Day 365 — Project Complete

The First Bloom

Thanks to leap year, this project ends 2 days before our 19th wedding anniversary. It has been a year of living close and drinking in the wonder that is all around us every day.  A vibrant green spider guarding my basil, an ancient tree standing sentinel in the field across from the high school, a knot hole in the fence that looks just like a wood sprite—these are things we walk past every day and never realize the beauty they hold. That's what this project was all about.

I've watched my world grow and change and reveal so many mysteries over the last 365 days. The project has shown me how I see my world and how I should see it.  Whether it's a soccer ball in flight or a concrete wall decked out in someone's philosophy or a single drop of water clinging to a leaf, our whole world comes together in a single image if we just look.

I hope you have enjoyed my journey as much as I have, and I thank you for taking the time to stop in and see a moment or two. If you have a favorite, please feel free to leave a comment and share how you experienced it.



Now that I have looked deeply, I've been inspired to keep hunting for the magic and maybe create a little of my own in a new venture. My next project will go beyond the magic of ordinary days as I learn more about manipulating light and shadow and texture once a week in project 52.

Day 364

Day 363

Day 362

Day 361

Even Angel Jr. is taking a little spring sunshine today. It feels good to get out of the hutch and stretch a little.

Day 360

Progress?

Day 359

Day 358

Saint Francis, revisited. Last Mother's Day, my sweet Ghost Clan planted this little guy in my garden for me.  So much has grown up around him since then. He has kept the little critters well blessed and inspired lots of green life all around.

Day 357

Day 356

(From the iPhone)

Day 355

Day 354

Finally a little rain to quench our parched patch of earth. Sadly, it was very little rain. You can see the sunny sky and puffy cloud in this meager puddle on the street. Don't be shy, Spring. We've been waiting for you...

Day 353

Ghost Daughter took a good hit to the kidneys today at practice. It caught her by surprise, so she had no time to brace for it.  OUCH! It was her first really hard wollop and she was a little ball shy at first. But before long, she was back in the game and fighting for a goal. Way to go, girl!

Day 352

We call this reseeding the bare spots on the lawn.  Peanut calls it a smorgasboard...and then comes in and pukes up her feast all over our carpet. Yay spring!

Day 351

Day 350

It's spring and the trees are dripping with wisteria, which always makes me think of my friend Joyce Moyer Hostetter whose books are amazing.  I can hear Ann Fay's lovely, lilting voice now. 

Day 349

Guess what time it is...

Day 348

Day 347

(from the iPhone) I saw these funky melons at Walmart today.  I think they are from South America, but I have no idea what they taste like or what they are called.  Perhaps I'll have to try one.  I'd like to call them Toad Melons because the rind is lumpy and green. 

Day 346

From the iPhone:  This seems a little ironic.

Day 345

I'm afraid the DST hangover and a wicked bout of insomnia have left me without a single spark of energy today, so I'm posting a moment from the Art Festival.  Somebody really needs a kiss!

Day 344

(from the iPhone)  Lonely little stink bug. At least I think this is a stink bug...a very large one. He was wandering up the sidewalk outside the café where Ghost Son and I went to do a little writing/hanging out. I'm no fan of creepy crawlies, but I can appreciate the beauty even in these little dudes.

Day 343

We finally got to have Ghost Daughter's birthday cake...only 3 weeks late. When your daughter asks you to make a cake with her favorite My Little Pony (Apple Jack) and an apple orchard on it, you do what you can.  So here it is.  Apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting.  The trees are rock candy sticks dotted with red icing for apples.  Cinnamon candies stand in for the fallen apples. And the ponies came from Blind Bags (you don't know which pony you've bought until you open it.) Can you believe the luck? I actually got Apple Jack (notice the 3 apples of her "cutie mark") and no duplicates! It was providence.  An extra bit of awesome came when the flames of the candles burned in different colors. Ghost Daughter really enjoyed that cake.

Day 342

This is another one of those lovely 365 moments.  I have walked by these little vines and plucked them out of the ground, I don't know how many times, thinking they were just weeds. As I looked for a subject today, I looked more closely at these sweet little pink/purple blossoms and discovered...peas!

Day 341

My first art show entry.  I came away with no prize, but I learned a lot and got some good feedback.   Who knows? I might try again.  Of course, I really think my friend Kellie should have won the whole deal!

Day 340

Our delicate little flower...filming a 1/4" slug as it makes its way across the patio. Gotta love the Tomboy/Girlygirl thing going on!

Day 339

My very first one ever!

Day 338

A little more Hope

Day 337

Yesterday's sky.  When Ghost Hunk started his marathon run, a tornado warning was in effect for Dougherty County and working its way towards our house. It looked like a gang of killer clouds were staking out their turf and threatening the blue skies to stay away.  Thankfully, we never got the worst of it. Our prayers go out to all those who have been hit so hard by this spring's storms.

Day 336

Run, Ghost Hunk, Run!  Never mind the torrential downpours, the tornado warnings, the lightning.  Just run!  And he did.  For his second official half marathon, Ghost Hunk slammed the Snicker's Rock the Run Marathon in Albany, GA.  He forgot to tell me what color he was wearing when he left this morning, so sadly, I missed the money shot.  My photo of him coming to the finish is a blur.  Or maybe that's just because he was so fast...

We're proud of you, babe!

Day 335

TERMITE?!

No....it's a Peanut.

Day 334

Pine Babies

Day 333

In the middle of this sleeping tree lie a host of spring flowers already popping out of their little pods, convinced that Leap day means Spring is early.  With 78º today, they might be right...

Day 332

Look what popped up over the last week!  I thought snapdragons were annuals.  These guys came up all by themselves. I guess they heard the rumor that it will be 80º this weekend.  How many weeks until spring?

Day 331

Winter in Southwest Georgia

Day 330

The amazing illustrator, Elizabeth Dulemba (Don't you LOVE her hair!), Ghost Girl (me), and JRo Brown (my #wipmadness buddy and roommate for the weekend). The #wipmadness gals are going to have a couple of kick-ass contracts by the end of the year...

Day 329

Kirby Larson & Me

One of my favorite people, author of HATTIE BIG SKY and many more wonderful books, Kirby Larson shared her experiences and techniques with us in several amazing sessions at the Spring Mingle.  My favorite moments were chatting at the bar with her and Elizabeth Dulemba about our work, our inspirations, and all the fun things that fill our lives.  Oh, I just wish I could take these wonderful ladies home with me for a while!

Day 328

SCBWI and 14 Stories

As it was inevitable in 365 days, I went without internet service for a few days because I'm too tight to spend the $12.95/day for the hotel's wifi service to my room.  So my project posts are a little off schedule. But they are appearing, nonetheless.  The SCBWI Spring Mingle was held at the Marriott Century Center in Atlanta, and I was on the 7th floor...right in the middle of 14 stories.  It was a beautiful venue, but a bit pricey. Thank goodness I got to split the room cost with my #wipmadness buddy JRo Brown.  I can't help but feel M.C. Escher is hiding somewhere in this picture...

Day 327

Look what has arrived a little early. 

Day 326

This little guy was waiting by the front door when I got home tonight.  He's ready for Spring.

Day 325

Day 324

Day 323

Day 322

Day 321

You Rock, Ghost Daughter!  Happy Birthday!

Day 320

Day 319

Connor at Veteran's park. 

Day 318

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Day 317

From the iPhone:  One advantage to our long trip was a stop at a real book store (something we don't have in Leesburg) where I found a lovely book by one of my dear writing buddies.  YAY! Jodi Moore! 

Day 316

A couple of friends from home.  While we venture 4 hours away to Birmingham to see a special doctor, it is imperative to bring along at least one or two soft buddies.  Lottie and Sparkle were chosen to share the quilt with Ghost Daughter on this trip.  Fingers crossed for some real answers tomorrow.