WordPress photo challenge this week is My 2012 in pictures.
2012 was an exciting, eventful, wonderful year for me. I fulfilled a long-time personal challenge to walk along the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, my beautiful daughter got married in Canada, my night blooming Cereus gave me two gifts, and we hiked: along the Backbone Trail in Los Angeles county,
around Big Bear Lake and up to Mount Baldy (the latter two are both above 8,000 feet).
At this year-end I’d like to extend a personal thank you to all of you who read my posts – the many silent but loyal friends and family members – and my blogging buddies who always leave me such thoughtful kind comments. Each and every one of you have encouraged me to keep writing, so even on those days when I come home from work feeling so exhausted I just want to crawl into bed, I remember you’re out there waiting and I don’t want to disappoint you.
Muchas gracias, merci boucoup, baie dankie, todah rabah… 
In the collage below if you hover your mouse over the photo you’ll see the description and date, and don’t forget if you want to see any photo in full-screen just click on it.
I’m looking forward to hearing your comments. Did it bother you that I didn’t choose a photo for each month, or put them in date order? Did I leave out your favorite photo from my year?
To see some of the other bloggers entries here again is the link
A beautiful collection! It didn’t bother me that you didn’t put them in some specific order…it was nice to simply enjoy all of the photos together – they are so different after all. And each one telling its own story.
Thank you for taking the time to comment and give me your feedback Ese. Oh yes each photo is different and each one tells its own story…
Hi Rosie,
Glad to see you participating in this challenge… love your photos.
¸.•*¨*•.♪♫♫♪Happy New Year to You & Yours!.♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ♥
˜”*°•.˜”*°•.˜”*°•.★★.•°*”˜.•°*”˜.•°*”˜” Have a restful weekend!
Eliz
I think it was after I saw your 2012 pictures that I was challenged to participate. Thank you Eliz.
Fabulous photos! What a year eh…
, I can’t believe that tattoo!, and the traffic…I have trouble getting in the correct lane when we have three lanes !
Your daughter looks so like you
Thank you for your lovely comment bodhisattvaintraining… your name’s too long. Is it OK with you if I call you “B” in future?
I’m delighted and honored that you think my daughter looks like me.
I don’t know why I get so backlogged – I’ve got to do a post of the tattoes I see.
I’m sure every city has bad traffic but my morning commute seems to be getting worse and worse.. .!
you can call me b or bodhi – or you can call me annie
How nice to have a choice of names.
Gorgeous collage!
We only met late in the year, but what I’ve learned through you and about you encompasses so much more than that short period. I look forward to learning even more in the upcoming year
Your beautiful comment left me in tears. Thank you Tara.
Although we met late in the year I have learned so much through your fascinating posts about China that I often read them aloud to Mr F.
How is your ankle? Were you able to get out for Christmas?
Glasses raised (mine sadly has instant coffee in it…) to another fabulous year of blogging ahead of us! I come to the end of the year feeling really glad that I began participating in the photo challenges (and I did this after WP closed down all the off-topic community forums that allowed me to talk with other bloggers). I have met some really interesting people, yourself most definitely included, with a lot of talent and insight and the ability to provoke thought.
On a less interesting note, the ankle is getting better slowly. I took the brace off a week ago and am in the stumping around phase, as I’ve taken to calling it. It hurts and is stiff, but I’m feeling that in a month’s time, I’ll be walking normally again.
I haven’t been getting out much, but people have been coming to me – well, okay, they come to my apartment to endure their oral examinations, and interestingly, it has felt kind of like an old-fashioned Xmas open house – except that the visitors get graded after their visit
One of the highlights was being sung to by a group of young ladies who had just finished their exams with me. It was a Michael Jackson song. Definitely not something that would happen in North America, unless you were ‘in’ with an a cappella group 
Were you satisfied with your holiday period?
I’m also glad I took part in some of the photo challenges because it gave me an opportunity to meet another talented community – people like yourself.
Happy to hear your ankle’s better and you’re able to stump about. Are there any exercises one can do to strengthen an ankle?
I laughed to read your description of your students coming to your house to do their oral exams
“like an old-fashioned Xmas open house”
I can’t imagine a group of American students singing a Michael Jackson song to their teacher!
What a year! WOW! or would that be WAY!??
I learned so much here: about Carmageddon, the backbone trail, your night blooming Cereus, collaging photos on wp…lol…although you are much more successful than I. And, today you have added captions…oh my. I was lifted by your husband’s love for his daughter in making that gorgeous canopy, your indefatigable spirit to take on the Camino, not to mention all your reading and commenting. My favorite picture? Perhaps you already know…the doña Quijote shadow picture is my favorite. I always look forward to your posts. What a year it has been and thank you for sharing so much of it.
I’m amazed that you remember so much about my year… Thank you for always giving me such heartfelt comments Georgette. Your friendship is one I treasure. I look forward to meeting you next time you visit your daughter.
You know I always think of you whenever I walk past that huge Nativity scene that I photographed for you at Bob Hope’s house – gosh I think it must have been a year ago!
Stunning images my friend
Thank you so much Jake.
Lovely way to wrap up the year.
Thank you Nancy. It is interesting to see my year spread out in a photo collage like this…
Merry Christmas and Happy new year…loved your wrap up photo’s
Thank you Jackie. I reciprocate with Christmas and New Year greetings back to you.
Hi,
A great collection of photos, and fantastic memories for 2012, it does not matter to me about what order the photos are put in, I think you have arranged these nicely, right down to the large one at the bottom.
Happy New Year, I know you and your family are going to have a Wonderful New Year.
I appreciate that you took the time to give me your feedback Mags. I’m still learning how to do collages and getting the horse from Madrid at the bottom took a few attempts.
I wish you and your family a wonderful new year. I hope your father recovers soon so you can be back to blogging.
there are so many great images here! i love the super moon, and of course your tales /images of your road to santiago. the photo of the traffic all but gave me hives! i’ve not seen that many cars/so much traffic in a fortnight of years!
may 2013 be good to you, dear sweet rosie!
z
I’m sure just seeing the photo of the traffic confirms your decision to live in your small village in Ecuador.
I thank you for the 2013 greetings. I hope that 2013 will also be good to you zee.
I remember each of these photos, so it’s great fun to see them all together and realize they came from one year! This was a very full year for you, wasn’t it? I look forward to another good year of blogging, and of spending time getting to know you outside of cyberspace, Rosie! I wish you a very healthy and peace-filled 2013. oxo
As you noticed it was a year filled with much excitement and many rewards. Thank you for you support and encouragement Debra – if you’ve seen all these photos before I think we can call ourselves “old” friends.
I wish you and your family a very happy healthy peaceful 2013.
my favorite pic: ” the traffic was dreadful…”
I can only think that you chose that photo because you live somewhere far from traffic. Am I correct? Thanks for joining the discussion.
I hope 2013 is as rewarding as 2012!
Thank you Andrew. I’m looking forward to seeing your year-end post.
This is a very, very good idea (is this the new gallery thingy? I’ve not used it before) – it doesn’t matter to me that they’re not in date order, it just matters to me that you’ve posted them in an order that’s right for you. Hugs to you, my friend. Have a good 2013, in all ways.
By the way, your daughter in the photo above looks just like you in your profile pic!
Yes this is the new WordPress photo gallery. I’ve used it a few times – the first time was the post for my daughter’s wedding. I think it works better than a slideshow because people don’t want to spend the extra time watching a slide-show.
I’m delighted to know that my daughter and I look alike. She looked exactly like Mr F’s side of the family when she was born.
Great photos Rosie, i love it that you just chose the ones that spoke to you most.
Thank you for joining the conversation Corilee. I left off a few memorable occasions like the Shuttle Fly-by and the night-blooming Cereus simply because the collage was big enough.
It was a year of alot of personal accomplishment for you Rosie, for which you should feel quite proud. My favorites are the supermoon photo series you did, and of course, all the hiking adventures. Thanks for taking us along.
Where are you hiking in 2013?
Hi EOS,
Its been an amazing year and I am proud of everything I accomplished. If anyone wants proof that life doesn’t stop when you reach 50 here I am …
Thanks for your support and encouragement EOS.
I’d love to go to Zion National Park in 2013. Have you been there?
50 is the new 30 and hopefully for me, 65 is the new 35!
Yes, have been to Zion and Bryce. Both gorgeous.
Since we moved here I spent every vacation visiting my Mother and after she passed away last year I’ve been able to plan trips to places like Zion and Bryce Canyons.
65 is the new 35. I think you’re as old as you feel. When my grandmother was in her early 50′s she couldn’t walk on the beach with us “because she was an old lady” so she sat on a bench and waited for us….
It is a fantastic journey you did in year 2012 – Looking at your photos (there are a few that is my favourites) I believe it has been a journey in the spiritual way as well? I just wish I could take the same road you did and making the same mountain climbings and end op with a goal – It is so amazing to see the photos of yours and I do hope I can follow you through 2013. I live in the North – Scandinavia (Denmark) and been in a wheelchair until 2010 and now able to walk around with a cane but only short distances so yes my dream is to take the same journey as yours. Thank you so much for taking part of this challenges so I “met” you. Happy New Year 2013 to you and your beloved ones
My dear Marianne,
Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to really look at my photos and leave such a thoughtful comment. You are quite right that I was also on a spiritual journey this year. I feel as though I’ve just woken up from a long sleep…
I just read your 2012 post and was very moved to learn that you lost your daughter and your grandchildren this year. My heartfelt condolence to you Marianne.
Its good that you keep yourself busy with blogging. You’re a good photographer, so that’s encouraging.
You spent a whole year in hospital? My sincere congratulations to your being able to get out of the wheelchair and take those few steps.
I’m also glad we met. Happy New Year greetings. May 2013 bring you good health
What a delightful year you’ve had, Rosie! You are richly blessed and it shows here. Not only do you continue to inspire us with your spirit, you can take pretty great pics, too. Blessings in 2013 to you and your family.
Thank you for popping over Kathy. Its true I am richly blessed.
Happy New Year greetings to you and your family.
Wow, you are quite a traveler! I love all of them but if I’m going to choose just one, I’ll say Supermoon is my favorite. It seems to tell a lot of stories, so much drama, could evoke peace and inspiration, too..or could be plain serenity for me
Welcome Aian. Its always a pleasure to welcome a new visitor to my blog.
To capture that photo of the supermoon we hiked about 8 miles in Topanga Canyon and climbed up to the top of Eagle rock where we had a clear view of the moon rising. What an amazing experience.
Happy New Year Rosie
Many thanks Jake. I send New Year greetings to you too.
What a great year you had Congrats on your daughters wedding! Do you have to have a special theme to get the photo grid like this. It looks so fun?
Welcome to my blog Carol. My daughter’s wedding was such a happy day. Thank you for your congrats.
Anyone on WordPress can do the photo collage. Its very easy. Every time you download your pictures you have the opportunity to do a collage – its on the top left under the Insert Media heading “Create Gallery”. After you chose the photos you want to use click “create gallery” and you can drag and drop to change the order. Let me know if you need more help. The best advice I can give you is to play around with it.
Wonderful summary of a fabulous year. Love the way you have them arranged, and the fact I could scroll through larger incarnations.
I wish Blogger had contests like Word Press … sigh …
I’m happy to know you enjoyed my year-end summary. Merci boucoup Sybil.
I’m sure its frustrating that you can’t join the Photo Challenges, because you aren’t on WordPress so here’s what I suggest: I’m extending a personal invitation to join any of the photo challenges and if I’ve done it too you can just link to me, so folks will find you. So there Blogger!
Many Happy New Year greetings to you and your family.
I’m so glad you visited my blog and gave me a reason to come visit you back. I LOVED your photos – you had a wonderful year and trying to fit a format of one for each month wouldn’t have made the collage better.
It’s always fun to visit someone for the first time and see the readers I have in common with them. How fun! And how small the world can be, even in blogland.
Happy New Year!
Nancy
Hello Nancy
I also find it astonishing to see how many of us have the same blogging buddies.
I’m delighted that you liked my photos so much. Thank you.
Rosie …. you simply had a wonderful year! At the beginning I was wondering if you would include the pic with Debra … so I smiled when I saw it. Thanks for being one of the many positive people out here! Happy New Year and may 2013 bring you many more hikes.
I couldn’t think back to the milestones of my year without including Debra! I look forward to putting your photo up here one day Frank!
I haven’t been hiking recently so I look forward to putting on my boots again in 2013. That’s the perfect wish for me.
What an exciting and emotional year you’ve had, Rosie. I wish you only good things in 2013.
By the way, how do you do that thing where the photo captions pop up when the mouse hovers over them?
Of course you nailed it perfectly – it was both an exciting and an emotional year. I like your new year wish. Thank you.
In answer to your question: how do you do that thing where the photo captions pop up when the mouse hovers over them?
Its pretty simple. After you’ve uploaded your photos go to the right hand side of your screen and you’ll see there’s a box for the caption.
Happy New Year to you, Rosie!
Thanks Darla. Happy New Year greetings to you and your family.
I recognize so many of these photos, it’s GREAT to see them all together! What a year you’ve had !! I’m sure that it must have surprised YOU to put it all down in this post! Happy 2013 .. and hope it will be a healthy, restful one for you!!!
I did have a busy year BUT it wasn’t nearly as busy as yours. I’m looking forward to reading your reflections of 2012 especially as you traveled to all those places where no tourists go, and met all those amazing hard-working people who struggle each and every day to put food on their plates.
Happy New Year Rosie!
Thank you Frank.
My goodness. After seeing your photos and remembering all of the experiences that lie behind them, I find myself thinking, “I didn’t do anything this year”. I’ve enjoyed all of your travels, the challenges you set yourself and your sharing of your life tremendously. I think I need to take some inspiration from you and begin re-establishing the sort of life I had before I began caring for Mom. Those years only added to the natural isolation of my work, and the loss of friends that age and illness naturally brings.
So! We remember the past and move into the future. I wish you many more hikes and many fewer Carmageddons! And of course, a Happy New Year!
Offering me more hikes and less Carmageddons is the best gift I could ask for. Thank you Linda for being such a thoughtful blogging buddy and for always leaving an encouraging, thought-provoking comment.
I understand how one has to stop *everything* to care for an aging parent and how easy it is to think that once we reach our 50′s or 60′s we have to stay home and play bingo, so I’m delighted that my travels and challenges have inspired you to pick up where you left off…. What would you like to do? You have already traveled – and lived – in places where tourists don’t usually go.
I’m not planning any big trips this year so I expect 2013 to be an “I didn’t do anything” kind of year which is quite okay with me because I’m still digesting all that I learned in 2012.
There are two ways to travel – to travel far, and to travel deep. I’ve been far (and a little wide, for all that!) and it doesn’t bother me one bit to think of doing a different kind of traveling now – a kind that’s related to that “digesting” you speak of!
You always manage to express it perfectly Linda:
” … there are two ways to travel – to travel far, and to travel deep.”
Beautiful rendition of your 2012.I love reading your posts and looking at your photos.Happy New Year
You’re very kind. Thank you lexiesnana. Happy New Year to you too.
Congratulations on completing a remarkable year and summarizing it through lovely photos to help your readers live it vicariously. I look forward to seeing what 2013 brings!
I had a year. It was remarkable. The best ever. The end.
But its not the end. My year carries on because of people like yourself who always leave me such encouraging comments.
A big personal thank you e fullstop [bowing head namste style...] and a large bag of something good to eat with it.
As for my photos. I’m honored when a photographer such as yourself takes the time to even look at my pictures. Muchas gracias dear friend.
What an awesome year and photos to boot!
Glad to reconnect with you this year …
•.★♥★Happy New Year to You & Yours!★♥★.•
Eliz
I’m also glad we reconnected Eliz. Thank you popping over and for your delightful New Year’s greeting.
I love your collage, Rosie, and your written summary of a fantastic year, especially about your daughter’s wedding and your walk along the Camino.
This may sound a little strange, but I zeroed in on the picture of the bare feet of your fellow hikers on the Camino. I’ve always been self conscious about my short stubby toes and the picture made me realize that I’m not the only one on this planet with them! It stands to reason that feet and toes come in all sizes and shapes, just as ears, eyes, noses and lips do. Wish I had realized this years ago…
Thank you for being such a wonderful blogging friend and for adding so much richness to my life, too! Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy and healthy New Year!
The challenge for me in writing this post was how to write a summary of my year that would not bore my blogging buddies who have been reading the stories all year. Thank you for always taking the time to leave me an encouraging comment Barbara. I truly hope to meet you in person one day!
I’m thrilled you mention the bare feet. See how you always take the time to leave a thoughtful comment? I also feel self conscious about my toes because they are long and thin. Heh heh! Aren’t we funny?
You’ve had a marvellous year, Rosie, and deservedly so. As for the trifles like a few aches and pains, you’ve had a brave year, too. May this be more fulfilling, much more satisfying.
I like all your pictures, but I’d have loved to see Mr. F’s hand-printed curtains from M’s wedding.
Mr F will be very touched to know that you wanted to see the hand-printed canopy curtains he made for M’s wedding chuppa. I was going to include them but the collage was already too large. Did you notice that I also left off the night-blooming cereus?
I’m not planning any big trips this year which is quite okay with me because I expect 2013 to be a year of more self-growth.
What’s chuppa?
Yes, I did notice that you did not include the cereus, and did think why.
Mr F made the silk hangings for the “chuppa” or wedding canopy.
This is what I wrote on a previous post about Jess and Jaime’s wedding:
“The wedding always takes place under the Chuppah, a canopy supported by four poles, and a symbol of the couple’s first home together.”
The Chuppah that Jaime and Jess used was sewn from four pieces of the dress that Jaime’s late mother, Anne, wore on her wedding day.
http://rosannefreed.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/jaime-and-jesss-wedding/
Happy New Year my friend. It’s a joy to see you adventures for 2012. In a way, I felt like I was there myself sharing the excitement of each events. It’s an honor to share your journey in 2012 and looking forward for an even more amazing 2013.
Thank you IT I’m truly honored that you enjoyed sharing my adventures in 2012.
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: my 2012 in pictures « What's (in) the picture?
amused by the last one, the laughing horse …
So glad someone mentioned the horse. I also love that picture. Thanks for your great comment frizztext.
Happy New Year, Rosanne! I am happy to know I am one of your many blogger friends and look forward to exchange many thoughts in the new year.
Happy New Year Otto. I am happy and honored to count you as one of my blogging buddies.
Although my camera is just a little point and shoot (so I don’t have the possibilities that people like Debra and Robin have with the interchangeable lenses of their cameras) I hope my pictures will show some improvement this year…
Don’t worry about what kind of camera you have or don’t have. Good pictures come from the heart.
Thank you dear Otto. I am heartened and encouraged by your response.
A very Happy New Year Rosie! This has been the first day I have been able to sit down and look through my favourite blogs in the last month. Really enjoyed your photo collage (great way to sum up the year and lots of fun to look at!). I also think you should do a blog on tattoos you see! That one is amazing!
Thank you for the new year greetings Laura. I also treasure those days when I have no pressing obligations and can sit down with a cup of tea and peruse my favorite blogs. Are you back at home?
So glad you noticed the tattoo. I will for sure do a post on them in the near future. Thank you for commenting.
Back home this month doing my normal day job
Got a weekend in Morocco with my hubby to celebrate five years of marriage in Feb though which I am sure my camera may be invited along on! A tattoo post would be good!
Inspiring! I love the photo of the dreds. In my next life I want hair like that. What a fine blog. Enjoyed my visit.
I’m delighted that you enjoyed visiting my blog.Thank you for your great comment.
Love that rainbow pic! Cheers to many more lovely travels and adventures to you in 2013!
I don’t know why rainbows give so much pleasure – it was really thrilling to see that double rainbow. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment.
What a great year for you, Rosie. Your daughter getting married, hiking the Camino and the Backbone Trail, and spending time in Madrid… all amazing. Any year that includes love and hiking MUST be a good one!
It was a perfectly splendid year Cathy. My happy place is when I’m hiking on the trail and I managed to do a lot of that. And oh I cannot describe the pride and joy to watch your little girl getting married…
Thanks for your great comment.
One of these days my kids should get married, and I’ll get to know that joy myself.
If you’re interested, here’s the link to the post I wrote on her wedding
https://rosannefreed.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/weekly-photo-challenge-happy/