Gordon Parks

Last week, I wrote about reading Gordon Parks' memoir: "A Hungry Heart."

Well, I just finished, as evidenced by the tear streaks on my face. No, it's not particularly a sad book. It's just so beautifully crafted. Seriously. (He writes "After ninety two years I still don't know who I am" ..... GENIUS and SO honest! AMEN Gordon!). Parks is a master of photos, film, music and words.

I first was introduced to Parks (quite literally) the day I graduated from high school. I was at an exhibit of his work at WSU. He was there to meet and greet and sign autographs. The line was long, and I left, disappointed. In the parking lot, I basically talked myself into getting in line. "When are you EVER going to have a chance like this again, Karen?" I said to myself. The line was crazy-long, but I met him, and skidded into high school graduation just in time.

Then while living in Southeast Kansas, I went to his boyhood town of Ft. Scott. I'd read some of Parks' love poetry from the library and disliked it, but the poems on the walls of Mercy Health Center moved me nearly to tears. For example:

THE FUNERAL by Gordon Parks

After many snows I was home again.
Time had whittled down to mere hills the great mountains
of my childhood.
Raging rivers I once swam trickled now like gentle streams
and the wide road curving on to China or Kansas City
or perhaps Calcutta
had withered to a crooked path of dust
ending abruptly at the county burial ground.
Only the giant that was my father remained the same.
A hundred strong men strained beneath his coffin
when they bore him to his grave.

--It's online HERE

I'm so ashamed it took me 2+ months to pick up this book (I checked it out from the library about 3 months ago). And now? I don't want to take it back!!!!! You can just BET this is on my wish list of books to own!

So ..... you photographers/photojournalists out there: YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!! And for those of you who like a guy who goes against insurmountable odds ... you also must read this book!

Bye bye empty walls!

It's SO exciting to get our OWN art on the walls of Erik's ... er ... our house!


I ordered a nice 24x30 image of our e-session, as well as some detail shots of the pressroom to go along with it. Evidently, I didn't mention to Erik I got other photos, too. Oh well, he *gets* my vision and we both think it turned out AMAZINGLY!

I even cleaned the junk off the dining room table for the photo! If you're in the neighborhood, DO drop by! I am excited to show off our awesome walls!

Next up: painting. Erik and I have FINALLY agreed on a wall color for the master bedroom. YAY! But I think before it gets painted, the guest room is up. I need to get a sample to be 100% sure I like it. Hopefully, I'll get around to painting the guest room by the end of the month ... then the master bedroom by Thanksgiving! THEN I get to attack the master closet!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I'm SO jazzed to install a closet shelving system — one for E and one for K! Also, some extra shelf space and of course some drawers and MORE drawers!

A *few* people have asked if there's anything we still need ... and our answer is TARGET GIFT CARDS!!!!!!!!! We're getting ready to install our dream closet and any/all help is appreciated! Of course, once it's in, we'll never want to move (you'll see once you see the finished product!).

Cookbook Idea

I'm super-busy this week, so just a short post. I LOVE COOKING and am excited about Tastebook.com as an idea.

I haven't done too much poking around, but it looks as if you can add your own recipes or get ones off of their archives. Yummie! Leave me a comment on YOUR favorite recipe!

Fashionable Camera Bag — Shoot Sac!

(Photo by Anne Ruthmann)

I've had a *few* camera bags in my life. Easily, I can think of a half a dozen I've had .... but once Mike and I entered weddings hard core, my hip pouch I used in the world of photojournalism (at newspapers) just didn't seem sophistocated enough. Besides, it was bulky and I was always bumping into people with it!

BUT last year for my birthday, I impulsively purchased a Shoot Sac. It's MUCH lighter than my former bag, and much more sleek looking, ESPECIALLY with the awesome Baroque cover Robin and Paul gave me for Christmas.

Anyhow, I'm a visual person (NOT a surprise), and whenever I troll through the Shoot Sac blog, I don't really get very excited about the new covers from the swatches. I think it's mostly because I see a small portion of the facbric and don't see how awesome it will look as an entire cover. Case in point: When I saw the following swatch, I didn't think much of any of the new fabrics. (OK, maybe I like the second one on the top row and last one on the middle row a *little*)


BUT when I saw this cover on the Shoot Sac Blog, I fell in LOVE!


BUT it was followed by the bad news ...


And Jessica says it's gone forever. :-(

Sad, sad, sad.

ESPECIALLY since it will look AWESOME with my wedding dress in September! (I have two words for those of you who thought I'd be sans camera when Erik and I get married: YEAH RIGHT!)

Oh well .... Jessica Claire is releasing a brand spankin' new blog, and is supposed to be having some killer Shoot Sac sales, so maybe they'll bring back my new favorite cover!

(Hint: if you're looking for a good gift for me, slide over to the Shoot Sac Web site ... almost any cover will do! They also have gift certificates!)