Week 2 - 2022

"Photography is a gift. The memories we make with our work are PRICELESS." 

~ Jenny Rosenbring

I was reminded (again) of how energized I get when I intentionally shoot, edit, create, and share. I mean, it always surprises me, and I don't get how I could ever forget such a wonderful feeling. Why I hesitate to schedule the time to do this every day is a wonder. So, I've decided that this project of shooting daily, and blogging weekly, is a form of self-care and have added it to my to-do list and calendar.

Maple Walnut Shrimp for Monday dinner.

Ths sunsets lately have been on fire.

The hills of Briones with Mt Diablo in the distance. 

Oh, and those clouds!

This beauty is blooming super early this year.

These two are just too adorable.

Again with these clouds!

Dark-eyed Junco coming in for the privet berries.

 

Week 1 2022

I managed to pick up a camera every day for a week! Sometimes it was just my phone because it's the easiest to use when wrangling my grandchildren.

 

Male Bluebird chirping in the drizzle.

Wrangling these beautiful grandbabes.

Partly cloudy Winter sky.

It was cloudy and grey all day, so here is a still-life of a corner in my studio, aka our office.

Look out world, here she comes!!

Enjoying the Saturday afternoon sun from my warm office.

Telling me, in her own words, how she doesn't care how dirty she gets, she's going to play

with these lights. 

Editing photos is creating.

I can get lost for hours doing this. The problem I have is that all I want to DO is create and play with all the art modalities. But, is this really a problem? It is when you have to choose just one and have other adulting things that need to be done. 

Whatever, I'm having fun and my day is not complete unless I have played and created with some art medium. 

Onward.

We've got several Liquidambar trees around our neighborhood that are holding onto those beautiful leaves and I'm totally okay with it.

"Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun
But Mama, that's where the fun is..."
Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann

Is this creating?

Taking photos is creating, or making, but is sharing via a blog post and/or Instagram?

My number one goal for this year is to create every day. Shoot, edit, paint, color, draw, digital art, write, cook new recipes…the list is endless. So, I guess I'm creating a blog post about creating. 

The next question is; what to do with my creations? Yes, I want to share them, but not in the way I did in 2020. I shared everywhere and it took a lot of time and planning. I like sharing, yet I felt like I was chasing the algorithms and creating for all the wrong reasons at times. That is why I took 2021 off from shooting and sharing daily. 

I've thought about doing another 365 photo project, and then I remembered. 

I remembered I did one in 2011, and that year was a rough one. Then, well, we all know what happened in 2020. So, while I plan to shoot daily and possibly write and share about my days, it will not be called a 365 project. 

I'm still waiting for the terms and conditions before agreeing to 2022.

A steaming hot breakfast for New Year's Day - nothing fancy but it was good.

365/365

 

Today...

I finished this project. Yes, I know there is one more day left this year. Just what we need is one more day of 2020. Am I right?

Anyway, I'm done. It's been interesting, fun, challenging, educational, tedious, inspirational...all the things. I am ready for something new and maybe not so, every day. I'll still be taking pictures and probably every day because that is what I do. Maybe not sharing as much. 

As for this gratitude blogging, I'm taking that off-line. I need to do more writing, by hand. 

364/365

 

Today...

I got to hang out with two of my grandbabies and my son. What an honor to get to spend time with these tiny humans. They bring me so much joy and I feel so blessed. Being in the presence of these beings is what life is all about. It brings me to tears just thinking about them. It also makes me miss my older grandbabies SO much it hurts.

363/365

 

Today...

Is the last Monday of 2020. Not gonna lie, I am looking forward to the end of this year. I know things won't change overnight but I do have hope for the future. As I type this, there are 22 days, 16 hours, and 15 minutes until the Presidential Inauguration. Yes, I have a countdown app on my phone.