Happy International Dance Day

A photo I took last week at Alabama Ballet of Southern Dance Works Dancers in rehearsal for their spring show! I have been really leaning on dance recently to stay sane...and it works that way for so many of us! Really enjoyed on Tuesday the Twitter #whydancematters and all the beautiful things people shared all day long. Go to twitter and search #whydancematters to see all the beautiful things said.

Bucky's Dome

I crashed a party yesterday. I love crashing parties, but that's besides the point. The party was in Carbondale on the corner of Forest and Cherry Streets at what was once the residence of R. Buckminster Fuller.  You've seen his designs and inventions, even if you've never realized it before.  His most recognizable contribution is the geodesic dome, which is the design of this house where he lived from 1960-1972.  This week marked the 50th anniversary of the house, and many events around town centered on it. I noticed a reception at the house yesterday, so I thought I'd poke my head in. This view is the living room and loft of the house. As you can see, its still undergoing some renovation.

Grey Gardens

Sometimes everything feels like Grey Gardens (ya know two old crazy ladies living together by themselves with a bunch of cats...) hoping that feeling wears off soon. In the meantime I am going to see Dane Peterson's production of Grey Gardens when it opens next week and I was so honored to be asked to photograph the cast. So here it is...Big Edie and Little Edie.

Bald Knob

Its certainly been a while, but it feels good to post a new picture!  I'll be in Southern Illinois for another three weeks before going back to Western Massachusetts for the summer. One of the many secret places in S.I. is Bald Knob, and top of this hill is a 111-foot-tall cross. It was once completely covered by white porcelain tiles, those have since been removed and the cross is undergoing restoration. I decided I should go see it before I leave.

Special ops mission

Yesterday was a great day for a quick road trip. Bob and Jenny, two of my very good friends bought a new house in the past year. While Jenny was working all day stage managing a show, Bob and I went to St. Louis to pick up some new furniture to surprise Jenny.  I helped pick out the chair. I can only imagine Jenny's face when she got home and saw the living room completely changed. This is the view from Bob's truck before we crossed the river back into Illinois.

Piles

I like to go exploring around my campus. One place I enjoy discovering is around the bowels of the Communications building. The building was originally built in 1964, and furnished as well. The desks and chairs upstairs have since been replaced, but this is where the originals end up.

Jack the bobble head

Just a little guy from a special place. He sits on my desk and reminds me to finish my degree.

Edge of my sweet home

Been looking for a night with no cars forever! Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Edgewood. Lovely isn't it. It has looked the same way all 30 years of my life. I pray it still looks this way 100 years from now. Here's to staying local =)

Just Feeling This

Five Years Later

Five years after Hurricane Katrina here is a photo of what every street still looks like in the Lower Ninth Ward. It was an experience for sure to go in and drive around and see what is going on now. The City of New Orleans is working right now (according to city signs seen while driving) on repaving streets and redoing sidewalks. I however did not see more than 3 or 4 streets being redone in about a five mile radius. There are people living in the area and we even saw a handful of new homes but 90% of the whole area just looks like this. Many, many homes have been torn down but as you can see on the side of this one it clearly reads "Do not demolish".

14

This is the view of the front entrance of Jeff and Deana's house. The address is placed in the stained glass over the door of their late Victorian home in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Play to Win

Iphone photos strike again...but hey it was all I had with me. I like how the Iphone caught the movement but still got the expression on each  actors face clear. Meet the cast of Play to Win! They are ridiculously talented!

A View from the Bridge

Not exactly what Arthur Miller had in mind, but Mark Twain would enjoy this view.  I'm staying with Jeff and Deana, my second parents in Cape Girardeau, Missouri along the Mississippi River. I enjoy living in the attic while at their house, and this is the view across town from back alcove. The bridge crosses the Mississippi River into southern Illinois. Its great to look out the window and see the bridge over the town.

Path

I think paths in our lives are important and it seems like everyone is always searching for the "right" one! I thought this one looked really nice!

"Ole" South Writting

William Faulkner's home in Oxford, Mississippi. It had snowed 3 days before and there was still some on the ground! Picture taken while the property was closed (we walked in) and it was 17 degrees outside...windchill made it feel like ZERO! Well worth it though to see this property in the quite, crisp morning sunlight...seems like it was intended to be enjoyed this way.

Crossing

Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The bridge in this view is the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge which connects Illinois to Missouri over the great Mississippi River. This building on the left here is the Cultural Arts Center at Southeast Missouri State University where I'm working all week as a carpenter and painter their upcoming production of Carousel. The bridge was completed in 2003, and the SEMO "River Campus," as its called, was completed in 2007 next to a historic 165 year old seminary building.  When the Cultural Arts Center was completed, it was only appropriate (being on the banks of the Mississippi) that the first performance in the theatre was Big River.

Shryock Auditorium

I'm in Carbondale, Illinois. I'm going back to school to finish my degree. I got here last night and spent today arranging my living space. Tonight I took a little walk through the old quad at Southern Illinois University where the oldest buildings on campus stand. This is my view of the window at Shryock Auditorium. I really liked how the circle of lights are framed in the window. ...Also, its about 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

Rear Window

I took this view this afternoon from my childhood bedroom window.  This is my parents' backyard covering in several inches of snow.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Jones Family!

Ballet

There are so many wonderful things happening in this photo! 1. My favorite ballet teacher EVER, Clarence is teaching this class 2. This is the main studio at Steeple Arts which is housed in an old church (built 1912) and has been a studio for 60 years or so now 3. This is where I took ballet during 4th, 5th and 6th grade. 4. This is where my Aunt Kathy took ballet as well and her photos are still on the wall 5. All of my favorite students from Birmingham Ballet are in this photo and I miss them all so much 6. One of my favorite dancers and people in all the world Natalie is in this photo...you can not miss her...she's wearing HOT PINK as only Natalie can! 7. This is just a classic ballet photo and there are so many special things about it...what's not to love?!?! =)