Photo Challenge: FRESH

I love starting anew. Coming from a family of academics I feel the newness around school start-up time and at the new year. My birthday, too, but since that's so close to the turn of the year it's not too different, more like a chance to recover from hiccuping on New Year goals. So, today we start another year of photo challenges and I couldn't be more excited. Thank you to everyone who participates and who spectates and who cheers us on. Of the many wonderful things I got from writing at The Women's Colony this tradition is a shining star. I hope that anyone on the fence about joining in will add us to their goals for 2013.

Please let these photographers know what you think both here and at our Flickr group. The next challenge will appear like magic below!

I like to go into new things, like years, fresh and clean. I take a hot shower, wash, condition, shave, exfoliate, and generally scrub away whatever I can before embarkation. I took this photo around 11:40pm on 12/31/2012 while waiting to meet Teddy's Girl and walk over to our New Year's Eve celebration. In it I'm clean, wearing clean clothes, and sporting the newest addition to my Santa hat collection. My only regret is that you can't see how sparkly the rest of the hat is.

This is Our Bethany's second son. He's much bigger and chattier now. I often have trouble telling babies apart because, in addition to the genetics bestowed on them, the all carry a general baby-ness that's indistinguishable from others of their kind. This dude, though? I don't know that I've ever seen a kid who displayed more of his own personal portrait from day one. He's a gem!

For me, and I think for Our Alisun, the holidays are a time for heading home. There is something about this shot - the decor, the expressions, the overall tone - that broadcasts my homeland to me. Warm jackets, good drinks, goofy kids, an inevitable wry expression make me feel comfortable.

You guys know that Our Janet has a photo for everything, right? This challenge was no exception. According to the description on Flickr Skelly is looking on while the dog gets frisky with the...princess (?) but I have to be honest, it looks like an inter-species threesome to me. Quite fresh indeed!

Overall I hate that Our Lisa lives two-thirds of the country away from me. She's too funny and too engaging and too cool not to have her in my life every day. Thank goodness for social media. I console myself by having trains of thought like this, "Well, if she lived next door I'd always be just dropping in "by chance" when she was making a thousand ninja chip cookies and I'd gain all of the weight. Then she'd make me go to kick boxing class and learn what a burpee is. And then she'd make me learn how to do them! That would be awful. Whew. Thank goodness she doesn't live next door." To which one of my other inner voices replies, "Bullshit."

Last night the temperature dropped precipitously here in NYC. Much of my brain space is now taken up with keeping my dog adequately empty and exercised without allowing him to turn into a frozen dogarita with salt. It's a nice change from all those years when I worried about turning myself into an off brand ice-based dessert. In his honor the next challenge shall be BRRRRRR! and I'll donate $10 to Rescue Ink for each entrant. Rescue Ink is still recovering from having to gut and rebuild their entire operation after the superstorm.

Please enter by 9am Tuesday JANUARY 15th 2013 for posting on January 16th. Tag your photos with PHOTO CHALLENGE and BRRRRR. Check out the wonderful work in our Flickr Pool for inspiration. Also, let me know if you have questions.

Happy New Year!

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Don't forget that the world premiere run of my new cabaret show, Back Where I Belong, continues January 9, and January 17. Details are here. I hope you can make it and bring all your friends! Please spread the word and use the hashtag, #KizzCabaret.