The Old year 2022 is behind us and I always like to look back and say thanks to all those that the past year provided. When I woke up and walked around our house in the pine forest on New Year’s Day, the refreshing clean air carried all of the blessings and I felt a big Thank You for the past Year.
My wife Lexi and I will be 70 years old end of January, we are healthy and in good physical shape. I am strong enough to carry my heavy large format camera backpack and tripod on the trails. Both of us like to walk, swim, kayak, bike, hike, and enjoy all of the outdoor activities. Well, biking is not an easy task for us on the steep hilly roads in our area, so we bought two electric bikes for supporting our pedaling strength, and I fixed two bike trailers for carrying our heavy camera gear.
We are very pleased and happy with our two, grown-up kids Daniel and Gergo. They are healthy and successful and both of them are happy with their significant others and their family members at large. So, I cannot complain, especially in this complicated, declining, and Flu + COVID-19 new variants-filled world.
We are happy in our house in the middle of the loblolly pine forest in the Tahitian Village of Bastrop, three years from now. We explored more nature trails in our new surroundings and found new hidden areas of the Colorado River Refuge and the close to us Lake Bastrop, Bastrop, and Buescher State Parks, and nearby. We were happy dog sitters for three weeks for Gergo and Emily’s two dogs during their travel in March. Nala and Bandit were sweet, and active and gave us special gifts, experiences, and good memories.
As a retired scientist, I continued to work on scientific papers with a few of my former colleagues, and they included me in their high-impact factor publications. We try to improve our English, play scrabble every evening, and try to learn Spanish, but we need more motivation and determination for that. Unfortunately, my wife quit the Spanish class in December, but I stayed there and will try my best to learn more and improve.
As Photographic artists, my wife and I continued to work on several photography portfolio projects and exhibited our works in solo or group exhibitions in several venues. My wife Lexi had a solo show: “Doors and Windows” and I had a solo show: “Wabi-Sabi” at the Lost Pines Art Center’s Art Wall in the Bastrop Public Library for two months from August and from November respectively. We participated in several group exhibitions together with the Members of the Lost Pines Art Center, North Austin Pfotographic Society Austin. Submitted our images for several contests and one of my black and white images was selected as a “Nominee” for the worldwide Black and White Spider Awards. I published my portfolio Calendar 2023 “Sand hills”.
As a long-time Photography Instructor, I proposed 12 workshops for the Houston Center for Photography, led 3 discussion/critique meetings at the Houston Photography Study Group, and made an online presentation at the Houston Audubon Nature Photography Association (Houston), and 2 in-person presentations at the Lost Pines Art Center (Bastrop).
When COVID-19 slowed down a little bit and we were well-immunized, we traveled more in 2022: Big Band Ranch State Park in January, Cedar Hill SP in May, beautiful high-elevation places in Colorado in June, Inks Lake in August, month-long photography at the South West in October, and Monahans Sandhills in December. We pulled our tiny Aliner camper trailer, lived simply, hiked daily, photographed nature’s beauty on large format film, cheered Gergo on his extreme trail runs, enjoyed Daniel’s surfing, spent a good time together, and collected nice memories. We do not wish more.
In the first part of December, I sent out my Holiday greetings to my friends: “After Thanksgiving, the Winter Holiday season started with the lighting of the 1st candle of Advent on November 27, then followed by 3 additional candles lit during Advent. Christmas starts with Christmas Eve on December 24, then Christmas Day on December 25, and in many countries 2nd Day of Christmas, Boxing Day is a holiday on December 26. Hanukkah (Festival of Lights, Hebrew year 5783) began at sundown on December 18 and continues through December 26. Kwanzaa, celebrates African culture and heritage, and begins on December 26 and lasts through January 1, 2023. What a great month of the year, even in our complicated, troubled world! However, do not forget to say thank you for the whole year on December 31, then celebrate the beginning of the New Year on January 1 with new goals, new dreams, and praying for good health and happiness. Wishing All of you a joyful time celebrating your holidays in peace.”
We celebrated Christmas Eve at our house together with Gergo, Emily, and her Parents and our older son Daniel and Janine were an online meeting with us. On Christmas day, we visited Emily’s cousins and enjoyed Heather and David’s hospitality. We left for our Winter photography trip to Monahans Sandhills on December 26 and returned on the 31. We just arrived home for the end of the year, repaired a few things on our trailer, unpacked, cleaned my photo backpacks, and at midnight, we said goodbye to the Old Year and wished a happy 2023 to each other. On New Year’s Day, Lexi cooked lentil soup and made tasty pecan-marmalade-filled crapes. We were tired but happy, enjoying every minute of our lives in our home.
In conclusion, 2022 was busy, filled with good photography trips and explorations. We were thankful for the blessings that we received and looking to the New Year with hope, love, energy, and many new plans.
My wife Lexi, and I are wishing all of my Friends and their Families happiness, peace, and good health throughout 2023!
See the Light! Laszlo
