366/366: It Was A Very Good Year

For days.

I have racked my brain.

What should I do?

For the last day.

What image should I capture?

It dawned on me this morning.

That it shouldn't be planned.

Today should be.

As the rest of the last year has been.

A picture that reflects my day.

Good.

Bad.

Mediocre.

Whatever the story may be.

As I relaxed with my family.

I decided.

That this journey.

This year of learning.

About so much more than photography.

Will end as it began.

With me.

A self portrait.

So here I am.

After an hour or so.

Of running around the kitchen.

Making a Fourth of July dinner for my family.

With messy hair.

No make up.

Happy.

Fulfilled.

Not sure what is next.

But confident that great things are in store.

A little pensive.

A little relieved.

A lot proud.

That something I started.

Sun burned and sitting next to my husband. 

On a couch in California.

Is ending.

Completed.

With me happy and sitting next to my husband.

On a couch in North Carolina.

As I have said.

Many times.

In the last year.

Life is good.

365/366: In The Window

As I was doing dishes tonight.
I glanced up and noticed.
How pretty the evening light looked.
As it shone through the windows.
On the tomatoes in the sill.
Something simple.
Yet so lovely.

364/366: Framed

We hung our first photo.
In our new home today.

We decided on a photo.
Scott took of Navy Pier Ferris Wheel.
From the day we were engaged.

It seemed so significant.
So right.
To hang it in our hallway.

Everything is starting.
To come together so nicely.

We are making this old house.
A home.
It feels good.
Really good.

363/366: Long May It Wave

Today we hung our flag pole.
It looks so great on our front porch.

Next step...
Order an Ohio State flag.
Before football season.

362/366: Let Them Eat Cake

Today I baked my first cake.
In my new oven.

It was an odd sense of satisfaction.
With a little disbelief thrown in.
That it baked so fast.

I took it to our neighbors.
As far as I can tell.
It was a hit!

Hopefully there will be more.
Pies.
Cakes.
Cookies.
Goodies.
Gifts.
Baked with love in our oven.

361/366: Heatwave

There were record highs in Charlotte today.
104 hot humid degrees.

Despite my best efforts.
All of my flowers have wilted.
Except these little purple pansies.

360/366: The Great Outdoors

After a day.
Stuck inside working.
I walked outside.
For a bit of fresh air.

I was struck.
By the beauty.
In the clouds and the light.
Right outside my door.

359/366: Angus

Angus is a rooster.
He lives a few houses down.
However.
He loves to visit our yard.
There is rarely a day.
I don't look out my kitchen window.
And see Angus marching home.

358/366: My Nook

I have a new little nook.
In our house.

I love sitting here.
Reading.
With the window open.
The breeze blowing in.

It is so relaxing.
So peaceful.
My little corner of the world.

357/366: Pocket Full of Posies

I love exploring our yard.
Trying to figure out.
What all these plants are.
So I can learn how to take care of them.
They are so pretty.

356/366: They Said...

You will miss.
The fresh produce.
From California.
They said.

So far.
My neighbors are making sure.
I'm doing just fine.

This is the second batch.
Of fresh veggies.
They gave us.
Straight from their garden.

You can't get much better than that.

355/366: My New Toy

I am slowly.
But surely.
Making friends.

With our intimidating.
Yet totally awesome.
Stove oven monstrosity.

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354/366: Summer Rain

My husband.
Made a very good point.

For the first time.
In a long time.
I can stand in the rain.
Because we have porches.

So when it rained on Friday.
I stood on the porch.
In the hot summer rain.

I forgot how wonderful.
Summer storms smell.
All I wanted to do.
Was capture a little slice.
Of that moment.
So I could remember.
The smell.

353/366: My Desk

My new work space.
I love the fresh air and the sun.
From the window.

352/366: Half Empty or Half Full

Everyone keeps asking.
How the unpacking is going.

The truth?
It's not.

We both went straight to work.
The unpacking comes in spurts.
In the evenings.
On the weekends.
Along with all the other major projects.
That need tackled to keep the house livable.

So.
How is unpacking?

We have some rooms that are pretty much empty.
And some that are completely full.
I give it two more weeks.
Until we are both so sick of boxes.
We start dumping them!

351/366: Working From Home

Same job.

Same awesome co workers.

New desk.

New view.

I'm a lucky.

Lucky.

Girl.

350/366: Herb or Weed?

At some point.

There was a raised herb garden.

In the back yard.

Someone let it grow over.

So now I am unsure.

If there are herbs to be salvaged and used.

Or weeds to be pulled.

It smells like mint.

I'm not brave enough.

To taste it.

Yet.

I think I'll do a little more research.

Whether I can save it or not.

I am excited about fixing up the bed.

And growing my own herbs.

349/366: Learn Something

I'm not sure.
If it is my new surroundings.
Or a gut instinct.
To nurture after the ups and downs.
Of the last month.

Whatever it is.
I have this desire.
To cook.
Constantly.
I have tried more new recipes in the last two weeks.
Than I have in 8 months.

Much of my daily menu planning.
Stemming from what is in the fridge at the moment.
So it doesn't go bad.
Rather than what is on my mind at the moment.
So my stomach is happy.

Squash and zucchini chips.
With lemon aioli.
Why not.

Baked apples.
Never tried.
Why not now.

It feels right.
Organic.
Natural.
Nurturing.
Like something I am supposed to do.
As a woman.

I don't know if there is any substance to that.
Or just my head trying to make sense.
Of something I don't fully understand.

Whatever it may be.
My heart.
My mind.
My body.
My husband.
Are all enjoying the finished product.

348/366: Settling In

We spent all of Saturday.
Working on the yard.
We weeded.
Planted.
Trimmed.
Cut.
Painted.

It feels like we barely made a dent.
But the progress is visible.
And we had a great time doing it.

347/366: Basil

There is basil.
Growing in my kitchen.
In a flower pot.
That belonged Scott's Grandmother.
These are the little things.
That make my day.

346/366: Grits

I went to the store today.
I bought grits.
I feel like now that I am in the South.
I should know how to make grits.

They are Quaker.
I figured I'll screw them up enough.
In the beginning.
That I can hold off.
On buying the expensive ones.

I did not.
Get instant grits.
I was told.
By the very nice little old lady.
In the aisle of the supermarket.
That instant grits.
Are cheating.

Good to know.

345/366: From the Garden

We moved.
Too late to start.
Our own garden.

Today.
Our neighbors.
Brought over vegetables.
From theirs.

Yum!!

344/366: A Room To Sew

Our house.
Has enough rooms.
For me to have.
My very own sewing room.

I picked up a few things.
At the antique mall.
To spruce it up.

343/366: Home Office

Every home office.
Needs a desktop.
Yoda.

My husband made sure.
Mine was complete.

342/366: Fresh Start

Today.
After a week of happiness.
Of settling in.
To our little house.
In our new little town.

A week of basking.
In the promise of the future.

Of distancing myself.
From the sadness and stress.
Of the drive to our new home.

Today.
After a week of bliss.
The sky fell.
On our world.

When I thought I couldn't handle.
One more thing.
I was tested again.

I was reminded.
Again.
That everything happens.
For a reason.

I was reminded.
That no matter what happens.
The world keeps turning.

That even on the shrubs.
Full of dead brown flowers.

A blossom can grow.
And life can return.

With a little love.
And a little sunshine.

341/366: The Depot

For months.
I have waited.
With anticipation.

To finally move.
To be here.
In our little town.
So that I could go.
To the awesome antique mall.
Known as The Depot.

It didn't disappoint.

340/366: Breakfast

I ate my first meal.
In our dining room.
Cereal.
In a paper bowl.

Staring at the glass door knobs.
On our pretty French Doors.
Enchanting.

339/366: Ding Dong

I was presently surprised.
To learn.
That the doorbell at our home.
Works great!

Now if we can just.
Get the boxes unpacked.
We will be ready for guests.

338/366: Room to Grow

The grass needs cut.
I don't care.
We have a yard.
For dogs.
For family.
For whatever we want to fill it with.

Today was a great day.
Filled with love.
With promise.
For the future.

337/366: Home

I love looking at this fireplace.
Knowing it has been here.
For almost 100 years.
Because a man.
Built a home.
For his wife.

336/366: The Move - Day 5

For the fifth day.
In a row.
I cried.

For the first time.
In five days.

My tears were happy tears.

Welcome to North Carolina.
Home at last.

335/366: The Move - Day 4

Day 4 started well.
And ended parked under cover.
At a Fuelmart between Memphis and Nashville.
While the wind whistled.
The rain fell in sheets.
Tornado sirens wailed.
And lightening like I've never seen.
Illuminated the sky.

Two hours later.
We were safe.
Shaken.
And back on the road.

We arrived in Nashville at 2:30am.
To discover my husband.
Had left his glasses.
In Oklahoma City.

When it rains.
It pours.

334/366: The Move - Day 3

And so it began.
A ten day.
Roller Coaster.
Of every emotion.
I could ever imagine.

What started on Day 3.
And transpired over the next ten days.
Was more than I ever thought.
I could handle.

Everything happens for a reason.
This has become our mantra.

As promised.
I continued my project along the way.
I just haven't been able to post.
Until now.

So grab some coffee.
As I try to catch you up.
On the last 10 days.

Day 3 began.
With a call.
From the front desk of the hotel.
That my car had been broken into.

Among the items taken.
Grandpa's Suitcase
Everything associated with my cochlear implant.
Skateboard decks.
Pieces of my husband's drum set.
An air mattress.

They left the expensive stuff.
They took the personal.
It still hurts.

333/366: The Move - Day 2

As Day Two.
Came to a close.

Everywhere I looked across the desert.
And the mountains.
The sky seemed to catch fire.

It was breathtaking.

331/366: Blogger The App

I took a really great photo.
That I can't post.

It is the last night in our house.
We have no Internet access.

So here is the cell phone version.
Because I will not be defeated.
By some pesky technicality.

And on the bright side of things.
I finally learned how to use the blogger phone app!!

Behold!
Our mountain of hangers!

332/366: The Move - Day 1

Day one was exhausting.
We finished loading.
Said goodbye to Apartment D.

Got on the road in early afternoon.
Rolled into our hotel at 2:30am.
Tired. Exhausted. Emotionally Drained.

The scenery was fantastic.
The company was even better.

Our days have been long.
But I am snapping along the way.
I will post as I can.
Rest assured...
I'm not missing a day of my 366.

I've shot more from the road.
In the last two days.
Than I have in the last 6 weeks.

I'm loving every minute!