Categories quotes

Big

Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, Continue Reading

Categories quotes

Quotes

I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much. – Mother Teresa There is in every true woman’s heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and Continue Reading

Categories family

Family History

Reading genealogy records. My 5x great grandmother was born in 1775 in South Carolina, moved to Texas at some point, and lived to her late 80s at least. That means she was successively a British colonist, an American citizen, a Mexican colonist, a charter citizen of the Republic of Texas, Continue Reading

Categories restoration

Pembroke Table

A little while back, we stumbled across a table at a salvage yard (Community Forklift) that looked rough, but had a nice structure to it. It had seen better days, but I was sure I could fix it up. And it was my favorite type of project. One that was Continue Reading

Categories restoration

Bobbin Leg Table

The latest project, that’s been floating around for a month or two. We found this table at Community Forklift, and thought it was great. At a glance, it looks old and very cool. (And very cheap). A closer look at home already made me a little suspicious. I didn’t want Continue Reading

Categories politics

Election Results

If Tuesday night on the streets near the white House was about every protest group wanting to spread their message, Saturday afternoon has become about every individual, every age, every gender, every ethnicity, coming out to sing and cheer and celebrate. Puppy dogs and rainbow flags, american flags and t-shirts, Continue Reading

Categories Uncategorized

Dream Job

For a long time, my dream job has been as a presidential photographer. I think my best photos are the ‘capture the moment’ images. Wether it’s long slow periods with that one subtle moment, or finding a clear, distinct moment amidst utter chaos. I love it. And can you imagine Continue Reading

Categories news

Election

On the morning of January 20, 2016, I made a public post that upset some of my more liberal friends. I called out what I thought was unhelpful behavior of disavowing the incoming president, who hadn’t so much as walked in the building yet. Certainly his track record was bad, Continue Reading

Categories money

Banks

In the vein of my posts about companies that have worked really well and/or really poorly for me: I was a Bank of America customer for about 20 years. When I moved to D.C., I could no longer rely on my hometown bank account. At the time, the best option Continue Reading

Categories friends

Renaissance Faire

Abbey and I went to the Maryland Renn Faire a couple times again this summer. It’s always a fun day  of hanging out with friends (in costume). Maryland’s faire has some good performers, and a very nice location.    

Categories family

Lake Anna

I recently went on vacation with Abbey and friends. An annual trek to a lakefront house in the wilds of Virginia, for a long weekend of swimming and cooking, music and drinking, talking and sleeping. The weather held up this year; so much of the days were spent on the Continue Reading

Categories friends

Vanguard

Last weekend, Abbey and I went out to Vanguard. I think it was the first club night we’d been to since Spellbound shut down. Nice seeing some friends, with friendly strangers and good music.

Categories family

Mom

Yesterday morning, my mother, Catherine Calder, passed away. Although she was being treated for something at the time, I think it was all her health problems of the last few years finally coming together at once. She was a Head Start teacher’s aide for roughly 25 years. I once calculated Continue Reading

Categories design

Stock Photos

Interesting … Getty Images—probably the biggest supplier of stock photography—has updated their submission requirements to ban the retouching of photos for the sake of making the model look thinner or larger. They cited a new french law requiring notification of such changes. But regardless of why they did it, I Continue Reading

Categories home

Mirror Mirror

I have a dresser in my bedroom that has been in the family for a while. I’m told my uncle used it as a boy, which makes it at least 60 years old, and I’d suspect older. There are mounting points on the back, for a mirror that I’d never Continue Reading

Categories rant

Innauguration

Donald Trump will be my President. And he will be your President. And saying otherwise will make you sound no better than the petulant parents who kept their kids home from school so that they wouldn’t be exposed to Obama speaking on a telecast, 7 years ago. He’ll be my Continue Reading

Categories rant

Why Trump?

I am mystified by the relative success of Trump’s campaign. I can understand he’d have some amount of support. He’s been a media personality for 30 years. He’ll have developed a fan base in that time. But the idea of seriously voting for him for President, on a mass scale, Continue Reading