Pushing myself

Pushing myself to get back into work... So the pushing was not only to get to work but was also to get going in the new year. Yes, this is the time clock at my first school day for year and I was there at 7:15am. It's relatively high up in the Bronx so a very early start.

The other pushing was to get the domestic chores done at the end of the day. In particular catching up on the washing...laundry...including sheets and towels from the fabulous family visit in NYC for Christmas / New Year.

Makes me happy

I'm shallow I know. One would think that my selection of something that makes me happy would be something like "world peace" or perhaps "environmental protection that impacts climate change". Perhaps a win in the struggle for the rights of women or the battle for racial equity are all high on my list of happiness achievement. There are human rights issues that if addressed would bring me great happiness including refugee status being acknowledged and actively supported and enabled in Australia.

However today for my capturing 365 photo I have chosen to photograph my upgraded seat number on the flight back from New Orleans to NYC...as I said from the start...shallow 😄

Need this...

 The prompt for today is "Need this"... that idea was in my head as we traveled on our Swamp Tour on/in an Air Boat. The wind whipped through us, chilling and invigorating but that couldn't dampen our enthusiasm for the beauty of the swamp. It was a still day so the reflections were constantly drawing my eye and camera lens to them. What I needed was warm clothes and a hair brush :)

We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a number of birds including cardinals

The aspects of this image that appeal..  the shadow, the simplicity of the colours and the wall.

This is so me...

 So I have decided to grow out my fringe and to now let my hair grow. It has taken some time but I now no longer have a fringe and my hair is getting longer.

It is interesting how one's view of oneself affects how you see the changes in you.
To say this is so me is strange as it isn't how I have seen myself but then it is me...hmmm...

One word

Each year over the past five years I have tried to have a word that follows and carries me through the year. This year my one word is EMBRACE. 

I want to Embrace the life I have here in NYC and thoroughly enjoy, appreciate and reflect on all the gloriousness that is my life. 

And so in the spirit of this I am embracing the moments I see around me and the parts of people's lives I see. 

I love Edward Hopper's slice of life paintings.

 We saw this painting in Washington DC and it exemplifies the types of photos I like to take. Slithers of everydayife and the bits and pieces that are going on around me. 

Sitting waiting to board my flight to New Orleans today I tried to capture EMBRACE in a photograph. Embrace-that holding onto something... in this case it was a couple...

Not the best example of an embrace so perhaps I can keep that as a theme for my photos during the year as well as embracing the life and journeys of my year. 

However I was able to embrace an example of taking in the little moments in life a la Edward Hopper...

I am still amazed by the traveling companions people in the US are allowed to have. Mind you this little chap was far less inrush ice on my journey than a little girl who was overtired and screaming No no no and hitting her mother for about half an hour on this very small plane.

New start

The new year has begun and so has my resolve to try to do some different challenging things. 
The Capture Your 365 Days has been a photo challenge that many have taken over a number of years. I've decided this year to give it a try on my own terms. Katrina Kennedy provides a great process and support with ideas, support and inspiration for photography.
My participation is utilizing their prompts if i need them and also posting on my blog via my phone access. So a fresh start with this and a fresh start with the Documented Life Project. Today i spent time trying to begin utilizing the un=planner. It is the third year of this project and I've attempted it every year. This year I'm not going to stress myself about it but use the inspiration and learn a bit...I hope :).

Trying to keep going

A plethora of police at 50th and Broadway preparing for NYE

The build up to the count down on NYE involved the phalanx of police gathering in Times Square ready to manage the crowds.