Summer's End

Summer is virtually over here in Northern Michigan. Despite the still warm daytime temperatures, you can feel the chill in the air at night as it drops into the 40s. There is never enough Summer here for a person who spent so many years in California where it is perpetually sunny and never has that Michigan bite of winter, Autumn and even Spring.

This year has been one of extremes, and I'm not talking about weather anymore. It seems like we are entering a new phase of our life as a family. For the first time in very many years, only my daughter, Lauren, and her two children were able to come for the summer visit and even they had to make it only a week. Duke and Rosemary are confronting the challenges that most young marrieds face.

Evan just married a wonderful girl, Clara, in March. Schedules have changed and lives have changed. Alexandra is now living in New York City, Jake is at Los Gatos High School, Lauren is involved in work and theatre projects, Evan is off to Spain to supervise visual FX on a film for almost half a year. I love change and view it as opportunity, a chance to create something new and make lives better so I'm not disappointed.

Dan and I are in a new phase. We are ready to return to California for more of our year. We are working hard as artists to build a following and to support ourselves with our creativity. It is a leap across a wide chasm but not one we are not poised and ready to do. Bravery, persistence an understanding of marketing will see us through.

I have a great backlog of photography ready to be marketed and Dan is becoming increasingly well know in the jazz/music world. His web site, danjacobsmusic.com is visited by thousands each month. We are each ready to take that leap.

The photo above is of us and the Theodores, Dan's sister's family. Each year we do one or more "jump" photos. When the spirit moves us it has become a thing we all do, individually and as a group.

2008 and life in the far North

Here it is, 2008, an election year. We get to decide who will be president. Of course, 'we' don't really decide. The game is rigged and political parties and candidates are playing a game of Risk. I remember crying when I played with my sons and husband because they were so ruthless and cruel (or so it seemed to me). That is how I see these campaignes. The person who can seem the nicest and most honest (despite how his henchmen lie and scheme) will be our winner. I'm a cynic about our political system. The media perpetuates it all. I have noticed they barely mention Ron Paul even though he has consistently beat out Guiliani in the primaries! It is not the way it's supposed to be. Money and dirty tricks, lies and cheating buy you the Presidency of the United States. Is it any wonder that we have the kind of people we do in the top eschelons of our government?

As for me, I remain interested and my 'glass is half full' side still hopes.

I start a new job this coming Wednesday. I hope it works out. I continue to do more photos and am working to get some things together to show.

My daughter-in-law started this handmade gift exchange a few years back and it's always fun for me, but a fair portion of the rest of the family goes through trials of the damned trying to get something done. I think it's been four years now. The rules are that you must draw a name from the hat and do something personal for that individual. It can be anything at all as long as it's handmade in some way or your own creation. I've done photos of various kinds most every year, in fact, I think EVERY year, but each does his thing. Songs have been sung, lyrics written, special written articles, songs composed and played, clay pots done at Color Me Mine, cookies baked, clothing sewn, etc. As I said, I really enjoy it and am stretching just a bit this year outside the realm of photography. It's my favorite gift to receive and my favorite one to give. These gifts get opened on Christmas Eve but the rest of Christmas is on the 25th. This year we will be at Lauren's in Los Gatos. Evan will be bringing his new girlfriend, Clara, who is also participating in the handmade gift exchange. She is a brave soul! I love the actual Christmas eve, and day because we are all together and nobody leaves to go anyplace. It is a wonderful family time and that is my favorite kind of time.

Here it is Christmas and I've been doing nothing much besides getting photos printed, calenders done up and books made. It's been a good year for that because of my Paris trip with Alex and Lauren. I got the brilliant plan to use various images of mine in those Apple iPhoto calendar things. Well, they are turning out great, nothing 'artsy' really but just good photos on a calendar page. It's cool, and no mall involved. This photo below is one I considered using in a calendar or book. It is one of quite a few digitally layered photos. In this case, I shot a photo of my husband at home posing him in the style of an old Bix Beiderbecke portrait I have seen. Then I layered a scan of a daguerreotype I have and voila! I'm interested in old processes in general but am trying to duplicate the look with my digital camera and Photoshop. This is my first blog and so I'm going to end it here and see how this looks when it's up. Stay tuned.