Short Story Long

  Hope you get some!

Scott and Lana We arrive at day 25 of the new year.  I have managed to keep up with my Project 365+1 fairly well, although I have missed a couple of days already!  Better than last year, though.  Here's my picture from Saturday (above), when I took some family pictures of my friend Lana, and her family.  And they'll be adding to their brood, as you might be able to tell.  I love this picture of Lana; I think it illustrates how she is full of joy. So this 366 thing.  I can't figure out what it's supposed to be.  It's definitely not my best work to have to get a picture everyday.  Yesterday I was sick, and completely forgot.  I think this is supposed to make you a little more conscientious about using your camera.  I don't have that problem.  It probably drives some of my friends and family nuts when they see me coming with my camera.  Again.  But anyway, I'm going to keep on until I figure out what I'm doing. ...

  Can I just tell you again how much I love knitting?  I LOVE knitting!   As much as I enjoy quilting, I have just not connected to any local quilters like I have knitters.  I think I need to take a quilting class one of these days.  (I still love my quilting blog friends, though!)  One of the people I've had the good fortune to meet through knitting is Dianne Nash of Windy Vally Muskox yarns.  I've been teaching Beginning Knitting at my LYS and had two of Dianne's aunts in my class last spring.  Our class of six ladies (plus me) went out for fun after the last session, and since Dianne was in town she joined us.  Since then, I have become great friends with this fun group of ladies - we even have a new little baby to pass around!  Most recently, I had the opportunity to design a new pattern for WVM with their delicious Luxury Blend.  Part qiviut ( muskox fiber), part silk, and a pinch of wool, the Luxury Blend is warm, soft, a...

  We had a couple of good snows in December.  I was happy to see, once it all melted this past week, that several of my herbs are still alive and edible; parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, actually!  And we still have onions and carrots that may be edible if they don't get too wet.   One of my Christmas gifts was The Winter Harvest Handbook .  I have read several chapters and am enjoying and learning, although I am not sure the concepts are all that feasible in a little back yard garden; it's geared more toward a for-profit type project.  However, I am encouraged to try and extend my growing season, both through planting smarter as well as starting seeds inside and covering plants during frosts.  I will be planting peas again sometime in February - next month!  He talks at length about sunlight hours, and how many European people have covered winter gardens, but Americans at the same latitude think there's not enough light; an interesting ...

Here's my third day of the 365+1 project; I will link to the whole set on Flickr on another day, or you can click My Flickr over there on the right.   One of the best things I ever heard come out of another person's mouth... When asked about competing against his friends, I once heard someone say, "My success does not depend on another person's failure."  If only we all believed in being our best instead of just beating the people around us, what a world that would be!  I bet you'd be surprised who said it.  Care to guess?  

I usually start the New Year in a place of tranquility, with plans for the future already in motion. Last night I started the New Year in a car, almost home but not quite, tired and feeling like we'd stayed too long but left too soon, and not knowing whether we would be finding the house dark or light.  We didn't have any power when we'd left, and as it turned out, didn't when we arrived home seven hours later.  However, I remind my self that while I may have had many failings today, it is simply one of seven New Days I get every week and my New Year can start tomorrow.  It's all going to be okay.   I was talking to a friend earlier today and sort of decided, subconsciously, that I'm going to attempt a Project: 365.  Though of course this year it will be 365+1.  I thought I was going to do this last January, but on Day 3 or 4, I found my pictures so far so dismal that I immediately quit.  I have a much different perspective on photography now t...