31: Brrrrr!

I took this picture this morning just after the sun rose.

It was -12 degrees F.

I went out onto the back porch very quickly to snap this!

30: Bokeh?

As a novice photographer, I've envied the bokeh (I'm not even sure how to pronounce it: Bow ka? Boo ka?) I've seen in some phototgraphs but have been unable to shoot any myself. 

Today, I think I did, a little!

See those circular "bubbles" in the background?  Bokeh!

29: Birthday Gifts

Lots of cards and another one arrived after I took this picture.  Love the stickers! 

The box is from my sister, Sally.

The beautiful bouquet is from my son and his girlfriend.

I'll open everything when my husband gets home.

28: Oreos

Gary's dessert tonight

27: Afternoon Moon

I saw this moon as I was getting out of my truck after school.

Check out SkyWatch Friday for more skies

26: Fruit Bowl

I don't know where we got the wooden bowl but I love it.

Pain in the...

I was walking around the house taking pictures of various things but my husband kept getting in my way so when he turned around, I snapped his been-working-on-a-motorcycle-in-the-cellar-all-day...

24: Lilac Sprigs

I trudged through the snow in the back yard to get these bits from our lilac tree.  I'm hoping to force them to bloom. 

23: Berries

I took my camera for a walk this afternoon and saw this cool fence with berries tenaciously hanging on.

Visit Scenic Sunday to see more gorgeous scenes.

22: Smokin' Away!

I took this picture this morning from the open window in my bedroom.

It was just below zero.

Love the baby pink sky.

21: My Grandmother's Crochet

My mother's mother crocheted beautiful doilies.

And I'm having a glass of wine!

20: The Grandkids and one Great Grandkiddo.

White Shirt: Erin

Gray shirt: Dustin

Cowgirl: Michelle

Double frame: Alissa

Baby in red: Michelle

Samll oval: Nathan

Front: Kylie

19: Shells

I picked these shells up off the beach on Saturday.  They are nothing special but when I look at them, I think of the ocean and the fact that in a year and a half I'll be retired and living near the water.

18: Icicles

These icicles were hanging from the cedar tree just outside our house.

17: Portland Sunrise

I took this picture from our hotel room this morning. 

The sun only came out for about 15 minutes before the clouds, that you can see at the top, came in.

It's reflected on Portland Harbor.

16: Mt. Washington Blushes

Took this picture Saturday morning on our way out of town.  We had to stop at Walmart and while Gary was in the store, I walked around the parking lot looking for an angle that eliminated the telephone wires.

15: I Love My Kindle

The kids chipped in and got me a Kindle for Christmas.  I'm loving it!

I ordered a leather cover for it.

Lips Touch is a YA novel and it's so well written.

14: Another Self-portrait

Look at those long legs!

It was so nice after school that I had to go for a walk.

13: Kitchen Window

12: In Our Hallway

I have a problem.

My pictures are always cockeyed!

I'll have to work on that!

The pictures are of my paternal grandparents on the left.  We called them Nonie and Grampy.

On the right is my maternal grandmother or Memere.

My mom bought this desk at an auction.  It was painted green and she sanded the whole thing down before finishing it.

11: My Journals

I started keeping a visual journal a couple years ago.

I use cheap composition books and paint the pages

I still haven't done much with the covers.

Maybe one of these days.

On the left is an accordion book I made containing poems about things that make me smile.

On the right is the first "scrapbook" I ever did. It was for my trip to England in 2005.

10: Good Morning, Moon

I saw this at 7 am.

I stood on the back porch in my pajamas to take this picture.

It was -6 degrees.

9: Eating Sunshine

This orange came from our own tree in Florida.  We brought a couple back with us.

Wonderfully juicy!  Like eating sunshine.

8: The Fridge

I didn't rearrange anything .  I should have!  What a mess!

7: Pussywillows

I love how pussywillows last forever!

6: Self Portrait

This mirror has been at the bottom of our stairs since I was in eighth grade.  Yes, I've moved back into my childhood home now that my dad has died and my mom lives in Florida.

I had about 20 minutes this afternoon between getting home from school and going to my hair appointment so I didn't take the time to work on lighting.   That's why it's kind of dark.

5: I'm Missing Kylie

My granddaughter loves to play on this swing set that belongs to our next door neighbors.

If you look closely, you'll see that the middle swing has been flipped by the wind.

We haven't seen the sun so far this year.  I'm anxious for more interesting outdoor shots!

4: On the Other Side

You can see the lights from the window box through the window shutters.

The bride and groom are my parents.

3: My Only Decoration

I filled the window box with boughs that my husband brought back from his logging job then hiked down the rairoad tracks a ways until I got to some bushes with red berries on them and cut down a bunch to add to it.  Lastly, came the lights.  I plugged them in at the beginning of December and they've been on ever since.

I experimented by using the "S" setting on my camera and got this picture at dusk tonight.

Day 2: It's a Black and White Day

The storm they've been predicting all week has finally arrived and it's been snowing lightly all day. 


I took this from our back porch.  I like they way the snow delineates the tree limbs.

Day 1: My Craft Area

So, Im taking the plunge and starting a 365 project.

My kids and husband got me a nice Nikon D60 DSLR camera for my birthday last year and I figure this will force me to experiment and maybe improve.

But, where to start? I could feel the pressure all day wondering what to take a picture of. Finally, I just walked around the house and snapped away.

I decided on this one for my first photo because it's a part of the house that kind of symbolizes me best. It's a mess and is normally that way but I sit here almost every day working on my visual journal.