what is necessary when visiting new york city?

my sister is going to new york city next week.

i've tried to tell her all that i love about the city

so she can try it out for herself.

any suggestions from all of you would be very helpful indeed.

what should sister not miss when she visits?

my very first visit to the city was with a dear friend

when we were just 21...seven years ago.

best spring break ever!!!

i was very giddy for this trip...the night before we left on our little adventure

was the night that i first kissed ceej.

my head was certainly in the clouds!!!

back in those days, we didn't have any cell phones

so there wasn't any convenient way to call him

to hear his voice or tell him how happy i was.

i just kept looking at his then website to get a glimpse of his face.

we went to museums. shopped. and ate yummy, yummy things.

..................................................................................................................

fast forward four years...ceej and i are married...and we went back to the city together.

shopping no longer makes the list as i think eating, walking, and museum-going are much more fun.

i really do love the cloisters.

love how they are away from everything else.

it's so pretty and quiet there.

a lovely respite from the noise.

i'm working on getting more of our photos from this trip more available.

there is some conversion to digital that needs doing.

all of these photos have made for a reminiscent morning...

love the city, love ceej.

so, what should sister do while there?

please tell!

will work for free!

does anyone know of any photographers in the sacramento {or even Bay Area}
that could use an assistant/intern.
i think it's time i branch out
and learn as much as possible.

so any help/info you could supply would be
seriously appreciated!

please help me decide...

remember when i posted about a contest i am entering? well, i've got to turn in my entry by wendesday! i am bit in panic mode about it {even though it's just a small little contest}. here's the self-portraits i shot a week ago. will you PLEASE leave a comment and tell me which one is your favorite? i have no idea which one to send in. your help would be seriously appreciated!

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{2}

{3}

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{5}


please leave a comment with your vote before tuesday 8:00 am (PST)

Giving Birth to a Full-Grown Man

I don't know if I'd recommend it--giving birth to a full-grown man. And, yes, I'm speaking from personal experience. And, yes, I'll explain.

Right now, I'm in labor. I'm convinced, as of this moment, that what I want to do with my life is get my master's degree and a PhD in order to teach and write. This is an extremely difficult quest I've put myself on. I constantly feel out of place as I try to write essays that are outlined "logically", and as I attempt to make reasonable connections and comments. Each time I am asked to write a paper, or required to contribute to a discussion I go through a painful contraction of sorts that rips my heart out because my answers are never quite right. Ever.

So that's the labor part. The actual birth part seems beyond my capabilities. Here's some more explanation:

As a woman, my primal force and overall energy is that of Shakti--this energy is the physical manifestation of everything on the earth, a feminine energy (it is an energy of creativity--in the literal sense). This is not to say that I don't have any masculine energy--I do, as do all women, but it is not the dominant energy so to say. Men's dominant and primal energy is that of Shiva-logical and pertaining to things that exist as thought.

With that confusing explanation, I'll draw theses conclusions:
1) That as I try to enter the realm of logic I am using my feminine creative energy to fully awaken those logical energies that seem to be very dormant inside of me (still with me?).
2) Perhaps as I get more and more in touch with my creative energies, I am trying to create something in my life that I never had
3)MOST IMPORTANTLY: I need a "doula" of sorts to coach me through this birth. I need someone to guide me and tell me when to breathe. I need someone to tell me that no matter how bad it hurts, it's worth it. I need someone to tell me that I do indeed have the power to create something that is very foreign to me. I need someone to tell me that because I am a woman I can make this happen. I need someone to tell me that within me is the ability to bring something from the realms of thought into a physical reality.

by now, i've lost most of you, yes? oh well. story of my life as a writer...

Pick Me!

I am wanting to spend some of my extra time volunteering with a non-profit organization. I would prefer to work for causes that support art, farming, the environment, or politics. Does anyone have any suggestions?