All The Goods is still here!

Got some new things on the horizon for this site; been working on stuff behind the scenes. Trying on new ideas and discarding others. Will be back writing soon.

Another year older

One of my favorite vehicles of all time

Well as of today, I am another year older. Jury is still out on whether I'm another year wiser or not. Sometimes I think I am but then life forces me to realize that I still have further to go. It seems as I get older, I'm beginning to take more chances. This very website is a great example of that. A year ago, this website wasn't even a thought. I started this the end of last year, mostly because I had a lot of time on my hands and not a lot of things to fill it. I have to say that working on this blog has been so rewarding in so many ways and it is the gift that keeps on giving. I still have people yet to interview as well as another interviewee waiting on deck. Doing this has definitely increased my confidence in unexpected ways. 

I find myself putting my artwork and writing out there in a way that I never expected. I've always written; I've been writing since I was 11. That was a very long time ago. I'd mostly written fiction, always too shy to put it out there. I'm also a bit lazy and smart enough to know that had I wanted to be a paid author badly enough, I'd have taken the appropriate steps to make that happen. I still might, you never know. But the little voice in my head could not be ignored and All The Goods is the result of that. I felt that this site was a good first step.   All The Goods has opened doors for me that I never knew existed; this blog has literally changed my life for the better. 

Along with that, there have been many supporters along the way, who will be thanked accordingly. Had I known how much support would come my way, I'd have gotten started a whole lot sooner on this blogging path. But then again, maybe in the past the time wasn't right. But the time has never been more right than it is now. 

What's that expression? Carpe Diem? I believe that means 'seize the day'. As I reach midlife, I've gotten into the habit of saying to myself, 'if not now, when?'. I want to make my mark on this world and this blog is a good way to accomplish that. I have a good start at least. 

I actually began writing today's post a bit earlier in the day but had to stop and save it due to lunch plans. In the time between then and now, miraculous events have taken place. Things have shifted in my world to a very positive end. I feel that the upcoming opportunities were divinely guided. The universe heard my deepest desires and set about making them happen. Now I just have to show up and deliver. 

So, things are going very well on this birthday which will be over in another couple of hours. I think next year is going to rock, I can just feel it. 

Before I conclude this posting, there are people to thank. I've become more grateful as time has gone by and I try to make it a point to say thank you as much as I can. I want to thank all of the people out 'there' who have found their way to this page and have had a look at what I've been up to. I see the pageviews and it's pretty awesome. So thanks to all of you.

In no specific order, my never ending thank yous to the following people/websites-

Pandora.com-I listen to this station all the time whenever I'm writing here or working on my art. 

Blogger.com-for helping me along to make this site what it is and yet to be

Pinellas Park Art Society-for the help, advice, encouragement and last but not certainly least, the friendships that have sprung up from my association with those fine folks

Cyndi Bird Reznik-for her friendship and support of what I've got going on here at All The Goods

Elaine Salter-who readily supports my vision for this site as well as all my art ventures

Mary Barbara-for her guidance and encouragement

Barbara Lewis, Joy Hawkins and Terri Mills-for your friendship, ideas and support

David & Susan Tolar-for their friendship, support and making things happen

John Wetton-for the inspiration and all of the great music through the years

Florida Botanical Gardens

Pond at Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo

Today was the day I chose to visit the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, FL. I had gotten there about midday and had all sorts of grandiose plans for shooting an array of pictures. I had sorely underestimated how incredibly hot and humid it truly is outside, even in the shade. I managed to get a nice group of shots of various things in the park but the heat was just killing me. (Note to self-the next time I do this, I'm going to go in the winter when the weather is a bit more agreeable.) Luckily for me however was that it being a Monday, the place was not swamped with people. The only other people I actually did see was the groundskeepers and a man and woman who appeared to be there for the same purpose that I was, judging by their cameras and the enormous lenses attached to each. 

Despite the heat, the Florida Botanical Gardens are just beautiful. The pathways are kept clean at all times and free of debris. Every plant, flower and tree had a small placard in front of it which told the name of the species. There are also plenty of fountains and brooks flowing throughout the park. Some are man-made and the others are a bit more natural. 

The above is a shot of a small brook and pool. 

Everywhere I stood or walked, I could hear the clear crystal sounds of water bubbling, flowing or otherwise jetting out of a fountain. There is something incredibly healing about the sound of water whether it's moving slowly or pounding surf. 

One of the fountains within the Gardens

There's a fountain behind this greenery

View of McKay's Creek 

I love how everything is so vibrant and green within the confines of this little slice of heaven within an urban area. When I was walking through here, I could hear the cars out on the road but it was more of a sense of 'white noise' and after a while, I just stopped hearing that and focused on the sounds of water and nature. 

The above is a photo of the cactus and succulent garden

Shot of pond through building archway

 The above photo is the Cottage Garden

Planters and one of the buildings on the premises

The above quote was etched into one of the walkways

I'm happy that I did get the photos I wanted to but the heat index just did me in. The next time I visit the gardens, I intend to do so when the weather is much cooler. 

Art odds and ends among other things

King Lizard on Snail Mountain


Well, the event that I took place in a couple of weeks back is now in the rear window. Despite the fact that I did sell a few things, it was just not the best show I'd ever been part of and will most likely not be participating in it again next year. But on the flip side, I did manage to get a few good photos taken and enjoyed spending time with my friend Barbara and my other friend Joy.. The photo above was initially not spotted by me but by my friend Barbara. She is a primo nature photographer so things like this come to her easily; she has a very good eye for the minor details that the average person might miss. This lizard was not close to us but she managed to detect it and told me it would make a nice photo. It was actually about twenty feet away, give or take. And it did. Thanks, Barb. (If you'd like to see Barb's amazing talent behind the lens, I invite you to head over to her site...www.wildhawkstudio.net. The music that plays on her site is also her own as well. Not only is she brilliant behind the lens but also in creating music.)

My other friend Joy also participated in the event as well. You can find her wonderful jewelry at www.facebook.com/alittlepeaceofjoy. Lately, Joy has been creating beautiful earrings with her own unique touch on them.

I adore taking photos of flowers, gardens, plants and statues. There is something that really pulls me to these, even though I'm not a gardening sort per say

                                                            Very cool planter I saw

             

                                            I also love metalwork such as this cool peacock

Brickwork in a garden lends a nice look as well

. Everything I've ever tried to grow dies on me. But I certainly appreciate other peoples' talents when it comes to the fine art of gardening. Above are some of the photos that I took a couple of weeks ago. (The event I did had a lot of gardens around it.)

 

                                        l.

A bit more of the same garden, I was attempting to crop it so that you didn't see the fence behind it. 

I think that the garden is called the Meditation Garden, if I'm not mistaken. It's a little patch of serenity and beauty in the middle of an urban area. 

Lately, I've decided to change directions with my art. I still love to create handmade cards as well as jewelry, but my interest in photography has become the thing that I most want to do at this point with drawing coming in a close second. I've always loved to take pictures and until recently hadn't really gone whole hog with it. One thing that you probably won't see is photos of people in my photography. I stink at doing those; some people are brilliant at it but I'm not one of them. That said, I really appreciate those photographers that do a spectacular job at 'people photos'. 

The photography that has always spoken to me the strongest is landscape photography. I love buildings, the older the better, the more unique the better. Along with that comes my everlasting love of fountains, iron gates, statues and the like. I've also taken a page from the playbook of my friend Barb and others, to try to capture nature photos. The photo below is one such instance where everything came together rather well. 

The above shot required stealth as in no sudden moves to make this lizard leap off of this tree. 

Another view of the same lizard

Park Bench at Lake Seminole Park 

The above photos were taken last Sunday (6-9-13) at Lake Seminole Park in Seminole, FL. I had attended a monthly event known as 'Paint in The Park'. (This event is usually held the first Sunday of each month.) One doesn't always have to paint, it's usually just a group of artists that gather to hang out, enjoy nature, swap ideas and just spend time in each other's company. I get a lot out of these events. I always feel very inspired when I'm around these people as well as being in the Great Outdoors. 

I also brought my sketchbook along with me. I used to be very good at drawing when I was younger but it ended up getting away from me. Yes, I still doodle and enjoy making the card designs but I'm mostly talking about drawing from photos or in some cases, still life. The most I managed to do last Sunday was sketch my friend's Pepsi can, moreso just to see if I could actually do it. 

Not too shabby for someone who hasn't sketched anything in so many years

            Yesterday I stopped in at the Art Society and found an old book that had photos of cats & kittens           in it. I attempted to draw a tabby but he came out looking more Siamese. 

                   I lacked an eraser so I couldn't get his head to look just right, but still...not too shabby.

Another cat. The back of his head is bigger than I wanted but not bad. 

I'm going to enjoy the process of getting my drawing 'muscle' back up to speed. There are so many things I see during a given day where I'll just say aloud 'Boy, that would make a great drawing!'. My mind is full of stuff that I've wanted to take a crack at. 

Speaking of drawing and animals, I'd like to take a moment to focus on yet another talented artist. She is a fabulous nature photographer as well as a whiz at pastels, colored pencils and all around drawing. She is a lady that I know through the Art Society and has been one of my best supporters and cheerleaders. Her name is Terri Mills and you can find her fabulous work here http://terri-mills.artistwebsites.com and here www.facebook.com/pages/Art-of-Terri-Mills.

As I draw to a close, I'd like to thank everyone who has 'viewed this page' as well as the fine people at Pinellas Park Art Society. The individuals I'd also like to thank are Barbara Lewis, Joy Hawkins, Terri Mills, Cathy Behrens Paxton and last but certainly not least Elaine Salter. These folks have given me so much support for not only my art but this site as well. 

ATG Video coming soon!

Practice run to make sure I knew what I was doing with the camera. I hope to begin to do one-on-one interviews with some people, using this format. I'd like to give Mag some props for agreeing to be in this practice video.

As soon as I get my ducks in a row with the video portion of this site, I'm going to be putting those on You Tube with a link here as well as the All The Goods Facebook page.

As always, thanks to everyone for coming to check out this site. The pageviews are much appreciated.

Vacation and more...

In another month or so, I should be on vacation, barring any unforeseen issues popping up. It's always been somewhat of a tradition for me to take the week of my birthday off (end of June).. I have plans for things to do then, albeit loosely made. They're things that I yearn to do.

Once upon a time, when I was making a lot more money in a world that I haven't been part of for some time, going on vacation meant actually driving somewhere else far from home or as luck would have it, flying somewhere else. My vacations back then were almost always 'destination' trips to things like the Daytona 500 or a very long drive up the East Coast, trekking back to New England to spend upwards of two weeks, cramming in as much activity as I could. Sometimes I would also take the friendly skies and fly somewhere I'd never been. I was quite the adventurous sort back in those days. I still am adventurous but my idea of adventure has changed greatly due to a few factors, the most important one being financial.

When money grew tighter for me, I began to indulge in what is commonly known as the 'staycation'. In fact, when my vacations became the stay-at-home sort, there wasn't even a nifty term for it. I actually laughed out loud the first time I heard the term 'staycation'. Even though I will not be taking to the friendly skies or even long distances, I do have some local 'day trips' planned, probably more day trips than I'd had in the past.

The things I want to do while I'm off involve a lot of photography, more than just the standard vacation-type of photos that you see a lot of people taking. Influenced greatly by my artist friends, I plan to head to interesting places that lend themselves well to someone on a budget. I've been aching to return to the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, FL. I went there around Christmas at night and still can recall all the spots within that seemed to lend themselves well to picture taking, such as lots of fountains and greenery. As far as I know, it's free to visit the gardens. (Fingers crossed anyway.)

Another place I love to visit is Tarpon Springs which is famous for its enormous Greek community as well as the famous sponge docks. Some of the architecture down the side streets of this wonderful city is beyond comparison. I am pretty much committed to checking out this place as well.

I have to blame my artist friends for having this type of influence on me. As some of you might know, I belong to a local art organization and have become very friendly with a lot of talented people. They really encourage myself and others to reach for the stars with our particular forms of creativity. One of my goals as an artist is to be at least as good as these fine folks are in whatever endeavour I choose to follow.

Maybe while I'm on vacation I could revisit the place where I took the above photo. This was taken locally behind The Don Cesar Hotel in St. Pete Beach.

The above photo was taken in Winter Park, FL in May 1994. This was well before the photography bug bit me. I believe the car is a Cobra. I took this before cars became important to me but apparently I liked this one enough to get a shot of it.

Right now, where I'm working on this blog is a place locally that I head to every Wednesday afternoon once I leave work. It's  not a bar. It's actually a bookstore, yes they still exist. This one has a coffee & tea bar in it and free WIFI. I do not yet have WIFI in my home so when I got this laptop, I wanted to try out some of the local WIFI hotspots. I've been coming to this place now since...March, I think.

The place I go to is known as Wings Bookstore and it's on the campus of First Unity Church in St. Pete, FL. I swear I could live in here. I love books and it's always nice and quiet. I'm one of those people who can easily pick up on the energy that a place gives off. Wings feels like coming home. There's always good mellow music going in here, either flute, new age, ambient (one of my favorite styles of music) or all of it mixed together. The energy I get from being here has the power to make a rotten day into something great in just fifteen minutes. The folks who work here are super nice and treat their customers well. It is one of the only places I visit on a regular basis.

Wings has been in St. Pete for a couple of years now but it's only within the past year that I've become aware of the healing energy present. Early last year, my father passed away and I was having issues dealing with it. I somehow ended up at Wings and luckily the place was dead. It was either a Monday or Tuesday, I can't recall. I came in and sat down in one of the armchairs and just cried for a good half hour. No one bothered me. Apparently, I let the place work its magic and when I left, I felt a lot better. I think the word I would use is 'welcoming'. It's the sort of welcoming that you don't see in a lot of places.

Along with the healing vibes and wonderful staff, the atmosphere here really lends itself well to my creativity. I might step in here with one idea in mind yet when I sit down to type, I'm getting ideas bubbling up with no explanation. I really get a lot out of being here and couldn't imagine my week without it.

This is what Wings Bookstore looks like on the inside. Very cozy. They sell books, CDs, cards and many other things. The coffee bar is great as well. 

This is Wings patio. I took this shot through the window. 



Joseph P. Genera in commercial!

Joseph was my interviewee for the 'You're Never Too Old to Rock & Roll' bit I did a few months back. He's been one of my biggest supporters for this blog and it's my distinct pleasure to throw him some props as well. Well done, Joe!