As a young, single mother of three, Joyce Thomas moved from St. Vincent to the United States after reading a newspaper ad for housekeeping jobs. She eventually ended up in Connecticut and began working with children, adopting six more of her own and becoming something of a matriarch in her New Haven neighborhood.

Living on an island in the Mississippi River has always drawn Kathy Christenson to seek inspiration and peace from its banks. Despite thinking adulthood would take her far from her small town home in Minnesota, she grasps life as an explorer here - finding hidden charms and meaning at every turn. Photography and preservation have allowed Kathy to weave each new experience into a fresh perspective.