December Reflections :: Fave Photo of 2015

Something that I love to do, whenever there's a lightning storm, is play around with long exposure on my DSLR camera. Which usually entails me keeping my fingers crossed the entire time that I actually catch something good.

One August evening, I was driving across town in the middle of the most amazing lightning storm. While waiting at a train crossing, I pointed my camera through the windshield, crossed my fingers and waited. This is the photo that I got. It's totally my favorite photo for the year.

Here is the original uncropped version of the above photo. Click on the photo if you would like to view a larger version.

December Reflections :: Branches

I have never met a tree branch that I didn't like. Well, except for maybe that one that hit me in the face when I was two years old.

I took this photo during this year's August Break. It is my favorite photo of branches that I have taken so far this year.

December Reflections :: Red

Today my Reflection is about the color Red. 

Being that I still have not put out any Christmas decorations, this is pretty much the only Red thing that I currently have in my house. Well, except for my laptop and a super old flip phone. But those don't really count. 

I think this star was meant to be used as a Christmas decoration. I bought it one year around Christmas time and it has stayed out ever since.

December Reflections :: Best Day of 2015

Back in February, my brother invited us to go quading. It was the perfect day for it too.

The air was crisp and the sky was full of clouds. It was cool enough for long sleeves but yet not cold enough for a jacket.

The place we went to was a bit of a drive outside of town. I drove my car, but once we got off the freeway I ended up having to park and leave it there in the middle of nowhere since it doesn't have 4-wheel drive. We then all squeezed into my brother's truck to drive off-road to where we needed to be. But the time spent driving was worth it. The area was so pretty. So wide and so open. I loved just looking around and what made it even better was that we were the only people out there.

We were there for hours. The husband took his turn riding, but I mainly tagged along just to watch. I enjoyed my time sitting with the kids while they waited to ride and then watching them once they got their turn.

I would love to go back. I hope I get the chance to some day.

December Reflections :: Hot Drink

When it comes to Hot Drinks, I am more of a make it at home kind of person than a buy it at the store kind of person. Because of this the Hot Drinks that I do love are quite simple. Plain hot tea, Vanilla Rooibos is a favorite, simple hot cocoa with whipped cream is another. I don't have a coffee maker at home so any Hot Drink that I do make is usually of the tea or cocoa persuasion.

I will buy plain coffee from the hospital cafe when I am at work and I have recently started to try some of the fancy Hot Drinks that are available out there in the real world. Now, it's not like I haven't had fancy coffee drinks before. I just don't like having to pay for them, so I have never really bought them. At least not regularly.

Living in the desert it is not always favorable when it comes to having a Hot Drink, but that doesn't stop me from keeping my fingers crossed that Santa will bring me a coffee maker for Christmas. 

December Reflections :: Sparkle

Here it is December, the last month of the year. The month where we think of what is to come in the New Year and also where we remember and reflect back over all that has happened during the past year.

It is also the month of Sparkle.

But since it is only the 1st day of December, my home has no Sparkle. The Christmas decorations usually don't go up until after the 1st weekend of the month. That is if they go up at all. Last year, I was dealing with a sick cat and also a bathroom remodel where a lot of the items were taking up space in the living room, so I didn't put up a tree. This year, I am wondering if I should do the same.

But I have a feeling that if I don't decorate this year, that I will really miss the Sparkle.

And besides, I really don't want the only Sparkle to happen in my life during this past year, to be the silver tinsel that is quickly spreading throughout my hair.