As 2010 dawns, and the focus on new year's resolutions flourishes, I decided to take on an interesting challenge for the upcoming year.
I'm going to blog my way through a spiritual journey of sorts.
I'm calling it "A Year with C.S. Lewis" after a year long devotional I've had collecting dust on my shelf for far too long. The devotional has daily readings from Lewis' classic works. I'm hoping it can jump start some brain action and inspire me to find and study Bible passages that relate to the excerpts.
Here's the link to the new blog (A Year with C.S. Lewis). You can follow along with me if you'd like, and provide your own thoughts and insights along the way.
Feel free to kick me in the pants if I start to slack too, since a little encouragement never hurt anyone!
The most important thing that has happened to me this past year might just be going pro with my photography. Being able to take photos, with my best friend as well, and to earn money from doing something I love has been amazing. The only downside has been the fact that I've had less time and motivation for my street photography. It feels funny to be shooting so many photos and actually sharing less here with you. Next year is already looking very busy wedding-wise for us, so I might just have to apologise well in advance for this trend to continue. ;)
A lot of things happened in 2009; our offices moved in March, I had the swine flu in May and I finally found the courage to get my wisdom teeth pulled out in November. I also survived a minor accident on a London bus in April and lived through the massive snow fall in February (which got me published in the Flick 2009 review just a few weeks ago!). Oh - and I met Ethan Hawke (and went all mushy babbling fangirl on him). There were some amazing fun I had with my friends, for example when I celebrated my birthday in a Victorian cell (converted into a bar) as well as seeing and hearing a lot of great live music; Rachel Yamagata and Heather Nova being the most memorable gigs this year.
Work has been very challenging this year and there have been times when it has got me to a point of apathy, which is very unlike me. 2010 is going to be full of further changes in the office and I'll need you all to keep your fingers and toes crossed for me as there are big things going on work-wise for me in the first quarter of the coming year. I'll really need all the positive energy and luck out there sent my way, please.
The end of the year has been particularly difficult and I have been so grateful for all the support me and my family have had from all our friends and immediate family. I really had no idea how blessed and loved we really were until we hit some really hard times in September. I cannot say thank you enough to all the people who helped us through these last few months. Actually, it's been quite a difficult year to a lot people I know, so here's hoping that 2010 will be a little better and brighter for all of us.
The things that have got me through this year, apart from my amazing friends and family, have included Spotify; which is an incredible service for free music, Etsy; which continues to be an amazing place to find all things unique and crafty as well as Easyjet (from all the things!) as it has been a lifesaver this year flying me without a fail to and back from Finland. I've also been spoiled by some great books this year from which I can recommend The Exception by Christian Jungersen, The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and The Colour by Rose Tremain wholeheartedly. Big up to Bookmooch at this point for providing me with these and a lot of other good books for free this year!
For 2010 I am unusually not making any resolutions as such. This year has been good to me in a sense that I am thinner, richer and bitter-sweetly happier than in 2008 - something I'd like to keep up this coming year. The overall plan really just includes taking better care of myself, having more quality time with my friends and family and just enjoying myself in the small moments life and London throw my way.
Although my blogging here has been quite irregular and erratic this year I'd like to thank you all for your patience and ongoing support and comments. My photos are few and far in between, but I promise to continue to share them with you as much as I can. The photos in this post are from my Holga 35mm which took me a long time to shoot this autumn/winter. However they seemed to have turned out lovely on the Neopan 1600. :)
Actually, after all the above I'm really looking forward to the New Year as it seems to bring with it great opportunities and big challenges. So, I wish us all a fantastic, exciting and positively eventful 2010 as we start the new decade tonight! Happy New Year! <3
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26536964-5017858,00.html
Have a go at The Courier-Mail's screensaver contest
December 29, 2009 11:00pm
FANCY promoting your photographic skills to the world? Have a go at The Courier-Mail's screensaver competition - send us your best shots.
The prize? Priceless - your work displayed on the internet for all the world to see.
Just send us your favourite photograph or two for consideration as one of the free downloadable screensavers we build and make available for our readers. You can see some examples of work by our talented team of photographers at http://couriermail.com.au/savers.
And you can download a screensaver built from amateur images to see if you think you can match the images for quality. (The download file is called "Show.exe". Run it and you can preview the screensaver and then – if you think it's good enouigh – install it on your PC.)
We will publish a selection of the best photographs submitted, then open voting to the public for a final selection.
The winning photos will be included in free screensavers that other readers can download and install on their computers.
The ideal screensaver photograph is horizontal and a bright, high-resolution, JPG. You must certify that you either own, or have publications rights to, any photograph you submit to The Courier-Mail at survey@qnp.newsltd.com.au
Have a go – show off your skills to the world. Then vote on everyone else's work.http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26536964-5017858,00.html
Have a go at The Courier-Mail's screensaver contest
December 29, 2009 11:00pm
FANCY promoting your photographic skills to the world? Have a go at The Courier-Mail's screensaver competition - send us your best shots.
The prize? Priceless - your work displayed on the internet for all the world to see.
Just send us your favourite photograph or two for consideration as one of the free downloadable screensavers we build and make available for our readers. You can see some examples of work by our talented team of photographers at http://couriermail.com.au/savers.
And you can download a screensaver built from amateur images to see if you think you can match the images for quality. (The download file is called "Show.exe". Run it and you can preview the screensaver and then – if you think it's good enouigh – install it on your PC.)
We will publish a selection of the best photographs submitted, then open voting to the public for a final selection.
The winning photos will be included in free screensavers that other readers can download and install on their computers.
The ideal screensaver photograph is horizontal and a bright, high-resolution, JPG. You must certify that you either own, or have publications rights to, any photograph you submit to The Courier-Mail at survey@qnp.newsltd.com.au
Have a go – show off your skills to the world. Then vote on everyone else's work.http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26532514-952,00.html
Dumbest criminals caught out
December 28, 2009 11:00pm
THEY may have broken the law but these offenders could never be called criminal masterminds.
Queensland Police have told The Courier-Mail about catching some of 2009's dumbest criminals.June 11
A police officer noticed a vehicle following him while he drove around Clermont, 280km southwest of Mackay, about 11.45pm. The car followed the police vehicle into the police station's yard and the driver got out to discuss a relationship problem. The man appeared drunk and when tested blew a blood-alcohol reading of 0.26. The 35-year-old man was charged with drink-driving, fined $1800 and disqualified from driving for 16 months.
June 19
A teenager was seen leaving the Harvey Norman store at Warwick, 80km south of Toowoomba, with two video games he had not paid for. Police went to the store to speak with the informant and get a description of the suspect. Instead, they were handed a very useful document. A staffer recalled the thief had visited the store earlier to seek employment and had given them his curriculum vitae. Police went to the address listed on the CV and charged the teenager with shoplifting.
August 18
A woman went to Cecil Plains police on the Darling Downs to report her mobile phone had been stolen the night before. She had left it on her dining room table when a 34-year-old man known to her visited. When he left, she realised her phone was missing. When police visited the man's address, he denied knowing anything about the missing phone. Police then rang the number and heard the woman's phone ringing in the man's bedroom. He gave the phone to police and was given a notice to appear in the Dalby Magistrates Court .
November 5
Two men who allegedly robbed a hotel at Gladstone, 100km southeast of Rockhampton, at knife point did so without the benefit of a getaway car. They were forced to hitchhike away from the scene and were about 30km from Rockhampton when they used a $50 note as bait to flag down a silver Toyota sedan. The vehicle pulled over and the men got in only to find they had been picked up by two plainclothes detectives. One man and one juvenile were charged with robbery while armed and will appear for sentencing on April 1.
Stephan's nana & papa got him a Fisher-Price camera for Christmas and he's spent time wandering around snapping pictures. Gotta love seeing things from a 3 1/2-year-old's perspective
I started him his own Picasa site and if you'd like to see his first album, the link is here. I weeded through about 2/3rds of the pictures, most of the floor, wall or ceiling and a few too blurry to recognize.
Enjoy my budding photographer!
Our daughter became engaged to her Scottish partner today. He is a fine young man, and we are very happy for them both. It is three years today since they met in Inverness, Scotland. They came to Toowoomba last April, and plan to make their future home here. We had planned a BBQ for tomorrow night. I wonder if her partner and I will be dancing together like we were at the wedding we attended in Manchester last year. Better not, I suppose. I don't want to make our daughter jealous...
May I wish all my Vox friends a Very Merry Christmas, and Best Wishes for the New Year.
Your company during the past year is sincerely appreciated.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ...
12 ships to plunder,
11 cannons firing,
10 crewmen leaping,
9 sharks a' swimming,
8 rum-filled bottles,
7 lusty wenches,
6 jolly rogers,
5 gold doubloons,
4 eye patches,
3 earrings,
2 wooden legs
and a parrot for my shoulder - Arrr!
