2011 Top Ten photos of the year

2011 is at an end...as with all of you, you can pick out highlights and things you'd rather forget.  I went through my 2011 photos to try and pick out 10 top photos.  Out of thousands, it is not an easy thing to do, I would love to have you go through them and pick out your favorites!  So here goes...with a couple extra.

Happy New Year to you, may peace and joy find its way into your life this next year amidst the "life".  Look for the things that are truly important, things that make you smile in the midst of strife.  Love & peace to all of you.

Cowboy Sunset Ride

Simple Elegance

Fall Says it All

Morro Rock at Peace

Look closely

Ciao Sic, We Will Miss You

Half a Wish

Cat's Tail

Exercise in Color

Santa's Helper

See you in 2012!

Joy - Gioia - Freude - שמחה

Joy

 

  Tis the season...I have managed to collect JOY.  Surround myself with JOY, yet it is many times elusive.  So, I chose to do a bit of study on the the word JOY.

1) the emotion evoked by well-being, success, 

   or good fortune or  by the prospect of possessing what one desires

   the expression or exhibition of such emotion

2) a state of happiness or felicity, bliss

3) a source or cause of delight 

 

 

wikipedia-Joy 

 

Here on Christmas Eve...an appropriate time for a reflection by me...there's is Joy where I choose to find it...the little things I gloss over.  .......

from the waking kiss on my cheek this morning by my Love and hearing "Merry Christmas Eve" to...

...the music that fills my soul...the family that surrounds me....

our daughter under our roof, our son living close by, my family near and far...

 

...my neighbors, my friends, my girlfriends who grow more precious every year....

 

 

... the many times this word pops up throughout this last week...trying to tell me something????

 

 

 

 

...sometimes, like the fragile glass ornament above, it gets broken and repeatedly fixed...I will not lose my JOY.

JOY is a friend who creates...and shares, thanks Beckie..

 

 

“Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by.”

 

 

And JOY found tucked on a tree...All I have to do is keep my eyes and heart open...JOY is all around me...

Merry Christmas and find your JOY...

Looking Through the Macro

The only time I really need to see the details, should be through my macro lens...

Do you have a favorite...I do

Sometimes I get too focused (no pun intended) on the details of life and miss out on the simplicity, though I find the opposite to be true through my lens

As the Calendar Turns

The Leaves, They Have All Gone

A week into December already.  Seems I just did my last thankfulness blog yesterday.

Time is passing quickly, and it is true, the older you get, the faster it seems to accelerate.

I continue to be thankful for the days and all that they hold.  From the smiles from strangers, to text from dear friends going through challenges, family also...and for a goodbye for now to our son in law who has gone off to serve our country.

I appreciate the little things much more these days.  The help in the kitchen from my hubby to a truckful of artichokes gone to beautiful purple heads parked next to me.

And some time to sit here and listen to some music, edit a few photos and share some thoughts.

Catch you back around soon...need to go check the fudge

Day 30 Final Day of 30 Days of Thanksgiving

Goodbye November...I am Truly Thankful

I did it!

30 consecutive days of blogging my thanks

It has kinda been like a roller coaster ride, one day up, one down, some days just spun around all together and then when its done you want to do it again!

Crazy life

I am starting this in the morning and will finish tonight

My first thankfulness today is for all the families of those deployed and being deployed and those that are gone or in the process of leaving.  I do not know the sacrifice first hand, but second and it is painful no matter how hard they "buck it up" and wear brave faces.  Please know my thankfulness comes from the very depths of my soul for all of you.

Now for the evening entry...

thankfulness for another day to stick around

for dinner in the crockpot when I got home from work

that my sister's sciatic pain is better

for laughter & lunch with a dear friend at ThaiRiffic in town

For the time to go to lunch

And for you, who actually took the time to read my ramblings

I will still be posting my photos and whatever pops into my mind.  December, here I come

Day 29 of 30 Days of Thanksgiving

Rounding the corner of November and ready to slide into December.

I chose this floral picture for the softness and the gentleness I feel when I view it.  Though my challenges are small in comparison to so many around me, sometimes life just is a little rough.

I will continue in my thankfulness, even though...I am sure you can fill in the blanks for yourself.

My thankfulness for today 

For a full tummy and food to prepare

For the company of my companion in life

For friends

For family

For technology that allows me to learn online

For doors that can cut down on sound ;), kinda...

What are you thankful for today?

Day 28/30 Days of Thanksgiving

Sunrise for the Season

Monday's Thankfulness

Time taken to finally weed out some clothes from the closet...almost done, well almost

and some time to clear out paper, paper, paper in the studio/office (ick), but thankful to be getting some of it done

Thankful for a supportive hubby, in his own way

For a quitting time to stop & sit

For a friends successful surgery

Day 27 of 30 Days of Thanksgiving

The Process is Almost Complete

The TDOT is almost complete

A month long project of blogging every day of thanksgiving, not so easy as I first thought.

For today, Sunday, I am thankful for:

A Thanksgiving holiday spent in the southland with my side of the family.  I miss them so much at times.

The warm gorgeous weather we have had the last couple of days

The continued changing of the colors all around me

My Maple trees in the backyard

Time to get out the Christmas decorations before the work week

A simple dinner

Our son helping put up the outside lights

My thankfulness is very 3D  many layers and appreciate them all

I think that's it for today

Day 26 TDOT Back to Home Day

Julian Ca Porch

 

 

 

 

Saturday's Thankfulness

For a safe travel back home and keeping up with my hubbie

For our military personnel who sacrifice much to their job

For our daughter...an angel sent to us

For her husband who is about to deploy and the sacrifice that they both are making for us

For time spent having coffee and our goodbyes...for now

For home

Day 25/30 TDOT

Add caption

The Day After...and the thankfulness continues

Time with our daughter and son in law

Shopping on our terms, camera stores, art store... in Little Italy

Wandering around Julian, CA 

Turkey tacos!

time to sit and visit and blog together, as funny as that sounds

A kitty on my lap, cause I miss mine

Talking with family that is not here with me

A shower to rinse off the day

Done...

Peace and love to you...

 

Day 24 of TDOT The Official Day of Thanksgiving

A big round of thankfulness....

For my family, each & everyone of them...

For a bounty of food, never a lack of...

For laughter and memories made, of old and new...

Day 23 TDOT

Growin Up Home

Thankful for the memories of home...

Thankful for my mom, the most graceful, elegant woman I know...

Thankful for family and a hubbie who loves them as as I do

Thankful for rest...

Day 22 TDOT

Curious Neighbors

Tuesday...Thankful for the day...