Reflections and gratitude
(click on images to view them full size)
Reflective Mood.
Interestingly enough I had a few posts to choose from for this week as I seem to have been in a very reflective mindset lately, but I chose to mature this one and use it for my last one of 2024.
Reflections of birds in flight caught on a very frosty morning. (EXIF data 200mm, 1/640s, f4.0, ISO1000)
It has been a long standing practice of mine to spend a bit of time at the end of every year reflecting back on everything that has come to pass and the things that haven’t been realized. I wouldn’t say that I set resolutions or goals for the upcoming year, but I do spend time thinking about what I’d like to do more or less of as well where I see myself by the end of the year. I like having ideas of where and what I want to achieve as this helps to provide a guide post for my year.
I find that by setting these intentions it is surprising how many are realized by the end of the year when I do my reflection. It is like these ideas guide my subconscious and help me stay on track.
I also spend time at this time of year thinking of those who are no longer with me and it’s not a time of sadness, but rather a time to think of the important role they played in my life - like an annual celebration of gratitude if you will.
Some key internal transitions
This is an image of me deadlifting 155lbs earlier in the summer. (iPhone)
I’ve had a lot of really positive things happen this year which have helped me to recognize areas that I need to work on and areas that I need to celebrate. Starting this blog and keeping it up for a year has been a big achievement because I’ve been able to express thoughts and feelings more cohesively and I’ve become a lot more intentional about using my photographs to augment the words. This has actually shifted some of my photography walks so that I find subjects that support a blog post, or express thoughts and ideas that I’m considering writing about. I have felt a definite shift away from documentary photography to expressing thoughts and emotions. I’m not sure how well that has been coming across, but I think it is more of an evolution than an immediate change.
I have appreciated all of the interactions with people leaving comments and sending me notes - there is something very powerful about connecting with other people on more than just a superficial level. I really do appreciate the reading suggestions as well and I’m making my way through my huge reading list - 2025 is about getting back into my daily reading routine (be prepared to hold me accountable!)
This was also a year of shifting to a more intentional healthy lifestyle with the start of strength training (which I am thoroughly addicted to - finishing up the year dead lifting 165 lbs, doing an assisted pull up (70lb assist) and being able to do 20 push ups from a plank position). I also really embraced a change in eating habits to tracking macros and increasing my protein intake.
Journaling is my way of capturing thoughts and working through challenges. (EXIF data 50mm, 1/160s, f9.0, ISO180).
As I continued down the macros journey I found that while shifting the content of my food choices was important, it was not as impactful as shifting my mindset. I have been tackling my emotional eating habits head on and learning to sit with uncomfortable feelings rather than numbing with junk food binges. I didn’t realize that the way to make this eating habit sustainable was all in my head. In 2025 I am working on embracing self compassion and really taking care of myself more. The journey continues!
I also started doing quarterly fitness assessments and I’ve realized a significant increase in muscle mass (over 3% increase) and a decrease in body fat of about the same amount. For a woman in menopause and over 60 - this is a big deal and I’m going to definitely continue my fitness habits into 2025 with a goal of doing an unassisted pull up and deadlifting 185 lbs.
Some key external transitions
As I’m sure everyone is aware by now, 2024 was the year of the big move to the “country” and associated home renovations. I’m happy to say that we’re taking a break on inside renovations in 2025 and we have one project for the roof and outside painting. Mostly we want 2025 to be about enjoying living in our new location (and Kory wants to actually make more music).
Renovation chaos. (iPhone)
Along with the challenges associated with any big move, it has also been a year of internal turmoil for me with lots of feelings of overwhelm and agitation of just wanting to be finished. I’ve had to apologize a lot and practice more graciousness towards Kory. I’ve also had to learn what I am comfortable with and equally what I’m not comfortable with - I’m not very good with setting and holding boundaries, so this is another 2025 work in progress.
I have worked hard this past year and sometimes - too hard - working to the point of exhaustion and feeling my body go into shut down/revolt mode again. Something I struggled with towards the end of my work career. I didn’t think I would do this again as it takes a long time to figure out how to reverse the body response, so maybe I will learn this for good in 2025 as I work on healing my elbow and lower back pain.
A lot of that is related to getting back into positive habits I had established and really enjoying what we’ve created in our new home.
Where is healthy eating going?
Enjoying the fruits of my healthy eating habits. (iPhone photo)
I’ve mentioned that I’ve been reading The Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé who also has a popular Instagram page (@glucosegoddess) where she discusses the health benefits of flattening your glucose curve (i.e., not having blood sugar spikes) and there is compelling evidence to show that this is beneficial for reducing a lot of menopause symptoms, type 2 diabetes and other health conditions.
It has helped me to tweak my eating habits (so no revolutionary changes, but minor shifts) which has resulted in better sleeps, less brain fog and just more energy.
I’m going to continue to implement her 10 “hacks” such as eating a savoury breakfast and having a veggie starter before lunch and diner - oh and the move more after eating is a no brainer to include as well.
This all fits in well with what I’m already doing and the habits are becoming very well established. I’m looking to continue with what I’m doing that is working well for me.
I’m really enjoying the fruits of my healthy eating habits and making sure that I have adequate downtime for relaxation and savouring the results of my hard work. I’m looking forward to where this is all heading as it does feel much more sustainable than past efforts.
Where is the photography going?
As I mentioned I feel like my photography is morphing and changing. The things that I find inspiring are shifting to less concrete or documentary subjects. I’m becoming more focused on textures and environmental scenes than wildlife portraits. I’ve been working a lot on trying to express my feelings through my images and I look forward to seeing how this evolves in the coming year.
I also put on a smartphone photography workshop for young teens to help them learn some new tools and we had a lot of fun. I’m hoping to do more of that in 2025 as I learned as much from them as they did from me.
Macro image of a frost covered plant. (EXIF data 105mm macro lens, F7.1, 1/100s, ISO250).
I’m also looking at trying to develop a mindfulness retreat in 2025 - one that is not just photography focused. It’s still in the infant stages, but it is rattling around in my brain - I will keep you all posted as this develops.
Creativity is Iterative - David DuChemin
I recently went to listen to David talk at the Calgary Library and I really liked this quote. It resonates with me and feels like my current process of being more intuitive and following the energy flow and that often means really working to define and refine what I’m trying to express. Much like the way my brain seems to work through complex thoughts - I’ll let it sit for a while and then spend more time mulling it over and discussing with others until finally something sparks a breakthrough and things start to gel as I continue to work through the thought process.
What’s in store for 2025
Right now there are no firm photography trips planned, however I do have a good friend visiting from the UK this fall and I’m sure we’ll be doing some exploring of the mountain parks with our cameras. I’m also working on a possible trip to Quebec to reconnect with some of my photography retreat friends - so I’m sure a photo or 100 will be taken. We’re also planning to get out in our camper van more this coming year as our only camping was 2 weeks in our driveway in 2024.
I feel a great anticipation for 2025 as I feel like 2024 was doing a lot of hard work (both physically and mentally), so that 2025 is the integration year. I’ve started exploring a concept of shadow work which I’ll be delving into more in future blog posts, but it is essentially about integration of all the different parts of ourselves.
What do you have to look forward to in 2025 - any big plans or goals you’re looking to work on? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or drop me a note by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
Beautiful backlit buck with frosty breath trotting across our yard in the early morning sunlight. (EXIF data 400mm, f7.1, ISO6400, 1/1250s - noise reduction in Lightroom)
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
