, Johnny Deuce
This is the design I did for my friend's Christmas t-shirt. He was the one who introduced me to Sirius/XM's "Radio Classics" station, where they play all of the old-time programs, including greats like "The Shadow" and "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe".
There is one show, called "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", a thriller about an insurance investigaotr who is more of a detective. My friend is a "deuce", i.e., he was named after his father, and I thought it fit well into the character's name.
I hope he likes it.
Low-and-Slow - Mark's Christmas Present
This is the Photoshop design I made for my husband, Mark, for a t-shirt and kitchen tile as his gift for Christmas 2010.
Mark likes to cook, and his preferred method of cooking is "low and slow" - things like BBQ or coq au vin. He alsways said it would make a good name for a restaurant and so I made him his own logo.
And really, he's a nice guy, despite this visage . . .
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Hell in a Handbasket - Mariana's Gift
I am in the habit of using Photoshop to make three gifts - one for my husband, Mark; one for my best male friend, John; and one for my best female frind, Mariana. Because Mariana and I exchanged gifts yesterday, I can publish her design.
Mariana and I are lawyers who used to work together. We get together quite often and discuss all of life's problems - and this year saw many for Mariana, as she battled through chemo and radiation for her breast cancer. I am happy to say, she's doing well.
At some point in our many talks, though, we'll remark to one another, "We're going to hell in a handbasket." At one time, however, as layers foten do, we discussed opening a bar that we would call "Hell in a Handbasket" so that everyone could go there . . . for happy hour.
Mariana has gotten through her cancer with the ceaseless love and support of her husband, Tracy. He purchased a motorcycle last year and the two of them love nothing better than to hit the roads on nice days. Hence, the reference to the cycle shop.
I am moving in Summer 2010 to Tennessee. Mariana and her husband are inspired, since a longtime dream of theirs is to move to North Carolina. The last time they were over at our house, we declared my front law to be the state of "North Tennelina", and I send her husband pictures to let him know a move could bring him and his cycle close to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
She loved this design, which I had done on a baseball jersey for her. I love my friend and I hope we will both find ourselves in North Tennelina in 2011.
Oh, the baby? That's her. She plans on wearing the shirt to her sister's home for Christmas, to see if her mother recognizes the picture.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Business is Business
Taken October 2, 2005 in Santa Ana, Caloifornia.
This is my late mother, Dorothy Koretzky Martin. One of her favorite sayings was, "Business is business . . . and love is bullshit." It wasn't that she didn't love people - she did, madly and fiercely. But when things needed to get done, it was her way of saying, don't let emotions control you.
An example - she made the acquaintance of a local coffee shop owner. One day, he teried to give her a free cappuccino. She wanted to pay. He refused her money. She pushed the money at him, saying, "Listen - business is business, and love is bullshit." She valued his friendship so much that she wanted to support his business by buying a damn cup of coffee. You were not going to stop Dorothy.
She liked nothing better than to sit with a paperback, a cup of coffee, and her smokes, while listening to the birds out in the backyard.
She died November 30, 2008. She was born December 16, 1928. I miss her a lot.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Baby Dorothy
Uploaded December 16, 2010, which would have been my mother's 82nd birthday.
Happy birthday, Ma - I miss you.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Ben and Bokeh
December 14, 2010 at The Olde Ship in Fullerton, California.
The Christmas lights in my favorite watering hole make for lovely bokeh, and I asked one of my teammates at Pub Trivia Quiz Night to give me something I could set against it. Thanks, Ben.
Christmas 2010 - At the Tree Lot
December 14, 2010.
Every year I take a picture of my kids at the Christmas tree lot when we buy our tree. I like this better than a shot with Santa. Katherine and Patrick, my sweeties.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Let Me Go On
Taken December 11, 2010 at The Olde Ship in Santa Ana, California.
Dominic Hirota of Cheap Date at the mike.
This Magic Moment
Taken December 11, 2010 at The Olde Ship in Santa Ana, California.
It's blurred becuase I had very little light, but I feel it helps set the mood for the picture.
Holiday Crush
Taken December 11, 2010 at The Olde Ship in Santa Ana, California.
Watching these two as they stood watching the band, Cheap date, play, I got the impression that they were ona first date. He seemed nervous but eager to engage her in small talk, and live music gives one an excuse to get in close to a young lady's delicate and pretty ear. I think she is lovely.
I purposely went with my 50mm fixed lens with a 1.4f aperture, because I knew it would be dark in the pub, albeit lit somewhat by the holiday lights. I am shooting more with it because it is forcing ME to position myself for the shot, and not rely on telephoto or zoom. Makes it more of a challenge to shoot people surreptitiously for candid shots, but it's a fun challenge.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Moneypenny and the Quaich
Taken December 4, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, California, during the annual Christmas Classic dinner dance for St. Joseph Church..
This person did not want their picture taken with the quaich, so see? I won't show their entire face. Anonymity guaranteed.
Hoisting the Quaich
In my post below, I misspelled the word, although it is a transliteration from Scotch gaelic - "quaich."
Everyone needs one!
The Quaig
December 4, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, California.
This is my friend, Trish Schack, offering someone a sip from her ancestral quaig, a Scottish toasting cup, at a St. Joseph church dinner dance.
They Say You're Nothing But a Party Girl
"They say you're nothing but a party girl.
Just like a million more of others in the world."
-- Elvis Costello
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