And So It Begins…

kanniduba10 Comments

…the Holiday Season.

Tomorrow, this home begins to fill with family, chatter, laughter, and good smells, and it will be overflowing until Sunday.  So much to be thankful for this year.

It’s been a challenging year, but the mountain doesn’t loom nearly as large as it once did.  For that I am grateful.

I am thankful for my immediate family…my home is a happy one, our bonds are strong ones, and laughter is often.  That’s not to say we don’t have our moments, but the good far outweighs the bad and for that I am grateful.

I am thankful for my extended family…our parents are still with us, healthy, active, connected.  Our siblings are our best friends, and their families thrive despite some bumps in the road.  Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins… All are well, and for that I am grateful.

I am thankful for my friends, near and far…they are also our family, and have been with us through thick and thin. They enrich our lives in so many ways, and for that I am grateful.

I am thankful for all the experiences that have opened my mind, taken me out of my comfort zone, and strengthened my connection with The Almighty. For those I am grateful.

I am thankful for my home with it’s leaky roof, and it’s cracking walls, and it’s old fashioned charm.  It is warm and comfortable, homey and loved.  All it’s flaws remind me that we bought what we could easily afford.  In this time when people have overextended and lost all they had, I am reminded that we made a blessed choice, and for that I am grateful.

I am thankful for the ability to see beauty in a clean sunlit window, a wrinkled face, a shriveling flower, a barren winter-ready world.  There is wonder all around and I am open to grace however it happens to find me.  For that I am grateful.

I wish you all a Blessed Thanksgiving, and a joyful kickoff to a Christmas Season filled with the things that matter.

Scared Crapless

kanniduba5 Comments

Gerry read this and thought something was wrong…so sorry if it was misleading. My test today was my routine first/baseline, but leave it to me to freak myself out over it. I tend to visit the world of Whatifs a bit too often than is good for me when I’m faced with a routine exam. This was one of those times.

So, I’m heading in for my first ever Mammogram and I am shaking and quaking so I can barely type. I am early so I am killing time and somehow writing about it is therapeutic. I have never visited this office feeling quite so terrified, even when I was having scary problem pregnancy moments. I guess those were mid crisis though and I tend to hold myself together fairly well when I’m in the midst of a trauma…it’s after that I fall apart.
Ok so I’m going in on my rattling legs. Wish me luck and a good result.

Best of 2011

kanniduba20 Comments

As all of you know, I’ve been a bit (okay, more than a bit) quiet on the Photo Challenge front.  The Fibromyalgia diagnosis and the two bulging discs kicked my butt from March through September, so the photographer in me was quite neglected. Thank the good Lord (and my team of doctors, acupuncturist, and chiropractor) that I am gaining ground and finally back participating in the Land of the Living.  I was close to adding psychiatrist to that team, but things came together just in time to get me back on track.

My poor, poor lonely camera had a long year with many and long bouts of dust collecting.  However, I was happy upon looking back to see that I DID take some photos this year, and even a few that deserve a little highlight in my “Best of 2011” post for Scott’s assignment.  Most of these you have already seen as I tend to build my posts around favorites, but there might be a few new ones for you in here somewhere.

This photo was taken last Christmas while decorating for the holiday.  We were testing the red bulbs and:

This next one was probably my very favorite, simply because it was an adorable moment.  I was taking photos of this sign “Because Nice Matters” and my son peeked in as I was snapping a shot and said, “Whatcha doin’?”  Perfect timing.

I highlighted this next photo in this post.  I just loved my niece’s expression.  Not even close to technically perfect, but I love it anyway.

This next photo was taken on my son’s fourth birthday.  This is a favorite because it is the first time I ever used flash (my new-at-Christmas SB-600) correctly.  Unfortunately, it was also one of a very few times I used it correctly.  Good intentions of becoming proficient with flash evaporated when things went haywire.  Maybe 2012 will see me more successful.

This next photo was a favorite from my trip to Newport.

Next are my favorite flower shots of the year.

My favorite self-portrait…well, it’s my favorite because it’s my only.  😉

Next up, my favorite black and white from my daughter’s 11 inch donation to Locks of Love:

My favorite vacation shot…I posted about this one here.

And another from vacation that is near and dear to my heart:

 

 

Here’s my favorite shot of my oldest daughter from 2011:

And my most recent favorite shot…these chocolate chip cookies are gluten free! (And oh, soooo gooooood.)

When looking back, I notice that all my favorites are of the “small” moments.  Seems to be a pattern with me, doesn’t it?

There’s a reason my photo wall contains the quote: “Our lives are made in these small hours…”