Thursday, July 23, 2009

Dashboard Photography...

Well Hello there!

Another one of those "long time, no post" days...please forgive my absence. I had very good intentions to post before our trip home to Texas, but sometimes good blogging plans get all mucked up by the real world.


On June 18th, my Step-Mom Karen passed away after a lengthy struggle with cancer. Things were looking up and we thought she had gotten through her third round with the nasty disease, but other complications set in. I'm not good with these words and I don't want to bog things down too much, but I will miss her. She literally gave my Dad a second lease on life (and a relationship with his daughter-me) and for that she will always have my love. Not to mention that she loved junk as much as I do (almost more). She and Dad were my antique/flea market/ thrifting buddies....we had fun and I will miss that too...

After we got the news, we were on the road 36 hours later...



With our biennial moving schedule, we have seen allot of this country, most of it through automobile safety glass. I have never actually tried to document our travels, but on this trip I decided to keep my camera out and see what I could come up with, taking pictures at 70 mph, through the glass.

...OK, not ALL were taken through the windshield (these rest stop flowers in Ohio being the best example).....


I snapped a ton of shots, but as you can imagine, not all of them came out...



I think Cincinnati was the prettiest downtown area that we drove through....


Just in case you didn't know, driving from upstate NY to South Texas is a 30 hour drive. The very first time we did it almost two years ago, we did it in two days- big mistake!



Since that first disastrous two day drive, we have started to break it down to three much more manageable ten hour days, driving through Syracuse, Rochester, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin and finally San Antonio.
Louisville is also a lovely town...
....and it was about here that the speed limit went up to 70mph from 65....
Mr. Sunshine was a happy camper!


I think the prettiest drive has got to be the stretch between Louisville and Memphis. Tennessee is just so beautiful this time of year.
I could see myself settling down there...rolling hills and trees as far as the eye can see...


And because this post is approaching book length and picture overload, I made a little picnik collage of the rest of the road trip....


Starting in the upper left corner, these are pics of Memphis, the Arkansas/Tennessee state line, downtown Little Rock, Cincinnati (just because I love the color of those bridge supports so much!), sleeping kids, more rear-view views, a semi I liked, Cincinnati (again!) and the road home...


And I still haven't shared most of my Texas pictures! I'll try to scatter those posts in with the crafty biz over the next few weeks....speaking of crafty biz...I worked on this guy while in Texas. Froggy is the first in a series of Fisher Price Pull Toys that I am working on....he's not quite done but I thought I'd share a sneaky peak...

Now off to that mountain of travel laundry that I have been avoiding...

Until Next Time,



5 comments:

icandy... said...

Welcome back!
:)

Judy said...

You documented your trip so well. I really enjoyed your pictures. You went right through where I live (just north of Nashville Tn.) Yes, I agree with you it is a very pretty and fun place to live.

Sorry to hear of your loss, she came into your life for a reason and you will always carry her in your heart.

All the best,
Judy
http://judithbdesigns.blogspot.com/

Lori said...

i am so sorry for your loss Steph...it sounds like you had so much love for Karen

i like the pictures of your trip...you left out the best part of that drive: the water tower stating "Florence Y'All" in Florence KY, that always cracks me up for some reason...i agree, TN is just lovely...that is where i am headed when i make the same drive every year...my starting point is ohio though...

Cottage In The Sun said...

Oh my gosh! I love, love, love that frog!

Anonymous said...

great photos Steph...Cincinnati is prettiest from the highway and bridge...or the Ohio River.
Love the froggy....sounds like a fun collection! It might go in my new "scrapbook" room, an extension of Out on a Whim Studio :)
Kath