From this morning…

2 Halloween pumpkins illuminated by streetlights.

Parking lot, baled cardboard, fence, building and silhouetted mountains in the distance.

Ron English artwork on side of building. A muscular baby prepared for a fight floating in the clouds like a superhero.

From this morning’s walk…

Skeleton in a front yard illuminated by lights from left side.

Light from a doorway spills across a sidewalk from left to right.

A wrought iron fence casts a shadow on the sidewalk from left to right. The fence has clef curves and spear points.

… have a good day!

Headshot of a trans person wearing black headband, black top, thick green crystal frames and lipstick.

OF ALL THE chapters for this book, this one was the most difficult to write. When I talked with friends and acquaintances about self-love I was surprised to see how many of us feel troubled by the notion, as though the very idea implies too much narcissism or selfishness. We all need to rid ourselves of misguided notions about self-love. We need to stop fearfully equating it with self-centeredness and selfishness. (bell hooks, All About Love)

… self love has been a key component of my trans-feminine shift… i love my feminine self… not selfish or self-centered, but a coming home to myself…

From this morning’s walk…

Early morning sky above a house and utility pole.

Bench at the corner of a building illuminated by security light. Temporary traffic barrier to the left of bench also illuminated by security light.

Shirt with two big fishes on it. Left side fish swims up and right side fish swims down.

October 13, 2024 - by Heather Cox Richardson

“He is the most dangerous person ever. I had suspicions when I talked to you about his mental decline and so forth, but now I realize he’s a total fascist. He is now the most dangerous person to this country…a fascist to the core.”  (former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley)

… apart from those who understand and want fascism, and they are not an insignificant number, does anyone embracing Trump really understand what they will get if he is elected?…

From this morning’s walk…

tree branch and leaves, wires connecting to a building, some in silhouette, some illuminated by building security light.

utility pole and wires framed by tree on the right and building top corner on the left, pole illuminated by streetlight above mounted on the pole but not visible in photograph.

office chair tipped over on sidewalk and illuminated by building security light.

Big pro Trump flag set up at busy intersection of 9 and 9D. Very little honking in agreement. More signs of lackluster support for Trump in my neck of the woods. Sad part is that corner used to belong to Pete Seeger and his Sloop Club friends.

From this morning:

Tree and building windows illuminated by a security light.

Wide angle view of backhoe illuminated by streetlights.

Leaves and branches illuminated by streetlights.

… did the memo go out?…

October 11, 2024 - by Heather Cox Richardson

And yet, in a New York Times/Siena Poll of likely voters released on October 8, 75% of respondents said the economy was fair or poor. Further, although a study by The Guardian showed that Harris’s specific economic policies were more popular than Trump’s in a blind test, 54% of respondents to a Gallup poll released on October 9, thought that Trump would manage the economy better than Harris would.

We drove north into a conservative rural county of New York State today and saw more Harris/Walz yard signs than Trump/Vance. I remember it was other way around 4 years ago. Anecdotal evidence, not scientific, but it was a good sign.

A few from last night and this morning…

Female head mannequin with blond wig on a glass shelf making it look like it is floating in air. Chairs and couch of shop interior beyond.

Back of a brick building illuminated by greenish security light. Picnic table in lower right corner, illuminated windows in a silhouetted building beyond.

Historic building from below, looking up. Scaffolding in front of building in lower right corner. Makes an interesting geometric composition.

Backhoe on street illuminated by street light. Orange traffic cones with yellow caution tape in front of it. Silhouetted building behind it.

Chalk painting of a happy ghost on the sidewalk.

It’s Dahlia season!

Vase of pink dahlias on a table.

A monthly newsletter I put out that includes info on two monthly salons I co-moderate, one of them virtual!

buttondown.com/StudioMBK…

Today’s look…

Trans person headshot. Dark blue thick frame glasses, red-orange lipstick, shoulder length hair, diamond studded headband.

My wife has decided to develop a Halloween movie advent calendar to match my Christmas movie advent calendar… do you have suggestions?

My wife contends that Meet Me in St Louis is a Halloween movie as well as a Christmas movie… what say you?

My wife and i have decided that our Halloween meal will be liver and fava beans with a good chianti…

From this morning…

Small truck, and car illuminated by streetlights, early morning.

So amazing to see two such amazing women as Liz Cheney and Kamala Harris working together to save our country!

When we intentionally strive to make our homes places where we are ready to give and receive love, every object we place there enhances our well-being. (bell hooks, All About Love)

From this morning’s walk…

Shop window with male mannequin and clothing illuminated by shop display lights in early morning. Street and building wall beyond.

From this morning’s walk… more Snapseed processing… passing through Lightroom first…

Two cars in parking lot lit by street light from directly above. Building silhouettes beyond.

Close up of contemporary table and chair set, white, curving lines.

Car illuminated by street light from above. Silhouette of mountains beyond.

looking up at Mobil sign, framed by building on right, tree in upper left corner. Sky and building silhouettes beyond.

This morning’s look… more playing around with processing in Snapseed…

Headshot of trans person wearing a diamond pattern, multi colored head band, raspberry knit top, multicolored resin bead necklace and thick framed blue glasses.

From this morning’s walk… played around with SnapSeed for editing… really like what SnapSeed can do, except it is buggy dealing with RAW files…

Decorative plastic goose illuminated from within. Displayed in a shop window.

Women’s clothing in a vintage clothing store shop window.

Side of old van, looking towards rear of van. Illuminated by street lights.

Zero, the ghost dog halloween decoration from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.

I swear matching the color of our new car wasn’t a consideration when i chose this nail polish color…

Hand with nails painted red on side of red car. The reds appear to match.