Motivation

Evelyn: Doing this provides me with opportunity to instill routine into my life in a way that keeps me creative and connected. And, it is hard, when I don't have the expectation to have this done at any particular time to stay motivated. Alas, a day where no picture exists... where neither of us took out our camera to discover a morsel of living in our life... and I am finding it hard to stay motivated... I am so far behind... and it takes time to prep each picture, make a post, and keep up.  How do you stay motivated? PLEASE respond! We need some inspiration!

Soundboard

Evelyn: I crept up on Sam who runs the Gulfport Dance, and snapped images of operations... shhhh, Top Secret!

Pair of Nibbles

Evelyn: I can't believe how far behind we are... 

Seafood Boil

Evelyn: A friend of mine invited me for a Seafood Boil, in a huge pot full of corn and potatoes, lobster tails and shrimp, and succulent crab legs. 

Party Favors

Evelyn: I couldn't believe all the thought put into Jamie's wedding. I returned home with two lovely bottles of wine (it will take me a year to drink them). 

Reds

Evelyn: Jamie & Steve's wedding was filled with flowers, paper, real, cupcake... dalias everywhere. 

Waiting

Evelyn: Gizmo is so wonderful at following directions. He is waiting until I say, "OK" so he can snag that blue balancing ball...

Infrequent Visitors

Evelyn: Unexpected grazer between traffic and students... and I wonder just how mother nature puts up with all our busy-ness.

Ornaments

Evelyn: Every once in a while you get a young child on the dance floor - inspired by his/her own rhythm; imagination billowing, twinkle toes moving and running, spinning and leaping, eventually the ornaments are in the way and become the residue of her experience. Sometimes I too drop all the ornaments of my being in a heap, and breathe there, present and real.

Dicey

Evelyn: I have a handful of very large dice.  I love playing games, but it seems the games we used to play have been collecting dust ... and I wonder how to breathe new life into that part of my existence.

Daily Practice

Evelyn: This has been my favorite bag... a cheap utility satchel with pockets all around, and space for my favorite things. I caught the sunlight during my drive, highlighting the things I carry with me, day to day.

Small Crowds

Evelyn:  This little crowd of red flowers bloomed in my patio - which to me is always a miracle, since I don't know much about gardens, dirt, or making things grow. I do, however, love the plants to grow in spite of me.

Guess...

Thai Bribe

Evelyn: Sometime the only way to get the kid to follow me to a Hillbilly Swing Band is to bribe him with Thai. Orchids are sort of sweet.

Ribbons

Evelyn: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at ATA Career Education - and it seems it has brought us some wonderful attention towards the growth of our programs... programs I have been working hard on!

Yellow

Bent

Evelyn: Hauling a bunch of things into the office this morning, precariously balanced between bags and books, I attempted to slam the door behind me. What I didn't realize until late that night on my way out was the unnatural bend in my key, which had caught in the door earlier that afternoon. I had to take a hammer to it before I could pack up to go home.

Reptiles

Evelyn: Kinda fun when we do this... both caught by a creature - a Wilbur Turtle and a Palm Harbor Blue Lizard. 

Light through Limbs

Evelyn: Swing dance at Zendah. The light behind the swirling skirts and limbs is always fun to watch.

Cinnabons

Evelyn: I spent the evening with loving close friends, with the intention of conversations deep and thoughtful, filled with exploration of parts of myself that I often neglect to put into the light. However, I first had the pleasure of watching Oren munch down cinnamon buns before bath and bed. He looked just as tasty, and full of zombie ambitions and cataclysmic catastrophes he was better entertainment than television.

SNAP Orlando

Evelyn: I was able to squeeze one night of the SNAP Orlando (Photography) event this year. It was short notice and I had made quite a few plans with clients that my only opportunity was Friday with Jamie and Lauren (after some Dandelion!). There were a series of photos taken with the iphone of the war in the middle east. The photos were captivating, and told quite the story.

Taste

Evelyn: This little clay piece is one of a collection of pieces from an artist I fell in love with in Tucson. The faces on her artwork were like souls I have known for an eternity, and they inspire my hope when ever I glance at them.

A Bit Playful

Evelyn: Buddha has been staring at my laundry room for weeks. He's a tiny figure, and yet, when I see him and get close, I love his happy face, arms up to receive and take in all the blessings that tumble through our lives - even the laundry getting done.

Big to Little

Evelyn: One of the parting gifts from the shower was a little plant with yellow flowers. I have been enjoying how they open and shut like California poppies.

Waking Up

Evelyn: I have gotten very familiar with the way light comes through my curtains in the morning. I often doze, my eyes in and out of the shadows as the morning light makes its way through the trees beyond my window. This morning, I caught a shadow that wasn't familiar at all... and through all the designs, all the leafy shifts, I noticed the dragonfly warming his wings in the light, a small figure sturdy and different. I love the morning light in my bedroom and how she plays with shadows, waking my mind in ways that bring a lightness of being into my day.

The Current Pace

Evelyn: Today was Jamie's wedding shower. One thing I love about Jamie are the fabulous shoes she chooses. We have tried going on shoe adventures, but my feet are too rustic and finicky and adhere to the belief that the closest thing to naked, flat, and grounded, the better. But, she is my little shoe goddess.

Monica: (Evelyn writes...) So, I understood that Franklin's retreat burned down today after a late day conversation with Monica. Of course, as remote as they all are, and so close to state lands and miles of dry nature, a parade of firefighters from the local casino and towns were very busy over the next few days. I was sad to hear that flames were adding to the stress of acclimating to Wilbur. Regardless, I also heard the depth of gratitude for the firefighters and their diligence.

Tokens

Evelyn: My dear friend Jamie is soon to get married. I take this weekend and paint my heart out, something to represent the fire and water personalities, and the tenderness I so enjoy in them both. It is a gift, that is spread on two canvases representing the separateness and connection that exists within unique,  timeless, loving relationships. I was stunned to find Monica's image a brilliant match, perhaps a token of gratitude tied gently to a tree.

Little Bits of Magic

Evelyn:  The full moon is spectacular. I am eager to capture it without my tripod, I am instead blinded by its sun-like brightness, and an arch of color just above it, like a sunset. I can not balance carefully enough to grab all the detail, and after 40 photos head to Largo to dance.

Fading Light

Evelyn: The moon is peeking out from the palms in the evening as I emerge from yoga, feeling a bit more grounded and relaxed. I spend a moment enjoying its light. While in Yoga, the last exercise includes closing our eyes and sinking into the floor, our bodies gently pulsing with the ferver of movement - a moment of rest. I hear Heidi say, "close your eyes, relax..." I am near the window and I catch the wind moving the oak outside. Its leaves are on fire, orange with the fading light of the sun. I hear her repeat, "Close your eeeeyyyyyeeeesssss, relax, take a breath." My eyes won't close as my mind rides the little flittering leaves, waving and dancing, hot and happy. I want to laugh, telling my body to disappear into the floor, while my eyes drink in the dance outside. As the orange fades my eyes finally close, and I am lost in the melody of Heidi's words... relax.

A Blur

Evelyn: I head to Gulfport - to resume dancing after a week break. The water is moving and I get the sense of being on a ship, looking at the lights reflected in the distance. I feel tired, and a little lonely, but eager to head in for some connection.

A little something

Evelyn: It is my first day back, and I go with Justin to shop for groceries. We decide to eat at Nature's Food Patch - my favorite place for organic groceries - kinda like a whole foods but better prices!