highly recommended:

favela rising: this film was all we'd hoped for, and more! we can't stop talking about it. a powerful story from the slums of rio de janeiro, brazil. it was informative & exposing, yet hopeful & inspiring. it combines so many of the elements that josh & i as a team are passionate about, & passionately pursuing: film/photography, music, fighting poverty & injustice (& we like the dance elements, too, though neither of us are dancers). art as a means for social change. we experienced so much sorrow & joy as we watched it, which, i think, is my favorite kind of film...

josh & i had been waiting for this to be released on DVD for about a year. i almost purchased it online before ever having seen it, but then came across it on blockbuster online (like netflix). so i joined for a two-week free trial, long enough to watch this long-awaited film for free & then cancel, and oops! we've since gotten addicted to LOST, like everyone else i'm sure (all those people like us who don't watch TV except for pbs, but somehow make allowances for TV on DVD), & we're still members...

a week in the sun!

what a way to salute the summer! (i know it's still spring, but you can't tell us that upper-80s isn't summer--we loved the southern weather!) josh & i just returned from a week in the southeast: virginia & north carolina, mountains & coast. 6 places to rest our heads in 8 days! a 5-show whirlwind.


we were so well-hosted, by buck & sandra in newport news (& josh & theresa for setting up the show in an amazing theatre), mary beth in richmond, lynn & nancy in nags head, jason & jada in wilmington, mom & dad in waxhaw, & a lovely inn in elon! everyone took SUCH good care of us, & we were able to take full advantage of mornings before the shows for rest... on porches, rivers, & ponds. such idyllic spots for josh & i to wake up in. so good for our souls to be out in nature, resting before the evening's work.

we made many new friends on this tour, & even played a show for 500 people, where we ran out of 2 of josh's albums & t-shirts. this definitely helps out the garrels family! hooray!

we are glad to be home now... finding our pleasant routine again. we've been travelling for about 4 of the past 6 weeks, & goodness, it's nice to have a break from the road (for as much as we love it--especially travelling by car, thanks to npr podcasts! MUCH better than airplanes!). we have so many lovely things ahead of us this summer, & fall. so many good things & people to pour ourselves into. so many changes on the horizon, too. (more about that at the appropriate time). but for now! here are some photos from our trip...

ooh! you'll see lots of photos of our friend jason andre. he helped us book some of the shows, & caravanned along with us, playing didjeridoo & bagpipes & the turkish saz along with josh! he's a dear friend of ours, & we loved having him along for the ride.

: jason on didjeridoo with josh in newport news, virginia :

: 3 friends at the beach in nags head/kitty hawk, nc :

: early morning surf :

: new friends :

( nic & jesse & their wives, along with our hosts lynn & nancy (from christian surfers), joined us for a 6 a.m. breakfast at jolly roger, the quirkiest little dive, followed by an early morning surf adventure )

: jada (jason's wife) & i picked strawberries in wilmington :

: jason playing pipes on the wilmington waterfront with port city pipes & drums :

: josh & mitchy in waxhaw :