Hey stranger! Won't you be my friend?

I found this bumper sticker on a car in front of my house. In fact, they had so many clever, inspiring, and insightful bumper stickers, I decided to turn their car into my art project. More pics to come soon. Until then, enjoy the words of wisdom. This one made me laugh. 

Have a spectacular day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DJP

Sore Hearts: Always Something to Hope For

Depression is like a tooth ache of the soul. It throbs so deeply, you have to drill away the decay before you can restore it. I, both unfortunately and fortunately, have been there. I have experienced the saddest of emotions and the freezing familiarity of walking close to death.

I am a survivor.

I have come to love life so dearly, so deeply, so joyously that I have also come to know fear-- fear of how frail those who love life truly are. They are oblivious to the innateness of their surroundings. As the old saying goes, "ignorance is bliss." I have come to love ignorance, and thus has come my dissatisfaction with my pursuit of a Sociology degree. I am tired of analyzing people. I need boundaries that I can follow in order to be happy. The familiarity and comfort of the grayness are undermined by my desire to walk the narrow and rocky path.

I want to feel life. I want to experience it, in every sense. Now that I have overcome my depression, I feel as though it was just one platform of hard experience that has caused me to feel the refreshing jubilee that comes with wisdom achieved through experience. I was almost defeated once. I almost died for freedom. Freedom from myself.

My family fought for me. Though at the time, I did not appreciate it. Someone's Facebook status today read: "Someone out there you've never met is wondering what it would be like to meet someone like you." I absolutely love this.

You see, I have lost hope before. I could describe it all in eclectic detail but let me just tell you this. When all of my hope was gone... every single last molecule of my dissipating hope was so far away my whole life was suddenly dark... there it occurred to me. There is always hope, because when you have no hope, you hope for something to hope for.

Things just started to come together at that point. Here I am today, writing you from a very contented time in my life. I am blessed.

Have hope, always.

Yours truly,
DP

Love, best friends, and such.

I apologize for the delay in the new post. I have been busy living life to its utmost fullness, and I am happier than ever! My best friend from high school, Jay, came up for the weekend and we spent hours playing guitar and recording music. Jay and I used to sing together in high school, and had a designated spot in Dawson's Ranch in Canon City where there was this huge above ground water container with this tube you could sing into. It could make the worst song sound like the voice of angels. I have lost touch with most of my musical roots, but Jay always has me remembering how much I love it. 

I have been so blessed recently to have so many opportunities to get involved with the local music scene here. Musketeer Gripweed has taken me under their wing, and let me help them with their merchandise sales. I've had the opportunity to see them perform in Fort Collins, Loveland, Winterpark and hope to keep it up! If you haven't heard of them yet, and especially if you live in the area and have yet to see them perform, you're missing out. Not only do I love them as people, but their music literally ROCKS my face straight off.... every single time.

This past week, some new friends of mine let me record the vocals on one of their hip hop tracks. It actually turned out pretty good. This is totally new for me, the recording bit... but it was such a rush! I am not sure about this voice of mine... but as long as I am asked to use it, I cannot say no. 

From the bottom of my heart, I love music. I love photography. I love people. I love coffee. I am finding myself content in my life as it is, and cannot be more grateful. 

Life truly is beautiful. 

Here's some photos, some new, some old... 

Jay, Raul (my ecuadorian host brother) and I made this a few years back.

Enjoying a beer on the roof at our neighbors. 

Top of Fremont Peak a few years back

My best friend for life.

Jay came to Fort Collins!

I caught Ralphie licking his nose.

Before I can end this, I have to mention that my birthday was a week ago. I got a Canon Rebel SLR camera, and it is incredible! The last two pictures taken were with the new camera. However, it's more complicated and heavy than my point-and-shoot so bare with me while I figure it out and learn how to really get some awesome shots!! Thanks, Dad! You're the best!!!

Much love to all!!!!!!!!!!!

PS: I absolutely love sunshine. 

-DJP

Spring Sprouting

Ah, how I love the Spring! I thought I had ruined my seeds, because some haven't sprouted and are starting to rot. However, some have started to sprout! Here's some photos of the progress of this year's garden!!

Carrots... I accidently dumped all the seeds in.

Crazy carrots!

Something I'm doing this year: labeling my plants!

Sprouting basil

Water drops on the side of the plastic bag

Labels and water drops

Carrot close-up

Basil and water drops

Today's water drop reflections.

Basil sprouts

Up-close

I love basil. Can't wait for these to keep growing!!

Adventures in Photo Editing Wonderland...

Photography just sort of happens. It's like an impulse, and next thing I know, I have two hundred pictures to go through. I've started having to get picky about the ones I keep. I've almost filled up an entire TB on my hard drive with photos and music... yes, photography and music are two things that I love.

Anyway, just wanted to share some photo-editing I've done recently. Enjoy.
DP

Before

After (cropped)

 The photo above and below were taken from the same photo. The top is just cropped water drops, and the bottom is the seeds and paper towel in a plastic bag taped to my window. 

Isn't it amazing what cropping can do? 

I honestly thought I had more, but I didn't save the originals on most. Darn. Regardless, you get the picture. Things are starting to bloom.... photography season is HERE!!!

More to come soon...

Blossom Season

Yes! It is finally one of my favorite times of the year! The weather has been perfect this week, and people are getting outside and the grass is turning green. Yes, Spring has finally graced us with it's presence and I am more than thrilled.

I have begun to sprout the seeds for my garden in my window. I ran out of plastic bags and potting soil to start them in, therefore I have only started the squash, tomatoes, basil, carrots, and bell peppers. This is such an exciting season for me. Perhaps it is the sunshine, the unlimited reasons to get outside and absorb some extra Vitamin D, or the excitement I feel as I watch each of my little seeds begin to sprout and grow.

I am hoping to do a much better job of documenting the methods I use while gardening this year, so I can have a better idea of what works and what doesn't. Last year, I got my plants in the ground too late, didn't weed, and it was more of an experiment than an actual garden. I'm ready to take the next step and start learning how to do it right. Here I go...

I'm throwing in some other pictures I like.

Happy Blossom Season!!!!

DJP

My little Ralphie

Ralph's Reflective Perspective of House Plants

He is the nosiest one in the neighborhood.

Yellow Squash Seeds

Beefsteak Tomato Seeds

Car reflected through water drop (It was upside down, I rotated so it was easier to notice)

Photo edited

Chilling on the sofa

Ralph's view

My neighbor gave me this orchid and I am nursing it back to health

Basil seeds are sprouting!

Basil Seed, Paper Towel, and water drops

In case you care...

Whew! Talk about a week. Spring break just came and went in the blink of an eye, and I am here spending my Sunday drinking coffee, going through my photos, and now, trying to piece it all together in my mind.

Because pictures speak a thousand words, I'll let them mostly speak for themselves. Here is a briefing before I post them....

My best friend from Auburn University, Kyle, is the drummer in a band called Noise Organization. They came to Colorado this past week and did a three-town tour through Breckenridge, Boulder, and Fort Collins. Though I skipped out on Breck, I did make it to the other two shows. It is so cool to see how far along these guys have come as a band since their last show I saw back in May. Taking photos with my point and shoot is hard, because with the changing lights its hard to get a clear shot. Here are the ones I was able to get. Enjoy!

Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO 3/17/11

Backstage pass!

Yours truly

Ticket Stub

Noise [Org] from Auburn, AL

She was painting to the music.

Discussing her art.

Another painting. So cool.

Our friend Allison's dog. I love this couch.

Performing at Hodi's Halfnote in Fort Collins

I liked this perspective

There were all these crazy designs going on, and these people were my models and didn't even know it.

Bobby concentrating so hard.

That's it. More photos coming soon!!! 

And the countdown to my birthday has begun!!!! Yes!