People. People who need people.........

Everday we are always meeting someone. Whether it's someone who is helping you to carry boxes from your car, or it's a new aquaintance or friend for life even if they are of different political or religious persuasions. Just the other day I met a few more interesting people in my life. All extremely different from one another.

One was a Native American. He was a healer and had finished making a documentary and I had the privilege of watching a little bit of his unfinished movie. It was very interesting and what was more so is that sitting next to him, I was able to ask questions as to what different things were in his movie and why they were being done. He told me that he was burning Sage in the beginning to purify the things around him. Sage is always used to purify. I did not know this.

Another person that I met that evening was a scriptwriter who was in the process of filming his comedic/horror zombie movie! It's actually a really good, thought out process and sounds like it's going to be a great film! He's quite the character himself and very humorous so I'm sure this translates well into his movie. On hand was his producer who picked up the movie on the basis that it was different than most slasher, gore horror flicks.

I like the fact that on any given day you never know who you may meet. Like I said, very extreme from one another!

Sometimes I'm told I live in the past, but even in the past, I've known some interesting people as well. In my brief stint in college, my English professor had us write papers on where we would like to be in 10 years. I wrote that I would like to be a film maker with at least ten films under my belt. He called me up to his desk one day and said, "Filmmaker, huh?" I have someone you might like to meet." He invited me to meet his friend one evening. Always one for adventure, I agreed. His friend, turned out to be Samuel Bronston, movie producer. Mr. Bronston produced such films as El Cid, John Paul Jones and The Fall of the Roman Empire with such stars as Sophia Loren, Bette Davis and Charleton Heston. I spent the evening listening as Mr. Bronston regaled me with his stories of the movie business and Ms. Loren. He was a pleasant and sweet gentle man. It was a thrill to have met him and one that I will remember always.

I didn't get to become that filmmaker per se. But I've been lucky enough to have opportunities to dabble in it more now.

Our past is what makes up who we are today. We don't forget who the Beatles were. Their music still continues to play on all radio stations, much like the Rolling Stones, Rush, Elvis. Their music influences up and coming bands to create new sounds even if it's from the past.

Much like my life. Even if I talk about my past and bring it into the present, it could influence my children who can create something new from what I've learned. The only harm would be if you wallow in your past and never come out. But, I have no intention of that. I love what the future holds and welcome incorporating the past and the present to see what I can conjure up!

Freeze Frame

Ever since I can remember, I've loved taking pictures. I had a little Kodak Instamatic when I was around 9 or 10 and was always taking photos. As a child I fondly recall my grandfather with his Super 8mm cameras and the tape recorder hanging on his side so that he would have sound recorded movies. They fascinated me so. When I was in junior high, my grandfather gave me his Yashica camera with screw on lenses. I thought I had the greatest camera in the world! Of course it had an attachable viewfinder, so you had to guess that your photos were in focus. Good times! In my senior year of high school, I took a filmmaking course! It was a dream come true! We were given sound Super 8's to use and film our own movies! According to our teacher, we could make any movie we wanted, even soft porn! Yeah, tell that to a bunch of teenagers! My partner and I decided to make documentaries. I made one about her and she made one about me! It was great fun, but I wanted more! My mom let me borrow her Super 8 camera and I was off! I wrote a script full of kidnapping,stealing, guns, and suspense! There was a lot you could do in three minutes! Here for you now, for the first time converted from super 8 film is my First Movie!



My love for film and photography has never been sated and to this day I still continue to make videos with more up to date cameras, both still and video. Of course, the editing and sound have gotten a bit better.

It's a Dead Man's (Lady) Party!

I LOVE Halloween! It's my favorite time of year! If you love Halloween, stand up and cheer! Okay, yes, a bit goofy, but I really do love Halloween! My blood turns orange starting October 1st! I get to pull out all my ghosts and goblins and animatronics and set them out all in and around the house! This year I added something new to my bag of tricks. I now have a dead lady sitting in the back of my car! Oh, she's so cool, this 6ft wonder of death! She's so beautiful with her long, white hair. Her white stripped dress that flows gracefully to the ground. Oh, and you can't miss her tri-colored glowing eyes that light up with the flick of a switch! She's just amazing. I call her "mom". I've been carting her around for awhile in the back seat of my car, with her safety belt on mind you, wouldn't want to get her hurt! She doesn't mind the heat of the day, she enjoys the same music that I do, and she doesn't talk much at all!

I have noticed that when I come out of stores that there are few more forehead and nose prints on my window than I've had before. But, the best reaction I have gotten and what has been the sole purpose for having "mom" in the back seat has been what happened Wednesday afternoon!

We were on our way back from Clear Lake in rush hour traffic and were on the feeder road when I noticed an SUV in front of me with two youngish boys in the back seat. They were probably 8 - 10 years old. They kept looking at my car, tilting their head left and right. At first I was thinking they liked my little Mini Cooper. But, then I saw one of them mouth "What's that?". Then, it hit me. The dead lady. They had seen the skeleton. I tried to hide the smile that was forming on my face and told my daughter, "Check out the kids in the car in front of us. They're trying to see Mom!" She was laughing, when all of a sudden, one of the kids pulled out his cell phone with the camera part flipped up! He was trying to take a picture of Mom! At that very instant a white car whipped in between their SUV and our Mini blocking their shot.

I felt bad for the two boys. I decided to switch into the next lane so that we could pass by the SUV. We were still in gridlock traffic, but a car let me into the next lane. Ever so slowly we passed by the SUV and the boys were still facing out towards the white car, straining their necks trying to catch a glimpse of our Mini and the dead lady. When, the one brother whacked the other on the arm and mouthed "Dude" and pointed out the side window. The brother with the cell phone quickly turned to the side with his eyes wide and took his photo, both of them with grins on their faces! They got their skeleton shot! We drove off and onward getting back into the lane we needed to get onto the freeway and happy to have made their day!

We can only imagine what stories they told their friends and family that evening! Here's to you young men for making the purchase of Mom worthwhile!