{A Rose by any other name} December Gratitude Challenge

“We have to recognise that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence.”
― Cornel West, Breaking Bread: Insurgent Black Intellectual Life

Thankful today for the beautiful friends like my dear friends Rose, Brandy, Nadina,Kathy, Alan, Emily,Michael, Earl, The Finley Fam, Kolby, Lisa, Sarah, Owen Fam, Joshua ,My parents, Jessica, Barb, Vicki and others who thick and thin and messy and tears stuck by me during this messy and nasty divorce. Not many have the virtue of loyalty, myself included, at times. But hold the ones that do have close to your heart. Tightly. And I know I left out many including the fine people I met on the road...

Tomorrow, I have the privilege of photography my lovely friends wedding. I could not be more blessed.

Happy New Year and blessings!

{Dog. Meets. World} December Gratitude Challenge

“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.”
― Jane Austen, Persuasio

Thankful today for rough waters, the strong women in my life and in the world, for my strong daughter and for my son who loves strong women.

{Seaside} December Gratitude Challenge

“Te amo como se aman ciertas cosa oscuras,
secretamente, entre la sombra y el alma.
(I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.)”
― Pablo Neruda

Thankful today for the sea. For self discovery. For poetry and movement. For the low and high tides. For grace.

{Ir. Vine} December Gratitude Challenge

“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.”
― Jim Morrison

Thankful for the Fineley's in Southern California
Thankful for safe travels and laughs
Thanful for Bop it
Thankful for Father Frank Finley

Most of all thankful for new starts....

{Coaster} December Gratitude Challenge

“Life is truly a ride. We're all strapped in and no one can stop it. When the doctor slaps your behind, he's ripping your ticket and away you go. As you make each passage from youth to adulthood to maturity, sometimes you put your arms up and scream, sometimes you just hang on to that bar in front of you. But the ride is the thing. I think the most you can hope for at the end of life is that your hair's messed, you're out of breath, and you didn't throw up.”
― Jerry Seinfeld

Today thankful for the ride called life and all the amazing people in my life from my roommate to my neighbor to friends far and wide. Happy holidays and hold onto that handle bar. Life is a crazy wonderful ride!

{Checkers} December Gratitude Challenge

“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”
― C.S. Lewis

Merely thankful today for the beauty of the day

{Tests} December Gratitude Challenge

“Sometimes I lie awake at night and I ask, "Is life a multiple choice test or is it a true or false test?" ...Then a voice comes to me out of the dark and says, "We hate to tell you this but life is a thousand word essay.”
― Charles M. Schulz

Thankful today for warm sun, a talk with my children, an invitation to photograph a dear friends wedding. Happy Holidays!

{Dream a little Dream with me} December Graditude Challenge

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein

What more is there to be thankful for than children. I love mine, of course, but children seem to take the must nots, should nots, and can nots and realize it is a bunch of bull. Today I am thankful for our world's children and of course my own. May you stay children as long as you can, and may as adults we come back to the child inside us.

{Raindrops on Roses} December Gratitude Challenge

The truth about the rain
Is how it falls, how it falls, how it falls
-Dar Williams {Beauty of the Rain}

Even in the desert there is need for rain. I am thankful for a cozy day to relax, edit, rest and recharge. The sound of the rain calms me. May it calm you too. And on a side note....Go Steelers!

{Sunrise, Sunset} December Gratitude Challenge

“The sun burnt every day. It burnt time.”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

Simply thankful today, after a bit of a break, for making it home and the many blessings along the way.

(December Photo/Gratitude Challenge)

"The truth does not change according to your ability to deal with it" Flannery O'Connor

No picture again today as I drove13 hours

I am thankful for humanness . As I travel I meet the most amazing people. See the most amazing things. Truly blessed by the beauty of the human soul. For better or worse.

(December photo/gratitude challenge)

"if you reject the food, ignore the customers fear their religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home" James Michener

No photo yet again today as i am on the road but thankful for
Sweet goodbyes
Safe weather
Good friends and family
Cheap gas
Goodbye hugs from my kids
A warm bed in Nebraska to rest my head

Peace out

(settling down) december photo challenge

Walk like you are kissing the earth with your feet-Thich Nhat Hanh

No picture today but thankful for my lawyer, settling down and finally feeling both feet touch the ground. And cannot be said enough but the never ending love and support from family and friends.

{First Comes Love, Then Comes...} Scottsdale, AZ Maternity Photographer

“When a child is locked in the bathroom with water running and he says he's doing nothing but the dog is barking, call 911. ”
― Erma Bombeck

Fun, Fantastic and Fabulous Session with and old friend from ASU. What a lucky guy to have parents that are smart, sweet, have a wicked sense of humor and don't take life or other stuff too seriously, very refreshing in these times. Easy going, I even had them at one point stuck behind a palm tree. Thank you for having me photograph this session. It was a true honor and I cannot wait, much like them, to meet the new pint of joy.

{December Photo Challenge} Chandler, AZ Photographer

Rien ne se cree
rien ne se perd.
(Nothing is born
nothing can die)
-Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier

Today I am thankful for waking up to these beautiful views. The contrast struck me. How daily the same view can change, minute by minute, perspective, light and contrast.

{December Photo Challenge} Chandler, AZ Photographer

We're all bozos on the bus,
so we might as well sit back
and enjoy the ride.
-Wavy Gravy
(from the book Broken Open)

Today I am thankful for all those bozos on the bus. For the book written by Elizabeth Lesser called Broken Open that discusses how those points that brings us to the edge are the ones that can heal us if we turn to it instead of away. I am also thankful for my quick trip back to the tundra this week so I can kiss my cute kiddos faces. May you all have a great day.

{Saturday Inspiration}

Source: thatgirlkate.wordpress.com via Stacey on Pinterest

{December Photo Challenge} Chandler, AZ Photographer

“Someday, somewhere - anywhere, unfailingly, you'll find yourself, and that, and only that, can be the happiest or bitterest hour of your life”
― Pablo Neruda

Today I am thankful for my beautiful children. For the slow process of rediscovering myself after years of hiding. I am thankful for the autumn leaves, the colors that I see in technicolor, and the precious messages I get from my kids over the phone and Skype.

{December Photo Challenge} Chandler, AZ Photographer

“Do you ever think if poeple heard our conversations they'd lock us up?"
All the time.”
― Wendy Mass, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

Today I am thankful for good friends who understand my somewhat morbid humor, the run and biking I did today and for the lovely crane that is quite the view from my balcony. I think I heard a rumor that it will be wrapped in holiday lights soon. Perhaps a Santa on the top?