Scene 13

Bite Me

along came a spider, who sat down beside her...

Golden

The most important moment is always right now.

Fake Halloween

Too much sugar.

Sparkle Plenty

Saturday morning, Scarsdale, New York, October 2012.

Kidmarks, again

Playground incident; kid meets pavement. Skull intact. Grateful.

Spot On

Giving new meaning to the question, "Do you ever feel, like a plastic bag?"

Nocturnal

9:33 PM.

Splinter

Water's Edge

Montauk, NY, August 2012

Treats

Cupcake and Rufus.

Chicagolicious

The Out-of-Towner

A wise friend told me, "Honey, you can't be a tourist if you're not one." Her words have been swimming around my head. How I wish I could summon that feeling of excitement at will, but when I'm one of the locals it's nearly impossible. I was in Chicago recently and fell in love with the city for its wide open spaces and deep shadows, friendly people and public art. I made many photographs there because I felt comfortable to explore. I even initiated conversations – with strangers! While I didn't feel at home in Chicago, I felt free. It's a profound thrill to be an outsider with a camera, immersed in the exchange.

Stay tuned for more posts from my Chicagoland adventure.

Happy Meal

Lunch, 2:12 PM, Glen Spey, New York.

In the Colors

I know approximately where you are but your details are unknown to me. I can read the newsletter with its gains and losses, birthday wishes and events disclosed. Still, I understand little about you in this moment. My summer hope for you is to experience independence. All the while I dream of you, in color.

See-ya

I hoped for a calm, perfect moment. I imagined the four of us together, bathed in light and laughter, unhurried. But the list of spring obligations was relentless. We were carried furiously to the end of June. There were long, hard hugs. Scattered kisses. They smiled and waved. That was all.

Raspberry Revenge

To the men who love deeply with unabashed joy we celebrate you. Happy Father's Day.

Green Light

Surrounded by the kids in my neighborhood is a wondrous place to be. They've known one another for years – their connections run deep. I see them from all angles yet it's impossible to know who they'll become. I sit stunned, idle. They grow.

Men Spotting

A smattering of splattered splotches.

Sidelines

Life is sweeter on the periphery.

Spring, perhaps

The Colonial Diner and Motel, Route 7, Howes Cave, New York.

As If

Fantasy meets reality at 5:32 PM, Port Chester, NY.

Self Indulgent

I am inescapable.

The Bather

La Vida Boca

Outside In

Stay

This photograph was made last June, smack in the middle of a sunny day. A few hours before, our older son had left for this first summer at sleep-away camp. Our team was down by one player. We were idling in a quiet state of shock.

Already I'm mentally preparing for this summer, when both our boys will be away. I hope to be right here – cradled in a deep spoon. I'm placing my order now for an enduring embrace that will last seven weeks.

Emerge

Boy. Despite best efforts to keep you small you're more than half-way to adulthood. You no longer fall for the "take care of mommy" trick to have you to hold my hand in parking lots. Middle school's around the corner, the thought of which makes me ache. You arrived eleven years ago today and the world became a little brighter.

You're a sports-crazed, candy-loving, upbeat, guitar player. Although you're on the run in perpetual motion, I know just where to find you. Open hearted, beneath a golden mop. Happy Birthday, sweet guy.

Hit & Run

Good & Plenty fact: the pink candy shell is derived from the crushed bodies of the female cochineal insect.

Fixation

Be Nine

Last night he raised a cold glass of root beer and exclaimed, "Happy birthday to me!"

Catch