Saying goodbye to a friend

Soba 11-22-2009

Our beloved family dog was hit by a car and died earlier tonight. May she rest in peace.

She's some American girl

Gwen, an American girl brand doll, was released early this fall at a price tag of $95.

The company wanted to speak to the economical climate by introducing young girls to

a doll who's family apparently lost their home. Maybe Gwen's parents drove matching Lexus SUV's and built a 5000 square foot home with a faux stone facade. Eventually poor spending habits brought them to a place where they no longer could afford to pay both of the mortgages they had out on their home. Who knows what happened to Gwen, but now she's homeless. Your little girl may just learn something we call empathy if you spend $95. Buy one today and you too can teach her some of life's important messages. 

Halloween Happens

trip to lake michigan

Clouds in the midwest

Atmospheric conditions in the midwest. I haven't seen clouds like these in some time.

Go figure it would be kid related.

This is the last photo taken before I discovered I left my battery charger in New Mexico.  Wah, wah, wah...

I still have my p&s but I will say goodbye to my DSLR for now. 

In Michigan on "vacation".

From Effingham with love.

There are numerous elements of life you ponder when driving across country. You notice the obvious shift in topography and the climate that changes in tandem. When you've taken the same path for five years back and forth from where you used to live to where you now live, you begin to find hidden gems in towns and cities along the way. Food coops with amazing sandwiches, parks to take the kids to, hotels that allow dogs, and places to stay where the breakfast is served overlooking the rolling hills and not some parking lot. One thing I've noticed more specifically is that the people change as quickly as the landscape. In Albuquerque people are nice, but guarded. The attitude is similar to a big city although the population may not necessarily reflect one. In eastern Texas things shift toward southern hospitality. Joplin Missouri is amazing, the people will blow you away with kindness but as an eastern girl I often wonder what's hiding inside. By the time you get to St. Louis the shift occurs back toward an east coast stiffness with a midwestern guard. When we arrived in Effingham, Illinois I was completely let down by how little kindness we received from everyone we came in contact with. The southern attitude seems spirited in community whereas the midwestern vibe seems to say every woman for herself. 

Like the heaviness of the humidity my heart weighs heavy with our impending move back east. 

Moving across the country.

My husband Loren and I have decided to move back to our home state of Michigan. So many reasons motivate our move but my heart is heavy. I will miss the mountains most. The Sandia Mountains stand tall at the east side of the city and the furthest neighborhoods creep up the foothills. We have spent a majority of our days climbing, hiking, and watching the sun set on the side of the mountain. More recently I have been using the mountain to train for a marathon, gaining 1000+ feet during arduous runs in the foothills. More than anything else I will miss the light of New Mexico. The light that has brought so many artists and notable photographers will soon be a memory stored in 1's and 0's. I have made a promise to myself to take some film and capture the light before I leave. For now, a snapshot from one of our many family outings.