Almost Time For Our Next Adventure - This Time To Paris France

Well our bags are almost completely packed. Just a few small items left. We did really well on the luggage weight issues this time around. I packed a small piece of luggage into a bigger piece and still got everything I needed to into the luggage. By packing the smaller luggage into the bigger one I did lost about 11 pounds of usable weight due to the weight of the smaller piece but like I said I was still able to get everything I wanted in there. Plus we will save some money on the extra luggage charges by packing it inside the other one. I figure Veronica will probably have some items to bring home from Paris and that is when the smaller piece of luggage will get utilized. Even by doing things the way I did we still have a lot of luggage that is going with us...3 suitcases going there along with 2 heavy backpacks to go as carry my camera bag as a carry on also.We have got our house sitter all set up with lots of his favorite food items and plenty of snacks to keep him occupied. After we leave here we will be heading to my Dads place and staying Monday night there. We have some running around to do in that area before heading to our hotel which is closer to the airport. We take off from Norfolk International Airport at 0700 hours so it will be a really early start time on Tuesday. We will arrive in Paris around 0830 hours on Thursday morning. We have a ride all set up to meet us at the arrivals gate and taking us to the apartment we rented. Like other adventures in the past I will be journaling our daily activities along with my over abundance of photos that I plan on taking with my new camera. So until my next writing... Au revoir, mes amis.

I Have Been Published

Several weeks ago I entered one of my photos into a contest that was being held on the Fine Arts America web site.
I belong to the group that was sponsoring the contest. Although I did not win the contest, the person who was the administrator to the group contacted me and requested that I email her with a high resolution original of the photo that I had entered the contest with. I was told that she would place my photo in her publication... Eye On Fine Art Photography. Sure enough...here it is...

 Here is the photo from the magazine

Here is the original photo

It Has Been A Year Of Many Highs And Lows

This year has been a long one. I have had some up and several downs. I haven't posted as much on my blog as I used to. I am not sure exactly why but its not like I don't have anything to write about because I do. I just don't seem to have the motivation to sit down and start writing.
A few minutes ago I decided that I would force myself to sit down and briefly write about my year so far.
So far this year I have had my left hand and left knee operated on.
I had more medical issues with my mouth and tongue.
Our favorite next door neighbors moved but not before their dog...Lucy...passed away. I loved that dog like it was my own and we miss our neighbors.
We were told that our place will be sold, so we will have to find another place by Aug 2015.
While trimming a palm tree/bush...one of the fronds poked me in the eye cause my eye to bleed. This was a first for me and not something I want to experience again.
I won a 1st place blue ribbon of excellence for entering my very first art piece in a local art show/contest. And I received a check for $250 for winning .
Keeping up on doing my walks and workouts was difficult due to numerous nagging injuries.
I got a new camera from Veronica...a Sony RX10. This camera stepped up my photography game a few notches.
I joined Fine Arts America to show and hopefully sell prints of a couple of my photographs.
Opened an online Photograph Store through FAA.. Richard (Rick) Rosenshein Photography.
One of my photos was published in the October Halloween Special Edition of Eye On Fine Art Photography magazine.
My Mother had a major stroke on Oct 4th and remained hospitalized until her passing. We buried my Mother yesterday 10/12/14. The last 2 weeks or so have been very long and stressful.
Veronica and I will be packing up our suitcases over the next couple of days. We will be heading out to Paris, France on the 22nd.
I will be doing a brief daily journal while we make our way around Paris. I will also be sharing that journal and the photographs that I take while in Paris.
Hopefully the rest of the year will not be so bumpy of a ride.