16 February 2009
Typically, I save the sleeves for the end of a project. After all, you can wear a doublet with no sleeves. Not so much the other way around. But, in this case, my customer is concerned that there won’t be enough colour in his outfit. So, I decided to do the colourful sleeves earlier in the process.
Here you go, Ryan . . . a sneak peak at your sleeves!
~MB
16 February 2009
One of the side-effects of my wife working in a florist shop for two days over the Valentine’s Day (fiasco) Celebration is the arrival of flowers at the house.
I have no idea what this flower is, but it’s beautiful.
I love it’s strong St. Louis Rams color scheme.
Cheers.
~KR (Written on 18 February 2009)
Listening to:
You’ve Got a Friend by James Taylor
The Best of James Taylor
Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: +1/3 EV
Flash: Off
15 February 2009
My left hand at dinner with my wife. It’s been trussed up like this since last Tuesday.
Unhappy.
~KR (Written on 16 February 2009)
Listening to:
Take Me To The River by Talking Heads
from Sand in the Vaseline
Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: -2/3 EV
Flash: Off
14 February 2009
Dinner with friends and family. Marita Beth worked at the Rose & Thistle helping out some friends with their florist shop. I worked at home.
We both drank wine.
Cheers.
~KR (Written on 16 February 2009)
Listening to:
Young Americans by Danny Michel
Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off
13 February 2009
The Royal Falcon, a new pub on the West side of Ft. Worth had it’s grand opening gala tonight. How could I not go?
Good friends, good food, good beer, good music.
Cheers.
~KR (Written on 16 February 2009)
Listening to:
2008 Coverville Countdown Part 3
Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.077 sec (1/13)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off
15 February 2009
Pretty much the very last Sunday we have (mostly) free before the slippery slope downhill into our faire season.
After a delightful visit with Kathleen at No Frills, my husband surprised me with a trip to Abuelo’s. Neither of us had been ready for food, yet at No Frills, but by the time we were tired of being there, we were hungry! 
This is Kyle taking a look at the menu.
I can’t say as I accomplished very much work on this final Sunday of freedom, but it was relaxing and Kyle and I spent some quality time together. And that’s an accomplishment, too!
~MB
14 February 2009
St. Valentine’s Day
Kyle and I have been ’round and ’round about this. I am a romantic, and prefer to focus on the positive energy and the theme of love and romance. It’s not about buying stuff, I tell him. Or, at least it doesn’t have to be. He argues that it’s completely commercial, and he hates the societal implication that he is “expected” to gift his wife with something material on this specific day . . . and sadly, that is indeed what the holiday has come to mean to many. All one need do, is turn on the television this week, to be bombarded by commercials for diamonds and other expensive baubles, and hear the reminder that buying something is the way to “show your love.” I shake my head and think “how sad,” but Kyle actively rebels and refuses to participate in any way.
I don’t mind, by the way . . . I know he loves me, and I don’t need a dozen roses on the fourteenth of February to prove it to me. And if I do go looking for signs of his love, the countless number of sweet and wonderful things he does for me all year long are more than enough of an outward indication of that love. And many of those things are even “material” things. In fact, we are both big believers in “seizing the day” and “capturing the moment”—and oftimes that means jumping on a gift idea when we see it. We don’t buy things for each other and set them aside for the next official holiday. We give them right then, for no good reason at all! (Remember the beautiful coat from TRF? Or the hat and scarf in Edinburgh? Or the pile of books I brought home from Dickens? . . . this list goes on and on!) But, boy-oh-boy, does my man rebel against doing any purchasing related to St. Valentine’s Day!
So, since he gets frustrated by the holiday, it’s perfect that I have developed the habit of spending the lion’s share of the day with my friends at The Rose and Thistle. After a full day of making people happy with beautiful flowers for their loved ones, we all gathered tonight for a delightful dinner at Ken and Denise’s favourite little Italian food restaurant. I ran home to get Kyle, so we’d only have one car, and off we went. Our in-transit conversation revolved around the history of St. Valentine’s Day, and explored (or attempted to explore) the differences in the way we look at this holiday.
I mean really. . . what harm is there in donning a red shirt, and enjoying the romantic history of this ancient ritualistic day? <sigh>
For a bit of a history lesson on St. Valentine’s Day, I’ve included these links, rather than rewrite it myself. No time for reinventing the wheel!
http://www.history.com/content/valentine/history-of-valentine-s-day
And this one’s cool: it’s a video!
http://link.history.com/services/link/bcpid6555686001/bclid1672160848/bctid1407959235
I shot this cute photo of Ken and Denise at dinner.
~MB
13 February 2009
For a number of years, now, I have looked forward to the Valentine’s Day holiday. Not a big fan of the blatant commercialism that this (or any) manufactured holiday encourages, it’s not because I’m gonna get flowers or diamonds or chocolates or pearls that I love this midwinter holiday. My reasons for anticipation are related to the fact that we have dear friends who own a floral shoppe. Ken and Denise spend more time at their shoppe, The Rose and Thistle, than they do at home, and Valentines Day is a big deal for them. And each year, for a while now, they have allowed me the privilege of coming to work for them for a couple of days, to soak up a little bit of the love in the air around this holiday.
And I do love the love in the air.
Contrary to Kyle’s perception of St. Valentine’s Day gift-buyers, I spend my couple of days at the Rose and Thistle, helping (mostly men) customers choose that perfect symbol of the love they feel for their spouses and significant others. Once in a while a guy will come in and make a surly comment about the expectations involved. But, far, far more often, he is excited about his purchase, and wants only to go home with the best possible thing he can find that he knows his woman will love. Some are all about the colour—spring flowers and balloons; some are very traditional and want only red roses and white baby’s breath; some want only a simple, single rose, or even a carnation. But all of them are using Valentine’s Day as a way to express their love. Sometimes they bring in their personally written poetry to go along with the delivery they order. Special cards, stuffed animals, her favourite candies, even a ceramic frog figurine to be incorporated into an arrangement, are some of the things we’ve seen guys bring in to go with their flower orders. One guy came in to pick up his roses wearing a tuxedo, on his way to a date. Another annual customer comes in each year and buys one more rose for the bouquet than he did the year before, symbolizing the number of Valentine’s Days he has celebrated with his wife. And twice, we had men come back into the store, at the end of the day, to tell us how beautiful their deliveries had been, and how much their wives had appreciated the beautiful flowers! That, I contend, is not the attitude of a guy who felt he “had” to give his wife flowers just because it was Valentine’s Day!
I snapped this photo of Denise toward the end of the work day. It was a busy day on very little sleep, but you’d never know it by that smile! This is one of the sweetest women I know, with a smile that lights up the room. She’s beautiful inside and out, and I treasure her friendship.
~MB
12 February 2009
Party at Rob’s. Pool, beer, queso & cake. Gotta love it.
I didn’t play much pool with my wrist & shoulder being what they are. But, I could take photos.
~KR (Written on 13 February 2009)
Listening to:
The Boys are Back in Town by Bon Jovi
from Cover Collection
Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.067 sec (1/15)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off
11 February 2009
Having to skip a day because the only photo I took on the 10th is in my wife’s camera. As soon as she retrieves it for me, I’ll post the 10th.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, I suppose for some), I have hurt my left shoulder and wrist pretty badly. Typing is a chore. Posts will be short on typing for a bit.
My dogs.
Cheers.
~KR (Written on 13 February 2009)
Listening to:
The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
by Ronnie Drew
from Best of Irish Ballads
Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off
