Today was a busy day. The photo session in the morning went well. We all behaved, well until the very end. The session ended with making silly faces, thanks to Pasha blocking my face, my silly face is perfectly hidden!
Lunch at The Cozy Grill
We got ready and went to Cozy Grill, a nearby diner, for a quick brunch before going to the Nutcracker ballet at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC). The Cozy Grill is a popular diner, and we had to wait about 6-7 minutes until a table became available.
We enjoyed the brunch. When Nana and Mina went to the ladies’ room, Elif asked me if I remembered to take the tickets with me! Oh, no, I left them home. Luckily, Cozy Grill is only a few miles from home. We took a detour, and I got the tickets. After filling up the gas tank, we went downtown Providence and parked a block away from the entrance of PPAC.
At The Nutcracker
As we got close to the entrance, it became obvious that I remembered the starting time incorrectly as 2:00 PM, it started at 1:30 PM. No problem, it was only 1:00 PM, and we even waited for a few minutes until they opened the doors.
We took our seats and killed another 30 minutes looking around until the Nutcracker started cracking. When the seats in front of us got filled Mina had to switch her seat with Nana so that she could see since the person in front of her was “size-advantaged!” PPAC is an old theater renovated some years ago to its original ornate appearance. It has gilded decorations on the walls and all around the stage as you will see.
The performance was lovely. For a couple of hours, it took the audience to fairyland. After the performance, Mina did not want to go backstage, although Misha had invited us there after the show. She has a bit of a cold and did not feel up to it. We walked back to the car and drove home.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Now it’s time to make chocolate chip cookies. Mina and Nana are busy in the kitchen, and I am waiting to receive a sample from the first batch. They are really good when they are warm and fresh!
Happy holidays to everyone.
Haluk Atamal
What a challenge to attempt to shoot the dark kadife dress and what success! Well done, Cemal.
(My English is not so bad but I still do not know the word kadife, except for corduroy, which I think is not the same thing).
Seeing your face more directly now, I can see where your energy is coming from :)
Have a nice year all of you!
Haluk
A. Cemal Ekin
A little extra light from a carefully controlled flash helped to render the velvet dress nicely, simple lighting, almost not there.
Happy new year to you all once more.