2015

Merry Christmas 2015!

It seems like I just finished mailing the 2014 holiday cards and it is time again to look back at another year. This year has been about travel, photography and Hugh working part-time.

Our year started with a trip to New Zealand which we thoroughly enjoyed  – without a doubt one of one of our favorite trips. Maud and Dave, my sister-in-law and brother joined us.  We always enjoy traveling with them.  Hugh and I want to go back and spend a year touring the islands. The place is just so beautiful and friendly.  We felt at home everywhere we went.

We took a spur of the moment trip to Italy in May to take a photography workshop with Eddie Soloway –one of our all-time favorite instructors. The first time in many years we could just pick up and go and without looking at Hugh’s work schedule.   The trip was outstanding! I didn’t drive in New Zealand very much because they drive on the left side of the road, so I did all the driving in Italy.  We stayed on a farm and because I was so comfortable with driving –took off many mornings before dawn to photograph.  I would love to do it again!  We celebrated my birthday watching the sunset over the Tuscan hills on our “patio” eating a pizza and drinking wine.  What could be better! We both came away with photographs we loved.

In June we went back to Missoula Montana.  I took a workshop on flash photography with Syl Areana and Hugh lounged around and read during the day and then we took off and photographed during the evenings.  We photographed at Lee Metcalf at sunrise and the Nine Pipes reserve at sunset. From Missoula we drove to Glacier for a few days.  We love Glacier and love photographing there.  We have been there numerous times, so we have our favorite places. One treat was the going to the Sun Road had just opened the morning we left, so we got to cross the park.  And I got to photograph flowers coming up through the snow.

In July, I drove to New Mexico to study flash photography again with Syl. . Scott, one of the students from the Missoula workshop, was in Santa Fe, and as he was another morning person, I had someone to shoot with at 5AM.  We have stayed in touch –and encourage each other in our photography and the need for new equipment.  Bumped into Eddie Soloway from our Italy trip in Santa Fe – the photograph community grows smaller each year for us.

In August we went to the Apostle Islands in Wisconsin for a Tony Sweet workshop.  We had hoped to meet up with one of our photography friends from Wisconsin but that didn’t work out. And we were too far north to visit the Milwaukee area and our friends there. So I was blessed this year to study with two photographers that I have wanted to for years – and to be with Eddie again.  We made great new friends with Scott from Washington and Jeanne from Illinois.  Hopefully we will get to be with them in another workshop.

We celebrated the Thanksgiving holidays with my sister Mary, Dave and  Maud, nephew Roger and niece Karen. It had been years since I got to spend holiday with so many in my family.  I got to cook and bake to my heart’s content. Dieting is definitely in my new term future.

We leave today for England.  Trish will be joining us – she toured with us to Jordan and is still willing to travel with us.  The itinerary is full of Christmas concerts, and theater tickets.  We each have a surprise activity for all to enjoy.  We annually visit a photography exhibit at the National History museum.  One year someone from one of my workshops had her work displayed.  Also have visits to several art exhibits at the Tate planned.

Julianna did graduate law school this year and is apprenticing at a large law firm in London.  I am now a grandma to Abigail, her 9 month old kitty.  I cannot wait to meet her.  I content myself with my grand kitties and grand dogs as grandchildren have not presented.

Tim still is with us – and working at Starbucks.

The New Year will be more traveling with Japan the large trip for next year.  We are also going to Nova Scotia for a photography workshop with Andre Gallant.  We will probably add in a few other trips – and maybe a workshop or two.  We also will finish the house remodeling hopefully by January 1, if not early next year.  We did the upstairs bathroom this fall and just have the upstairs flooring to install.  Then we can start replacing furniture.  So it looks like a quiet New Year.  Somehow I think that is an illusion.

We wish you all the best for the holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year – think of us in a pub toasting the Queen’s Christmas message.

Happy Holidays,