Summer "To Do" List

Today marks the beginning of my summer break. Sort of. I'll go back on June 22 for 2 or 3 more days. We will be ramping up our School Report Card report to the state, and it involves documentation and records. And I would be the Registrar. So that's MY STUFF everyone wants to paw through.

Between now and Saturday I'll begin my summer stuff and then my adorable bff Julie will come for an 8 day visit. During that time we will drink wine, play board games, watch movies, paint 2 bathrooms and probably more stuff, and then we'll go to the beach.

Then I work those few days and begin my summer in earnest. And so to be true to my nature I have made The List:

1. Do yoga 3 times a week, Jazz 3 or 4 times a week.
   
2. Back up and clean our two computers
3. Work more on moving the old Gone to Carolina blog over to this one
4. Work in Photoshop with my new Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet(It arrives in a few days). It should enable me to improve my skills on selecting and deleting objects in photos and many other things that require more detail work. I'M EXCITED! But I'll have to try to contain myself while Julie is here...

So there you go. Now it's out there for the internet to see. You can ask me how I'm coming on it.

Pink Bush Rose

PinkBushRose
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

I took this with my faithful D40 on September 30 in my neighbor Mary's back yard. It was a horribly dark photo...severely underexposed and grainy (noisy) looking.

For the past few days my photographic mentor, Greg Schneider, has been helping me with some Photoshop techniques for another project I've been working on. The main thing he's taught me is how to select an area in a photo and highlight just that. Basically, draw a circle around that part and bring the lights up a bit. The hardest part has been learning how to use the selection tool to make the selection. After that? Piece of cake.

I don't know if this brings this photo into any sort of higher-quality range or not, but I like it, and I guess that's what really matters, isn't it? (Ah...just got an email back. He likes the photo but thinks the background is still too dark for his taste. I can tell he's going to do something else. And that's why he's the MENTOR and I'm the MENTEE!)

Today I went to the 5:45 a.m. Jazzercise class. It was odd getting out of class and having it still be dark out, but it was a great way to start the day. After that I ran home for a shower and some more desk work, and then up to have a massage and do some errands. A nap in the afternoon and starting in a new book followed that. So it's been a great day. But I'm a little tired. And the stiffness is starting to kick in. Time for a nice hot soak in Epsom Salts.

Wine Notes: Relax Riesling 2006

Relax Riesling 2006
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Mom and I have been talking wine lately. I thought maybe I'd start putting some of my finds on the blog.

From my favorite region of Germany, the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, This wine is imported by Schmitt Sohne. Just the right amount of sweetness, which I expect in wine from this region. That's why I always have a bottle from this area on hand.
This was my first attempt at adjusting color in Elements, too. I need to do this again with a photo that does not have so many blown-out areas.

Oil Painting Effect

34of365 oilpainting
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

I'm trying to learn a bit about Photoshop Elements each day if I can. Yesterday I learned how to make a photo look like an oil painting. I'm not so sure this one does, though. It seems like there ought to be more texture. I'm sure it's a matter of adjustments sliders, but now I'm ready to move to something else. Anyway, these two roses, the dry one and the fresh petals, both came from Soya's rose garden. I've been enjoying cutting a couple every few days and having them on my desk.

It's gotten cloudy and dark here at 4 in the afternoon. I wish that meant rain, but it probably doesn't. By mid-December, if we don't get any substantial rain, we will probably have to go to stage 4 water restrictions. I'm not sure how they would pull that off, but it would require households to reduce their water consumption by 30%. We don't waste much, so I have no idea what we'd do. Until then I'm doing my best to keep the new garden moist. Hopefully the temps will be cool enough in December that we won't need water out there anymore.

DeadEye Food Fanatic

DeadEye Food Fanatic
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Oh man this was fun!

...of course, I haven't written my food story, but THIS WAS FUN!!!