my baby girl...

Today is her birthday. Yes, we had a "just about Christmas" baby. We would never have named her Christmas, although it would have been perfect with our last name. We mentioned this to her when she was four. Without telling us, she announced to her preschool teachers and friends that her real name was Christmas but they could call her Crissy. I didn't find out until I saw the papers she had worked on at school with the name Crissy (her decision on the spelling), in familiar handwriting. She didn't see anything wrong with changing her name to what it really should have been. Eventually, she went back to her given name but it always makes me smile to think of her making the change.

She is exactly as she was as a baby, happy, social, interested and sure of herself. It is amazing the glimpses we get of our adult children when they are young. The things that are so true are there all along. We just don't recognize them until many years later.

Happy birthday, my sweet girl. You are too far away this year.

an iris for Christmas?

This December may turn out to be one of the coldest on record. We haven't had a high yet this month that has hit the average temperature. While those who love Arizona for its warm winters may not appreciate it, I am loving every bit. Last Christmas Day, we had dinner outside without the need for sweaters or jackets but definitely sunglasses. Tonight, there is a possibility of snow. Yes, snow. I am hoping and hoping.

Meanwhile, there is a little treasure in my yard who is very confused. It is very short and its first bud froze last week. This is its first bloom. As much as I have enjoyed the peek into spring, I am hoping it will understand that it needs to come back in March. In March, it will love being here.

at the street fair...

One of our favorite events is the street fair, held twice a year, in the spring and in December. The sights, the sounds, the smells and the people watching are a delight for me with camera in hand.


You can eat...

Have your fortune told.




















Listen to music.

Find the light in the middle of chaos.

Become inspired.

Gaze into store windows.





Listen to music that is so unique and inspiring that you can't help but buy the cds and take enough pictures that will somehow, you hope, bring that moment back.

This group is called "The Missing Parts" and for the record, we had Navajo tacos for lunch. Yum.

a little gathering of nature for Christmas...

Pine bough from our Christmas tree, red berries from the nandina bush, pine cone from my birthday picnic on the mountains. Annabelle texture from the 12 Days of Texture by Kim Klassen.

thank you, Kim Klassen...

As a photographer, I feel like my creativity ebbs and tides. Sometimes I am on a roll, sometimes I feel like things are getting repetitive and stale. Friends introduced me to textures last year. Thanks to Kim Klassen's lovely textures, I am able to jump start my creativity by playing around in Photoshop. Kim is hosting the 12 days of textures right now. Check it out.
I can't stop photographing jingle bells.

keeping spirits bright...

My children will not be home for Christmas this year. They are adults. This is not a shock nor unexpected. Despite just seeing them at Thanksgiving, it is hard. I love being with my kids. They continue to interest and delight me, even after all these years.


The season is taking a different turn this year. Instead of being filled with expectations and busy plans, it is a little quieter, a little softer. The house isn't filled with every decoration. The tree is purchased but not up yet. The stockings aren't even hung.
So despite a bit of a melancholy feeling, I am keeping spirits bright. I am celebrating the many December birthdays we have. We played in the snow on Sunday. I had lunch today with some of my dearest friends. WB has done his usual bang-up job finding new and fun Christmas music. I even helped - check out the Puppini Sisters doing "All I Want for Christmas is You". Andrew Sisters meet 2011. Amaryllis are in the window, slowly, slowly starting to grow. There are branches filled with tiny white lights.
"He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming, it *came*! Somehow or other... it came just the same."

And we can't wait...

sometimes they just pose for me...

We're both enjoying a beautiful November day today.

a visit to Tubac...

Participating in Texture Tuesday. Phoebe texture used in a variety of ways that I can't begin to remember. Thank you, Kim!


Tubac isn't far and we visit once or twice a year. It is a mixture of Mexico, art and cliche. There is always something new and always something fun.


We got a head start on some holiday shopping. I can feel the worry in my friends and family as they look at these photos. Who will get that big chicken?



We even found a little bit of fall.

all souls procession...

The All Souls Procession is held every November, in conjunction with Dia de los Muertos. It honors the lives of those who have passed on. It is a celebration of life and a mourning of loss. People carried photographs of their loved ones. Participants dressed as giraffes, mourned the death of Watoto, a giraffe who died at the zoo this year. A woman mourned the death of her marriage. People remembered the victims of breast cancer and AIDS. A little boy walked with photos of his dog. The celebration is joyous and respectful.


































For all of its faults, Tucson is truly a remarkable town. Although it is a city of 1,000,000+, it still feels like a town. This is one of the reasons. Where else can you see a bagpipe group and the university marching band, all with skeleton faces?





This connects us all. We all have loss. We all mourn our loved ones who are gone. This is a celebration of their lives, our love for them and how we will always remember, hopefully with a smile on our faces.




More photos below. Blogger was giving me fits today.

more from all souls...