I missed Jim's Birthday celebration on a Saturday night because I was away in the Adirondaks photographing a Wedding. So, I invited him and Susan over for dinner ON his birthday during the week to celebrate.
We made steaks on the grill - one of his favorite meals..
and I made baked yams...yum .. and yellow squash.
It was so nice to have them over - I love having company.
(plus, it's an excuse to vacuum! )

:)

Jims cocktail is G & T's so I got him Bombay. Nothing but the best for our Jim !











mmm Cheesy Eddie's Carrot Cake - The BEST!


Happy Birthday Jim !

Bob and I were out one Thursday night, and before heading home, we stopped at a different place where a friend of his was D.J ing. I signed up to play the OLD version of Atari's "Pong" as a contest to win Haunted Hayride tickets.
I won !
So, we went on a Sunday when the weather report was good - it was a clear crisp night - perfect.
While we waited for the ride, we had hot cocoas



and sat in a barn on hay stacks and watched clips of Childs Play.
The ride was great - I've been on it in the past - Wegmans sponsors it, so it's very ellaborate and well done.
I love the hayrides...sometimes I want to jump off just to admire the sets for a while...they go by so fast.
It was nice for just the two of us to go on a date...
:)


p.s. These pictures might look a little odd... We took them of just each other, and I pasted him into mine so that we could be together in the pictures...

Can't wait for Halloweeeeeeen !

October 9th, 2006 ~ Our family lost a mother, sister, grandmother, great grandmother and friend... Filomena.



Bob and I spent the week before her death visiting her in the hospital not knowing which day might be her last. The whole family was there, visiting with her, loving her, holding her hand, helping her through difficult times...
Things had gotten better and then worse and I remember walking out of her room one evening, turning to look back at her one more time believing that it would be my last.
It was.
The next day we got the news, and headed over to Bob's moms house where the family was grieving together.
It was so sad to see those that loved her weeping over their loss...all I could do was hug them and offer my condolences. I loved her very much ~ she was so sweet and such a treasure to the family.

The next day, we had the wake. I have never been to a wake before and it was very overwhelming. I remember turning the corner to enter the room, and my eyes went directly to her casket glowing at the front of the room. She looked beautiful.
I didn't go over to her for about an hour...I just couldn't. There were at least 20 enormous baskets of flowers surrounding her from family and loved ones...more and more people began to fill the room, share stories and console one another.
The funeral the next day was beautiful. I loved hearing more about her past through the readings. Bob carried the casket into and out of the church with other family members. We spent days with the family at various houses and I can't not mention the FOOD. On regular get togethers the food is so abundant, but on this occasion I just couldn't believe it. It's so odd how we go one minute crying when we talk about her, and then laughing at something else - and please pass the potatoes...

She was going to turn 94 in 4 days ~ she lived a full loving life, but it doesn't make anyone miss her any less.

Shannon is leaving for Portland, Oregon in the next few weeks to reside and start a new phase in her life. One of the things we've been wanting to do together before she goes is to see one last Gael movie together and luckily,
The Science of Sleep has released in time for us to go!
As we met in the lobby, I realized it would be the last time we walked through the courtyard and alley to Little one (the main theatre). I took pictures of her with my eyes one last time and we headed in.
It was a wonderful film, he was as cute and obscure as ever - Shannon is truly in love - and after she collected herself at the end, we walked one last time down to her favorite coffee house, Javas for some steamers and girl talk. Shannon always makes everything better. No matter what you have to say, or ask, or ponder...she's always there with a remedy, solution, or suggestion. I will miss her very very much, but know that she is ready to move on and needs to do this for herself.

A few days later, she came over with coffee, and treats in the morning with the need to visit her pet bunny Stew who had been buried in our back yard two winters ago. He needed a proper burial, since it was the middle of winter when she buried him, and we couldn't plant anything on his grave at that time. She brought some ground cover that will bloom in the springtime over the area where he sleeps.
We each planted one, and then the third was planted together as we held hands in rememberance of him. She misses him very much. Once we were done, I found a red leaf and placed it over the third plant that we planted together.



I will see her again soon ~ I'm having her over for dinner to say goodbye to the boys, and to have an early birthday celebration for her since she'll be gone right before it's here.

ugh - if there's anyone out there that still checks to see if I have any updates on here, PLEASE accept my sincere apologies for being totally lame and boring.

I have been working non stop on my photography business and have put this on the back burner unfortunately.

When I was working full time at Kodak, I couldn't wait to distract myself with new posts to the blog on company time.
I can't do that anymore working for myself because I have so much production and business upkeep going on.

I need to stop the excuses though and update this once in a while. The other half of it is that I'm not doing that much in my freetime because there really isn't any to be had. I'm a lot less social, and it's starting to get to me. No co-workers, no outings, makes Sue a dull girl.
("The Shining" reference)

I did make it out to see Invincible with Marky Mark though!
My friend Sue and I couldn't pass that one up.
I'm anxious to seeMarie Antoinette
Sofia Coppola's directing is amazing.

Anyone heard of any good scary movies coming out for Halloween? I haven't yet and am getting worried...

What else....
Well, there's something I got involved in that I'm really happy about. I received notification of something called the Heart Gallery looking for photographers to photograph children up for adoption through the Hillside Childrens Center. I immediately looked into it and asked that they alert me as soon as a child became available for me to photograph. (There's a lot of them, and a lot of photographers). They finally let me know of one, so I made all the arrangements to go out and meet him. (Syracuse area)
His name is Christopher, and he was a sweetheart. We spent an hour walking around the grounds while I photographed him playing and just being himself. Part of the objective in the program is to produce non-traditional portraits of the children so that the photographs reveal more of their character than say a posed school portrait.
They just wanted one final print for the show.
I'm not allowed to post anything from it - I gave away my rights as the job was dedicated solely to the program, but I was happy with the selection I had at the end of the shoot. At one point, when I wasn't looking, he picked a flower for me and gave it to me thanking me. I was beside myself, and hope that a couple will see his smile someday and have to take him home. I brought him a present too which he loved and I photographed him with it. It was just a Superman comic, but I know they don't get many gifts, so I could tell that meant a lot to him.
Actually, I could put that one up - I took the picture more for me to remember him with the book...here he is:



The pictures will be shown in November at a Syracuse gallery. If I go, I'll post more about that later.
I'm going to send him a little photo album of the extra shots I got of him too for him to have. He really like having his picture taken!

Another thing that just happened ~ my friend Shannon is moving to Portland, Oregon in search of a new job and way of life. She's always been a bit of a roamer which brought her to Rochester in the first place from out West and she's been away and back several times... but this is more permanent this time. I'm noticing as I get older that friends sort of come and go more than ever. We get all caught up in our lives trying to make ends meet that I don't just hang out like I did in my 20's. It's sad.
Bob and I love being together ~ we do everything together...but it's nice to visit with friends too. I miss everyone lately, and don't always know if anyone's missing me at the same time. I'm being self indulgent right now because I feel lonely a little bit, but not to worry...I will be back up and running tomorrow.

I've got 3 meetings tomorrow, then a Wedding Saturday, Bridal show sunday, portrait session monday, meeting with clients to give them their prints on tuesday...more meetings later in the week....more editing...more paperwork.
Loving it.

I've updated the Wedding section of my website too - I wanted to put more pictures and songs in it, and Bob and his awesome Web skills made it happen! As a business owner, it totally rules having your Web designer right in the house with you!
:)
Sometimes I leave post-it notes on his computer screen asking for an update...lol.

Check it out if you have the time - it takes a little bit to get through all the pictures - have patience daniel son.
www.seganphoto.com - Portfolio/Weddings

Make sure your speakers are on...

By the way, Bob just made a really cool intro page to a Halloween site that he created. If it's not there yet when you read this, check back - it will be there soon.
Nightmare Manor

Keep in mind that they barely pay him, so it's not his best work or anything, but if you hold your mouse over the chainsaw guy, you'll see something, and if you hold your mouse over "Nightmare Manor" at the top, that's neat too.
BUT wait for the intro page...that's the best and they paid him for it too.

Anyways...babbling.

I'll try to get out and socialize so I can talk about something I did. Thanks for hanging in there with me!