babies

A baby is one of my favorite people to take pictures of! They're easy since they're usually a compliant model, looking cute 100% of the time. You can't get a bad picture, a yawn or squawk is just endearing and gives the wider sense of personality. But I love photographing babies most of all because I can't get over the awe of these small creations. I get to gaze at a masterpiece, every small wrinkle and strand of spiky hair is just perfect. Here is lovely little Grant, born in the Netherlands to some of my dearest friends. The photo of the blue and white candy covered anise over a biscuit, is tradition "beschuit met muisjes" which is given to guests coming to visit the babe with a cup of tea. If the baby is a girl, they'll of course be pink and white!

My lovely cousin Nadia


Nadia and Hana posing after some coffee


Shopping in the evenings


Yet another view from the roof, what lovely light!

Highlights from my time in Damascus:

We walked through the winding streets to this large mosque. It's unique to people since the head of John the Baptist is believed to be buried here. The sun was blinding so mostly just children were playing in the courtyard. The adults stuck to the shady edges. Nadia and I entered through a special entrance where we donned what looked like military issued djilabas with hoods (since we were not wearing head coverings). I loved it. I felt less obviously foreign. I'm pictured below in my hood.


Nadia shows Hana and I how to wear a wig! The girls in Syria love them. They're cheap and offer endless temporary hairstyles.


I will never forget the food. This was even considered the "poor man's" lunch with beans and yogurt, but I thought it was just about the best thing I'd ever had. If this was poor man's food, I can't imagine the rich man's delights!

Me in my lovely hood.


A stunning view from Nadia's roof top in the old Christian quarter. The streets filled at night once the cool breezes arrived and people go shopping! Most people go to sleep after midnight to take advantage of the cool night and the people watching :)

Today I finally made the connection! There are 3 things that I've loved for a while but just discovered why they all three click for me. I now understand why I love each of them!

1. NPR radio. Ever since I can remember my parents have listened to this informative, creative, witty news source. "Car Talk" on road trips, "Science Friday" during our homeschooling years, "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", and on and on.

2. Super Freakonomics, a book by Levitt and Dubner. I'm smitten by this book. I can't stop talking about it, making connections to the plethora of fascinating anecdotes through out the book as I go through life, or re-reading favorite tid bits... from child safety seats to walking drunk or the environment. It reads like fiction, informs you like NPR, and makes you laugh while drawing what seem like different threads together in to a lovely whole like David Sedaris does with his stories

3. And finally TODAY I came upon "Pecha Kucha" (definition: the sound of chatter). It's an event that is held in over 300 cities world wide, yet began in Tokyo. The idea is that around 12 presenters are given the opportunity to speak using 20 slides (20 seconds per slide) to a group of people. Tonight there were well over 500 people present. It was so wonderful! And felt like a lovely combination of present moment brilliance of NPR and the randomness of Super Freakonomics. We heard from people talking about a youth soccer league, need for school reform, compassionate software, how you don't have to be Buddhist to enjoy nothingness, and on and on. I loved it! I am smitten all over again!

some beauty I've experienced lately:

snow oh glorious snow
gloria asking me every hour when our date is
biking up and over canal bridges
processing with allie while walking home
eric's monkey and faun
gloria having a tantrum because our date can't be today
drawing with lucas
seeing faces i love of people i've only known 15 months
talking about ebay with connor
staying open
grayson singing me a song
doing church in a non church way

just a few of my beautiful friends...