A photo a Day: December 31st

Happy New Year!

A photo a day: December 30th

A Photo A Day : December 29th

A Photo A Day: December 28th

A Photo A Day : December 27th

A Photo A Day: December 26th

A Photo A Day December 25th

Merry Christmas, Hope you all have a wonderful, warm and cozy Day. 

xo- A

A Photo A Day: December 24th

A photo A Day: December 23

A Photo A day : December 22nd

A Photo A Day: December 21st

Dark Days

I'm up to my ears in Christmas Prep, and also just regular life Prep. I'm having a minor surgery next week- and I'll be on light lifting duties for a while so I'm trying to make sure the house is set up exactly the way I'd like it to be. And keeping in mind that other people will be helping in the kitchen, so I may want to clean out the pantry, which looks as though I've been just blindly throwing crap in there for about 6 months ( I may have actually been doing that...then having to just rummage around until I find what I'm looking for- which is fine (ish) for me- but a bit much to ask of my sister in law).
Also the fridge was not looking its best- I finally threw out the whipping cream that was at least a month past it's due date- but inexplicably not rotten. We weren't eating it- just keeping it there as a sort of...Pet? Science Experiment? Example of my crappy housekeeping? Who knows- anyhow it's gone now- (I sniffed it one last time though- still fine).

It feels somehow right to be doing this sort of thing as the days get darker and darker. Clearing up the junk symbolically to prepare for the new year- new chances, new experiences, new clutter. I feel like it's a nesting urge almost, to cozy up things, and tidy away the unpleasant, maybe it's a sort of hearkening back to a time when the winter solstice was still an important thing, a symbol of rebirth, and the life giving sun coming back, in full to nourish our souls and fields. Or even before that, when this darkening of days would be scary, full of families huddling around the fire to keep the darkness at bay.

It's not hard to go there mentally is it? Especially up here in the northern hemisphere- when the sun comes up later and later, and and goes down faster too- when it's gray and then black, with only the moon to shine on the snow. I feel like the closer we get to solstice the more noticeable the sun's late rise is- as though it's late by a half hour each day now, so much so that we wake disoriented, and groggy, huddling into the covers (except for N who still wakes up at 7:45, and was totally flabbergasted when I explained to her that adults like to sleep in sometimes, her jaw literally dropped).

It's also something to be grateful for though, in a way, a chance to get closer and cuddle up- to share meals, and celebrate with each other. It's not surprising that humans have always gathered at this time of year, to re affirm life and love. And even though I'm not really Religious, and not really sure about Christmas, I'm still sure that at this time of year- some sort celebration has to be had, we need to gather our friends and family close, and enjoy life, eat too much, sing (out loud even, in public!), and just generally live in a way that is our best, in the hopes of continuing on that best life in the new year.

This photo has nothing whatsoever to do with the writing above-
 I just found it on my camera after N had had it for a little while,
and thought she'd want me to share it- for laughs.

A photo a day December 20th

A Photo A Day: December 19th

A Photo A Day: December 18th

A Photo A Day : December 17th

A photo a Day: December 16th

A Photo A Day : December 15th

A Photo a Day: December 14th

A Photo a Day : December 13th

A photo a Day: December 12th

This Morden Blush Rose was so amazingly beautiful- It turns a whitish pink as it fades, and it was pretty prolific, I planted it with the intention of harvesting the rosehips eventually- as they're supposed to be big showy things, but then- the Deer ate all the blooms right after they'd opened- I suppose a fence is going to have to happen some day soon...

A photo A Day: December 11

I'm sharing a photo a day for the month of December- some of my favorites from 2014- if you have a favorite photo you'd like to share please leave a link in the comments- I'd love to see your 2014 faves!

A Photo a Day : December 10

A Photo a Day: December 9th

I'm sharing a photo a day for the month of December- some of my favorites from 2014- if you have a favorite photo you'd like to share please leave a link in the comments- I'd love to see your 2014 faves!

A Photo a Day : December 8th

I'm sharing a photo a day for the month of December- some of my favorites from 2014- if you have a favorite photo you'd like to share please leave a link in the comments- I'd love to see your 2014 faves!

a photo a day : December 7th

I'm sharing a photo a day for the month of December- some of my favorites from 2014- if you have a favorite photo you'd like to share please leave a link in the comments- I'd love to see your 2014 faves!

A Photo A Day : December 6th

I'm sharing a photo a day for the month of December- some of my favorites from 2014- if you have a favorite photo you'd like to share please leave a link in the comments- I'd love to see your 2014 faves!

A Photo a Day: December 5th

I'm sharing a photo a day for the month of December- some of my favorites from 2014- if you have a favorite photo you'd like to share please leave a link in the comments- I'd love to see your 2014 faves!

A photo a day :: December 4th

I'm sharing a photo a day for the month of December- some of my favorites from 2014- if you have a favorite photo you'd like to share please leave a link in the comments- I'd love to see your 2014 faves!

a photo a day: December 3rd

I'm sharing a photo a day for the month of December- some of my favorites from 2014- if you have a favorite photo you'd like to share please leave a link in the comments- I'd love to see your 2014 faves!

a photo a day: December 2

This photo makes me feel like joy is bubbling up from within- what a blessing to have such happy, silly, beautiful, children. And it's back lit- And, yes, she's wearing pajamas outside on the slide-0 the joys of being 2 and living in the country. I love this photo so much I might put in our Christmas cards, (though her big sister is scandalized by the idea, while not being immune to the funny of the photo- we were both laughing hysterically when we saw it).

A photo a day: December 1st

Well- I've been trying to figure out something to post this month- this busy, busy, crazy month- which is not so different from all other months- except that it's just... more... and the effort sometimes is exhausting- but often worth it.

I still don't know where I'm going with this space; You know how when you clean a room- or organize a closet it often gets messier looking while you reorganize and rearrange and prioritize, like it has to get worse before it better? Well lately I feel as though that's what my life is like- I'm taking out all these ideas and dreams and rules and jobs and just figuring out how to arrange them in a way that makes sense to me. I'm in flux. Which is not really as dire as it sounds- it's sort of exciting actually- like redecorating- but instead of walls I'm talking about my soul.

Anyhow- I've settled on a bit of an advent calendar idea here at Mouse River Blog; I'm going to post my favorite 31 pictures of the year this month- one a day. Sometimes with a caption but often I think without. Lots of these images are things that make me feel happy- or grateful- or just show something or someone that I love. I hope that they give you something happy to look at too- and that you cherish your own memories as I do these.