A to Z 2021 Theme Reveal

So excited to be joining the Blogging from A to Z Challenge again this year. It will be my 6th one! In years past I have done a combination of scrapbooking and concerts, both things I know and love. I was wondering what to do for this year given that we did not go to any concerts last year and, while we have been to enough shows that I probably could have done another 26 scrapbooking concert adventures, it is getting to be a stretch to find either an artist or a song title to match the letters. Also, I don’t have an outside job like I did when I worked at Michael’s to use for ideas.

And then I wrote a blog post about how I was now driving my son to San Francisco everyday and that even though I’ve lived in the Bay Area all my life I was finding things I had never seen before. One of our A to Z captains, J. Lennie Dorner, happened to leave a comment that it would be a good idea for an A to Z. And then I remembered that our newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle, had included a couple of coloring book inserts to the Sunday Edition.

• 

• 

• 

These are the two books with the artists who drew the pictures.

At first I thought I’d just use the books, color the pictures and call it done but then I had the idea to include some of my own pictures from the places I had been like the Golden Gate Bridge. A few of the letters in the coloring books showcased places that were outside of San Francisco and while I had also been to some of those spots, I thought it would be more fun to stick to San Francisco alone.

• 

• 

I love these pages to color and wouldn’t mind seeing Big Sur, but with Covid and the time factor, it is not realistic.

It took some research but I think I managed to get all the letters covered. So now my task is to actually go to these locations, take more pictures and write a little of the history. Since I’ve gotten both doses of the vaccine, I feel a little better about going out in public and visiting the spots I’ve chosen. It also depends on how much typing I get because that has to come first.

I hope that you will come along on this adventure in San Francisco with me. And if you are doing the A to Z this year, let me know so I can make sure to follow you too!

from WordPress https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2021/03/08/a-to-z-2021-theme-reveal/

Mainly in March - 2019 - The Sketchbook

I just sent off the next Sketchbook (Vol. 14) to the Brooklyn Art Library.  My first Sketchbook has been doing well.  At this moment it has been viewed online 742 times!  It has been checked out in person 6 times and favorited by 5.  I'm pretty happy about that.  You can see it here.

This Sketchbook needed to be postmarked by today, March 30, in order to be included in this round.  You all know that I've been moving into the new studio so I haven't had a chance to work on it (procrastination abounds since it was actually due in February (d'oh) but they gave us an extension, thank goodness).  Anyway, I worked like crazy and finished it this morning and sent it off this afternoon. 

The theme for the first book was "People I wish I knew."  The theme for this one is "City Streets."

I wrote the opening about the heart-shaped street we have in our town and the explosion in 2010 when a gas pipe erupted. 

 

These pictures are from our visit to the Haight Ashbury District in San Francisco a couple of years ago during the "Summer of Love" tour.  I couldn't get over the legs sticking out of the window and I love the Victorian houses.
                                                                                                                     





Really sad that we are not going to be able to see Bob Seger when he does his last tour.  We had tickets and then he had to have spine surgery.  When they rescheduled the rest of the tour, they left our area out.  Good thing we've seen him twice.

I know that the song Dancing in the Street has been done by a few people but I like Mick Jagger's version.








And, of course, my Journey!  Perhaps they were in Los Angeles but everyone knows they meant San Francisco in their hearts!

I thought this was an interesting quote by Virginia Woolf and it made me want to read more of her work.  I probably read some in high school but who remembers that?












Such a simple lesson.  Too bad we don't follow it more often.  Sweep in front of your own house and the streets will be clean! 

I've never been to Paris but I can imagine that the streets are filled with interesting sites.  

Herb Caen had some pretty good stories in his day.  I love the way the City looks at night.

This looks like so much fun!  Floating along the river while eating lunch or dinner. 









I've been down some old town streets like this.  They are usually full of great antique shops.  Could spend hours wandering up and down them. 

Another interesting place to hang out.  I can see I have to get out more!

This reminds me of the Farmer's Market in City Plaza that we used to pass when we were on the way to the Workers' Comp hearings we had to go to for my husband's back injury. 

Y'all know I love my gnomes!

It is fun to include Agatha Christie in my work. 

I was really happy to find this quote by Mariska Hargitay.  She has the right attitude about smiling! 

It's not perfect but I'm pretty happy with it.  Some pages I like better than others and I can see a couple of spots that I might have done differently but overall I'm pleased.  I'd love to hear what you think!  

There is another edition out now and I'm really thinking about doing another one but I have to get over the A to Z first.  We have until November to order and it is not due until February 2020 so I have some time.  This week they are offering the books at 20% off though so if you are considering doing one, nows the time to get it!  I can tell you it is really exciting to get an email telling me that someone has viewed my book or to see that the number of online views keeps growing.  I'm not going to make any "dough" from it but I might get some exposure that I wouldn't ordinarily get since I added my business information at the back of the book.  

(The "d'oh" and "dough" are added as part of Linda G. Hill's Stream of Consciousness Saturday)!

Fiddlin' February - 2018

Tell It Color - Night

We all know my fetish with the moon and the pictures I take of the full moon each month.  Here are some other gems, including a short video of the Pacific Ocean waves crashing against the bank which combines yesterday's water with today's night.

Of course the moon

And the sunset

A golf ball used to play night golfing - yes, there is such a thing.

It was a cloudy night

The walkway to our house at Christmas

The Excalibur Hotel in Vegas

Fireworks in front of our house on the 4th of July

The lights from cellphones at a concert

The colorful reflection of our friend's pool

More fireworks

I was lucky to catch the colors in this one

At the Adele concert

Through our bedroom window.

Ah that moon

The train from across the street

Rare moon and Venus sighting

Over the streets of San Francisco

The tree lights at ATT&T Park where the Giants play

Tonight

The sunset

The lights on the Bay Bridge.  They are fun to watch because they change.

As seen from my car on the way home.

And the 20 seconds or so of the waves. 

I don't know why I never knew this but I just learned what my Pisces constellation looks like:

Night is exciting.  Night is mysterious.  Night is sexy.  Night is wondrous.  Night is adventure.  

That's night to me.  What's night to you?