Emily Saliers hugs a prisoner after cutting the CD. photo by Cindy Brown

When: Tuesday, Nov. 24th at 11 a.m.

Where: Cannon Chapel, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

What: An Amazin’ Concert by some truly amazin’ women

More info

Check out the work of photograher Susan Rosmarin at the Seen Gallery in the Oakhurst neighborhood of Atlanta.

 Rosmarin has created a 1940s pin-up style calendar with photos of amazing women paired with inspirational quotes. Photos from the calendar will be on exhibit through Wednesday, October 28. Calendars will be available at The Seen Gallery  and at other venues throughout the year.

Exhibition Opening Reception: Fri, Oct 16, 7pm – 10pm

The Seen Gallery
415 Church Street
Decatur, GA 30030  [map: Google Maps]
hours: Sun, Tue, Wed, Thu: 11am – 6pm
Fri, Sat: 11am – 8pm
p: (404) 377-0733

Check out the October 12th issue of Sports Illustrated.

Be True to Yourself T-Shirt

If you’re looking for cool gifts for the holidays, check out these cool “Be True to Yourself” t-shirts available from the folks at The Breast Cancer Site.

This book — 98 Things a Woman Should Do In Her Lifetime — looks like lots of fun, too. And by buying either one, you’ll be helping fight breast cancer.

Two blogs in a row about CDs–I’m starting to feel like I have a music blog going here. But I can’t help but blog about this awesome new CD, Glass Half Full: A Music Photographer’s Visions of Hope. It’s a collection of  songs of hope and comfort sung by 23 extraordinary women musicians. I found out about it last weekend at the Pine Lake Lakefest when one of the musicians who sings on the CD, Diedre McCalla, performed for the Lakefest crowd.

The CD was created by Irene Young, a music photographer, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  As a fellow survivor and photographer, I salute you Irene for responding to your diagnosis in such a brave and compassionate manor!

Two dollars from the sale of each CD is donated in equal parts to the national organization the Breast Cancer Fund and SHARE, a New York based organization helping women with breast or ovarian cancer. Listen to a few sound clips if you have a minute or two. Your spirits will be lifted.

Check out this CD. It’s great.

Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, who provided financial backing for the project, chimes in on several songs on this CD with women in the Metro State Women’s Prison Choir. Emily rocks the house and so do the prisoners!

Proceeds from sales of the CD go to benefit the Children’s Center at the Metro State Women’s Prison in Georgia.

I had the privilege of taking the photographs of the concert and the choir for the CD cover. And after the concert, I was delighted to join the prisoners and Emily for lunch. Emily is as delightful in person as she appears on stage, but with a Dad like Don it would be hard for her to be otherwise. (My apologies to Emily’s Mom–since I’ve never met her I can’t add wonderful words about her here, though I’m sure she must be pretty special, too.)

Here are a few stories about the project:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20090920/ENTERTAINMENT04/709209932

http://www.examiner.com/a-2212796~Indigo_Girl_helps_prison_choir_make_CD.html

http://www.accessatlanta.com/celebrities-tv/indigo-girl-helps-prison-124616.html

I’m busy getting ready for my first arts festival show — the city of Pine Lake’s 9th annual Lakefest. The event will take place (yes, you guessed it) around the lake in Pine Lake on  Saturday Oct. 3rd from 10 a.m. until dark and Sunday, Oct. 4th from noon to 5 p.m.

I’ll have more than 50 matted photos for sale at the show. Many of the photos will be from Pine Lake. Most of the others will be part of a project I’ve been working on for several years documenting religious signs around the south.

Jesus is Lord over Raceland photo by Cindy Brown

I’ll also have some fun children’s portraits to show off as I unveil my playground portrait session packages.

Admission to Lakefest is free. In addition to photography, you’ll find painting, felting, handcrafted jewelry (check out my neighbor Kristin’s work here), handmade cards/stationary, and more.

Live musical performances will include rock, European-gypsy jazz, electro-pop, international folk, and acoustic Americana genres.

Activities for attendees of all ages will include a sand sculpture contest, face painting and children’s art activities, a Saturday night beach party, and more.

Come see me at my booth and join the fun.

I was scheduled to be an exhibitor at the August 2nd Cobb Galleria Georgia Bridal Show. I paid for a booth and was planning the decorations for the booth when my Dad became ill and had to be admitted to the hospital.

As his hospital stay lengthened from days to weeks and the time for the show came closer, I decided to call Elite Events (the creators of the show) to see if there would be any way for me to transfer my reservation and payment for a booth from the August show to a later show. When I called to ask for a reprieve to spend time with my Dad, Tommy Vaughn, the owner of Elite Events answered the phone. I told him what was happening in my life and asked once if I could move to the September 13th show at Gwinnett Center. Without hesitation he told me that I could switch to whatever date/location I preferred. This reprieve made my life so much easier when times were difficult.

My Dad died yesterday morning at Piedmont Hospital. My Mom and I were holding his hand when he died. I was able to spend many extra hours with him during the final weeks of his life, thanks to the kind folks at Elite Events.

Thanks again, Tommy.

Once again here’s what I had to say when one of my friends tagged me in a facebook sharing game. This one asked to name several threes about me.

Three names I go by:
1. Number 1 daughter
2. cbrownphoto (Julia calls me this)
3. Punkin

Three Jobs I have had in my life:
1. Background Investigator
2. Running Shoe Store Clerk
3. Web Site Salesperson

Three places I have lived:
1. St. Albans, Vermont
2. Bloomington, Indiana
3. Brooksville, Florida

Three Favorite Drinks
1. Water
2. Decaf Iced Tea with honey
3. Chai

Three TV shows I watch
(I hardly watch tv, so I had to alter this to “Three shows I have seen at least parts of at some point during the last two months.”)
1. Mental
2. Fox News (with my Dad in the hospital … he loves Fox News)
3. Braves baseball

Three places I have been:
1. Hot Coffee, MS
2. Innsbruck, Austria
3. Brighton, England

People who text me regularly:
1. N/A
2.
3.

Three of my favorite foods:
1. Okra
2. Shrimp
3. Grits

Three friends I think will respond:
1. Kim
2. Amanda
3. Julie

Three pets that I’ve had:
1. Vincent Van Cat a.k.a Vinnie Van Kitty
2. Ziller the mole killer
3. Beau Rivage the laid back yellow cat man do

Three places I want to visit before I die:
1. Ireland
2. Costa Rica
3. Wakulla Spring, FL

Three things I am looking forward to:
1. my Dad getting out of the hospital
2. my residency at Atlanta Medical Center
3. going rafting again

My Dad has been in the hospital most of the month of July. The highlight of each day has been the massage my brother in Colorado has ordered for him.

When we were looking for a massage therapist who would make hospital calls, my friend Margit recommended an old friend of hers, Barry Guthrie, CMT, NMT, who specializes in deep neuromuscular therapy. He has been a Godsend. Not only does he give great massages, yesterday he brought in his guitar and sang a cowboy song for my Dad. The refrain of the song included a section of yodeling.

Here’s a photo I took with my computer (Can you believe I didn’t have a real camera with me?)

A self-taught yodeler, Barry brought a smile of surprise and delight to my Dad’s face, my Mom’s face and my face.

Thanks Barry!