I had a couple of ideas for this one, and Nicholas’ was the best by far, unfortunately I couldn’t make that one happen. Beginnings to him was the house on hwy 37 where I began my life! Wow, nice take on the word son! So for my first submission this is the photo I chose, the western beginning of the quinte waterfront trail.

Another photo I thought represented beginnings for the quinte region was this one:

The beginning of winter in the quinte area represents many things, as the bay of quinte begins to freeze, many outdoors people await, sometimes not so patiently, the ice to form and be safe. As signifies the beginning of ice fishing, skating and many other winter sports! Looking at this picture, sorry folks that ice isn’t quite ready yet.

Thinking of Nicholas’ suggestion, I think I will repost the most recent picture I took of my family home on Hwy 37, I just have to find it! LOL!

See you soon, back to snapping!

The rules are:

1. One zen topic per month, all photos must relate to the word. (In your own mind at least lol)

2. Posts can be made until midnight the last day of the month. You can post any time during the month and continue to post throughout the month. (if your feeling ambitious! )

3. You can not post ahead of time. Qualifying posts must be posted between the first and the last day of the month.

4. Feel free to use pictures taken in the past but at least one of your pictures should be taken within the current month. So don’t pass up a shot, take it and save it! 

5. Have fun and enjoy each photo shoot, make it your zen time with the camera! Is that kosher? I don’t know much about zen obviously!

That’s all the rules I can think of for now. 

Some of these will be easy shots, while others will be a little more difficult but that’s what makes it a challenge!

And the words are:

January – reflection

February – balance

March – vitality

April – clarity

May – tranquility

June – zen

July – namaste

August – light

September – serenity

October – calm

November – breathe

December – peace

You have the whole month to take pictures. Post as often as you wish and continue to post throughout the month. Have fun, and enjoy! If you stumble across a photo that would be perfect for a previous project, go ahead and post it!!!! We just want to enjoy your photos!  

How’s that for rules?  Now let’s get snapping!!!!

 52 Weeks– A Photography Project on Facebook

Project 12 for 12– Zen – A Year of Tranquility (12 months – 12 Topics – Dozens of Pictures)

Belleville, Ontario; Photo Walks

A category will be created for each project, with separate blogs will be posted for each project. The first blog of each category will contain the rules for that project (which are few by the way)! This is meant to be a way to have fun & showcase photography not a competition. So join in and share your photos, your opinions, your suggestions, even your criticism! But most importantly enjoy all the projects in 2012.

 So here we go ………… and so ………….Projects 2012 begins – Check back soon for the first photo in 52 Weeks Photography Project

PS: I’m also giving some thought to a Project 365 – A Year in Review – Pictures from the Past!  

This is a big year for me, so my resolution is to complete something worth remembering! 

Recently I read a blog called Kick off 2012 with Project 365. Since then I’ve been wracking my brain for a topic for 2012.

Of course the first thing that came to mind was a picture every day! I’m not so ambitious to take a picture every day for 365 days, although I do have enough pictures that I could post a picture every day for 365 days! Now that’s a thought! But a little boring. 

As I sat on my couch (yet again) I happened to look up and see the calendar I had purchased last year. It had something written on it. As I thought about the word I wondered, could I possibly take a picture that relates to that word. As I flip through the months I realize that each month is a new word. Ah ha! Now I have a something to blog about this year and my project 365! Ok let’s call it Project 12  - Zen – A Year of Tranquility! (12 months 12 topics many pictures). 

I’m hoping that my blog buddies, Jeannine & Jamie will join me! Of course, it is also open to anyone that wants to join!  The rules are easy as I know we all led busy lives and have many things to accomplish. This is meant to be something to do that is fun and relaxing. I know we all find photography relaxing!!!! Yes Jeannine you can use shots of your grandchildren anytime, that is acceptable! LOL!  

LOL, I actually just finished reading Jeannine’s blog on her new years resolutions! Good Luck. Hey I’m helping you to complete one of your bucket list for 2012! Check it out here:  http://momsideup.wordpress.com/ 

So here goes, –  Project 12  - Zen – A Year of Tranquility! (12 months 12 topics many pictures) 

The rules are:

1. One zen topic per month, all photos must relate to the word. (In your own mind at least lol)

2. Posts can be made until midnight the last day of the month. You can post any time during the month and continue to post throughout the month. (if your feeling ambitious! )

3. You can not post ahead of time. Qualifying posts must be posted between the first and the last day of the month. (I’ve made a category for Project 12 to make it easier. The subject line will include the word of the month and I will add to the post throughout the month when posting more than once during the month.)

4. Feel free to use pictures taken in the past but at least one of your pictures should be taken within the current month. So don’t pass up a shot, take it and save it! 

5. Have fun and enjoy each photo shoot, make it your zen time with the camera! Is that kosher? I don’t much about zen obviously!

That’s all the rules I can think of for now. Jeannine & Jamie are you up for it?  Check out the words do you think it is doable? I’m hoping you’ll say yes and join me in my big year and accomplishing something big and completing my resolution. 

Some of these will be easy while others will be a little more difficult but that’s what makes it a challenge!

And the words are:

January – reflection

February – balance

March – vitality

April – clarity

May – tranquility

June – zen

July – namaste

August – light

September – serenity

October – calm

November – breathe

December – peace

I hope you will join me and Project 12. PS: Feel free to join us, the more the merrier! 

Christmas this year seems a little harder than before. Is it because I’m getting older? and it’s getting harder to remember the Christmas’ we had! That makes me sad!

But I know part of me will always remember the traditions we had. My favourite one was making peanut brittle  on Christmas Eve. And of course the dressing for the turkey. I will forever remember Mom yelling at us to get out of it or there wouldn’t be any left for the turkey! Oh well lol! Dressing is still my favourite part of any holiday! I will also always remember, colouring books & crayons, etch o sketches & slinkies, candy canes & chicken bones, homemade mitts & socks but most of all I will always remember you waiting for everyone to come home! Cause after all that’s the most important part of Christmas, family! 

Missing all of you so very much! 

Merry Christmas in heaven, Mom & Dad, Donna, Robbie, Uncle, Aunt Ella, Grandma Bosley. You made Christmas!

And Merry Christmas in heaven to my remaining Grandparents, Aunt and friends.

Love Shar xo

It has certainly been a busy summer with moving. That put a damper on my picture-taking for sure, so lots of planned outings didn’t happen. Here’s hoping I can accomplish them this fall and before winter sets in. Burr just thinking about that four letter word makes me cold but the opportunity for some new shots is exciting!

No pictures today but I promise to post soon and catch up! 

I choose the subject “magic” with all kinds of great ideas in mind, needless to say they never came into play guess I will have to try that topic again another day. So the image had to have a certain “unknown” magic to it. Yes magic! Something that makes a person not forget it. Not want to move onto something else! Not sure Jeannine met that cause of course you wanted to move on and find that magical fairy with her! LOL just kidding, great shots Jeannine I loved blog! That was catchy!

So the question is what makes me want to get lost in the image and not want to move on? Hmmm so many things, usually its old things for me. I want to know everything about something old, who owns its, where it’s been, what happened to it along the way, does it have a history and who can tell about it? LOL! I think I get this from my grandmothers farm. There are so many stories to be told of things that were in those buildings, of things that have happened in them and where they are now. After my uncle built his new home my Grandparents homestead was torn down piece by piece and moved some place to be rebuilt. Unfortunately I don’t know where it went. How I long to return to that square log homestead and magically feel her presence once more. Fresh bread baking, home churned butter, dough boys cooked on the stove top, fresh milk still warm from the cow, fresh cream poured over berries we had picked and two of my personal favourites were her rice pudding and bread pudding!!!! There were no such things as measuring cups and spoons and to the best of my knowledge there were no cookbooks either! Now that was magic! And one more place that was magic was the old sap house. Many a march break evening was spent in that sap house making the finest maple syrup I ever tasted. It was so cool to ride on the back of the tractor with those big steel drums and gather sap during the day and sit with adults in the evening while the precious liquid was boiled down to pure gold. And that special treat of snow taffy! Yes Kim & Kris that’s where I got it from. They made a comment once about how I use to make that for them as children, my where has the time gone! That woods was always magically no matter what time of year you ventured there. I loved going with uncle on the 4 wheeler and following the trails through the sugar bush and past the hunting stands…… I digress, back to my magical photos of last week. Since my camera time was cut short last week, this is what I have to offer. 

Magic, a certain “unknown” magic to it. Something that makes a person not forget it. Not want to move onto something else! A camp fire! Who wants to leave a camp fire, the soft crackling of the wood burning, friends and family gathered round, stories everyone loves camp fire stories, the magically images dancing in the flames right before your eyes, can you see them…….

I see a moose in my fire what do you see? LOL!

Don’t forget to check out Jamie & Jeannine‘s blog …. there’s a sunflower fairy to find and Jamie is keeping us in suspense!

While this was loading a I heard Dean Brody’s song “People know you by your first name” how appropriate! Here are some of the lyrics ……
The people know you by your first name And what kind of truck you drive How your team did back in high school
So you can’t lie! Better watch out who you take home ’Cause ’round here it’s a fact of life Yeah people know you by your first name and what you did last night Listen close and you’ll hear local legend about Boone and Crockett and that 12 point rack  And you thought you were alone Skinny dipping at the altar last night But word here travels fast! 

Love this song, it’s a fact of life in small towns everywhere isn’t it?