Life can be overwhelming... and it can sometimes lead us to a numbing of the senses.

I know from experience... that the more stressed out I am ... the less receptive I am to the world around me. I cease to feel the wind.... smell the flowers... taste the coffee.... all those things that I really need to do to bring life and breathe to my soul... and to my photography.

Even pain... as troublesome as it can be... can spur us on to greatness.

These past few days I have been deep in the muck of a Lupus flare. It is annoying, painful, tiresome... and yet... it forces me to slow down... and I must remind myself to take these as opportunities ... to soak in some of the beauty around me.

And so... here are some photos of the sky... something we see all the time... or do we?!

*photos by Elaine A. Russell