I love a Parade!


20
Jan 10

It’s okay to letgo…

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I once heard a psycologist say that if you think of an object and lock it into your mind, you will start to see it everywhere.

Like clowns.

Say that you decided upon clowns as your object (this would only be if you weren’t deathly afraid of them as I know some of you are). Within the next week, you start noticing the word “clown” written everywhere. It jumps off the page.

Pictures of clowns start appearing all over the place.

Of course, those words and pictures were there all the time, but because of your heightened awareness ~ they are all you see.

I’m going to stop talking about clowns, because I’m home alone and it is starting to get dark and…it’s getting a little creepy thinking about smiling white faces.

                                                                                                                                                                       ~~~

It was a simple tweet that asked a simple question. “What is your word of the year?”

“LET GO” popped into my head.

Problem is that “Let go” is two words and even with Twitter’s 140 character limitation, there wasn’t anyway I could make that phrase into one word.

But I did anyway. I tweeted that my word of 2010 was LETGO. My fellow follower agreed. She said “letgo” as my one word for 2010 worked for her.

Letting go and it’s themes have been appearing everywhere.

A respected businesswoman with whom I am acquainted was struggling with lots of worry about selling her business. She said, “You know, when I just dropped everything and stood back…it all fell into place.”

I ran the Disney Marathon and in writing about the experience the morning after, I had a billion different memories which could have gone a billion different directions. As I started to whittle down from 1000 plus words and kept cutting and cutting, when I looked at what remained…it was letting go. Discarding all the clothing I had packed on myself…not hanging on to things because of fear.

 Weird.

Then last Sunday at church with my extraordinary cool group of woman I share study and coffee with each Sunday, we were talking about sins that keep us from God. One very hip, pulled together chick admitted, “Letting go. I’ve just got to get better about letting go of things.”

I don’t know what LETGO means to you. I’m not sure I know what it means to me, but someone is trying to get that message through my thick skull.

If I had to guess, for me it’s about not worrying as much, trusting a mega-ton more, trying to live a godly life…all the while trying my hardest to do my best…then

Jump. Freefall. Let go.

Today, I was e-mailing back and forth with a writer friend. We probably haven’t communicated in a month and as an afterthought her last email to me had the link to this video, and her words were..”Got a great music video for you. Watch it all the way through! …Jan.”

What is your word…the word that is been following you???

Another weird theme developing in my life. MARCHING BANDS.What the heck is up with that? Don’t know…but I will just letgo and enjoy.

Btw, the band is OK Go and the marching band is Notre Dame’s finest…

 


2
Jan 10

I love a parade…Take two. The Battle of the Bands.

PARK AVE, WINTER PARK — FLORIDA

What to do with house of limited space full of children with limited patience…A parade!

Last week while visiting family, my cousin suggested that we hit the Parade on Park Avenue. Wanting to hone my parade photojournalism skills — as Macy’s is just 11 short months away — I jumped at the chance. So my mom, sister and children headed to the Avenue.

Battle of the Bands.

Battle of the Bands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the poster says Parade of Bands that’s LITERALLY what it meant. A parade of two bands.

This was my first foray into mixed-media parade coverage. Can you feel the excitement??

Our twitterpated crew quelled pre-parade boredom/anticipation by trying to bean  cars with acorns. As luck would have it, we were planted under an acorn tree, or you might know it by its more common name, an oak.

The Gallery.

The Gallery.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We didn’t wait long…First up was the Band of the Hour from the University of Miami.
 
 
 
 
What is that Bird's name?

What is that Bird's name?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
He’s an Ibis, I know that. 
 
 
 
We all became U of M fans for the moment.

We all became U of M fans for the moment.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now here it is ~ hold on to something…My first foray into parade video coverage.  It’s mercifully short.
 
 
 

 

Then came the fighting Wisconsin Badger Band.

 

 

On Wisconsin...

On Wisconsin...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As the band high-stepped in front of us. I juggled attempts at still-photography with video.  You can tell by the amazing results…I failed miserably. At least you get to hear that great fight song.
 
 
What can I say? Those purty white stockings and black shoes mesmerized me.
 
 
 
High-stepping..Badgers.

High-stepping..Badgers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gets a little crazy….

 

 Just listening to that song, don’t you want to run to the fridge for a hunk of Velveeta?

 And for my best shot of the day…

 

See I can hold the camera steady.

See I can hold the camera steady.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As a matter of fact, those talented cheerleaders did an amazing feat right before our very eyes. Which I of course missed, because I was trying to get my camera out to take a photograph of their trick ~ which I missed.
 
 
 

 

 

Maybe I was trying to do a little more than I could do that sunny day at the parade? Or my B.F.A. in Video/Cinema has grown a bit rusty (like oilcan rusty). Or I just didn’t think this would work. Whatever the reason ~ now with video capabilities ~ the sky’s the limit with my Parade documentary.
 
 
 
Next stop is St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah. Or maybe the Williamsburg, Brooklyn Valentine’s Day Parade? Yes. that will be my next stop. Looks perfect. Most definitely.
 
 
On to Brooklyn or any parade in between. Please let me know of any parades that are “can’t miss” so I can completely annihilate any chance of you ever wanting to view it again.