I've been busy!

I promise I will post a flurry of posts when I catch up at work!  In the meantime here is a quick shot from when we were in Annapolis with Jon and Arline.

More to come. 

I promise.

Skype Tuesdays

I have always heard of Skype and thought it was a cool idea, but never thought about getting until I heard Kinsey say "Mom, get Skype and we can talk and see each other".  Well, I immediately downloaded it and love when I get the text message from Kinsey saying, "I'll skype you tonight."

Hence, the beginnning of Tuesday night Skype night.  I look forward to it as well as Keefe and Schyler.

It all begins with me getting home from the studio, placing the laptop on the dining room table and starting dinner.  Then all of the sudden I hear her calling.  Keefe and Schyler laugh as I run to the laptop and pick up the "phone".  From there Kinsey watches me make dinner and the goings on of the house while we talk and catch up.  She "sits" with us at the dinner table and tells us what is going on at school and we tell her what's happening here and what we are all up to.  It's alot of fun and it's a cool way to stay in touch.

I love seeing her and what her and her roommate have done with their room.   I love the comings and goings of all her new friends at school while we are chatting.  They all look so comfortable and at ease in their new environment.  It's neat meeting them and saying hello as they fly in the room and fly out as fast as they came in.  I'm still amazed that I have a child in college and that she has adapted so well from what I can see.  She is exactly where she belongs.  It is a great fit.

Well, today is Sunday.  I am sitting here with my coffee after a long crazy wedding last night and I am counting the days until our now weekly Skype Tuesday chat.

A Quick Post

Apparently, Laure is not the only one who can post new Posts!!
I hope you all can bear with me as I have No idea what I am doing.

First, Kinsey is doing Great. She loves her school, roommate, classes and living the life of a college student.
Second, Jon and Arline cut the line and are now officially liveaboard  cruisers on their boat Kasidah without a dock to call home. Laure and I went to Fulton  to visit them in the evening while they were on the way through the canal system to get to the Hudson river and points south. We hope to meet up with and bunk on their boat in Annapolis for the US Boat Show.
Third, We are pleased to have a soccer player in the family in Keefe. He is in 8th grade this year. Go Lakers.

Fourth and finally, because I could go  all night, a pic of Laure and I from this spring at Kinsey's graduation party. A rare event to get  the two of us in front of the lens...

Convocation 2009

After Kinsey was all moved in, the University had a celebration welcoming the incoming class of 2013 on Saturday. In all, there are 1000 new students to the University this year. It was so exciting, and why is it that those darn bag pipes always get the tears flowing???? I was fine until I heard the damn bag pipes!

After the ceremony Schyler, Keefe, I went to Newport for dinner. We showed Keefe the Titan 15 and then headed back to the hotel. Sunday Schyler and I picked up Kinsey and took her to breakfast in Bristol before her whole class went to Providence for the day. We said out goodbyes and then headed back to Newport for the day before going back to New York.

All in all, it was a great weekend and we left a young girl who was excited about the year ahead of her, her roommate and other dorm mates. We did make one more stop to get Kinsey and her roommate a little frig and filled it with her favorites drinks and left it at her dorm room door with a red bow. A little parting gift.

It's all good. I am so, so proud of her.

I miss her though.

She's all moved in!

Eeek! She's all moved in!

We arrived at RW around 1:30 after a great lunch (and Bloody Mary's for the adults) at the Thames Waterside Grill in Bristol. Kinsey checked in and then we got all her stuff moved in and somewhat organized. Her roommate and the girl across the hall both seem really nice. They were all excited.

All of us, with the exception of Kinsey then headed back to Bristol for cocktails and are now back at the hotel relaxing. Tomorrow we all have to go back to RW for a convocation at 2 and then hopefully we can grab Kinsey and take her to dinner in Newport before we all leave Sunday.

Here's a few photos I quickly took with the point and shoot.

Holy Titan!

Today was an exciting day for all three of us. We got into town about 12:30 this morning and had to be at the Newport Shipyard by 10:30 so that Kinsey and Schyler could sail with Peter Isler and the rest of the race team on Titan 15. A 75' race boat. Whoa! Today was practice day for the team as the Ida Lewis Distance race starts tomorrow at 3:00.

As I watched them leave the dock I grabbed my cameras and hopped back in the car to try to find them and take some photos. Unfortunately, there was not a chase boat, so I had to do my best from the shore. No biggy, until the fog rolled in and made it really hard to 1) find them, 2) photograph them from that far and get anything good. Regardless, it was great to watch them while they were in front of me and to listen to the groaning of the boat as they tacked. Yes, these boats groan. It is so cool.
After a full day of sailing for them and a full day of driving all over Newport trying to find them for me, we are all back in the hotel wiped out.

Here are a few to peek at. I will have to work on the others on my computer in the studio.

Thank you Peter for a great day! Also, we would like to thank Tom & Dotty Hill for inviting Kinsey on their race boat and later for dinner and cocktails on Titan XIV.

Taking my baby to college

Well, the day has finally come to take Kinsey to college. It has been a very crazy week or so getting ready for this day. We have spent the last week getting everything she needs for her dorm room and organizing what she will be bringing to school. Saturday she bought her own laptop with money she earned over the summer. It's the cutest little thing and she was so proud she bought it on her own.

Anyway, we are sort of relaxing now waiting for the last of the laundry to dry. We initially were going to leave tomorrow but a friend of Schyler's has invited Kinsey to come sail on this incredible 90' sailboat that he will be racing this weekend in Newport called the Titan 15. What an adventure, so we're leaving tonight to be at the boat by 11 tomorrow morning as per Peter's instructions. I can't wait to see this and take photos. After that I'm not sure what we'll do. We'll just let Kinsey let us know. She can't move into the dorms until Friday at noon. Her dad and Keefe will be meeting us there Friday.


Well, I think I am going to stop here because I have somehow maintained my composure so far these past couple of weeks and in reality I am not quite ready for this. So with that, I will sign off with a little photo I love of Kinsey and me taken many moons ago at Stinson Beach in California.

SCC Sailing Interclub Racing!

Yesterday was a beautiful windy day and the SCC Sail School was the host for this week's Interclub Regatta. So, I grabbed my cameras and played hooky from work to grab some great shots.

I love my life. However, I am really behind in editing all my shoots. I need a rainy day!


Just waiting for Schyler to come home so we can go and once again, work on the boat! This is exciting work though! We are putting in a pressure water hose so that we no longer have to pump fresh water out. We can simply turn a knob. Sweeeeet. Also, our friends Corey and Dave will be joining us for dinner on the boat.

Blue:30

At last! She is ready to rock and roll. Yesterday Schyler and I headed out to the mooring field with all our supplies to finally put the boat back in commission. The weather was awful at the beginning, but knew it would eventually clear up. We motored out to the middle of the lake and just drifted while Schyler fixed a few new leaks and I scrubbed the deck. We put the galley together and cleaned the head and floors. It was such a great feeling to to finally be able to really use her and relax for a day after a busy weekend for both Schyler and I.

As we were drifting, our friend Dave and a friend of his Thom came by and tied up for a couple of hours to swim and just relax. It was a great afternoon, and also the first time I actually jumped and swam in the lake this summer.


Around 5ish I think we sailed to the club to pick up Corey and we grilled steaks and other yummy stuff at the cove. Great day!

Looking forward to next weekend when Schyler and I are planning an entire weekend on the boat. As always, we love when our friends find us and tie up.


Our new friend Thom flying by with a friend!

Woo Hoo! Kinsey passed her road test!

Finally! Kinsey and I drove out to Onieda for her road test and she passed! She was so excited that she asked me to drive home?! Anyway, we drove to the Sailboat Shop to pick up the Bug so that she could finally drive herself to work!

I am so excited it's done! The stress involved is too much!

Congrats Kinsey!

An Afternoon at Mamma's with Caden

On Sunday we all met at Mamma's house to see the newest edition to the family. Little Caden weighing in at a whopping 25lbs! Christina and Craig are in town from Charlotte visiting family and friends for a bit and it was great to see them. Caden is just theee cutest baby and is always smiling and loved being passed from relative to relative. Everyone just loved their turn holding him. It was really precious to see all the generations together.
Schyler picking berries and rhubarb with with Sam and Ryan.

Margie with her grandson, Caden.

The four generations. Mamma, Margie, Craig and Caden.

Caden
The other fourth generation group.

Ooh, this might be the end of the shoot!

Caden with mommy and daddy.

Thank you everyone. It was real nice and I will get the rest of these photos done and send the cd's out to all of you!

SCC Sailing!

Finally summer came for a couple of days and I was able to get out to SCC Sail School to shoot Open House and Pirate Day. I haven't really gone through the shots, but I just love this one of Kinsey, Christina and Pat in the Whaler off to rescue someone and having a good time while at it. This shot just says "summer" to me.

Progress is happening on the Pearson. More photos to follow on that project!

Boat Work...the endless task

Today we spent the day working on the boat trying to get it all back together. Jack had the new counter which looks awesome and we were all excited about installing it. The weather was beautiful but windy, causing the lake to be quite unsettled. We got some stuff accomplished but were unable to finish the counter or fill the water tank due to the restlessness of the lake. So, we just decided to wait until another day when the lake is calm. Hopefully, it will be sometime this week, but everyone is so busy right now that we'll have to play it by ear. But, she's getting there.

After Jack and Schyler decided it was too rough to continue with the counter we all decided to take advantage of the great wind and go sailing. What a great afternoon.....until all the ice melted and the beer and wine were gone. The disadvantages of a torn up galley with no sink, running water, stove or ice chest! We did manage to cook some hot dogs on the grill though!


Until the next time! It was a great weekend.

Snoopy

Snoopy.

I have had Snoopy since I was little girl and he's still my favorite. I remember when I got him. I was off at Wilderness Camp that my mother would send my brother Alain and I off to every summer for a week. I can tell you stories about those times. Anyway, I had seen Snoopy at a department store earlier that summer if I recall and when I got home from camp he was there waiting for me. To this day he still waits for me every morning when I get to the studio.

Snoopy has been everywhere with me and even spent some years in France until my mom took him back and brought him home to me. He has been hugged beyond capacity. I have had to sew his poor little neck up a few times and I cannot tell you how many times he has wiped my tears away. I love my Snoopy and now he is my Little Assistant in the studio. Whenever I try new lighting methods he is the subject. Whenever I need to bitch about something in the studio or I'm ready to throw the computer out the window when it's decided to give me the finger and freeze, he's there in his little chair listening to me or watching the tantrum in front of him. Be it that I was 10 or now 46, the tantrums are the same. Nothing new to Snoopy.

So, today's post is about my Snoopy. I think I will design a coffee table book with all the photos I have of him as my Little Assistant. Perhaps even do a road trip with him and let him see the outside world for a bit.

Have a great weekend everyone. I think I will take Snoopy with me.

Finally, summer has begun for us!

Finally, we were able to go and enjoy an afternoon of sailing on Blue 30. Now that Schyler's busy launch season is over and all of Kinsey's graduation festivities are through, we are now able to breathe a little and start enjoying our summer, lake and boat.

I had an event to shoot at the Country Club at 4:30 so the 3 of us decided to go sailing beforehand and drop me off at the club. What a great way to go to work and be picked up. The wind was not good first starting out, but as we got closer to the village it picked and objects went flying. I forgot to put some things on the ground so I got that look we all know from Schyler. I am always a little rusty at the beginning of sailing season....

The event at the Club was beautiful and it was alot of fun having Schyler pick me up with a Lightning all ready and waiting for me and sail (motor) off into the sunset.

It was a great day. I can't wait until next weekend when we can really spend time on the boat and clean her up a bit.

Graduation Day!!

Graduation day. What an event. Things to know about Graduation Day in Skaneateles. One, you have to get there by at least 6am to reserve a spot on the lawn for a great view. Two, you pray the thunderstorms stay away and three, just pray your graduate shows up on time. This show is a well oiled machine and I now know when and where to be for the next one in 5 years for Keefe.

Also learned in this process. PRINT ALL YOUR PHOTOS RIGHT AWAY and put them in albums! As I was doing Kinsey's board, I had so many to choose from at my finger tips when I was shooting film. When I went digital.....hmmmm. All on the computer. I will from this moment on send all my photos I take in my personal life to the lab and faithfully put them in little albums. I have also decided to start keefe's storyboard tomorrow.

Anyway, after all the chaos of getting chairs for us to sit in I had a few moments to walk around the park before everyone showed up. I walked the rows of seats and looked at all the names of the graduates taped on their assigned seating. Most of them I have known since preschool and they all looked like the little tags they had on their little hospital beds when they were first born. It was a quiet and private moment when I found Kinsey Lorraine Janke. I took a picture. :-)

Well, it was soon approaching the 1pm time and then the event just took over. I never once sat down. I walked around with the camera and tried to capture as much as I could while trying to absorb the whole thing. Schyler also had a camera and grabbed as much as he could. It was fun, it was beautiful weather, it was amazing. She did it. She is a graduate.

Kinsey with Cmoore and then coming down to their seats.

Kinsey getting her diploma and hugging Mike.

The tradition of jumping in the lake after the commencement! My friends father was able to get these great shots from his boat! Thank you 95!

The graduates enjoying the plunge.

Her cap and diploma.


What is Kinsey doing the day after graduation? She is sailing and is as happy as a clam at high tide!

Kinsey's Graduation Party!

June 27th was the day of Kinsey's graduation party at Kirby's house where friends and family gathered to celebrate. The day before and morning of was a little crazy with all the things we had to do. Schyler took my mom and Bob sailing while I frosted the 50 cupcakes he had baked the night before while I was frantically putting together the photo board. Susie Homemaker I am not, but they were cute!

Anyway, lots of people stopped by and enjoyed the weather and great food from Dinosaur BBQ. It was great to see everyone and watched them look over the photo board we made for Kinsey. Kinsey was awesome!

Kinsey's first pair of shoes and a hug from Uncle Otto

Kinsey with Tori and family.

Some of her friends that were there!

Next stop: Graduation at Clift Park