Merry Christmas--via my little Mama--December, 25, 2007

Without a doubt, my Mama gave it her all for me and my camera, readily stepping up whenever I asked to take her photo.

Here she is, first standing in the protection afforded by the porch at our apartment building in NW Portland, face glowing, her smile spread all the way to her eyes. Second, she's completely bundled up, posing just outside the porch, snow spitting around her. In the third photo, I've walked down to the street to get a shot of her from that persepctive. Even more snow's coming down, and she's ready to go, leg cocked to start her walk down the steps, just as soon as she hears from my sons. They were driving over to get us because our celebration was to be at a friend's home this particular Christmas. She's got her cell phone at the ready, gripped in her right hand. Seems to me that they drove up right after I took this photo.

We enjoyed our Christmas very much. I hope that you enjoy yours today. I appreciate getting to share my little Mama with you again. I miss her very much, every single day, so it means a lot to me to include her here at momentous times like this. Thank you.

January, 2008, Theme Day: Best Photo of the Year

For what seemed like an inordinately long time, these rhododendron buds stood guard at our building's front door, reminding me for all the world of a photo of those terracotta soldiers from the tomb of China's first emperor, Shi Huangdi.

I took this photo months before I became aware of the City Daily Photo Blog community. For that reason, I decided to look through the many photos I had taken prior to September 1, 2007, searching for a photo I particularly wanted to share with you. So today I begin what I plan to be my first full calendar year as a CDPBer, with this photo that I took on March 4, 2007.

I'm not sure that I can truly convey how satisfying, exciting and supportive I find the CDPB community to be for me, so I'll just say, "Thank you, from my heart."

You'll have a blast looking at all of these photos of the year, 2007:

Paris, France - London, England - Hyde, UK - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Grenoble, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Riga, Latvia - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - New Orleans (LA), USA - Wichita (KS), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Francisco (CA), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Mainz, Germany - Melbourne, Australia - Portland (OR), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Toulouse, France - Naples (FL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Brussels, Belgium - Stayton (OR), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Nashville (TN), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Prescott (AZ), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Evry, France - Trujillo, Peru - Arlington (VA), USA - Denpasar, Indonesia - American Fork (UT), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Coral Gables (FL), USA - Montpellier, France - Joplin (MO), USA - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Boston (MA), USA - Torun, Poland - New York City (NY), USA - Dunedin (FL), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Chateaubriant, France - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Budapest, Hungary - Austin (TX), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Cypress (TX), USA - Bicheno, Australia - Wrocław, Poland - Brookville (OH), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Cheltenham, UK - Wellington, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - London, UK - Haninge, Sweden - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Arradon, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Mumbai, India - Terrell (TX), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - Delta (CO), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Saigon, Vietnam - San Diego (CA), USA - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Belgrade, Serbia - Auckland, New Zealand - Seguin (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA - Oslo, Norway - Singapore, Singapore - Las Vegas (NV), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy - Susanville (CA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Memphis (Tennessee), USA