Tonight is the last night I plan on mourning the death of my mother.  I am stating this in the hope that doing so will help me to gain some closure and momentum in my own life.

(Click here to read my father's obituary for my mother)

She has been my protector, provider, teacher, inspiration & guide and I will always miss her.  But I cannot continue to mourn the way I have.  It has impacted each day since she left very profoundly.  Tonight, I'll drink a few beers; withdraw for a while and allow myself time to say goodbye.  I am not setting her aside, but restarting my life.

I will always love you, Mom.  Thank you for letting me spend your last night with you.  It meant so much.

Sigh No More

Love; it will not betray you

Dismay or enslave you

It will set you free

Be more like the man 

You were made to be

There is a design

An alignment, a cry

Of my heart to see

The beauty of love

As it was made to be

May love set us all free!!!


If you have difficulty viewing on my site, click here to watch on YouTube. 

Mumford & Sons

What Do You Do on Friday Evenings?

This is what we do in Austin. 

Meet Sage and Echo.

Leslie Cochran's Memorial

Sweet, stubborn, passionate, loved, loving and a willing Austin icon...

You will be missed.

You will be remembered.

You are loved.

Tiptoeing at Sunset

Tiptoeing at sunset, cataloguing

Life's odd placements and pitfalls

Attempting recall with each step

Fumbling through darkness fallen

Searching for unimpeded paths

Stepping lightly, retracting quickly

Each step met with jagged surprises
Nothing in place, nothing the same

Knowing it never shall be again

Listening at the Gate

Stifled...  Within and without

Opening my mouth to roar

Jumbled silence bursts out

So much to say, so much I feel

Inside, I push, I shove, I shout

Outside, I just kneel

Cogitations form communications

Breathed through space and time 

Demanding no vocal vibrations 

I sit stone-still and silently await

Your screaming soul whispering secrets

At this dimension's gate

Is It Time You Climb?

Robert Peery, Your Smiles Will Be Missed

Goodbye friend.  Thank you for always entertaining my ideas and providing me with perspectives I had not considered.

Thank you for loving Natalie the way she needed and wanted to be... Completely.

I do and will miss you, Bob.

Much love on your journey.

100% One Tribe - One People Flash Mob

Danielle Ate The Sandwich - Morning Music

The lovely Danielle sings Someone Like You (Adele Cover).

It's Raining.

Quietly, clouds and darkness approach

Winds whip, rain pounds, and lightning strikes

Seeking shelter from the storm to no avail

Indomitable power, hiding cannot help

The storm will do what the storm will do

Resolved to confront that which I fear

The tempest dwindles and drops diminish

A longing for recovery, repair and new growth

Emerge, displacing fears of destruction 

Nudged via universal encouragement

I journey to explore the world external

Activating the world internal

A Dryadian whisper

Over here, look over here

Over here, look over here

Prior to my eyes

attaining their destination

A familiarity filled me

Considering quiet correlations

Of surprising susurrations spilled

Astride mountaintop efflations

Forest skin tattooed by lovers

In my now, I see her eyes

And replay our last embrace

My eyes light on the arborous appendage

An uncommon treasure, assuredly

Clutched, kissed, blessed,cherished

Goodbye Sweet Franzi

We met Franziska Bader shortly after we returned from tour back in 2002.  She greeted us with big hugs, fed us fantastic food and asked questions that made our brains hurt.  She became a close friend and client who we stayed with each visit to or through Dallas.  

We will miss you so much.  Thank you for all you taught us. Thank you for all of your love, generosity and integrity.  Thank you for your BEing.

It is with a heavy heart that I share that she passed away while on a journey to see her parents in Switzerland.  

Our friend Franzi was an artist, friend, teacher, student, seeker and a lover of life.

Thank you to Shane for sharing her final adventure and providing the comfort she needed to find that final smirk.  

Creativity in Austin

Community creativity shared, spreads

Love, light, compassion & charity

There are few requirements to join

Just show up and BE.

This lovely work was gifted to me by an amazing artist named Heather Ray.  The photo is a quick cell-phone shot on the table where we were sitting when it was given.

  

You can see more of her work at Ineffible Infinitude.

Point to Ponder

A message passed on by a dear friend this morning...

Thank you, Stacy.

What's Happening in Freedom Plaza?

The first rustlings of a movement.

Respite

We breathe in darkness daily

Often, not conscious of our 

Capacity for transmutation

In with darkness, out with light

In with darkness, out with light

In with darkness, out with light

We are the catalyst for light

We are love for the world

We are the change we want to see

In with darkness, out with light 

In with darkness, out with light

In with darkness, out with light

Fill this world with your light

You are the catalyst 

You have been waiting for

In with light, out with light

In with light, out with light

In with light, out with light

My Friend, Billy Bones

Billy cheers up so many of my mornings.   

We share coffee, conversation, philosophy, music and hugs. It's not that I start out in a bad place; but Billy has a way of cheering people up, no matter their mood.

This morning he shared a song he has been working on for the last week:

Drums of Autumn

I arrived at Flipnotics and bought a cup of coffee, sat out on the deck to watch the sun rise.  A young man named Labren dragged his drum, bags and a book up the stairs.  He looked as if he hadn't slept in days.  He informed me he was camping in the woods near my house and that it rained (briefly) on him last night.  I offered him a cup of coffee, which he excitedly accepted.

Out of the blue...  He says, " I have this book that I have read through twice and I think you would really like it.  It's considered a romance novel, but she is really an amazing writer.  Her name is Diana Gabaldon."

This is the third book in a series of seven.  Funny thing is... I began reading them a number of years ago and stopped... at the third book.  I always find it intriguing how the universe works.  All I know is that I am blessed beyond measure by the gift given to me by someone who has so much less than myself. Thank you, Labren.

Amazing Photography - Home on the Playa

Check out Eric Schwabel's unique

 photo project at BM2010!  The photos are breath-taking. 

The production funds were raised through a kickstarter.com campaign. Stills were shot on a Mamiya 645 AFD with DM28 digital back. Lights are Profoto Pro-b2 kits with Pro-7 heads.