WHAT AN AMAZING MONTH!

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.