Ohio State Fair – Columbus Ohio

Today’s post is primarily people. A few animals. Or people and animals. The food highlights will be a separate post. Stay tuned for a Deep Fried Buckeye. No, I didn’t eat it but someone let me photograph theirs.

I accompanied two moms and seven children! We had a wonderful afternoon. Perfect summer day. Last year our visit to the fair was cut short by a severe thunderstorm. If you are new to the blog you can check it out here

Fans from the egg farmers- outside the Taste of Oho Pavillion- four of them are my grandchildren. Three are their friends.

Thanks for letting me photograph your shirt in the Taste of Ohio Pavillion

No, not going to guess my weight or age today!

Union General from the Civil War Encampment checks out the cowgirl boots

Being taken back to the livestock/ stall area after showing

Abe Lincoln chats with fairgoers

Cowgirl Boots galore

Airbrush artist

Posting a No Firearms sign on the Dairy Pavillion

Jack and Drew talk to the Pirate about missing treasure

At the Cardinal gate.

Bent traffic cone and Ohio State Trooper giving directions

Jack milked a cow. Why he put the sticker on his mouth is beyond me.We did not put it there!

Watching the pig races

Weaving a scarf

Rousing band music

Checking the bags of wool

The horse barn

Sleeping near the livestock

Catching a quick nap behind the concession stands

Waiting in line to milk the cow

Looking down the walkway lined with horse stalls

Exhausted. This woman takes a nap on the grass.

Perfect summer day. Last year our visit to the fair was cut short by a severe thunderstorm. If you are new to the blog you can check it out here

Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia

At least a year ago, my friend Connie W. from Florida, sent a newspaper article from an Ocala paper about the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb Croatia. Connie must have read it and thought of Matthew, my son who lives there. I asked him one time about it and then another time and we didn’t talk about it or mention it for along while. Then I said I hope he could take Flat Ruthie there as I thought it would be an interesting place to visit. Then Flat Ruthie went missing. And besides Flat Ruthie hasn’t really had any relationships to break up that I’m aware of………….

Today in my email I received photographs of his visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships. Here is what Matthew wrote:

My Blog-following friends- Sasha, Ana Maria and Tanja asked if I had taken Flat Ruthie to the Museum of Broken Relationships. I hadn’t. So we decided to go together and take some pics for the Blog. Flat Ruthie was too busy exploring the remote reaches of my desk drawers, so she opted not to join us this time. I bought a Bad Memories Eraser for Mom at the gift shop, but a few hours later ran into a friend who needed it more. Her boyfriend has gone to NYC to play the drums.

I wonder what she’ll donate to the museum: a pair of scuffed sticks or an abandoned ride cymbal? Hopefully, she’ll update us when she decides – Matthew

It isn’t just the objects. It is the stories behind the objects.

Biker Boots

Tanja, Sasha, Ana at the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb

At the gift shop

I am so happy you all encouraged MAtthew to go to the museum!!!

I am not sure to whom the credit should go to for the photo of Matthew at the entrance. Let me know and I can edit the post.

Photo credit to Sasha, Tanja or Ana Maria- Thank you

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.

Peter Celebrates the Big Five O (+)

Stuffed grape leaves, and fancy cheeses. Goat cheese and fig jam on bruschetta. Green grapes. Some bubbly to toast. M and D brought the most drinkable wine. A secret in the carafe, a blind test. Carlo Rossi. No kidding. Beat out the pricey Portuguese wine. What do we know?

Dates and nuts in a chocolate South African pudding recipe, topped with whiskey whipped cream, created by his wife Janice. Happy Birthday to Peter. Live music at a party makes the evening rhyme. Marc on harmonica and Peter and Doug on guitar. Kim sang a number with the lyrics on her cell phone.

A fun surprise party. Well done, J.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

Culture. We are part of so many different cultures. I went and read the definition of the word. More like definitions!

Tried to get a direction.

Friday night was the Gallery Crawl in Pittsburgh. I’m adding two from NYC Spring Break trip that seem to fit into my take on the challenge.

Music, Painting, Sculpture , Art and my wonderful teacher Germaine Watkins from Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild with two of his photographs on display Friday night.

I ‘d gone downtown with my friend Steve to check out and take pictures of the students’ artwork at the All City Show.

April Showers, Richie Havens and Here Comes the Sun

It was MIXED BAG (vinyl) in my dorm room in the early seventies. Over and over. Richie Havens sang Dylan better than Bob.

Here’s an email in response to the one I wrote in December.

Subject: A Message of Gratitude

Last Christmas Matthew was back from Croatia and we were sitting in Mark and Erika’s living room in Ohio, remembering the first Richie Havens concert I forced him to go to as a teenager. We saw him together years later in New York City at the Knitting Factory, too. Matthew and Aunt Mary braved a Connecticut snowstorm to see him together and sat right under him.

——————————————————————-

Hi Ruth

Thank you so much for taking the time to send along such kind thoughts. I will make sure Richie sees your email.

Best wishes for 2013!

Leslie
Stormy Forest Productions, NYC

—–Original Message—–
From: ruthehendricks
To: stormyforestprod
Sent: Sat, Dec 29, 2012 3:50 pm
Subject: Message of Gratitude

This is a message for Mr. Havens as I sit with  my 32 yo son tonight (home from 
Croatia where he lives) listening together to RH on youtube.

When Matthew was 14 I forced him to go listen to a Richie Havens concert in 
Pittsburgh Pa at the Carnegie Music Hall.

Oh he was mad cause who wants to go anywhere with their mother at that point of 
their life?
We waited in the corridor afterwards and met Mr. Havens and my son said he emanated 
positive energy right out of himself into him. 

  Matthew saw him in concert at least six times after that and he said tonight 
that Richie Havens was able to communicate to his soul.  We saw him together at 
the Knitting Factory years later.

So powerful and I wanted to express gratitude for his musical gifts and these 
wonderful  loving memories we share of listening to Mr Havens music and energy.
Xxoo
Ruth Hendricks

Richie Havens RIP. Matthew and I spoke on SKYPE last night when we heard of your passing and we will always remember you and your music which touched our souls, deeply.

for Richie Havens Streaming Audio click here

Pizza Chef Again in E.Rossi & Co. Windows- Grand and Mulberry Streets

Taken the week before Easter, on Spring Break vacation in New York City. Found the second window picture with the nativity scenes tonight and the pizza man reappearing which I’d missed the first time.

The little girls’ mom is pointing out the Mary riding on the donkey with a hand on her expectant figure.

Bob and Whiskers – 1955 – Guest Blog Post

This guest post is in response to Murphy the Airedale’s passing. We are grateful to so many friends and followers for their lovely email and text messages and comments on the blogpost, too. Many of you have experienced pet loss and understand how painful it is.

On Wednesday morning, my neighbor Bob (from across the hall at school) brought me a copy of this wonderful photograph with 1955 written in the margin. It touched me so. Later in the afternoon I asked if I could please share it on the blog.

Here is what Bob wrote for the blog when I asked if it would be okay to post………..

This picture of my dog Whiskers and me was taken in 1955 with an second-hand camera that had light leak. My oldest sister took this photo. He was a mixed terrier. On July 4th, 1957 my pal was attacked by a very large German Shepherd and he passed away 2 days later. I was 6 in this picture. My buddy was 5.

After 58 years, I have never forgotten what a great family member he was and I still miss him. This is on the Southside of Pittsburgh.

My face and hands and my pup were as dirty as the air we breathed back then.

There was a song on the radio that came out just about the time of my dog’s passing. It was ” I’m saving my money to buy you a rainbow“. Whenever I hear or think of that song, it takes me back to those wonderful days with my dog Whiskers, when “life was in black and white”.

Thanks for your kind sympathy Bob. I appreciate your thoughtfulness to me and also my family as we grieve the loss of dear Murphy.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Neighborhood

Phoneography special. The weekly photo challenge I have been talking about it for days. Unable to do it for a variety of reasons. Out of town. Too dark. Many people shoot with their phones. All day, everyday. Don’t think much of it, the photos sit and take up space. They have them in the phone and that’s about it.

This is just a snippet.

Tonight Steve drove us over to Shadyside for 1/2 price burger night at Shady Grove. I’ve added some shots around town I already had in the phone. This is not an attractive time of year to showcase where I live. If you want to see Pittsburgh at it’s best you can check out Francine in Retirement of Frizz in Germany. I take photos of Pittsburgh frequently. This is a collection of the everyday. The Historical Marker is where musician Billy Eckstine lived in my neighborhood.

The snowy park is the neighborhood I live in Highland Park. There are 80 neighborhoods in our city. The edges of neighborhoods are where I drive through everyday to school and across the bridge, over the Monongahela. I’ve thrown in a few you’ve seen before just to round out the gallery.

Last Wednesday’s view of the Highland Park Entrance. The second one is what my driveway looked like! It’s all gone now.

Music and Chocolate Cake in Zagreb, Croatia

So I got home from my weekend in Ohio, Sunday night with no chance to photograph the neighborhood for the weekly photo challenge as it was dark outside. Changing the clocks didn’t help me with enough light by the time I pulled in the driveway

-but in my inbox I found a message from my son Matthew who lives in Zagreb, Croatia (9 years already!)

The subject of his email: Guest blog 🙂 The dilemma of what to post? SOLVED!

—————————————————————————————————————————–

Dear Ma,

Yesterday I spent the evening with the Kaplowitz family. My dear friend Joe Kaplowitz is pretty much the only American I know over here and he invited me over for an American-style chocolate cake. Not only is he a brilliant jazz musician but he is quite an accomplished baker to boot! His beautiful wife Lela is a marvelous singer and they recently came out with a big-band album of original compositions called With Every Breath that you can hear (and buy!) here

After enjoying a generously-sized hunk of cake chased by a glass of milk, Joe, Lela, their daughter Lucija and I played a cut-throat game of Name That Tune. Lucija is also a budding musician, so as you might imagine the competition was pretty stiff. Then we headed to the parlor for a concert. Joe and Lucija, who plays the violin, teamed up for a set of traditional Croatian melodies played over some soulful blues piano.

Perhaps I was witnessing the concept for the next album being born.

Joe’s cake was so tasty that I plan to go back over tomorrow for another sliver.

In keeping with the spirit of the blog, will get the recipe tomorrow and send it to you!

Love, Matthew

p.s. Here is the recipe, just in from Zagreb this morning

only got 3 stars but i thought it was fabulous!