I've always wanted- growing a garden

     So he said "no"... you have to take care, weed, feed, water a garden honey? remember that tomato plant you tried to grow before, it died after week two!"
"no babe.. I can do this, I promise it won't look like a hot-mess. I'll take care of it"..
     With determination in my heart I set out to grow just a tomato or two.  To prove that I could, to put an end to my nay-sayers. To put a smile on my better-half's face. (he is secretly proud.. I can tell).
     I reflect and can clearly remember my grandmother's garden in the space about as big as a car in the back of her red brick row house in inner-city Baltimore.  She was so proud of the vegetables that would come out from that tiny plot of land.  When I viewed it from the top step of the back porch I would just smile and say.. "oh that's so nice grandma".. honestly, it did not look like much to me, a child.. broken hard soil, green bushy somethings, stakes made out of anything she could find, strings everywhere. To the right a broken down car and to the left a sidewalk leading to a tiny shed and beyond that, concrete city, complete with chain-linked fences, rows of trash cans and clothes-lines with peoples  underwear hanging from them (amongst other clothing items) although all I saw, you know.. the child, was the underwear. Who would hang their underwear on a line for everyone else on the block to see? I had to chuckle and turn my attention back to grandma who had not noticed the diversion of thought. I could not wait to get back inside where I would later taste the sweetest tomatoes my mouth had ever touched. Okra that was special, collards to die for and cucumbers that tasted like heaven. All from her garden in the concrete jungle.  In later years she moved in with my parents in NC and I saw the works of her green thumb, this time with plants and flowers.. were they supposed to be all bushy and so lush " ALL OF THE TIME?"  not a brown leaf in sight and then you would see her talk to them.. what in the world?
     About 10 years later she passed but remained the keeper of the plants until she could no longer take care of them..
     What is this story about? oh, just remembering grandma's concrete garden and praying that her green thumb was passed along to me in order that I am able to bear the same type vegetables that she was able to grow.  Time, patience, excitement at every bud that sprouts. And I too drag everyone I can out to see my little garden in the woods and squeal with delight every time I see a new vegetable unfolding before my eyes.  If she could do it in the concrete jungle, certainly I can do it in the woods.  Only time will tell.  Only God can truly make this happen!


I sit in the chair and watch the miracle



Kai helped with the rock dividers



The morning sun catching the first tomato!



squash..?



peppers- mild!



another tomato!

The Austin's and Rouson's - Family Session

I've captured my share of families and am always amazed at how difficult it is to get my own family together for such an occasion as a picture. However important we deem it to be, somehow life seems to go by fast and we do not take the time to capture the memories that will last a lifetime.  But we all want it later.. when the dust settles, when the kids are gone, when the children have children and when memories in our mind start to fade.  We look to our parents and sometimes their parents for that lone photograph to see what is was like, who was who and how the relationships intertwined.  Our kin, our heritage, lineage, past and future.. all rolled up into one photograph.

Thanks to Angela and Herb for allowing me to capture their family first, to Avis for taking notes and allowing me to capture Sarah for her senior pictures and for the two families combined for trusting me to document this moment in time for both families.. You all look fabulous and your energy and smiles are contagious.  You all were a blessing to me and I hope these photographs will be a blessing to you.

Click HERE for their Slideshow!