Got some poinsettias for the house as I have always loved the colour of the red and green leaves. Haven’t seen them much but they’ve been popping up around shops since the Christmas shopping period started. Have it posing next to the Eiffel Tower model that Vyanne lugged back from Paris.

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Been eating lots over the last few days. Started with a colour themed Christmas eve dinner with ham, turkey and other delights, followed by drinks and socialising at Jerome’s place, Boxing day lunch at my cousin’s place and yesterday we had friends over after their trout fishing excursion and barbecued the fish they got plus some other meats. Heh, really just want to chill and have simple food for the next few days but there’s another New Year’s eve dinner to attend.

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I’m just not sure how I’d describe 2011. It’s just been a very long year. Had any of the events happened earlier in life, I’m not sure how I would have coped with it. Mom passed away from cancer, and the last 2 weeks we had left with her was emotionally and physically difficult. I’m thankful that my aunts were strong for her and these things in life remind me of how mortal we are. Maybe I’ve grown accustomed to accepting things as they are, but it sparked off in me the desire to not just leave things to fate.

Was back in Melbourne but didn’t last more than 3 months at work before I decided to give up my job. I never regretted that decision, and even today I don’t think anything would have improved had I stayed on. Vyanne noted that I seemed the happiest person for the first few months I was away from work. Heh, I got a little grumpy towards the end of the year, but I have to remind myself of patience and perseverance.

Took the time off to go travelling to Europe. Started doing websites again and setup my own for my photography business. Finally built a website that wasn’t half baked like all my designs have been for this personal space. Learned how to do some layout design and churned out 2 photo books, one of the trip to China and one to Europe. Have another one for Vyanne’s leg of the trip set out, and I just need an introduction to finalise it for printing.

Got a chance to shoot a couple for their pre wedding. It turned out alright but wasn’t great. Attended a workshop in KL with Jenny Sun (after the Europe trip and stopping by KL), met some like minded people who were avid photographers and used the knowledge I gained to grab some photos of the couple after returning to Melbourne. A vast improvement and I was actually happy with the results. Another couple of friends volunteered, and got great photos from that too. Shot my first solo wedding, which I have already noted on how I could improve things.

Had Vyanne kick my butt to do a little more promotion on the photography business, but these things are slow as it’s not a spur of the moment purchase. Heh, will need to go speak to people and get some feedback and marketing information to proceed.

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Vyanne’s cousin stayed with us for 10 months and it made the house livelier as he was into different music and films, introducing us to a different variety of stuff.

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Jobs haven’t been abundant of late, plus the fact that I haven’t been trying hard enough. Have ideas on how to tackle that as well. Failed one CPA paper, retook that plus another, after deciding in the last 3 weeks to study it, and did better than I expected. There’s one last paper to be completed in 2012 and for once in a long, long while, I’d like to finish something and actually receive certification for it (did a financial diploma for my first job but stopped after going to NYC, tried the CFA paper and failed it spectacularly, so all I have now is just one more hurdle to CPA certification).

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People have New Year’s resolutions, but commitment is the word you should focus around if you want to get things done. So I’m starting today with trying harder for 2012. I need to start forming good habits, even if they are small steps and work towards a goal. Heh, maybe I woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning.

Vyanne made some beef noodles a week or so ago because we had some at a restaurant and she was keen to make her own. While on the subject of soups, I’d really like to get a pressure cooker one day just to make soup as you need time to breakdown soup bones and while you can leave it on the stove for 5 to 6 hours, a pressure cooker will reduce that to a third of the time.

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Hay season is over, and somehow I’ve managed to keep busy over the last few weeks. Passed both my CPA papers so I’m happy about that. Had a think about the last paper and I’ll probably sign up for that in January.

Weather’s been warm and I have to be careful with the plants as I’ve had some seedlings die on me already because it was too hot and I have put the more perishable plants under shade and ensure that I water the plants daily, as one missed watering means goodbye plants.

Just waiting for Christmas and I’ll probably need to do some shopping on Boxing day. Heh, not looking forward to the crowds, but will need a few new clothing items for the new year.

Not much happening this time of the year but keeping my spirits up.

One of those hip shots I seem to be getting better at. Heh, was at Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm at Mornington Peninsula when I grabbed this shot. Lots of times it’s just a scene and instinct just makes me turn the camera on and grab the shot discreetly. The GF1 and 20mm pancake works well for this.

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I seem to be falling in and out of being sick, with the weather hot one day, and cold the next. It’s kind of annoying not being able to operate at 100% efficiency. I don’t recall a time when my body has been this crap. Heh, although usually when I do get sick, it’s a full blown infection for a few days in which I’m incapacitated for a few days before I feel good again. I’m not sure which trade off is better, being really ill for a week or having this on and off illness for a couple of months.

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Just a couple more weeks to Christmas. I seem so out of touch with the real world. Heh, been a hermit of sorts, and I seem to be spending more time with Alfie than people. Been reading lots, doing things, but then again it feels like things don’t matter much, not terribly sure what I should be concerned with. Maybe that’s just the way things are for me.