A Blog for 2025

December 31, 2025 Happy Birthday Madeline Whiton. I really was hoping to be lucid tonight, to have enlightened statements to make about this year and about how 2026  is going be great.  But I'm not, I don't.  I'm kinda depressed and worried about things and am lighting candles for several of my very good friends.   I don't think it was a particularly good photo year.  I may have done some good documenting, but I did not create  very much art.   I didn't write a lot either, but I did publish one book and edit another.    The year had some magical moments.  It had it's challenges, my overall health stayed good, but specific health issues came alive.   Nothing seemed to resolve, very little closure happened.  I'm at more odds with time and feel even more blessed with amazing friends.  I was incredibly spoiled by people this year, but not enough people brought me flowers.    Between November 2023 and J...

December 30, 2025 I've spent the last three  days  combing through photographs and have created two different calendars, the models for a set of blank cards, and a potential new show.   I went back to old projects on Snapfish and realized I love the photos I took with the Pentax the best.  I want to fix my Pentax.  I'm going to find out how much it will cost me.  Unfortunately, my car is the first "have to" expense, but the camera will come soon behind it.  I need to sell 60 calendars to get it fixed approximately.  LOL I can't begin to tell you why this day was different than my  usual days.  I can't begin to explain how in my own life I became compliant, I've given into what has to be in a moment.  Not that I've stopped planning, but in the moment I need to do that which is.  I didn't wrestle with any have tos today, I did what was reachable in front of me and maybe set some priorities  I went for a ride, or I start...

December 29, 2025 Happy Birthday Eliza Jean I get to see you this week.  YAYAY!!! www.brattleborotv.org/here-we-are/Kora Skeele, Director of Community SHOCK, NGO Here-we-are Kora Skeele I never get to brag about Kora, I should, but I don't get to hang with her in the same way I hang with EJ so I'm not regularly flashing the camera in her face.  I didn't even get to see her and the family at Christmas this year.  I may try to in the next couple days.  But Annie sent me this link today and I got to gloat about what a wonderful woman she is, I really love watching her be in the world.  If you got a little time, watch the interview.   She's kind of remarkable.  And yeah, I know I say that about a lot of my friend's kids, but it happens to be true and I happened to  be gifted with the role of Godmother to her.    Woke up this morning to ice and a sudden sense of despair.  I realized the idea of needing a new car was too overwhelming...

December 28, 2025 Happy Anniversary Molly and Paul Whiton. 54 years, amazing. It was meant to be in this lifetime.  It has been a rare constant. My day didn't start at brunch, but my pictures did. My day started 4 hours earlier wrapped up in warmth and peaceably making it downstairs to the tea kettle and a search through photos to make a 2026 calendar.   My day started with reflection, with rememberance, with a contemplative quiet and warm drink.      And then it went on to a long conversation with a long time friend and more reflections.   It went on to more stories, both of ours and some together,  We shared our week gone by.  It's been an odd week.  It's both started my new life and also given me a break.  I have not known what day of the week it was all week.   Then I went and met David for brunch and a lovely brunch it was.  Less catching up and more thoughts on what is to come.  Lots of hoping 2026 is ...

  December  27, 2025 Good picture day, not a lot, but interesting light and snow.   Can't really see the Berkshires, but it was sunny above me.  We got about 7 inches of snow, but by 3 roads were fine.   I lay in my bed and read fairly late this morning.  It had stopped snowing when I got up at 7, but nothing was plowed and it was cold and I love my bed.  So I crawled back between the flannel.   I dug a path out to the car around 11 and got the car out of the driveway.  I have gloves. (a Christmas present) and my neighbors came down with snow brushes and we cleared off my car so I could do a few errands.  The moon was hanging out already.  When I got home someone had plowed my driveway.  I take in all of the kindnesses that are done to me in a day.  The clearing of my driveeway, widening my path and helping me brush off my car making happy conversation counts for a lot.  I really have great neighbors. I...

December 26, 2025 Another day of very few photos, but some lone time with EJ in Shelburne.  I also had several photos shared with me today.  I only have 5 more days of this blog.  What should I do?  Keep going?  Change the focus?   Start a website and have a blog  as part of the website?  Let me know what you think.  Especially my followers on the European Continent who I never hear from but know you are there.  Messsage me with your votes.  The actual reason we drove to Shelburne was to go visit our friend Elle's store in Buckland.  Google told us it was open so we drove the 45 minutes, and it was closed.  We were sad.   So we went over to the Marketplace on the other side of the river and looked for a couple things.  They have sweet stuff.  EJ tried on hats.  I have not been able to get them a birthday gift, a finish college gift, nor a Christmas gift so I offered to pay for the hat.  H...

  December 25, 2025 This was my biggest experience of actual Christmas today. Jo's attitude and committment to the holiday is just about the opposite of mine.  Went over empty handed for a couple hours and got to experience it a little, a perfect little taste.  How do you say that in French? Piper has taken to her new home quite well.  She was given a lot of love today by all ages.    I woke up to all kinds of sweet messages. Woke up to  a series of Christmas photos of Eliza and Ethan that Karen sent me, very sweet. I got to text with most everyone, well maybe not most everyone, but quite a few of my favorite people.    I got to read, a made a little food, I got my printer working.  Overall, I had a nice Christmas.  I went over to the canal at sunset. The light wasn't very interesting, but the bird count was.  It not only was big, it was a little different than usual.  Now of course, I can't seem to find my bird book....

December 24, 2025 Due to a sudden illness T and I had to not go to Annie's.  We are both sad but each warm in our own homes and not passing germs.  I am here alone with a burning purple votive and frankincense.    I made the decision at seven thirty this morning to be nice to myself all day, but I realized I wasn't quite sure what that meant.  Normally being good to myself meant jumping out of bed and going to the pool, but this morning my instinct was to place the flannel sheet over my head and soak in the sun and not be with people.  So usually not the way I go.  This morning I stayed put.   I worked on a card for everyone showing the images of a set of cards T. and are creating to give everyone a present.  I realize I actually do like making cards and I do like sending them this time of year and I'm sorry I didn't make solstice cards to mail out.  Maybe I will make New Year cards.  But this morning I created a note to all, t...