Today’s issue of Treasure Your Life Now/Picture to Ponder brings my wishes for you to have a Happy, Healthy, Love-filled and Prosperous New Year, with the riches of love and joy and the fulfillment of whatever intentions you may be setting for 2016.Other than the updated dates (thus the crossed out 2011 on the calendar), it’s pretty much a repeat of the Picture to Ponder issue published on December 31, 2010.

I was thinking about “garlic” this morning which led me to do a search on this Photography and Transformation blog where, until last year, all of the Picture to Ponder issues from July 2008 are stored.

Anyone interested in visiting earlier issues, from December 2004 to July 2008 can go to early Picture to Ponder Archives.In addition to garlic, there is also a mixture of seemingly disparate photos and a photo/drawing within this issue. Not exactly sure why these choices, I decided to simply go with what showed up for me as I prepared.

These two garlic segments evidently have some special meaning for me. I think this is the third time I am featuring them in Picture to Ponder. Perhaps there is meaning for one of more of you. (If you missed the earlier posts you can catch them by scrolling down the page that comes up for “Garlic” in the search on the blog.) Loving the abstraction, I put the image on a year-at-a-glance calendar, purchased it from my Nature Art Gift Shop and now have it in my office positioned so I see it all the time.

I still have the original segments and discovered recently that the garlic continues to produce new imagery, fueling more creative juices. The bulb segment, you’ll see below, started sprouting green shoots.

At first I simply photographed the two pieces on black paper. Then, for fun, I decided to photograph them on top of the image on the calendar and then the tile already imprinted with the original photo.

The “why’s” of the other images included today are noted below each of the photos.

for overall feeling and contrast

for size perspective – components as altered by time
placed on a 4.25″ ceramic tile with first images

for color and brightness in 2016, pomegranate seeds radiating in all directions and contained by the circle

And, reflecting on past year(s) and the upcoming one:
Photo/Drawing of the “Path to the Future” – Boardwalk in Loxahatchee Preserves in Florida, photographed over 13 years ago, the weekend Sam and I made  the decision to move to Florida.

Boardwalk in Wakodahatchee Wetlands, December 2010

The latter two “path” photos seem not to fit AND because they popped out at me as I was browsing for some other photos, I decided to include them for the “practical” among our followers, who are looking at the past year and your path or paths for 2016.

In 2002, my path, as seen in the photo, seemed almost closed in, certainly full of the unknown on what the future would bring.

The subsequent 13 years have been full, including sadness and loss as well as the boundless bright spots and open paths suggested in the last of the photographs here today.

Again, I wish you HEALTH, Love, Brightness and Joy in 2016.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
You most likely have your own year-end and start-the-new rituals and, if you subscribe to a lot of ezines, as I do, I’m sure you’ve received several suggestions. I am not going to add to that here.

I simply invite you to reflect on whatever you wish, past and/or future. You might enjoy our favorite little blue heron reflection to do prompt you in doing that.

Given the featuring of the pomegranate and the garlic, I also invite you to observe, for the visuals, some of the fruits and vegetables you may be preparing and are most likely eating during these next few days.

What imagery calls to you? If you were to use your imagination what might your subject(s) be telling you?

And, lastly, I invite you to use your camera to take pictures of what it is that is catching your attention in the food.

As always remember to have fun with the pictures and the queries and share in the comments below what comes up for you.