photos from the recent holiday season

Dad and 8 of his 12 children at the annual Converse Christmas party.

Cynthia gets aqua highlights and likes the spatula.

Porscha makes "Michigan" Block "M" labeled Buckeyes for a friend that attended Ohio State.
Dinner with Ron, Susannah, Porscha and Josh. Unfortunately, Greg was quite ill and had to go home early.

flag burning in Grand Haven

Yesterday morning, my brother's family woke to find a charred rectangle at the bottom of their flagpole. Of course they are upset... not just because it was a flag they burnt but because someone came into their yard while they slept and destroyed their private property. After several hours they were able to get their troubled daughters (ages 7 and 9) to sleep. Two local news stations ran stories of the mishap and debates regarding the incident are raging online. Most comments seem to take up the argument of "flag burning" which misses the point. This family was violated, terrorized and the fact that it was a flag that was burnt is less important than the permanent damage done to the family, the children and their sense of community and safety. Check out the videos:

http://www.woodtv.com/global/story.asp?S=8286261

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=91855

white, white, white

The days are short and the sun is scarce but there is no shortage of snow this January. It snowed all New Year's Eve, leaving the trees pimped out with a thick layer of cold, white bling. Denis and I took his Subaru out to Argo Park and shot the event. After an early movie with Greg (the Magic Compass... which was amazing), I donned my thin windwall gloves and continued my photo documentation of the splendor.