I am in love with water.... and yah... I live in a desert. Some things in life just aren't planned out... and moving here was definately one of them. That said... it is a gorgeous place to live.

I haven't been getting much done... at least... not as much as I would like to be. I am feeling a strong push to be more productive ... and my body just won't oblige.

This past week, my father came home from the nursing care facility he was at for the past couple of months. I am positive he is happier at home... but I am concerned about the amount of care that has been foisted upon my mother. She is getting some help from hospice... and a portion of help from her church community... and from family... but the majority of it has landed on her shoulders.

What do these three snippets have in common? They are all things in my life right now that are relatively out of my control. All three have been weighing heavily on my mind... some definately more than others... but there you have it.
As a working artist, and having my studio at home... life can completely overwhelm the time that is allotted to working on art. The lines of what is work time... and what is home time; often blur. It's easy to fall into the trap of not working on art because other things need done ... laundry... errands... etc. And I am as guilty of that as the next person. It takes alot of discipline to work from home... and I am working on getting more control over that time and trying to be more disciplined.

About my photos for today's post: While running errands today... I happened to drive by this spot way off on Unser Blvd on the westside of ABQ. I love this little pond of water... and it always suprises me when I come upon it. In this desert environment... it is completely astonishing... and out of the realm of what most people think of when they think of living here. Sometimes a little surprise and break in the "normal control" of things is good....

--->photos by Elaine A. Russell