Loving all the new pics! Hey, I think everyone is getting better!
Sbyork, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE desert shots! Funny, I spent much of my youth in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and I'm a diehard fan of big mountains, big green trees, waterfalls and lakes. But something about the desert grips me. Went on a field trip to the Mojave when I was in college, and it was a spiritual experience, camping out in this entirely new environment for me. I haven't had many opportunities to visit desert country since, but I'm a big fan of desert pics.
I like the word theme, and "bubbles" could be fun! Just tossing out some possible other words: Water, blue, serene, happy, sad, angry. (Feel free to join in the suggestions!)
Another fun assignment I remember from a college class was "something missing, something gained." It's pictures where something you would expect to be there is missing -- and example was a kid holding a balloon. Instead of the kid's head where you'd expect it, the balloon was there. Here's another example: