26 May 2009

The sum of the parts

Don't you love the way life leaves little reminders for us?

The day before we left for Palm Springs, I cut my hand while washing one of our large, glass water jugs.  One of the wounds (around my ring finger) was particularly gnarly and needed a few stitches.  For the past ten days, I've had my hands bandaged up and my fingers taped together.  As far as accidents go, this was about as minor as it gets - but it was still annoying.  Today, I finally get my stitches out!

I don't know about you, but I had never given one thought to "the web" area of my hand until this happened.  It's one of those parts you don't think much about until it gets damaged and you can't use it!  And its function was much more significant than I ever realized.  It helps pick things up, open objects, hold weight, spread the hand to type or play piano, etc.  It also allows us to exercise and I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to practice yoga until it had healed and I certainly wouldn't start rock climbing this month, as I had hoped.  It is such an integral part of our hands that goes completely unnoticed!

So today, however silly it might sound, I thought it would be nice to celebrate those little parts of our amazing bodies that hold us together and allow us to function.  Look down at your hands and bless them.  They let you do so much!  How many other inconspicuous body parts do you use regularly that you've never paid attention to?  Take a moment to thank them as well.  All of these little bits and pieces that make up who we are physically also have a huge (but often overlooked) effect on us emotionally.  

Our bodies can (and do eventually) fail us, but they also (usually) manage to sustain us on a daily basis and often times perform some pretty outrageous feats.  Our beings, both physically and metaphysically, are created not only by the sum of our parts, but also by how well they all work together to create the whole.  This accident was another gentle reminder to be grateful for the small things in life.

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”  
~ Mother Theresa

21 May 2009

Death becomes her

Welcome to one of the weirdest destinations on the West Coast... The Salton Sea. Last weekend, we spent a day driving around it. It was one of those places I'd always wanted to go to and now it is one that I hope to never see again.




The Salton Sea is located just south of Palm Springs and just north of the Mexican border. Oddly enough, it is the largest lake in California. But unfortunately, it is also the saltiest, most depressing, deserted place ever.



Although the Salton Sea is an important resource for migrating birds and waterfowl, the lake has become increasingly toxic due to pollution, salinity levels and bacteria. The only fish that have withstood the peculiar water are Tilapia and even they are dying off from deoxygenation and parasites. All along the coast are creepy dead fish with hollowed out eyes.



From the 1920's through the 1960's, the Salton Sea was a tourist attraction and water recreation destination. Now, it is anything but.



Isn't this the perfect setting for a horror movie? Can't you just envision a bunch of crazed locals hanging out at the "Fireside Lounge?" This was one of the eeriest places of all!



Dotted along the coast are several small beach communities. Each one, a ghost town with abandoned buildings, burnt trailer homes, shells of what once perhaps thrived.



What appears to be sand from a distance is actually broken barnacles, salt encrusted shells, and fish bones.
 I wonder if these two were friends or lovers?



Do you believe?  I'm pretty sure that aliens invaded and took over this entire area.  



I could not wait to get out of there.  



From the road and tucked in the safe confines of your car, the Salton Sea looks like a pretty body of water set in the middle of the desert.  But this is a classic case of things are not always what they seem... 



Appearances can be deceiving...  and this place smells like death.

14 May 2009

Les fleurs

Taking photos of flowers is about as unoriginal and cliché as it gets, but I love them nonetheless, and have wanted to shoot with a black background ever since my Sognare d'Italia assignment last year. I think the contrast between the color and the dense darkness creates such a lovely tone, don't you? I can already see various combinations of these images decorating a wall in my house.



























11 May 2009

Where it's at...

photo editing,
backlogged virtual stacks of imagery to process-

-in between visitors
and forbidden photo shoots.


Just try to keep the ideas from escaping!

{images to follow

.......soon.}

 
musical journeys in my head|phones.

falling in love with this girl 
and everywhere she keeps popping up.  she makes me want to dye my hair black again.  
i can't quit listening to this song:




finding old flames in different places and places where other old flames wish they could be as bright.  Few words adequately describe the genius.

music is *hot* right now.



hatching plans to be on the road again.

palm springs, fairbanks, cambridge, rome-  all before i know!

but enjoying the comfort of now.....
...that which includes daily bicycle rides, splashing in the pool with my two 
little fish, entertaining friends, scrabble with strangers, wine in the garden, catching up.  

{the sum of my life is a series of moments.}

the horizon is drawing me close, tightening its grasp a little more each day.  

-------------
i miss you, but i just have to see other people right now.  
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