Here or There

crowded, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

well, this is the last day of november, so i may not be posting something every single day after this. i did manage to post something every day this month, so i'm happy about that. i really can't believe that it's already december though. november felt like a long and yet very short month. quite a few things have happened and i have seen many people, which makes me happy. hopefully december will be a month in which i find a job, see many people i love, and try not to spend beyond my limits while i shop for family and friends. and of course, take a few pictures along the way. :)

# posted by cathurynn @ 4:37 PM 0 comments

317/365 - Nov 25, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Some things have been changing around the house recently, but the kitchen has not changed much. I'm sure my mom is ready to gut and redo the kitchen, but that's nothing new. Our kitchen may not be new and fancy, but it's functional and it's very familiar. And sometimes that's what's most important.

# posted by cathurynn @ 9:57 AM 0 comments

autumn and light, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

My mom decorated very nicely for Fall and Thanksgiving a while ago. I think this particular piece of fake berries and leaves looks nice in the lamplight at night. You can't get the same sense from the photo as you can in person, but you get the idea.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

# posted by cathurynn @ 8:23 AM 0 comments

315/365 - Nov 23, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

This photo has nothing to do with thanksgiving, but Happy Thanksgiving anyway!

# posted by cathurynn @ 10:46 AM 0 comments

313/365 - Nov 21, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I think I'm in something of a photographic rut. I need to go places, see people, and do some interesting things, and I think that will be the cure.

# posted by cathurynn @ 9:40 AM 0 comments

312/365 - Nov 20, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I used to doodle all the time, mostly during class. Once I was the one teaching the classes, my only time for doodling was during some meetings where I wasn't contributing much. Consequently I haven't doodled much in the last few years. I used to like doodling on my computer sometimes with my old tablet laptop, but that's no longer an option.

I doodled this when I was on the phone last week. Usually my doodles are abstract, but this one was supposed to be a telescope on a hill, with a fence nearby. That's what we were talking about on the phone. The stars, dreams about stars, dreams about telescopes...

# posted by cathurynn @ 11:34 AM 0 comments

311/365 - Nov 19, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I'm too lazy to write a real entry, so I've copied and pasted the description I wrote for the photo on Flickr.

I was bored and needed something to photograph, so I folded this crane. I hadn't made one of these in a loooong time, so I had to look up the instructions again. In case you're wondering, I stuck a paperclip in the bottom of the bird for this one, and then cloned it out later.

# posted by cathurynn @ 9:06 AM 0 comments

in circles, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

i've been trying to purge and clean my piles of belongings. so far i've cleaned out two boxes of paper and a trashbag full of clothing and other related items. the clothes went to a charity (smart smart for those groups to call and volunteer to pick up your items) and the paper will be headed to the recycling center later today. it feels good to clear things out a little, but sometimes it just reminds me how much more there is to do.

# posted by cathurynn @ 9:55 AM 0 comments

parts, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I don't like how in low light, things that might otherwise be cream end up with that funky yellow spotting. Grrr. Anyway, these are safety pins, in case you didn't know.

# posted by cathurynn @ 11:00 AM 0 comments

307/365 - Nov 15, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

My spider plants were outside for the summer. They were pretty happy out there (except for the one that got totally chewed up by some creature, probably of the cute and furry variety) while the weather was warm, but I was lax about bringing them inside when it got colder. My largest happiest plant died an ugly black death after the first frost. I brought them in, repotted one, and used some of my empty pots to plant some of the baby plants they'd produced in warmer weather. So far it looks like the baby plants are surviving, but I might have lost all of my mature plants to cold-related problems. I've never had plants outside before, but that's really no excuse. I'll be better next time, I promise!

Anyway, today's "to do" list includes plant watering and care, laundry, miscellaneous cleaning, computer maintenance, grocery shopping for the grandparents, and getting out of my house! Wish me luck. :)

# posted by cathurynn @ 11:06 AM 0 comments

fire in the sky, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Sometimes just looking out the window at the back yard and the sky in the evening is inspiration enough. My sister spotted this sunset and yelled for me. Pretty awesome, eh?

In other news, I've been cleaning, and more than one day! Usually my attention span doesn't last longer than part of a day, even when I really need to get something done. It's just how it works. Although I didn't really do any cleaning yesterday, I did Monday and Tuesday, and I think I will again today. And really, it's not cleaning as much as sorting through the boxes of crap I've kept and getting rid of most of it. Seriously, when do I think I'm going to use all of that stuff? Oh well!

# posted by cathurynn @ 10:17 AM 0 comments

ink, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I was writing in my journal one evening when I remembered I hadn't taken any photos that day. So I thought I'd take some photos of words written in my favorite green ink. The only problems were that I couldn't think of much to write and my favorite pen wasn't working quite right. I bought a new pen a few days later, which made me happy.

Lately I've been pretty lazy in my non-working life. But I'm starting to get it together. Yesterday I started a task that I've been putting off for years. Today I plan to make more headway. That's a good thing.

# posted by cathurynn @ 10:22 AM 0 comments

299/365 - Nov 7, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Jeans! I was not wearing these particular pants when I took this photo, although I was wearing other pants. When I need a photo around the house late at night, usually I end up taking small macro shots. I don't know why.

# posted by cathurynn @ 9:11 AM 0 comments

half of the double arch, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I went hiking a while ago at a place with very interesting rock formations, and large rocks. You're not supposed to climb on them, I'm sure, but large rocks just beg for that sort of thing. It was so peaceful to lay on top of a huge boulder in the tops of the trees while the wind blew.

That day was nothing like today. Today it is cold and grey. It's cleaning day here at the house, so at least I don't have to go outside for that.

# posted by cathurynn @ 3:50 PM 0 comments

296/365 - Nov 4, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Seriously, this photo is a perfect example of being at the right place at the right time. The angle of the sun, the smooth waters, the color of the cypress tree, and the turtle on the knee! I love it. I do wish I'd put a little less of the tree trunk in the photo, but if I ever print this as a 4x6, I'll just do the cropping only on that side. The tree trunk did serve the purpose of blocking the sun, so I can't be too grumpy about it.

# posted by cathurynn @ 12:59 PM 0 comments

i took this photo for the grasses, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Today it's back to being a little warm, but it's not going to stick around for too long. I think winter is beautiful frequently, but cold weather? It's not my thing. My favorite weather is those middle temperatures, 70s-80s. It's still unlikely, however, that I'd move to a climate like that all year round just for the weather. I like change, especially seasonal change. The world is made new all around me throughout the year. And I love it.

# posted by cathurynn @ 12:52 PM 0 comments

floating reflection, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I really like reflections. They dont' always turn out like I want when I photograph them, but this one came out pretty well.

# posted by cathurynn @ 10:50 AM 0 comments

boardwalk, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Busy busy today! I don't have much time right now, but I thought I'd better get this finished so I don't forget later. Isn't this gorgeous? I was here (Shaw Nature Reserve) right after the colors had started to fade and the leaves had partly or mostly fallen. Still gorgeous though.

# posted by cathurynn @ 9:39 AM 0 comments

295/365 - Nov 3, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Sometimes I end up photographing random objects around my house because it's late and I haven't taken any photos yet. I don't always like the results, but occassionally it causes me to view objects or corners of the house differently. Anyway, this is a bit of the family room.

# posted by cathurynn @ 9:48 AM 0 comments

finished!, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

When my older cousins started having babies, I started a tradition. I would crochet a baby blanket for each of their kids. I hadn't really counted on the two of them having seven total, one every year! I got a little behind. Last winter I bought this varriegated yarn and made it into a blanket that I disliked. The good thing about crochet is that you can rip it out and start over! The yarn sat, unused, in my crocheting bag for basically a whole year (maybe two, now that I think about it). A few weeks ago, I saw a blanket shaped like a star and decided that a pink star would be a good gift for an 18 month old girl. It's finished at any rate. I still need to wash it and make sure my ends haven't escaped and then take it over to their house. I hope she likes it! Now I need to buy more yarn to make what might be my last baby blanket for a while...

# posted by cathurynn @ 10:23 AM 0 comments

chain, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

A couple of weeks ago I went to the sculpture park. I've been there before, but this was the first time I've wandered around with a map and a plenty of time. Consequently, I discovered that there are trails! And all sorts of sculptures hidden in the woods. I definitely did not know. I'd never seen this piece before, for example. Sometimes it pays to get some information about the place you are visiting!

# posted by cathurynn @ 9:01 AM 2 comments

289/365 - Oct 28, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I was bored one night and hadn't taken my photo-of-the-day yet, so I decided to try something I'd wanted to try for a while: light painting! There are many different styles and methods, but the basic idea is that you use a flashlight or other small light to draw or paint. In order to get that to show up, you need a long exposure in low light conditions. So I shut myself in my bedroom at night, set my camera up on a tripod, and turned out the lights. I have a small flashlight and to get this color, I covered the light with a piece of orange tissue paper! The longest exposure my camera will do is 15 seconds, so that's mostly what I used, once I got the hang of it. I had to also set the camera on timer, since I was by myself, but it worked pretty well. Next time, I'll probably play with a little more light so that maybe you can see me and the designs. :)

# posted by cathurynn @ 3:46 PM 0 comments

coolness, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I'm not too coherent this morning, due to waking up in the wrong point in my sleep cycle I think. All you're getting is this photo.

Oh, and one of my new favorite places is Shaw Nature Reserve. Yesterday's photo and today's were both taken there.

# posted by cathurynn @ 11:50 AM 0 comments

grain?, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I think I found one of my new favorite places in the Fall. They have tall grasses, trees, glades, a river, and trails that you can walk through it all. Expect nature photos for a while. Okay, that's really safe to say all year round with me, but especially lately. This is a good time of year to not have a job. :)

In election news, does anyone else think it's at least a little funny that my lovely state is still grey and officially undecided this morning on the major news networks/websites? I did the simple math and the difference between the candidates is about 6,000 votes out of almost 3 million cast here. Narrow! Anyway, thank you to everyone who participated and voted!

# posted by cathurynn @ 10:14 AM 1 comments

star!, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

It's election day! GO VOTE!

Voting really has nothing to do with this star, but whatever. I finished a star blanket for one of my cousin's kids, but I took this photo when the blanket was maybe only half finished. I'll have a finished photo later. It turned out pretty cute!

# posted by cathurynn @ 8:53 AM 0 comments

colors in the woods, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Isn't autumn fabulous? By the way, if you're in town (or planning to come in town) and want to do any walking in the woods, I'm your girl! It's the perfect time of year for such activities. :)

# posted by cathurynn @ 12:08 PM 1 comments

, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

I'm going to unofficially attempt NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). In case you are unfamiliar, this typically involves writing and posting something everyday for the month of November. I say unofficial because I'm not going to join the official NaBloPoMo site. I'm just going to post things everyday.

If you haven't herad of NaBloPoMo (which is a pain to type), then you might not have heard of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which came first. I'm guessing you can figure out that it involves trying to write a 50,000-word novel in November. The NaNoWriMo people are celebrating 10 years of promoting novel writing, which is pretty cool. I'm definitely not interested in writing a novel. I prefer to let other people write them so that I can be busy reading them.

NaBloPoMo is a much much smaller deal than NaNoWriMo (and in my opinion, not nearly as cool as NaNo). It only started in 2006 (because the founder didn't/couldn't write the novel) and has 9,000-ish registered members. NaNoWriMo is really a big thing, with people all over the world participating, including well-known published authors like Neil Gaiman. According to Wikipedia, over 100,000 people officially participated last year. All you have to do to win NaNo is finish writing 50,000 words for your novel! If you want some more general information on NaNo, go here. NaNo's website will also be slow for the first couple days of the month because of the demand, so if it's not working for you now, it will later, I promised. (And the Wiki page is working just fine.)

Since I'm going to be making some extra blogging efforts this month, I should probably get around to letting more people know that I'm writing this. Hehehe. I know I have one reader (hi Maggie!). It certainly doesn't matter who reads it, but I confess that the point was to try to get my family and friends to follow along with my photograph efforts a little more closely. Or at least let them/you know that they have an option that doesn't involve looking at everything I put on Flickr.

So, happy second post of NaBloPoMo and I'll be back tomorrow!

# posted by cathurynn @ 10:57 AM 0 comments

283/365 - Oct 22, originally uploaded by cathurynn.

Frequently all it takes for me to find something interesting to photograph is a walk in the yard around my house. Usually perusing the yard for photo opportunity means pictures of flowers and plants in my mom's gardens. It's getting a little later in the year for the gardens, so there aren't too many blooms anymore. I still found some plants to photograph, but this one was my favorite. I can't remember why I took the photo like this, with only part of the leaf showing, but I like it quite a bit.

# posted by cathurynn @ 10:53 AM 1 comments