From the moment I arrived, Italy felt like a movie set—every corner, every street, every ancient building held a kind of cinematic magic. I was constantly in awe of how old everything is; it’s hard to wrap your head around the centuries of history standing right in front of you. The architecture, the narrow cobblestone streets, the medieval towns—it was all endlessly fascinating.
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One of the first things I noticed: there are dogs everywhere. They seem to be as welcome as the people, lounging in cafés, strolling through markets, or napping in shop doorways. We even had a dog take to us in our rented villa in Tuscany. He followed us everywhere, even when we went on walks. There was even a litter of puppies in the barn next to us. The above slideshow showcases some of them.

Italians are some of the friendliest folks I’ve ever encountered. Even when we didn’t speak the same language, they were eager to connect—with smiles, gestures, and patience. This was the driver that picked us up at the airport in Rome.
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Christina and Marybeth at our cooking class in beautiful Tuscany.

A waitress that we saw every morning in Venice became a friend.

Food, Drinks, and Fun Discoveries
Let’s talk food. Tuscany surprised me with its bread—unsalted! Even the butter follows suit. But the flavor of everything else more than made up for it. From hazelnut-flavored everything (Nutella heaven!) to gelato that somehow tastes better multiple times a day, my taste buds were in heaven. One culinary surprise? The beef stew. No vegetables, just incredibly tender, flavorful meat.The above version was served on mashed potatoes. Marsha was responsible for the yummy charcuterie we had at villa.  

Restaurants don't open until after 7 PM, but once you're seated, you're welcome to linger as long as you like. No rush, no pressure. Tipping isn't expected, and meals, surprisingly, are very reasonably priced—same goes for the grocery stores.
 And my new favorite cocktail? Amaretto sour—thank you, Marybeth!

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Tuscany’s Tranquility and Charm
Tuscany was breathtaking. Rolling hills, golden fields, and villas perched on quiet mountain tops made it feel like I had stepped into a dream. E-biking through the hills was one of the best things I've ever done. The scenery, the fresh air, the camaraderie of friends—it was all just magical.
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Staying in a secluded villa gave us a real sense of the countryside and the local way of life. We explored medieval towns full of history and hidden shopping gems. The house colors in Tuscany all seem to blend harmoniously—soft yellows and warm neutrals everywhere you look. Oh, and siesta time? It’s real. Plan your day accordingly—everything shuts down in the afternoon!
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Venice and Rome: Two Worlds Apart
Venice was so unique—impossibly picturesque, endlessly interesting. I could explore for days. For a more peaceful experience, get up at dawn. The quiet canals and sleepy streets are pure magic at that hour. 

And finally, traveling with like-minded couples turned a great trip into an unforgettable one. We laughed, explored, relaxed, and created memories I’ll treasure forever.


* Many thanks to my travel companions for the use of their photos to tell the story.
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Last weekend was a truly special time for me. My husband and I took my 92 year old dad on a meaningful trip back to his roots in Northern Maine to visit his brother, sister-in-law, and sister and other family members. It had been nearly nine years since they were all together.
After my mom recently passed, my cousin mentioned at her service, that her dad—my dad’s brother—had been longing to see him. Unfortunately, due to health issues, he wasn’t able to make the six-hour trip. My dad, on the other hand, was healthy enough to travel, but over the years, he had been unable to go because my mom couldn’t be left alone and was unable to travel herself.
One morning I woke up and felt like God was telling me to make this trip happen. My husband was totally willing to drive, he is amazingly supportive and truly values family.  When I asked my dad if he wanted to go, his answer was an enthusiastic “yes.” It had been far too long since he’d been back.
Growing up, our whole family would travel to Northern Maine regularly, spending cherished time with our relatives. I remember those visits so well. We had a camper and would park it at one relative’s home or another, creating wonderful memories together. This trip felt like a return to those roots—a chance to reconnect, reminisce, and make new memories with family.

​This was the morning we picked him up. He was ready to go.

We set out on the road for the almost 6 hour drive.

It didn't take long to hear some sounds coming from the back seat.

The last leg of the trip, we were met with a pretty strong snow storm and unplowed roads, but we made it!

My Aunt, Terry - aka T.O. upon our arrival. 

Dad's brother, Uncle Paul and Aunt Avril, greet dad. She was telling him he looks just like Pepere Fred, his dad, and he does, but with more hair.

It was so wonderful to see the three of them together.

A huge thank you to my cousin Mary and her daughter, Marin (the two on the right) and TO for doing so much to welcome and feed us and make us feel at home. Mary and Marin also drove up from mid Maine. Also, to uncle Paul and Aunt Avril for opening their home to us.

Cousin Rachel, T.O.'s daughter and her son Jack also joined us. It was so good to see them.

We shared a wonderful meal prepared by Terry complete with traditional French Canadian ployes. (buckwheat pancakes)

The next morning, John and I went driving around so I could take some pictures. We found the humor in this sign. There was so much snow and it was cold.

This was the hospital in Fort Kent  that I was born in.

The border crossing to Canada.

The Fort Kent Block House

Fort Kent the day after the start of the Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races.

Madawaska, ME

The street we stayed on in Madawaska. Straight ahead is Canada.

We spent another day with our wonderful family with a delicious meal provided by my cousin, Mary.

We enjoyed looking at all the photo binders that my aunt meticulously makes and maintains that keep a wonderful record of our family. She is highly valued member of the Ste Agathe Maine historical society, the town my dad and her family are from.
​To my delight, I can see that photography is highly valued by the family. There are many professional photos that were taken of my dad's family. I will include some at the end of the blog.

The sweater pictured in the previous two pictures was one knit by my dad's mom. It is in perfect condition. My dad had given it to me and I now gave it to my aunt to put in the historical society museum. 

We also were able to visit my Aunt Greta and cousin Jennifer on my mom's side of the family , while we were in Northern, Maine.

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Below are some pictures from now and then.

This is the home where we lived when I was young. This is how it looks now and the picture on the right is how it looked back then. That is me on the left with my brother and sister.

This is the store my dad's family owned how it used to look.

It is no longer a store. This is what it looks like now.

My dad with his parents in front of the store way back when.

This is the house my mom grew up in now and back then with her parents in front  of it.

Cherished formal family pictures- My Uncle Paul on the left and my dad on the right.

Aunt Terry -14 months old

Paul and Terry

Paul

Dad

What a blessing it is to belong to this family. Thank you God for inspiring me to take this trip with my dad and keeping family ties strong. 

A different  perspective of the Nubble LightHouse building In York Maine at sunrise.

I may be  late in sharing this, but I still felt compelled to do so. Each year, I love looking back and compiling my favorite images from the past twelve months. As always, some of these photos may not be technically perfect, but what makes them special is the memory behind them or the subject itself.
Being part of the 52Frames photography challenge group has been an incredible source of inspiration, and many of my favorites this year were born from their weekly challenges. If you're looking for a way to stay motivated and grow as a photographer, I highly recommend joining a group like this or taking on a similar challenge—I've learned so much through the process.
While I haven’t included any client work in this gallery, I certainly could have! Photographing people is one of my greatest joys, but if I included my client sessions, I’d have far too many favorites to choose from.
I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I enjoyed creating it. Here’s to another year of capturing moments that matter!

Rockland Harbor, Maine

Also Rockland Harbor, Maine.

Sharon , MA

Cape Cod

Southport , Maine

Really Dad? Appleton, Maine

After the fireworks on July 4th (3rd) Sharon, MA

Creative composition, Boothbay Harbor , Maine

Unitarian Church, Sharon, MA

Eggs at home

Grandson and frog, Sharon, MA

On the way to Disney- 2 grandfathers and a grandson.

Hope Church Sharon, Ma with my husband.

Grandsons and son-in-law- Sharon ,MA

Appleton, Maine

Camden, Maine

Whitefield, Maine I just loved the colors on this chicken. He looked like a painting.

Sharon, Ma  Daughter and grandson , her nephew.

 Cozy Harbor, Southport, Maine

There is so much story in this photo! Cozy Harbor, Southport , Maine

My Husband, always willing to help with my ideas.

Southport, Maine

My brother and his wife getting married in the rain. Southport, Maine

Grandson cousins in the tub, Sharon, MA.

Appleton, Maine

Johnny, Sharon, MA

Lake Megunticook, Camden, Maine

Luisa, my daughter's cat.

Simplicity of light and shadow.

Graham, the ham. Youngest grandson.

Mom, taken in June 2024. She passed in Dec., 2024

Ward's Farm, Sharon, MA.

Appleton, Maine

Grandsons, Appleton, Maine

Boothbay, Maine 

Love the light, Appleton, Maine.
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Mom and Dad in Southport, Maine. Married 66 years.

Dietz Lantern, Appleton, Maine

Light and color caught my eye here.

Grandson, Luke, Sharon, MA.

My husband, I love the expression and the texture.
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Relationship here.

He loves each one of them so tenderly. They love him, too!

Reflection, light, and texture-Appleton , Maine

Color- Rockland Harbor , Maine

Nubble Lighthouse, York Maine

Boston, MA

Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Johnny

The Pettingill Pub my husband built in our shed in Appleton, Maine. He and the pub, are pretty amazing. If you got this far, thank you for indulging me. I do love to share my images.

This was me ten years ago. I was finishing 31 years of being a classroom teacher in pursuit of a new career as a photographer.

Thinking I had the skills needed after taking numerous classes at the New England School of Photography, I applied for and landed a job I found on Craigslist assisting a local photographer. He took the image above while training me in his style. I quickly realized I was in way over my head and, in hindsight, I actually feel bad for him. Despite my best efforts, I didn’t know what I was doing.
While I learned a lot about running a photography business, I’m afraid he didn’t get as much out of the deal as I did. To my embarrassment, he soon realized that I wasn’t the help he was looking for, as I didn’t yet have the necessary skill set. When he let me go, I was bruised but grateful for the valuable lessons I had learned

After having my little pity party, I became determined to pursue my career as a photographer. My husband, as always, was my greatest supporter.
One of the key lessons I learned during my short time as a photographer's assistant was that clients don't just show up—you have to go out and find them. Determined to make it work, I took three steps:
First, I reached out to family, friends, and neighbors, asking them to take a chance on me. Many did, and it was incredibly rewarding. I knew I was doing what I loved, in my own style. Below are some of my very first clients.

I also partnered with a local preschool to do a portrait fundraiser for them. I am amazed that many of the same families that participated have stuck with me and I have photographed their families through the years and have done many of their sons or daughters senior portraits.

The third thing I did was to invest in a service to secure bookings. As they say, 'You gotta pay to play!' It was costly for many years, but it helped get my name out there. I still have clients today who regularly use my services from those original bookings. I haven’t had to pay for years now—they hire me on their own and refer me to others.
One of the rewarding outcomes has been my ongoing work with Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard Medical School, which came about as a result of this service."

A a result of this booking service, I got to photograph former Patriot player Chris Hogan and his family........ 

..also, former Boston Mayor, Marty Walsh  and Maria Contreras-Sweet , former head of the US Small Business Administration.

I have had the opportunity to work for many differnt companies all around Massachusetts.

Weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs are events I have done many of, but no longer do.

Theater, families, babies, pets, headshots, and branding photography are other areas I have dabbled in. Real estate photography is another area of photography that I regularly do and love.

He wanted me to recreate a photo taken at the original Dunkin' Donuts and also capture a color version at a new Dunkin' location down the street from the original.

It was a lot of work to make this come together, but totally worth it. My neighbor was able to connect me with some people who owned cars of similar make and models to the original cars. 

These were the two pictures that ended up being used in a convention for Dunkin Brands in Las Vegas.

I’ve also had the opportunity to showcase my work in a gallery in Maine, where I sold the above picture.

Picture by my friend, Margaret Williams

I belong to a group called 52Frames. I copied this directly off of their page to explain it better.
"52Frames offers a guided weekly photography challenge, designed to help you improve your skills.Every week, we send you a new assignment. You have 7 days to take your shot and share it with the community. Together, we give feedback and guidance to help you grow. Oh, and it’s totally free."
This past week's challenge was to create a scene from a movie. My  oldest  grandson reminds me of Mcacauly Caulkin, so I asked him to help me out and to try to make a scene with a "Home Alone vibe." The above image is the one I went with. There wasn't much of a choice because of the chaos that ensued. Here is a little behind the scenes of the session.

This is in my daughter's living room. I purchased a mirror at Walmart because I knew I would need to have one at my grandson's level. The fireplace screen was to be a makeshift towel rack. I used my constant lights to light the scene. All the pictures I looked up from the movie had harsh lighting, so I tried to mimic that.

This one was would have been a contender except for the 2 little brothers who decided to be part of the scene.

Mirrors are just too much fun for little ones and here is where everything fell apart.

I gave up and just went with what ever they wanted to do.

Which turned into "Titanic"

Then just free form...

Brotherly love?

Finally, Luke wanted a go at it. Not bad. I may not have gotten what I hoped for, but it was worth all the fun we had and the memories we made.

Every year I try to narrow down a grouping of my favorite photos taken during the  year. This is so hard because I literally love so many of them, especially ones of my clients. I decided not to include any client work this year because there would just be too many. They are such a happy part of my photography. I love being able to work with so many awesome people.
To be honest, 2023 was a very challenging year personally. I feel like I've changed to be less of a happy go lucky person and have become more of "What else can go wrong?" kind of person. My hope for 2024 is that I return to my former state of being.

This first image was taken at Harvard Medical school looking out window to the outdoor seating area below. I was on break while photographing a conference there, and I noticed this scene. It struck me as very interesting with the interplay of shadows and emptiness. All the rigid lines set off with curves and circles, makes it appealing. I also like how it appears to be a black and white image, but it is not.

Part of the challenge of this past year was watching these three rascals while my daughter was in the police academy. Along with my husband, our days started at 4:30 am and went until 5pm or later. Our son-in-law works the midnight shift, so they needed our help.  We tried to use our time creatively by recreating iconic photos using them as the characters hoping to make it a year that we would all remember. Here we have the Yalta conference.

Many of the behind the scenes photos were some of my favorites, The youngest, Jamesy, showed us what he thought of the cigar, he pitched it. Thanks to strobe photography, the cigar  was caught mid flight.

There are so many more from these sessions that I love, but for the sake of variety, I will move on.

This one is all about the geometric lines with all the basic same hues and symmetry, but the one window breaks the symmetry and the color palette by hanging at an angle and reflecting blue in the panes of glass. I took this in Maine on one of the many days I just drove around with my friend Anne, who also loves photography, looking for things to photograph.

Here is another scene we happened upon .

...and yet another Maine scene.

The light and snow drew me to this scene in Camden, Maine, the surprise was the seagulls forming a heart in flight.

I joined a photography challenge group this year to stretch my creativity and to enjoy different types of photography. It is called 52Frames. Every week there is a different photography challenge. I did not get to all 52 of them, but I am so grateful that I joined because I ended up getting some of my favorite images of the year due to the challenges. This one was Black and White Challenge.

The food Challenge.

The Fill The Frame Challenge

Music Challenge

Macro Challenge

Leading Line Challenge

This was not a challenge, but just an idea I had and my daughter was a willing participant.

This was a composite that I recently made after t he first snow in Maine.

I love light and shadows.

My newest grandson, Graham was a vey bright spot to this year. As was the wedding of my youngest daughter to my new son-in-law, Carlos. I don't have pictures I took because I decided to be part of the celebration . Her photographer, Axie Breen did a fantastic job. the photos are gorgeous, just not mine.

My Favorite guy.

Another one of him.

My Girls on the night of Maddie's graduation from the police academy.

A scene from the graduation. I just love the story it tells.

She made it through only to be stricken with a life threatening, rare neurological condition that often occurs after a viral or bacterial infection, one day before her first shift. It attacked her spinal cord and brain stem and has limited her sight in one eye. After almost a month in the hospital and having to spend a long recovery period, almost a year after she started the academy, she is now working as an officer. We thank God that she made it through that life altering event.

 Maine is where we love to escape to. It also affords me more time to spend with my parents who live there. My mother's health has been failing and I am fortunate to spend time with her when I am there. It has been limited this year. This picture is the inside of the amazing pub my husband has created inside our shed. His vision and passion amaze me.  Happy New Year! Thanks for being interested enough to read this.

Here are a few examples that I have done with my amazingly willing family.

Fall doughnuts with the family.

Powder Blue Vintage Ford Truck

Soda Pop Shop

Vintage Train Station

Pink Bubble Gum

Family photo sessions are all about capturing the love and connection within your family. They freeze moments in time, enabling you to revisit them for years to come. The memories created during these sessions often become some of the most cherished ones. When you look at those photos in the future, they'll remind you of the smiles, laughter, and love that was present on that  day.​

Many families choose outdoor locations for their photo sessions, which offers an opportunity to explore new places. Whether it's a beautiful park, a charming beach, or an urban cityscape, you can turn your photo session into a mini-adventure. These new settings provide beautiful backdrops for your photos and make the experience even more enjoyable.​

A family photo session often brings out unique moments of bonding and closeness. The shared experiences during the session can foster a sense of togetherness and create stories that you'll fondly reminisce about in the future.

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Documenting relationships is so important. Having a picture of your parents, or grandparents together is a family treasure.

Pictures of cousins together will be brought out and shared many times at family gatherings.

Pictures of siblings together are great to have.

This is the third blog on our behind the scenes of recreation of iconic photos. The two remake photo shoots  were from Gilligan's Island and The Beatles.
​ Here Johnny is hamming it up for his part as the Skipper.

Lukey made a great Gilligan..........

.....until he decided to start clowning around with different options on his head and 

.....then rolling on the floor.

The captain's hat was something he also wanted to try out.

James was getting ready for his part as Thurstan Howell III by having a little snack. (Looks like he is having a fashion crisis, too!)

Then he needed a little drink.
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Just saying, I was not responsible for the eyebrows, that was my assistant, the one holding the drink.

That assistant doubles as a great character in the role of the Professor. 

After a little Photoshop Magic, we end up with the above shot. When I showed it to Johnny after it was done, he replied, "Hey!How'd you get us in the jungle?"and"Baby has the wrong clothes on!"

On to the next photo shoot, a recreation of the iconic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band image.

James was not a fan of the wigs. They seemed to irritate his eyes.

Being the wonderful grandparents that we are, we gave him a spoon to hold and told him to suck it up, we needed the picture.

He was not getting out of this one.

Lukey was next. You might have noticed that he has the same costume on. We used the same costume for all three boys and I just changed the color in Photoshop.

A wig change was needed. The other one was a bit too much, but this one was not good either. How many wigs do you have? You might be thinking... Let's just say, we have a large variety, don't you?

This one is perfect. Luke was very patient as we messed with the wigs. He was thinking of that toy he gets in the end.

Johnny is great in front of the camera, he nailed it as  Paul.

Our last Beatle was my faithful partner in grandparenting, John.

"That's not a band uniform", you say! Wait for it..........Photoshop is awesome!

Here starts the progression of putting all the images together....

and changing the colors.....

and adding to the police uniform to make it a band uniform.
​I am no expert in Photoshop, but I am sure learning a lot.
​I hope these images will be something the boys will have to help remember all the time we spend together. I also hope they inspire them to always be creative. John and I get so much joy out of creating. 

Recreating iconic photos using our grandsons has been a lot of fun, especially when they are into it, like James here  as Harpo.  This blog is the behind the scenes images taking during the Marx Brothers photo recreation shoot.

Lukey wanted to be Harpo, too.

Eventhough he would be a great Harpo, we needed a Chico

Johnny decided to get himself ready for his part of Groucho. It was not exactly the look we had in mind.

Things got a little out of hand. Johnny got into the props for our next planned shoot.I LOVE this picture!!It really reflects what it was like trying to do this shoot.

I was back to photographing Jamesy, bribed with a few French fries. John went to negotiate with Johnny to get him into the right look.

Lukey found the fake mustaches and had to try them out.

When Johnny was ready, he was a spectacular Groucho. He really got into the part!

We did it! That was not easy, but we had a lot of laughs.