98. Take a photo of a spider

Okay, so I was squealing and sitting on the sofa behind a cushion with my 300mm lens fully extended, but it’s STILL a photo of a spider!!!

Icky spider

Yes, I know I’m mising the point, but it’s a start – i will do better (wibble)

Two of my tasks are to:

72. Identify 100 things that make me happy
73. Photograph those 100 things

When I set this, I did privately think “There’s no way I’ll ever identify 100things that make me happy!” The more I thought about it, however, the more I realised just how many small things enrich my life and all of a sudden I started thinking that 1oo might not be enough! But no, I’m not going to get greedy, so I’ll just identify 100 for now!

I’ve been a shabby at updating my blog – I’m not really sure where the time goes! I’ve decided to tidy it up a little by putting the 100 happy things together – so here they are!

#1Walking in the hills on a Sunday afternoon with my husband before going home to make dinner and iron school uniforms – bliss! (the walking, that is, not the ironing…)

Walking on a Sunday afternoon

#2 I just love listening to Barry White and Abba on the way to work – it really perks me up!

Cheesy music on my iPod

#3 It’s one of my favourite ways to chill out!

Cooking

#4 Ahh, sunsets. I can’t take enough photos of them.

Sunsets

#5 I love, love, love my family – need I say more?!

Family

#6 We don’t get to spend too much time together anymore, so I really enjoy the time we do spend together.

Spending time with my boy

#7 Much as I love my family, sometimes I want to have a little time to myself and curl up on the sofa with my laptop or a good book.

Having a little me time

# 8 Don’t you have those evenings when you want to put your feet up and just chill out with a nice glass of wine?!

Just chillin'

#9 I’m a simple soul. I love birds and could happily spend hours photographing them. I’s one of the best de-stressers I know, so I am going devote more time to it this year – my skirting boards can get dusty!

Birds do it...

#10 My husband plays the double bass and drums and has always played in bands. He doesn’t play for the glory or the money (just as well really!), but for the sheer pleasure of making music and seeing him so happy makes me happy too.

sweet music

#11 My monthly book group – I really adore the Mitchell Library, it’s such a wonderful building. This is the entrance to the Mitchell Theatre, which adjoins the Library.

Book group

#12 It’s a bit of a ritual that when I get home on a Friday night, I start cooking with a nice frosty Martini. It symbolises the start of the weekend to me and tastes jolly good too!

Friday night Martini

#13 A lovely box of chocolates for Mother’s Day!

Mmm, chocolate

#14 Another book group one, but to symbolise how much I enjoy discussing books.

Chatting about books

#15 A silly self portrait of me with a bat and a frog on my head – I love bats and frogs…and silly SPs!

Frogs, bats and silly SPs

#16 Bowling Harbour – one of my favourte places to photograph

Bowling Harbour

#17 Paitings by LS Lowry – I adore them

VE Day Celebrations by LS Lowry

Okay, I didn’t really think this one through…I live in Scotland. It rains. A lot. I think I’m going to have to accept that this will be an aspiration, rather than a task! I’ll go out more often in summer and hopefully it will even out the rotten winter days.

I’ve had long hair for the past 10 years and toyed with getting it cut, but found it too easy to stick in a ponytail. Howver, I’ve decided it’s time for a change and as it’s my 37th birthday today, I thought I’d go for the chop, so here it is!

#101 Set up a blog to record my 101 things

A very easy one to start with! The weather was dreadful, so I stayed in and started my blog. I think I’m going to enjoy this!

Last year I started a photo-a-day project as part of a very supportive group on Flickr, and a few days ago one of my internet weirdy friends posted about a project to do 101 things in 1001. It sounded really intriguing and as soon as I saw some of the lists compiled by the others, I couldn’t resist joining in. Some people are doing shorter projects to coincide with significant birthdays, others are doing the full 101 things in 1001 days. It’s been a great honour to share the photo-a-day project with them, and I’m really looking forward to sharing this one too! Here’s some information about the project…

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

Why 1001 days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Start Date: 11th January 2009
End Date: 9th October 2011

For more information about 101 things in 1001 days or to start your own list, visit the Day Zero website

My List

1. Get my hair cut
2. Visit each country in the United Kingdom
3. Take up running again and complete Race for Life
4. Visit another continent
5. Ride a horse
6. Document Helensburgh (my home town) in photos
7. Document my progress with photos
8. Have a “day out” once a month
9. Have photos taken of H and me in a photo booth
10. Build a sand castle
11. Swim three times in a Scottish loch
12. Swim in the sea off Scotland
12. Have a hot stone massage
13. Go on the London Eye
14. Put on a face mask at least once every 2 weeks
15. Have afternoon tea in a hotel with a friend
16. Have my favourite photos printed
17. Attend at least one Flickr meet
18. Save £1 every day for 1001 days
19. Give blood at least 5 times
20. Bake a cake/biscuits once a month
21. Buy some pretty, girly hair clips and wear them out once a month
22. Give at least 10 gifts for no reason other than ‘I saw this and thought of you’
23. Send at least 10 cards for no reason other than ‘I saw this and thought of you
24. Take a good photo of my nemesis (an oystercatcher)
25. Take a photo of a buzzard
26. Buy a pretty piece of underwear once a month
27. Go to a photography exhibition
28. Take a fully manual photo
29. Buy myself flowers
30. Buy myself a pice of jewellery
31. Visit Stonehenge
32. Eat 5 fruits I’ve never tasted before
33. Visit and photograph at least 4 industrial sites in Scotland and the north of England
34. Walk along Hadrian’s Wall
35. Hug a tree, and I mean really, really hug it!
36. Plant a tree
37. Help Andrew buy his first car (eek)
38. Take driving lessons (I hate driving and have never wanted to sit my test)
39. Plant a window box outside my bedroom window
40. Wear funky tights at least once a month
41. Buy a pair of heels that I can actually walk in
42. Take at least 1 SP each month. One of these each year must be a full length shot
43. Write a short story
44. Stay in a spa hotel with my husband
45. Buy a really nice handbag
46. Cook something completely new at least once a month
47. Create my own recipe book
48. Go to the races
49. Pay off my credit card
50. Sell 10 items on ebay
51. Have a dinner party
52. Try eating fish to see if I’m still allergic to it.
53. Take a really nice family portrait
54. Get it printed and hung on the wall.
55. Visit a Scottish island
56. Go to the theatre
57. Build a snowman (or woman…)
58. Visit a castle
59. Get rid of all the clothes I haven’t worn in the past year
60. Write a Wikipedia article
61. Spend an entire day in my jammies
62. Take a trip on the West Highland line (railway)
63. Walk some of the West Highland Way
64. Do a photography course
65. Learn to start a fire with two sticks
66. Buy an English wine
67. Visit places beginning with each letter of the alphabet – in order!
68. Go swimming at least once a month
69. Go to a water park
70. Take a day off work and go to the zoo
71. Mail a secret to PostSecret (http://postsecret.blogspot.com/)
72. Identify 100 things that make me happy 3/100
73. Photograph those 100 things 3/100
74. Blow bubbles in the summer
75. Read 10 biographies
76. Compliment myself once a day
77. Vist 10 museums and art galleries
78. Take a photo of the Glenfinnan Viaduct
79. Make lemon gin
80. Stand right at the edge of a pier
81. See a play in a park
82. Write a love letter
83. Paint a picture
84. Go vegetarian for a month
85. Go vegan for a week
86. Identify 5 bad habits and work on getting rid of them.
87. Identify 5 good habits and build on them.
88. Go for a walk at least 4 times a week
89. Make chutney and jam at least 4 times
90. Try olives again
91. Put 50p in a jar everytime I have a negative thought about myself for one week
92. Buy something from at least one Farmer’s Market a month
93. Take a dance class
94. Ask my husband to teach me a song on the guitar
95. Write a complimentary letter to a restaurant every time I have a good meal
96. Hula hoop at least once a week
97. Cycle to the Falkirk Wheel
98. Take a photo of a spider
99. Buy a bottle of wine that will have matured by the end of my 1001 days.
100. Drink that bottle of wine to celebrate completing my 1001 days!
101. Set up a blog to record my 101 things