A few days ago, I was doing a dedication for Jodie when, unbeknownst to me, she did one for me. Well, she's sneaky that way; yet I couldn't have needed it more...Jodie, dear friend, I don't know if mine can ever be as timely as yours was, but you know it's from the bottom of my heart...

* * * * * * Seven months ago, I came to this site and stumbled into Jodie's gallery. After 10 or 15 stops, I realized: This is a chest full of jewels. Jodie does photography from the center of her soul: Her inner eye is so present and her heart so entrenched, it's as if the camera were implanted in her ventricles. She comes from the analog world, spent lots of time in darkrooms; her composition, balance, lighting, etc., are all subtle and deeply intelligent. Yet her heart--how to describe this: You have to walk through her gallery & see her delicacy and caress: Her work is filled with love... But this isn't just about her art:Everyone who knows her knows she has a heart the size of Minnesota. I'm not exaggerating--it's that big: She takes on the burdens of others. She holds them through terrible times. She goes through worlds in the process. She cares greatly for her husband and children. She cares for her beautiful home. She has chickens, dogs, cats, corn, fruits, flowers, you name it. She has a tractor--that's right, a tractor: I'm from Chicago, I don't know from tractors...but she has one, drives one, and did a photo of one for her gallery. This is just part of her life. She teaches music in a large school; has been, like me, a musician all her life; does theater, photography, yearbooks, is probably a Senator on the side, and finds time to carry the burdens of her friends. I do service; but Jodie does it without the title: To know Jodie is to be held, and I mean from the center of her soul... So Jodie, my sorella, take this little bamboo--"it can bend in the wind without breaking" (Jodie)--and receive it as a symbol of my gratitude & love. People always say, "she's so loving": Here's a little of it back... May you continue creating, holding & giving "until heaven's vault should crack" from a very grateful friend, all my love, Mark (ps: This is my 50th image! You made it on a great day!) (pps: Jodie's gallery is here) Odie