I'm dreaming about making these cookies from the New York times. My honey's favourite is orange marmalade. orange and chocolate is always good. yummy treats ahead.

mustard

mustard, a photo by Dee - purl happy on Flickr.

This months contribution to Twelve - the photo project started in 2011 by Amanda at Mockingbird.

This isn't a great photo, but the goal, for me, is to keep taking them each month. And to keep learning to use my camera, and to take pictures like the ones I love online. I'm slowly getting better. That is a good start.

Like a bear

It is -34 degrees right now. It is supposed to get colder later, -38 degrees. I am staying inside. Hibernating. Like a bear. Diving under the covers, and keeping the hot tea close.

Chef and I are here together. That is a good blessing. Maybe we will stay in and play more cards. We've been playing Monopoly Deal and Sorry Revenge recently. These are like the board games, but faster and on playing cards. They are super-fun.

Better luck next time

{northern lights, August 2011, photo by Dee}

One of my goals, for the last couple of years, has been to photograph the northern lights.

I use the AuroraMAX forecast from the Canadian Space Agency, and its twitter alerts of when the lights (aurora borealis) are visible above town.

I haven't yet got a good photo of the lights. But I await eagerly a clear night when it is not too cold and not too late on a work night to head out. Tonight was one such night. At 7:30 pm off the back of my balcony was a green moving line.

I was all set with my tripod, wide aperture lens, with my settings all lined up. Except I didn't have it set to manual like I thought. Oops. I ended up with blurry fuzz again.

Get up & do

I think this is becoming my new motto, with no relation to New Year's Resolutions. I need to wake up in the morning, and start doing. don't go back to sleep.

This morning I'm starting to knit a sweater.

On Saturday, I made bread, just one loaf, as result of watching the following gorgeous video.

sourdough. (no natural light)

Dutch Oven Bread from Kinfolk on Vimeo.

photo credit: Dee, author's personal collection, 2012.

photography goals for 2012

This year I plan on taking a lot of photos.

I plan on continuing with project Twelve. I completely failed on it last year - I only took one of the monthly photos. 12 photos in a year should not be a lot.

Which is why I am also adding a monthly self-portrait to the mix.

I have also started a daily gratitude/things that made me smile project. So far I made it all four days.

I also have several 'lifetime projects' that I started a while ago. These are the projects I take a photo of the subject if I come across it, especially when traveling, and they may never be complete. Usually, these are things that are generally the same but also different around the world. Currently, these projects are of milk, prohibitory signage, and old signage painted on the side of buildings that are usually now used for something else. I think there is a name for that, but darned if I know what it is.

Don't ride the dinosaurs. Calgary. 2011.

I may also be taking photos around town for decor at our wedding.

I also plan more me + Chef photos, because I don't want to grow old without the ability to look back on these times. I love looking at the photos of my parents together when they were newly married.

Having a camera + taking photos makes me happy, so I don't really consider any of these a chore. Now just to have some of the photos printed this year. I really miss that about my film camera.

a new year...

time passing quickly again
getting back to work
re-focused
on my path
intensely grateful
for the year that was
2011
healing
blooming
passionate

2012
about to be
luminous
full
special
& ordinary

here we go....