The PERFORMER

Some people come by it naturally. Others try but give up. And then there are those who keep trying when they seriously need to find something else to do.

Being a performer is not in the grand scheme for must of us. However, the shiny lights often draw us in as children before we become embarrassed by everything. I took ballet and hula dancing as a child. I had dreams of Broadway, but I would have never made it. But that little spark burns ever so slightly inside and I instead do my performances with the clerk at the store. Give me a smile and a laugh and my day is made.

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday this week...late.

from Buckaroos and Buckarettes.

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 8 available at Amazon.

This Is WHAT COLLECTING IS ALL ABOUT

Take a little time to read this wonderful article at the NY Times about an old photo album. It's exactly what a collector of vintage photos dreams of.

The ARTIST WITHIN

As per this week's Sepia Saturday prompt, and a celebration of women as the world sees women gathering in great numbers to have their voices be heard today—and every day—I give you a lone photographer from long ago.

This image is partially why I started this blog.

I purchased a photo album at an estate sale in 2008. I arrived at the sale quite late and figured I was out of luck. But there on the edge of a coffee table was an old intact photo album of a journey two fellas took across country around 1913. It included a typed diary and lots of photos. Nothing spectacular about the album, especially at the $50 asking price. But then I saw this photo, very tiny near the back. It had nothing to do with the travel diary and was amongst a few photos that had been added long after the trip was over. I had to have this photo. As some inanimate objects do, it spoke to me.

I chose this photo to be the image that represents my identity for Tattered and Lost. It is even the cover shot for my first book. Over the years I have begun seeing myself as that woman on the beach with her skirt hiked up into breeches, the waves rolling in around her feet, the people farther down the beach watching the horizon. I would have been that woman had I lived back then. And so now she is me.

She is viewing the world through her lens. I like to think she took this photo, but have no proof of that.

The reality is that someone was taking a photo of her when she was taking this photo. That photo we will never see. I like to think these women took these poses, feeling free enough to be themselves, because they felt safe with who was taking the shot.

It's a good day to celebrate women. We are not lesser than, we are equal to no matter what anyone believes. And we're not going back.
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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 8 available at Amazon.

Always Find the HUMOR

I think this is the longest I've ever been away from this blog. Family health problems filled my holidays with the necessities in life. And now it's a new year and we are facing the end of the world as we know it on Friday and....

We have to look for the humor in everything. No matter how dark the clouds seem we have to hunt for, not the silver lining, but the funny faces in the clouds. Find humor no matter how incredibly insane it all might seem. I mean, look at those wispy clouds blowing in all directions and what do you think of? Orange hair? A hairline that lies as much as the flotsam and jetsam that come out of his mouth?

I wish I knew who these fellas were from my dad's squadron in World War II, but he cannot put names to the faces. But I like the fella with the hat turned to the side in a moment of silliness. And I really like the effort the fella walking away put in to creating that magnificent sweat stain butterfly on his back. That took some serious effort!

Find the humor and then rejoice in it.

Click on image to see it larger.
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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 8 available at Amazon.