Rainbow Flags

Who knew Palm Springs was the place to see an abundance of Rainbow/Pride Flags?  I didn't.  My daughter would have been giddy to see such a colorful sight!  It was a quirky cross between vintage and modern all over town.  Vintage cars, ode to old Hollywood, architecture and then this thriving LBG (don't know about "T") community...what a trip.  Everyone we met was lovely, really, a very small town feel in a trendy environment.  From the shop owners to the restaurant staff--very friendly and welcoming. It was a pleasant oasis in the desert.  Highly recommend!

Friends

Here's a shot I finally edited today of some dear friends who are moving this week.  Little Ella has been the subject of many blog posts because she's my daughter's BFF and quite a photogenic girl.  I love shooting her and enjoyed having the pleasure of getting the whole family in on the act this time.  They are all such beautiful people and wonderful friends and we will miss them so much.

Rub My Belly

You know you want to...it's irresistible!  This was my one request for Shane as he traveled to Nepal--please bring me back a Buddha. I heard once that it was bad luck to buy yourself a Buddha, that one had to be given to you and ever since then, I wanted one.  Isn't that silly?  I'm Catholic!  But I love that smiling face and irresistibly round belly (which I will note is not attractive on a "real" man).  He makes me happy and I'm so glad I have one of my own now to enjoy.  I didn't want to dust him off (even though every crack is filled with Nepalese dust) because he is perfect, and authentic just like he is.  If you rub the belly, you'll really just be putting fingerprints on your monitor so just wait until you come over, then rub.  :)

Memorial Day

Peace
by Amanda Bradley


Peace will come when people live
In friendship, side by side,
And cherish understanding
More than hatred, greed and pride.

Peace will come when people see
All people as the same,
And no one has to live in fear,
In ignorance, or shame.

Peace will come when people
Who are needy can reach out
For shelter, food, or love,
And no has to do without.

Peace will come when people
Learn to listen and to care
About the rights and dignity
Of people everywhere.

Peace will come when love and trust
And kindness know rebirth,
And on that day all people
Will rejoice in peace on earth.

Monster High

"This is how they say 'cheers' on Monster High" she said...I remember living in my own world as a kid too and now it's fun to watch it from the outside.  I love that my daughter has this bond with her dear friend.  My heart feels heavy thinking of them being apart as her friend is moving in one, short week.  Forever.  I never saw my childhood friend again when we moved though her memory lingers in my mind and in my heart forever.  Her name was "Cookie" and her mom was like my mom (spankings and all)!  We lived 1 house apart and it might as well have been under the same roof because we were inseparable.  When I was punished she would talk to me through my bedroom window and then go ask my mom if I could play because she was lonely (that Catholic guilt worked every time!).  Although I still feel her presence in my heart, we never were able to grow up together, meet each others kids or have coffee.  I wish that for these two because they are two peas in a pod.  It makes me sad to think they won't...

Women of Kathmandu

Here's another beautiful photo Shane took in Nepal.  Don't you love their colorful suris?  What really struck me was the loving way the younger women sat below the older women and seemed to be tending to them.  The female bond around the world is so strong and unshakable, this is what makes me so happy to be a woman.  I love this shot and I love the sense of community here.  Simply beautiful.

Himalayas

Here's one of Shane's images of the Himalayas...and his first panoramic photograph--pretty awesome!

The Beard

"Daddy, you look so hilarious, I love it!"  "Daddy, you look like Abe Lincoln!"  "Daddy, I just can't stop staring at your beard, don't ever shave it."  "Daddy, when are you going to shave that beard?"  


Welcome home Dad!  We are so happy to see you after 20 days.  

Girls Gone Wild

Our girls trip has been a hoot!  Our last night in Temecula included a fabulous dinner at a Belgian restaurant and now we are enjoying a quiet night...going a little crazy...with our candy cig's.  :)

Aaahhhh

Aaaaahhhh, no kids, no husbands, no worries, only friends and wine.  I just love a good escape!  We are in Palm Springs and it feels like a time warp.  I've never been to Palm Springs before and it honestly is a different world here...like Frank Sinatra still lives here and eats at the local trattoria.  Off to Temecula tomorrow, can't wait!

She knows...

This isn't her usual resting place, she knows.  My suitcase is packed, she knows.  I cleaned the house and it smells of pine sol and windex, she knows.  I'm not able to take her with me, she knows...poor old Zoe, I wish I could fit her in my pocket and take her everywhere with me.  My sweet, faithful friend.  I'll be back soon!  I love you.

Solar Eclipse

Well, this is the best I could do with my 300mm lens...it's a pretty cool thing to be able to photograph this event. I remember watching a solar eclipse when I was kid.  My mom helped us make special glasses (something about a shoebox comes to mind) and we sat in our backyard and watched it happen.  It seems like yesterday but it was probably 35 years ago!  Holy cow!  I don't know when the next one will be but my kid will probably remember this one...her first solar eclipse!

Wine Cork Humor

Ok, I had an entirely different image in mind for today but when I opened my "Mad Housewife" wine and saw this cork, I just couldn't resist!  Seriously, how true is this?  Smile.  Ok, so you might be thinking, "why are you drinking a wine called "Mad Housewife?"  Well, let me tell ya...Momma is so burned out!  Dad has been out hiking for a couple of weeks now and I've had about as much quality time with the kiddo as I need for the moment.  Not to mention I let the house go while I was cramming for finals and now I can't enjoy my down time until this house is clean!  My kingdom for a maid!  For now, I'm really enjoying this wine cork humor...and my second glass of chardonnay!


ps. It's a Napa Valley Chard and it's yummy!!!

Modern Granola

This rack represents the little hippie inside of us...inside my conservative husband lies the heart of a true granola.  He is a juxtaposition of right wing and left wing in one, lovely bundle.  I am giddy to see his freak flag fly lately as he as allowed me to vandalize the sporty rack on top of our now-retro 4-Runner.  He has contributed an equal number (if not more) stickers than I have with all the gear he's purchased in the last 6 months for his Mt. Everest trek.  Each package comes with a sticker and now these stickers have a permanent home on our beloved truck.  He even mentioned getting a tattoo recently--this is wildly out of character for those who know him.  I'm digging my modern day granola!

Motivation

I don't know if it's all these olympics commercials, my mid-life crisis, or being the (old) mother of a young child but I've been motivated to get in my best physical condition yet.  I'm working out like a freak, signing up for races and considering the most ridiculous thing of all...a marathon.  Ok, a half...but even that is stupid for this runner-hater.  I'm even manipulating myself into signing up for a cancer fund raising race so I'm extra-motivated to stick with it.  What's going on?  

Sweet Satisfaction

Can you almost hear her say, "I just rocked the freestyle!"  ??  Well, that's what she did and this image just makes me smile because it reminds me how I felt as a kid when I tackled something hard.  Sassy and confident...not much has changed!

Vanity

Here's one example of vanity...in the form of a license plate.  What possesses people to pay more money for a crummy license plate just because they want to share some obscure message with the world?  I don't get it.  What's this all about "H2OTOYZ" anyway?  It's a Chevy truck, there is no boat attached, no canoe sitting on top...it's Nevada, the desert.  I do enjoy those clever plates that are written in code, the ones that make you think about what they say--it's something to do at the red light. I wonder if they have vanity plates in other countries??  I don't remember seeing any during the 6 years I lived in Europe, but I could be wrong.  What's your vanity item?  I guess you could say mine is this blog, right?  


ps. I fell asleep at 8pm last night while putting my daughter to bed...oops!  Missed my self-imposed deadline again.  I'll have to punish myself with a Jillian Michaels work out.  Dang.

Legs and legs

What a long ass day.  I'm so happy to be enjoying this rather long pour before midnight.  I've been thinking about these wine legs all day long...actually, since the beginning of the spring semester.  It's been an unusually tough semester and I am so happy it's nearly behind me.  Only critiques left.  I could have shared with you images of the man replacing my broken hot water heater today, or taken a shot of my daughter's school program, or even images of her at swimming lessons for the first time this year but nothing is as satisfying as resting these tired legs next to these lovely legs...

Curliest Q

What a whimsical shape this is, so carefully twisted into a playful curly Q at one time.  I wonder how many different colors of paint this piece of metal has worn?  I wonder how beautiful it was when it was first made and how fun it would be to have accents of curly Q's in the furniture at home.  The shadow of this fixture reminds me of something I saw in either the Wizard of Oz or Willie Wonka...like a cane or a crazy sucker.  I recently was inspired to create my own photograph poster of the alphabet out of clever treasures like this--I think I would have to use this as the letter C, even though I like calling it the curliest Q.  :D

Feather Boa

You gotta love the family dog.  She is my old, faithful friend and still very tolerant of antics like this scene here.  She never hesitates to let us have a little fun with her, good old Zoe.  To think, she was my puppy years before this little girl was a twinkle in her mom's eye!  I adore her and her smelly breath and always will...especially as she sports a fabulous, pink, feather boa.

Princess Shoes

I think I can chronicle my daughter's life through images of her feet, I swear!  From her tiny toes as an infant, to her first "shoes" (when she couldn't even walk), the light-up sneakers, the "clippity cloppity" shoes, to the fabulous princess heels (and everything in between)...they all reveal her personality.  It's become my obsession, really, to photograph little pieces of her to hold in my memory forever.  I always want to remember these half-painted toenails popping out of plastic, bejeweled heels.  Today, she wears Snow White shoes...tomorrow, who knows!?  It's just as exciting as watching her grow.  

Reflections

This is one of my favorite shots of me and Mini-Me.  I love that we are instep and she is walking right beside me.  She still walks beside me and hopefully, always will.  She doesn't run ahead or lag behind, she's my little buddy, my heart and one of the greatest joys in my life.  Shane took this picture years ago, after we moved out of our home in Vegas and were preparing to move to Monterey together...seems like yesterday.  I am always surprised how quickly time passes when sometimes the days feel like years.  My image today was another homework assignment and not nearly as sweet as this, so I decided to reflect instead as Mother's Day is around the corner.  :o)

Teachers are Awesome

A teacher who is just right

Have you had a teacher
That makes your heart glow
A teacher is wonderful
A teacher whom you feel honored to have

A teacher who you can laugh or cry with
A teacher whom you can love no matter what they do
A teacher who looks up to you when you don't know
A teacher who just seems to understand you

A teacher who you think about day and night
A teacher whom you pray for as you go to bed
A teacher who is there when need them to
Thoughts of them are always in your head

A teacher who shares with you there ups and downs
A teacher who is there for you in school
A teacher who you share all your smiles with replacing al your frowns 

Rosa Tenezaca

Hug a teacher this week...you couldn't read this without them!  :)

Strawberry Festival

         


















The Strawberry Festival was today, fun!  These events take me back to my Mid-West childhood where we had parades and festivals for every occasion.  This was no disappointment with a strawberry throwing contest (in which our daughter won 1st Place!), face painting, a bouncy house, delicious organics, crafty junk, and running around in the grass (and scuffing up your school shoes because mom forgot your play shoes). Perfect weather, nice people and farm veggies...pretty awesome Tuesday.

My Reminder

My old, trusty running shoes greet me each morning to remind me to get off my butt and work out!  (When they talk, they sound JUST LIKE Jillian Michaels--I love to hate her.)  I leave them out every night so they don't forget to remind me the next day.  They were especially angry this morning because I blew off my work out yesterday because I had a "little touch of the flu" (as my friend Alexandra would say) after the Cinco de Mayo party...oopsy.  I'm glad they were there for me today as I worked extra hard for my penance.  What's your daily reminder?

Artifice

This place always grabs me, I like the neon, the pop art-syle image, the multicolored bricks and the location--in the Arts District.  I've never gone inside, nor am I interested in going inside (a bar) but I still like it.  I also noticed how the "R" in "Artifice" always flickers on and off and wonder if it is intentional or just a broken letter--either way, it adds character to the place.  The windows are massive for a bar in Vegas since most places have few, small or no windows due to the excessive heat they let in and potential for breakage.  This makes me wonder if it used to be a studio of some sort (especially since it's in the Arts District).  It's fun to think about the life of a building, the whole "if walls could talk" concept...so many different people with different intentions for the same space is cool to me.  I guess for now, it's "Artifice" the bar.


Nepal Update: He made it!  LA to Hong Kong to Bangladesh to Katmandu...over 2 days of travel and he meets his guide at 0630 for the trek!  I hope he gets some gooooood sleep tonight and more importantly, wakes up on time in the morning!

Soccer Shot

Check out this soccer girl in action!  Isn't she awesome?! Off to a Cinco De Mayo party...yay!

Bye Dad

"Good-bye, Dad, I'm really going to miss you a lot."  Aw, time is so confusing to kids.  A month to a kid might as well be a year but when it's past, it might as well have been a minute.  They are like puppies sometimes, they have no concept of time and they hate it when you leave.  When she is older she will love telling people about when her dad hiked the Himalayas and "you should see the pictures" or "and look what he brought back for me."  But for now, it's just good-bye and that was pretty pitiful.  


She is almost over that moment as she watches cartoons now...

The Big Trip

Well, this is finally it, "Nepal-Eve" if you will.  He leaves tomorrow for the big trek through the Himalayas and here's a glimpse of the packing madness.  I am full of emotion over this trip...excited, jealous, thrilled, sad to miss him, anxious, stressed out, happy...it's all there.  Most of all, I'm curious.  I am curious to hear all about it, curious to see the images he'll masterfully capture, curious to see if this trip changes him in any way.  These trips can be very meditative and centering and his life (our life) has been on fast forward for the past two years now and neither of us has had (or chose to make any) meditative time.  I am also hopeful that it's everything he wants and more.  We'll see!  I just hope he doesn't forget to pack the Imodium!  Yeesh.

Reverence

Well, I missed my post yesterday.  I sat in bed at 9:30 so tired I couldn't get out of bed and didn't lift my camera all day anyway. I think I had to cry "uncle" and just give myself a rest.  Life has been flying by at warp speed and it really needs to slow down.  Some things need to be attended to and here's one of them...the hub flew to the AFA last week to attend another memorial service for his good friend who was killed last year in Afghanistan.  This was probably the 10th memorial (I lost count) for Frank's family and hopefully, it's done now and they can begin healing.  (This was on the one year anniversary of his death.)  I could not attend so I am using Shane's images for this post because I want them here.  Sometimes life gets so busy that we forget to reserve time to be reverent.  Nothing is more important for settling your soul and calming your spirit.  It is also important for those so deserving of our time and I have found that my time is the most valuable thing I can give these days.  It's more precious than anything else to me.  Two widows stand before the marching troops as two benches were dedicated to these men.  The statue stands among the lost souls. Since my husband is also a flier he shot this picture of the helmet in hand, an image he sees almost daily and the familiarity is calming to most.  Sad to others.  They deserve our reverence.