Coming home again...
Like finding a lost memory...
I'm finding my photography again...

Ode


Sepia

See these places, these faces I've known
Avenues and streets and dusty roads
The boulevard of my afternoons
Faded into a soft photograph
Tinted a tinge of melancholy
And maps and stones and crumbling ruins
But I remember Halloween ghosts
Birthdays and school days and sunny days
Friends and smiles and tears and laughter
Parks and picnics, school bells and church bells
Candles and city lights and porch lights
In the twilight of autumn sunset
Red and gold leaves fallen to the ground
From a tree with words carved long ago -
We were here....

“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.”

Ladies and Gentlemen... wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

I was going to say exhale, but really....I'm breathing quite fine. Hmmm....perhaps waiting to sneeze? Nope, that's not it. Ok, Ok, how about this....Waiting to have some free time in which to take more pictures and spend more time on here? Too long!

But you get the point!

Work/Life: It's been mad busy at my work and I'm still helping to take care of my friend whenever I can. Driving him to school and physical therapy now, so the count down is on. The only problem is that he will need a second surgery on his ankle and that may cause a relapse. I hope not. For him! For HIM! (Ok, so maybe a little for me too! )

Photography: I got some good news today from a friend and hope to be learning more about photography and the business aspect of it from him. He's a fabulous photographer and I am in awe of his talent. You should check his site out if you have the chance, I'll be apprenticing under him.

Bumatay Studio

Abraxas Bridge: I also got the chance to go see a friend of mine and his band play at the Cat Club in Hollywood. Joe has always been an excellent friend and supporter of my photography (poor guy had to read about a million emails from me when some engagement shots of mine turned out blue….hehe, sorry Joe). Both Benny and Joe are inspirational, talented and eclectic artists. Plus, their quirky senses of humor shine in some of the videos’ they put out! (Add them on Myspace to find out what I mean!)

They already have one album out and it’s available on ITUNES. Visit Abraxas Bridge at:

Abraxas Bridge on Myspace

Abraxas Bridge Home Page

DO IT NOW PEOPLE…..DO IT NOOOOOW!

THE POLICE: omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg. I’m going to EVERY SINGLE SHOW PEOPLE!! Haha. I wish! Seriously, you can bet if they play anywhere near the Pacific coast line, I’ll be there.

Peace, Love, Light to you all!

Amanda

Yes, Yes, Yes....

That is correct. I was back for all of 1 day. I got to take Christmas pictures of family. That was it. Nothing artistic or that I felt anyone would care about other than my family and friends. So I posted them on my Myspace page and left it at that.

Now it's back to the grindstone, where my nose will be for the next month.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.....no picture taking for me for a while.

But I will try to come on here and keep up to date with you all.

Happy New Year!!!!

(Somebody's gotta have one....bleh). LOL

I am presently having a love/hate relationship with my job.

I love it and I hate all the hours that it's requiring of me right now.

I go to work early and come home late. I barely have time to eat and do a few meager chores and take care of other obligations before it's time for bed (or what SHOULD be time for bed, hence the time that I am writing this journal).

I have time off for Christmas and to be honest, I'm looking forward more to the time off than the actual holiday.

So, as soon as I have a brain in which to operate with and some spare time, I'll be back on here....looking at art and hopefully posting my own as well.

OH! And I also promise to write you all very soon. ~A