November • Colors of the Month

“Colour is everything, black and white is more.” – Dominic Rouse, photographer

November naturally represents an absence of color as the world turns brown and gray and the days get shorter and darker. Natural light becomes a precious commodity while artificial light distorts color and clarity. In the past, I struggled with my November photographs as my work day begins and ends in darkness. So, for the fourth year, rather than bemoan these limitations, I will embrace the lack of color and post only black and white images to focus on light, shadow, texture and composition.

As Elliott Erwitt said, “Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.”

October 2019 in Pictures

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Week 43 - Storytelling: Film Noir

“Noir is the new black.”

#dogwoodweek43 #2019dogwood52 #dogwood52 #noir

Currently • October 2019

“October had tremendous possibility… the golden leaves promised a world full of beautiful adventures. ― Sarah Guillory

READING:

• Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby - “Careless People is a unique literary investigation: a gripping double narrative that combines a forensic search for clues to an unsolved crime and a quest for the roots of America’s best loved novel.” (My options on the Lost Generation shelf of Shakespeare and Company are dwindling, but Eric picked this one out for me.)

• Developing Expert Learners: A Roadmap for Growing Confident and Competent Students by Michael McDowell — It’s part of my Professional Learning Plan focusing on the connection between surface, deep, and transfer learning and the Triple E Framework of technology in the classroom (Engage, Enhance, Extend).

• So many magazines and catalogues — How can it be that the holiday season is already upon us?

WATCHING:

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s - When the Silverspot Cinema in the Corners featured one of my favorite films, I jumped at the chance to see it on the big screen, accompanied by popcorn and Champagne, bien-sûr! The screening was also great research for my trip to New York at the beginning of the month; I visited the NY Public Library, Holly’s apartment building at 169 E. 71st Street, and, of course, Tiffany’s.

• I revisited my favorite Paris movies again before and during our trip: Midnight in Paris for our day in the Latin Quarter, Amélie before exploring Montmartre, Charade prior to our dinner cruise on the Seine, and Funny Face because Bonjour Paris.

• It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - one of my favorite Halloween traditions

LISTENING TO:

• Midnight in Paris, the perfect soundtrack to loop in your head while strolling in Paris.

• Harry Connick, Jr.’s Celebration of Cole Porter - What could be better than Cole Porter’s music sung by HCJ? Um, maybe the Broadway show!

• Halloween Party Radio on Pandora

ENJOYING:

• Traveling is inspiring, especially when you can revisit your favorite places, but “there’s no place like home” … and I really missed Piper!

• The final few colorful days of autumn at home — Where did October go? Between having house guests for most of September and October and trips to NYC and Paris, I almost missed one of my favorite months in Wisconsin. This morning, the remaining fall leaves were already covered in snow (but I love that too)!

• Our new Nespresso Vertuo Plus — We are making delicious espressos and cappuccinos at home. Sorry Starbucks, but ours are better!

PLANNING:

• My 30-day black and white photography challenge for the month of November

• A weekend in Boston. I’m attending a conference, but I also intend to make the most of the time I’m there (November 22-24). It’s been almost a decade since I’ve been there, so any suggestions for activities and restaurants would be greatly appreciated.

Links I Love • October 2019

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, (s)he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” - John Muir

• 21 French-Inspired Halloween Costumes - très amusant — especially “French Kiss”

• 31 Spooky (But Not Too Scary) Books for Your Fall Reading List - I didn’t think this was my genre, but I’ve read and enjoyed 12 of the classics and am working on the Inspector Gamache series.

• 15 Amazing Books That Inspire Us to Travel - including my favorite, Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast

• 36 Hours in Milwaukee - a New York Times tour of my hometown

• 14 Thoughts Everyone Has While Learning French - Even after almost 40 years, I still struggle with some of these concepts.

• 11 French Expressions That Have No English Equivalent

• The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Paris - Time to start planning my next trip?!

• The 6 Best Shopping Streets in Paris - I concur :)

• Climate Change is Changing the Flavor of French Wine

• Top 10 French Movies on Netflix - I’ve only seen 4 of them.

• 13 TV Shows and Movies to Inspire your Love of French Cooking - or eating!

• You Can Rent the Villa From Under the Tuscan Sun - I love that movie!

• The Best Advent Calendars for 2019 - The Diptyque calendar is amazing — for $425!)

• What to Wear with a Turtleneck - This is one of my go-to winter uniforms. Hey, if it was good enough for Audrey…

• Looking ahead to 2020, here are some great Photography Project Ideas

I Love Paris in the Fall • mardi 22 octobre 2019

“We’ll always have Paris.” - Casablanca

52º + cloudy • 13,623 steps: Last day in Paris - breakfast at Ladurée and exploring Montmartre