hung by children

hung by children, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

love how the kids hang ornaments on on the tree and then more ornaments on the ornaments
a really layered feel with a lot of depth

Best wishes for the New Year!

diner dessert (still liking the iphone)

diner dessert, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

it is chilly here
and for the most part I like it like that
especially on a night when I have to do something
called hill repeats as part of my running training
my eyelashes froze together
and my cheeks were numb
and my scarf like cardboard
I was pretty cold
but warmed right up going into the brightly lit pizza place by the university
that has been in business for 38 years
and having a fresh, hot Popeye pizza, peppermint tea and finishing with a choice of homemade tiramisu or a dixie cup of vanilla icecream
all served with a smile and a bit of friendly cleavage

he likes the snow

he likes the snow, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

and being with us

I like both of those things too

fine weather for snowflakes

fine weather for snowflakes, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

the fur from my husband's ( hilarious ear flap) hat worked wonderfully at capturing the snowflakes

me again on the rise

me again on the rise, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

This morning after my run
as I was stretching
I saw myself in my mirror
Looked into my own eyes and really saw myself-

not stretched and thin
not worn and fraying

but there it was -
That look

that I AM HERE look

and damn it
I AM

catchlight

catchlight, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

oldest daughter is pretty faithful about keeping the bird feeder full
our resident flock of sparrows seem pretty happy about it too
especially during the past days of cold, cold weather

**********************
for a little and wonderful taste of Canadian treasure
click on the link below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PQbdmQRwc

42 and 70-200 2.8 too

42 and 70-200 2.8 too, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

today is my birthday
and the sweet far outweighs the bitter
just like using the new camera lens outside
far outweighs the numb fingers


best wishes to all!

Bonus xmas day buzzword post 1a (photo post later)

A style of hands-on self-education that benefits the student without concern for curriculums or the interests of schools, corporations or governments. In other words, an autodidactic approach that spurns commercialism, mass-market approaches and top-down goal-setting. Coined by Jim Groom, an “instructional technologist” at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.

whathomeschoolingmeansatmyhouse!

elves work

elves work, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

the night the presents took over the living room!
gift bags are definitely the way to go
this year it took only two hours to make consumer goods for four kids, look like they came from Santa's workshop
last year, more like four hours....

accident not mine

accident not mine, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

the car was empty when we pulled over to check on it
but the flashers were still on
and the radio
and the coffee splashed all over the inside of the windsheild
was warm enough that the smell of it hit me when I leaned in the window

almost my birthday - cake - Dec 22

almost my birthday - cake - Dec 22, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Growing up in my house
the cookbook of choice...
the only cookbook really,
was The Better Homes and Gardens one,
1965, slowly fading red and white plaid cover,
in it's pages was where I found out that the magical
new-to-me restaurant dessert CHEESECAKE
could be made at home!
so I did and so I do...
my favourite.. with 3 cups of sour cream and 2 packages of cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar and 3 farm fresh eggs,
and strawberries or what have you on top
a fine cake for an almost birthday or any time

house at end of parking lot Dec 21

house at end of parking lot Dec 21, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Despite the fact that it has been in the -20's (that's celsius)
for the last few weeks (my kind of weather)
and the fact that my husband HATES the cold (one of those things I don't get)
he has been talking a lot about how beautiful the quality of the light is right now and the gorgeous colours of sky and earth
(I think he is right and I think it is the chill that makes everything seem so crisp)

farmers market detail Dec 20

farmers market detail Dec 20, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

we went to pick up one of my husband's early Christmas presents from the leather worker at the market,
a beautiful case for his laptop,
and I liked the stained glass quality of this painting on the window

solstice favours Dec 19

solstice favours, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

my church is big on solstice
so I wasn't that surprised, when I followed the rich pine sent to the building basement,
to find a group of people with clippers in hand,
bent over the prone form of a ragged Christmas tree,
snipping way to make these candle bundles
to give away at the service

flurry of wings - Dec 18

flurry of wings - Dec 18, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

there is a trail that curves in the trees alongside the river
in the winter if you pause by one of the many birdfeeders hung from branches
you are suddenly surrounded by hopeful, fluffy chickadees sometimes with a few nuthatches sprinkled in
my friend the naturalist said, "you know, if you bring your kids down here with some birdseed, the birds will eat right out of their hands"
she was right.
it was worth the numb toes and chapped fingers
for the magic and the smiles

no climbing - Dec 17

no climbing - Dec 17, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

that is what the sign posted at the bottom of the massive, concrete bridge pillar says...
which I guess means someone has already tried,
wedging their fingers and toes in the cracks
not looking down at the asphalt
and probably without ropes..
my thrills really are less extreme

feather notes - Dec 16

feather notes - Dec 16, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

many birds on the wire
outside of the store
I was buying some last minute gifts in

a five year old shows his beautiful eyes Dec 15

a five year old shows his beautiful eyes Dec 15, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

kind of gross but hilarious

against the darkness - Dec 14

against the darkness - Dec 14, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

we light the church chalice
during the child led service

a time for all good boys - Dec 13

a time for all good boys - Dec 13, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

a friend hosts an amazing party each year
gathering in donations for the food bank and
having Santa visit with a nice present for each and every person who attends

chalice from the palace - Dec 12

chalice from the palace - Dec 12, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

homeschooling play date takes on a whole new feel when combined with a cinnamon martini

bauble begins - Dec 11

bauble begins - Dec 11, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

this hangs in the window of my friend Trailwoman's house
the view beyond it is even prettier but
sometimes, like this one, I am caught by it

when an iphone is dropped in the snow - Dec 10

when an iphone is dropped in the snow - Dec 10, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

and although I really liked the effect
of the overlapping river valley scenes
I don't like it enough to try it again

ba tending scoo - Dec 09

ba tending scoo - Dec 09, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

pass this window
almost every week
as it is not far
from the play therapist's office

what the sign says - Dec 8

what the sign says - Dec 8, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

but it isn't actually true
this is a pond in a city park
and the ice is thick enough for a pick up truck with a dozer blad to drive on it
but not for a large and really heavy water truck which they use to flood the ice and make it smooth
so the sign could rightly say
"danger thin ice tanker trucks keep off"

promise of solstice - Dec 7

promise of solstice - Dec 7, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

golden and hopeful in the snow
what I needed to see

Word PIcture

Hard drive is dead.
If it had eyes and it was a cartoon character, it would have little x's where the pupils should be.
On a shelf at the service centre, it is waiting for the transplant...
pictures are in the camera
where they will stay
till my happy laptop reunion...
well into the future...
then I will bend time to my will
and post as if there were never a gap.
(Voila! Faded rose petals on the snow is a perfect illustration for the feeling of this day.)

hyacinth begins - Dec 5

hyacinth begins - Dec 5, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

I can't get over
how the paper of the bulb
seems made of a dull gold foil

callas fading - Dec 4

callas fading - Dec 4, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

last of a spectacular bouquet
from a lovely mate
on a dark day

smattering of snow and light - Dec 3

smattering of snow and light - Dec 3, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

I love winter reaching for me

as frozen as my hardrive Dec 2

as frozen as my hardrive Dec 2, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

(sigh)
self explanatory

next to a paper moon Dec 1

next to a paper moon Dec 1, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

every year a friend teaches us how to make these little stars
they always seem to make the short days a little longer and brighter
but maybe that is just spending time with her...

(first in my series of bending time to my will - especially when I had no obvious effect on my stone cold dead hard drive)

tentative

tentative, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

the ground under my feet isn't always firm
sometimes it buckles and shifts and
I find myself sliding into dark depths

first ice skating pond

first ice skating pond, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

it doesn't feel like skating weather but the mirror glass of ice on the pond in the woods said otherwise

many things this heart is made of

many things this heart is made of, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

pieces of my garden
shaped on the ground
under our sapling apple tree

an act of living

scrawl

scrawl, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

like golden frost flowering against glass

november sunshine

november sunshine, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

glinting sun off the frozen pond silvers the guitar strings

sunday in the morning

sunday in the morning, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

on the way out the door to church
stop and crouch and snap the green light

homeschool craft fair

homeschool craft fair, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

cute bunnies were among the many kid-made crafts for sale on Saturday

she nose

she nose, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

weiner dogs are art!
my oldest kids continued their adventures in dog/house sitting
this past week
and this was one of their charges
holding still
very briefly

atmosphere

atmosphere, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

billows of steam
and pipes running into the sewers
just around the corner

the gold dances

the gold dances, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

my blood sings
as pieces of my heart
walk around outside my body
on the legs of my children
their strength shining
at me from their beautiful eyes

down hill

down hill, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

through dry grass
under sheltering bushes
there are blankets and pillows
a different kind of rabbit hole

twirl

twirl, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

what can you do
with a puffy, filmy layered skirt
besides dance and spin and pose?

button bracelet in the tree

button bracelet in the tree, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

today I
on purpose
by request
took photos
of a beautiful
family
we met on the grounds of the university
and one of the things we found
as walked about
and took portraits
was this unlikely garland
hanging from a branch

light on the rowan berries

light on the rowan berries, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

because the dark comes so quickly now
late afternoon is filled with the
compressed golden light of evening
and slides away so quickly
it pays to be quick with the camera

looking through the lens

looking through the lens, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

have worn glasses for a long time
almost all of my life
when I was a kid
I wore them because I had to
now I wear them because I need them

my garden waits for winter

my garden waits for winter, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

he winter weather is late in coming
but that doesn't mean that my garden
is any more prepared for it
than any other year

ice bloom

ice bloom, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

the morning after
freezing rain
can be treacherous
and beautiful

peace - remembrance - Nov. 11

peace - remembrance - Nov. 11, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

paper bag votive on our home schooling walk