People keep telling me to lighten up, so I did

I'm gratified at the response to my new photo. Thanks! My feminine vanity is assuaged.

And to those who commented on the shrinking Granny Smith apple, it turns out that the one in the original picture was an instance of amazing serendipity: big, round, beautifully green, and astoundingly symmetrical. This year's are small and crooked (and, by the way, don't blame New England; Granny Smith's are not ordinarily grown here).

I searched high and low for one of the proper size and shape, but couldn't find any. I bought a nice assortment--and in this case, I get to eat my mistakes--but they were all flawed. Such is life. The point is that the greater relative exposure of my face was not planned.

Also, to those who have said the photo is dark: I've posted a lightened version. Due to the crochets of Blogger, it only shows up so far in the enlarged version, the one you see if you click on "View my complete profile." In a few hours it will show up on the main page of the blog. I'm curious to know whether the color on this new one is better than the old.

[ADDENDUM: I think the new photo seems to have shown up even as I posted this.]