068/365 Update

Remember the post from, ummm, yeah, 6 hours ago? with the green grass in the background and the lilac bud?

This is what it looked like 6 hours later! Scheesh!

068- My Favorite Lilac

With the change to daylight savings time we are having some very dark mornings. We are situated right at the base of the east mountains so it takes a while for the sun to rise here to begin with... but add to that our "daylight savings" and we really have it dark. This morning we also have a heavy cloud cover so it was really, REALLY dark. It almost makes me feel like I've been plunged back into the middle of January. (And this morning that isn't a happy thought!)

I needed some reminder that it is in fact March and that winter is almost over and the dark days are coming to an end. When I opened the blinds in the family room (which is in a half-depth basement) I could look right out and there were lilac buds to give me heart and encouragement. (OK, so why does that make me cry?) I needed that *tender mercy* from the Lord to remind me that, yes, the sun does come out again!



So I got my trusty little Lumix camera and went out to document this sign of hope and renewal. I left the nursery tag on my lilac bushes when I planted them 4 years ago. I stretched it out to remind myself what it was and found this:



Lilacs probably are my favorite flower for oh-so-many reasons! Lilacs always take me back to Mom's little house and the love and safety I remember there. (I talk more about that here.) I look forward to warm spring days and smelling the heady sent of lilacs wafting in the windows.

067- Rose Colored Glasses

I have a tendency to look at the world through *rose-colored glasses* (I'm a glass half-full-kinda-girl). But I didn't need them for this beautiful view out my bedroom window. The sun was going down in all its splendor and the resultant pink glow lit up the eastern sky and mountains. I love this late evening light. There is just a Godly quality about it that feeds my soul.

Truly, God created a beautiful world for us to enjoy.





This is the view from the front of my house ...(You didn't really think I could pass up a shot of the actual sunset did you?)

066- A Slice of Vintage

Yesterday on my trip to and from Manti I saw so many things that I wanted to take photos of and I thought, "I'll stop at my leisure on the way home." Little did I know that there would be a snow storm and I wouldn't even see most of those interesting things again!

But I did see this wonderful vintage Texaco sign (I wish I could remember what town it was in!). It reminded me of the signs I used to see growing up (hmmm... 50 years ago! yikes, how can that be??) Luckily I got to this one before the storm totally moved in.



And those photos of the herd of sheep with lots of black sheep and the shoe tree... well, I guess they will just have to wait for another day and another trip!

065- Time and all Eternity

What a beautiful day! What a happy day! What a special day for Sandie and Matthew... I am so pleased for them. Today they were married for time and all eternity in the Manti Temple. What a marvelous blessing to be able to be with our loved ones, not just for now, but for eternity.


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My day started with happy news. I saw Diane and her little grand daughters walking from her sister's house past mine on her way to her house... being ever vigilant with my camera I ran out to get photos of this darling group. The happy news was that their friend from So. California was going to be there with his mongol Nikon 200 cameras (yes, 2 of them, and wonderful assorted professional equipment, drool...) and I was off the hook as *official photographer*... deep sigh!!!



A gentleman commented on how lovely Sandie looked in her wedding ensemble. I was just tickled at how beautiful she was and how happy both of them looked. What a lovely idea. (Every week Sandie told be she could hardly wait to wear her coat). I am so pleased.



Even though I wasn't the *offical photographer* I did get my share of shots and composed this one. (Hey, I got 59 shot... just a smidge)



My happy neighbors... I love this family so much. I really identify with the all female home that they live in... so much like my growing up.



Lastly, Diane and girls wanted to make sure that no one had to make the 1.5+ hour drive home hungry so they prepared these lovely boxed lunches. I ate the contents, but I'm saving the box!





Happy day... happy snowy-honeymoon Sandie and Matthew. I just know you're waiting anxiously for my post (snicker...)

064- Surprise!

Can I just say... this is what I love about living here? I feel like I've been transported back to being a girl growing up in Greenville, CA. The weather is so unpredictable... and I love it!

I know that this isn't a perk to many people but I love surprises.

I woke up this morning and as frequently happens, I woke up with a headache (I just can't like that!!!) I noticed through the blinds and curtains (yes, both... remember the light induced headaches?) that it was abnormally bright but it wasn't until I went into the kitchen to make my daily oatmeal (don't talk to me until I've had my oatmeal!) and opened the kitchen blinds that I realize that the blinding brightness was reflecting off 2-3" of new snow!

See what I mean... Tuesday- warm, windy and 68 degrees, Wednesday- blowing a gale, dirt everywhere, coldish, maybe 45-50 degrees, Thursday- sunny, bright, snow, 45 degrees... I wonder what surprise tomorrow will bring?

063- Deer Neighbors

So do you think that I just made a typo on the title? Nope I really do mean DEER- neighbors. I just love the fact that they are my neighbors (in spite of the fact that those swine-deer eat my tulips!!)

Yesterday Harley and I went for a walk in our beautiful 68 degree weather (I have to enjoy them when they come... today was cold and VERY windy. I thought I was back in Palmdale again). Anyway we were walking on the Hobble Creek trail that starts *in town*- 17th East and Canyon Rd- and continues all they way up the canyon to the golf course. But we weren't all the way up the canyon... we were right across from the Pizza Hut church (another whole story to follow) with houses and streets and everything. There is this garden area with some nice fruit trees and there was a whole herd of deer. Yup... I love it! There were 8 of them but this little guy was the cutest. I was no more than 30-40 feet from them. Most of them didn't even get up, they just kept lounging in the sun (just like me enjoying the sunny day).



OK... so here's the story about the Pizza Hut church. Living in Utah there are tons of churches (just like other parts of the country, but here most of them are LDS Churches) so people have nick-named them- there's the old white church in Mapleton or the Copper-top church, also in Mapleton.. you get the idea! When the properly named Canyon Chapel was first built there wasn't any steeple AND it had a red tile roof... hence the Pizza Hut Church. People all over the valley know that one! Yeah... and please don't tell President Jacobsen I told this story... he doesn't like it when people call it the Pizza Hut Church ;)

062- Meat Packing Assignment

We live very close to one of the very few meat packing plants owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (It supplies the US, Canada and Mexico). Every so often our ward is asked to volunteer for a 2.5 hour shift to help in the meat packing. This morning Gordon & I went along with other members from our ward. It is always a fun experience.


Our neighbor, Kevin and Gordon getting ready for work.

Today we were assigned to the Franks (aka hot dogs) packing room. We've both done this before so we kind of knew what we were doing. But today I got to learn more about the process. (I'm just like a little kid, I want so see and know everything and how it works.)

The head-frank-guy took the time to show me around and explain some of the specifics to me. They use only 100% beef. It starts as hamburger- 1/3 very lean bull meat and then 2/3 65-35% fat hamburger. It goes into an enormous mixer with blades moving at 3500 RPM (don't stick your hand in there!). They add the spices and some water to the very lean meat and somehow that makes a natural enzyme in the lean meat come out that then binds the whole lot together (so there are no added thickeners), then they add the higher fat meat and blend until it is the consistency of baby food. It is then packed in the *casings* or tubing and goes into the smoker/cooker (I still smell like a wienie roast even after going for a walk in the wind to blow-the-stick-off!). The franks are then cooled, removed from the casings and brought in huge red tubs to the packing line.

There were 4 men putting the 8-franks each into the bottom half of the packaging, it goes through a long machine that removes the air and seals the top part of the packaging...


Our friend and ward member Mike Hill with other workers.

THEN it was my turn to take these packages of the conveyor belt and pack them into boxes that held 27 packages (each roughly 1 pound each).



When the boxes were full Gordon would send them through a binding machine that put strapping around the box, added a label and loaded the boxes onto palettes. (Is all of this way too much information?)

Like I said... I'm just a little kid and love to know how things work and watch the machines do their job. Bless those engineers and designers who build them.

The head-frank-guy said that the demand is up 40% over last year. And that fact makes me so grateful for the fact that I am-

1. Not in need of Church assistance because of unemployment or illness.
2. Strong and healthy enough to go work to help others.
3. Part of a wonderful Church that has a system in place to help those who need it.
4. Live close enough to be part of this work.

It was a fun morning... I'm glad I could go.

061- Model A Cafe

Our dear friends opened a little cafe almost a year ago. It is called the Model A Cafe and is located in Mapleton, Utah. We try to go there often and this was one of our days. It is like stepping back in time; where you know your neighbors and the owner comes to chat with you during your dinner.

I love this little old rusted Model A. It sits right by the cute red building. In the summer there are beautiful flowers blooming in the now dead and empty pots. (I can see that I've just opened the door for a summer post about the Model A Cafe!)

It's always a pleasant dining experience... my recommendations? You can't go wrong with the french dip sandwich and Teresa makes a homemade apple cake with cream sauce that is to die for. Happy times.


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060- Lamb or Lion?

When I was a little girl I always liked to try to keep track of March and its Lamb and Lion reputation. The theory was that if it came in like a Lamb it would then go out like a Lion or visa-versa. My problem was that I usually couldn't remember at the end of the month what the weather was on the first of the month... so much for long term memory!

But this year I proclaim that in Springville it is a very lamb-like day. It is 62 degrees again... I could get used to this!

So what sort of day is it in your neck of the woods?