What happened in 2005

It has started on the television.....Reviews of what happened in 2005. Me too. I'm looking at what I accomplished in 2005.

For the last 6 or 7 years, I've been making a list of what I'd like to do in the coming year. I don't call it "My New Years Resolutions." I call it my "2005 To Do List." I type it out, save it to disk, print it and put it somewhere....on my bulletin board, tape it to the wall near the computer, clip it in my journal or even leave it in the stack of stuff always on my desk. What amazes me is I seldom look at it during the year but when I find it as the next year approaches I am usually amazed at the number of things that I can cross off of the list. I think there is something about the act of putting goals into writing. Even though you don't look at it daily, it is somehow chiseled somewhere in your brain. Maybe that helps guide your actions from day to day. I wonder what would happen it I really focused on that list over the year. Looked at it everyday.

2005 wasn't the best of years for my list. I can check off about 1/3 of the 21 items. At this point you might be wondering what I did get done from the 2005 list.......

• I've grown my photo data base on Pbase and Flickr
• I started this blog and kept it up almost daily
• Bought a new computer, printer and monitor
• Entertained friends more often
• We built the studio/office in San Miguel
• Spent most of the year in Mexico
• Improved my skills in Photoshop

Still there were a lot of things that didn't get done. Was the list for 2005 too ambitious? Did I include things I thought I "should do" as opposed to things I really wanted to do? I think there is a little of all of that but there are a few un-done things from the 2005 list that will go on the 2006 To Do List:

• Work on a book of the 16th Century Mexican Churches
• Learn more Spanish
• Work on a personal Mexican Cook Book
• Photograph some more in the Old Sixth Ward
• Start photographing kitchens anywhere and everywhere

Actually some work has started on the Mexican Church Book. For several years I traveled in Mexico scouting out 16th Century churches. I exposed a lot of film and this work has been in several exhibitions. I've started scanning negatives and I've done some research about how to get a personal book printed. But the work is in the beginning stages.

I've got to improve my Spanish. Many of the photography projects I'd like to do require better communication on my part. So some language classes and a tutor are definitely on the list for 2006.

As the readers to this blog know, I like to cook. I've been finding ways to adjust my recipes to San Miguel as well as developing a few recipes of my own. I think it would be fun to photograph the dishes and put the recipes together in a little book to give to friends.

We live in a neighborhood in Houston called the Old Sixth Ward. I've been photographing there for several years. I'd like to get "signed releases" from the owners of houses I've already photographed from the street and also to get permission to go into backyards and houses to expand the project even more. I don't know where this project will go but it seems to be important to me to continue to work on it.

Although I haven't really started this photography project, I'd like to photograph kitchens....real kitchens where food is prepared for the family. And I'd especially like to do this in Mexico. Learning more Spanish will be important for this to come to fruition.

Now this isn't all of my 2006 To Do List....it is just what is left over from 2005. Pretty ambitious isn't it? But if I don't have a list, I might not get any of it done. Check the blog on New Year's Eve 2006 and see what I've accomplished.