November 5, 2011.
Frozen Over -  The fountain in the backyard was frozen over Saturday morning.  It shouldn't have surprised me, it's November after all, the days are shorter and the temperatures colder.  But seeing the ice shocked me a little.  On the verge of another winter, and I wondered where the year went, and how it passed us by so quickly.

227/365

November 6, 2011.
Fall Portrait Day - Each fall, I drag my kids outside for their annual portraits.  In past years portrait day meant coordinating outfits, cheesy smiles and perfect hair.  Sunday was individual portrait day (I'll do the family and group shots another day.)  This year, I gave the kids a ten minute warning: brush your teeth and hair, put on something decent and meet me out back for your fall pictures.  Picture day this year was relaxed, dare I say fun.  I wasn't so much trying to capture the perfect shot, as much as trying to capture the essence of my kids, who are each the perfect version on themselves.   My chill attitude was contagious.  Here is an outtake of The Little Man.  Captain Charlie. 

228/365

November 7, 2011.
Silver - When I pulled into the parking lot of my work on Monday morning, the view in front of me made my heart beat a little faster.  I am a watcher; a tracker of light.  I know that most sunrises wash the world in vibrant shades of yellow and orange.  On Monday morning the sunrise was beautifully different.  Instead of the usual golden glow, the sun cast the world in a shades of silver and white. 

229/365

November 8, 2011.
Habit - I love finding new blogs to read and I found a sweet one.  It's called Habit.  Habit is a collection of candid photographs, posted daily, along with a short thirty word description summing up the day.  Check out the link.  It's pretty cool.    

230/365

November 9, 2011.
November Rain -  Now that I'm a working girl, I'm not able to pick up Charlie everyday from school.  It sucks.  I didn't think that I would miss pick up duty so much.  I was looking forward to picking up Charlie myself on my day off.  Unfortunately because of the rain, it was a quick grab and go.  No playing at the park, no visiting with my mommy friends.  Straight home.  Both of us were bummed. 

231/365

November 10, 2011.
Sunrise::Two Ways -  Okay, obviously someone is enjoying the time change.  Thursday morning brought another beautiful sunrise.  This one golden.  Once more I went out to play with the light.  I took two sunrise photos on Thursday.  The first picture was taken with my Nikon.  Although I love it, and it's a stunning photograph, it's not my picture of the day.  
It's the second picture that  gets me excited.  The second picture was taken with my iPhone.  I shot it with the amber acrylic panel on my gazebo acting as a filter.  The end image has a distorted dream like quality that I find enchanting. 

232/365

232/365

November 11, 2011.
Lest We Forget - BAM weekly self portrait - Friday was Remembrance Day in Canada.  It's a pretty emotional day for me, maybe because, the older I get the younger the boys seem to be that so bravely fought for our freedom. 
I was thinking not only of the unmarked graves full of kids, but of the boys who made it home, like my Grandfather.  In the spring of 1945 he would have been fighting overseas, by the next summer he would have been a young husband and father.  It blows my mind how he would have adjusted in a time where Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome wasn't heard of. 

233/365

October 28, 2011.
Autumn Sky - I can get lost in a beautiful sky.  Fluffy clouds, steaks of pink, rainbows, mysterious fog, it all inspires me.  Time and time again I point my lens upward, trying to capture the magic. 

219/365

October 29, 2011.
Sweet Relief - Josh has to be the sweetest, kindest brother ever.  Last week when Kenzie and Charlie were going through their painful recoveries, Josh bought each of them a pint of their favourite ice cream.  On his own, he walked up to Baskin Robins, used his birthday money, and raced home before it melted.  Best. Brother. Ever. 

220/365

October 30, 2011.
Pumpkin Carving -  Almost two weeks post op, and the kids are finally feeling more like themselves.  They don't have much energy, but at least the pain is gone.  Just in time for pumpkin carving.  The Halloween play list was cranked loud. I danced to Micheal Jackson's Thriller and The Guess Who's Clap for the Wolfman.  I took pictures, as the kids and John concentrated on separating the seeds from the goo and carefully carved their Jack-o-lanterns.  It was a great to have my family back. 

221/365

October 31, 2011.
Trick or Treat - My Little Devil and Sweet Hillbilly. Their costumes suited their personalities perfectly.

222/365

November 1, 2011.
Scarecrow -
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear - Mark Twain

223/365

November 2, 2011.
Walking in His Shoes -  On Wednesday, Josh went with his Dad for take your kid to work day.  Josh wasn't cleared to drive in the work truck with John, so arrangements were made for him to help out in the office and the shop.  I think Josh was pretty excited to go.  John on the other hand, was more tired and less excited.  John had to work an emergency night shift.  On Wednesday morning, John dropped Josh off at the shop, came home and went straight to bed. 

224/365

November 3, 2011.
BAM Weekly Self Portrait - Slow Down - I was so excited to have time to myself Thursday.  No kids, no husband - just me.  And how did I spend my day?  In the morning I gave the kitchen a serious cleaning.  By early afternoon, I was getting tired and my head ached.  I grabbed a couple of Tylenol, and left the house to go to the library.  My plans were to get a juicy novel, then stop by Tim Horton's for a coffee.  Once at the library, my little head ache had turned into a throbbing beast. I skipped the coffee.  Instead of trying to refuel with caffeine, I slowed down and took care of myself.

225/365

November 4, 2011.
Morning Frost -  No words for this one, it's beauty speaks for itself.  Just grateful I was there.

226/365

October 22, 2011.
Lights and Darks -  Taking pictures in public places is still hard for me.  I mean, it's not hard when I'm at the zoo, or a tourist attraction, - but pulling out my big nerdy Nikon at the mall, grocery store or when I'm going for a walk around my neighborhood  makes me feel weird.  On Saturday, I braved looking like the neighborhood eccentric and I went on a hunt for a perfect autumn sky and silhouettes for my Picture Fall prompt.  I was lucky that the sun had come out late in the day, and I was able to capture some magical shots with  golden hour light as the backdrop.   

213/365

October 23, 2011.
Empty Tree - I was compelled by the gnarly bark and the bent branches of the walnut tree at the park. This tree, With nothing left to give, waiting for spring to breathe new life into it, in my mind, is still beautiful.

214/365

October 24, 2011.
First Day - I started my new job at Terra Greenhouses.  I left the house Monday morning with a gut full of mommy guilt.  Both John and I had thought that Charlie and Kenzie would be feeling well enough to go back to school by Monday.  We couldn't have been more wrong.   On Monday, both kids were still very unwell.  John stayed home with the kids, and I went to work.  After years of me being the stay at home parent, I felt guilty.  Both for leaving and being excited to get out.  

215/365

October 25, 2011.
Mastering -  I took this picture of the flags in the staff parking lot Tuesday morning before work with my iphone.  I'm enjoying the rhythm of my new job.  I don't know if it's the act of creativity, or the soothing rhythm of production, but I find arranging greens calming. 
As much as I love the work, I'm getting frustrated with myself for not being able to go as fast as some of the other ladies. I love learning, but what I've discovered is that I hate the time between learning and mastering.  Self awareness comes with age, but I probably should have realized this a long time ago there's been lots of proof: piano lessons, ballet lessons, T-ball, skating, knitting.  Actually, now that I think of it, photography has been one of the only things that I've stuck at.  Learning how to take beautiful images has been just as gratifying as the images themselves. 

216/365

October  26, 2011.
Fall Comfort -  Last week, I put away our summer clothes and brought our winter wardrobes out of storage.  I exchanged the bright pastels and crisp, clean whites for the deep, rich tones of fall.  I love wearing cozy sweaters and my favourite jeans, all wrapped up in Fall Comfort.

217/365

October 27, 2011.
BAM self portrait - Shower of Falling Leaves

218/365

October 16, 2011.
Date Night - Hubby and I had the best kind of date night.  We weren't overdue, we didn't NEED it.  We just wanted to spend some time focused on each other.  We simply made each other, and our relationship the most important priority for a couple of hours.

207/365

October 17, 2011.
Bounty - Inspired from my Picture Fall prompt, I mused about what was plentiful in my life:
love, pictures, worry, appreciation, praise, food, shelter, opportunities, mistakes, life lessons, grey hairs, health, time, understanding, Lego, role models, nervous habits, pride, music, friendships, peace, laughter, clutter, books, toys, questions, curiosity, inspiration, romance, family, common sense, kindness and of course, potatoes.
All in all, a pretty good life.  I have plenty to be thankful for.  What is bountiful in your life right now? 

208/365

October 18, 2011.
I'm Feeling Like Alice - Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
"Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out of the way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the same common way"
-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

209/365

October 19, 2011.
Big Day - I've been dreading this day for months.  I should have been dreading the recovery.   (By the way, that tiny little black in white in the bottom corner?  Counting that as my BAM, weekly self portrait.)

210/365

October 20, 2011.
Comfort -The Little Man is needing comfort.  The kind that stuffies alone wont cure.  Recovery been a rough go, and both kids are in more pain than I anticipated.  Helping them manage their pain has been my full time job.  Kenzie is old enough and stubborn enough to push past the pain and follow the doctors orders to drink often.  Charlie is stubborn too, but not in a good way.  We've had to literally beg, plead, threaten and bribe Charlie to swallow anything, including his medicine.  In his mind, it stings to swallow, so how could swallowing make him feel better. Poor babes.  I wish I could make it better.

211/365

October 21, 2011.
Serving Up Kindness - Being kind isn't difficult.  Accepting charity is difficult for me.  Not because I don't feel worthy of kindness, I do.  Receiving kindness makes me feel uncomfortable, kind of like when someone gives you a compliment.  It's challenging for me to just say thank you, and accept with an open heart.  This week, our family has been flooded with kindness.  With a heart full of gratitude, Thank you.

212/365

October 8, 2011.
Keep It Simple - The Picture Fall prompt was Keep It Simple.  Simple pleasures is what we were all about Thanksgiving weekend.  We went camping and I couldn't have been more thankful for the  blessings in my life.  Over and over I said to my guys, "We are so lucky, we have such a good life." 

199/365

October 9, 2011.
Strengthen The Things Which Remain - Summer is holding on a little longer.  When we saw the weather forecast, we just couldn't resist going on one last camping trip.  While we were away, The Little Man found a lonely caterpillar.  One of the things that Charlie and Kenzie like to do together is build small scale survival structures from Les Stroud's Survivor Man book.  A perfect place for a caterpillar to live for a couple of hours.

200/365

October 10, 2011.
Preparations - My Picture Fall prompt was Preparations.  We were asked to spend some time photographing our kitchen preparations.  I definitely didn't feel like cooking.  Instead, we got take out, but I did set the Conversation Starters on the table.  It's been awhile since I put them out and everyone enjoyed them.  Made take out night feel like a big family dinner.  Goes to show you that most times sitting together, talking and sharing is just as important as what gets served.

201/365

October 11, 2011.
Growing Brains - Thankfully, The Little Man likes homework.  No kidding.  I think he wants to be like the big kids so badly, that he embraces homework as a chance to grow his brain.  I love how this picture captures his concentration. 

202/365

October 12, 2011.
Father's Pride - Another homework shot, this time with Charlie trying out his Devil costume.    I love the look of pride on John's face. 

203/365

October 13, 2011.
Good Day Sunshine - Actually it's been raining here the last few days, but Picture Fall's prompt had us looking for sunshine today.  The wind and rain washed the leaves off the trees and made the sidewalk glow a golden yellow.  Using this one as my BAM, self portrait for the week.

204/365

October 14, 2011.
Champagne Birthday - Today is Josh's fourteenth birthday.  Fourteen on the fourteenth - a special year for him.  To celebrate, we had the family over for a party.  Party preparations took up most of my day - I always get a little worked up whenever I am entertaining.  Anyways, at one point during the party I stepped outside and noticed the pink sunset sky, and felt the hair on my arms raise a little.  Exactly a year ago, on his birthday there was another beautiful sunset.  A gift from the heavens, to a sweet special boy. 

205/365

October 15, 2011.
Mid Month Message - Going into the second half of October I know that my family is going to be pushed to the limit.  Both Kenzie and Charlie are getting their tonsils out.  Shouldn't be a huge deal, but the anticipation of my kids going under general anesthesia has me a little stressed.  I'm trying to be calm, but inside I am a wreck.  I have a few days of playing nurse maid to the kids, then it's back to work.  I will finally be starting the new job I blogged about a couple of weeks ago.  I know once the ball is in motion, we will be fine.  I will be fine.  It's the thought of all our upcoming stress that has me stressed!  My mid month message for myself is to "chill."

206/365

September 30, 2011.
Running For Terry - Tried to get a picture of The Little Man at his school's annual Terry Fox Run, but he wouldn't "pose" for me.  I think I like the action shot better anyway.  Terry would be proud.

191/365

  October 1, 2011.
Sweet Boys - Josh and Sam sharing quiet moment Saturday morning.

192/365

 October 2, 2011.
Curled and Cozy - I joined Picture Fall, an online photography workshop by Tracy Clark.  Today's prompt was to take a picture of the quintessential fall leaf. 

193/365

 October 3, 2011.
Hang On - Today's Picture Fall prompt was a beauty challenge.  We were asked to go looking for beauty beyond the brilliant fall colours.  I shot this vine on my rusty back fence.  The vine is hanging on as if to cling on to summer a little longer.

194/365



  October 4, 2011.
Morning Light - Charlie's Hot Wheel left on the deck's railing reminded me of spring days that we spent here together.

195/365

 October 5, 2011.
BAM - Who's That Girl? - I had my hair done last week, and went a little darker with the colour than I normally do.  I just can't get used to the new shade.  It's been almost a week, and every time I look in the mirror I am shocked.

196/365

 October 5, 2011.
Little Reminders - For today's Picture Fall prompt, we were asked to photograph a word or a phrase, a little reminder of how you want to be living your life.  I choose PLAY.  Remember a couple of weeks ago, when I said we had our last camping trip?  I lied.  The weather is going to be so nice, we decided camp for Thanksgiving.  The one word I want to sum up our weekend is play.

197/365

 October 7, 2011.
Subtleties - I collected all the different shades of red, orange and brown I could find to put together a monochromatic vignette.

198/365