222/365 Reverb10

Mama Syder put me on to Reverb10, which runs from 1st to 31st December. Having only just found it I've got a bit of catching up to do, so here are days 1-5, I'll do days 6-10 tomorrow and then on sunday I'll do 11 and 12, then I'll have caught up.

So,
December 1 – One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Author: Gwen Bell)
My word for 2010 is photography. Last year, 2009, I did a short 5 week course on "knowing your digital camera" at the Wiltshire college in Trowbridge. The guy who ran it was a brilliant photographer, and as he may be well known in photography circles I wont actually mention his name, because he was an absolute CR*P teacher, he knew his stuff, but was completely unable to understand that some of us needed to go right back to bare essentials - which I did. So with my appetite whetted, and being cross at not having gained much from that course, I signed up for a 10 week Open University course on digital photography which ran from 1st May to mid July 2010. It was only supposed to be 10 hours per week of study, but I was so immersed in it, it became almost full time, and took over a large part of my life for those 10 weeks. I got my results in September, I had passed the course with a mark of 66%, and whilst pleased that I had passed, was disappointed to have not achieved a higher mark. Since then, to cut a long story short, photography has become a passion which I indulge myself in almost every day, and which I love.
My word for 2011 would be Wonder. I would love for 2011 to be a wonder-full year.

December 2 – Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)
I'm not quite sure about this one, I do lots of writing each day, and spend more time writing than I probably should, so perhaps I ought to think about doing less writing instead, and more photography.

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)
Gosh, this is a hard one. Rog and I spent a couple of days in Devon back in October, and on the return journey we re-visited Dartmeet, a spot we often went to when our boys were younger. It was quite early in the morning, the sun was low and the shadows were long, there was a touch of frost on the ground, the sound of the rushing water over the huge stones was the only sound we could hear, it was a magical moment.

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)
I dont think I did cultivate a sense of wonder in my life this year, which is why I have put it as my word for next year.

December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (Author: Alice Bradley)
Not a complete letting go, just a postponement really. My Mum has spent Christmas with us every year for the last I cant remember how long, but this year, at age 86, she has decided that she doesn't want to do the journey or risk the possibility of becoming stranded away from home if the weather were to turn bad, so she will not be spending Christmas with us. I have had to accept that that is her decision, and instead make plans for a family "Christmas" get together in the spring when the weather improves.