Look Up//Look Down #52: Home for the Holidays

I went home for the holidays - back to visit my brothers and sisters (and Paul's family) in Southern California where I grew up. There I found the perfect look up//look down pair to end 2012. Looking up at the roof line of the house where I grew up (and so thankful that my brother still lives there and hosts big family gatherings), all lit up for the holidays. Looking down at my parents' final resting place. I took Henry, Clara and my niece Maddie there to visit, reflect and decorate. Thanks again Helena  for hosting this meme.

look up//look down #51: winter at the lighthouse

Winter on the California coast brings wonderful sunsets. Tonight, on the way back from swim practice, Clara and I saw a beautiful sunset developing. We pulled over at the first available opportunity to take a picture, and it turned out to be the parking lot of the local lighthouse. It seemed the perfect opportunity to capture my pair of weekly photos looking up and looking down for Helena's meme. A fine penultimate pair!

Look Up//Look Down #50: Lights (+ Question on Photo Printers)

Continuing to snap pictures for my December Daily album has given me some interesting choices for the weekly photo meme Look Up//Look Down. I chose this seasonal pair (looking up at the house across the street and looking down on the lights which have not yet been put up at our house) because I like the contrast in scale and the parallel subject.
I'll probably end up including the top photo in my December Daily album on a page about neighborhood decorations. I'll say probably because I'm not 100% sure which photos will go in until I get the photos back from the printers. Because I still send my photos to be printed. Because I don't have a home printer. But I'm thinking about buying one for myself  asking Santa for one. So, I'd like input.
Do you have a home photo printer to recommend? Any to steer away from? And what ink do you use and what paper to print on? Karen suggested that the paper can make a huge difference. Thanks in advance for your help!

Look Up//Look Down #49: Christmas Time at the University

This December I chose to do a December Daily album, rather than Journal Your Christmas, because I want to create an album that documents not just the holidays but also what our lives are like at this moment. So, a lot of the pages will feature regular activities.  Like today, when basically all I did was to go to work. I did take this nice look up//look down pair that captures both the season and my work place. Looking up at the winter sky behind St. Ignatius church on campus and looking down at the reindeer and Christmas tree in our library. That's a picture of our Dean on top of the tree! The second photo will definitely be going into my December Daily.

Look Up//Look Down #48: Cross Country

I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with cross-country posts - LOL! But this should be the last one for this season. It's my entry for Helena's Look Up//Look Down meme. And I actually have two entrys.
Take 1:

Looking up at leaves, tossed in the air by happy girls. And looking down in the tent during pre-race stretches.
Take 2:

Looking up for a jump shot with the team. Looking down at the race course - Clara strong among a sea of runners.
So, that should be the last of the cross-country photos for a while. BUT I will be back tomorrow with another look up//look down pair.  I counted up the remaining Wednesdays in the 2013 and found that there are only three left; which means I missed a week somewhere. Tomorrow, I'll post #49; then only three more pairs to complete the meme. I'm really happy I've stuck with this one. Has anyone else stuck with this for the entire year?

Look Up//Look Down #47: Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. In the morning, I took Gypsy out for a long walk because I knew we were going to be gone for most of the day.  I looked up and snapped a photograph of a small red biplane. Later in the day, we went to the house of some good friends to cook and share a wonderful meal. While we were preparing dinner, Jack informed us that we would be listening to vinyl record albums as our soundtrack. It was so much fun to look through his collection and stroll down memory lane. I looked down and took the photograph of the album on the turn table.  I thought the two photographs would make a unique look up//look down combination for Thanksgiving. 
And here's a more conventional shot of our family celebrating together.

For those celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope it was a good one. And I was wondering about the music format you use - vinyl? digital? something else?

Look Up//Look Down: 45//46

Oh, my poor neglected blog! I hope to be back in regular circulation in the blogosphere, soon, but in the meantime, here are my two look up//look down pairings from last week and this week. I am very grateful that Helena started this meme, to keep my creative juices flowing!
Week 45: Signs of the Season

Dungeness crab season opened last week off the coast here. I love crab, and I love the way the accumulation of crab pots in the harbor parking lots announce the arrival of the season. It's a very local kickoff to the holiday season, as well, as we usually have crab on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Easter. As for the pairing, I decided to "put a bird on it." Love this funny take on that crafting phenomenon. Looking up at crab pots, looking down at a feather.

Week 46: Running through Fall

We continue to have spectacular sunsets, and Clara and her cross-country team continue to win (and run). They came in second in their league and qualified for the Central Coast Section Championship meet. They came in third there and qualified to run at the California State Meet next weekend! So proud of these tough, tough girls. Looking up at a beautiful fall sunset, looking down into the tent where the girls are preparing for their race. In case you can't read it, Clara's shirt says "Trample the Slow. Hurdle the Dead." Awesome.

Look Up//Look Down #44: Autumn at USF

Hi all! Still super busy at work; I took these photos while running across campus between meetings. Looking up at the spires of St. Ignatius church and down at a pretty leaf, indicative of the season. Lots of bright sunlight in both, as well as interesting texture and a nice contrast in scale. I'm hoping to get around to read blogs soon, and I'll be participating in Jennifer's Frosty Festivities Blog Hop this weekend! So, I hope to see you soon.

Look Up//Look Down #43

A quick and funny pair of look up//look down photos this time to symbolize my hectic week: looking up at the soap bubbles during a "Rainbow Wash" car wash and down on some interesting sidewalk graffiti on the way to work.

Look Up//Look Down #42: Homecoming

Homecoming is a traditional celebration in American high schools, which takes different forms at different schools. At our high school, the celebration includes a week full of activities that culminates in a Friday night football games at which the Homecoming King and Queen are crowned. Alumni are invited back, but for our school, that's not a major part of the festivities.  The school does get decorated in pumpkins (including along the roof line), and the four classes (freshman, sophomore, junior and senior) compete in a variety of spirit competitions, including a skit, a dance/lip sync, a relay race and a mural that goes up in the gym.  The theme for this year's Homecoming was public service, and each class was assigned a group (freshman were doctors; sophomores were firefighters; juniors were police; and seniors were the armed forces).  I was really happy (and a little surprised) when Clara said that she had gotten a bunch of her friends to sign up with her to do the class mural.
For this week's look up//look down photo pairing, then, two photos from Homecoming 2013: looking up at the pumpkins on the roof line and looking down at the sophomore class mural in progress (the High School mascot is a cougar, in case you're wondering why there's a great big cougar in there!).
And I'm wondering, is Homecoming a tradition where you are? If so, how is it celebrated?

Look Up//Look Down #41: Second Chances

Saturday morning (early), I rolled out of bed to take Clara to a cross country meet. Curious as to why she wasn't the one waking me up, I shuffled into her room and found her sound asleep. She's generally an early riser and particularly on meet days when she can't wait to join her friends and conquer a new course. I could tell by the absence of happy chatter (replaced by complaints and a few tears) that she really wasn't feeling well.  And truthfully, she had been feeling kind of punky for a few days. But, it was going to be her first time running "Crystal," an important course for league and championship meets. And her first time at the three mile distance which will be used as "official" times for various purposes.   Plus, we had promised a teammate a ride to the meet. So, I jollied her along, pushed her into the car and drove her to the meet.  Shortly before her warm up time, she threw-up. Everything she had eaten in the last 24 hours. Everything.  Not totally unexpected. But disappointing none-the-less.
We are returning to Crystal Springs this afternoon for one of those important league meets. She's feeling much better and is excited (though a bit nervous) for the race. It's a second chance to make a good first impression at Crystal, and I'm hoping it goes well.
Before we left on Saturday morning, I snapped a few pictures on my iphone. Perfect for this week's installment of look up//look down (the accidental meme created by Helena).

Look Up//Look Down #40: Fully into Fall

Fall is a beautiful time of year here on the coast, and we are sometimes treated to fantastic sunsets.  It is also the time of year to harvest pears.  So, I thought these two photographs would be perfect representation for this week's look up//look down (a meme hosted by Helena). What does Fall look like where you are?

Look Up//Look Down #39: Home Improvement

So, while I was in Oregon, I left my daughter Clara and my husband Paul to fend for themselves. I expected that they would get by with the minimum requirements for the week - getting to school; doing homework; eating; watching the dogs.  Instead, they decided to undertake a few home improvement projects! They worked on painting the living room and repairing/replacing lighting in the laundry room, front hall way, and master bathroom. The projects aren't quite done, but they sure will look good when they are! Looking up at the new lights in the master bath (still needs some dry wall) and down at the painting drop cloth. Thanks Helena for suggesting this fun weekly photo meme.

Look Up//Look Down #38: Going to College (and blog break)

I'm up in Oregon, getting Henry settled into college. This week's look up//look down pair (for the meme started by Helena) features a view looking up at his dorm and a view looking down at the packing we were doing last week at home. As I get him settled, I'm going to take a few days off from posting to my blog. I'm also giving myself blog amnesty on commenting on all your wonderful blogs (other than the scavenger hunt posts, which I'm still enjoying). I'll be back and active after the weekend.

Look Up/Look Down #37: Seasons Change

The view off my deck this week. It really feels like summer is truly over, with the shift in the weather. Even when it's sunny, it's much cooler these days. And we have many more days like this - drippy, cool and grey. Another sign of the change in seasons - as the college kids have all gone away, their beer pong table (it's a drinking game - don't ask) has been pushed aside.  Looking up at the neighbor's house (previously captured here) ; looking down at our back deck.  Posted as part of the look up//look down challenge started by Helena.
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And it's last call to visit yesterday's post and link up your final summer scavenger hunt post and leave a comment letting you know how many of the items you found. I'll pick a winner and post the results tomorrow. THANK YOU so much for playing along this year. I'm having such fun looking through all the links!

Look Up//Look Down #36: In the Back Back

I went out to the back-back over the weekend (the lot we own behind our house) to check the afternoon light for a family portrait session.  I was struck by the intense green of the apple tree and the pittosporum hedge and thought they made a nice late summer pair for Helena's weekly photography meme, Look Up//Look Down. Are things still green where you are?

Look Up//Look Down #35: Artful Weekend

I had a wonderful, artful long weekend. I finished my Passport to Art altered book and started my faces art journal for Learn Something New Everyday. In addition to painting a couple of faces, I also made about a dozen backgrounds in the art journal. It felt so good to have my acrylic paints, spray inks and stencils out.  I worked on the little table in the kitchen, and J.J. curled up on the window sill to watch me. Looking up at J.J. and looking down at my work space. Posted in conjunction with Helena's meme, Look Up//Look Down.

Look Up//Look Down #34: A Summer Weekend

For this week's pair of photographs looking up and looking down (following along with a meme created by Helena), I decided to share some highly saturated colors of a summer weekend. Looking up at the new sign for the new nanobrewery in town and down at the counter with dinner preparations (a spinach salad with strawberries, marinating tomatoes and olives to go into pasta, and a glass of wine). 
I'm not ready to let go of summer yet I guess. Are you?

Look Up//Look Down #33: Spectating

Early Sunday morning, I drove Henry up to San Francisco to watch him play soccer. I seized the opportunity to capture my weekly photographs for Helena's meme Look Up//Look Down.  I took them with my phone and converted them to black and white in instagram. Looking up at the at the venue's sign and down at the bleachers. I love this pair from a photographic stand point. I found myself wishing that I had brought along my big camera, but I'm not sure I could have done better with the DSLR.

I love watching soccer. I love the beauty of the warm-ups as the players dance across the field. I love the way they kneel before the kick off, grabbing a tuft of grass, kissing it and making a quick sign of the cross when the whistle blows. I love the fluidity of the ball as it moves down the field; the ebb and flow of "the beautiful game."

Today Henry is playing with Cometa, the local men's team.  As they play, I think about this team. There's our neighbor Bob - he's over 50 but still plays every minute of the game and holds up the defense. There's Migue (nicknamed "Caballo" because he is as fast and strong as a horse) and his brother Andres, both of whom Henry played with in high school. There's Oscar and Ricky, in their early 30's. At one point in time, every one on the team was related to their father, Oscar, Sr. The club was the town's Mexican team, and Oscar's brothers, sons, nephews, uncles and cousins would all come to play. The other local team was sponsored by the Portuguese Culture Center and made up of  Portuguese players. Now the team has expanded, and I am grateful. This is the team that Henry joined when he first returned to club soccer several years ago - Bob encouraged him to try out for Juventus, the age appropriate club team he made and played with for the last few years. This is the team that welcomes Henry back whenever he is between teams or needs a place to train. This the the team that, in fact, looks after all the local soccer players, giving them a place to play and a continuing sense of community. Cometa  translates to Comet, which the dictionary defines as a "celestial body moving about the sun, usually in a highly eccentric orbit, consisting of a central mass surrounded by an envelope of dust."  That sounds about right. 

Look Up//Look Down #32

It's been a busy week and I've missed a few days of blogging, but I did want to pop in today with my weekly installment of look up//look down, the insightful photography meme started by Helena.  I took these photographs on Sunday in the Stern Grove at Golden Gate Park, where we went to see a wonderful concert by Pink Martini and La Santa Cecilia.  I looked up to see beautiful eucalyptus trees and down to see some of their colorful leaves. I'm really glad we went to the concert as it was on my summer fun to-do list. I only have one more week before I start school; two more weeks before Clara is back to school; and about a month before Henry is off to University. So, I guess I better get moving on the rest of my to-do list! How about you? Are you getting everything you want out of summer (or at least close)?