031- This is My Father's House

We got a call last night asking if we would be able to help clean the church today in preparation for tomorrow's meetings. With so many families in our ward this opportunity doesn't come around very often and we gladly accepted.

It is with gratitude that I cleaned windows, door handles, chalkboard trays and sprinkled ice melt on the north facing sidewalk. I love the reverent feeling of being the only one in the chapel as I look for crumbs, paper and misplaces hymn books.

What a marvelous time we live in; we are free to worship "how, where and what we may" without any persecution!

It is with reverence that I clean my Father's house...



FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, http://www.flickr.com/photos/playingwithpsp/sets/72157604052440248/

030 Ickle Icicle

By now you all know that I have a real affinity for macro shots! I just love getting up close and personal! I love the magnified details.

Today is another one of those. I caught these ickle icicles in their drip-mode and the sun shining through them. I set my camera on burst and took at TON of photos then when I uploaded them to my computer I whittled that number down to 8 ;). (Again, how I love digital... let me count the ways!)



My other offering of *this* day is MY Maple Mountain with her cap on. I don't think I will ever get tired of looking at her in her changeable wardrobe!

029 Ginger Snaps & Jelly Rats...

...THAT'S what IKEA's made of!

And if you don't believe me here is the photographic proof! Enough said!


FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, http://www.flickr.com/photos/beapierce/sets/72157601574009156/

028 Happy Memories

I was giving a most wonderful gift! You may laugh, but 18 "Banty" eggs! As soon as I saw them I was transported back to those "chicken coop" days and the quiet singing of those little Banty hens. (How does one even write that sound? Brooookk, is as close as I can get!) I was just a tiny girl but the sound is so comforting to me.



For years my dear sister, Ann, had these chickens and when visiting I loved to make the egg collecting trip. I would talk to those little biddies and they would croon back to me.

These beautiful, naturally-colored Easter eggs came from a friend who keeps them. They are smallish but very tasty. What a happy, thoughtful gift

As an aside, her husband has often shared his wisdom from the chicken coop in our Sunday School class. The one that stays in my mind is his experience with a new batch of chicks. When they first arrive they are so frightened and skittish. He goes and sits quietly in the coop and talks to them until he has been able to gather them to him. He drew the parallel of how the Savior so often wants to gather us, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, to protect us, but we, like silly chickens, run away from that safe haven.

Ooh-ohh-ohh

So do I sound like a chimp!?!

I've been playing with Kimi's fun homework challenges and came up with this...

I had to share!

027 Frozen Berries

This just may be my favorite winter ever! We had our few days of *balmy* reprieve (45 degrees), then lots of luscious snow and now today sunshine! Yep, this is shaping up nicely!

After blowing snow this morning I decided that I wanted to go for a walk sans-Harley (he gets too dirty!). I was almost out of the neighborhood when I realized I'd forgotten my camera; so back I went. It was cold today, never getting above about 25 degrees. But when the sun is shining and the wind isn't blowing it just doesn't feel that cold.

This day I decided that I hadn't been up to the dam for a long time; I set off up the wonderful walking/bike trail that goes up Hobble Creek Canyon. On the way back I saw this beautiful little tree just loaded with lots of bright red berries with fresh powdered snow on top. Out of the 40+ photos I took on my jaunt, this had to be my #1 pick of the day (Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE digital?!!)



When I got home I saw that Kimi had posted her Kreative homework for the week. The berries were just perfect for this technique. What do you think?



This last shot is just for my sweet niece! On the way back the wind started blowing into my face and I got quite cold. As I adjusted my scarf it made me remember Sarah's post about her *beard*! (I love the detail in my glasses)



Happy, happy winter day!

026 I LOVE the snow!

I recognize that this isn't always a popular position to take with some people! But it is true... I LOVE THE SNOW! I'm not sure why. I don't "do" winter sports anymore.

So what could be the reasons? I love the softness of it. I love the quiet there is when snow on the ground. I love to hear it crunch under my feet when I walk on it. I love the way it piles up on the trees and makes everything look like a marshmallow world (which we don't get very often since we usually have that marvelous Utah powder snow!) I love to taste it, although I don't do so much anymore... I still remember that cold, melt-y goodness.

Yesterday winter returned and it started to snow... those big, fat, goose-feather flakes that I love so much. Since this is a warmer, wetter system than we normally have the snow started to pile up on the trees. I went out late last night and got this first photo. I was so excited with how it turned out. This is my globe willow that lives in the front yard. I've planted one of these at every house we've lived in for the last 25 years.



This morning there was 8-10" of new snow piled up and waiting for me to come and "move it". Thank goodness we have a snow-blower! It makes all the difference in the world. After my work out I took my camera out of my pocket and proceeded to document my "most favorite winter thing".

If I had to vote, I think this one would get my number ONE vote. I just love macros!



These lovely trees are elkhorn sumac... I love the gnarled look of them. These trees have been featured here frequently with a sunset behind them. I know that some people don't like them because they tend to be invasive. But I love how stately they look!



And this is our silly friend Harley. I just happened to turn around and there he was doing one of the funniest things... he will stick just his nose out the dog door and see what is going on outside. He cracks me up!!



So *this day* I have 4-photos of the day! What can I say? I love the snow and one just wasn't enough!

025 Old Man Cat

Are you ever struck with a thought that you know didn't come from you? This happens to me frequently and I recognize it as the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful to know that the Lord really does know me and care about me. He cares about the little things I care about. That is such a comfort to me.

This weekend was our Stake Conference. I always look forward to these twice-yearly meetings. I always come away refreshed and refueled. It was while I was sitting in conference this morning that the thought came to me that I needed to feature our long-time friend and furry companion, Simba. Simba's been here before so if you want to read more about him click on the "Simba" tag.

Sadly, our Sims has become an old-man-cat! He is only a shadow of his former 15 pound healthy self... but at 14 years old this month, I guess we need to be grateful that he is still with us.

Simba was diagnosed with failing liver and thyroid problems about 2 years ago and the weight has just melted off of him in spite of constant medical attention. He is half the weight he was in his prime. The up side is that he seems happy and he is still active. He can still jump up on the counter to eat (albeit via the toilet now instead of straight from the floor), still stalks any erratic flying thing, and can still give Harley what for.


FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, Overlay-http://www.flickr.com/photos/beapierce/sets/72157601574009156/

I couldn't just post this old-man-cat photo of our Sims... I needed to show all what a beauty he once was! This is Simba 4 years ago, just after we moved to Utah. What a happy, smiling kitty-boy!


FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9

024 Winter Primrose

Each fall the BYU grounds crew pulls out all of the wonderful "in-full-bloom" summer flowers at the Provo Temple to prepare the beds for the next spring. They put in thousands of tulip blubs (LOL... this is how we deliberately mis-pronounce bulbs... and it just came out that way!). They also do a massive ground-cover planting of pansies and primroses.

I am always amazed at these hardy little flowers. As soon as the snow melts there they are already with their happy little spring faces... even though it is still the dead of winter! The pansies never fair as well... they look a little frost bitten and bedraggled.

I know that it is still winter but there is a certain happiness in 45 degree days and some of the snow gone. I've lived in the mountains long enough to know that winter is long from being over... but it is so nice to have just a little reprive from true, white winter.

023 The Draper Temple

This morning as I was contemplating my day's activity I thought, "What a wonderful photo journal I am making for myself." As I've previously stated, I've never been an every-day journaler. The closest I came was for part of 2007 when I would write a couple of lines on my Far Side calendar before bed. I recognized that I miss so many little things that might just be helpful to me at some future point. Anyway... just a happy thought about my project.

Today's photo is of the new Draper Temple. It is, fittingly, in Draper, UT, about 35 miles from our house. For a couple of months prior to the actual dedication of the Temple there is an open house, where the public can tour the temple. This is a beautiful building with the interior all done in these wonderful smokey-teal colors... almost a sage green... but with that teal cast. It, of course, is wonderfully decorated and has beautiful craftsmanship. The recommend desk is dark marble from China (?) that has these iridescent blue/teal/peacock spots in it, very beautiful.

It was a very foggy, rainy day today and some of my photos were mostly fog! After our tour and bus ride back to where we'd parked Gordon and I drove back up to the Temple in hopes that there would be a little clearing in the fog. I was able to snap this one from the car and it was the best of the bunch!


FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, CoffeeShop.com Color Pop Vignette Action

I was able to feel the Spirit there testifying that it is indeed the House of the Lord. What a wonderful time to live in.

022- Mr. Cock Robin

I couldn't ask for a better workroom! I am upstairs in the NE corner of the house with a nearly 180 degree view. I am right at eye level with the trees in my front yard. This morning a whole flock of robins (who seem to have forgotten to fly south for the winter) came swooping into my globe willow. By the time I could quietly get the blinds up and take a picture there was just this little guy left. It is very happy to see this little harbinger of spring even if it is the dead of winter.


FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, BRUSHES- http://brushes.500ml.org/brushes/500mlthebirds.php

021- Grips of Winter

One of our Utah Valley problems in the winter is we frequently get an inversion layer.

• This can become a problem in cities where many pollutants exist. Inversion effects occur frequently in big cities such as Mumbai, India; Los Angeles, California; Mexico City ; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; and Tehran, Iran, but even also in smaller cities like Oslo, Norway and Salt Lake City, Utah, Boise, Idaho which is closely surrounded by hills and mountains that together with the inversion effect bottle-caps the air in the city. (Click on the inversion layer link above for the whole article.)
  

There you go... how's that for a definition?

What it means is smog! Can you see our beautiful West Mountain out there across the lake? What you can't... see the lake... or the mountain? That's right. Someone spirited them away the middle of last week! LOL



At least the "smog inversion layer" in Utah is white and not that yucky brown that we had in the LA basin. (I have a hard time when I can see what I am breathing!)

I got this beautiful shot this evening as I left the Temple AND with my Razor phone camera again. I am often amazed at the quality I can get on that little phone!

But now this brings up the next topic. My photos are stored on this Micro SD. Is that even big enough to be allowed? Obviously the photo below is larger than life size! Compare it to that quarter! Hmmm... technology! I LOVE it!

020 Dreaming of Home

Last night I dreamed that I was back in my little hometown of Greenville, California. It is way up north in northern CA... in the middle of nowhere!

In the dream I had my camera and I was so excited to be able to take photos of my little town for my project 365. I was right there by the high school and wanted to take a photo of the stand of trees east and north of the "new" gym (keep in mind that I graduated 39 years ago!!). I could hear the wind whispering through the pine needles, I could feel soft air on my face, I could smell that sharp resiny tang of the forest... and then I woke up! I wanted to cry!

You see Greenville is over 600 miles from where I live now and all of my family is long gone. So I had to do the next best thing (and in this case, it is a very sad substitute). I dug through my photos and found one of my favorites taken from our back porch in 1966. The grove of trees just to the left of the low buildings, which is the k-12 campuses, are the trees I wanted to photograph in my dream, but from the Hwy looking towards my house. (the opposite direction)


FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, Orton Effect

I took growing up in the lush Plumas National Forest for granted. Now I realize what a treasure I had. I used to love to ride my horse through those trees or I would walk past them on the way to my friend, Crystal Slapnik's house.

I wrote to my wonderful niece and asked if she had any recent photos of Greenville... sadly she didn't either. I can share one that shows similar trees taken at the Taylorsville Rodeo in 2002.

(Scrap Matters sm_caj_hsg_frame)

DN and I discussed the fact that we will have a different set of eyes on our next visit to Greenville. But even at that how can a camera capture all the emotion left in that little mountain town?

019 Keep a Journal

So here I am... 7 in the evening... my only trip outside in the below freezing Wasatch winter was to bring in our recycling wheelie-bin... and, you guessed it, no photo for this day! I thought I was toast!



Then I thought... wait, I've spent the whole day doing a very good thing! Why not take a photo of that! Our Prophets have urged us to keep a journal; mine isn't a daily affair (though this year it will be with my project 365!) Neither of my parents kept a journal or diary and I have hungered to know them and what they thought. I haven't had the blessing of just being able to ask them.

Over the years I've tried different things. I started with a funny little 5-year diary in my teens that probably only has two dozen entries. In the mid-seventies I "graduated" to spiral bound notebooks, you know, the stenographer kind. Ah, but then the computer became my friend! And I've been very happy ever since!

January frequently finds me in a journal frenzy! One year I compiled all of my letters, notes, etc from about 5 years and printed all of them out; bringing me up to date. This year I needed to finish up 2007 (yep, a year behind) adding my blog entries and printing it out (only 28 pages for 2007).

I now have 2008 all edited and the first 50 pages printed. If I ask my senior printer (probably 5 year old) to print too many pages at a time the color starts going wonky. But if I let it rest an hour or two the cartridge seems to re-power itself and will print another 20-30 pages.

I suppose that it is very telling that my blog has, for the most part, become my journal. I do have personal things that aren't on my blog, but you know me... I'm kind of an out there girl. Also telling is that 2008 is 128 pages. I think that blogging is good for my journaling habit!

018 Baby Sweetness

Today is Third Sunday Family Dinner at our house. I love this tradition. I love having my family around me and the grandchildren here. What a blessing to have them close. This year with the time changes for our Sunday meeting times (Doug's family @ 2-5, Kevin's family & us both @1-4) dinner has to be a little later. Kevin, Suzi and baby Ethan arrived that the old appointed time of 5pm so we had a chance to visit. Camille played with Ethan on our large kitchen counter while we visited and I finished up dinner.

Ethan is at that wonderful creeping stage right now. He loves to explore and discover. He was enthralled with a half-filled gold foil can of truffles left over from the holidays and he emptied most of Grammie's Kleenex box... all, I might add, to our delight and entertainment. I grabbed the camera and got several great shots, but the winner for *this-day* is he little baby-sweetness hand splayed on the counter.

More Harley

Yesterday Harley and I went for a much-needed walk... I knew what this meant! By the time we got home his paws and *undercarriage* are wet, filthy and filled with dirty, gritty sand... so that means a bath.

When we finished the downstairs bathroom 2 years ago one of the must's was a big dog-sized laundry sink (laundry has only been in it once. LOL!) Harley is very good about having a bath. He will usually sit down (yes, sit down) and enjoy the warm water. He waits patiently while I lather, rinse, condition, rinse, hand-squeegee him down and then towel dry, all in the sink. Ah, but as soon as I set him down on the floor with a new dry towel he starts acting "like a monkey jacked up on Mt Dew!"

He rolls, rubs, wiggles, squirms all over that towel to dry himself off! Then he tears around the family room until he is exhausted and when his hair is short, mostly dry. What a funny boy! He's added lots of entertainment to our home.



credits

017- Winter Sunset

I'm always a sucker for a beautiful sunset. I was just walking out the door to go see my friend DeLoris and saw this. I ran back in and got my camera. Have you ever notice how fast the sun sinks?



FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, LS_Web052707_overlay

How to Make a Simple Frame in PSE

Anke and other friends have commented on my frame layers I've used in my POTD and now Project 365. I will admit that this is NOT an original idea. I'm a pretty good copy-artist. I can usually look at something and then copy it (this extends from tole painting to sheet-rocking to scrapping). I've seen lots of cute frames and so I picked up their idea and made them my own. (Go here and here for some of my inspiration).

1. Start by opening a new PSE document in the size you'd like your frame to be, in my case I want it to fit a 6"x 6" photo. (A word to the wise, save frequently during this process so you are backed up;)

(click image to make it larger)

2. Select your rounded rectangle tool. Then click and drag your shape. I like to have a 1/4" border. You can turn on your grids here (View- grids) to help you get the correct size. If you don't get it exactly right on the first try, don't sweat it. You can stretch or shrink it to fit.

(click image to make it larger)

3. Right click on the shape layer you just created and choose simplify layer from the fly-out menu.

4. Choose your eraser tool and load a corner rounding brush. Position the corner brush over the corner of the shape and erase by clicking down once. It helps to zoom in for this step.

(click image to make it larger)

5. Ctrl-Click on the icon of your shape layer.

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6. Create a new layer above your shape layer. Then choose:
A- Stroke width- 10px,
B- Location- Center,
C- Make sure your Preserve Transparency box is UN-checked
D- choose black for your color. Click OK
Then click ctrl-D to deselect the dotted line.

(click image to make it larger)

You have created your frame. Click on the eye by the shape layer to turn it off (you can delete it later.

7. Now for the fun part... you get to personalize it. Create a new layer and load the desired brush. I used KPertiet_LedgerGrids brush for the lower right corner to add interest to the frame.
Create a new layer, position your brush and click down once. If you want more than one brush put each brush on its own layer. That way you can move them around or delete them if you change your mind.

(click image to make it larger)

8. Choose your desired fonts to add text. (I used Problem Secretary and CK Cursive as my fonts ). Again, put each word or number on a new layer. Rotate the text and drag it to your desired locations.

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9. Select your rectangular marquee tool and draw a selection around the date area. Make sure your frame layer is selected and press delete. Repeat for the signature area.

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10. OK... almost finished! You'll want to delete your shape layer and rename the background layer to "DISCARD THIS LAYER" (you may need to change the background to a layer first). I like to keep my frame in layers so that I can easily change the date (since this is for my Project 365). I just open this file, choose all of the layers except "DISCARD THIS LAYER" and ctrl-drag to my edited photo. Be sure to save this in a place where you can find it easily. Remember that you can use this frame as a jumping off spot for another version.

(click image to make it larger)

WHEW!! I hope that this little tutorial has been a help to you. Let me know if you have any questions.

I will tell you that writing tutorials is NOT for the faint of heart! LOL! (Started at 2:50 pm- finished 6:21pm)

016- Ya Teach Your Kids...

... to grow up and lead independent, responsible, adult live... AND THEN DARNED IF THEY DON'T JUST GO AND DO IT!!!! (Quoted from a very wise woman… ME)

When Stuart arrived home from his 2-year mission to the Ireland Dublin Mission just over 2 years ago I knew that he wouldn’t stay at home forever. But this week we finally arrived at that day when he moved out and up to campus. Can I just say, “That doesn’t make me like it any better!”

Will I get used to being an empty-nester again? Sure I will, we’ve spent several years that way… but it will take some getting used to for both of us. It’s one of those bittersweet moments when you realize that everything you’ve worked so hard for all your life has finally happened and now we move on to the next season.


This is a composite photo of Stuart moving out and the empty room. (FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, OVERLAY- kimi's homework overlay green)

Miss Joanie- Queen of Quilts

That is what Miss Becky tells me I am... Queen of Quilts. I'm not sure that is universally true, but it was true today at Camille's school.



Camille invited me to bring some of my quilts into class. They are doing a unit on quilts and she wanted me to show mine off. I had fun choosing which quilts to take. The whole point of this unit is shapes and patterns (I just love this kind of math!)



As I displayed each quilt the children would identify the shapes they saw: square, rectangle, triangle, rhombus [I ask you? when you were in first grade did you know what a rhombus was??? No? me neither!], hexagon and then today they learned octagon. We talked about the different shape that make up a block and how shapes can trick your eye into seeing a circle when it is really an octagon. What fun.

I really enjoyed my interaction with them. (But I may have been a bad/rowdy influence on them when it came time to finish and fold them up.) The kids were so cute flapping the quilt... poor Miss Camille, "First graders, One, Two, Three... eyes on me!"

015- Limited in Number... ONLY 3

For my fellow Jane Austen fans, I'm sure you'll recognized this quote from Emma. Today I feel like that... how can I limit myself to only three? But I hope they are not very dull things!

I love carrying my little camera with me. I feel like I have new eyes. Today I was headed to Camille's school (more later) I dipped down into the *bottoms* that is where it gets the coldest and where the hoar frost grows! Oh, I just love the look of hoar frost.

The first time I remember seeing it I was just a little girl on a very cold fall morning walking to school. I found a red leaf in the "short-cut" that was covered with hoar frost. I wanted so badly to take it with me to school for show and tell but by the time I got it to school the frost had melted from the warmth of my hand.



Today I stopped as soon as I could find a safe wide spot and started snapping away... so that is where my only three comes in... I had to whittle my number (say that with the English accent) to three (trill that R)!



As I got out to the fields that must be traversed to get to Camille's school there was more hoar frost encrusted trees, but by now it had warmed a little and the frost was starting to fall. It looked like fairy dust sparkling down to the road. Do you ever wish that you could photograph things the way you see them? I do... often I feel like there is so much lost in the 2-D capture.



Lastly, here is Utah Lake, frozen and covered with snow. It is a large lake, but not too deep. This is the view from Camille's school. Kind of make that commute worth it to get to look at this every day. And, btw, that is Timpanogos again in the background ruling over her valley.

My First Texture Freebie

As I was leaving the Temple today, camera in hand from the steaming non-fountain I found this path of ice just beginning to form in the early evening cold. My first thought when I saw it was TEXTURE ! I just love the look of texture overlays on my photos.



I think if you click on the image it will take you to the Flickr page where you can download it! Yup, I just tested it. It will take you to a page where you have the choice of sizes, I always downloaded the largest size, but it's up to you.

Enjoy!

014- Mt Timpanogos

I just want you to know that I had to change my purse this morning to a slightly larger version (I normally carry a small one) so I could accommodate carrying my camera. The good news is that my camera is almost exactly the same size as my Razor phone. I've really wanted to get a new-to-me digital SLR, but now I realize that would be very cumbersome to carry.

Anyway... I love to think about life as if I were going to take a picture of things. I've always been very visual and my memories are a series of mental-super-technicolor photos. But with my trusty little camera in my purse I just whip it out and get that shot that only comes around once-in-a-great-while.

As I left the Temple today there was steam rising off of one of the fountains. Normally both fountains are working but today this one had taken on the character of a reflection pool. I love this shot capturing Mt Timpanogos, its reflection AND the steam! Very serendipitous.



Check out my up-close-and-personal experience with Timp last fall here.

Remember this Mo-ment

As promised, here is the LO of that photo of Riley. WOW, what a fun tutorial by Amanda Taylor!! I did some little changes, but not much.



(Paper~ Carrie-Stephens-SD-spotty-dotty-green, Carrie-Stephens-SD-worn-deep-ocean, fancyfree_by Jen Wilson used as text overlay; B&Big Picture Action by PanosFX; Tutorial~ Amanda Taylor; Fonts~ Problem Secretary Normal, the King & Queen font, various fonts for the remember overlay, sorry lost track :o); Frame~ KPertiet_VintageFrames-5)

013- Friends

Today is the second Tuesday of the month... and you know what that means, don't you? No?

Well, for me it mean I go visiting teaching. My companion, Vicki, and I hit on this set visit time as the best way to: 1)avoid the last minute end of the month rush, 2)we don't have to try to coordinate 5 schedules each and every month. It works very well for us and the three ladies we visit. It removes stress, and don't we all need less stress?

(FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, TEXTURE- http://princess-of-shadows.deviantart.com/art/hardcore-vintage-grunge-80717858, ACTIONS- CoffeeShop PowderRoom 2, B's Vanilla B&W II PSE)

Vicki is one of those friends you knew *before* and you connect with immediately. She is good and kind, strong and funny. What a blessing to be able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its message of hope with her and the sisters we visit.

As with my Dec POTD some days will have an addendum photo. Jodi's house it up on the hill and looks out over our beautiful valley. I love the view from her backyard so this day I'll share it with you as well.


(FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, ACTION- Shay's Rich Color Landscape)

A Change of Heart...Project 365

So I know I said I wasn't going to do project 365, but now I'm looking at all of the cool photos and blogs that are doing it...

Noel Joy has got the coolest frame and format. Yeah, I can like that!

Liv had a good thought. Take a photo everyday, but you don't necessarily have to post every day! Hmm, *thinks I*, I can do that!!

Then Amanda Taylor says why put it off for a whole year just because you are a few days behind. Why indeed?? So I will play catch up, make-up and insert and get up to speed now on day 12!

I grabbed on to the December POTD project and it was very good therapy for me.

As an aside, for those of you who know me *(and now for those who don't) you know that I lost 2 children 27+ years ago... some years are better than others and frankly year 27 was much harder than some of the recent ones. There were several triggers, if you will, that threw me back in the grieving process or as my sister Sue pointed out... I have PTSD. I am grateful to know that it is ok to have these setbacks and to realize that I will NEVER GET OVER LOSING MY TWO CHILDREN! Does this mean that I don't have a strong testimony of the power of the atonement rought by Jesus Christ and the reality of the resurrection? No, it means that a loving Heavenly Father let me know in those first moments after they'd died that "Joanie, you will be an old grandma sitting in your rocking chair and you will still cry for these babies."

So the point is that with the absence of the POTD the days have been harder. So for more than anything else, I've found something that distracts me, even for a moment and I don't want to lose that positive energy. This project is for me... if y'all want to come along for the ride you're welcome.

So here we go with some catch-up...
let's run this backwards, because that is how the other ones will fall (you know, started at 1 now I'm on 12... oh, well, I'll bet you can figure it out!)

012- Happy 1st anniversary Harley!
We adopted him one year ago today! This is a photo of him on his first day at his new home!



011- DYI
My custom do-it-yourself ice sculpture. This is a little bush outside our garage AND this photo was *for really* taken on the 11th.



010- Reindeer super-highway
All of the deer tracks in my front yard. I wish I could figure out what they are munching on but I'm happy to be of service to my 4-legged neighbors.



009- My wonderful view ...
from my workroom window. I just love it! I ran a Lomo action by PSE Frank on this photo.



008- 12 day of Christmas
I am one of those girls who loves to leave up Christmas for a long time. I got this shot the same night I got out my baby tripod to shot the moon shadows.



007- My favorite #7 guy...
Stuart was frequently #7 when he played soccer. I delved into the mission photos for this one. It is Elder Lewis and Elder Rollo in early 2006. *Is there something in my nose?* (Where does he get that from??)



006- Brandon
Rewind one year ago to 1-6-08 and we were in Katy TX with Erik and family. We went for Brandon's ordination as a deacon. Sure miss those guys.



005- Moonshadows
This photo is *untouched* with the exception of cropping it to fit my format. On 1-11-09 we had a beautiful full moon and I enjoyed the moon shadows.



004- Up Close
Our friendly deer making themselves at home last winter in the ivy patch. This is taken through my front room window.



003- Birthday Boy
Now you may wonder about this one... why a photo of Spencer on his 21st b-day (which was 4 years ago) and on the 3rd, when his b-day is the 22nd... well, I'll tell you! Spencer was due on January 3rd, but didn't come for 3 more weeks! And this is the last time I was with him on his birthday. It was our first year in Utah.



002- Baby Sweet
Our little Riley on 1-2-09 in Palmdale at Auntie P's house. I enjoyed my visit with him. Keep your eye out for this photo in a cool layout coming soon.



001- Here's a *Happy New Year's Suprise*...
a photo of beautiful spring iris from my yard and "played" with several months ago. Auntie P always had January blooming iris at her folks house. So it reminded me of those Palmdale days. (remember having to improvise here! LOL)



So here I am several hours later and feeling much better, thank you very much.

Edit... I forgot to post the credits for these pages- (FONTS- Problem Secretary, CK Cursive, BRUSH- KPertiet_LedgerGrids-9, Overlay- kimi overlay edge 1)