West Seventh Freelance

Photography, seeking, writing…and learning along the way. Want to come along?!

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  • St. Augustine and Tarpon Springs, Florida

    St. Augustine and Tarpon Springs are unique and disparate cities. I must confess that Tarpon Springs charmed me with a gritty, kitschy charm. The Greek industry of sponge diving lives on, as does the feel of culture and heritage.

    Located in Pinellas County, Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of  Greek Americans of any city in the US. The first Greek immigrants arrived to this city during the 1880s, when they were hired to work as divers in the growing sponge harvesting industry. In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs. Cocoris recruited Greek sponge divers from the Dodecanese Islands of Greece, in particular Kalymnos, Symi and Halki leading, by the 1930s, to a very productive sponge industry in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting sponge diving, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs. (Wikipedia)

    St. Augustine, founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United States.

    My view:

    Tarpon Springs

    The Sponge Factory
    Tarpon Springs nightfall
    Evening
    Capt. Andy Galliano, Grand Isle, LA
    “Happy Ours”
    “Happy Ours”
    Pelican kitsch
    Sponges for sale
    Sponges
    Mikés of The Sponge Factory
    Buddy
    Working it

    St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach

    Door, St Augustine
    St Augustine Beach
    Dunes
    Detail, Flagler College, St Augustine
    C Lamb’s art

  • Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflections

    This shot is one of those serendipitous moments…the cat was in the window and his image was reflected in the glass of the curio cabinet…

    Sunday Reflections
    Sunday Reflections

  • Neighborhood: West Seventh

    People from around the world knit together the community we call West Seventh in Saint Paul. We are fortunate to have a co-op, specialty markets and restaurants, as well as many other independently owned small businesses.

    Join me on a tour and come visit! I plan to continue my meander with more news from the neighborhood-

    Mississippi Market   http://msmarket.coop/

    cookies!
    Kevin
    Tony
    mmmm…dates!
    Candles
    Color!
    Buy Local!
    Krista
    Little and big shoppers
    Joel, Brent and Katie
    Joseph Krawetz Produce Manager
    Warm!
    Smiles greet you!

    Breathing Space   Massage Therapy

    Theresa del Rosario is a Certified Massage Therapist whose home is also her business. She also works with special needs clients, such as elderly residents of the Sholom Home and Assisted Living Residence, right across the street! (Theresa’s son provided the artistic embellishment to her sign!)

    Sholom
    BreathingSpace Massage Therapy

    For the past thirty years, Wendy and her family have owned Stransky’s Liquors. The neon yellow sign out front is even older and has no connection to the couple who came to Minnesota from Taiwan three decades ago. They proudly stock local micro brews and Minnesota wine.

    http://flatearthbrewing.com/home.php
    http://www.winehaven.com/home

    School is in session!

    Helping edit the children’s page of the Community Reporter  is a new, and wonderful experience. I have been writing profiles of neighbors in the news for over a year, but reading kid’s essays has been a particular treat. I would like to share a couple of essays that will be published in the December issue- these kids are 3rd graders…

    http://communityreporter.com/

    We hang up an ornament of a fat cat on Christmas. It represents my cat’s birthday. She died last year, but we still celebrate her birthday every Christmas. This is her first time spending Christmas with Jesus.

    By Sophia

    I go to my cousin’s house for Christmas. We eat different food from my country, Eritrea. But, what all the kids love are the presents; all shapes and sizes. We eat special bread called injera and we have a special sauce called berbere.

    By Lidya

    One Thanksgiving I ate some jalapenos and they set my mouth on fire and I went crazy. I ate guacamole to make it go away and I said, “make it stop!” I learned not to eat jalapenos again and found out I like guacamole.

    By Keyonte

  • Practical Goods or The Shop Around the Corner: Update!!!

    There is new stock at Practical Goods, so I updated pictures from the store!

    PRACTICAL GOODS, owned by Wendi Ward, has been a local business fixture since 2002. An offshoot of her interest in historical reenactment and the fur trade, she amassed  a huge collection of trading post blankets and memorabilia and decided it was time to open a shop.

    A holdout against the ever present threat of corporate land grabs and takeovers, Wendi remains a stalwart presence on Randolph Avenue in Saint Paul, MN. Her business sits near a busy intersection and has been the subject of a take-over, along with the other locally owned establishments on her block. For now, Wendi is secure, and the passer-by and shopper can take in the array of color and variety of objects for sale (or barter!).

    PS: The Raggedy Ann Doll photo- the doll on the right is mine- brought her along for the picture (she is REALLY old!!)

  • Family: Girl goes South

    Thank you family!

    We are a geographically scattered lot. Though begat from five siblings who grew up in Alfred, New York, the ‘extendeds’ (three generations and counting) live coast to coast.

    The stark contrast to this is my partner’s clan- all Minnesotan, most in the Twin Cities. There is no need to catch up after months- or years. It is difficult to explain this dilemma to people who have not lived it.

    When I go to see ‘my people’, the rough edges and deepest emotion of family bloom.

    This year I traveled to St. Augustine, Florida for the newest tradition- the 2nd Annual Southern Thanksgiving, hosted by my 2nd cousin Jess.

    There is some inevitable name fumbling and awkwardness, but only for a few moments. Jess handed me a glass of Médoc and one of the Boston terriers dropped a tennis ball at my feet and, well…it is family- blood. The green bean casserole tasted better somehow. The cranberry relish superlative. The laughter and jokes are, well, genetic.

  • Travel Theme: liquid

    Cooling off in St. Paul, MN:

    Izzy

    This was a chance photo-op along the Mississippi this fall…

    Two Ships Passing

    Check out all travel themes at:

    http://wheresmybackpack.com/2012/11/23/travel-theme-liquid/

     

     

  • Weekly Photo Challenge: Thankful

    To soar and to begin to understand. I am very thankful.

  • Practical Goods or The Shop Around the Corner: Update

    There is new stock at Practical Goods, so I updated pictures from the store!

    PRACTICAL GOODS, owned by Wendi Ward, has been a local business fixture since 2002. An offshoot of her interest in historical reenactment and the fur trade, she amassed  a huge collection of trading post blankets and memorabilia and decided it was time to open a shop.

    A holdout against the ever present threat of corporate land grabs and takeovers, Wendi remains a stalwart presence on Randolph Avenue in Saint Paul, MN. Her business sits near a busy intersection and has been the subject of a take-over, along with the other locally owned establishments on her block. For now, Wendi is secure, and the passer-by and shopper can take in the array of color and variety of objects for sale (or barter!).

    PS: The Raggedy Ann Doll photo- the doll on the right is mine- brought her along for the picture (she is REALLY old!!)

  • Weekly Photo Challenge GREEN!

    Thank you for a reason to post a favorite pic taken while hiking in Waimea Canyon…would love to feel the embrace of this green again soon!

  • GiveMN Earle Brown Elementary Cool Kids!

    Good Morning, Afternoon, or Evening WordPress family!!

    Today is a very special day. Non-profit organizations all across the state of Minnesota are raising money, which will be matched, to support the wonderful work they do.

    I am so proud to help Earle Brown Elementary in north Minneapolis, MN. 1300 children attend this school, many of whom are transient, due to the hardships faced by their families.

    Principal Jane Ellis, her staff, and all the kids, hope to raise funds to buy books and equipment for the school media center/ library.

    Please feel free to share, tweet, pin, or donate!!!!

    http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Earle-Brown-Elementary-School

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    🙂