Wow! an Unmerited Gift

This is a quickie pre-New Year check-in. Got plans? I think we’re staying in but have invited Mom, sister Linda and hubbie Mike for dinner on New Years Day.

The Unmerited Gift? Lynda’s eldest son and his wife got us a laptop for Xmas and this is the first post that I’m doing on it. Cool, huh?

Having a couple of problems….. there’s a nut loose at the controls here. Later!

 

Counting Down

Speechless Pause

Day by day we’re getting a little closer to Christmas and the end of another year. I just did a quicky browse through my posts for the year thinking I might re-post a few favourite pictures as a Top 10, or Top 5. Out of slightly more than 40 posts for the year I found only a few pictures I would put out there again. Is it because so few of them have people in them, I wonder? Less emotional connection perhaps. In any case I’ll try to pull a few together here and maybe post a couple that didn’t make it to the pages here. Lemme see:

Autumn Colours

Our four-legged Godsend, Milo.

Sunset Reflection

…a warm, bright place to work full of warm, bright people.

Mountain, Sun, Cloud

… a reminder of travels and the massive grandeur of nature.

I (heart) Tree

 I DO have a sentimental side…. see!

Caitlyn Isabel

A joyful addition to the family…. a wee, big blessing.

Visual Impact

Ridge banked by cedar

Our two-legged Godsend, Owen. Lynda’s nightly phone buddy has helped her keep her sanity.

pox upon hand

There I think that should be about 10. I’m actually surprised there are that many that still stand up for me. I’m adding one more (if I can find it) of the prettiest young lady I know.

Madison

 .. and the one fave lady in my life – unfortunate about the hand / arm placement but it was to see her having such a good time.

Auntie Lynda; 4 nieces

 I’ll likely be back again before Christmas but just in case that doesn’t happen I’d like to extend my best wishes for a very happy Christmas season to everyone.

This by Irving Penn

In that Irving Penn image search I came across this photo. It’s one I cut out of a photography magazine back in the 70’s and has been on continuous display ever since in a little black frame. Stunning visual impact in high contrast.

Vogue - April 1950 cover

Copyright – Vogue; Estate of Irving Penn. All rights reserved. Post will be removed upon request.

Not Irving Penn

….whose body of work included some of the most famous and notable of people but also the mundane details of the everyday like cigarette butts.

Nor, Rorschach and his famed ink blot psychological tests.

No, these are a few coffee, hot chocolate and latte spills.

X marks the spot

you go that way; i'll go this way. meetcha laterhigh impact

On a related tangent…. another found shot.

air kiss

A completely unrelated note – It’s been raining steadily since yesterday afternoon and I’M NOT COMPLAINING because ordinarily at this time of year it would mean shovelling snow… and I’m so not into that. So, rain away and stay mild…. bring it on, baby. 

 

Walking The Lakeshore

Having some time to fill I headed down to the beachfront for some fresh air and sunshine.

To the east

It didn’t take long for the camera / phone to come out and start snapping away.

To the west

It seemed funny to be in such a large park and it be practically deserted. I passed a few folks out for a brisk walk and a couple of dog-walkers but they were sparse. Mostly stacked picnic tables, leafless trees and empty walkways.

Due south

Good to relax, stretch the legs and powerwalk into the wind.

Rivulet in the sand (my fave)

I like the last picture because the water is transparent at this angle but really brings out the tonal range in the sand. Just a wee spring coming out of an embankment and making its way into the lake.

What’s new, hmmmm….?? well, we didn’t have an Xmas tree so we paid a visit to the Evil Empire (aka Walmart) and picked up a decent sized one along with a bunch of new ornaments. We spent a couple of hours around dinner time Saturday assembling the beast and adorning it. Good times. Then lolling about watching a seasonal movie – sort of paying half attention to it – and admiring the tree, decorations and lights. More good times…. and early to bed.

Mom got moved in with younger sis Linda on Saturday. I managed to stay out of this move as bro-in-law Mike had lots of help; younger, stronger help. We dropped over Sunday for our first look at the place and they’ve found a nice spot. I think they’ll all be happy there.

Light Wash

 Things to do, places to go, people to see……. later!

  

 

 

Weather Affected

I’m off to a late start posting this month because dreary weather sucks the life out of me; that and we had a busy weekend, too.

Ta-Dah!

Here is the extent of the snow we got that day last week. Wow, eh? Since then all it has done, pretty much, is rain some more, and more, and more….. you get the idea. I’m really not used to this sort of duration…. and this blog is beginnning to be a regular weather report, isn’t it?

 We have had a few late day breaks in the crummy, yucky stuff; to whit –

Cordouroy Clouds

If anyone followed that series of articles that I shared on Facebook regarding women and alcohol… I’ve been cooresponding with the author of the series (the Atkinson Series @ thestar.com), Ann Dowsett Johnston. One smart, insightful lady. She is looking for people to ‘out’ themselves in order to battle the stigma associated with alcoholism. I wished her luck with that, in that, most people in 12 Step recovery won’t go against the traditions in A.A. regarding anonymity. A shame really…. wouldn’t you rather be known as a recovering alcoholic than a practicing one? I would.

Bingle Jells

Lynda has hauled out the boxes of decorations and begun decking the halls. Now we have to get out and buy a tree. Owen and family will be here for the couple of days before Xmas; then head for home so he can have Xmas morning at home before going on to other family for dinner.

Ha, ha…. forecast…. cool, clearing and no precip for a few days. Yippee!! Gotta go now. Have a good one.