365 Photos = 365 Captured Memories for 2013

Last year on January first like a good Creative Memories Consultant I was online and checking out to see what was happening for resolutions and photographs, trying to steal ideas that I could bring to my parties or to my own photos and I came across the idea for taking a photo a day. As I looked at digital stuff that people had done for the year before I thought how cool they looked. On a whim I decided to take up the challenge. I was going to take 366 photos (2012 was a leap year) and going to create my very own photo a day book.

This was the first photo I took (and considering I have spent the last week incredibly sick it makes me laugh now that how I spent my NYE is in fact how I’m spending the end of the year) I joked that I would be happy if I made it to February but truthfully figured I would be able to keep it going until the spring. The reality was I actually made into October having only missed a handful of days when for whatever reason I gave up on the idea. Now sitting here on Dec 31 I’m kicking myself for not gutting it out for a few more weeks but that has just fired me up for this year.

It might seem like a bit of a silly challenge or resolution but I can tell you that my goals of becoming a better photographer and paying more attention to the little details that happen around me that got me started last year were more than met even though I didn’t finish the challenge in 2012. I learned a great deal as I tried to stretch my brain to find interesting and beautiful pictures to capture the moments of my day to day life. I endured a bunch of teasing from my family for taking way too many photos of the cats but when I look at the photos there were a lot of really great moments captured that I never would have paid attention to but got me really excited at the time (From the announcement Wil Wheaton was coming to Calgary Expo, to adventures in my first Union rally, to the birth of a new baby, to even something as silly as that really cold morning – and let me tell you trying to photograph a thermometer at 6:50am before going to work is more challenging than you would think).

Although I had goals that I expected what has surprised me is the unexpected benefit that I found in the last two weeks. As I have been dealing with the passing of my cat, Molly, I realized I actually caught on film a lot of the things she did that made me feel very special. They were little moments like her cuddling against my chest or Molly curled up in her favourite chair. At the time they were just a photo for the day to meet my challenge but they now mean so much more to me. In going through them I was able to sort through some of my emotions and remember the really great things about my cat. I have also changed them into a beautiful memory book that whenever I’m missing my cat I can go back and look through and smile.

So my challenge to all of you this year is pick up your camera, your cell phones or anything that you are using to capture memories at least once a day and capture a moment. I will do it with you and try to keep you motivated. This time next year you will have 365 memories captured. To make it even more special anyone that completes this challenge and is willing to give me your photos I will create a digital scrapbook to display the photos for you. (It will be up to you if you want to buy the book but I will put it together for you.)

Let me know if you are taking up the challenge. Let me help keep you motivated as I try to keep myself going. This year will the year I get it done! I wish you all a very Happy New Year. May all your resolutions be met with the same determination on Dec 31st 2013 as they were created with on January 1st. 2013 will be the best year ever!

Love You Molly!

This morning I had to make the hard decision to let Molly go. I woke up this morning and she wasn’t herself. She was really wobbly as she walked and wouldn’t eat any food. I took her to the vet and discussed all the options but the reality was it was time to say goodbye. Molly wasn’t the most social of cats but she was very special and loved. I want to write this entry to remind me of how great she was and as a way to say goodbye and pay tribute to her. I will miss her very much.

My Sweet Molly

You were one of the very best cats in the world. I got to have you in my life for 15 or 16 years but really got to know you in the last seven. You were such a bully of a cat. I still remember how you used to tear after Tippy when we first brought you home and you wanted to take over. Of course that didn’t change when we brought Zoe in. I can’t think of how many times I had to break up fights or chase you away from Zoe. You were the queen of the house and you knew it.

Most special to me though was the last few years when you would actually sit with me and cuddle. I still think it was either to humor me or to make Zoe jealous but whatever the case I loved it. I know you were never really a people loving cat but with the right bribe we could usually draw you out and everyone thought you were beautiful and loved you.

I think what I’ll miss the most though as silly as it sounds is you demanding for food the minute I wake up or come home from work. And it will be weird to cut cheese and not have you rubbing between my legs waiting for your piece. You were always so food motivated I always knew how to make you happy. It was the one time I could count on you letting me pet you.

I’m going to miss the way you would play with your toys until someone actually noticed you. You just couldn’t let us know that you will silly enough to toss toys around. But I had you figured out I knew you loved them especially the pillows with catnip and honeysuckle or that poor killed spider toy.

You of course weren’t without your quirks. Between squishing into boxes and containers to small for you and the way you howled at the camera you were a cat with personality. I will never take a picture of any other cat and not think of how you would react to the camera. You are the only animal I have ever known to react so strongly. I still think you were convinced the camera was trying to steal your soul. To hear you even whine when we just pretended to take photos was funny. I am grateful though that you at least let me a few really great photos of you. I will treasure them forever.

Wherever you are now my princess I hope that you are putting everyone in their place and causing havoc. I hope you have a never-ending supply of cheese and milk and lots of mice to catch (you were a really great little hunter). I loved you very much and the house will be a lot quieter without you in it but I know you are in a better place. Zoe and I will miss you very much but we will not forget you.

Molly in her favourite chair

Squishing into a basket barely big enough for her.  Such a character!

Playing with two of her favourite toys

Mine! You can't have it.

Fine take your picture but I will get you back for this.



My absolute favourite photo of Molly.



Photo Wednesday: Brave Explorer

There are a handful of pictures that I have taken that I think are really great and this happens to be one.  I love the clarity I got in Zoe's face.  I'm sure my neighbours probably thought I was a little crazy lying on the ground trying to get the shot but in my eyes it paid off.  I love that the colour of the browning grass matches her colours.  What can I say small things make me happy :-)  Anyway I hope you enjoy this photo.

When Desire & Action are in Conflict

I often feel the urge to write, to spill my guts into either a blog entry or my journal. Writing is a great way for me to work through whatever is going on in my brain. It stops the spinning and slows things down so I can figure out what is really going on. So the other night when I found myself up most of the night I realized that there was something trying to get out. I tried to journal the thoughts first but that wasn’t enough. Next I started to write a blog entry on my phone but that didn’t seem to work either. So I tossed and turned with the thoughts racing and just kept hoping for sleep. Eventually I did get some, although not much.

Friday night after work (still very much sleep deprived) I was determined to put my thoughts into something that made sense so that I could stop the spinning and maybe be able to share them with everyone. I wrote and wrote but quickly found that I wasn’t going anywhere. The thoughts were still spinning and the questions kept popping up. I was getting nowhere fast. The only thing that I was accomplishing was to drive myself crazy and to further frustrate my brain. Giving up I closed the blog entry and turned my attention to other things but have kept the feeling of needing to write something all weekend. Sadly however the thoughts have been in conflict with my typing fingers.

Sunday mornings a few of my friends and me often get together at a Starbucks to work on writing. It is during these meeting of creative minds that I often find a little clarity on my own struggles with writing. I consider each member of the little group to be amazing writers and incredibly brilliant. Whether they realize it or not they encourage me to push myself, to learn and to grow as a writer and a thinker. Today was no different. We got on to the topic of my unwritten blog entry and as I explained what was going on and listened to them respond I began to realize something. A big part of my problem on Friday was that while I knew the topic that I wanted to write about I was getting paralyzed by doubt, guilt and even a little fear that surrounds that topic for me. These feelings do not mesh all that well with a spinning brain and desire to write so it is no wonder I was struggling so much with what I wanted to say. I was so busy worrying about how people would react to my topic that I couldn’t write it which in turn means no one can react to it anyway (It’s a rather safe little bubble that I suppose I could choose to stay in but that probably wouldn’t help solve anything).

Along time ago I gave up caring what people think about me, say about me or even believe about me. It was a choice I made to help become happier and more confident in the gifts that I have to offer. It is something that hasn’t always been easy but it does help so that I worry much less about things I can’t control. I have also brought this attitude with me as I do any writing. I have never cared if someone was going to read my blog or enjoy my fiction. I write because I want to write. I feel like it is something I need to do. It is one of the few things I do just for me because it makes me feel good. So the question became why did it become so hard to write this specific entry (which for those of you who are wondering has to do with spirituality, ghosts, paranormal and my beliefs surrounding these things)?

What I realized today is that now that I know people (both friends and family) are actually reading my blog it is a little more daunting to talk about something that I have talked about so little with anyone. It is a topic that is incredibly personal and one that I always worry people will think I’m nuts if I share too much. It is so much easier to write something personal if you are busy thinking no one is going to read your words anyway. It is so much easier to pour your soul into something if it is anonymous. Putting things down in writing makes them real and putting it online means the world can see it. Good or bad it will be out in the world for all to judge and form opinions on.

Anyway long story short I have a new focus and determination to actually explore and write about the things that are going on in my brain. I have always wanted my blog to be straightforward and completely true to who I am and I shall continue to strive for that. The blog is about my journey in life and currently spirituality and the questioning of it, is what is important and going on. This is a part of me and as worried as I am about the reaction I know the people that love and support me will love and support me regardless of what I say. I hope everyone will keep an open mind and understand that these are just my thoughts and feelings. They are what they are whether you like them or not.

I hope that anyone that is reading this blog will continue to read along, indulge me in my ponderings and enjoy the ride as I keep wandering along this journey called life.