What came to mind on learning this month’s theme was nom nom nom? Food so delicious that good manners are optional….like sun-ripened peaches…or perfectly-seasoned oven-roasted vegetables…shortly followed by the realization that since we’re not caught up in the foodie culture, food photography isn’t really my thing…so maybe I should skip the whole thing!

That impulse lasted about 3 seconds before being pushed aside by the fact that I’ve participated every month since this challenge started in March 2013. And I’ve always found a way to interpret themes that were outside my comfort zone (like Baseball – twice). I just needed come up with an interpretation that wouldn’t rely on my best Cookie Monster impression!!  

The month was more that half over before a light bulb went on!! We have five senses and the photo blogging challenge is all about five photos, so why not share one photo that encapsulates the equivalent of nom nom nom for sight, smell, sound, touch, as well as taste!?

1. New Central Library

More than 52,000 people visited Calgary’s new central library within the first four days of its opening on November 1st. It’s stunningly beautiful, with tons of natural light, natural wood and lovely fixtures. We missed the grand opening weekend, but I spent the better part of two hours there one weekday mid-month, exploring four of the five floors, camera in hand. Thanks to Calgary’s Creative Living Congress, I was allowed inside an hour before opening time one day in late November, and came away with photos that included almost no people! Comparing the two sets of images, my preference is for those photos that include throngs of people – they show how Calgarians are embracing their city’s newest public building.

2. Petrichor and Terpenes

My two favourite nature smells are: 1) petrichor – that amazing smell that develops when the first drops of rain fall after a long period of warm, dry weather. and; 2) terpenes – the scent of an evergreen forest, where needles and cones litter the ground. Both smells are hard to come by in Calgary in winter. The closest imitation is from fresh-cut Christmas trees and fresh-cut evergreen Christmas planters.

3. Cool Choir®

The choir I sang with for more than 30 years came to an end in June, a  consequence of tough times in Alberta’s oil and gas sector for the past 4 years. After considering several community choirs, I joined Cool Choir® Canada in October. With close to 400 members rehearsing at three locations in the city, it’s somewhat of a competition to make it onto the sign-up list for performances!! My first performance opportunity – with another 180 members of the choir – was at the National Music Centre in late November. After singing with a 25-30 voice choir for more than three decades, it’s quite relaxing to be one voice among 180. And the sound!!!

4. Homemade Pasta

You can teach an old dog new tricks! When our part-time university student/part-time working young adult son suggested he and I team up to try making fresh pasta I was up for the challenge. Unfortunately, my 30+ year-old rolling pin was not! But that didn’t stop us from preparing the best linguini noodles ever!! That was definitely a nom nom nom dinner! Now Mr. GeoK is talking about getting some kind of pasta roller to make it easier to make fresh pasta for pasta nights from now on. 

5. Lego

Building Lego requires a deft touch and careful attention so that the bricks are aligned just right, snap together with a satisfying click and don’t break apart due to excess pressure. This month I built the 2018 Holiday Bonus Set 40292 – Christmas Gift (full review coming soon). It’s the first set I built since I started practicing meditation several months ago; as I worked my way through the steps, it dawned on me that it’s a kind of tactile meditation – worth doing more often!

So ends my showcase of what’s nom nom nom for the five senses. I’m sure the other participants came up with something more appealing to tastebuds, so hop on over to A ‘lil Hoohaa to get the real deal.

I like to treat this photo blogging challenge as a month-long photo assignment, which makes it pretty low stress. New participants are welcome to join the photo blogging challenge any time. Next month’s theme will be posted at A ‘lil Hoohaa within the next few days. Won’t you join our small (but dedicated) group?