returning home

what were we thinking? truth be told, we had signed up for a dance conference without the forward thinking of realizing the conference fell on thanksgiving weekend. in san francisco. in union square. we arrived 15 minutes after the tree lighting ceremony ended. this is what it looked like the three blocks we trudged up powell with our luggage to get to the st. francis. (thank you theresa rougeau for the photo)

 i wish i could say our stay was wonderful. the people we accompanied were, for sure. being with bella and caroline plus debbie and the girls was a real treat. and although the hotel was lovely, we simply did not sleep the first night.i was unable to capture any photos the first night with the exception of this one ipad shot: (photo: sarah ryann)it was literally like a train station. too many people.

 the following day i ducked out of an afternoon class to shoot a bit of the environs...

(stair wells were far faster than the elevators)

i don't know how i captured these rooms without swaths of people, but i did. i imagine it is a lovely place to be, when quiet.

(this is more like how it felt)

 my girl, for whom the trip was about. jazz, ballet, hip hop classes back to back in ballrooms.

  (senior room above, junior room below, where bella danced)

 my two girls :)

the (new) room, in the towers, 9 stories higher than room #1.
 ear plugs to ward off the street noise = achieving necessary sleep!

exhausted and fighting a stubborn head cold, we headed back down powell, through crowds with bags, cars, buses and panhandlers, to the underground station.

 and back through the pearly landmark gates of home. ah! is there anything better than returning home?

 

day of thanks

friends and family, turkey and all the fixings, swapping stories, reminiscing, decorating the navy museum and simply being with each other, that's how we spent thanksgiving this year. 

what about you?

giving thanks

 without a doubt, i am genuinely, truly, unabashedly grateful for so much in this life, for the surrounds of support and encouragement, for opportunities to serve and be served, for sunshine and rain, for friends and for family, for grass and clean parks, for children and laughing, for god and grace, for the sacredness of life and the fallow season, for being conscious of all this, i give thanks. i am thankful for you.

offering

beloved son and i stopped at the market to pick up deli sandwiches between history co-op and park day. he asked if he could get a box of crackers, which i agreed to. in the parking lot, he asked if he could give the crackers to a homeless family at the parking lot's edge. again i agreed, and waited. i watched as he approached the mini van and offered the food, slight as it was. it took him some time to leave the van, and i wondered what was happening, as they were just out of hearing. he returned, and told me he'd asked if he could pray with them. "it wasn't a very good prayer, mom." 
i disagree.
i love that young man.

taken seriously. seriously sane

after the wild ride called october, november assignments bring back the fun of my job, particularly with my favorite assistant, whose mechanical mind can take the problem out of any issue-which there always is. with these assignments, there is no concern over moving subjects like dancers. it's rather static but the joking and goofing around happens during the process, which we have not captured. these men are quite dear to me, actually. this scottish r*te work since 1994 gives me reason to pause, breathe, and enjoy the process one light, one exposure, one person at a time. it's about personal interaction, trust, and technical know-how. what these assignments lack in art, they score high in predictability. these men give me nearly full-reign at this point, questioning nothing i do. being appreciated, being taken seriously, and knowing they can and do rely on me without hesitation is its own reward. and husband keeps me sane. seriously. from the ipad and mark ii:

boo

another successful family dance! this year we added laser lights and fog, and beloved son was able to guest d.j. the last hour and a half. one young man brought his homemade tesla coil. another group effort made such a fun night! miss s's jaw-dropping costume completely crafted by two simply amazing friends at missteapotdressup . disney would be proud.
halloween was completed with a round of big-kid trick or treating in the usual neighborhood with all the usual suspects. that in itself was probably the scariest thing of all....19 kids total. :)