Richard Gandy

We celebrated Christmas Day with my side of the family at Dustin and Katie’s home south of Valdosta, GA. It was a rainy day, and I kept being drawn to the window and the landscape across the highway.

I finally went outside and grabbed a quick photo with the Canon 10D and 50mm f1.4 lens. The 10D is the older version of Canon’s new EOS 40D. This rural landscape, with the chilly rain descending upon the pine trees and cattle evokes almost a spiritual response–at least it does for me. Good to be able to go inside and enjoy the warmth of Christmas and a wonderful family!

 
The scene reminds me of the work of the great landscape painter, George Inness. Born in New York, Inness painted in many parts of the country and Europe, and a number of his paintings were of Georgia and Florida landscapes.

George Inness
Sunrise, 1887

George Inness
Georgia Pines Afternoon, 1886

George Inness
Moonlight Tarpon Springs Florida, 1892

Technorati Tags: Valdosta,Georgia,landscape photo,George Inness,Canon 10D,50mm f1.4 lens

Benjamin Franklin wrote Thirteen Virtues when he was 20 years old and apparently used them as guiding principles the rest of his life. Not shabby for a 20-year-old, but then hey, he was Benjamin Franklin!

1. TEMPERANCE
   Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. SILENCE
   Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself;
   avoid trifling conversation.

3. ORDER
   Let all your things have their places;
   let each part of your business have its time.

4. RESOLUTION 
   Resolve to perform what you ought;
   perform without fail what you resolve.

5. FRUGALITY 
   Make no expense but to do good to others
   or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

6. INDUSTRY
   Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful;
   cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. SINCERITY
   Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly,
   and if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. JUSTICE
   Wrong none by doing injuries,
   or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. MODERATION
   Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries
   so much as you think they deserve.

10. CLEANLINESS
    Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

11. TRANQUILITY
    Be not disturbed at trifles,
    or at accidents common or unavoidable.

12. CHASTITY
    Rarely use venery but for health or offspring,
    never to dullness, weakness, or the injury
    of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

13. HUMILITY
    Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Technorati Tags: Thirteen Virtues,Benjamin Franklin

Merry Christmas everybody! Happy new year.

Today was my 6 week follow-up at the Emory Clinic. It was a good visit. Met with Dr. Roser. Also, got to see Dr. Optid and Dr. Cho. They were the ones that kept close watch on me right after surgery, so they will always have special meaning in my life.

Dr. Optid was first assistant to Dr. Roser during my surgery, and Dr. Cho was second assistant. They have been really great doctors, but more importantly, they are very warm hearted people, whom I now consider friends. I will miss not seeing them. I highly recommend Dr. Roser and his team for this type of surgery.

• Healing progressing well
• Voice returning to normal. Still a little scratchy and weak but improving
• Feeling returning to nose and chin
• Some feeling returning to front gums, more feeling near the back
• Sleep apnea alleviated completely by all accounts. Will probably do another sleep study in the Spring to confirm
• Afternoon sleepiness alleviated
• Still some pain in the gums usually after eating or at night but controllable
• Still on soft food, such as pasta, fish, soft veggies, etc.
• Still using Afrin at bedtime to help with nasal congestion but need to start weaning off
• Ok to start with orthodontic treatment to fine tune my bite
• Have appointment next week with my orthodontist, Dr. Moody Williams.

Today is my brother’s birthday. He’s 35, the youngest of 3 children born to Robert and Geraldine Gandy. My sister Joy is next, and I’m the oldest weighing in at almost 49 years young.

This photo was taken by Julie, Jeffry’s wife, at St. Augustine beach while they were photographing Dustin and Katie’s wedding.

See Julie’s post about Jeffry’s birthday on their blog.

Jeffry usually shoots with that honkin’ Canon 70-200 2.8L lens. It’s big and heavy, but it’s one of the sharpest lenses I’ve seen. Plus, the bokeh is beautiful. Bokeh is a term for the aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of a photo.

Growing up, Jeffry was very enterprising. He was always fixing up an old bicycle or something to sell. Our dad would get so irritated because Jeffry would "borrow" his wrenches and not put them back in the right spot.

I always knew Jeffry would be successful. He turned out to be a well-rounded young man with a wonderful family of his own.

Happy Birthday!

Thanks everyone for your prayers!

My voice is much stronger and almost back to normal sound. If you could have seen the little video the ENT doctor did of my vocal cords, you would understand how miraculous this is. There was no movement of the left cord—paralysis due to injury from the intubation tube during my MMA surgery.

I was really bummed out after that visit, but Jeaneane got me back in line spiritually when she got home that afternoon. Thank God for Jeaneane!

Photo from 12/02/07. If you’ve been following the blog, you know we’ve been taking photos to document my progress. I don’t think I’ve had this many photos taken of me in my entire life. I’m usually the one taking the pictures. You can see the photos in chronological order on the MMA Photos tab.

We bought this car in 2005 for my wife. At the time, we had a pickup truck we used for hauling mainly gardening stuff. We have since sold the truck, and now Jeaneane wants to sell her car and get a truck. Go figure!

Call Jeaneane at 678-642-2836 if serious about purchasing.

See more photos and read about the car on the tab above or click here.

Basic Info.

• Price: $20,900
• Mileage: 50,000
• Engine: 3.2L V6 215hp
• Transmission: Automatic 4-speed Tiptronic
• Bose Premium Stereo with CD Changer
• Gas Mileage: Around 27 in town and 31 hwy, which is great for a car this peppy.
• Interior: Gray Leather with 60/40 fold down rear seat.
• Car has no dings or scratches, has been kept in the garage, and is in excellent condition.
• Serviced regularly. Always used Mobil 1 Synthetic motor oil.