Assignment - Renewal - Where I lay my head down

 Bella's prompt this week is to share the place

Where I lay my head down

To rest,

To sleep,

To dream.

My go to spot 

where my spirit

becomes renewed.

This one was tough for me . . . sooo many places to choose from

Why?

Because . . .

1)  It is winter and the place I might choose most readily without thinking is not available to me (that would be my garden) and I live in a part of Canada that doesn't have a winter growing season

2)   I have tried to surround myself with little 'sanctuaries' in my home where I can regroup and be rejuvenated on an ongoing basis

3) There are many activities that regenerate my spirit . . . things I love to do that relax and refresh my heart and soul . . . they are mostly the creative activities in my life

The camera is a relatively new creative tool for me

For example I love to create with garden tools . . . 

when it is above 0 degrees Celcius and the soil isn't frozen and covered with snow 

my gardens are my go to place for a bit of me time and re-energizing . . . 

I can hardly wait until spring

I have created spaces throughout my home for some of my plants to 'vacation' during the winter.

Some are located just inside my patio doors 

where I enjoy my morning coffee in the morning and Egyptian Licorice tea at night . . . 

the morning sky always breathes life into my body and soul at the outset of the day 

my kitchen is a sanctuary year round. . .

I love to create in the kitchen . . . 

here I use the tools of (one of)  my professions . . . but that is another story

Heck...one of the MOST relaxing activities I know is putting my hands in warm bubbly water . . . 

I don't even own a dishwasher . . .  

I love doing my dishes by hand

Another year round sanctuary is my local hot yoga studio. 

Being housebound at the moment, I couldn't get a photo

however

this is where I practice at home . . . 

In the dead of winter, on those cold not-goin'-out-no-way-no-how kind of days

this is where I take what I have created in the kitchen 

and wrap myself in warmth and peace.

I guess you could call this my winter sanctuary

As for where I rest my head?

. . . at this time of year it is under a down blanket and duvet 

and just before my eyes close on another wonderful day 

I look up and breathe in a rainbow . . .

Night Night

Assignment - Colour w/ Emotion

Colours of the sun/sky


There is nothing that stirs up emotion in me like a beautiful sky . . . be it a sunrise, sunset or fluffy white clouds . . . It is the transitioning sky that appeals to me most . . . moving from day to night or night to day, or from clarity to storminess and when it occurs at the transition between water and land, and between earth and sky ...


I literally live for sunrise.  For years I have intentionally arisen to enjoy my coffee watching the sun rise on a daily basis, no matter where I am . . . I can't even begin to describe the serenity that it evokes in my soul or my life.


I am a sunset whore! Sunsets have not been as easy for me to experience each day but I do seek them out with regularity, camera in hand, especially while vacationing but I have also been known to take off in my car looking for 'just the right spot' to catch the sun going down. It can't be just anywhere; must be a peaceful, natural place for me to enjoy it.


It isn't just the bright golds, reds and oranges that appeal to me but also the soft violet, pink and greenish hues that buffer the sky blues from the bold colours of the sun . . .


Needless to say I have far too many photos of the sunrises and sunsets that have danced across my sky, which you are welcome to view here if you'd like.

This prompt from Bella totally raised my awareness of how many of the sun rise and set colours I have in my wardrobe and have used in the decorating of my home as I did a 'photowalk' through my home.


I was in the fortunate position to 'start fresh' a few years ago and, having absolutely no knowledge or skill in the area of home decor I simply chose things I liked! I seem to have ended up with was a rather 'southwest' colour scheme, perhaps influenced by frequent vacations and a great love for the state of Arizona.
It makes sense really  -  Colour is an important part of the rich tapestry of Native American life, incorporated  into their weaving, pottery, jewellery and other artwork and they draw the colours of their work from their surroundings . . . and these colours are the same as those seen in the sky...


My 'photowalk' walk  revealed deep wine reds, oranges and golds with terra cotta and pinks and splashes of pale yellow, violet and turquoise and a wee bit of what I like to call sky green . . .


I am sure it all sounds quite messy to someone with decorating taste . . . but I seem to have surrounded myself with, what I consider to be, the colours of the transitioning sky . . .  and it feeds my soul on a daily basis!

I bought these dishes in the mid-70s.

They were called 'Sun' by Midwinter. A few mugs and saucers, one side plate and a bowl are all that remain but I still use them daily . . .

I guess I have always been a sun worshipper!

I even spotted a scarf I had tossed on a chair that was a colour match for the room! haha
























My closet reveals a similar array of colours . . .

Thanks for the prompt Bella !  Very eye opening !

Assignment - Up close and personal

This week 52 Photos Project is about Macro photography.
Perfect. I asked for a macro lens for Christmas and received money to buy 'the lens I want"


Our prompt was: "Choose a subject. Get close, closer...when you think you're too close - click."
We are invited to photograph people or still life, as we choose but to "just get in there all close and personal."


Fortunately, I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my son and his girlfriend for my birthday last week ... it turned out to be the perfect subject. I got closer, then too close then and - click. 
Well, truthfully, I went:
click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click


But I'll just post a few, as well as one other I took for this prompt. I might slip in a few past photos too because I do love the details in close up photography that escape the naked eye.


THE Bouquet: 

. . . . and this is what happens if you come to see what I am taking pictures of . . . .

Assignment - Day 1

The first day of a year....
For me, a time for reflection and meditation.
Reflecting, with gratitude, on the good fortune, adventure, love and joys of 2011.
Meditating, with hope, on what 2012 has in store.


Prompt: Capture one moment in time from this day


I have a wall in my kitchen that I painted with blackboard paint when I moved in. Every guest to my home records their presence on that wall.
On the first day of the year I love to sit in front of it, coffee in hand and one 'signature' at a time, enjoy the memories it reflects in the coloured chalk each person chooses to leave their mark. It is a reminder to me of how fortunate I am to have such friends and family... then I take a photo for prosperity and start fresh!
My one moment today captured many special moments of the past year!

Days 2 through 365


I am not a resolution maker myself, or even a goal setter - I am more of a 'moving in that direction' person but the direction can (and does) change frequently if I see there is something new to learn or fun to do! 


In 2012 I want to learn, explore, experience and create. 


I am hoping that with my new 'zenployment' I will have more time to do things in unhurried ways 

Some things I would like to do in 2012

• revitalize my creative spirit 
• explore creative courses in photography and writing
• organize my gazillions of photos and quotes
• re-create several of my gardens
• create meals for elderly shut-ins in my community 

Each day I will create a Quotograph:


In order to make 'organizing' my creative self palatable I have given myself a project for the year that combines my love of quotes and my love of photography. It is a challenge and I am already 4 days behind! (because it took me that long to full formulate it in my mind)

I will go through my endless stash of quotes (I have note books full going back to my high school days and folders all over several computers!) and my gazillion photos and create a 'quotograph'! This also feeds my addiction to fonts! YAY!


I have done several for cards sets in the past and loved the process of finding the right quote for the right photo. 
I am hoping that with each new creation I will bring both my thousands of quotes and my pictures closer to some useable state of organization


wish me luck!

YES I said EACH DAY!!                                                                                 (this one doesn't count!)

 Autumn Quotograph

Assignment - What will I leave behind/welcome more of in 2012

The assignment is to share a photo that represents what I would like to leave behind in 2011 or invite into my life in 2012. 


To leave behind:
This would require me to share more of myself than I am used to doing but I am prepared to go out on a limb here...there is a sense of safety in the anonymity of the web. 
I suffer from an auto immune disease that mainly impacts my energy level and my joints - when it feels like it...which thankfully is not always but regrettably is not always at the most convenient times...
Since I have spent the past three weeks pretty much incapacitated there is no question as to what I would love to leave behind...the task here is how to depict physical pain in a photograph...especially since it is something I hide in every other aspect of my life. There are few who see me when I am in pain and certainly no such photos, despite it being a fact of my life.


so I thought to have fun with this because humour and fun is how I deal with my sometimes inability...

if I could find the right effect I would also add flames in every joint and a bright hot red colour *lol*


there are times when I feel like I can actually FEEL my appendages twisting and shortening and locking and curling... this 'edited' photo is my attempt to show how I feel in those moments.  I think the Picnix term for the effect - "Gooify" - aptly describes how I feel inside and out when my body betrays me like this...


I would also like to leave behind the (perhaps) hypercritical voice that I often judge my photos with and just let myself enjoy the process...

To invite into my life:
Blue skies, sunrises, and just a little cloud to keep me humble and grateful...and more adventures like the one that provided this photo from a hot air balloon over the red rock, canyons and mesas around Sedona Arizona

and LOVE...as I embark upon 2012 I am in the midst of preparing for what is apparently known as an 'encore' wedding! I am looking forward to celebrating what our family and friends call our "so much better" lives with those who supported each of us through our own more difficult times.


I also hope to go further and deeper into my journey into Mindfulness - a journey I have begun but upon which I would like to magnify my focus in the coming year... to focus, on a daily basis, on developing my mindfulness to the point of it becoming a natural occurrence...my camera is definitely a vital tool in helping me to reach this goal. But I have recently recognized that I need to find a balance and take care not to let my camera distract me from seeing all that I can...


2012 is going to be an awesome year of celebration and joy...I am so excited about the prospects for spending time creating - with my camera, in my garden and in my kitchen and perhaps with a little writing as well...

The year is wide open and the opportunities are endless!