2011 365/365 Back Lit

Pretty green flowers back lit by the Christmas candle light on the sill of the window above my kitchen sink ~ caught my eye yesterday.

Good-bye to 2011.  What a year.  I'm done with you, my friend.  Done.  I welcome the haze time often brings -- the way it will soften the memories of this year, back light the dark and scary times and highlight the beauty.  Bring on 2012 - I've been waiting for you and the promise of a fresh start.

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2011 364/365 Jumping by the Light of the Moon

Very cool!

And, great fun!

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2011 363/365 Hibernation

Just exhausted!  My jammies and slippers felt very good last night.  I'm ready for some deep hibernation.

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2011 362/365 Supercalafragalisticexpialadocious

this week!

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2011 361/365 Stretch!

This photo, one of the series used for our trampoline set up stop motion video, makes me smile.  All of us stretched out like that.  We accidentally assembled the frame upside down and had to flip it over.  It was quite a comical undertaking, made possible by the fact that (for some strange reason unknown to me) we have a rope hanging from a tree in the front yard.  Paul (who, during this project was known as "He Who Shall Not Swing Mallet") in his neck brace was able to attach the rope so brother Eric and I could lower the frame -- well, anyway, it was pretty funny and I'm so happy to have caught this moment (Annie actually released the shutter on this one).

Here's the video:

Trampoline set-up stop action from Paul Bogush on Vimeo.

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2011 360/365 Good Karma!

Such a pretty girl, our Karma! 

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2011 359/365 For Santa

Merry Christmas!

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2011 358/365 Baking in the Kitchen and Cartwheels on the Deck

Great way to spend Christmas Eve day!

Cartwheeling and baking!

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2011 357/365 Solstice

Bring the light!

Shot at Old Sturbridge Village, Candle Light Christmas

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2011 356/365 Bridge Through the Window, Bridgeport Hospital

Paul's surgery went very well yesterday!  Blessings!  Happiness!  Bringing him home soon ~ it will be tough for a bit, as he recuperates, but yipee!  The scary part is over.

Sky Bridge, shot from my breakfast table inside Bridgeport Hospital's main entrance.  Fairy lights and shadows from the trees inside can be seen reflected in the glass. 

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2011 355/365 Something Ordinary, Something Normal

Paul is having this done today:

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
This procedure removes a diseased disc (discectomy) through the front (anterior) of the neck (cervical). After the disc is removed, the spine must be stabilized. This is accomplished using a cervical plate and screws (instrumentation) and fusion (bone graft). Fusion is similar to glue that hardens over time to create a solid construct, which stabilizes the spine.

Since this blog is all about me, me, me...I can say his surgery is a little stressful for moi.  I have issues when it comes to medical procedures such as surgeries. 

Anyway...I'm sure it will be fine and all that jazz.  In the meantime, the hustle and bustle that is the week before Christmas for a mom in suburban paradise roars on and the impending surgery is happening with or without me liking it, so I find myself trying to control things and make some order out of chaos.  I've cleaned closets, cabinets and drawers at home and at work.  I'm organizing and work, work, working.  Tonight, I was comforted by the ordinary and normal act of chopping a salad for dinner, thinking about how Paul really exemplifies being "the rock" of our family.  He's our glue.  Our center and the girls and I, his satellites.  Anyway...chop, chop, chop.

Just keeping grounded in something ordinary, something normal.  It's a pretty salad, eh?  Yummy too, with chicken, Parmesan and dressing.

Breathe in, breathe out.  It will all be OK.  It will.  And, let's hope for less surgery in 2012.  Dad, Mom, and Husband.  That's quite enough for me!

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2011 354/365 Joy

Each year there are folks who receive photos of our girls for Christmas.  Often we give a copy of their school photos.  This year we decided to use a candid photo of both girls together.  I wrapped them all in brown paper that I stamped the other day.

Here they are all stacked up.

The photos were fun to take and edit too.  These were the two finalists:

Each person is actually getting both photos -- some have photo one in front and some have photo two in front -- the other is tucked behind.  It was just too hard to choose!

We of course, can't have a photo shoot without it turning into silliness!  This photo, while not making the "gift cut" is actually my favorite and I put it up on my desk at work.

I hope you are having time for quiet moments and some silly times this season.  Joy - it does a body good!

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2011 353/365 Instead

All along the process of bringing about the preschool, we examined and assessed its feasibility.  We decided that for now, it makes most sense to keep our spaces dedicated to the folks who live here -- we really have just enough for us.   And, when considered with other factors, on the shelf goes that (wonderful and amazing) preschool idea.

Never a dull moment in this house of dreamers!  The decision to keep our playroom dedicated to our children was followed by a spurt of creativity in what would have been the indoor classroom.  (I stamped some fun wrapping paper too!)

So, we are back to normal (ha!) around here and looking forward to many more craft-ernoons together!

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2011 352/365 Blue Christmas

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2011 351/365 Christmas Past

These lights are on my Mimi's ceramic Christmas tree...one of my all-time favorite treasures.  A little melancholy today...missing folks...

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2011 350/365 Iced Berries

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2011 349/365 Morning Pile

One day the sheep may have this added to their space, for now it's just a pile, made magical by the morning light on the ice encrusted scene.

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2011 348/365 Wrap and Stamp

Been crafting with Annie this week.  So nice!

We got the idea for this at Whip Up.  It was great fun!

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2011 345/365 Brisk

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2011 336/365 Hey Buddy!

One of the recent visitors to my (soon to be) preschool's bird watching station.

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