My name is Nertha Gaal and my hobby is creating dollhouse miniatures. I worked in the 1:12 scale for
about ten years, until I came down with Micro Eye Syndrome (MES for short). Although we live in opposite coasts of the
USA, I got infected by my dear friend, Anita McNary, about 5 years ago and have been a happy MES
Sufferer ever since!
Since in the 1:144 scale 1 inch = 12 feet, it means that I can create miniature worlds that can
be held in the palm of my hand. The Hideaway scene pictured here was built on a 2 1/4" diameter wooden base.
If you look at the scene carefully, you can actually observe what some of the symptoms that those of us who are
MES Sufferers exhibit. For instance, I suffer from hallucinations that cause me to envision half a walnut
shell as a garden grotto, tiny pebbles as rocks for a pathway, a tiny bit of L shaped molding as a swing, tiny beads
as flower pots.
Well, you get the idea -- and perhaps now you understand how appropriate the initials for this condition are, since
my supply drawers tend to be a mess with all the salvaged components I hoard ... I mean ...
store in them!
Click on photo for larger view
Hideaway scene created by me for my friend Anita -- Photo and hand modeling by Anita McNary
Click on photo to initiate magnifying glass feature.
My youngest son belongs to the Andinay band. They play the hauntingly beautiful music from the Andes Mountains in South America. The
group is based in the New York--New Jersey area, so the nationalities of the band members reflect their environment.
Members hail from Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Indiana, and New York.
They are all very talented young men (that's not just mother love talking)
and together they make such lovely music! Roger and Adam play charango (a
10-stringed small guitar), quena (Andean flute), zampoņa (Andean panpipes, and other instruments. Eduardo
plays the cello, which adds a lovely quality to the group's sound. Patricio plays the guitar.
Antonio plays the Andean drums. And Jonathan plays the Andean Panpipes. He
is one of the newest members of the band, so the tracks featured here were recorded before he joined Andinay.
Some of the titles featured here are original songs written by band members. It may come as surprise to many that Adam, the lead singer, is an American from Indiana.
He lived in Bolivia for two years and fell in love with the music.
Click on the photo below to listen to Andinay's music!
One of my favorite movies is "Bend It Like Beckham" -- and I love to play with digital images and create slideshows.
I combined the two and uploaded the results to YouTube. Just click on the picture to take a peek at it!
