How lucky for Kevin and his family to be jetting off to Japan and how lucky for me to host this week’s DayinS and Anne is rising to the challenge next week.(More details to come)

This week, maybe selfishly, I’m going to suggest that you send me a photo to upload along with your distilled text for the week.

It was about a year ago that D’Arcy Norman suggested that, we might challenge ourselves to shoot a photo a day for the year 2008 and share as many of them as possible.

“What’s today’s picture?”

He calls it “mindful seeing,” and explains in a post he wrote last January:

Mindful seeing is the process of turning off the filters, of seeing your surroundings unfettered and unobstructed.

When viewing the world without filtering, even the most boring and banal subjects can become wondrous and interesting. We are constantly surrounded by interesting things that we normally don’t see – textures, lighting, patterns, shapes, objects, groupings, even messages.

Photographers are often described as distancing themselves from their surroundings by “hiding behind a camera” or “viewing the world only through a viewfinder.” I see photography from the exact opposite side of the coin. By mindfully seeing the world around me, I feel as though I am seeing much more than I would otherwise. I see patterns, convergence, divergence, shadows, lighting, juxtaposition, and composition that are likely missed by others. That’s not to say that I am “better” than any other – just that by being mindful of what I am seeing, I am aware of what is around me. And when I am aware, I am better able to take an interesting photograph.

If you’re interested, the group’s still there, and  now there’s  the 2009 challenge.

Of course there’s Photo Fridays at Flickr where we’ve been sharing together since June and going strong.

I joined this challenge as of January 1, 2009 on my  photo blog, every day and  so far so good. What will I discover about myself?

I want to keep returning to D’racy’s quote to rethink my passion for capturing images.

So if this challenge whets your appetite,  get out our camera and capture something in your world with some of your wondrous words along side or just words is always welcome of course.

Cant’ wait to see what Kevin has to share with us, You can send me your photo in an email:

blkdrama@me.com and leave your sentence as a comment below.

Bonnie

Hi everyone,

Sorry I’m late, but I stalled today giving our DinS community extra time to share a bit of life and now, without further ado, here we go…

I was at a loss until yesterday morning myself, and I’m glad I was patient:

I wonder, if this guy will be extra busy on December 25th?  As I walked outside,early  yesterday morning, I was running late but  he and three relatives greeted me and challenged me to take the time to grab my camera from its warm space and here’s my reward!

It was great to see Gail in San Antonio for the NWP conference and then to vist her blog today and remember to listen to a great TTT podcast on digital media. It’s always a pleasure to visit her blog.

Despite all the gloom and doom around the economy, it truly is the non-material things that make the holidays a magical season.

Congrats to  host Kevin, for his Edublogs 2008 nomination for a blog we have come to love! Right?

Stuck in a time warp between one holiday and another, I have suddenly realized that there is just not enough time to get a major project (puppet theater) up and running and completed — 2009, here we come.

It was great seeing Cynthia In SA.  We got to write and photograph together!

Because Adair and Tommy LaRue are coming home for Christmas on Tuesday–yes, this Tuesday–Larry and I have spent the entire day cleaning and baby proofing the house–again.

Lisa is right to the point- a place we would all like to be now!

All right…Done!

Ken our resident poet, never lets us down and here’s the proof:

modest thought bringing
humble faith to those singing
of Christmas giving

Paul is sharing a Christmas memory as we get closer to the big day:

I was nine when I thought to myself, “Why does Santa’s handwriting look just like my mom’s?”

Matthew, (a double nominee for a ’08 Edublog Award)  given all he is dealing with still makes time to share his bit  of fun and giving.

I’m in the process of moving, I may be changing jobs, but the most stressful of all is having to purchase a Secret Santa gift.

And last but never, least, Lynne who we  missed this year at the NWP in San Antonio.  I kept looking over my shoulder, hoping to see your smile. Next year? In Philly? My fingers are crossed.

Selecting poetry for an annual exchange with WP friends of over 25 years reminds me how important the Writing Project is not only in my professional but also in my personal life (and growth). Missed seeing NWP techies this year, but you are still a big part of my holiday fun.

So here you have it.  Thanks for joining me here with your memory gems. Next week we are off to share at Nancy C’s blog More details to follow….

Wait….Here’s Nancy for herself:

My blog’s identity crisis has been resolved, I think and I’m feeling good about being back in regular blogging mode!

Happy Holiday preparations,

Bonnie

Slice of Life Tuesday

The election is over and I am even more focused, like many other Americans on the news, anywhere I can get some.  I spend more time now listening to NPR instead of my Ipod or WFUV offerings of new music I love in my car.

It isn’t just because I am enjoying the coming of a fresh democratic President.   It’s also because I wonder, with horror, what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month to our economic health.  I wonder just how bad it will get before I have to really change my life style.  I keep watching TV commercials for the coming holiday season.   Seems like life as usual.  Is it?

I am wondering about how this will impact on our writing project work in professional development inservice projects.  I am sure I’m not the only one wondering and asking these same questions.

I wasn’t going to write about this.  I have a movie review I’m working on, a reflection on my experience at the National Writing Project annual meeting last week, but I can’t.  I am here, wondering as  CNN runs in the background.

I am not shopping much this season, but that’s nothing new.  As a Jew who celebrates Chanukah with just my small, immediate family, we have moved away from gifts in favor of donations  for everyone now that the “kids” are all in college and beyond.  My visits to the mall are only for eating out and my one-on-one Apple lessons.  So life continues for me as usual.  I have my candles for the Menorah and I’m hosting this year’s family holiday latke party.

But I keep focused on our future.  I hope that Barack will make a difference but there’s so much to deal with.  It was good to see him out visting the governors’ meeting with a bipartisan message of concern and support.

I am looking to 2009 with concern and hope, still.

How about you?

Bonnie

I was psyched for this new November challenge and I began at midnight on November 1, 2008. I had an old story that I wanted to delve into and I loved the first week, wondering what all the worry was about. I was clicking out 1600 words most days and I loved the motivation of word count and I stayed anchored in a moment and dug deeper than I might have under other circumstances.

I had two characters: Jessie Rosen a teacher, modeled on my life and her first manicurist, Molly Evans a senior in high school and a lover of tattoos. I alternated between chapters for each character and I was having fun. But at some point in the second week, I started slowing down. My ideas weren’t drying up but my energy needed to be channeled into other, more timely projects. The National Writing Project Conference in San Antonio was coming (I leave tomorrow) and I had presentations to work on. Life got in the way.

I tried to stay with it. I felt guilty about letting it go. But finally, I had to leave it. But just think, I have 20,000 words I didn’t have before. I could pick it up still and truck to the second half but it’s okay now, either way. I don’t feel the guilts anymore.

So off I go to San Antonio and I’m looking forward to exploring a new city, reconnecting with NWP buddies and presenting.  In fact, I will be watching the TWO WRITING TEACHERS, Stacey and Ruth present on Saturday morning at the NCTE!

Sometimes the challenges are just too challenging, don’t you think?

Bonnie

Check out Clint Eastwood’s new trailer and watch for Chris Carley as his young priest!

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/grantorino/

Update;

Yesterday I watched this trailer here, in the privacy of my home, on this small computer screen, but tonight as we waited patiently for the start of our movie in a theater with 300 other watchers, this trailer began and I sat up in my seat and puffed up like a proud hen.  Imagine, my drama boy on a movie screen rubbing elbows as Clint’s priest.

I was breathless and I can’t wait to see it again and again and again…

Bonnie