Category Archives: Micha

Jun 15

We call ourselves “Longshadow Press”.

Monday we received our final shipment of book-making materials from Bookmakers, Inc. Once we finally determined exactly how many books we will be making, and how much of the supplies will be needed, we plunked down a hefty chunk of change to make it happen. This is a dream of ours: Micha’s beautiful photos+my handiwork= one amazing book (we hope!). We settled on 12 copies, 11 of which have been sold (possibly the twelfth, as well) before they are even made. Once we completed one copy, our first try, we were able to figure out how to improve it; now we’re using it as the “artist’s copy” to show friends what we’re doing, and that’s how we were able to sell what we intend to make.

The last weekend I was not working, we had every intention of cranking out the first complete copies that we could sell. What we turned out instead was one disaster after another. Amazing how badly things turned out, and amazing how calm we stayed! No one was hurt in the process! So, we ended up wasting some supplies, and spending more money than intended, but our goal is to get each copy right and make it as perfect as possible, as if it were professionally made. Ugh. It’s so not easy! A few days ago, however, we did it. We created the first three copies, in their entirety, without any mistakes. We were so thrilled, we treated ourselves to dinner (!!). Three down, nine more to go. Sigh. I have also come to realize that I had not yet taken a photo of the final, completed book, probably because the artist copy doesn’t really count for me. Too many flaws. So, here you go.

Not fancy, nothing award-winning. A simple way to showcase the photos my husband created that will be exhibited at the art museum beginning this August. I am one proud woman. More details on the exhibit will be coming soon; any questions about the book are welcome. Thanks for letting me share!

May 13

Our grande accompli!

Mr. UPS man came day before yesterday, and we now have everything needed to make our book. Yesterday was official Bookmaking Day in our home! My husband and I made a great team; working together, helping one another, making decisions, etc., without any difficulties whatsoever. It was definitely a two-person task, too. I could not have done this alone! It did not take as long as we thought, either. I was thinking this would be a two-day process, but it really only took roughly 3-4 hours from start to completion. A special thanks goes out to Jim at Bookmakers, Inc.; this very nice gentleman in Maryland is so kind and friendly and helpful with advice. Now, the cover needs a title, and then we’ll shop it around to see the likelihood of future interest for additional copies (all made by hand).

Here is how we did it.

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May 6

Carb load up!

My husband is going on a long, hard bike ride tomorrow with some friends, so he requested pasta for dinner this evening, in order to load up on his carbs for the ride. No problem; I love when he makes requests…it removes the ever-present “what to make for dinner” question, making my life just that much easier. Looking through his most recent cycling magazine, he found some meal ideas that looked pretty good to me as well, and I thought I would share one of the pasta dishes he found that we had for dinner tonight. Mmmm good!

  • 1.5 cups diced red potatoes, skins on
  • 1.5 cups green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8 oz. semolina spaghetti (I used angel hair only because my husband prefers it)
  • 1/4 cup basil pesto
  • 1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
  • 1 Tbsp shredded Romano cheese (we omitted this because my husband can’t have cheese)

Bring four quarts of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, beans, and garlic. Cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Add pasta and return to a boil, stirring often until it’s al dente. Remove a quarter cup of the pasta water and combine it with the pesto in a large serving dish. Drain the pasta, potatoes, beans and garlic and toss gently with the pesto. Top each serving with pine nuts and Romano cheese to taste.

I do not recommend doubling this recipe, like I did this evening, unless you are feeding an army! It makes quite a lot of food, and it is rather filling…your teenage sons will love you for making this! I do highly recommend making this the night before a long work-out the next day….say your next triathalon, Tour du France, or Olympic competition. This packs a real carb punch; dieters beware! I fueled up for my workout tomorrow: National Scrapbook Day!!! Yowza! Happy fueling!

Apr 26

A new photo-art collaboration to tell you about!

I am trying to feel better. Feeling less than normal just really sucks, and although I do not like the “H” word, when it comes to illness, I’ll just go ahead and say it. I hate it! Well, today, sitting here at the computer is not quite the torture it was yesterday, so I’ll talk a little bit about a new project Hubby and I have come up with. He has a new exhibit at our local art museum coming in August. He will be showing a large selection of his black and white photography, from his pinhole series, to Lost Lake and the surrounding foothills. It will be amazing. Then, several days ago, he approached me about an idea that I am really excited about: printing out smaller versions of his exhibit pieces, and creating a hand-made book, for sale at the museum. Since I love making journaling and notebooks, I have begun to explore hand-stitched books, particularly Japanese stab binding, and other forms of hand stitching pages into hand-sewn covers. This should turn out incredibly, if we can pull off what we imagine it to be. We will create one book for ourselves to be a sort of prototype to show, and then when we are perfectly happy with it, we will continue to go on to create maybe six more to display and sell at the museum. I am so excited! Each book will be quite an undertaking; knowing that we are both perfectionists, I’m guessing one book will take several days to complete, being that every detail will be done by hand. I know it will not be easy, but I am so happy we will not need to rely on third party red tape, or publishers. It will be a local, hand-crafted endeavor we will enjoy doing together; a collaboration of love that I know will make us feel proud and feel good! More details and progress notes when the times arise!

Apr 12

Watch out, everyone…

Mr. Jewish Mafia is here. I had a bad day. I am out of sorts today. Oh well, who wants to hear about that? Not me.

I had a great photo of hubby that I did some fiddling with this evening….I love recoloring in Photoshop. So, here’s what I came up with for this evening’s post.

Mar 15

Beware the Ides of March…

I just like saying that. Today happens to be Hubby’s birthday. I had to work, and he had a doctor’s appointment (oh, joy), but we were invited out for dinner by my mother which was a real treat. Cake and coffee was at our place after, and all-in-all, it was a nice day.

Ish shelee, I am so glad you were born on this day, a long time ago. I celebrate you and your presence in this world and in my life. Happy birthday, and many more to come.

Feb 24

Fun with photos

My husband is a photographer, and he’s currently preparing for an exhibit of his work to be shown at our local art museum in August. I get to reap the rewards of his “mistakes”; as he fine-tunes his images and prints them out; some he doesn’t like but instead of tossing the photos, I take them off his hands. I have made book covers with them to fold around books I have, as well as scrapbook extras and homemade notebooks out of them. He only works in black and white, and prints on matte paper, so they’re fun and easy to work with. This evening, I decided to make a scrapbook page out of a reject, just for fun. We always joke that while no one may pay attention to his work right now (save for some friends and the museum) , I say he’ll be like a Van Gogh and reap the rewards posthumously. One day, I tell him, his little “rejects” alone may be worth thousands, like the notes of Picasso discovered in an attic! Anyway, I appreciate my husband’s photographic work for more than one reason (notice my banner?), and the most important may be that I love him so darn much! Thanks for tossing your mistakes to me, honey!

Feb 21

Embarrassing situation no. 72…

Today, my husband went to the eye doctor. He has been having some intermittent cloudiness  in his left eye, and wanted to have it checked. After his initial visit early this morning, he came home and informed me that he has a rare form of glaucoma, but it can be easily fixed, and he will need to return for the procedure later this afternoon. I went with him, in case he would not be able to drive home afterward, and to give him a little moral support. He wanted me to stay with him as much as I could, and I thought it would be interesting to see the procedure, so the staff was very kind and accommodating. We travelled from room to room several times, each time waiting for a few minutes before someone would enter and do a few short little tests on Micha before going to the next room. And I thought my hospital was big and complicated! Anyway, we finally arrived at our destination so Micha could be prepped for the surgery. It was done with a laser, and we were told that it would be quick and painless. Quick it was, painless it was not. I flinched as Micha flinched, I said ouch when he did. I think I suffered more than he did, just by watching! Once it was over and the lights went back on, I suddenly felt the room start to spin and go dark….I was not feeling well at all.

Wall-E, I found your brother!

Here my poor husband was the patient having a laser cut into his eye, and I, the healthcare worker was the one getting sick! What the heck was going on with me?! I knew I was vagaling, but I didn’t want it to be happening, not when I am supposed to be the one who is okay and helping the patient…I do not like becoming the patient, and I was so embarrassed. Everytime I kept getting up, profusely swearing that I’m okay, I’m okay, I felt like I was going to pass out. Oy vey! Every time someone asked if I was okay, I felt worse; when Micha told me he would drive home, I felt doubly worse. Finally, he got me a cup of water which I downed in one gulp, and that seemed to bring my pressure up long enough to drive us home. Boy, that was silly of me…Micha has never seen me like that, either. “How do you work in a hospital?”, he asked. My coworkers have plenty of funny stories to tell about me, I answered. But, end of the story, my husband is fine, and will be seeing much clearer, thank you very much, but he just can’t take me anywhere!

Feb 14

a special surprise from yesterday, before he knew about today!

Yes, it is Valentines Day. No, my husband and I do not celebrate it. We celebrate our love on any given day we choose. Before my husband was my husband, he would let himself into my apartment (he had a key) while I was at work, and leave before I came home (midnight). I would many times discover some wildflowers on my pillow, with a hand-written note on any piece of paper he could find, declaring his feelings to me. I would melt. He did not make a stop at D&L Roses, or buy a Hallmark card for me, which is exactly why I loved these gestures. I still do. I occasionally come home now and then to a carefully hidden love note on scratch paper, or some wildflowers in a jar on the table…just a little something he found on the way home from somewhere, and made him think of me. I’m always touched because of the randomness, the spontaneity, the way he will think of me lovingly, just because. He’s very romantic, and I love that I don’t need a Valentine’s Day for him to be told it’s time to declare his love for me. I feel it every day.

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