1949 Chevrolet Ambulance and Our Brother’s Birthday

My sister Mary sent me these photos she took on her phone in NYC.

She texted the year- 1949. a very good year!

A Chevrolet Ambulance. Looked up definition for the word Chevrolet and found Louis Chevrolet “a Swiss Born American Race Car Driver of French Descent”

I’ve been saving the photos to post for our brother David’s birthday today, also Flag Day. (You might remember how bad I am at sending out a card in time.)

Happy Birthday David. Thinking of you and hoping you have a wonderful day.

Love from your sisters,

Ruth and Mary

Don’t Throw- Don’t Drop- Don’t Bruise-Fragile!

Last Saturday night, Steve and I were walking around downtown at the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Behind the line of food tents at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, (actually renamed the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival– who knows how much they shelled out to include in the name ) this pile of fifty pound bags of potatoes caught my eye.

The sliver of orange shirt was a man who didn’t want his photo taken but I said “Don’t worry. I just want the potatoes. ”

As far as identifying what state the potatoes were grown, I looked up Top ‘O The Harvest brand and found a distinctive bag in an agricultural museum c. 1960 and if they are still in business, it looks like they came from Unity, Maine. The label says Special Frying Potatoes. Wish I could have found the cooking oil containers to accompany this shot.

Here is the beginning of the line of food tents- the signs seem so generic this year. Like a supermarket brand, to me. They seem to have lost the individual character, a certain sameness except a different color.

Waiting for Barges on the Allegheny River Late in the Day

Standing on the Roberto Clemente Bridge from Sixth Street. Saturday night.

Who Do You Root For? For Whom Do You Root?

Is it whom or who?

Graduation on Saturday. Everything going without a hitch. Supposed to be a solemn occasion. Serious business.

I was standing with my camera, photographing the seniors as they filed in and found their rows.

Mr. Milinski, Health and Phys Ed teacher, Cross Country and Tennis Coach, was at the end of the first row.

Be seated after the National Anthem.

I hear a soft voice, “Ms. Hendricks, Ms. Hendricks.”

Mr. Milinski lifted his robe to reveal some crazy Green Bay Argyles. Of course, I photographed them.

In fact, I think he wanted me to get the shot. He seemed pleased that I captured his individuality.

This morning at school I ran into him in the main office and I asked him if it would be okay to blog his socks.

He said I could even use his name. And I asked him why he was a Green Bay Fan in the middle of Pittsburgh? and his response was

“Because I’m smart!”

It Can’t Be Easy Being a ~~Cheesehead~~ Green Bay Fan (it’s not derogatory anymore) in a Sea of Steelers Fans!

was my original title.

Mr. Milinski and I had a chuckle and here’s the photo of his Cheesehead socks. Everyone has their team allegiance, often due to place of residence or where one was born or hails from….can’t end a sentence with “from” either. Yikes.

I think he’s from the South Side of Pittsburgh, nowhere near Lake Michigan but I’ll check on that.

Weekly Photo Challenge:Fleeting

Several ideas came to mind but I’m posting a single shot of the fleeting sunlight on the curtain in my living room today.

Under a cloud, the sun shifts – it’s gone.

“Pittsburgh Recollections” a Mural by Romare Bearden

Port Authority Downtown Pittsburgh Romare Bearden Mural — Port Authority Downtown Pittsburgh- Gateway Center Station
“Pittsburgh Recollections”Romare Bearden Mural

To see and read more about the mural painted by Romare Bearden in 1984 click the article here.

Appraised at 15 million dollars.

Most people who pass by it on their daily commute, probably have no idea. It’s 60 by 13 feet.

I tried the panorama setting again on my new iPhone.

Waiting for a Ride to Commencement

Saturday at 12:30 PM, Pittsburgh Carrick High School’s Class of 2013 will graduate.

Friday morning, the Timpani were waiting for a truck to take them to Petersen Events Center at University of Pittsburgh. Ready for their part in Sir Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance as the seniors walk in the processional.

The bowl of the drum seemed to glow on this overcast day. And yes, there’s a snare drum peeking from behind.

Three More Days of the One-Woman Show, REMAINS, at the New Hazlett Theatre, North Side

My friend R sent me an article from the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette by Sara Bauknecht, about “Remains”, a one-woman show playing at The New Hazlett Theater on the North Side – Thought I might be interested in going. I read the part about going through boxes of memories and stuff from one’s parents and it piqued my interest.

You can read more about the star of the show, Beth Corning, at her blog

“This year’s offering is a one-woman show (starring Beth Corning ) made with Tony Award-winning choreographer/performer Dominique Serrand, co-artistic director of Minneapolis-based The Moving Company.”

and before you know it, R went online and bought us tickets. I’m so glad she did. It was excellent. Powerful. Graceful. Moving. Evocative.

And it’s there for just 3 more days!! If you live in Pittsburgh, you should make a plan to go this weekend.

We went to the performance Thursday night and stayed for the Talk-Back afterwards.

Beth Corning asked the audience if we might Tweet, Facebook and tell friends about “Remains” – (a Glue Factory Project) which is playing Friday June 7,

Sat June 8th and a Sunday Matinee at 2 (June 9th) when you pay what you can for admission.

R and I went to the lobby and then I wondered out loud how to blog about it and R suggested I ask to take a photo of Beth. So we turned around and went back and I took a photo with my iPhone.

A nice man, Alex showed me how to take a panorama with my new iPhone in the theater lobby and showed me where to stand in the corner. A bit dark but fun. Thanks Alex

We headed to Market Square to La Cucina Flegrea where the kitchen had closed but served us each a bowl of delicious minestrone and some bread.

And if you don’t live in Pittsburgh, you could invite Beth and Dominique to come to your city. Maybe they will consider a tour! The show’s theme is personal and universal simultaneously.

Formerly the Carnegie Library Now the New Hazlett Theater

Beth Corning after the performance.

Poster in the Lobby

The Lobby of the New Hazlett Theater

Market Square Scene

A bowl of minestrone at La Cucina Flegrea in Market Square, after the show.

How One Looks at Dryer Lint

Last week I emptied the dryer at my son and DIL’s. Thought I’d help out, fold a load.

When I cleaned out the lint trap, I found a tri-layered catch of fresh dryer lint. The striation helped out by the load of new white towels.

I put the dryer lint on the counter above the garbage and saw the face of a sock monkey.

“Erika”, I said, “let me save the dryer lint and show the kids in the morning, It’s striped and looks like a sock monkey.”

Hmmmm. I decided to take a pic on the phone instead and throw it in the trash cause I didn’t think she was seeing the face and she hadn’t been to the dryer lint art show at the Duds ‘N Suds Laundromat on Centre Ave here in Pittsburgh, a few years ago. I took some friends and it was a memorable and quirky event. The laundromat had that detergent, steamy scent. The people and scenes were all made from none other than DRYER LINT! You know how different loads offer different colors, frequently gray but sometimes a lovely hue, depending on the clothes or sheets.

My DIL had no idea there was a National Lint Project and that artist Cheryl Capezutti creates art from such a catch. You can go to her website and see her creations.

What I should have done is send the batch of lint to the artist Cheryl Capezutti and she could have created a winged creature or a tiny figure. She finds art in the everyday.

My lint screen here at home in Pittsburgh isn’t as interesting a shape, either. Erika’s is a half moon and mine is a flat, broad screen.

Unexpected Gift

The seniors in sixth period finished their Digital Photography exam. And after homeroom, the seniors were allowed to go home.

One of the young women in the class and my homeroom, handed me this two tone metal dog pin and said, “Here Ms. Hendricks. This is for you.”

I was so surprised. She’d made it in Jewelry Class.

I took the highly polished pin and pinned it on my shirt collar, fastening the safety clasp, thanked her and told her how lovely it was…. but then as I thought about it, I asked her if maybe she should give it to someone in her family, it was so beautiful.

She said, “No, I want you to have it.”

My first year teaching high school is coming to a close. I’m touched when asked to sign a yearbook. They want me to bring my camera to graduation on Saturday.

I’ve learned a lot.

Thank you Jaquea. (p.s. It is really difficult to photograph highly polished metal)