{Almost December Photo Challenge} Phoenix, Arizona Photographer

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
― Mary Oliver

Every year I embark on a 30 day photo challenge or selfie challenge or some other thingabob on Flickr. Inevitably I fail, lose time, pitter on facebook or my new obsession Pinterest. But not this time. I have been going through a rather challenging time and spent it wallowing. Well I am done with wallowing cause as stated above their are too many beauties in life to wallow. I am going to post a picture a day til the holidays of what I am blessed for. Below is a beautiful Arizona sunrise. Pretty much straight out of camera. I am blessed I could wake up, drink my coffee, endure the cold (yes my body took about 3 days to adapt to 50 degrees being cold...laugh away) to take and breathe in this beauty. The mountains. The golden and pink sunrise. The quiet of the desert.
In times of challenge solitude of the desert brings peace.

{Count your Blessings} Chandler, AZ Fine Art Photography

For my children who share a special place with me at the sea, for my wonderful parents, sisters, relatives galore, friends that are too many to count. I am truly thankful for your constant love and support for better,worse, and when I could not offer much in return. I am thankful today that my life is rebuilding inch by inch and while I try to practice staying in the present....I am hopeful about the future has in store. Enjoy your Thanksgiving day, may it be a full of grace, love and joy.


“For Equilibrium, a Blessing:

Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,
May the relief of laughter rinse through your soul.

As the wind loves to call things to dance,
May your gravity by lightened by grace.

Like the dignity of moonlight restoring the earth,
May your thoughts incline with reverence and respect.

As water takes whatever shape it is in,
So free may you be about who you become.

As silence smiles on the other side of what's said,
May your sense of irony bring perspective.

As time remains free of all that it frames,
May your mind stay clear of all it names.

May your prayer of listening deepen enough
to hear in the depths the laughter of god.”
― John O'Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Invocations and Blessings

{Sit Down} Chandler, AZ Fine Art Photographer

“The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

Daily dose of humor...

Source: weheartit.com via Emily on Pinterest

{Kolby Granville for Tempe City Council} Tempe, AZ Portrait Photography

“Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their peers, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.”
― Robert F. Kennedy

Check out the website of this up and coming leader....and rock the vote.

Kolby Granville Tempe City Council

{ready.to.bloom}

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou

{Mama love} Minneapolis, MN Family Photography

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring