Mother's Day and Sungazing

Some days it just does not pay to be my friend.  My poor, wonderful, friend Sungazing of Sungazing Photography ( http://sungazingphotography.com/ ) knows the truth of that statement.  Mother's day I had lunch with my mom and sister in Eureka.  I looked across the table and not only did they look fabulous, but we were all wearing shades of brown.  I couldn't get the coincidence of color choice out of my mind.  I do not think we could have planned to match so well.  On a hope I called Sungazing and she graciously took these wonderful photos of us.

My mother's photo practically glows.  I can't get over how beautiful she is at 69.  She has been beautiful most of my life, but that she still retains that vitality and spark after the last 3 years is an inspiration to me.  Sungazing did a wonderful job of capturing that essence.  I also like the photo of my baby sis and I together because she is smiling.  I like it when she smiles, it reminds me of what a cute baby she was. 

I just can't thank Sungazing and her husband enough for taking the time out of their busy Mother's day to give me images that I will treasure for the rest of my life.  I am so lucky that she is my friend.  I can't really say she is so lucky to be my friend, but I hope that she thinks she is a little lucky to know someone who has such a pretty mother.

Cool Friends

I think I have some really cool friends.  My wonderful photographer friend, Sungazing, ( http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-look-or-showing-off-my-fiestware.html ) has sold some of her photos for the covers of books.  Two to be exact.  One of the photos was snatched up by  Random House and used for the cover of Kelley Armstrong's Industrial Magic. 

I think what gets me so excited about the cover is that the photo is one of personal favorites.  A couple of years ago I was so excited by the photo she gave me a framed copy of the image.  The image of the leg with the chess pieces makes me think about an adult Alice going through the looking glass.  The photo is sexy and intelligent.  I also wonder how the hell did she take the photo and keep those chess pieces from falling off her leg? 

Friday night I was at Borders and I kept seeing Sungazing's leg everywhere.  I just kept thinking I know that sexy leg.  I bought my own copy, not even because I want to read the book, but because Sungazing is so cool. Her other cover for the Pigman and Me   
( http://www.flickr.com/photos/sungazing/5094293141/ ) is out but I have yet to find a copy.  Pretty soon bookstores everywhere will be show casing her sexy gams.  You go Sungazing!

New Look, or Showing off My Fiestware

Back in May I crowed on and on about my wonderful friend at Sungazing Photography taking tea party pictures of my beloved wife and I in the briar's of Eureka.  The sweetheart gave me a disk of digital images of the tea party so I could spruce up my blog.  As you can see I am like a proud parent showing off new born pics.  Just look at my lovely pieces of fiestaware pottery.  I can't get over how cool the colors contrasted and I especially love how everything is set up on the funky little table.  And can I just say those orange daisies are the bomb! 

Sungazing took so many wonderful photos, it was so hard to chose which ones we just had to have.  In fact it took us almost six weeks to decide, but we decided on an official photo of the two of us, with three individual ones to go underneath.

Sungazing gets many thanks from me.  She brought out our personalities in a way which makes me not care that I am the size of a barn and no longer the spring chicken running around the a fore mentioned barn.  We look good, flaws and all and still in love with one another. 

If you scroll down to the bottom of the blog you can see even more of my adorable dishes. As and added bonus you can see my wife and I acting like buffoons, but you know what can I say who cares as long are entertaining somebody.

This friend of mine

I have this friend, Julie, she is awesome. I meet Julie, like so many of my friends, through knitting. I have loved hanging out with her and her three kids. Back in June I went to Meramec Springs on a picnic with her and spawn and we had just the most wonderful day. They make me laugh and right now I need the laughs. So for her I want to do some shameless promotion.

Julie is a photographer and I think her work is great. She is always coming up with some new way to surprise me with her photographs. I am bringing this up because she has a show of her work in Belleville at the Abby (http://www.sungazingphotography.com/news_f.html) through August. Also some of her work is being displayed at Bouffant Daddy on 7276 Manchester Road. She is starting her own photography business and has done some really beautiful portraiture of people I know. She seems to capture the essence of the person in her photographs. Check out her website (http://sungazingphotography.com/). I am so in love with her Alice in Wonderland inspired photographs that I am including one on my blog. Thanks for indulging me.

Meramac Springs and Romance

In my mind's eye childhood was rosy and all parks were fun. I have an especially sepia-toned memory of Meramac Springs Park in St. James. I remember running around in the park with my cousins and playing capture the flag with my classmates on the playground there. I also remember thinking the old smelter was a pyramid. And I believed that Captain Nemo lived at the bottom of the spring with his Nautilus. I even remembered in college when I would take my sweetheart to the hatchery to feed the fish. All in all beautiful memories without any hints of bugs, rainstorms, or the occasional pebble in my shoe.

With my head full of a romantic day at the park I took off with my friend Sungazing and her spawn to show them my vision of childhood. I had hoped the kids would love the beauty of the park and that she would snap some awesome photos. I also dreamed of a fun picnic on a blanket under a tree while children's laughter echoed through the park. And to be honest that was mostly what my day was like if you subtract the gigantic ants, the tiny ticks, and the occasional kiddie outburst. It was awesome. The park just gets prettier and prettier ever time I see it.

The spring puts out about 100,000,000 gallons of water a day and is about 350 feet deep. Captain Nemo and crew could in fact be down there. The cool vapors from the water make the spot a haven on a warm day. And who doesn't like feeding a fish or two?

Sungazing thought of everything, but bugspray (and I forgot the bugspray too). She packed the best picnic that any human or squirrel would want. And bless her bleach blond heart she even produced a bottle of sparkling grape juice from St. James winery. We swatted at bugs and knitted while spawn played in the park. The magic of the park was still there and a bit of my childhood remains intact, not besmirched by the real world. Thank you Sungazing and brood for giving me such a wonderful day.