Spirit Day

In honour of Spirit Day today, and in the hopes that the irrational hatred and violence will stop, here is my purple...

Getting back to what matters...

I am facing some tough stuff right now at work that is taking time and energy away from what is really important and meaningful to me... teaching children. So when I am feeling like bureaucratic top-down decisions are taking away from my passion for my work, I need to take a moment to get back to what really matters... me and my students.
These photos were taken during a field trip last year that had no other purpose than to let us play and be together as a community. It was a spectacular day of laughter, learning, and discovery.
This group of photos also reminds me how this whole photography thing can be about more than just  learning to take good pictures, but also helping to stay grounded in reflection on myself and the world around me.

** This first photo was actually taken by a student who saw me playing around with my big old Pentax and started asking me questions (it looks so different than the mini digitals they are used to), so I gave him a quick lesson and this is what came out. Not bad at all actually :)

 All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

It's a small world after all...

Who doesn't love miniature things? They're cute, they can fit in your pocket, and they make for such great photo subjects! 

Dinosaurs in Portland! ~ Pentax K1000

Ghandi's mini-house ~ Pentax K1000

Public Art House ~ Olympus Pen F

Christmas Village ~ Olympus Pen F

The Secret Garden

This summer, I had the privilege of visiting the most amazing garden. A garden where flowers grow wild, and tower over you creating arches and secret passages. A garden where a crystal chandelier hangs inside an old wooden shed. A garden where gargoyles and Buddhas hide nestled among the bushes. A garden where cozy couches and over sized cushions create dens of conversation. A garden where it seems that, at any moment, a fairy tale may unfold before your eyes. A garden simply known as "Sue's Garden".

All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F

Beep Beep Ya!

Although I am not a car buff or even in the slightest way versed on the subject, I do love the look of vintage cars and trucks. And apparently from looking through my pictures, I also have an affinity for their headlights and tires. 

All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F (except that last one, which was taken with my Pentax K100 and also features a car and a reflection! I really need to start thinking outside the box!)