You can't reach my age without knowing that life comes with ups and downs!
This past month, however, reminds me of the "Superman" roller coaster at Darien Lake (yes, I have been on it - only once and probably never again).
DOWN we go!
My almost 91 year old mother, who lives in an apartment at a Senior Complex, fell out of bed and broke her leg. I guess that's a fairly common scenario at her age, but it certainly was a difficult and painful thing for her and hard for the family to watch. Needless to say, I am not pleased with the medical system right now. The caregivers are all wonderful, but tremendously overworked and stressed to the point that the system is overwhelmed. After a 14 hour wait in the emergency room, she was taken to a room for the rest of the night and sent to surgery late the next afternoon. She came through surgery okay and now there is a long recovery ahead.
So, during all that, I was scheduled to attend the Professional Photographer's Society of New York State Conference www.ppsnys.com, where I was to be elected and sworn in as Secretary. Our state also hosts a Print Competition where I entered prints. It was a difficult decision to leave while she was hospitalized but the trip was planned and everyone encouraged me to go as she was being taken care of while I was gone. She is now settled in a Rehab Facility and hoping to be up and around in the future.
And UP again!
Our conference is always fun and this year was exceptional thanks to a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers. Not only was I elected and able to join the officers but I was also presented one of the "Court of Honor" awards for a print titled "Strolling the Sands of Time". Having my print selected among all the outstanding entries is quite and honor and was a complete surprise.
This image was taken during a session at Charlotte Beach on Lake Ontario in Rochester, NY. The Robinson family, whose children are seen in the photograph, were winners of a Session through a drawing that was done on http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com. I offer drawings periodically through the site after meeting and working with the owner/webmaster, Deb Ross and her family.
The print, along with several others, have moved to the next step which is judging for the International Print Exhibition for Professional Photographers of America. I won't know if they are accepted until the end of June.
Stay tuned - I'll let you know how that goes.
