Photo of the Year 2022...

 

Photo of the Year 2022

"The Weaver"

Who would have thought that a lowly spider's web could win such honors.  :~)  I am quite surprised that the hubby suggested it for he's not much of a bug and spider kind of guy.  

"The Drought Buster"  2022

"The Watering Hole" 2022

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girls looked through Journal pages and chose their favorites.  I was pleased because these are favorites of mine too.  

"Sing One More Sweet Song" 2022

How can one, even in the cold dark days of January, forget the song of the Summer Tanager?

Millie and I are now back up to 287 consecutive walks.  On February 23, I wrote on my calendar, "Another winter storm hits.  3 inches of sleet and freezing rain.  I am not feeling well.  It was an early walk ahead of the rain & sleet.  370 walks.

Continuing on the 24th, I scribbled, "I am sick.  The ground is treacherous.  There is very little traffic.  Schools are closed.  I did not walk."  My streak was once again broken.  I missed 12 days of walking.  Millie surely was happy when we were back on the trail.  So was I.  

I will not be making resolutions this year.  They are such a bother when I am already doing the best that I can.  I am, however, naming this year, My Big Creative Year 2023, in which I plan to live and breathe all things I consider art.  (Even arranging the refrigerator can fall into that category.) 

"You have to be a little careful with me because I actually make art out of everything."  ~ Dorothea Stuffer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I must continue to follow the path I take now.  If I do nothing, if I study nothing, if I cease searching, then, woe is me.  I am lost.

That is how I look at it ~ keep going.  Keep going come what may.  But what is your final goal, you may ask.

That goal will become clearer, will emerge slowly but surely, much as the rough draft turns into a sketch, and the sketch into a painting through the serious work done on it, through the elaboration of the original vague idea, and through the consolidation of the first fleeting and passing thought".

~Vincent Van Gogh

Happy New Year and many happy creative days to you, dear friends!  Thanks to all of you for your visits and kind words here.  

~Mary

Winter Solstice...

 

The night sky picture above was taken last winter with my cell phone (which impressed me greatly).

 I tried to duplicate that same night sky on this journal page.  The quote is from Thomas Hardy in "Far from the Madding Crowd, which seems so applicable at this time of the year.  

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  

And the angel said unto them, Fear not for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And his shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."  

~St. Luke Ch. 2, 8~13

~~~~~~~~~~

So, a new season is officially here and, according to all reports, Old Man Winter is going to blast us on the first full day of winter with strong cold winds.  We are expecting rain and snow in the morning changing over to just snow in the afternoon.  Temps will fall sharply, with an overnight low of 2 degrees. We are hoping there will be no repeat of last year's storm.

I have worked hard the past month cleaning house ~ organizing, rearranging, and clearing out some unwanted and unnecessary things. I wanted to make a fresh start come January l, when I plan to go into a semi-hibernation mode.  The picture below, which keeps circulating here and there, is a perfect illustration for what I have in mind. (Except that I would like to be the one resting in the chair.  Ha Ha!)

That roaring fire surely looks good, doesn't it?

I hope all of you stay warm and toasty and have a very Merry Christmas.  Take care....

Happy, happy Christmas

that can win us back to the 

delusions of our childish days,

that can recall to the old man

the pleasures of his youth.

that can transport the sailor

and the traveler,

thousands of miles away

back to his own fireside

and his quiet home!

~ Charles Dickens