The Year That Was...2005

This was my lame attempt to catch the last sunset of the year. I was out and about with the boys, Alex and his friend Sean, when I noticed that the sun would soon be setting.

As we were driving home I tried to catch a few shots from the car as I was driving and, well, that just never works out does it.

When we got home I rushed upstairs to my bathroom, which always gives me a beautiful view of the sunsets, and I realized it was nearly gone. I opened up the cameras whatever you call it to let the most light in (on a Holga it means pushing the button on the bottom to the other side) and pressed the camera up against the window in hopes of catching this last sunset of the year because today there will be no sun, only gray dull skies and rain later on.

But as you can see, the camera slid on the glass and left a distortion, so my sunset appears to be a raging fire at the base of the trees. Nevertheless, I think it's kind of a cool shot. What you see is not always what you get, so to speak.

2005 is now the year that was!

There are so many things to be grateful for!

Periods of darkness have left some of the people I love the most in life. The new year will hopefully dawn a new day for them and take them to where their dreams wait patiently.

Friends have come and gone, which I never expected, but have learned to deal with.

I learned that if you really put your heart into something you can instigate change and turn a rocky path into a sunlit stroll in the park and even though the occasional storm threatens to overwhelm and scare you, it will also make you stronger if you walk steadfast right through the middle of it.

I realized that no matter what age you are, you can recreate your future over and over and be whatever it is you want. You can change the whole world or just the small one you live in and make it a warmer and safer place to fall when you get weary.

I learned that the love of my life wakes beside me every day and keeps my heart from ever going to that lonely place we often think we're heading sometimes. It's been my greatest victory in life to share my heart with this man, who no matter what still reaches over and grabs my boob in the car when he's stopping, all on the pretense of keeping me safe from the dashboard. After nearly 27-years it's nice to know he's still hankering for me.

I'm grateful for my children, who at times, pushed the limits in every way, but somehow managed to pull back just in time to save themselves and our sanity. It's been a journey of epic proportion on occassion but we all held tight and went for the ride of our lives and were all able to walk away reasonably unscathed.

I am eternally grateful for the health of my family and my extended family both here and at home in Canada and that the Gods were watching over and protecting my little village.

I am awed by the graciousness of the universe that has led me to this amazing life I have.

I am excited by the prospect of doing something new in the coming year even though I'm not sure what that will be or where it will lead. I know that good things will come no matter what because somehow they just always do.

To each and every one of you who've touched my life in even the smallest way this past year, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Each of you have added a light to my soul, a beat to my heart and a smile on my lips.

A toast...

May you always have health
May your dreams become reality
May your path lead you to where you are destined to go
And may you always have light shining brightly in your heart...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!