365- Basking

Yesterday we got a foot of snow, today dawned sunny and bright. Although Stuart did most of the snow removal yesterday there was still plenty for me to do today. I worked for several hours thoroughly enjoying the sun. My last place to clear snow was on the deck... ahh, the deck! THE DECK... THE DECK!!

I LOVE the deck... the sun called to me! I pulled out my deck chair (how appropriate), settled it close to the brick, grabbed my soda, visor, sunglasses and book (oh, yeah, and my sweater, which I eventually put on). I spent about an hour and a half basking... soaking up the rays... oh, yeah! The sun was so nice and warm even though I was breathing steam.



I think this was a great way to spend the last day of my Project 365... cheating Mother Nature in the middle of the winter... yes... I can like that part!

364- Snow Removal

Now THIS is the way to get your snow removed! (Another example of DYI-Joanie-style!)



It has been so nice to have both Camille and Stuart home for the holiday weekend. Camille left to go "*home" on Monday and Stuart left this evening... but not before he did snow removal duty twice! THANK YOU STUART!

*I'm sure glad that "home" is only 15 minutes away!

363- Sunshine by the Bolt

I awakened this morning to find out that "Fritz was right" and that we are being treated to snow again. I love the snow, we need the snow, I'm grateful for the snow... but I miss the sunshine.

This sort of snowy-day always makes me want to quilt (or read, or both)... and you know what I realized today? It's because quilting lets me deal with all of those wonderful colors and textures that are so absent in the monotone landscape outside. Fabric is just a little bit of sunshine on a bolt!

And what could be happier than some beautiful, lickable batiks? I don't even want to admit how long I've been working on this quilt (over 8 years... sad, so sad...) But that is the beauty of quilting, it waits patiently for you to come back, pick it up again, add some more stitches until finally it is finished, loved and in use!

362- Lighted Trees

Up around the corner one of my neighbors has all of their front yard trees wrapped just like at Temple Square. I've wanted to get a shot of them since I saw them earlier this month. I have one word for night-time low light shots... TRIPOD! (I took 37 shots without said tripod because it was just to cold to haul that up there. I deleted most of them!)



Guess what else I found... birdhouses! They are very popular in my neighborhood. Hmm, maybe come spring I need to build some birdhouses!

361- Winter Sunset Silhouette

Christmas evening I went on a quest... I wanted one more amazing sunset shot this year. I could see that wonderful pink light that I love. I walked down to Canyon Road (in the freezing cold, I might add!) and caught the sun just as it was slipping behind West Mountain. What a beautiful sight!

360- Boxing Day

We may have started a new tradition... celebrating Boxing Day in the Lewis way! Gordon had the idea to have our family dinner today because our usual 3rd Sunday dinner conflicted with the Stake Choir Festival and Christmas... well, it's just a busy day with grandkids wanting to play with their toys and visiting other family members!

It actually worked out quite well. Everyone brought something, we got to visit and, most importantly, I got a family photo of the attendees. I guess I'm going to have to work on getting better focus with my tripod-timered photos... but here we are.

359- Our Family

Here we are... this is all of the Lewis' left *at home* (and technically Camille and Stuart aren't at home. They both live in Provo but they come all the way home to Springville for Christmas.)

We've had a lovely wonderful day, very quiet and laid-back... just the kind of day I needed.

358-On Christmas Eve in the Morning

The sign of a good teacher is when the student is able to perform at a higher level than the teacher. (I just made that up!) But that is where I have arrived with my Camille. She has proven herself as a master baker! That girl has consistently turned out AWESOME cinnamon rolls and orange rolls this year. I am pleased to pass the potholders to her! You go girl!



In case you are wondering about the title... making cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve in the Morning goes way back to the early Palmdale days.

The second tradition may not happen this year... taquitos... I'm just too stuffy in the head for all that mess. So sad...

357- Birdie Condo

This fun little birdie condo lives in my neighborhood. I love the way this turned out in B&W.

356- Creative Editing

Wouldn't it be nice if all photos were just perfect they way they are? Yes, I could like that. But you know what? That is not normally my luck.

But I didn't even take this photo... so what's the problem? I have an ancient, dinosaur scanner with dust streaks on the underside of the glass. We received a very nice photo from Erik and Megan of their family that I needed to scan... yeah... time for a new scanner. (BTW anyone out there know how to clean the underside of the glass on an HP Scanner?)


FONT- Albemarle Swash, BRUSHS- Holly Pack by vaia.deviantart.com ACTION- DPMoms Perfect Workflow, TEXTURES- book cover1, chaotic soul both by SkeletalMess

355- Mama Bear

So... this is the day... the shortest day of the year. That being the case shouldn't this also be the coldest day of the year? Nope, we are just getting started with winter and today that is NOT happy news. I have a sore throat and stuffy head and pretty much want to be like a mama bear (bet she doesn't suffer from SAD) and just go to sleep until it warms up again! Today winter is looking very long, and yes, dark!

I needed the reminder that even after the coldest, darkest winters spring always comes again. Happy thought!

354- Light

Today was our Christmas program at church. The choir sang, beautifully, I might add. I am a firm believer in the saying that you work as if everything depends upon you and pray as if everything depends upon the Lord (which it does!) I've never been in a ward where there was so much talent and participation in choir.

The choir members have worked very hard, but I've also prayed for those unseen, yet heard, heavenly voices to join us in our praise of the Christ Child. My favorite is The First Noel/Pachebel's Canon. The music just speaks to my soul.

We had two speakers today interspersed with the childrens choir and the ward choir. One of the speakers was talking about the symbols of the season. Do you ever have something so obvious suddenly make sense to you? That was my experience today. The lights that we use to light our homes, yards and trees are a symbol of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.



How grateful I am for this wonderful time of year when we celebrate that marvelous event that has changed all of our lives.

353- O Tannenbaum

When I saw this lone fir tree with colored lights amidst all the white *faerie lights* I thought about O Tannenbaum...



And for those of you who would like the lyrics-

Deutsch
Tannenbaum
TEXT: Ernst Anschütz, 1824
MELODIE: Volksweise (traditional)

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur
zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Dein Kleid will mich
was lehren:
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
Gibt Trost und Kraft
zu jeder Zeit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Das soll dein Kleid
mich lehren.

If you want English you'll need to go here. ;)

352- Main Street

This is the fifth Christmas we've spent in Springville... it always amazes me when I realize that! We've watched downtown make a transformation with a new City Office complex being completed this year.

My nicest holiday surprise was when they put up this year's decorations. They are so pretty, so simple. Tonight I braved the cold so I could capture the beauty of Main Street.

351- Junie B- 1st Grader

I got to go help Miss Camille in her class today. I always enjoy my time there. Today we made the famous snowman ornament again.

These little 1st graders are always so cute! I just happened to be there during singing time again... I love those little voices! It really made it easier as Miss Camille sent them back to the classroom in 2's & 3's to have their hands painted to form the little snowman bodies. After singing time, when the paint was dry, the 1st graders (that is how Miss Camille refers to them!) used permanent markers to add the scarf, hat, arms, face and buttons.

So here is *Miss June B* with her creation.

350- Doug and Jessica's Family

Every year Doug and Jessica's family gets these wonderful Christmas family photos. Imaging my disappointment when pregnant-Jess told me that this year she wouldn't be doing a swap with one of her favorite photographers! But never fear! Grammie is here! Jess asked me if I would take their photos.



I was so pleased once I got the edited photos delivered to Doug and Jessica last night. But I found, again, that I'm a little challenged by portrait-type photos. I'm never happy with my first look through the unedited photos! But as I look a second and third time, do some tweaking... THEN I'm happy.

And now, an artistic shot...

349- Woodolph

Gordon snapped this of me at Home Depot some weeks ago and I've been saving it for this special time of year...

I present Woodolph the Wed-Nosed Weindeew!

348- Snowy Sunset

There is just something magical about the sight of the setting sun on the snow. A few nights ago I looked out when it was too late to take a photo but there was purple snow! It was beautiful.

But here is tonight's snow.

347- O Holy Night

Today I had a wonderful Sabbath, made better by some extra special things... I got to sing with *my very own sister* in Sacrament meeting today! (But did I think to get a picture of us looking all musical and pretty... nope... I forgot!)



I was scheduled to sing a solo today but when Ann called Saturday afternoon to say their plans had changed, because of our snow storm, and could they spend the night and go to church with us I jumped on the opportunity to sing once again with my sister. We sang "O Holy Night"; one of my favorite Christmas hymns.

The arrangement I have comes from this book of Mom's costing $1 in 1949! After Mom passed away I asked if I could have this small book of music that we sang from and, then later, I sang from with Vivian when we moved back to Greenville after I was married.

One of our favorite things to do when we were growing up was to sing around the piano with Mom playing and the three of us (sisters) singing. It just gives me a warm feeling inside to remember those days. It reminds me of just how lucky I was to be born into a family where there was so much love and big sisters "who prayed for me!"

346- Baby Toesies

I just love baby toesies! Today I did a family photo shoot for Doug's family for Christmas cards. I'm such a lucky Grammie to have this wonderful family just up the road from me. I will probably post my favorite family photo in the coming days... but today... Roxie's toesies!