Weekend in January

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chairs

For Christmas this year, my parents gave me a 55-200 mm lens for my camera. I’d wanted a lens that I could use to zoom in more if I needed to, so this one is a little more versatile than the kit lens.

I had stopped by my parents’ house over the weekend and took a few photos with the new lens, practicing in manual mode. I got a few good shots in the backyard, with some cool shadows from the afternoon sun. My dog was also being a fantastic model for me, considering she hates getting her picture taken.

firepit

treeface

Zoe

Zoe Closeup

 

365 Days

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365 Days

Everyone thinks of the New Year as a fresh start and an opportunity to become a better version of themselves. The flaw in their thinking is that they are looking at the year as a whole, as one single year, one chance to make things right. They are making resolutions for the year and at the end of it, their grade is pass/fail. They either kept their New Year’s resolutions or they didn’t. They succeeded or they succumbed to the inevitable disturbances that life throws at them and let those obstacles get in their way.

The fatal error is in thinking that you’ve got one shot.

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Light Up Night in Pittsburgh

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Light Up Night

It was 18 degrees and we were standing outside on a rooftop deck in the middle of downtown. If we were crazy then so were the other 50,000 people out that night who came down to see all the lights, trees, decorations, concerts and fireworks that together created the holiday spectacle that is Light Up Night in Pittsburgh. Continue reading →

Blue Hens and Whiskey Drinks

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Wigle Whiskey Barrel

Whiskey would not be my drink of choice, especially not served neat or even on the rocks. But as I sat amongst the whiskey barrels and the copper stills, I felt this air of sophistication and this feeling that, yes, I could be the girl who orders whiskey. I could be the one who sits down at a bar and orders it straight up and knocks it back, enjoying the harsh bite as much as the oaky flavor.

But no. I’m decidedly not that whiskey-drinking girl. But I was pleasantly surprised at how much I did enjoy our tour of the Wigle Whiskey Distillery located in the Strip District of Pittsburgh.

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Pierogies, Pens, and Pamela’s

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Last weekend, Jim and I were faced with an impossible task. We had to show Jim’s cousin Greg, and Greg’s girlfriend Sarah a great time in Pittsburgh in the short span of their less-than-24-hour visit.

If you’ve ever lived in or been to this city, you know that there is no possible way to do everything worth doing in just one weekend. Between all the fantastic restaurants, neighborhoods, museums, and sports teams, it takes days, weeks, even years to experience it all. With our limited time constraint, we did our best to show off our personal favorite spots and try some new things as well.

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Tour of Fallingwater

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Meg and Jim at Fallingwater

Last weekend, Jim and I visited the famous Fallingwater house, designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright for the Kauffman family in 1939. I promised myself I would write a better description of the house since we weren’t allowed to take pictures during the tour, and I want to be able to hold an image in my mind of this lovely, magical home.

When we arrived at Fallingwater, there was an open, outdoor visitor center, where we checked in with our ticket and had time to walk around and find out more information about the house. Since we were early for our tour time, we explored the gift shop and looked at the trinkets, decorations, books, and memorabilia that were most definitely overpriced. Then we went over to the Fallingwater gallery to read about the renovations that have been done on the house to repair the crumbling structure. There were descriptions, photos and examples of the different materials that were used in the original construction as well as what is used to renovate it and make it more structurally sound. I was amazed at how much time and work has gone into the house since it was entrusted to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963. It seems like there is an exorbitant amount of work needed to be done, even now, to make sure that the house is able to remain standing and stay open to the public. I couldn’t help wondering if it might not be better to just leave it be. I’m sure that engineers today are able to construct a similar house, positioned over a waterfall, with beautiful views, and it would be structurally sound and last thousands of years. But during the course of the tour, I was shown the true beauty and significance of the house, and why it is so important to keep it intact.

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Life in Photos

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Last Christmas, I got my first DSLR camera.

I have refrained from writing about it or pointing out the pictures I’ve taken with it, because I have been terrified that they are rather subpar, unworthy of being mentioned and subject to possible ridicule.

I have, however, come to the conclusion that the only way I will get better at using the camera and taking photos is to draw attention to it and highlight my attempts, to learn from them and view each photo and each blog post that contains a photo as progress.

I have always loved taking pictures. I went to every school dance and vacation and sleepover, camera in hand. I was taking “selfies” with all of my friends before they were actually a thing. I uploaded every photo to Facebook, back when Facebook only allowed 60 photos in each album, so my vacations would be labeled Beach 1 through Beach 4. I’ve always wanted to capture every moment, afraid that I’ll forget some pivotal thing, some momentous occasion in my life and I won’t be able to go back. (That’s also why I write.)

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Buds and Blossoms at Phipps Conservatory

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UD Group at Phipps Conservatory

Today, the sun was bright and shining on a crisp fall morning, while the University of Delaware Pittsburgh Alumni Club explored the gorgeous greenhouses of Phipps Conservatory.

When I first visited the conservatory, about a year and a half ago, I had anticipated a quick walk-through, a moment of appreciation and an otherwise unexciting look at plants. I quickly learned how wrong I was and how much there is to see and appreciate at Phipps. I had fallen in love with with this secret garden and its natural, flawless beauty, so I was thrilled that we were able to give our alumni the same opportunity.

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A Taste of Cincinnati

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A Taste of Cincinnati

A few weekends ago, Jim and I took a quick trip to Cincinnati, Ohio. We were itching for a little adventure in our lives, and Cincinnati is about as far away as we could get financially, for such a short amount of time. A taste of Cincinnati it truly was, in every sense of the word. In just two days, we weren’t able to see or do nearly everything that we wanted to, but what we did was enough to bring home stories and memories.

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Taking a Ride with Uber

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Taking a Ride with Uber

I’ve waited 45 minutes for a Yellow Cab to pick me up in the South Side. I’ve waited an hour for a Classy Cab to get me in Bloomfield. I’ve been so disappointed with the service of taxis in Pittsburgh, that I try to avoid getting stranded at any location without my trusty Toyota close by. I would rather drive my own car and pay a premium on garage fees and parking meters, just so I know that I will have reliable transportation when I am ready to go.

Pittsburgh is better known for its bridges and sports teams than for public transportation. Cabs are hard to find and harder to contact. The T will only take you so far in one direction. Buses are okay, but for the hassle of getting to a stop and the time it takes to get where you need to go, you’d expect it to be cheaper.

Introducing – Uber.

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