Great Googly-Moogly!

Today I turned on my computer and toyed around with Google’s wonderful photo editing and management software, Picasa. (I love this program and highly recommend it to those who do not have it.) I only open Adobe Bridge or Photoshop when I need to edit, but if I just want to view, I use Picasa. It does far more than just ‘show’ your photos, however that’s all I’ve ever used it for. One of the features of the program are a row of buttons at the bottom of the page which say things like “Email”, “Web Album”, “BlogThis!”, and “Collage” (among other options)….it was that last one I decided to click and see about.

The “Collage” button allows several functions. One such function calls for the creation of a multiple exposure of all photos you might at that moment have selected. So here’s my first one. There are six of my photos in this: two graffiti, two of me, two city scenes from my walking around. Hey, these are fun! Any of you have Picasa? Let me see your collages!

Comp Day Accomplishments

I took a Comp day today; a free pass from work. Oh, all the plans of things to get accomplished I had! Artwork, errands, cleaning and other chores, all on the agenda, and all, I felt certain would be check-marked as “done”. I even worked in a little leisure time by planning to lay out in the park after running one of the errands, and running another errand on my way back.

Unfortunately, my list remains largely undone. I am a bit frustrated by the need to get things completed which rely on the cooperation of others who seem to fail on their part….maybe there’s good reason, but it’s still frustrating. Even the weather balked at cooperating. 10 minutes after I got settled in on the lawn at the park a practical hurricane, (which insisted on flipping the back of my shirt up to the nape of my neck as I speed-walked home: extra attractive) lightening, and downpour ensued. I got to my neighborhood like a wet dog, my spirits feeling the same, and now that I am home, the skies have cleared into the most incredible solid blue beauty, too late for me to go back. Guess I’m just having another one of those days.

Fortunately, good things come in twos.....errr....is that even a saying?? What I mean is, I have another comp day tomorrow. All is not lost, then, and I’ve got my smile back. So, on that note, I must return to the tasks of the day, and see to turning around the setback from earlier events; I might just create a productive day yet.

The Homeplace

Exactly one week ago I had dinner at The Homeplace, a restaurant situated amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains in Catawba, Virginia. This wonderful old country house has a big porch with porch swing, a gazebo in a yard among beautiful shade trees, and sprawling land with a big creek, massive hills and valleys, all dotted with cattle. Once inside, you’re treated like family. In one room a group of older folks played country bluegrassy jazz. From there, expect to be led past the staircase to one of the other rooms where you’ll be seated for dinner.

It’s family style, here. That means pitchers, platters and bowls of food and drink placed on the table for you and the other members of your party to dive into. This is country-style home cooking. Everyone gets fried chicken, the second meat is then chosen, (we had country ham) and all the sides are the same: coleslaw, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, pinto beans, homemade biscuits, out-of-this-world apple butter, pitchers of the sweetest lemonade, and unsweetened iced tea. Each night a different fruit cobbler with vanilla ice cream is served for dessert. Ours was blueberry, and as with everything that is served, it’s all-you-can-eat. Yes. Oh, and all that can be had for little more than the price of a NYC movie ticket. I recommend it to everyone.

(Pictured here is a photo [I played around with in Photoshop] which I took after dinner as we headed back to our car.)

7 Random Things About Me

In the blog-world there is an activity which occurs whereby one blogger tags several others (after they themselves have been ‘it’.) I was recently tagged twice, and though I’m not one to bend to pressure and continue the ‘chain letter’ aspect of it, I’ll play along with the other duty of a person who has been tagged, and that is to tell seven random facts about yourself that most people don’t really know.

1. In the ‘80s I had dinner with Hubert Givenchy. I actually don’t remember much by the way of details simply because back then this was not an unusual occurrence because of who I worked for and the lifestyle I lived. I do recall I had on long satin gloves, and a black gown. And the only other famous person I recall there was Cicely Tyson.

2. I have been hit by a car. As a child. (It was the whole ‘smash up on the windshield and fly through the air’ thing.) And now when I cross the street I sometimes change my mind and run back just in case that oncoming traffic is faster than I thought.

3. I love whole berry cranberry sauce from a can. I could eat an entire bowl of it — I don’t, but I could! It has to be cold because straight out of the cupboard, room temperature, tastes yucky. Therefore, I often keep one can in the fridge so that it will be cold when it’s time to be opened.

4. I’ve been lost in the woods. Like so bad that I truly thought this was ‘it’. No one found me….I just finally, by miracle, found my way back to where others were. By then the sun was nearly set, and no one even knew I was gone.

5. I have never seen a James Bond film. And it will probably stay that way.

6. Not including the family beach house, I’ve called 14 places my home, (most were not my choice.) I now have an aversion to moving, and have been where I live now for almost 20 years even though I could really use a lot more space.

7. I eat dinner really late. Normally between 10pm and midnight. Sometimes later.