18/360 - an anniversary

Last week, when we were celebrating the 9th birthday of my last "homemade" baby, we were also quietly marking the anniversary of another event. Three years ago last Monday, we woke up to the news that while we had been sleeping, on the other side of a world, an Ethiopian judge had seen fit to make us parents for the last time.

At long last, after 8 months of waiting, wondering, fretting, hoping, our Bear was finally our Bear.

It would still be a few weeks before he would come home to us, but on that day he was officially our son.

17/360 -Thematic Photographic 132: Curves

Carmi's Thematic Photographic this week almost stumped me. Couldn't come up with anything for "curves" until I found these.

Several years ago I learned the ancient art of pysanky. Though traditionally done on eggs, I decided to try the batik technique to make some cards. These are photos of the final results.

16/360 - Nine!

Nine. Today, my jubilation, my baby, turned nine years old. Nine years old. Still trying to figure how that happened so quickly.

15/360 - Blue

Thematic Photographic for the week is "blue." Love it. So many different shades, so many ways of looking at it. Fun.

Blue

A Slice of Blue

This little bit of blue just reached out and grabbed me.

Triple Blue

The sky, the ocean, the kites. (Kailua Beach, O'ahu Hawai'i)

"The Left Foot of Budda"

(No kidding - that's what it's called!)

My cousin is an artist and this is his creation.

It adorns the outside of this gallery/home,

the What's a Pot Shop, in Silver City, NM

Blue Hot

Nothing but Blue Skies

The balloons aren't the only reason to look up.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Over 600 hot air balloons and a blue sky like this - incredible.

Blue isn't just a color

sometimes it's a feeling - a feeling I know well.

"Speechless" by JDM

More blue images found here at Carmi's Thematic Photographic this week.

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13/360

Once upon a time...

we were young.

12/360

"Every time you wake up and ask yourself,

What good things am I going to do today?,

remember that when the sun goes down at sunset,

it will take a part of your life with it."

- Indian Proverb

11/360

They endure...







despite my best efforts to neglect them to death.

10/360

Just Because...

9/360

I'm glad to be doing Carmi's Thematic Photographic again. While I've enjoyed looking at all the entries each week, I've missed posting photos myself. Right back in there squeaking in at the last moment. (That I'll be trying to change.)

This week's theme has beem Far From Home.

Sunset in Silver City.

Once this was my home and will always be my hometown,

but now, especially after the passing of my dear mom,

when I'm here I feel far from home.

First glimpses of O'ahu.

In June 2009, I took my dislocated knee

(I didn't know it at the time)

and went to Hawai'i with my daughter

Sweetanlo and some very dear friends.

Kailua Beach

So lovely, so windy. Perfect for the Kite Surfers there.

Kailua Beach

I loved watching the waves.

Me, far from home

with Koolau Mountains behind

En Route to Ethiopia

Doesn't get to much farther away from home for us

LemLem playing soccer on Entoto Mountain w/Genet

LemLem on Entoto Mountain, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The irony is that this Ethiopian beauty, sitting on the mountain

overlooking her hometown is actually far far from home.

A long long trip, almost home.

My daughter Sweetly posted some great Far From Home pictures, here and here.

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Family.

Pastormac (on the left) and his brother

Pastormac's brother came to town on business. He's a conductor and had been invited to conduct our state's first-ever intercollegiate All State Choir. We were all thrilled he was able to stay around a few days more to enjoy time with our family. (And a day longer when his flight was cancelled due to snow in the east.) It's been a very long time since he's visited. He treated us to movies, eating out, bowling, games, and general fun.

I really married into an amazing family.

Most of the gang with Pastormac & Uncle A.

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Haircut!

Sweetly was long long over due for a haircut. (Finally! mom got around to making her an appointment with the stylist.)

Before

Looking pretty shaggy.

Time for a new style.

After!

Two thumbs way way up!

She's four inches lighter.

So lovely.

3/360 - 6/360

Already a failure on my picture-a-day, I'm trying not to give up on the whole doing the whole 360. And I likely would have, if not for the encouragement of Sweetly and Sweetanlo to keep at it. So I'm plugging along for a while longer.

Pastormac's brother, Andy was in town for work last week and stayed a while longer to enjoy some family time with The Production. Today he tried to go home but his flight was cancelled due to snow in the east. We were sorry for him but pleased to have more time together. So he took us out for bowling and dinner.

Took these photos while we were out.

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They're fiercely loyal and deeply devoted to each other, strikingly similar but also a study in contrasts. They make me absolutely crazy and yet bursting with love. And somedays, I still marvel that they're mine.

2/360 - They're a pair.

1/360

Once upon a time, I used to blog here. But unlike some friends I have who find writing to be cathartic, writing is difficult to me and I sweat over and mull each word. So when life became so full, I just didn't. And every time I tried, I just couldn't.

But, after a full year's hiatus, I'm back to give it a go. My daughter, Sweetly, and I are going to post a photo (at least) a day. We're starting a few days past the first of the year.

I'm doing a 360 - a full turn around from not blogging at all to posting at least a photo a day for rest of 2011. Maybe I'll be inspired to write some other posts too.

For now, a photo will do.

1/360 - Afternoon Light on the Sandias

There's never a bad time - winter, spring, summer or fall, to gaze upon these majestic Sandia Mountains.