December Monthly Scavenger Hunt - Completed!

In addition to the "All New Scavenger Hunt" I participate in, this month I also joined the "Monthly Scavenger Hunt" group on Flickr as well.  It's a bit different as it is 20 items every month, no challenges, you can use photos from your archives and the hunt items are vague.  This allows  more creativity to go into each hunt item.  For example, the photo of Blue with the Santa hat on was for the hunt item "Grinch, Humbug or Scrooge".  Plus with my time constraints it's more feasible for me to complete (though I do still participate in the ANSH as well).  You can see the full size photos here.

Yay me!  Friday starts Project 365 - wish me luck, I'll need it!

And It's Over...

Almost as quickly as it starts, Christmas is over and done with.  It was a great holiday spent with family and friends.  We had four family gatherings over the last week and several impromptu friend gatherings.  And to top it off, I'm on vacation until January 4th!  New Year's is next on the agenda, which means it's time to start cleaning my house so it's in decent shape for New Year's Eve.  We're having a few friends out and New Year's always ends up being a fantastic time!  This year Jason is making his yummilicious Guinness chili to add to the festivities.  I'm sure lots of photos will come of that night!  But for now, here are some family photos from some of our various gatherings  (sadly there were a few where I took my camera but failed to take any photos).

Buddy's first Christmas present

Lois Lane with her new stuffy (which already has missing appendages)

My niece Taylor all snuggled up

Momma

Jeremy & Amanda (my brother and sis-in-law)

Mama Rosie & Melvin

Cousin Adam, Aunt Cindy & Melvin

Portia

Dad & Mom

Cousin Matt & Abby

Grandma Parson

Abby kicking of the annual Dirty Santa game

Dad & Taylor

Jason & Taylor "wrastling"

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all my readers!  I wish you all a fun, safe and healthy holiday!

Two Down, Two to Go

Two Christmas gatherings down, two to go.  One more on Christmas Eve at my mom's for the "big family" party and then we head to Jason's mom's on Christmas morning.  Then on Saturday we move the rest of Portia's items for her room and the evil rabbit to her mom's house and then sweet relaxation until New Year's Eve!  After tomorrow I'm off work until January 4th and I really look forward to the time off. We don't have much of anything planned between the 26th and 31st and I like it that way.

Hardy has a birthday coming up on the 25th as well!  Old fart will be 16 years old (our closest guess).  He doesn't do so well in the cold weather these days so I broke down and bought him a couple of sweaters to wear outside.  He likes them so much I'm just leaving one on him all the time.  He's such an old man - full of wire hair and warts.  I'll try to get a photo of him in his new digs.

Until then, Merry Christmas!

Project 365 in 2010

Today I was thinking about what some of my goals will be for 2010.  There are the usual financials, work improvements, healthier lifestyle type deals, and believe me, there are plenty of those goals...but I also want to make a fun goal in something that I enjoy. In 2008 I completed Project 52 - a photo project that requires the participant to take (at least) one photo a week for one year and post it to some sort of group, in my case Flickr.  I successfully completed this project and you can see my Project 52 results here.

In 2009 I dabbled around with some photography scavenger hunts and have had a really good time with them.  However, with a new year brings a new project.  Project 365.  Project 365 is similar to Project 52 however, you guessed it, it's a photo a DAY for one year.  I wanted to do this in 2009, but work schedules and time restraints told me it wasn't feasible.  That may still be true now, but I think I've become more comfortable with my photography and my photography style that it will be more likely to happen now. Plus I have a drive to learn more about it and what better way than to force myself to take a photo a day and try to make it at least a decent subject matter?  On top of that, I plan to post each daily photo to this blog (among my usual ramblings).  I don't know how far I'll get with it, but I think it's worth a shot!  And I'll continue to keep up my scavenger hunts as well - they are great fun!

So in the new year, prepare to see more posts, more photos and with any luck at all I'll meet my Project 365 goal, even if you do see a lot of future photos of my dogs.  :P

Christmas and Buddy Updates, Among Other Things

The Christmas season is upon us.  My tree is up, but there is only one gift under it. Buddy, apparently, likes to play with wrapped gifts, scoot them around the living room and chew on the paper, thus my little 2 foot tree will be nekkid of gifts this year. Shopping is close to being done, just a few more items left.  It's busy season for sure and our weekends are totally booked through New Year's.

Last night we went to our annual Christmas party hosted by our good friends Charlie & Christina.  It's always a good time and last night was no exception!  Yummy lasagna and breadsticks for dinner, lots of good snacks and the traditional White Elephant gift exchange was a hoot, as always.  I ended up with 2 dvds, a jar of homemade canned peppers (which Jason is thoroughly enjoying), a gourd, a plastic reindeer and a pocket knife that looks like a key - ha!  Jason got a good one and snagged a 4-piece set of wine glasses.  Unfortunately as I was putting one in the dishwasher this morning it became a 3-piece set. (Exactly why we don't buy expensive wine glasses.)

Portia has decided to move in with her (biological) mom and will be officially moving next weekend.  So we've been busy getting her packed up, filling out school transfer forms and tying up other loose ends.  I hope the move is a good choice for her - it sure won't be the same without her home, but I hope to get to spend some quality weekends with her in the upcoming months.

The dogs are all doing well.  Buddy has reached the 80 pound mark.  He could still use 10 or so pounds, but at this point he's healthy and happy and very smitten to be indoors and laying on our couch rather than being pinned up outside as he has been in the past.  He's over his food aggression and him and Blue are quickly becoming good buddies, which I never thought I'd hear myself say. Blue never plays with other dogs, but him and Buddy are like two peas in a pod!  This is a picture I got of Buddy one day when he was just standing by the chair and decided his big ol' head needed a rest.  Hehe!



That's about all I really have as an update.  Hopefully I'll be getting some exciting photos to share with all the festivities going on in the next several weeks.  I wish everyone happy holidays!

Photo Flashback: December 2008

Almost Christmas again already - it's amazing how time flies the older I get.  For lack of anything interesting to blog about, I bring you yet another photo flashback from this time last year.  Unless you prefer to hear about my dog's recent bout with diarrhea that seems to be contagious and hitting them one at a time....yeah, didn't think so.

My sis-in-law Amanda, my brother Jeremy and my niece Taylor.  My brother has issues keeping his eyes open and smiling at the same time. ;)


And you may remember Pip Squeak!  Pip was the baby mouse we found in our basement all alone last December.  We kept her with two domesticated female mice, Moo and Hazel, until it got warm enough to let her go outside.  We let her out in our shed in the backyard and have spotted her there in the nest she built when we go into the shed.  :)



And Miss Moo - Moo and Hazel have been adopted by my good friend Jenn's daughter, Lexi.  She loves them and I think they love her too!