The end of one year

0612 rooruu avatar and & bowl of elegant chocolates v.1
Originally uploaded by rooruu.

A year ago, I set myself the challenge of blogging one photo a day, not knowing if I'd stick it out for the week/month/year. And here, a year later, it's done.

What I most value is the catching of the ordinary stuff. However trite the sentiment, life is like a box of chocolates and you don't know what you're going to get (Thanks, Forrest Gump). But now, to be able to look back at all sorts of things, the minutiae of daily life in the early 21st century in this particular corner of the world - well, my eyes and camera have paid so much more attention. It's enriching, to be catching the moment. Even though it's undoubtedly been a busy year, I will ever after know and be able to remember so much more about 2006 than 2005. I thought of doing a humdinger post repeating all the month mosaics from the year, but this will do in expressing what I want to express.

In looking around for an avatar, I remembered the gingerbread cutter I'd found in an op shop the year before - it's used and a bit rusted here and there, but there's a jaunty tilt to the head and arms, an asymmetry that somehow humanises it. We're not symmetrical either.

The chocolates came from an expedition at the end of the year, a day out with friends during which we visited a specialist chocolate shop in Auburn - it's fun to look over the stacks of luxury and make a modest selection (only trouble is you get home and can't remember which is which - we really didn't know which one we were getting when we ate them!).

Am I going to stop here? No - not when I've developed such an excellent useful inspiring habit! So more to come in 2007.

Thank you to everyone who has read or reads this blog. I write it first for me, but looking at that map over on the right, the world blobbed with red dots where people have been who've read this - well, that's just astonishing. Thank you. The blog's had over 7,800 visitors since mid-year while the photos on Flickr now number over 1000 and have had nearly 15,000 visits. All amazing.

May the new year bring you joy and peace, discovery in the everyday and unexpected delights.

rooruu