Picture a Day for 365 Days: Days 137-143

When I first started the Picture a Day for 365 Days project, I had grand plans that it was going to bring a resurgence in the use of my good cameras.  I was going to get all artsy.  I was going to enjoy the process of photography once again.   I have to admit, it worked.  I have really enjoyed the process of photography again, when I pull out my good cameras.  But admittedly, it hasn't been often that I've done so.  Isn't that sad?  I still take pictures though and honestly some of what I have shot with my phone have been pretty decent. 

I don't know what happened, but this last week I actually pulled out my good camera....TWICE!  I know, crazy isn't it.  

Day 137   3.15.25

Jason and I went to Frederick, MD for the day.  We miss a few places from when we lived in Frederick and like to go there here and there to stop into stores or roam the downtown.  One of the stops that was on our list this visit was to go to HMart.  It is a huge Asian grocery store (they have things from so many different countries actually.)   It is always fascinating to go.  You never know what you may find.  We always end up with all sorts of different things to try!    We didn't try the Pigs heads though.  Yes, you can buy a pigs head....all wrapped up and frozen!

Day 138  3.16.25

We had a quite Sunday at home with just a few errands.  Of course we got out for a walk.  The dog went with us as we traveled around in the neighborhood behind our house. 

Day 139  3.17.25

Brrrrr it was cold out in the morning while I walked the dog!

Day 140  3.18.25

I spent the day at the Antietam Battlefield with my oldest nephew.  I took my camera this day and got a few shots.  Both Riley and I like the perfect shape of this tree.  

Day 141 3.19.25

I got my job hunting done.  I finished my outdoor walk for the 75 Hard challenge and the weather was cool but nice.  So I went out with a blanket and laid outside and read.  The dog LOVED being out and having me relaxing with her!

Day 142  3.20.25

There is nothing better than seeing buds on trees in the early spring....unless it is the moment when you first see the flowers appear from the buds!  I was so tickled when I saw this on my walk!

Day 143 3.21.25

Jason was outside with the dog and came flying into the house to grab his phone because there was a fabulous double rainbow.  I grabbed my good camera and headed out.  Of course the double rainbow was gone, but I still got a nice picture of the single....and you can almost faintly see the light area where the second rainbow was!

 I am so happy that the spring temperatures are here with fewer and fewer cold spells!  It is time to get out and work outside in the dirt.  It is time to get out and let the sun warm my skin.  And maybe, just maybe I'll get outside with my camera a bit more!

A Picture a Day Day: Days 102 to 109

A 365 challenge is a neat one.  It is a long term challenge.  One that takes perserverence to complete.  Something that I frequently have issues with. But I started in mid October and here I am. I started the challenge for a few reasons.  One of the main reasons I started this challenge is because photography forces one to look at the world in a different way.  I started this challenge because I wanted to challenge my photography skills.  I started this challenge as a way to document my year.   So far I haven't done anything spectacular with my photography, although I have had some really good shots.  I plan on working on that....I still have lots of time left in this year!   But I have maintained a picture a day and I have done a fabulous job of documenting my year thus far.   

I'm not sure what I will do with the pictures at the end of this year.  Will I put them into a scrapbook to commemorate the year?   Will I make a video montage?  I'm not sure.  But right now it is just one day at a time!  So here we go with the a few more days of my life in pictures.

 Day 103 (2.8.25)

    Zoey just loves her car rides!  I can't confirm, but I think Jason makes up 'outings' so that the dog can go with us places.   She was intently watching her 'daddy' while he was out of the car!

 Day 104 (2.9.25)

It was Sunday so Jason was home.  It was cold though! It didn't stop us though.  We gout out and took a nice walk.  Weirdly enough, the dog has developed a fear of storm grates.   Last weekend she was fine, but this weekend walks she was petrified of them.   That dog is a weirdo!

Day 105 (2.10.25)

Nothing special about this Monday.  Jason was working and I was at home looking for jobs!  But of course I had to get outside and walk a bit!

Day 106 (2.11.25)

I went to Hagerstown to spend some time with my nephews.  First I went out with Alex (my youngest nephew) and he drove around a bit in my car.  Since I have the only manual transmission car, I have offered to teach my cousins (they declined) and my niece and nephew how to drive stick.  I think hooked up with Riley my oldest nephew and we went out searching for answers about our ancestry.  We are struggling to find a name for my Great Great Grandfather (Rileys 3rd great).   We know his name was Mclain but was that his first or his middle name and  but some references indicate his name as Joseph and some as Samuel.     We headed to a graveyard to identify some graves of family and hope that McClain's wife would have something on her grave stone indicating her husbands name.  Nope, she didn't actually even have a stone.  But we did visit a bunch of graves of people we are related to.  It was a good day.  Still cold, but good!

Day 107 (2.12.25)

Wednesday brought a small snow storm.   We ended up with about 2 inches of snow.  It was my favorite kind of snow.  It was gorgeous while it lasted.  But the next day we had temps in the upper 40's and the snow was gone! 

Day 108 (2.13.25)

The snow is melting fast!   I don't know why I took this picture, but I'm sure glad that I did because it was my only picture of the day! I spent a lot of time looking for jobs but also knocked one or two things off of my master list of things to do around the house! 

Day 109 (2.14.25)

I had a busy day!  I went grocery shopping, I cleaned at mom's house, I went out for a long drive with my nephew (yup, more practice with manual transmission) and I went to the Gymkana show to see my niece a perform.  It was a busy  but fun day!

 Another week of fun and excitement.......still unemployed but trying to make the most of it!

Day 12-15

 I am still going full steam ahead with the photo a day.  I am really enjoying it.   It has been easy thus far and I have been able to remember to get my picture with no issues.  

365: Days 1 through 11

 I have started a project where I am to take at least one picture a day for 365 days of the year. I can take a picture of whatever I want.  I can use a cell phone or one of my good cameras  It matters not.  The only rule is that  I take at least one picture a day.    I did take one or two shots just for the 'beauty' and the fun of photography and I took a few shots just to capture my day.  11 days down!

So here are days 1 through 7

365 in 365

 I am on a mission to find what makes me happy.  Life is too short to be mired down with things that are not bringing happiness.  Does a certain belonging make me happy?  Does a particular activity make me happy?   What brings me joy in life?   Conversely, what drags me down?  It's time to dive deep and find the answers.

The last few years have been particularly rough for me.  I have struggled with a low grade depression.  I have not gone to the doctor or sought help.  I have been trying to work through it on my own.  There have been months that are really difficult and months that are easier.  It's a battle.  However, I'm determined to win and come out HAPPY!

So how am I going about this deep dive in my quest to find happiness and joy in my life.   There are some things that are not easily changed.  I mean, I still need to go to to work. (Although I really honestly believe that I was created to be a lady of leisure that shouldn't have to work.)  But there comes a time in life where we have to focus on what is bringing us joy and cut what is not.  We need to choose to surround ourselves with the good.  And that is what I am going to be focusing on.

* Clear the Clutter:  I am planning on getting back into my purge project.  I was doing good before my mom passed away and then instead of purging, I was bringing stuff into this house faster than I could blink.   I don't regret my choices for what I brought. However, I do need to start purging again to clean the unwanted.  Because seriously, if I have something that I haven't touched in the 1 or 2  years (or almost three since we moved into this house), then it's time to get rid of it!  

* Stop spreading myself Thin:    I have so many grand ideas.  I am going to do this and then do that and oh wait, I want to do that too!  Such grand plans I have.  A youtube channel for my bird?  Why yes, I have one!  One for my dog?  Yup, got that too!  Exploration Youtube?  ~snorts~  Of course I have that too!   So I have bits and pieces of ideas and grand plans laying in a pile around me.   It gets unwieldy and hard to navigate around all of these grand plans.   So it's time to back away and maybe even delete a few to clear the head space around me! 

* Finish Projects!  I wrote about this a few posts ago where I was soul searching and vowed to work on some of these projects to get them done.    I have started to make some progress on some of these projects.  SLOW progress, but progress.  I pulled out the lonestar quilt and and I have been working on piecing that.  I have been working on editing and getting a few writing projects closer to completion.  It will be a slow process, but I am working on it!

* The last thing that I'm doing is technically starting a new project....but I think it is a worth while one. So worthwhile that I am willing to add something versus pare down.  And that is a 365 project.  And more specifically 365 pictures in 365 days.  A picture a day!  I did this for about 2.5 years about 10-15 years ago and LOVED the process!  Some days it was a chore to find something worthwhile to photograph.  And I will admit that there were a few days where my pictures were cringe worthy due to the fact that they were so uninspired.  However, it was an amazing experience.  I completed that project in the depths of one of the deepest and darkest periods of depression within my life.   Forcing myself to look at the beauty around me during my search for a photo opportunity was a good thing.  Because seriously, you have to look at the world in a different way if you are going to photograph it.  You HAVE to look for beauty.  

I thought about starting my 365 photos for 2025, but I was excited about the project and knew I needed to be FORCED to look at the world that way NOW and not wait until January 1rst.  SO I started on Monday October 28th!  Day two was actually a rough day as I was feeling BAD and I was downing Mylanta like they were the best ever candy!  I will talk more about that in a day or two....but for now, I leave you with the first four days of my photo a day project!

 

 

Jason brought me home flowers when he came home from work. 

I felt so sick, photography was the furthest thing from my mind!

                                I felt so sick, photography was the furthest thing from my mind!

This goofball dog!  I was taking crazy stupid pictures to send to a group chat with some ex-coworkers and Zoey had to get in on the fun!

I just saw the peppers still on the plant in the garden and realized how pretty some plants and produce really is.  So I snapped a picture, never thinking it would be my picture for the day...but I just really like how the picture turned out!

Affirm it....be it!

Moving onward.   I am currently reading a book. I won this book on a blog a while back.  It's called Burn theFat Feed the Muscle   by Tom Venuto.  I'm not very far in yet, but something has already sparked a nerve for me.  The author has built his ideas and programs around the principles of bodybuilding, but clearly states that these principles tie into losing weight and toning up...that body building is only the medium that clearly figures out the regime that works well. (He does make a convincing argument for this fact).   He made a comment at the beginning that recommends that we all start out by making a statement.  "I am a bodybuilder"  and encourages us all to substitute bodybuilder with whatever our goal is.  "I am a runner."   "I am a fitness athlete".  I am a whatever we strive to be."      He states that when we make affirmations like this that we will reach our goals faster.  "It's miraculous how the words you use to describe yourself can shape your identity, change your self image, and, in turn, change your behavior."

How true is that?   So true.  Last spring I was struggling through the couch to 5k program, yet I was running religiously 3-4 times a week.  I called myself a runner.  I was a runner.  I was doing it and my mind accepted the aches and pains that were associated with being that runner.  I accepted the cold weather runs (although nothing like the cold snap we are currently suffering through).  I accepted it all. I believed it.  I made the affirmation and I did it.  After my foot issues I stopped running regularly and stopped calling myself a runner.  All of a sudden the aches and pains associated with running seemed insurmountable.  The discipline that I needed to complete my runs was mysteriously missing.  I got out there on occasion...but I wasn't the same.  You see, I had stopped calling myself a runner...and I had stopped believing it.

(How ironic, as I'm sitting here in my warm toasty house writing this I see a runner out in the brutal cold running...hmmmm)

This affirmation stuff carries over into everything.  Affirm that I am...and BE!

I'm working to keep my picture a day rolling......

Terri one of my Zumba peeps

snow plow

Disbelief, shock and awe

I'm in disbelief!  I have hovered at just about a 2 pound loss for the last 4 days. And today was my official weigh in day. Yay!  Time to get that 2 pound loss officially recorded!  My goals for the week?  You know...tracking, staying within my caloric budget, drinking water, exercising.  I nailed each and every one!  I didn't falter!  I rocked the plan.

I woke up this morning.  I knew IMMEDIATELY that it was going to be bad.  You see, since I weigh everyday I know the nuances of my body.  Today I woke up thirsty.  That has NEVER boded well on the scales that day.  NEVER.  I laid in bed for a few minutes, hoping that today would be different!  I prayed that today would be different.  I took every article of clothing off  and even contemplated chopping off some of my hair for an added bonus, but stopped just shy of grabbing my dull scissors from the bathroom drawer.  I stepped on the scales.    YAY......(note the sarcasm) I weighed in a half of pound HIGHER than last week.  So I have to woman up to a gain this week.    ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!

Seriously, why am I doing this????

I know I know I know...I'm doing it because I want to be thin.  I'm doing this because I want to live a healthy and active life.  I'm doing this and I'm not giving up, but it is depressing.....even knowing that it is most likely a water weight gain.    My consolation.....because I DO weigh everyday, I know what is most likely the issue.  (and I drank right around 100 ounces of water yesterday...so no, it's not an issue of drinking too little....stupid me, I made General Tso Chicken last night...homemade, and while I do use low sodium soy sauce..seriously, low is a relative term when referring to soy sauce and other chinese ingredients).

Oh well...  (can I scream now?)   Moving on.

So this journey to a better me isn't all about weight.......so .....I've decided to restart my 365 project.  I've done two consecutive years in the past and have LOVED the results.  I like having a pictorial guide to my year and I like having a camera in my hand. (and it's neat because I can always see my skill as a photographer increase when doing it).    In previous years I was totally hard core.  I had to take a picture each day...I think I only missed 2 or 3 days in those two (two and a half actually) years.  It added a bit of stress to my life on some days.......This time around I'm going more casual......I'm going to TRY to get a picture everyday.

My rules are simple....I want most of the pictures taken with my good cameras.  I can occasionally throw in a cell phone pic (I've taken some amazing shots with my cell phone..and sometimes the cell phone shots sum up the day much better than any other shot) and I may even throw in a graphic art picture or something I pick up somewhere else.  So really simple.   I've done this almost a week now......so here is my week in review...

January 19....my beautiful niece

January 20  Sunset before zumba

January 21....Snowy day

January 22.....recovering from snow

January 23....so wrong but so incredibly funny