Thursday, August 13, 2009

Thursday 13: Signs of the Times

1. I love words. So it stands to reason I would love signs. I'm always on the lookout for them, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to have my camera with me. This first sign has special meaning for me because I was in New Orleans 3 weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. I was one of hundreds of Re Cross volunteers, jb and I running a make shift mental health center, and I will never forget how much a third world country the city of New Orleans was at that desperate time.
2. Only in Provincetown would dogs be welcomed inside the local bank. But with certain limits...:)
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3. How I love the art of Aimee at http://www.artsyville.blogspot.com/ . She combines colors and words in a way that leaves me feeling inspired, excited, hopeful. I visit her blog from time to time just to soak in her wonderful way of seeing, and then drawing or photographing, the world around her. She is my not-so-secret role model. Take a look for yourself.
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4. My dear friend lolo (http://www.studiololo.blogspot.com/ ) designed this award for our beloved Renee, who has elevated the word 'fuck' to celebrity status. And frankly I think that's a good thing. I think sex is a good thing too, and I think saying 'fuck' when it's appropriate and talking about and enjoying sex when it's appropriate is a good thing too. So there.
. 5. I buy lobster rolls at this little place up the street from my house in Western Massachusetts: $6.95, fries included. It's one of the blessings of living in a small town: special unpretentious places that you just get in the habit of frequenting...

6. Here's another small town back road kind of place. The sky was just right when I took this shot, which is another way of saying I just pointed on automatic and caught a lucky break.

7. My irreverent daughter Jessica put these buttons the cupcakes for Mr. Ryan's baptism WWJD:"What would Jesus Do?" I hope nobody takes offense, but Jess and her guests, me included, thought this was pretty clever and pretty funny.
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8. Aaaah, what a sign this is! Here's a shot of Provincetown in all its glory. If you look on a USA map, this is the "boot" located at the bottom of the state of Massachusetts. Ptown is located at the very very tip of this peninsula. It's all this beautiful, really...
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9.There are no words to this sign, but writing on the wall is totally clear: this daughter of mine is a wonderful mother and an incredible woman. (Shown here with baby Drew)

10. My friend Jessie got me started in this project: doing one brave thing a day. I hardly manage to pull off one brave thing a month, actually, but I'm willing to say I try. I try to be brave. I try to be kind. I try to be strong, and present, and caring, and real. That last one feels the best of all: I try to be real.
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11. It's just the menu at Cafe Heaven on Commercial Street in Provincetown, so why does it feel like much more than that? Is it because I've sat in this 30 seat restaurant with alone, with friends and family, with my imagination soaring? Yup. Probably.
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12. How's this for a clear, courteous and clever way to tell you not to park your fucking bike here...? :)
13. And here's a night shot for no reason. I just like the mood of it.
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Here's wishing you a good day and good evening. Please visit Blogland Lane if you have the chance: what's happening there is pretty neat. And please: don't stop praying for Renee and her family.
xoxo
kj





35 comments:

  1. To you my friend. Cheers.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  2. I would like the roasted veggies please and thank you. Love the post card view-breath taking! Such a lovely place to dream a little daydream.

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  3. What are dogs doing at a sperm bank? Oh, it's Seaman's Bank...not semen :P

    Nice shots of a great place KJ!

    xoxo

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  4. Great Thursday Thirteen kj. I just love that town. It's so colourful and relaxing. Lobster rolls! Dammit. Makes my ham and cheese sandwich just dull. I think we're kindred spirits when it comes to our kids. Love em to bits.

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  5. Everywhere signs. (giggle) I think the WWJD buttons are very clever.
    A friend and I went for clam strip rolls the other day. Yum.

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  6. renee, whatever you're toasting, i'm toasting right along side you!

    deborah, i smile when i see your avatar here. :)

    lolo, hahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahhahahahaha.

    you are hilarious! xoxoxo

    baino, yeah, we're kindred spirits. plus we're a good combo!

    chewy, clams without bellies? that's just wrong, chewy! :)

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  7. I love this post and everything in it!

    I love signs also!

    I also have my home on my blog... for blog land all though my travels around!
    www.odd-dolls.blogspot.com
    Pattee

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  8. Oooh I love the sound of those lobster rolls kj!

    What a great little town. xx

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  9. pattee. i saw your home. yipee! it's fabulous.

    kate, haha, lobster rolls don't make sounds! that was my first thought when i read your comment.
    ha!

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  10. Wonderful photos, I love the look of that teal coloured spot where I think you get your lobster rolls? Anyway, wonderful stuff. Me like!

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  11. Hi KJ,

    Thinking of Renee & her family as always.

    I love the doing one brave thing a day ,a month...that's neat!

    Take care

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  12. Thank you.
    Thank you very much.
    I'll be here all week!

    THANK YOU PROVINCETOWN! WE LOVE YOU!

    (microphone feedback, fade to black.)

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  13. Wonderful pictures KJ!
    Haha that Lolo!
    Enjoy your day!
    >M<

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  14. unusual and original and fun too, love that little drew. xxxx
    talking about signs, my dashboard has a huge red sign on it saying that the blogland land blog is a spam danger and will not allow me to use it, and may be deleted within 20 days. eeek. story of my life. find something i like, it usually has a hitch or goes wrong or gets deleted from my life...sigh...so my stay on blogland lane may be a very short but sweet one.

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  15. You're out on Cape Cod? I was thinking Rhode Island for some reason or another.

    Naaa I'll go as far as New Bedford where a breakfast can still be had for $5 or less.

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  16. these signs are fun. you have a good eye. yes, prayers to Renee. enjoy the rest of your time in P-town.

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  17. loved the way you've drawn our attention to the signs... the pictures you've taken are great... adding some more meaning to the signs...
    the pic in the header is really fantastic!

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  18. I like them too, esp on bumper stickers and in old movies. I'll often back a movie up just to read the menu on the wall in a restaurant. Signs can have a nostalgic element too (ever miss old gas station signs or the very TV commercials that you used to hate?).

    As a bike rider, I just hope that the place that gives your bike away (is that legal?) actually provides some other place for you to park it. Here, businesses are required to provide parking for bikes. What this looks like in reality is often 20 acres of car parking and one little bike rack so close to a wall that it's unusable and probably blocked by merchandise anyway, but at least there IS a law here that recognizes bicyclists as having rights.

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  19. Can I have 0 as my number??? Please!
    PAttee

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  20. That bank sign reminds me that one thing I love uEurope is their relaxed attitude about dogs and cats in restaurants/cafes.

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  21. hello sag, thank you for dropping by. i'll be doing the same at your place. that place is so no-frills and yet it sparkles.

    hello yvonne, we drop to our knees together and pray for renee....
    thank you for visit. i'll be seeing you too.

    lo: TSUP!

    marianne, TSUP to you too.

    soulbrush, worry not. we're going to have some neighborhood fun. xo

    walking man, i live in western mass. and am here in provincetown for part of the summer. haha i know what you mean about a $ 5 breakfast. jb and i go to two places that we squeak in under $ 6.
    ......so how do you know about new
    beford (you know i mean bedford..)? are you a local guy, walking man? i won't be surprised. i think i 'get' you...

    xo
    kj

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  22. suki, i WANT to have a good eye. and i want to draw. i'm lucky i can write! ptown is great. pray for renee, YES.

    oh snowbrush, this is a bike town. you should see the road to the beach, bike after bike after bike. this sign was in front of one of the few atm's on commercial street, where no bike could be. you would like the bike trails here, snowbrush.

    nolly, i saw the word 'spiritual' on your blog page and i smiled gladly. xo

    HB!! how worried i've been. i'm laying low with you but boy do i miss you. xoxo

    pattee, you are # 0. done deal. debra kay will send you an email to help you move in. yay! (bring sonia? or tell her i can pick her up and if needed carry her for a bit)

    cs, so much to emulate from europe. oh now you've got me wishing i could be in italy for a month of writing, eating, fun, and guess what else :)

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  23. My first duty station was Newport RI, my stepson was born in New Bedford and we have been there dozens of times, I have friends in Concord and when in the day spent inordinate amounts of time in Maine...let's just say I am no stranger to the North East. But no I was born raised and still live in Detroit.

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  24. Just letting you know that Debra cannot get the necessary e-mail to me from blogger to add me on...she has tried numerous times and I told her not to worry about it. Cyber glitch...

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  25. I love signs too. How about that. I did an aceo of a famous sign and when I was in Paris, I photographed some unusual signs which I put into my shop. LOL

    I love your blog.

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  26. Love the idea of being brave once per day. Especially since courage is so unique to every individual.

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  27. AAAAGH-I keep getting the feeling like I want to bring Greta with me. Actually, it's just a feeling from Greta that she'd loved to go.

    I am going to set aside some time to figure out if I could make it work.

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  28. walking man, i like that you know my digs. i've never been to detroit but i know inner cities and i can often relate to your poetry and the images you so effectively paint. xo

    deborah, i am joining emily r. and throwing frozen peas in frustration. i WANT you to be my neighbor!!! please, blogger, work it out! ps could it be your (wonderful) font program?

    readingsully, thank you for stopping by. i'll be over to see your blog soon. i will like to see the sign you did in paris... :)

    marymaw, hello! i try to be brave but sometimes my knees knock so loud i can't hear my own peptalk!
    :)

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  30. I was drawn down to this post from your 6WS. Really great imagery.

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  31. thank you, sarah, and welcome.

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  32. these pictures are great kj!! thanks for the mention! :)

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  33. Can I tell you again how much I love your Thursday 13's? I love you, too!! <3

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  34. I love the post card view breath taking such lovely place to dream a little daydream............

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