Day Two: Christmastide

This year, I finally had a chance to put up all of my Christmas decorations. For those of you who don't know, I have a minor Christmas obsession, have LOTS of decorations. As such, this is a big deal. A nativity scene is central to the whole Christmas decoration scene, and this year it came together better than I could have ever imagined. With Pete's help, Jennifer and I ended up with the gorgeous arrangement you see here. I particularly love the Willow Tree set because of it's simplicity: there are areas of the faith that are so incredibly complex and hard to understand. But underneath it all, it's about one thing: Love. Love of a Father for His children, both of this world and the world above, and the love of a Mother, who sacrificed her life, trusting and believing in something greater. I think that's why we all love Christmas...it's so easy to feel Christ's love this time of year.

Although it seems it's been light years from Christmas 2008, and even longer from Christmas 2009, it's actually still the Christmas season in the Catholic church (until January 6th!). So, I offer this picture as a reminder of the joy that Christmas brings to all of us and to live it out for the next couple days. I ended up choosing this picture over the Nativity pictures because of the angle...and angle at which you don't normally view see a nativity scene. Plus, I had to practically stand on top of my kitchen table to get the shot, so I HAD to use it.... :)

As for the other shots I took for today.... I noticed that sock on the pillow on my bedroom floor and thought it was really interesting in how it landed completely flat like you see in the picture. I did end up moving the pillow to get a little better light and angle, but I didn't touch the sock. In the end, with the way the nativity pictures turned out, I couldn't justify choosing the sock. As for the other nativity pictures... I just really like them. I think they all speak to some aspect of Christmas, but each in their individual way.


A couple of comments and answers to questions about this project:
1) I've been meaning to clarify on the "noon" deadline I've set for posting pictures. What I meant is by noon the following day. It's not practical for me to get a picture taken and posted before noon, especially on week days when I have to work.

2) I've received several inquiries about the kind of camera I received: it's a Canon EOS 20D. So far, the Canon EOS 20D = love.

3) Here is the address to my flick feed: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33864043@N03/

4) Pete has taken up Project 365, also. Check out his blog at: http://oneclickonepic.blogspot.com/

5) Thanks for tuning in thus far!

Day One: The Beginning

Here is the first picture of my 365 day adventure!  I took this picture at the Chi Omega fountain on the KU campus. During the spring, people often put food coloring or soap in the fountain, and in the summer, you can see people taking in the sun on pool floaties.   When it's possible the fountain is usually surrounded by lots of beautiful flowers, and is really a staple in the KU campus scenery.  In the four winters I have been in Lawrence, I've never seen anything done to the fountain during this quiet season, until this year.  I'm not sure who or how they accomplished it, but this year, coming out of the spouts where the water would shoot, there are metal poles with these clear plastic bottles attached to them. From far away, it appears that the water has frozen in mid-air.  While it was, for about two or three days, cold enough for it to MAYBE freeze that way, it's a balmy 36 degrees right now.  In that sense, my senses often deceive me when I see the fountain, requiring me to take a minute to process what in fact is going on. Nevertheless, it's really cool, and is (obviously) the subject of my first photo.  Check out today's "runner-up" pictures for a view of the "far-off" look.

Cheerio!

Next Year, Baby....

Okay, so I TOLD you there would be more where that was coming from, and I am (finally) following through with my promise. This is, in large part, because it involves a New Year's resolution where I "share" something with you, my small, but ever loyal blogging audience.  This year for Christmas, I received a camera from by boyfriend, Pete. And not just any camera, a digital SLR camera...something I have been wanting for AGES.  (For those of you who aren't too familiar with cameras, it's a mighty nice camera, and the beginning of a line of professional cameras.  If you want the technical difference between your everyday point and shoot and an SLR camera, click here and here.  Long story short, it get a better picture.)  After talking to Andrea about my awesome gift, she told me about one of her friends who received a camera last year and did something she called "Project365" where she took one picture everyday, posted it, and watched her year evolve. 

This idea intrigues me, and it is now one of my new year's resolutions to participate in my own "Project 365". I intend on coming up with a new name for it just to make it my own, but the concept is the same: EVERY DAY I will take (at least) one photo, and post it both on here, and on a Flickr feed (I have yet to figure out the address to share the feed...if anyone is familiar with Flickr...please help me out! When I get it, I'll post it for certain).  I'll add captions and stories, and potentially post more than one picture everyday on this blog, and post the single best picture on Flickr so as to keep the number of files small...and within my monthly "limit".  There are no parameters on the content of the picture...just something from my life that day.

This has two practical implications for you, my loyal band:
1) I need your help!  I am committed to doing this, but I am also a stereotypical American who sticks to their resolutions for about six weeks and then falls off the deep end. So, if you notice I haven't posted anything by about noon every day, I need you to post and comment and bug and harass me (but only under those circumstances) to make sure I post and remember to take the pictures. 

2) No more personal dirt...through words, anyway. Not that I've been all that great about writing about what's going on the past couple months, but I won't really be writing about my life at all beyond the scope of my pictures. But, I believe that you'll gain a lot more than what you loose.

I don't have any of my 2008 artsty-fartsy pictures, or pictures I've taken with my new camera, available to me at this point and time, so you'll have to do with one of my favorites from London in 2007, and a picture of my brother Ben and I during the annual family Christmas tree hunt.  :)  See you tomorrow!  And Happy New Year!!

Testing Testing, 1, 2, 3!

This is a test...of the e-mail posting system.  There is more...oh so much more in store for you, starting tomorrow! Yippie!

Per a request from the "Emily Friedman's Fan Club", I will try and update more frequently.  Tonight, I must go to bed.  To sustain you for now, I will share this clip with you and tell you that I get to go to his concert on Sunday with a really great boy. :)  More soon.

Two Days Drive

I caught up with one of my dear friends from undergrad tonight on my way home from, well, home. He's in a band --Two Days Drive--that is making waves in Denver, and I'm trying to help that wave reach Kansas.  Check out their MySpace page:  http://www.myspace.com/twodaysdrive

In case you're wondering which is my friend, he's the bass player, Jed.  He's the third guy back on their background picture.  Woot woot! :)

Public Service Announcement

AHHH! It's been forever since I've updated. I apologize. I just haven't had much gusto to write lately. Hopefully that desire, and your loyal readership, will return soon.  Until then, this is my public service announcement: REGISTER TO VOTE! The 30 day deadline is almost here, so hop to it.  Follow this link to "Rock the Vote".  They will help you complete the form making it simple to slip it in an envelope and put it in the mail.  I'm off to be nerdy and watch the vice-presidential debate...hopefully it will be an entertaining one. :)