In Remembrance of Donna De Solis

This post is in honor of what would be the seventy-fourth birthday of my dearly departed friend, Donna De Solis, who passed away on June 25th, 2015. In the picture directly above she can be seen at the bottom of image and I am standing directly behind her. It was taken in 2014 and we were on a pier at the Hudson River, celebrating my birthday. 

Little did we know it would be the last time I celebrated mine with her, for she died the following June two months before my birthday in the year 2015.

Donna was the office manager at The Church of the Blessed Sacrament (my parish).

Over the many years I knew her, I was honored and privledged to be a guest at a number of the Christmas parties she held in her home and to go with her to various events happening in NYC. 

Moreover, she came to a couple of exhibitions that featured my photography. In the next picture, Donna can be seen with a yellow sweater over her shoulders and yours truly is standing behind her. 

We are at an opening for a 2002 art exhibition that I was featured in (with two other artists who are not in this photograph) at The New York Gallery Building (on West Fifty-Seventh Street in NYC). The art piece which is behind us is one of my kaliedoscopic images titled Rocks By Strawberry Fields. 

At the time our picture was taken, my kaliedoscopic photographs could only be printed on photographic papers as wall art or rendred on to note-cards.

Howeover, over the years, with advancement in printing processes, my kaliedoscopic works (as well as all of my other photographs) can be rendered (by Fine Art America AKA FAA) in an aray of sizes on to various surfaces for wall art including, acrylic, art paper, canvas, metal, poster-paper and wood. FAA also has framed options available and they can render the images on to note-cards.

I think Donna might've found it cool that FAA can print my kaliedoscopic images (and my other ones) on to items for personal use such as totes, week-ender bags, pouches, note-books, stickers, cell-phone cases and jigsaw puzzles; as well as face-masks.

In any event, I'm certainly thinking of Donna as well as those family members who survived her including her husband Tony as well as her son, Bryan, who shortly after her death, requsted that I create a video in honor of memory, which I did and it can be viewed on Vimeo as well as You Tube.

My eyes are on the House sparrows...

HOUSE SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

HOUSE SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

I came across the photos (which are posted directly above) just the other day when organizing my photo-library. They were taken on October 24th 2015, which happens to be the day my dear friend, Donna DeSolis (DD) might've been celebrating her birthday with me had she not died a few months prior (in June of 2015). As readers of this blog may recall, I created at the request of DD's son a video commemorating her life and it may be viewed on Vimeo and/or You Tube.

As for these two pictures I am which I am now referencing they feature House sparrows enjoying a meal from a bird feeder in my rooftop garden. The sparrow with dark features an a black "bib" is a male. In a recent entry here on Blogger, I discussed this characteristic (bib) which is a feature of male House sparrows in a recent entry here on Blogger. However, my seeing these photos at this time caused me to think of a poem by Mary Oliver, which is posted below.

In the song sparrow's nest the nestlings,

those who would sing eventually, must listen

carefully to the father bird as he sings

and make their own song in imitation of his.

I don't know if any other bird does this (in

nature's way has to do this). But I know a 

child doesn't have to. Doesn't have to.

Doesn't have to. And I didn't.

Ms. Oliver is referring to a song sparrow in this particular poem, "Blue Horses" (from "To Be Human is to Sing Your Own Song"). I have pictures of that bird type too within my photo collection, an example of one whom I saw in Central Park is featured in the next image.

SONG SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN OTHER BLOG POSTS

However, it the House sparrow whom I've included in my three volume hardcover book series, Words In Our Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

Remembering "DD" (10-24-1947-06-25-2015)

In honor of my dearly departed friend, Donna De Solis's (DD), I'm posting a video (from my Vimeo Library) that I created in her honor (in 2015) at the request of her son.

The video description on Vimeo reads: "Remembering Donna (The Wonder of DD), pays a small tribute to Donna De Solis who was born on this day of October 24th in 1947, and died on June 25th 2015. This video was shown to her son privately, before being "aired" at a reception after her memorial service, which was held at The Church of The Blessed Sacrament on July 15th, 2015. Donna had worked for this church for nearly forty years. It is located on Manhattan's Upper Westside, which is an area where Donna lived most of her life."

Thursday's Testimony: The Legacy of Friends (Remembering DD and Claudia Ferrer)

Today is not part of my blog posting schedule for this week, but it is being published in honor of what would be the seventy second birthday of my dearly departed friend, Donna De Solis, who passed away on June 25th, 2015. The video posted atop this entry is one I created to honor her memory (at the request of her son) and it is included within my Vimeo as well as my You Tube library.

We first met in the mid 1980's. Donna (or DD as many called her) lived in my hood was a frequent visitor to my rooftop garden and I attended her annual Christmas parties held in her home.

Remembering the Dearly Departed

IMAGE CREDIT

The cartoon by John T. McCutcheon which is posted atop this Blogger entry, is featured within prior entries here on Blogger. It was initially published in the year of 1900, with a caption accompanying it stating: "You bet I'm goin' to be a soldier, too, like my Uncle David, when I grow up."

As most of you know, the 2019 Memorial Day holiday took place (in the United States) this past Monday; as it is currently celebrated on the last Monday in May. Prior to it being celebrated on the last Monday in May, the traditional date for Memorial Day was May 30th.

May 30th 1954 when Memorial Day was celebrated is also the day Warren Tangorra was born and he died on March 8, 2010. I never met the man but he was a friend of my dear friend, Donna DeSolis (DD) and at her request (in 2010) after he passed from this life; I produced the video posted below as a favor to her.

Five years later DD died.

Remembering Donna DeSolis (b 10-24-1947)

In honor of my dearly departed friend, Donna DeSolis's (DD), who might've been celebrating her birthday today with me had she not passed from this life, I'm posting a video (from my Vimeo Library) that I created in her honor (in 2015) at the request of her son.

The video description on Vimeo reads: "Remembering Donna (The Wonder of DD), pays a small tribute to Donna De Solis who was born on this day of October 24th in 1947, and died on June 25th 2015. This video was shown to her son privately, before being "aired" at a reception after her memorial service, which was held at The Church of The Blessed Sacrament on July 15th, 2015. Donna had worked for this church for nearly forty years. It is located on Manhattan's Upper Westside, which is an area where Donna lived most of her life."

Monday's Memory: What a friend I had in DD*! (*Donna DeSolis)

"ROCKS BY STRAWBERRY FIELDS" FEATURED IN AN EXHIBITION

My friend, DD (Donna De Solis) passed from this life three years ago today. I have written about her a number of times here on Blogger and a video that I made (soon after she passed) honoring her life can be viewed within my You Tube Channel.

Donna can be seen in the photograph atop this entry, she has a yellow sweater over her shoulders and yours truly is standing behind her. We are at an opening for a 2002 art exhibition that I was featured in (with two other artists) at The New York Gallery Building (on West Fifty-Seventh Street in NYC).

The image above us is of a photographic print from my Kaleidoscopic Photograph Collection (which can be found in the Kaleidoscopic Prints Gallery within my website, patriciayoungquist.com ) and is called, Rocks by Strawberry Fields.

In the coming days (hopefully this Thursday), I will be meeting with Chris Deatherage (who is the one that designed my website and formatted the Words In Our Beak book series) to see if we can add this image to the Kaleidoscopic Collections within my Fine Art America Pages.

Chris met Donna at a gathering that I had at my apartment on Halloween (a number of years ago) and I am sure that he will agree that DD would truly be thrilled to know I now have some of my work up on Fine America's site.

I miss seeing Donna and my heart aches for her husband, son, sister and cousins who will surely be thinking of her on this mournful day; but I do realize that she is someone who would be very pleased that I'm doing all I can to move forward.

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

Hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can be found wherever books are sold.

MY BOOK SERIES

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books. Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2021:

When the third volume of the hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak was released, I withdrew from promoting my former versions of Words In Our Beak. 

The very first one is an iBook and went into Apple's book store in 2015.

This was followed by an ePub version...

... that is available on Amazon and was also published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's digital versions were published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud in 2017.

Its press release can be read by clicking here.  

Now with the release of BIRD TALES (which is in Apple's Bookstore and On Amazon)...

... I've been advised to make mention of my early versions of volume one of Words In Our Beak, they do vary ever so slightly in content from the hard-cover version of volume one.

As of this addendum, I do not intend to create digital or soft-cover versions of Words In Our Beak Volume Two or Words In Our Beak Volume Three.

The Oscars, Year 90.

CAM, THE NARRATOR OF "WIOB"

Tonight marks the 90th year of "handing out" Oscars in an Academy Awards ceremony that takes place in Hollywood. I've heard that some people jump up and down re this event, and Cam (the cardinal seen in the picture atop this post) is no exception!

Last year she persuaded me to write a blog post about the Hollywood fanfare and the movies I've created (especially the ones that feature her).

Images taken from some of my movies are included within my "Oscars poster" (which can be seen in the image directly below).

As we all know, the stories told in books are often rendered into movies, and don't tell Cam, but I think she hopes that her story will be picked up by someone in the entertainment industry for a feature film!

Who am I to discourage her?

Volume One (seen in the next image) of her book series, Words In Our Beak, has received high praise from those who have read it and the files for Volume Two (seen in image after that are now in the hands of the publisher.

SEE PRESS RELEASE

SEE PRESS RELEASE

Cam is very optimistic (much more than I) and when she's not indulging in black-oil sunflower seeds or peanuts, she's already preparing her academy award speech.

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

Hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can now be found wherever books are sold.

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books. Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2021:

When the third volume of the hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak was released, I withdrew from promoting my former versions of Words In Our Beak. 

The very first one is an iBook and went into Apple's book store in 2015.

This was followed by an ePub version...

... that is available on Amazon and was also published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's digital versions were published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud in 2017.

Its press release can be read by clicking here.  

Now with the release of BIRD TALES....

... I've been advised to make mention of my early versions of volume one of Words In Our Beak, they do vary ever so slightly in content from the hard-cover version of volume one.

As of this addendum, I do not intend to create digital or soft-cover versions of Words In Our Beak Volume Two or Words In Our Beak Volume Three.

Sunday's Sentiments for 11-12-2017

It's a few minutes after midnight Eastern Standard Time and I am just now composing my entry for Sunday, November the 12th 2017, as it is my first opportunity to write a blog post for that day.

"Remembering Donna (The Wonder of DD)," pays a small tribute to Donna De Solis who was born on October 24th,1947, and died on June 25th 2015. This video was shown to her son privately, before being "aired" at a reception after her memorial service, which was held at The Church of The Blessed Sacrament on July 15th, 2015. Donna had worked for this church for nearly forty years. It is  located on the Upper Westside in NYC where Donna lived most of her life.

Monday's Musings: MEOW!! MEOW!! Painted Cat Rock Reacts to Charlie Brown's FAMOUS "I got a rock" Lament!

Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself, I am one of the new painted rocks created by Phyllis and represented by Helen (at Gifts by Helen).  

Last November, one of my "comrade" rocks made her media debut on this blog, The Last Leaf Gardener, when it was allowed to come into Blogger and let readers know that the world as the novelty Pet Rocks were once known has changed! If you'd like to refer to that blog post, please click here.  

This particular painted-rock-spokesperson received such notoriety from her November 2010 blog post that a priest's cat, (named Ignatius), noticed it, and he implored the priest to have a custom rock made for him!

Remembering the Japanese: What a Difference Three Months Make

Today's posting is an "extra" for this week as I usually post on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays as promised in a previous post. This posting comes one week before the one month anniversary (March 11, 2011) of the tsunami that has devastated Japan. I am posting now because three months and a little over one week ago, Masayo and Masahiro flew into New York City from Japan just to renew their vows. Their blessed day was documented in a DVD which was created and produced by yours truly, and I called it Miracle on 71st Street, because on the day that they had scheduled to renew their vows — December 26th 2010, New York experienced a huge snowstorm that nearly paralyzed the city. Many New Yorkers were unable to get around the city, and they made their complaints known, but I am told Masayo loved the snow, so I incorporated it into her renewal of vows DVD. This DVD like the memorial DVD that I created for a friend (whose close friend died last year), is very personal; capturing a moment in a unique way. I have posted a snippet of it above, however, you can watch a trailer of this DVD by clicking here.

The perils of the December 26th 2010 snowstorm pale, pale, pale, in comparison with the devastation in Masayo's home country, Japan, and has brought great sorrow to such a lovely woman, who just three months ago was filled with joy. The destruction in Japan has been felt by many persons, myself included, leaving folks at a loss of what to do to help in these troubled times. I have suggested in a previous post that if people can't help directly due to their limited  material resources or time, they can help by doing good works for the people they know that are dear (and not so dear) to them.

With today's post (a week before the one month anniversary of the tragedy in Japan), and accompanying film snippet, I want to announce my plan to donate a percentage of any fees that I earn from compiling wedding DVDs for my clients (from this day forward) to a charity that Masayo recommends (and put it in the client's name). I will announce details as soon as I have the information.

Lighting a Fire Inside the Heart . . .

"Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show. The secret lies in an inner glow. It's lighting a fire inside the heart. Good will and joy a vital part. It's higher thought and a greater plan. It's glorious dream in the soul of man." (Wilfred A. Peterson) 

It is only December 13th, and Christmas is 12 days away, but from all the frenzy of various tree lighting celebrations (which I have blogged about in a previous post) that sets crowds clamoring in New York City where I live, it is  hard not to get caught up in the often chaotic atmosphere of the city.