160- Full Moon

The chances of me getting a photo of the day much earlier in the day than this one are pretty slim! It was taken at 12:13 am!



I just love the moon and her beautiful, silvery light. I love the way that silvery light filters in through the blinds into my bedroom.

I noticed that the moon was going to rise over our mountains as I was cleaning up the kitchen. Ahh, says I, I have a good reason to try out my new $25 tripod (Yes, I know, Scott Kelby would have a fit... ) I had plenty of time to get it out of the box and set up before the moon would make her appearance. I wish you could have been a little fly watching me in my jacket,slippers and glasses (well, I had on other clothes too!) trying to set up just the right shot. The clouds were floating past the moon and gave the shot even more character.

I was also surprised at how black and white this photo turned out. This is not a converted b&w... just the way it is at midnight!

159- Miniature Roses

I think I've mentioned that we're having the nicest spring here. I don't remember any spring that has been consistently this nice and temperate. We've gone a month or more without using the heater or the air conditioner! What a treat!

The other up side of this condition is that my garden is happier than it has ever been. My flowers and lawn are thriving. I have two miniature rose bushes (not to be confused with rose bushes that are miniature!) that I've let grow quite large. They are just covered with their tiny, intricate blossoms.



As I was pulling out of the driveway on Friday I noticed that the pink blossoms are just exquisite! They are light pink on the outer petals and almost electric pink in the centers. You have to keep in mind that this little blossom is only about 1.75" in diameter.

It just makes me happy to see them.

158- Happy Sabbath

I look forward to Sundays as a time for worship, rejuvenation, family and rest. I'm so grateful for this day every week.

This evening after I'd returned from Stake Choir practice (we will be singing for Stake Conference at the end of the month) there was a knock at the door and there were Kevin, Suzi and Ethan come to Grammie's house on a bike ride (and that is no small feat... 6 miles up hill all the way!) Suzi and Ethan were both dressed in blue shirts and looked so photogenic that I just had to get out the camera.



I got lots of good shots that Suzi wants to enlarge and put in Ethan's room... but this one is my favorite. Ethan was determined to get to this garden-ornament flower. He crawled through the ivy bed to get there. I love the little wet hand print on the porch and the wet spots on his pants from this morning's rain. He was not going to be deterred! Funny baby-guy!

157- And They Were Taught

Last night I had over-night-Grammie-duties at our son's house. I always look forward to these times with my grandchildren. I'm always so impressed at how well they have been taught by their parents.

This isn't the first night I've been there to do the *bed-time rountine*... but this time I had my camera with me. These little kids (ha!! Ashton is almost as tall as I am and she's not even 10 yet!!!) are so good about their bedtime and the things they need to do to prepare for bed. I just marvel at how good they are.

First there is scripture time. I love the fact that this giant Book of Mormon is almost used up. It shows that it has gotten lots of use. Ash helps the little ones when it is their turn to read (I remember when that was Grammie's job!)



Next they have prayer. I just couldn't resist getting this shot of Roxie! What a cutie! She was the family prayer person! (I asked her to do it again so I could get this picture!)



Then it was off to bed with lots of hugs and kisses between the siblings and from Grammie.

This morning the kids were up bright and early, as usual, but the stayed quiet so *poor* Grammie could sleep in until 7:30! Before we were even finished with breakfast Christian was outside watering their garden.

Yes, they have been well taught by their parents. I wonder if they (the collective they... all of our grandchildren) realize how lucky they are to have such good and loving parents. Probably not... it is just the way it is...

156- Will Time Heal...

... those painful little scabby-spots that we all seem to have?



Since posting the Mormon Message video *Hope Ya Know, we had a hard time!* a couple of days ago I've really had lots of time/things to think about on this subject.

On the one hand, I am so grateful to know that the Lord is there for me... even before I say, "Hope ya know, I'm having a hard time!" I know that I've never been left alone to fend for myself. He is always there to comfort and guide me.

But on the other hand (I also have 5 fingers) there are many times I feel like this weeping birch (hmm, how appropriately named!). I've got this raw little scabby-spot that is slow to heal. And I ask myself, "Will it ever heal in this lifetime?" And I answer, "No, I don't think so!" But as the years pass that little scabby-spot gets smaller and it isn't so sensitive all the time.

So does time really heal all wounds? I don't know... I'll have to get back to you on that one 28 years from now, but I can tell you it is better than it was 28 years ago and that I know I don't have to do it alone!

155- Spurs that Jingle-Jangle

Oh... oh... I've got spurs that jingle-jangle as I go riding merrily along...



Actually no riding, but I do have spurs!

I found this photo tucked away in one of my folders. I'd forgotten that I'd even taken them on the very first day I owned my new camera! (I found them when I was digging around for my backyard before flowerbed photo.)

I grew up loving EVERYTHING cowboy and horses. I loved Roy Rogers (I WAS Roy Rogers complete with imitation pearl-handled pistols!) and his trusty horse Trigger. I still smile when I think about horses and cowboys!

So here today I share some happy photos that make me smile!



(These photos were taken at the Bravo Cheese Factory in Traver, CA on March 16, 2009)

Hope Ya Know...

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook. I just wept... I love hearing from our Apostles.



Hope ya know... I had a good day this day!

154- Wet Pack Cannery

Tonight Gordon and I got to do another service assignment. This time at the wet pack cannery. Although we've worked at the Bishops Storehouse and the meat packing plant we'd never done this before so it was an adventure.

Since this is my day at the Temple Gordon picked me up there and we grabbed a bite to eat (Chicken Tortilla Soup at Cafe Rio, Yummy!!) and arrive just in time for our 5 pm shift. I think I should have gotten the "Best Dressed Volunteer Award" as I came in my dress. All of the cannery employees and service missionaries wear dark blue shirts and denim pants (imagine serving a mission where that was your required dress!)

They sent Gordon and I to the labeling work area (Truth be known I think someone must have told them not to let me have a hose for the clean-up detail!!) And since you've already seen Gordon and I in our fashion hairnets we'll pass on that for tonight.

I had the best job, bar none! I got to sit in an office chair in front of these rollers and after a huge machine dumped 24 cans of Pork and Beans into the box I closed the top and ran it through the machine the taped it closed. Then Gordon loaded them onto a pallet.



There wasn't a steady stream of cans so in the breaks I learned more about what the process was. After the pork and beans were packed into the cans they are loaded into these ginormous baskets; each basket holds 540 cans. Then two basket are put into even larger pressure cookers, cooled in water and wheeled into the labeling area.



I needed to go out for a break which necessitated a change of apron, hairnet and gloves. While I was in the room making the change I noticed a sign that I liked very much. It went something like this.

The work you do here is like the work you do in the Temple (and is just as important).
At the Temple, you do work for the dead.
Here you do work for the living.
At the Temple, you make covenants.
Here you keep covenants.

I just want to express again how grateful I am that I am on the giving end of this service. The Lord has blessed us so much.

153- New Flowerbed

Have you ever noticed that when you do some kind of fix-up at your house that it just leads to more and more projects? Yeah, me too.

The deck project has morphed into a backyard fix up project. For years we've been unhappy with the skinny little flowerbeds that were here.



This photo taken in March shows how narrow this bed is. Sadly with the cement curbing there isn't an easy way to change the size or shape of the bed without removing the curbing.

(Enter: Shera, Warrior Princess!)

I started yesterday with my trusty spade (aka shovel) and started removing the sod. The soil was just right to lift the sod and then knock most of the soil out of it before I hauled the grassy part out to the trailer. I lifted the curbing using the shovel like a lever. The good news is that it was a mostly sand cement so it broke into manageable-sized pieces just by dropping it on one another.

I wanted a curved flowerbed to add some interest to my very linear backyard. But you know what I found as I was digging don't you? Yep, lots and lots of rocks. Here's the grand-daddy of them all...



And you must remember that even though my feet look cute, pink and polka-dottie... they are a size 9. It took both Gordon and I with 2 shovels pulling and pushing just to get this out of the hole!

But don't worry... it wasn't alone... it had lots of friends and relatives to keep it company.



Here is what my flowerbed NOW looks like... graceful curves and rocks for accent (what else?). I removed, separated and transplanted the mums that lived in that bed and then transplanted some of my Gerbera daisies that weren't happy where they were under the willow tree.

Hmmm... what next??

152- ... And a ____ in a Pear Tree

We all know the song 12 Day of Christmas. Well, today I didn't have a partridge in a pear tree but a QUAIL!

These fat little cow-lick-birdies have frequented our neighborhood since we moved here. I've watched them walk all over the place (parading in single file like they are playing "We're following the leader"!

Yes, I knew they could fly... but I just didn't expect to find one up in a pear tree!



I was out sitting on the deck taking my late lunch break from yard work when I heard that silly quail proclaiming to the neighborhood that he was up a tree! I watched him for a while. He was very cooperative and let me take lots of pictures of him (32 to be exact). He couldn't quite figure out the shutter sound. When he turned his back on me after about 5 minutes and I spoke to him he flew off to a more distant tree and continued his calling.

What a treat!