I get very fired up about New Year’s, and January, and my birthday (January 15th). For me, this time of year is all about new beginnings, clean slates, starting over, resolutions, mantras, you name it. I have always loved the chance to do it again and do it better, and the first month of year is all about that.

I had high hopes of a perfect start. For my blog, that meant rejuvenating the Image Journals. Last year, every Sunday evening, I would post a brief photo essay of my week. I enjoyed the practice. It felt like a hybrid essay–short prose plus photos equals image journal.

Some weeks, it was a challenge to think of something interesting to say. Some weeks, it was ridiculously hard to find the time. And some weeks, it didn’t happen. I managed to write 32 Image Journals before the concept fell into the abyss that is full of what I want to do with my life.

I’m not going to let my slow start stop me from my 2015 good intentions. Without further ado, I’d like to Begin Again.

Image Journal #1

This winter has been incredibly mild. In fact, for the first time in recorded history, temperatures in Anchorage did not drop below zero once in an entire calendar year. That’s crazy, but true.  The balmy weather has made for great evening walks in the dark.

It’s easy to find time to walk in dark this time of the year ‘cause it’s always dark.

Here’s high noon right around Winter Solstice.

I had plans for a Solstice blog that did not happen. It’s such a deep, dark, special time up here. If you’d like to know more about Winter Solstice in Alaska, you can read my Solstice post from 2013. It is a favorite of mine.

Alas, temperatures have changed with the New Year.

When the digits dropped, I decided the treadmill plus my iPad was a much warmer combination, but Walt and Tok are still walking in the cold dark night.

Right before Christmas, Grandma Patt and I want to visit Inger Jensen Ricci at the Anchorage Pioneer Home.

Inger is one of the Kennecott Kids. Her childhood story of living in the remote Alaska mining town of Kennecott has been documented in a book called Kennecott kids.

Patt was glad to have several of her historical theories validated by Inger’s stories. We are so glad we had the chance to chat.

My studio has been moving from chaos to order and back again. Here’s the chaos.

Here’s the order.

Here is the chaos.

Here is the order.

Winter Break ended on Sunday which means one form of chaos has gone back school. I am no longer refereeing yoga ball kick boxing–WATCH OUT FOR THE IRON!

This is my current back burner project. Giant felted wool log cabin blocks. I think four of them will make a mighty warm blanket.

Of course, I have got to finish the Great Alaskan Quilt Out first.

One more binding to go.

Happy New Year dear readers.

06 Jan This entry was published on January 6, 2015 at 5:42 PM. It’s filed under Image Journals and tagged week in photos. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.