What's Up with the Cat?

I get asked that a lot.

When I first signed up as a seller on Bonanzle (www.Bonanzle.com), I was assigned their generic avatar, a goofy looking guy with a straw hat.

Needed to replace him asap!

I'm more comfortable holding a camera than posing in front of one, so there aren't many photos of me lurking about.  And I hadn't really created a brand for myself yet, so I had nothing I could use that would represent my business.

I had just lost one of the great loves of my life to kidney failure.  Bear Kitty was 17 and ruler of the roost.  Then suddenly he started slowing down.  I watched his demise with sadness, but also with amazement.  Animals can teach us so much.  He tried his best to keep the disease from interfering with his day.  His favorite catnip toy brought him so much pleasure in those last days.  I'd watch in adoration as he grabbed it up in his paws and rubbed it all over his head and chin, purring, drooling and smiling.

I still have that toy tucked away.  I can't bear to part with it.

Having him as my avatar in those early days brought me solace.  And still does.  But these days, it also brings me recognition.  I use him as my avatar everywhere. Anyone who sees him on the web knows right away it's me.

There are those who think that your avatar should represent your business if you want to be taken seriously. Maybe there's some truth to that.  But at least in my case, my darlin Bear Kitty has brought quite a bit of traffic to my booth, and some of that traffic stays to shop.  So I think I'll keep him.

Day Trip to Joshua Tree

Saturday was a gorgeous day.  We packed up and headed out to Joshua Tree, about a 2.5 hour drive and a world away from all the noise of  Southern California.

I'm a terrible passenger and I usually spend a lot of time telling my husband to slow down.  He thinks he's Mario Andretti.  But on this trip I kept my mouth shut and just held on a little tighter to the armrest when the speedometer hit 85.  I wanted to GET there.

I love Joshua Tree.

For some people, it's just rocks and tumbleweeds and, well, Joshua trees.  To me it's so much more than that.

As we passed through the park gate I made my husband pull over and park.  I needed to start capturing the day RIGHT NOW.  There's so much color and texture in the desert, so much natural artistry.

Silly me, the rocks against the blue sky give me goosebumps

. 

My favorite place of all is Barker Dam.  This oasis always takes my breath away.  We've had a lot of rain this winter, so the hike to the dam gets a little muddy.  I don't care!  Because trudging through the muddy sand gets me to one of the most beautiful spots I've ever seen.  

It was a perfect day!

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes."  ~e.e. cummings


Over the next few weeks I'll be adding some of my images from this trip to my booth at www.Bonanzle.com/SdOriginals.   Feel free to stop in and browse!

Getting started

Oh my, I'm blogging.  Be nice, it's all new to me!

 I'm a photographer, so I may share a pic with you once in awhile.
I'm also a poet, so I may just, um, burst into song for no reason on occasion.

I love words when they fit together just so.  If a book I'm reading can bring tears to my eyes, or make my hair stand on end, it's a keeper. I read a lot, so I might share that with you too.

I run my own online businesses through  a marketplace called Bonanzle, so you'll hear about that here on occasion.  I promise not to beat you over the head with it.

 At www.Bonanzle.com/CollectibleCorner, you'll find a nice assortment of collectibles from vintage to newer, at what I think is a good price.  You may disagree, but then we can always talk about it in my booth's chat box.

At www.Bonanzle.com/CollectibleCornerToo you'll find an assortment of general merchandise, mostly pre-owned, from books to shoes and everything in between.  I love to shop, and sometimes I need to cull my goodies to make room for more.

At www.Bonanzle.com/SdOriginals, you'll find photographic prints, for now, to brighten your home.  This booth is intended for all of my created things, but there's been little time for creativity lately! So this booth is a work in progress.

I hope you'll find something here interesting enough to make you want to come back!  In the meantime, I'll just  keep talking to myself!