December 30, 2014

I pass by this tree-covered hill almost daily.

It is so beautiful yet at the end of a parking lot and a busy intersection. It’s just a reminder to me that you can find beauty anywhere if you take time to slow down and look for it.

image

Advertisement

December 28, 2014

This is the back of Salem Lake.

I pass this view as I take Emma to her friend Meredith’s house.  It is beautiful at dusk.

Today it is overcast, so there is not much to look at, but I finally took the time to stop and take a couple of photos of this view of the lake.

 

December 27, 2014

I took time to remember my father today. I miss him.  We had a great relationship and I have so many fond memories of him.  His office was in our backyard, and it is still much the same as it was when he worked there. The photos include some of his tools and things he was working on before he died.  He kept his nails and screws in Sir Walter Raleigh cans, as that was his tobacco of choice for his pipe and he hated to throw away the cans after he had used them. There is also a view of his office from our back yard, including the swing that used to be mine. The photo on his desk is of me when I was 10 in a frame that I made for him for Father’s Day in 1975.  What looks like a photo of the devil is a very old drawing that he had on his wall, an early optical illusion called “Gossip.”  It used to fascinate and frighten me at the same time. And the cat?  The cat is over 25 years old and is the surviving cat of three that my dad kept in the office. Freckles is still going strong and can still jump up and down to the window that she loves to look out.

December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas!

I love Christmas at my family home.  My dad died 6 years ago, and my grandparents have long gone, but I still enjoy going home to be with those of us who are still here.  I worry that I don’t have many more Christmases at home to look forward to, as my mother and two aunts that live with her are getting older and are in bad health.  But I’m trying to stay focused on today and am grateful to still have the opportunity to go home and celebrate Christmas with my family.

These are some shots from the day…

photo 1 photo 3 photo 4

December 24, 2014

Emma and I attended the Christmas Eve service at church tonight.

It was lovely.  At the end of the service the lights go down and we all hold candles.  Just beautiful.  Though I didn’t take a photo of the candlelight, I snapped one before the service and of the church in the mist as we went in.photo 1 photo 2

December 23, 2014

It was a misty, drizzly rain today.

I like days like these.  They don’t make me depressed, but make me want to be at home in my easy chair or curled up in bed.

This shot is of Nick in the car at night as we waited at the movie theater for his dad to take him and Emma to see a movie.12-23

December 21, 2014

It’s starting to feel more like Christmas to me.

Emma and I went caroling with our church today at a nursing home.  We visited many residents and it was wonderful to have them sing along with us and smile as we walked down the hall (until, that is, we set the alarms off–twice!!)12-21