365/365 Here I am, this is me...

The final image for my 365 is a self portrait - one if the hardest images to produce as I am so much happier photographing than being photographed, even by myself!?! I have had a very interesting journey, I thank all those who have shared some or all of it with me, its been great having you along, I hope you have found it interesting too. Drop in on my new blog sometime, it isn't a 365, but you didn't think I could give up completely now, did you??

The title is inspired by a Bryan Adams song for the animated film Spirit. Read them here.

364/365 Blizzard at Curbar Edge

Doesn't it look wintry? What you can't really see is the horizontal snow, the gale blowing, the stinging eyes and the fingers with no feeling in them... Can we go when the sun's out next time please?!

363/365 Dad's little helper

Jodie likes to help us when we're painting. And we like to let her help. I always remember wanting to help my Dad with decorating when I was around Jodie's age, and he never let me. So we let Jodie help, on a bit that doesn't matter or can be easily rescued :0)

362/365 Hospital Corridor

This scene would usually conjour up nightmares for me. I don't mean my good friend Shelley in the wheelchair, I mean the hospital corridor. Since a childhood trauma in a casualty dept. (ER), I have been terrified of hospitals, (very long story, some of you know it already!) and that was the driving force behind my choice to have homebirths, which I did very successfully with my two girls, but sadly not so with my son.

Paradoxically, I have been able to visit Shelley over the last few weeks without freaking out. We think the reason for this is a combination of factors: I first arrived in the dark, and this little hospital does not look or smell like a hospital; and I was very busy in the run up to Christmas, but fitting in short visits which involved concentrating on Shelley - learning how to collapse a wheelchair, mastering the best approach to getting it in the boot (trunk) - all she had to do was chuck herself in the car! - and accomplishing the task set me for each visit. Really, I didn't have much time to think about where I was going. I am amazed at how chilled I have been when inside St Oswald's Hospital in Ashbourne. Of course, the real test will be when I next go to a particular acute hospital... but I feel encouraged, as I have set myself a personal challenge which requires me to be able to manage this irrational fear in the not too distant future.

Originally, St Oswalds was built as the Ashbourne Union Workhouse. Able bodied inmates in the workhouse performed stone-breaking - aggregate then sold for road-making, while the elderly were employed in picking oakum - rope fibres which were then mixed with tar to use as caulking on the hull of a ship.

See here and http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ for more details on Ashbourne Union Workhouse, including images.

View to St Oswald's Church from the hospital's drive.

361/365 Susie

This is my wonderful sister-in-law, Susie. She is married to my eldest brother Steve. They have 3 girls, Holly, Katie & Thea, but lost their only son Harvey, between Holly & Katie. Harvey left a footprint on her heart, as Kim left one on mine. (See 96/365) We drove down to see them today and swap Christmas gifts. A long drive for a short visit, but worth it to see them.

Here's Katie!

360/365 Christmas shadows

We had some winter sunshine today, it streamed in through the conservatory and fell upon our Christmas tree. I realise there are quite a few images on this blog featuring shadows... well, as has been said before, its all about the light, and shadows can be fascinating.

359/365 Rip, rend, tear... !

Another tradition in my family: on Christmas morning, open presents first - before anything else, before breakfast, still in PJs, that's a rule!!! (I remember so many years when I was little of waiting and being so unhappy about it!) Oliver was thrilled to get his top two hopefuls, a phone and a particular PS2 game. Result! His phone has a camera function (I use the term 'camera' loosely here!) and once he found that, he immediately shot his game! LOL! Jodie got a pony game which she has played on the laptop, Playmobil (pony/unicorn!),

lots of arts and crafts things, and they both got lots of books. We had a very relaxed Christmas Day, we all got something we really wanted.

358/365 Tradition

Since becoming a grown up and raising a family of my own, I have enjoyed establishing one or two traditions. On Christmas Eve we always leave a glass of milk, a mince pie, and a carrot on the hearth. When I was a child, we may have left sherry rather than milk, but the modern Father Christmas doesn't drink and drive ;0) The carrot is for the reindeer of course. The children delight in making these preparations. (Well, Jodie still does anyway!!)

357/365 All wrapped up

All the presents are wrapped and hidden away, ready for tomorrow. I love to use curling ribbon and make tags, but don't always have time.

We have to get some presents for the kids, just in case they haven't been quite good enough through the year for Santa to bring some ;0)

356/365 Family Hands

My brother has my father's hands. Roland came to visit us today with his four children and was telling a story - he has very expressive hands, though I don't remember if Dad used them in this way quite so much. As he ages, Roland looks more and more like our Dad.

355/365 Snowflake

This is one of a set of 6 tree ornaments hung on our tree every year. I love the fine detail in them, they are all different. Ironically, we have real snow on the ground now! The kids are so excited. Not long now...

354/365 Snow in Allestree Park

The winter sun shone brightly, the sky was an amazing blue, and a thin covering of snow from yesterday brought excitement for many. I walked down to the lake, which was mainly frozen - those trees are lakeside.

And later, a fabulous sunset...

353/365 Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It's SNOWING! We have just had new street lights installed and they look much better in photos than the old orange ones! :0) This scene has had the topaz treatment.

Jodie helped with the tree this afternoon.

352/365 Morphy Richards

Treated myself to a new kettle for my new kitchen :0)

351/365 Techno-butterfly

This tiny metal butterfly has settled on my new monitor base...

350/365 Traffic

I was stuck in traffic in the dark and rain earlier, on my way to the flu-jab clinic. It had been a grey wet day all day, no photo-opps. Oh well, some days you win, some days you lose...

349/365 A Christmas Star

I went to Jodie's school Christmas service this afternoon at St Nich's Church. They have a fabulous nativity scene by the pulpit and the star reminded me of Kim, (96/365), because we said to Oliver that Kim had gone to be a star. He was only 3 at the time. We have a votive holder with a star design on it that comes out every Christmas since we lost Kim.

348/365 Sunset & tree

Tonight's sunset was a fabulous sight. I had to pull over on the way home from school and backtrack on foot to capture the tree in silhouette, then I used a Topaz plug-in to enhance the image. (Jodie was very patient while I took some photos, as usual, what an angel.)

347/365 Two out of three

Seeing as Oliver the reluctant won't sit for a photo, it was just Jodie and her Dad this afternoon, not smartened up but looking good nonetheless, before I packed away the kit after a busy week's shooting. I've had a fab time with it, Jodie has thoroughly enjoyed playing to the camera, and I've captured some great images for some good friends - thanks all for helping with the fun! And thanks too to PM for kindly lending me his kit! Now, how long will it take to save up for some lights of my own...?

"Dear Father Christmas, Haven't written for a long time, but..."

346/365 Jurys Inn Reflected

I love crisp wintry days with endless blue skies and fabulous sunshine. I can ignore the cold if the sun shines brightly, and today I was glad to capture a few images on the way to run an errand and make a small start on the Christmas shopping. Jurys Inn was glowing and the windows of the offices opposite were distorting it's reflection. See 308/365 for the JI itself.

345/365 Mother love

There is nothing more precious in this world than a baby, and no love as strong as the love felt by a mother for her child. I was honoured to be able to shoot S & baby L today, such an emotional time, as we have both lost precious babies, and we'll never forget them. (See 96/365)