Project 365: Days 65 through 69

Day 65: December 6, 2008
At the end of the day at the craft fair that made me famous (in northwestern PA, anyway), I realized I had better take a picture of two. More proof that I need a better flash.
Day 66: December 7, 2008

I love holiday lights. Good, bad, pathetic, I love them all. This is an example of very enthusiastic for the size of the home. This home is one story, and probably only five rooms max. There is enough bling and hoo-ha for a house three times its size. I do feel the need to drop off a couple more boxes of icicles, so they can finish what they started...

Day 67: December 8, 2008
This is one of three such ginormous bovine creatures that reside near the Morristown Armory. This one happened to stop licking the fence and pose so nicely. I want to call them oxen, but they could be some kind of yak or whatever.


Day 68: December 9, 2008

The skeletal remains of hydrangea on a rainy day.


Day 69: December 10, 2008

More lights, this time on Main Street in Succasunna. I believe this to be an excellent example of the proper use of white lights.

Project 365: Days 60 through 64

Day 60: December 1, 2008
We got snow while in Illinois. This tree was out in front of the funeral home. Everyone else was trying to take pictures of it through the window. I was the only one who was willing to go outside, and it came out pretty.

Day 61: December 2, 2008

Because of the snow fall the previous day, and the bitter wind and cold, the funeral service took place inside the mausoleum. I know I end up taking a lot of pictures in cemeteries, and now at funerals, but its not a thing for me per se, its just sometimes the best picture of the day happens in these places.


Day 62: December 3, 2008

I love looking really close up at things. When we were little my brother had this book called "Tiny Monsters" (I think) and it was these macro pictures of bugs, and that close up they did look monstrous. This is the end of a rotten fence post. Again, not every pic is going to be coffee table book material, people!


Day 63: December 4, 2008

When not sure of what to do, take a close shot of something mundane. I call this "Tools of a Trade".

Day 64: December 5, 2008

I am obsessed with these little guys. They reside at a horse farm, and they are not out in their paddock every day. I look for them every day. Of course the one time they are out, they are standing as far away from me as they can. At some point the owners of this farm are gonna slap a restraining order on me for harassment! Hah!

Project 365: Days 55 through 59

Day 55: November 26, 2008

This is the door of a cool farm outbuilding that I pass on my way to work. It is part of the Alstede farms of Chester, but not the main stand that is on 24. I will soon take more of the main barn, which is lovely in a very timeworn way.

Day 56: November 27, 2008

I was "commissioned" to take some family portraits and baby pics for the Resners on Thanksgiving day. The baby is uber photogenic, and his father is our family's Chandler Bing, but he manged to not make a goof y face in this and another couple of shots. This photo shoot has not totally convinced me that I like to take pictures of people, but the fact that I did get a couple of good ones, makes me hate it less.

Day 57: November 28, 2008
Now, I am not going to pretend that I get into this project every day. This photo is absolute proof of this, but at least I tried to make something ordinary a little interesting. Oh, whatever. You try taking a picture a day for a year, it is not all great pictures!

Day 58: November 29, 2008

We traveled all the way to Crystal Lakes, IL to eat tater tots! Oh, yeah, and to pay our respects to our grandma...

Day 59: November 30, 2008

My Mom's immediate family playing a rousing game of GOLF!

Goodbye Grandma Myers, part 1

My grandmother passed away on Wednesday, quietly. My Grandma Myers did everything with enthusiasm. She loved big, cooked with zeal, prayed with fervor. The final years of her life were filled with pain and confusion, but on her good days she still shone with beauty. She was the first older person I knew who could giggle without self-consciousness. She had cheeks like warm summer peaches, so soft.

The family who could, gathered in Woodstock, IL to pay tribute to her life. We laughed a lot, cried a bit too, but mostly just enjoyed being together. We pored over old pictures, reminiscing of her sense of humor and adventure. We played dominoes (although her game of choice was Rummage), shared meals. There was praying, and some more crying. Family thought lost, came to pay tribute to Auntie Helen. I think she would have approved of our efforts, because next to Jesus, family was above all else.

She was buried December 2, 2008, weeks shy of her 95th birthday, next to her husband of 68 years. The church fed us well, a lovingly prepared meal, and we parted ways, each heading for home, hearts heavy with loss, but gladdened for sharing these days.

Thanks grandma, for sharing the art of the giggle.