All months are not equal and many of the most important things that happen are never documented. Hospital stays and medical procedures are life and death but never show up in photo albums. Some months are more crowded than others: summer vacations, holidays and almost all of the month of December, with Christmas at its apex, usually feature unique and photogenic activities, so these tend to be a heavily documented months.
Morning, Dec 30, 2012 … a real snow blankets our world. Happy New Year!
Then, there are those months that are beautiful. Autumn in New England … specifically, October … gets more attention almost the rest of the year combined. November, a visually dull month unless we have an early snow or storm, is not a natural lure to photographers. I have no pictures from March because I was in the hospital for most of it and not in the mood for photography the rest of it.
Spring flowers and gardens are magnificent, but late summer gardens can be lackluster, the best of the color having passed. Vacati0ns are documented end to end, but ordinary weeks and months pass without much notice.
So this is … and isn’t … my year. It is my photographic year, but not necessarily my real year.
January: Snowless winter by the river.
February 2012
April: The leavese were appearing on all the trees about 2 weeks early.
May garden: Dogwood in bloom.
Lilies in the garden – Late May
June: Queen Anne’s Lace near the creek.
August: Bright sunlight in the kitchen as the coffee brews.
August: Colonial Williamsburg
September: Brightest wild daisies.
September: Now, the leaves start to fall.
October: On the Mumford River.
October: On the lake, as the leaves are at their brightest.
October: Along the Canal
November: By the polling place
December: Waiting at the Dana-Farber
December: Keith Lockhart in Symphany Hall, Boston
December: Approaching Beacon Hill
December: Blooming on time, just for Chrismas.
Christmas: Under the tree.
December 28th: This morning, a dusting of snow, and early morning light makes the naked branches glow pink.
I just got my fifth star from Eunice at Living and Lovin:Living Life surrounded by all I love. PEACE. Thank you I am extremely grateful and touched. I didn’t expect it and I’m not sure I deserve it, but it’s great to have it!
It’s amazing to me to have gotten any awards, but a fifth star is really special and deeply appreciated. I’m not sure I deserve it, but it has turned out to be the high points (five high points) of this otherwise rather difficult holiday season.
Today was the day the world was supposed to end, but it being the Winter Solstice, it actually was the shortest day of the year, which is not the end of the world, just the official beginning of winter … and ironically, the beginning of the lengthening of the days, the shortest day, the longest night … but also, the beginning of the return of the sun and a hope that spring will come again.
It’s no coincidence that Christmas … Yuletide falls approximately on the Solstice. Every religion, every culture celebrates the solstices as well as the equinoxes. Christianity, as it was developing, adopted an “easier to join them than fight them” attitude … as had every other religion and culture before it. It doesn’t make the holiday less meaningful, it just lets people celebrating at a time that feels familiar, comfortable.
I still have a lot to do. All the wrapping, the grocery shopping. Our trip to visit friends after Christmas just got called off due to illness … hopefully just delayed. I find myself not feeling the magic. Not feeling festive. Tragedies in the news, close friends sick, one family member passing … and a serious scarcity of money have all combined to make this a dreary excuse for what is usually a fun time of year.
And then someone gives me a little star … a bit of recognition … and the world is just that much brighter. Thank you again.
There is definitely something to be said about this virtual world of ours: it is a world of sharing, caring and preparing: Sharing around the world, Caring for others, Preparing for the future. Whatever endeavor you are engaged in at the present moment or seek in days to come, there is always someone willing to tell you his or her story which will in provide a beacon of light down a sometimes dark highway.
The ‘rules’ for this award are simple and easy:
Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.
Write a blog post and name/tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
Please include a link back to this page Blog of the Year 2012 Award and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!).
Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them.
As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars.
Because this is an award that you can “collect” and get many times, I’m going to give it back to people who I know have gotten it before, but who I’m reasonably sure don’t have all six stars yet. I may be wrong, but I think so.
You are people whose work I follow. You mean something to me. You make me laugh, make me feel, make me think, teach me stuff. Some of you suggest ideas, movies, or books to read, watch, or learn, technology, cameras and accessories I might want. Some of you champion causes important to me … and some of you are living lives I wish were mine. Many more of you are living lives a lot like mine and I empathize and sympathize with you. You make me feel less alone.
All of you have touched me. It may not matter a lot to you, but it makes a big difference to me.
For those of you are getting this award again and need one of the other versions with a different number of stars, I’m including (thank you again Sharla) all six of the award medallions at the bottom of this post.
Since I got this fifth star today, I’m going to pass it along to people who to whom I gave it before, but who I’m pretty sure don’t yet have their sixth stars (no, not me … I can’t give it to myself and I wouldn’t if I could … Jeez):
Feel no obligation to do anything beyond your comfort zone. I know the holidays are on us and if you are anything like me, you don’t have time to spare. Do whatever feels good to you and don’t feel obliged beyond that. I may take a week off blogging altogether after this: I’ve got so much to do, I finally feel like if I don’t give myself a break, I’m going to break.
May your holidays be bright, may all good things come to you and yours. May we all move into the New Year with joy and purpose, overcoming all the problems that assail us and coming out the other side.
Revel in the season! Be happy whatever it is you celebrate … and may you enjoy everything you can in any way that brings you peace and joy.
Meanwhile, around the valley, the nurseries and grocery stores are displaying wreaths, baskets and miniature Christmas trees. Yes indeed, the merchants are gearing up for what they hope will be the annual spending orgy.
Typically, the stores in this area wait until just after Thanksgiving to start selling Christmas. But there’s a recession, in case you somehow missed it. Most folks around here are broke, so I guess the local shops believe we need extra time to get serious about spending money we don’t have.
These photographs were taken today at the local grocery store. It’s only the leading edge. There’s a lot more to come.
With camera in hand, exploring European lands, cultures, food, and drink...mostly with a plan, but sometimes enjoying the adventure of just getting lost.
I just got my fifth star from 
