timid but willing

this subject was fairly uncomfortable with this situation, but he pushed through the uneasiness, and i appreciated the effort. he helps take care of my family at one of our favorite sushi restaurants, and he knows that i like my water without ice. it's hard to believe that not so many years ago, there were no places to get sushi in nashville.

what to do with your dream

there are countless dreams being pursued at any given time. there are some that are so farfetched that they seem like fruitless pursuits from the start; this does not stop the dreamer. other dreams are so possible that a steady dose of taking the right steps down a paved path lead to the destination. it takes a certain stamina to get to the end, and these two women possess that exact characteristic... and, for that, the world will likely be a better world. one of these dreamers is now a registered nurse, set to take care of the sick and needy. the other is going to be teaching children, giving future generations the skills to navigate life. dream all day.

caddy-corner neighbor

"welcome to the neighborhood. nice to meet you. could i take some pictures of you."

one of the couple

my wife and i have not made a lot of "couple friends" since we have been married... i've got to say that it is probably not a very easy thing to do. for both of the husbands and wives to sincerely connect with the other husband and wife takes a magical something that is possibly an endangered something. this woman (and her husband,) made the grade. strangely enough, my wife and i met this this subject and her partner when all four of us were engaged. we were all on the brink of the same commitment, and we connected. we don't actually get together all that much, but that does not weaken the bond, as the magical something does not fade easily. this woman may know more about the things that i do that annoy my wife than i do... they meet on occasion to have dinner and wine, and maybe whine. that is not to say that they don't share their joy, that is just to say that i imagine them getting together and airing their grievances about the men they married (and their jobs.) who knows, though, those dinners are top secret, off limits to a guy like me... and it's better that way. this subject is the mother of my god-daughter, which is to say that for some reason, she trusts my wife and i to assist her is the spiritual raising of her daughter; i trust her too (not so sure about her husband, ha ha ha.) "they" say that if you can count your true friends on one hand, then you are lucky... well, i'll count this woman and her husband as one, and, i'll count myself lucky. (the portrait with the furrowed brow grimace is the result of her

noticing that there is no more popcorn left in the bowl.)

there beside me

these portraits were taken last year during the post half-marathon pizza feast at my neighbor's house. having just run thirteen point one miles, i spent most of the "party" sitting on the deck. there beside me for the entire extent of my stay, was this cute set of cheeks... and by the end of the feast, i am not sure which one of us was more tired. only one of us had to walk home.

evening comes again...

... and then you might find yourself at a silent auction fundraiser for a preschool that is housed in a church, and across the table is a former Women's Extreme Snowboarding World Champion, and she's eating chips and salsa and a pinwheel sandwich type thing.

three's company

so, i've only eight more days of posting on this blog, and though it will be great to move on to the next phase of this project that began almost two years ago, i will miss sharing the stories here. the people that i encountered were usually a joy to share a moment with, and these three were no exception. the lady with the dog was slightly frightened by me when i approached. i saw her out of a front window at my house, and the blue of her scrubs caught the late light just right. so, i quickly grabbed my camera and i walked out of my front door and tried to play it casual as i strolled down the driveway... trying not to look like some sort of stalking creep. unfortunately, i did resemble such a sort, and i could tell she was less than willing to be confronted. oh, well, we aren't always ready, but life comes anyways. she was a sport after i tore down several of the walls that she had built for protection... i did it gently and honestly. i intentionally spoke of my daughters who were inside getting ready for bed, and spoke of my wife and anything i could think of to paint me in a favorable light. evidently, she agreed to the terms of my proposal, and here she is, as she was, where she was... and it is good. the next gentleman was much easier to sell my bag of goods, as he is the father of a girl in my daughter's preschool. he was at the school at the same time in a misty drizzle, and the photos were quick and to the point. he also is the owner of a fairly new leather goods store in town that is the real deal. the last portraits were snapped at a nearby baseball park where throughout the spring and summer, hundreds upon hundreds of games are played and memories are made. the fur-lined hat is a classic addition to this collection. after i took several photos of this guy by himself, his girlfriend asked if they could get some pictures of them together, and though it is/was against the code of this project, i conceded... but they will not be included here. and with that, i bid farewell with under a dozen more people to post.