In your own time.

Many things in life are hard work. Blooming where you are planted takes effort and energy. It takes the proper balance of elements to thrive, yielding the gifts you were placed here to give. Gentle care balanced carefully with hard work give up the fruits of your labor to share with the world.

What we forget easily is this: just because we plant ourselves somewhere doesn't mean we will grow strong and bare fruit in that spot. We need to be careful to pick out the appropriate balance of light, water and care.  We need to look closely at the soil we are given and the climate in which we are planted. We need to examine the care and the strength it will take. And we can't just expect to grow with no solid foundation.

If you have ever had a garden, you know all plants fruit in their own time. Some do it quickly while others take great care and time in yielding a crop. Just because the tomato is ripe doesn't mean your peas will be ready too. Everything blossoms in it's own time.

One of my favorite expressions has always been "Grow where you are planted." But after spending some time thinking about this, I really think we need more than that. We need the proper elements to make it happen so we don't wither and die before getting the chance to bare the fruits of our labor to the world. And we need patience to grow as we need to....on our terms. 

Mom + Dad

"...you never really stop missing someone – you just learn to live around the huge gaping hole of their absence."  Alyson Noel

Every day, I think of them. But today, especially. Today I celebrate their presence in my life.

Flexing my wedding muscles

It's admittedly been a few months since I have flexed my wedding photography muscles. I have been busy with loads of families and commercial work - as well as some design that I also do. But yesterday, I dove headfirst into the wedding waters again. And what luck! A beautiful day with an adorable couple and the most simple wedding I have ever had the pleasure of shooting.

Congratulations to Ben and Janea! I am so happy I got to be a part of this day with you! I wish you many many years of a happy marriage and a long life filled with love and joy and - most of all - peace.

Safety net

The twisted and turning branches of the live oaks form a canopy like no other. Their arms gracefully shield us from the elements of life - protecting us from anything too harsh to see and encasing us in their webbed safety net like a flock of mother hens.

I want to stay here forever under the strong arms of Mother Nature. I want to linger in her cocoon of love and protection. I want to be guarded by her stature against the odds of life. I want to lay safe with her and rest happy, knowing she can keep out the bigger problems surrounding our souls.

After the Storm

After The Storm
Mumford and Sons
 

And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.

Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

There will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

And I won't die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and man so small.
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

There is only love.

Some days I want to jump in and swim to the other side. Float into the land of glee and ease where the clouds are made of cotton candy and the stars twinkle like diamonds in the night sky.

In my mind, the other side is cool and sunny with soft grass beneath your feet. It's filled with music and laughter, with the right amounts of everything. The other side has just enough of everything, but never too much of anything.

On the other side there is no pain or hurt. There is no anger. No frustrations. On the other side, there is only love.

There is only love.

Love

Let love guide you.

Let it guide every decision you make and every breath you take. Let it wash over you in a way that water does for your thirsty soul. Let it enter every breath you take and every move that happens each day.

Let love show you the way out of the darkness and into the light. Let it show you all the good and all the bad parts of life, even when you aren't ready to see them. Let love shine out of your face and seep from your pores.

Let love be the answer. To everything.

Whatever may come...

My family from yesterday's shoot. Could they be any more gorgeous?

I always go into shoots not really knowing what to expect. Every shoot is a little different. Maybe I have never met any of the family. Or maybe I know them all too well. But there is never an air of predictability about a shoot. There is always an air of uncertainty.

I actually like it this way. If I go in assuming something is going to be a certain way, I usually am caught off guard or disappointed. But when I can't predict it, I am almost more relaxed. I have a "whatever may come" attitude and approach which I think, in turn, puts everyone more at ease. There are no time constraints, no limits, no preconceived ideas about the day. Which usually makes everyone ease into their spots, becoming casually who they are....without even trying or knowing they are doing it.

Homegrown

Each week, my share from Compost in my Shoe comes and I am always floored. The beauty. The care. The love that goes into these plants... it's remarkable. I have talked tirelessly about it recently. Shamelessly and tirelessly.

While I am a huge advocate from getting your food locally from people you know, I am also a huge advocate for growing your own stuff. This is not only good for you, it's good for the planet too! Pretty much everybody wins.

This is part of the share from this week. It smells DIVINE. I pull off this stock of herbs all week - putting them on fresh fish, in veggies, and in salad dressings. What doesn't get used up there gets tossed in a pot and turned into fresh juice or stock - vegetable or chicken. It turns into something we can use later. But it never, ever gets wasted.

I can't stress enough how happy I am that this is part of our life : fresh food, straight from the earth. If we get it from someone or if we get it from our yard. It's homegrown...with love...with purpose...with a mission.

He is back.

He's back.

Gone for 5 days and what felt like an eternity on a school trip to Washington D.C., my little man is back - safe and sound. Sleeping well and just as ornery and surly as he ever was.

I wouldn't trade it for the world. The sass. The drama. The tween attitude. I really wouldn't. I am so happy for all of it here at home...sleeping soundly in bed with heavy covers over him and a battle of the wills from the moment he wakes up these days. He is safe. And he is home. And he is with me. And I couldn't ask for more.

You see, just before this trip, Graham lost a classmate unexpectedly. She was only 13 years old - far too soon to be gone. Far too soon for her parents to bury her in the ground already. We are all mourning this loss and her absence. It is a tragedy I cannot even imagine...a parent's worst nightmare altogether.

So when I say I don't mind the sass and the drama - I am not kidding. I am thinking of Lucy - her parents and her family and her classmates. I don't care about laundry or stinky feet or someone climbing in bed with me at 3 AM because they don't feel good. I don't care about the hardships that come with tweens or the struggles ahead with teenage drinking or bad grades or whatever our story may be. I don't really care about anything but this foot in my bed - safe, happy, loved, here.

So I am glad. He is back. He is here with us today. And that is something I will never take for granted.

Grateful for what is....

I have been missing a little of the light lately. I am busy at my desk with too much to do and not enough time to do it.

I have been feeling depleted. Too many things have been pulling at me and I haven't had the will to work them all out. I feel the need to put the brakes on and stop everything. I feel the need to take care of me.

Sometimes, though, moments like this happen. Even when you are in a hurry running from appointment to commitment, life pulls you in and begs you to stop and stare. I really almost don't remember taking this photo, but I am glad I did. Because every time I see it as I have scrolled through the photos on my phone this week, I breathe a deep sigh of relief and become grateful for what is instead of what isn't.

Sweet, messy life.

Life is sweet and messy. Take a big bite. Frosting, sprinkles and all. Get the crumbs everywhere. Wash it down with milk and stop worrying about depriving yourself of yet more delicious treats. Just jump in and savor the sweetness.

Love the seeds.

"You must scatter the seeds. Love the seeds. Have complete faith in the seeds. Only then, will they become all that you hope for."  Unknown

Harvesting

While harvesting has to be one of the most rewarding experiences, I can't help but see how it can be one of the most arduous tasks. Just when you think that you can coast into a comfortable place, you realize that there is mountains of work left to be done. Perhaps all those seeds didn't take. Or maybe they got taken by something. Maybe your crop got too much sun or rain. It's here that you find out.  And even after you reap your bountiful or pitiful harvest, you are still in for the work... the cleaning, the storing, the bottling, the canning, the preserving and the cooking. The work is never really done. It just continues in a new form. But the gratitude for the work done and the reward in front of you should always remain strong and big in your heart.

#knowyourfarmer

Mr. Lettuce - getting his bath.

Today, I got to spend a little time on my friend Jim's farm. We are working on a project together and it makes my soul sing for many reasons that I won't go into here. I have always loved a bit of gardening. But the fantasy of having my very own small scale farm is something I have dreamed about ever since I transplanted various seedlings in the forest behind my house growing up.

I have spent some time with Jim before. Documenting him, his plantings, and parts of his life in his new venture. But, today I really got it. I mean - it clicked on a level I can't express in words. The care he has for his plants and the love he has for this craft is no joke. I can assure you that every single seed is planted with care. Every crop harvested is done meticulously by hand. Every plant is processed with love. There are no pesticides. There are no chemicals in site. Just a few guinea fowl and a lot of mushroom compost and mulch.

To give you and example, each of the farm shares he has are harvested by hand. They are then INDIVIDUALLY bathed in a gentle water bath and precariously placed in coolers until delivery - which is typically the next day. This is not done for just the lettuce, but the bok choy, the carrots, the early garlic, the herbs, the potatoes, the kale, the onions, the spinach and the rest of the share. Each share is packaged immaculately and delivered TO YOUR DOORSTEP each week.

Not only is it remarkable that they grow delicious, fresh, wholesome produce from seed and deliver it to your doorstep each week. But the process of harvesting and packaging each item is done with such care you actually can tell the difference. I promise - you can taste it in the butter lettuce and the Russian River Kale. Each bite is a unique experience that takes you beyond the refrigerated aisles of your local Publix.

So next time you reach for that bag of packaged spinach - think again. Where did it come from? Who has handled it? Was it loved? Was it treated with gentle care? Who grew it? Do they really love this food? Do they actually care about what is going into this?

Get to know that farmer. I promise, it'll be the best thing you ever did.

Love After Love

LOVE AFTER LOVE
by Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Almost summer...

Lovely and green...I can hardly wait to put my whole face in this plant and inhale the intoxicating aroma of summer. Not long now we will be floating around in summer's wake, drifting on her tides and eating up all her goodness and life.

Tulips

“A tulip doesn’t strive to impress anyone. It doesn’t struggle to be different than a rose. It doesn’t have to. It is different. And there’s room in the garden for every flower..." Marianne Williamson

creatures

Yesterday we went to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia for a quick Spring Break road trip. We had a fantastic time and the weather was picture perfect. Cool breezes and sunshine made up for the crowds and long lines.

There really was a lot of interesting exhibits, but I love the giraffes the most. Something about these creatures fascinates me - they are an interesting study in evolution. I chatted with the exhibit curator for a while in the back while others paid a few dollars to feed them leafy greens and pet their heads all while dodging their extremely long tongues!  We talked mostly about their nature and personalities of the individual giraffes (apparently they are very kind and gentle, but not super bright animals overall).

As we strolled around the zoo, our group talked about how amazing it is that life takes on such unique forms and how these creatures all adapt to their surroundings. Elephants use their huge ears to cool off in the hot deserts of Africa. Sea anemone and the clown fish have a symbiotic relationship and protect each other. Long necks allow those giraffe to eat those top leaves on the trees so they don't go hungry out in the plains. It's really amazing what evolution produces if you think about it.

I normally hate zoos and aquariums and anything that exploits animals for our own personal entertainment or use. But, yesterday I was grateful I had the opportunity to see these creatures up close and personal. I will probably never have the chance again in my life to touch a giraffe. Or see an elephant that closely. And many of these animals have been born in captivity or would have otherwise perished at the hands of people who were far more irresponsible than the keepers at this zoo.

What about you? Do you hate zoos? Love them? What have you been up to this week?

Hurling, anyone?

A few nicks here. A few bruises there...and there. And a goose egg or two. That didn't stop the gentlemen and ladies of the Charleston Hurling Club last night.

These are the badasses of badassery. I mean, this sport is nordic in its roots and the coach was bloody Irish for God's sake! You cannot - CANNOT - get any cooler than these guy.

And to boot, they are the nicest crew I have photographed in a long time.

Hurling, anyone? And I don't mean the kind where you drink too much! (*wink, wink*)