A City of Relics

On July 11, 2014July 11, 2014 By AngeliaIn Beautiful Life, Unfading Beauty11 Comments

The Daily Post at WordPress weekly photo challenge is to find your relic. The first thing that comes to mind is the fabulous and dying (but resurrecting) Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas.

However, I have posted about it many times, mainly because, I am fascinated and (mostly) terrified of it.

So that left my other fascinating relic, which is pretty much the entire city of San Francisco. And yes, I have posted about it many times too, and that is because I have SO MANY PHOTOGRAPHS in my vault that have never seen the light of day (until now).

Some of these relics are very old, and some are not so old, and some are just icons that may become relics.

© Angelia's Photography 2013
This is the creepy relic of a prison called Alcatraz. Softened by the gentle drift of a sailboat on the bay.

This is the absolutely stunning SS Jeremiah O’Brien. One of two remaining Liberty ships from the World War II era. It is distinguished as being the last unaltered Liberty ship that makes it historically accurate. The beauty moors at Pier 45 in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

These are the Historic streetcars, trolleys, and trams of San Francisco. They call them the museums of motion and that is so true. It is a flashback in time to ride, not to mention a genius way of moving around San Francisco, while saving your legs from the enormous amount of walking. This form of transport is classic and you will feel fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of the memories of these cool cars.

© Angelia's Photography 2013
Lotta’s Fountain is a donation to the city by the entertainer Lotta Crabtree in 1875. The most famous thing about this relic is that it is known to be the meeting place of the survivors of the 1906 fire/earthquake every year at 5:12 on April 18th. It is said the reason they meet is because many people, after the big quake, said “Let’s meet at Lotta’s Fountain”. It was the one place still standing that everyone knew the location of.

© Angelia's Photography 2013
Chinatown. Just look at the photo and you can see the relic signs in the background. The rich culture of an area with the elaborate displays of a heritage on every corner.

© Angelia's Photography 2013
This is the sign of a once vibrant sea port, and now famous for a vibrant tourism. It signifies a maritime history that only lives at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

I hope you can agree with me that San Francisco is a city loaded with history and relics.

Have a wonderful weekend!

First Location of the Meetup GPS Photo Safari

On January 15, 2012March 12, 2012 By AngeliaIn Angelia's Photography17 Comments

Today was the big Meetup GPS Photo Safari. If you haven’t joined a local meetup group? Why not? It’s a great place to find fun events that fit what you like to do. I love finding out where they go, because then I know (as a photographer) where I should go too; to get great photographs, or have a nice place to visit.

The event today was a little different. You didn’t know where you were going. The instructions were to show up and it would be explained at that point.

I wasn’t worried. I knew it would be someplace cool, and hopefully, a place I hadn’t been (all of them were).

At the first one, they give you a sheet of partial longitude/latitude coordinates to use to find the destinations selected for the event, but not all the numbers. The second number has to be figured out by a number gotten at the first destination (and so on as you moved to each one). So, we had to go, and get this number to have the coordinates of where to go next after you get to the first place. Brilliant!

The first place was found by subtracting the address of the starting location from the longitude/latitude listed on the sheet. Voila! The place to go next was revealed in code. Then, I had to input the longitude/latitude code onto a map to find out how to get there.

Thank goodness there was a handy iPad2 with an app for that.

Yes, there’s an app for that.

This is the first destination. It’s called the Farmer’s Branch Historical Park. It features many acres of historical homes, and replicas. Such a great place to see history come alive.

Twenty-seven acres is a lot of ground to cover, we spent waaaaay too long taking photographs and peering into windows and doors of a different time and era.

Take a look for yourself.

© Angelia's Photography — Farmer's Branch Historical Park Sign at the entrance.

Rail Depot from the 1890’s.

Isn’t this a fantastic place? I was so happy to find it through this event.

There were three other destinations after this one. I will post the next two places tomorrow.

Stay tuned…..

Wild Party, Wild Story

On February 26, 2010February 28, 2010 By AngeliaIn Random, Wee Wee Wee all the way home!28 Comments

Back in the early days of living with Sydney’s Dad……this is how we spent our weekends. Our friends would come over we would play ~~drinking~~ fun games. This pic was pre-Syd, pre-marriage taken most likely summer of 1992.

The one in the white shirt with jean shorts waving – that’s Sydney’s Dad Sonny – hi Sonny! Love the 90’s fro.

Most of the people at the table are from Sonny’s work. He worked at Oshman’s in the Six Flags mall. It’s a sporting goods store mainly known as Sports Authority now. A few friends are from my work, a travel agency in Irving. And some are childhood friends (sorry Kristi).

But seriously, are we having a blast or what? Did you find me? I’m the blonde curly smiley person in the back. Yeah, spiral perm maybe?

I am around 21yrs old (maybe younger, shhh). This was our apartment in North Arlington near where Jason lives now. At the time, the Fort Worth Fire hockey team lived there as well. Since minor league hockey was brand new (I think) that was big stuff back then and most likely why we lived there because we were cool like that. (right Sonny?)

This could even be my 21st birthday bash. Who knows? I’m glad to find these pictures because I don’t remember much. 🙂

I’ve lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex for twenty years. I moved around A LOT. But MOST of the twenty was in the Arlington area, where I live now. Arlington back in that day was a town of about half a million and now it’s at least three quarters of a million or quite possibly a million peeps strong.

That’s a lot of peeps. It’s a big place. Getting to point in 3-2-1..Jason lived not far from the party pad. His mom’s house is two streets over where he grew up and would have been living at that time.

I would randomly say as we drove by -there is where I used to live. He surprised me one day by saying, “Me too”. We tried to figure out if we lived there at the same time, if we crossed paths but we didn’t. It was many years later when he lived there.

We did remember the now old movie theater was the exciting new one in our day. It was a big deal when it was built because it was the first all stadium seating. The Target shopping plaza wasn’t half closed but just opened. Time is not kind to these buildings. That area did not thrive.

One day I mentioned Sonny worked at Oshmans. He said, “So did my Mom.” THOSE dates matched. But even more than that, HE worked for Oshmans too, as a teenager. By checking the year and the store, we discovered, not only did Sonny work with his mom, HE worked with Sonny too. Woah!

I am not kidding. Jason and I are three and half years apart. When I was 20 he was a clerk at Oshmans around 16 1/2 years old. This conversation is taking place a few months after we started dating and it’s blowing my mind.

His brother worked at the same store. I thought his brother sounded more familiar than he did, it seemed likely we had met back in the day. We had lunched with him a few weeks back but I couldn’t say for sure that I knew him.

Jason worked in the shoe department. I tried to remember seeing him, picturing him at someone’s knees with a pair of Nikes. Here is a picture of Jason around the age of working at Oshmans with my ex-husband.

I have a snapshot memory of him being behind the gun counter. I don’t know if it’s real or imagined. Still…I really met Jason long, long ago? Really? Well, apparently, and his brother too. After they went off to be in the Marines. Sonny continued working with Jason’s mom for many, many years.

What makes this story wilder than the party? Well as we are having this conversation, I pull out some old photos. We discover the three above. I say, “See, it’s the apartments by your house where we had the parties during your Oshman days. Do you recognize anyone? Most are from the Six Flags mall store.”

You could say that he did. The guy in the PINK shirt in all three pictures, brownish hair in a mullet cut (popular in the 90’s, don’t judge). Jason’s brother Todd in all his party day glory (love ya brother-these pics are priceless).

Can we all hold hands and sing?

It’s a small world after all.
It’s a small world after all.
It’s a small world after all.
It’s a small, small world.

My future family and I crossed paths eons ago. How WILD is that?

Haiti’s Saving Grace

On January 16, 2010January 18, 2010 By AngeliaIn Better to be a blessing, In my heart forever & ever32 Comments

The internet and the world is talking about Haiti. The epic center Port-Au-Prince, the lives lost, and the insurmountable damage from a 7.0 earthquake. The world is captivated and shaken, just like the country. Haiti has the attention of the media, and many, many support and aid groups. Donations are pouring in.

I, for one, am glad. Yes, glad. Glad for the support, but deeply saddened it took this tragic event. I know the devastation, and lives lost are not replaceable. People are homeless, sick and in desperate need, now more than ever before. It is terrible. But listen, Haiti has needed help long before now. Haiti has cried for attention that it never got for YEARS AND YEARS. Finally, they are getting their saving grace. Finally, they are getting the help they need. Finally, we are paying attention.

Over twelve years ago, I became a travel agent to a company called, Simeus Foods. They are owned and operated by a man called, Dumas Simeus born and raised in Haiti.

You can see his biography here. Against all odds, he became a successful business owner and true to his roots, he gave back to where he started. I helped with a lot of the travel arrangements, and fundraisers for the foundation Sove Lavi. His admin Vanessa even brought me a card and some coffee from Haiti. Thanking me for help with getting volunteers flight arrangements, in and out of Haiti, to help with the clinic. A work she was very passionate about.

It was such an honor for me. I knew more than most about the story of the Haitians – their history. The hardships they faced. The hard, hard life they endured. Mr. Simeus was in the running for presidency at one time, but his stint in the US prevented it from being official. Impassable political road blocks. It was during a time of great rebellion and corruption. Haiti has always had extreme difficulties. I believe he would have impacted the country in a great way, which is why he was probably disqualified.

I remember talking to Vanessa on the phone one day. She was upset, very upset. One of the villages they worked to assist had been wiped out by a flood. The entire village washed away in the blink of an eye. Families she had worked with, children they had schooled, and given medical care to. In an instant, gone. She was heartbroken. What upset her the most, not one single media outlet reported the story. Not one. It was incredibly sad, and she was helpless to the lack of sympathy. Helpless to the forgotten need of a people she dearly loved.

Today, that story is fresh in my mind, as if I talked to her yesterday. Today, the world feels the pain she felt. The world knows the hardship, and the loss – the heartbreaking loss – of life. I am in no way happy this happened to them. But I am grateful for the support they are getting. I have heard more than one person mention, how do I get an orphan? The aftershocks will change many Haitian lives, in a uplifting way.

As we watch the world come together. Hearts are united. The people are cared and prayed for as never before. Their cries are finally heard. To me, that is a saving grace. A deserving mercy. There are many ways you can help. Our Church is working through World Vision. Both websites have donations. Obviously Red Cross as well.

I donated by text. I recently found out from many bloggers, and other ads that by using your mobile phone to text “Haiti” to 90999, you can immediately donate $10 to the Red Cross International Response Fund. The charge shows up on your next month’s phone bill. It is very easy and simple. It was $10.00 dollars. We drop that in the bucket all the time on nothing.

Do this today, unite with the world.

Update-After I wrote this post, I found Vanessa through the foundation. This is the news I heard from her.

Our hearts are heavy. So many people have died and more are hurting and dying. Most of our friends and the Simeus family have been safely accounted for and there was no damage to the clinic or home in the countryside. We suspect that Mr. Simeus’ mom’s home in the city is lost, but no confirmation at this time. Very little communication.

As the presidents said on CNN this morning, the best way to help right now is cash. I am recommending Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, HAS Hospital (www.hashaiti.org/C1a_w1.html) which is treating earthquake victims, or our charity (www.sovelavi.org) which is also operating now on the ground in Haiti.

Rejoice. Joy comes in the morning. Many lives will be inspired from this great tragedy, whether it’s from giving or receiving. Pray for help and healing of a country most deserving. Pray and be moved by their saving grace.

Join other bloggers with your Haiti post.