Mari's 365 Photos 2010

Thanks to KarinB I learned how to make a mosaic at BigHugeLabs.com - here's the first attempt.

It has been fun doing the Daily Shoot challenges everyday, or just looking for a photo to post. I'm excited to be going into my second month of the 365 Challenge!

Today's challenge: "Sunday Challenge: Wherever there's an edge, there's energy. Make a photo where two things meet: land-water, land-sky, etc."

I had a hard time deciding on which photo to use today. There were so many good ones. I finally settled on this one for several reasons. I like how delicate the ice looks at the edge, yet that is where the water and energy are coming from!

Today's challenge: "Get up close and personal with a building today. Make a photo of an architectural detail."

I chose this for today's photo, not necessarily for the architectural details - but because of the beautiful Colorado blue sky. As cold as it gets here - this is why we continue to choose to live here.

Today's challenge: "Sugar, spice, and everything nice. Make a photo of something sweet today."

One of my favorites....I'm trying to learn to have just one for dessert.

Today's challenge: "The economy is in the news all the time. Make a photo that illustrates the economy or its impact on you in some way."

Everywhere we go we see empty or failed retail.

Today's challenge: "Take something common--an object, building, or landscape--and compose an abstract composition with it."

Today's challenge: "Change your perspective today. Make a photo from a bird's eye view. Get out the chairs and ladders if you need to!"

This challenge told me that maybe I should invest in one of those brushes to clean the ceiling fan!

Today's Challenge: "Right (90-degree) angles can help define a composition. Make a photograph involving intersecting lines." Happened to fall on Robert Burns birthday.

What better way to pay tribute than to take a photo of a variation of my family tartan - Dress Blue Wallace.

Today's challenge: "Sunday challenge: Experiment with shutter speed today by making a photo with a long exposure."

I knew I could set the shutter speed and/or aperture on my camera, but I had to read a few pages first to figure it out.

Challenge: "We're all collectors of something. Find an interesting way to display and make a photo of a collection today. "

Okay time to admit that I'm obsessed with watches - not necessarily with time, although some might say that I am. I collect watches and have over 100, this is only a small sampling of some of my favorites. Most are Disney, but not all, if I see an interesting one while traveling I always pick that up.

Challenge:"Let's have some fun on a Friday. Make a photo that goes with the title (or lyrics) of a song. Interpret away! "

I have to admit that since visiting St John, USVI last year, I've started listening to Kenny Chesney. And when Joe and I sometimes have a Cruzan and Diet we think we're back on St John, deciding whether or not we should go to Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, or somewhere else!

The song? "Old Blue Chair", Kenny Chesney.

"... too much Cruzan and diet,
and I woke up to a hundred mosquito bites."

Challenge: "Quirky things often catch your eye and make for interesting art. Make a photo of something that makes you go "Hmmm" today. "

Not a quirky item, but something that caught my interest today. I spent my after school time driving this car, instead of photographing things that make you go "hmmm". This car maybe our choice to replace the 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee - should be twice the gas mileage!

Challenge: "Make your camera the star of the show today. Use another camera or mirror to put your camera in a photo of its own. "

Here are my tools to accomplish this years 365 Challenge. I like them all, and they all have function.

Sausage & Sun-dried Tomato Bread Pudding

It was a challenge to cut down the calories and fat in a Paula Dean savory bread pudding, but I think I achieved that as much as humanly possible. So tonight's dinner was good, and had a great flavor

Carter and I spent a little time this afternoon at the bowling alley.

Challenge: "Sunday challenge: We've photographed many things, but few people. Make a photo where the theme is a person or people. "

We got this hat for our nephew Darren while he was in Colorado for the weekend. Poor Darren, like his brothers and uncle Joe, don't have much hair of their own. When he was trying it on in a store in Estes Park, this guy in the store thought the blond spikey hair was really Darren's.

Challenge: "One man's trash is another's treasure. Make a photo of something discarded or abandoned today."

Okay, so maybe an empty table on the sidewalk is a stretch, but considering it is the middle of January, in Colorado, and the cold we've had this year, I found it nice today to find fresh flowers on these sidewalk tables in Golden.

Went to Estes Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park today with family. Always a great chance to photograph some elk. These were enjoying the Colorado sun, on the Estes Park Golf Course.

Challenge: "Play with contrasting scale today: juxtapose something small with something big!"

My husband and nephew were eager and willing to participate to day so I could meet the Daily Shoot Challenge with something small and something big.

I'm always surprised when Joe brings me flowers! I shouldn't be because he does frequently, but I am just the same. Yesterday he brought these home. They're just what I needed to add a little color to the house in the middle of January.

Not the Daily Shoot challenge today. The sliver of moon was too enticing as I got out of my car when I arrived at work today.

I had to brace the camera on the luggage rack on top of the car to hold it steady enough for this shoot of the moon.

Challenge: "What's your favorite color? Make a photo dominated by your favorite color today and share it! "

This is another teacher's car - I always think it is such a great color for a car!

These boats aren't going anywhere for awhile. I think living on/near a lake in Colorado is as close as I'm going to get to coastal living for a while.

"The printed newspaper isn't as common as it used to be. Find a newspaper today and make a photo any way you like! "

I'm lucky enough to find my paper only a few feet from the door every morning. I'm not sure how much longer that will last.

I stopped on this very cold morning a took a photo with my iPhone of sun just lighting up one of the foothills west of town.

The temperature at 7pm. Had it been warmer I'd have taken the time to take another and frame it better.

Our winter has been much colder than normal this year, and I think the temperature is having an effect on what I'm willing to go out and do.

The Daily Shoot assignment today was a source of light. After a very long drive home due to a storm in Denver, I was very unimaginative. But I still like the way this turned out the flashlight on the placemat.

A little out of focus, but a view of the moon as I pulled into the school parking lot this morning.

The afternoon sun, streaming into the school entrance made this area very inviting and warm today. The rest of the building was freezing!

It is an interesting time of year here in Denver, people haven't taken down their Christmas decorations, and it is the last weekend of regular season play in the NFL. Which leads me to the interesting flags at one of our neighbors. Every Sunday they fly the flags of the Broncos and the Chiefs, even when they are playing each other as is the case today.

Neither Joe or I are HUGE football fans, we both keep up with it, just enough to hold up our end of a conversation with a true sports fan.  I think we are a little like this couple down the street, as Joe's from KC, and I'm from Denver.  I enjoyed sending him this article to read: Broncomaniac Wannabe.

I wanted to post this today before the game.  As a longtime Bronco fan, I know the game could go either way, and I'm not tied to the outcome.  Joe as a longtime Chiefs fan will tell you they are rebuilding - but they have been rebuilding for what?  40 years now.

Today I made a modified version of my Cranberry Sauce. This version had onions, apples, and BBQ sauce in it. I love the color of the cranberries just before their skins start to pop open. This sauce was great over chicken with melted brie on top.

Here's my recipe for the Cranberry Sauce
Smoky Cranberry - Apple Sauce
12 oz Cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
¾ cup white wine
¼ cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 Granny Smith apple—cored, seeded
and finely chopped
½ cup smoky BBQ sauce
1 Stir together cranberries and next 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat;
reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until cranberry skins begin to split and pop
and mixture begins to thicken.
2 Stir apples and BBQ sauce into cranberry mixture and simmer 5 minutes or just until apples are tender. Let
cool 30 minutes. Cover and chill 24 hours before serving store in refrigerator up to 3 days.
Servings: 8
Yield: 3 ½ Cups

Joe and I decided that although we are starting 2010 healthier than 2009, we want to continue that commitment to our health. This was a Happy New Year present from him.