Uplifting

I haven't taken so many photos with my camera this year.
I haven't walked on the beach as often as I would have liked recently either.
Our crazy, warm, dry Autumn turned into a crazy, warm, wet, windy unpleasant winter, and old routines and habits seem to have drifted for lots of reasons. I've taken hasty iPhone pics and uploaded them to Instagram but it's not the same.
I miss my old habit of sitting down just before tea every evening and looking through pics and writing a daily journal. I miss being creative, and I miss having a pile of recent photographic memories. I also miss the calm and forced stillness required to focus, and the way art of any kind requires a commitment that insists on your full attention and therefore helps banish any anxiety devils for a short time. Any break from my constant cortisol factory is very welcome. 
I desperately wanted to get one last entry on my blipfoto account before the end of the year so when I saw on the weather forecast last night that we were to have a break from the rain for a short time this morning I knew that I had to get out with my camera and end the year in a favourite way. It was a great way to start the day, and we managed to time it perfectly. 
This is where I'm supposed to make a New Year's resolution to get back to daily journaling and taking my camera for a walk, I guess, but I'm not going to do that. My own silly internal pressure on myself and cruel self-punishing side is too unforgiving so, instead, I'm going to carry on with my New Day's resolutions every morning and perhaps make some resolutions that are not about me like remembering to renew membership Friend's of the Earth and the Green Party for instance. 

I took 42 photos in total today most of which I've deleted but I'll put the survivors in my extra folder on here because I haven't been using it and there's a lot of space left for the year. 

I feel somehow that ending the year well will help me to begin the year well. (Let's hope that's a thing. ). There have been some upsetting events and wranglings we'd rather not have gone through this year, and we have to start the year with Richard going into hospital for a minor operation next week but we're currently calm and positive. 

Best wishes for 2016 to anyone reading this. If 2015's been a bugger, I hope 2016 is kinder.