Archery (31/366)

Our library has long, slashed-in windows,  like those put in for archers in the towers of castles.   And so I stood in the stairway, and I took aim.

Pharmaceuticals (30/366)

I'm so tired of taking these pain pills.  Grr!  But they look so pretty.

(Note: My parents expressed their concern and would like me to clarify that these pills are ibuprofen; I'm taking them for that aforementioned iceskating tragedy.  I just didn't want to call them by brand name.)

Anam Cara (29/366)

Night had fallen, but we came to share our light.  We shook the slush off our shoes, tossed our scarves over coat racks, delighting in the tea and treats and company.   We shared our friendship and our faith; our prayers and our blessings, and we each went home with our lights shining a little brighter. 

Encouragement (28/366)

It's really so lovely to walk past such beautiful scenes on my way to school or work each day.  A little glimpse of the grace and prettiness of the natural world brings joy to my heart.

Day of Rest (27/366)

I did more than just rest today, but I still thought this shot was fun.  I love playing :)

Waiting (26/366)

Some days a little waiting pays off, and today my patience was rewarded.   I arrived at the subway station after work today to find it absolutely jammed with people waiting for my train. When the train finally arrived, it too was stuffed to the gills. I wasn't in any hurry, so I thought it best to let others on and just wait for the next one.   Everyone piled into the cars and the train pulled away, and sure enough, not twelve seconds afterward, the next train glided in virtually empty.  What delight!   

Today was also the day when tickets went on sale for my mostest favoritest of all time sports team.  The excitement!  But everyone in my city and the surrounding five states all logged on to the Web site at the same time, hoping for a chance.  I had to log off to go to work, log back in when I got home, and log off again to go for groceries.  It was nigh 11:00 and I was beginning to assume that my continued presence in the Virtual Waiting Room was an excercise in futility when I saw that I had gotten through!  I've got tickets to three games,  and as far as I'm concerned, this summer can't go wrong.   Hurray for patience!   

Passages (25/366)

It's official! Today I turned in all of the paperwork for my thesis to the dean, having gotten my advisor's approval on the outline and bibliography.  Let the odyssey begin!  Bring on the Charybdis of endless color-coded notecards, the Circe of Turabian documentation;  I am stronger than the Scylla of sleep deprivation and the sirens of study break distractions.  With a deep breath and lots of hope and faith, I am committed to my journey!

Dizzy (24/366)

I like this shot because it has, as we'd say in painting, "movement."  I feel pulled down the bannister, swept into the center, and caught up in the curve.

Repose (23/366)

Empty Calories (22/366)

I worked at home today.  The good news is that I accomplished a significant amount of work on my bibliography.  The bad news is that I also wasted a signifcant amount of my calorie allotment on a packet of Australian liquorice and a can of root beer.

Polka Dot Tights (21/366)

Today was the kind of day that benefits from the cheeriness of polka dot tights.  

Thesis deadlines are coming fast and I had to work in the library, so I ventured out in the cold still nursing a knee injury from an ice-skating tragedy  (a story for another day).  I needed to compile sources for my tentative bibliography; I hobbled around the endless stacks, piles of books in my arms, under the glowering, territorial gaze of undergrads, who seemed to sense that I was not one of them.  When my work was finished - at least for the day - I trundled home cold, hungry, and slightly grumpy.   But my spirit was bolstered when I spotted a friend on the bus; we had a nice chat.  I cooked dinner to share with another friend: a simple meal of chicken, carrots, and tator tots.  We agreed that while fancy meals and fancy clothes are nice for some days, other days nothing hits the spot like potatoes and polka dots.

Frames (20/366)

Journal Writing (19/366)

I teach a high school class at my church;  my students are sweet, smart kids who nevertheless avoid talking in class at all costs.  They seem to not only tolerate but actually enjoy the few journal-writing excercises I've asked them to do, though:  and so I'm going beyond looseleaf scraps and giving each student his or her very own journal.   They are stacked up and ready to go! 

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step (18/366)

Today I began work on my master's thesis.  I have one semester to finish it, and although I have the option of taking the summer, too, I really want to accomplish this - and do it well - by May 1st.  I know I can - time to get researching, writing, editing, and losing sleep!   Today I pored over the packet of guidelines and deadlines ...  

Missed Opportunity (17/366)

I was sitting on a bus today, waiting for it to take off, and totally absorbed in my photography.  I was enjoying myself immensely and not really caring if the other passengers thought I was a wierdo as I snapped shots of my bookbag.  I thought it was so neat that I could get closeup pictures of the texture of the fabric, the rubbed away spots on the reflective strip, the stitches that held the zipper in place and filled in the embroidery;   I completely missed several players of my mostest favouritest in the whole world sports team as they walked past my bus.    Good thing I like the picture.

Beginning to Bloom (16/366)

Of all of the pictures I studied in my art history classes, Lewis Hines' photo of a tenement family working together to make artificial flowers has always been one of my favourites.  This image is so evocative:  the adults and children bending over together in the late evening light, the fluffy little flowers becoming the family's daily bread.  It's somehow absurd and starkly beautiful; I rarely see an artificial flower but I think of those tenement families.

These paper flowers have been sitting on my office window since I arrived, and I'd always ignored them before.  But today there was something so interesting about them: they are thick and fibery, and seem to be from different era than those noisy silk ones that fray at the edges.  This particular one seems to be pushing itself up towards the light, like a schoolgirl working at her kitchen table.

Fresh Air (15/366)

Shelter (14/366)

It snowed.   

It was hard to decide on a photo today; I had so much fun shooting in the snow and my neighborhood looked absolutely gorgeous.  However, I finally decided on this shot, one of the first I took when I woke up. 

I like the different way of looking at the snowstorm: the way the summer chairs are riding out the winter storm, and the juxtaposition of the blowing snowflakes and the sedentary chairs.  It seems to be a reminder that a little bit of summer is present in wintertime and a meditation on the passing seasons.  The past and the future flow together here.

The Last Day of Christmas (13/366)

Today was the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the last day of Christmas.  One more day to stand in front of the crêche, one more glowing night.

Rip van Winkle (12/366)

I almost didn't get a picture today, because I accidentally took a three-hour nap, which cut into precious photo-taking time.   It was worth it, though.  

Reading List (11/366)

I am so happy to have my new digital camera, because now I can finally take a billion shots on the way to getting one I like - even four or five I like!  I just hope I can learn more about what the camera does and what the various settings mean by continuing to experiment and reading the manual - but as you can see, I have a lot to read!

The Keys (10/366)

Still Studying (9/366)

Same café, same art history texts.  One thing I love about living where I do is that even the coffee shop has crown moulding and a fancy ceiling ... 

Window Seat (8/366)

Today's January thaw made a perfect day for studying at the café and enjoying the breeze from the open window.  I got a lot of shots I liked, both from my walk downtown and my seat at the window, but I liked this one best. :)

Soft Water (7/366)

 Today was a glass of water kind of day.

I wasn't really super-excited by any of my pictures today, but I like this one best.  I love the little droplet of water that's just hanging out on the edge of the glass, and I like the simple, mono-chromatic softness of the picture.  I had the camera set to macro with suppressed flash.

Stardaze (6/366)

walking home after church

i love my town

Supermac (5/365)

I love mac and cheese, and super macro.

New Jersey Sunrise (4/366)

I was pretty amazed that I took this photo out a moving car window, but I'm sure better pictures have been taken that way.

Sprinkler (3/366)

My dad has a sprinkler nestled here on the window ledge, ready to splash the cats who hide in the bushes under our birdfeeder, staking out chickadees.  I just thought it looked neat here, waiting, proud to show off its range.  I took a bunch of shots fiddling around with different settings, but the first one I took looked best.

Wind in the Willows (2/366)

I just realised that this is a leap year, so I guess this will be a Photo 366 project!

I took my picture today as I took a walk in my hometown with two of my dear friends.  It was surprisingly cold, but the sky was a gorgeous blue.  I loved the way the wind played with the greens and ribbons outside the parish church.

New Year's Day (1/365)

Hello, dear world!

   Today marks my first contribution to my Photo 365 project.  I'm excited as I set out, although to tell the truth, I almost neglected to take my picture today because I felt shy.  I couldn't very well give up on the first day of the project, though!

I took this picture as the sun set over the back yard of my best friend's new house.  It seemed like a fresh, crisp way to start the new year.