:: at this point in my life ::

in a tracy chapman kind of mood this morning.


"there is fiction in the space between the lines on your page of memories. write it down but it doesn't mean you're not just telling stories." telling stories

"you felt me hurting but I can forgive you for that now. you taught me something...when you give all yourself away just tell them to be careful of your heart...I just lost a little faith when you broke my heart. given a chance I might try it again, but I wouldn't risk it all this time. I'd save a little love for myself, enough for my heart to mend. a little love for myself." be careful of my heart

"at this point in my life I'd like to live as if only love mattered, as if redemption was in sight as if the search to live honestly is all that anyone needs, no matter if you find it." at this point in my life

"if you knew that you would die today, saw the face of God and love, would you change? would you change?" change

:: my weekend in photos ::

memories. old and new.

made a 24 round trip for a corey's 30 minute set at CMA Fest in nashville - which was one of the best i've seen - in large part because of this.

:: my weekend in photos ::

pool day #2 of 2.

:: my weekend in photos ::

at the 30th annual freedom weekend aloft.
bottom row: the wailers, corey smith and thousands of our closest friends.

:: my dear friends ::

my heart has been very full today. to the point where it kind of hurts...in a good way. i just made my second trip of the day to the grocery store and on the way the circumstances were just right for me to hear God speaking to me. this time, he wanted to talk about the friends in my life. and i listened (for a change). it was a little overwhelming and i had to take a few deep breaths before i could even walk into the store.

here's the thing. i realized that my absolute dearest friends are those who allow me the honor of serving them. God blessed me with a "servant's heart" as my sister and brother-in-law (two people i put in the "dearest friends" category) say. and some of my happiest and fullest moments in life are when i'm helping my friends in some way.

today i'm cooking for a friend whose father-in-law passed away last week and she & her husband just moved into a new house. a slightly overwhelming week, to say the least. she could have declined my offer for a (mostly) home cooked meal. but she didn't. and the gift of her acceptance put me in my kitchen on a beautiful Memorial Day, chopping (one of my favorite pastimes) anything that got in my way. most of what i've been making won't even make it to her house (per her request, not my refusal) but i've been working on fresh salsa, roasted red potatoes, broccoli salad, red cabbage slaw and who knows what else between now and dinner time.

in the middle of the joyous madness i got a message from another sweet friend. one who constantly tells me how special i am, despite how bad i am at reciprocating such kind affirmations. she came home early from the beach yesterday so she could relax at home and get ready for her work week. she spent this morning and part of the afternoon at the ER with her mom. my response was food first, then (closely followed, but followed, still) prayer. the order doesn't matter to her. and while she didn't accept my offer to come sit at the hospital with her or meet her at her mom's house to help get things in order, i know she will gladly accept (and even propose - an even better gift sometimes!) offers yet to come. including all this extra food i have sitting around now.

the situations aren't always so grim, yet they are often related to food. my best friends know that i want to feed them...and they let me.



thank you, my dear friends. i love you.

:: colors of new york ::

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:: my weekend in photos ::

we heart all over NY.

:: my weekend in photos ::

"i watched those waves roll like words off a tongue - living language, God's subtle speech."
- mac leaphart

:: my weekend in photos ::

[click to enlarge]

:: my weekend in photos ::

01. a very windy day at the car wash - finally washed away the sand & salt from our snow (/ice) storms!

02-03. the perils of gardening: a busted faucet and a new pet.

04. spotted this dark red flower in the gully behind my house, amid a bunch of ivy. went closer to see what it was and noticed its awesome camouflage leaves. part of me doesn't want to find out what it is to maintain the mystique. (but part of me really wants to know!)

:: my weekend in photos ::

[click to enlarge]

01-02. girls night at corey smith at the orange peel in asheville nc (and cabin in flat rock)
03-04. goofing around with a little (or hilariously long) mid-show self-photo(s) shoot. and i finally wore my new scarf!

:: my weekend in photos ::

[click to enlarge]

took a little trip downtown with my sister and nephew for greenville's st baldrick's festivities on sunday. 122 people had their heads shaved and raised nearly $57,000 for childhood cancer research. one 7-year old girl raised $15,000 when she took over the fund-raising that her dad -- a deployed marine -- had begun! she and her mom sat bravely on stage, getting their locks trimmed together. when she pulled her daddy doll from under her apron and sat him in her lap, there was hardly a dry eye in the place.

:: my weekend in photos ::

01. the blue dogs played the grey eagle in asheville on friday night

02. picture of a great will hoge shot on the wall at the grey eagle
03. dinner at my favorite mexican spot in hendersonville nc
04. a band on haywood street entertains everyone within earshot on a beautiful spring sunday (in february!) - click to enlarge this one. love the details!

:: super bowl of popcorn (ceiling) ::

if it weren't for the mess, i think popcorn ceiling removal would be my new hobby. strangely gratifying.

:: my weekend in photos ::

back in athens to shoot the video for corey's upcoming single, "twenty-one." from clayton street to the 8e's bar and nowhere (bar) in between.


click here to hear corey perform "twenty-one" for chattanooga's US-101.

:: my weekend in photos ::

01. the georgia theatre is undergoing construction after a devastating fire in june 2009. the remodel will incorporate incredible upgrades to the famed music venue while maintaining the historical integrity of a building that's 122 years old. grand opening summer 2011.

02. corey smith being interviewed for GAC's headline country amid the rubble and rebuilding. corey first played the theatre in december 2005 to a sold out crowd. (zac brown opened the show.)

03-04. bus and site provided by the jackson county correctional institute. first photo overlooks the landfill. it was a chilling 30-40 degrees for most (if not all of the shoot).

05-06. family photo shoot and more video footage in one of the chic penthouse suites at the hotel indigo - a beautiful and environmentally friendly (LEED certified gold) hotel in downtown athens. part of corey's upcoming album, the broken record, was recorded in the hotel's own rialto room.

07. local artist wendy hanson's fabric butterflies on display in the mercury art works gallery at hotel indigo.




as much as i was ready to warm and rested in my own home,i made a stop by pitaya to pick up a few things. (2 tanks, 2 cardigans and 1 dress.)