25 January

I have been sick, sick, sick lately. Trying to lay low, but oh, it's been hard to keep up. It seems like we've had something scheduled most days; not much time for me to rest and try to recover. I ended up staying home sick from church on Sunday, something I haven't done in years.

I did upload the last nine days of my "366" photos today. I'm sharing some thoughts about the days on each of them. I feel like it's such an intimate way to share, even though Flickr as a whole is really so huge and public. But it's just one photo, just a few thoughts. So do click through, I love to hear from you, whether here or over there. 

7 January

I haven't already dropped out of my photo challenge! I just haven't been good about uploading them. Here are the photos from the last three days.

Some of my thoughts about the days accompanies each photo on Flickr (click the photo to get to them). I'm trying to keep them brief, though I'm not limiting myself to a work count or anything. Sometimes, though, saying less really is saying more. 

Though, on the topic of saying more, I have been thinking a lot about the close of the Christmas season over the last few days and I want to share more about that with you on Monday. 

I hope your weekend is going beautifully!

3 January

Right now I'm enjoying a brief moment of complete silence. My eldest child is occupied outdoors. My middle child and his daddy are enjoying a day out, a kind of city expedition, I think. My littlest one is napping cozily.

I'm thinking of trying again to do a photo-a-day project this year. I've been thinking about it, and then reconsidering, over the last few days. Last year I took photos through most of March but only published them through about February. The uploading was a hassle, honestly. But after seeing this, from last January, I think I'm going to try again. 

These images are so warm and happy and joyful to me. Looking at them, I'm so glad that they're here, collected together. And they've helped me to remember so much about that time in our lives. Looking at these, I know exactly what the thrilling news on the 14th was, the small pleasures and the hardships on the 20th, the worry on the 21st, the inconvenient errand on the 29th, the chilly, beautiful afternoon on the 5th, the dinner and movie (even what dinner and what movie!) with my mom on the 9th. Oh, having these together is such a treasure.

So, starting again, here are the first three images of this year. (You can click through to see descriptions of each.)

2012, I think you are off to a great start.

February 1

Hello, dear friends. How have you been? I can't believe that all of January went by with just one post from me. Not my intention at all -- it just sort of happened. Part of it was feeling a little bit depressed (as I get from time to time) about materialism and whatnot that can be part of the loveliness of the blog world. Part of it has been a very real lack of computer time. And a huge part of it was a difficult struggle with writer's block. I know the general advice for writer's block is to try to work through it, but that's also a challenge. I once read an interview with Heather B. Armstrong where she said that she sometimes has such horribly painful writer's block that it is actually crippling. Of course, a big difference between me and Heather is that I don't make a dime off my blog, much less support my whole family with it! Anyway, I'm going to try harder.

I do have a few things in mind, although the writer's block is still naggingly present.

I haven't been good about getting my 365 photos uploaded to flickr, either -- that is not for lack of taking them (I've missed just a few times times -- I think 3 or so -- still some misses, but not too bad for my first attempt at something like this), but really because of the very reduced time I've had for the computer. Anyway, my goal is to do this! So here's to a better effort.

Here are some photo highlights from January:

Home comforts and simple pleasures kept our sometimes hectic days in check.

Many different, delicious beverages were enjoyed.

I ripped out an entire sweater.

And started it over.

Our world was a beautiful place.

If you visit my 365 set, you can see each photo from the month and read some reflections on nearly each of the days. Some are funny, some are sweet, one includes a recipe ... they will help you get a better idea of what has been going on with me for the last, quiet, month.