Epiphany Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013

May Christ's bright star enlighten your mind and heart as you strive for equality, justice and kindness in the world and the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, Mother of us all, be with you and remain with you for ever.

Amen

Photo Project 2012 - Day 365

Day 365

I started this 365-day photo project with a picture of my family enjoying a good-luck, black-eyed pea dinner. It seems appropriate that we should end the year and the project with images from our New Year's Eve dinner at home with friends. The Barons joined us at home for a long evening of feasting beginning with homemade guacamole, bacon-wrapped dates, a mid point of perfectly cooked beef tenderloin accompanied by some fine wine, dessert that include chocolate souffle and an ending toast to the East Coast new year with sparkling grape juice for adults and children alike. It was a perfect way to finish the holiday season.

With this posting, I complete the year-long photo project that began on Jan. 1, 2013, when I set out to take at least one picture every day. The project had its ups and downs. I missed taking pictures only a handful of days during the course of the year; I took far more pictures in 2012 than I had in the previous few years. I was slow to post my photos to the blog. And, when I was behind on posting photos, I felt like I couldn't just write a regular post. So, I have a lot of notes in a file about posts I'd like to write. Maybe I'll get to those this year.

As I look back through our digital files and photo project posts on the blog, I know that the project gave me the opportunity to capture so many moments in 2012 that would otherwise be forgotten. Like a German shepherd riding in a convertible; drinking an amazing bottle of ginger ale; the snowman door mat still out in the middle of the summer; and an amazingly tasty banana treat that didn't come close to looking like the picture in the magazine. For those memories I am grateful.

Though I felt relief and not obligation when I looked at the camera today, I know that I will forever look at the routine or otherwise mundane images of our everyday life a little differently. And, once in a while, I just may snap a picture of them.

Photo Project 2012 - Days 342 to 364

Day 342

For a majority of the past dozen years, we have celebrated Ron's and Linda's birthdays at dinner in Chicago on a Saturday night in December. The past two years, we have done so at Erie Cafe; this year's dinner was especially delicious. And, it's always wonderful to be with our former boating pals. (No, I didn't take this picture. I took one of the outside of the restaurant that wasn't as pretty.)

Day 343

Could Portia and Cinna have posed under the tree any better?

Day 344

It's pomegranate season. Annalee is in heaven!

Day 345

Ron proudly wears a necklace Zelda made him for his birthday. And, then we teased him that he was showing a little too much skin.

Day 346

Can you see Cinna tucked under Ron's arm while Ron edits a document for work?

Day 347

This was a gimme picture for the day.

Day 348

For Zelda's holiday party at school, she got decked out in her new Christmas outfit and antlers.

Day 349

On my mom's side of the family, we have six birthdays to celebrate between Dec. 7 and Jan. 4. We sang the Happy Birthday song six times and each birthday person got his/her own candle and cupcake. Ron, Zelda and Wyatt are among the celebrants.

Day 350

For the first time, I made an advent wreath. We had it on the kitchen table and would light it during dinner. (We missed at least the first 10 days of advent while I was sick and then went searching for blue candles.) We found dining by candlelight very calming; it gave us an opportunity to talk about history and to be reflective. Though the top image is rather dark, I love the glow of the candles with Ron just behind them. We all enjoyed looking at the shadows on the ceiling the first evening when we turned off all the electric lights.

Day 351

The flag at the park district remained at half staff following the shooting at the school in Newtown, Conn.

Day 352

After visiting with Santa at the Yorktown mall, Zelda takes a ride (make that six rides) on the little train.

Day 353

I came out from seeing my napropath/chiropractor to find Zelda upside down on the chair. I'm not sure this helped her adjustment all too much.

Day 354

For math class, Annalee had to do a project about a number. She chose 65 because the dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago. She worked really hard on the poster and all the data it contained.

The evening of the same day the poster was due, Annalee had her first band concert. She is the only person in fourth-grade beginner band playing the xylophone. At the start of the concert, the director invited one student to demonstrate each instrument to the audience. Annalee played a scale.

Day 355

Our elf on the shelf, Jack, hid in Zelda's stocking.

Day 356

I went searching for the kittens one day and found them sleeping together on the top of the dress-up clothes bin.

Day 357

Jackie displaced our handmade angel to hang out at the top of the tree.

Day 358

When I asked the girls which cookies they most wanted to have during Christmas, these (non-PC named) Arabian hats topped Annalee's list. I woke up early on Christmas Eve to bake them.

 During the latter half of our Christmas Eve service, we sing Silent Night by candlelight.

I neglected to take any pictures during our Christmas Eve gathering of friends and family. But, just before the Crowleys left, I got all five girls in front of the tree for this fine portrait.

Day 359

We have had an on-and-off tradition of popping British crackers as we start our Christmas dinner. Everybody has to wear their crowns. If we were to give an award for wearing the crown the longest, mom would have won. She had hers on into the evening.

Day 360

This is the last picture taken of Zelda as a four-year-old. After I took it, she began crying about not being four any more.

Day 361

She managed to be all smiles the next morning when she began opening her gifts.

I took the girls to Brookfield Zoo to enjoy the holiday lights display. It didn't have quite the winter holiday feel without snow on the ground.

Day 362

Rather than a traditional cake, I made birthday cake balls for Zelda's birthday party. I thought they looked as good as anything coming out of a bakery (if I do say so myself).

Zelda got to blow out candles twice on her birthday, one with her little friends and one with family. She had a Hello Kitty pajama party with her friends and kept on her pajamas for the entire day (and the next day, too!).

Day 363

We were very happy to be witnesses to friends Louisa and kClare's blessed union.

Day 364

It was 'Comfy Day' at church, so the girls wore their pajamas. Annalee was all smiles about it, though she did start to feel conspicuous when we went out for breakfast after the service.

Photo Project 2012 - Days 329 to 341

Day 329

After several days in bed with pneumonia, I made it to the kitchen to have dinner with the family.

Day 330

Zelda looks so cute in hats. She grabbed Portia to include in the picture.

Day 331

I must have retreated back to the bed, 'cause I didn't pick up the camera on Nov. 27.

Day 332

Instead of taking a picture of the sunrise, I turned and captured the reflection in a glass picture frame on the wall in the family room.

Day 333

As we were getting read to go to Zelda's dance class, I found her in her bedroom reading to Cinna. I still can't get over how he just lays belly up on her lap.

Day 334

We took a long weekend trip to North Carolina to visit Ron's family. This is the first time I've ever had the chance to get an aerial picture of the airport, Midway in this case.

Day 335

When I woke up on our first morning at Ronnie's house, I looked over the loft balcony to find the girls comfortably positioned on the ottoman watching Saturday morning cartoons.

Day 336

This is another one of the pictures that I took of the girls that didn't make the annual Christmas card. I didn't like the way the dock looked like it was coming out of Annalee's head.

Day 337

I just love the deep orange color of the eggs from my brother-in-law's chickens.

Our three nights in North Carolina passed quickly. We got a quick picture of the girls with Ron and his dad before leaving for the airport.

Day 338

I was so busy unpacking and then beginning some holiday shopping that I didn't pick up the camera...the very last non-picture day of the year!

Day 339

The fourth- and fifth-graders at Annalee's school put on a Christmas production. Annalee and some of her friends worked with their art teacher to create the scenery for the show.

Day 340

This picture is on our living room wall year-round, but it's especially significant at this time of year:

To be up North

To wait

To watch

To wonder

To be closer to 

Santa Claus

Day 341

A blurry image of Zelda as she helps me bake gingerbread cake to celebrate her twin cousins' birthday.

Photo Project 2012 - Days 305 to 328

Day 305

We celebrated Zelda's third family day on Nov. 1. She opened her gift first thing in the morning.

Day 306

Another spectacular sunrise. This one was out the patio door in the kitchen.

Day 307

Zelda's travel group gathered at our church to celebrate the anniversary of our adoptions. Two families weren't able to attend the party and were missed. It's so fun to see how much the children change from year to year.

Day 308

Apparently, this is the only picture I took this day. It looks to be the early colors of sunrise through the trees in the backyard. A pretty pathetic shot, if you ask me.

Day 309

I bought an abundance of Chiquita bananas (the very best) when they were on sale. Once they ripen, I cut them up and freeze them. We use them to make smoothies. Delish!

Day 310

Annalee looked so chic with her hair in a bun.

That same evening, Papa (Dad Bob) had some company while he relaxed on our couch.

Day 311

These cats constantly amuse us. That's Portia with her legs straight up while Cinna rests his head on her belly.

Day 312

Pomegranate season was upon us. It is Annalee's favorite fruit...well, along with watermelon.

Day 313

Whenever I can't find the kittens, I have to remember to look in the laundry room. On top of the washer, in the dirty laundry basket. Ick.

Day 314

Zelda and I made a chocolate cake for me to take to a class at church. When her face looks like this I'm never sure how much she actually gets into her mouth.

Later that day, as we headed out to the party to celebrate Annalee's eighth family day, I captured this sunset just down the road from our house.

These are 13 of the 18 girls who came home in Annalee's adoption group. They're growing up so fast! Annalee is in the pink.

Day 315

Cinna sleeps on Ron under a sleeping bag. He's a big baby (Cinna, that is).

Day 316

I remember a picture I took in February after we returned from Puerto Vallarta that was of a wonderful fruit salad. On Nov. 12 I found myself with pineapple, papaya and watermelon, so I made the same salad, tossed with a squeeze of lime juice.

Day 317

I was surprised one morning to find Portia resting on the vent in the bathroom.

Day 318

I have bored myself with images of the sky at sunrise, so I'm sure you're bored, too!

Day 319

The sun was just setting on our way home from the library one afternoon. My phone captured it as a huge glowing fireball.

Day 320

Portia likes to play in our library basket.

Day 321

The table at our church dinner dance looked so pretty lit by tea lights.

Day 322

This was the best of the first group of pictures I took of the girls for our 2012 Christmas card. I liked it, but I still did a couple more shoots to get the one that actually made the card.

Day 323

Zelda and Tubby hosted a tea party.

Days 324 through 328...
...went by in a blur as I ended up sick with pneumonia. I spent five days that included Thanksgiving in bed and am still gaining my energy back today as I write this (Dec. 27). I figured I was feeling better when I remembered to pick up the camera to continue work on this year-long project.