tangerine love

who knew tangerines could be so cute?

reflections

Reflections make for some of the coolest photos.

One positive to all the rain we've been getting lately.

I took this on a walk in my hood last week.

fifty years.

Ed and Linelle.

They are the parents of my wonderful boss, Erin.

I get to see Ed once a week or so as he helps out with getting supplies for the Dragonfly and occasionally he'll work a weekend morning and help with dishes. Most of the time we end up chatting about his day and his workouts, but if we're lucky and have time he'll tell me stories of his travels or just stories about living and learning. He's our favorite and we all call him Papa D at the Dragonfly because he's like a grandpa to all of us.

I had the privilege of joining in their celebration of 50 years of marriage a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, they have found a love that lasts. In each other they have found a best friend and soul mate. Someone to weather the joys and sorrows of life. They have raised two kids and entertain an adorable granddaughter during the week. They have traveled the world, snapping pictures of elephants and monuments and their silhouettes in the sunset.

What I think is the most amazing about Ed and Linelle is that they grow in love as the pages of their story are written.

They are still interested in knowing who the other is and taking time to know the other.

Even after all these fifty years, they are continuing to get to know each other and enjoy each other. They amaze me.

I've only known them a few years but they are happier now then when I first met them.

There must have been forty other people at this celebration, friends from grade school, college, jobs, and a couple from The Dragonfly. You could just feel the joy filling the room. This community of people came to acknowledge something beautiful and important, a love that lasts. They have been with Ed and Linelle through the years, through the great times and the incredibly hard times. They have seen them through it all. We all know how many marriages don't last and how many just end and don't make it through the hard times and that's why I am so inspired and filled with hope when I see a marriage like Ed and Linelles that lasts.

In the presence of great love like that, you can't help but stop and acknowledge and be grateful and thankful for such a blessing.

love.

coffee

A bazillion hours of work behind the counters of coffee shops has me thankful to be on the patron side of things this afternoon.

Life has been so crazy these days and I am feeling thankful for the opportunity to just sit.

(in the sunshine!)

Glorious.

Rolling In The Deep- Adele

I am loving this song right now. This girl has got some serious soul.

pete.

Meet Pete.

Pete is the nephew of my beautiful friend Annie who just got married this past week.

Pete was my favorite.

He gave me this face every time I took his picture.

To me, this face says, 'seriously?'

I get it though, I can be paparazzi-like with a camera in my hand.

The new, Annie Willis.

:)

Puddle Jumping

One of my favorite pastimes is puddle jumping.

It took me years to finally purchase a good pair of rain boots. I finally did upon moving to Portland and with the help of my friend Annie who is a designer at Columbia Sportswear and has access to the employee store.

My world changed after buying rain boots.

No more am I fearful of getting the bottom half of my jeans soaked (little do I loathe more than wet jeans). No longer am I hesitant to go for a walk in the rain. No more do I avoid the backyard for fear of walking in dog poop (it's a war-zone out there).

It's a whole new world.

I can walk fearlessly.

trust

“The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust—not only for all the gifts that I receive from God, but gratitude for all the suffering. Because in that purifying experience, suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God".
–Brennan Manning

small claim to fame

Check out this report from the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative chronicling eleven months of HHI’s disaster response and recovery efforts in Haiti (photos by yours truly-Yay!).

I worked with some amazing people from HHI on my trips to Haiti. Their staff was in charge of running the entire field hospital and from the stories of various hospitals and field hospitals throughout Haiti, this one was by far the most smoothly run and assured quality care. I was proud to be a part of such an amazing team.

I'm tickled and touched that they used my images for their report. It makes my small part in this long journey of recovery feel like part of the greater whole and the greater story being told.

Note: I was going to post this without a picture but something about that felt wrong, so I added one :)

January 12th

In 35 seconds of shaking, the world, as Haiti knew it, came crumbling down.
Let us remember all that was lost from loved ones to homes and futures. Let us hold tightly to the hope for the people of Haiti as they continue to heal, restore and reclaim their country and be grateful for those who survive each day in the midst of countless hardships. There is still much to be done.

I'm reflecting on my two trips to Haiti in the past year and all the amazing people I met and stories that I heard and I'm filled with so many emotions. There is so much more that needs to be done and I'm thinking about how I can be a part of that recovery and process of healing for Haiti.

How will you help?

Charlie

My roommate's dog Charlie has been my companion for the day.

I've spent most of the day in my bed, reading and sleeping with Charlie by my side.

This could be my first real sick day I've taken from the Dragonfly.

I tried to make it. I went in and promptly had a small emotional breakdown (a culmination of this awful cold, a lot of work, not much time off, and a lot on my plate in general) and was told I should go home and get rest.

I'm so thankful for it. My body needed this rest.

We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults. Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment. ~George Eliot

My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet. ~Edith Wharton

The New Years Day Parade

This video makes me happy. The music, the balloons, the people, the passing along of joy and sharing in a New Years celebration together.

That room full of colorful balloons makes me so happy.

I would like to do this some New Years or some random day for that matter.

Yes? Yes.

my room

I realize this picture is teeny tiny, but I'm so excited about this new app on my phone. From what I've looked at online, this is the app that is most like hipstamatic for the iphone which I have been coveting since first saw a photo taken with it. This one is called Vignette and there's a bazillion options and effects to choose from, including this photo strip option.

Here's some pics from my room since I am home sick this evening.

I've spent a lot of time in my room this week so it's only fitting that I post a few to show you my little corner of the world.

This is pretty much what you'll find in my room,

photos on the wall and cozy blankets and patterns strewn about.

Faith

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the One who is leading." - Oswald Chambers

The Wolves - Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding covered Bon Iver's song "The Wolves" and I think it is so so beautiful. I love Bon Iver but for whatever reason usually skip over this song, but not anymore, this version made me like both versions of the song so much more.

Hope you like it :)

oh heavenly day

Sometimes I just need a little adventure and time to get away from the city. Sometimes that leads me to random towns like Silverton, last sunday it led me to Dundee, OR also known as wine country. I followed the text instructions from my dear friend Mari and headed up to the vineyard rich hills. I drove up the hill with no destination in mind and pulled over the second I saw this grove of trees.

For a good twenty minutes, I was a giddy little girl running around these trees and gushing over the beautiful light and the sheer number of trees and how there were absolutely no people around.

It was perfect.

Simplify (Dec 31st)

Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. ~ William Morris

I'm making an effort to simplify, everything really. I've been going through my closet and boxes and getting rid of so much stuff that I don't ever use or wear or need and it is so freeing.

It feels good to have more space and less clutter. So here's to a new year and keeping it simple.

And that's the end. 365 photos, 365 days.

I wasn't quite consistent enough to take and post a picture every day; life got a little crazy in there with trips to Haiti and work and job searching.

I'm going to keep it much more laid back in the coming year, keep it simple and post a picture when I have one I want to show you all. Which will probably be a lot so I hope you'll keep checking back.

Cheers!

Indy (Dec 30th)

Indy

The cutest dog in the world.

And I had a blast puppy sitting her for the day :)

chilly ferry ride (Dec 29th)

future photographer (Dec28th)

cutie (Dec 27th)

light (Dec 26th)