Project Blizzard

gifts handmade by my four-year-old neighbor
Welcome to 2013 and to my first winter smile collection of the entire year! This is my 1,000th published post! I didn't plan it this way at all!!!





Last Project Blizzard, I accidentally forgot to include one very big November smile. When the weather is bad, The Lizard and I like to spend an hour or two in a bookstore. During an early November visit, I stumbled upon an extremely reasonably priced copy of Jean Leinhauser's "365 Crochet Stitches." I'd had it on my wishlist since... probably since electronic wishlists were invented.

Sadly, we lost Jean, the Crochet Queen, in 2011. Her OOP (out of print) books skyrocketed in price. I had no hope of ever landing the handy little daily crochet calendar I'd wanted so long.

I felt almost as if I was stealing from the bookstore when I checked out. How lucky for me the bookstore didn't know what a goldmine it had on its shelves for just $24.95!!!


December had moments (and days) absent of smiles, didn't it? Sometimes the world can seem so dark, so lost, so hopeless. But goodness is out there. I had to look hard last month to find joy. My search was successful.

There were a few more absolutely brilliant sunrises.


I was able to turn some of those sunrises into snowflake inspirations via a kaleidoscope photo editing program.








Our new lunchroom at work offers more daylight than I can soak up in one hour.








When my workgroup moved to a new floor, we all had to take home all personal stuff, then bring it back after we were done moving. While moving my tiny portable studio and first digital camera back to the office, I committed the unpardonable sin. The old dinosaur camera hit the pavement. Hard.

It's been a tank through ten hard years now, surviving several such accidental drops, including two total immersions. (Yes, I baptized my first digital camera. Twice. Although not intentionally either time. The electronic technology converted me, so only fair I returned the favor, right?)

This most recent bouncing spill, however, the camera body did not fare as well. Perhaps it's getting old, like me, and resenting what it gets put through. The Lizard carefully and skillfully applied a little duct tape (to the camera, not me), and presto! My little Fuji works again!



Indian summer tricked some of my bulbs into growing again. And then winter returned. I moved five pots of greenery inside before they could freeze. No flowers yet, but the little babies are showing me every day how much they appreciate a nice warm house and a grow light.



We had never known the name of three plants The Lizard inherited from his father, until November when one of them began doing something we didn't know to expect and I published photos of the progress in a Wordless Wednesday. Marigold let us know these tropical treats are dwarf umbrella trees. And the little pinecone-looking formations turned into itsy bitsy firecracker-like flowers!




I've been asked once again to be an official photographer for the 2013 Youth Trek. !!!



The Lizard and I have been donating blood together for about seven years now. In December, we got to donate side by side for the first time ever.



I got behind in crocheting around one rock every week during the office move, but I've caught back up.


Most noteworthy this month, in my opinion, have been a pair of snowflake drives. The first, snowflakes for the family and small children of a needlecrafter who died suddenly after Thanksgiving, made me long for another drive after the world went dark December 14. Then three Ravelry members pointed me to the Connecticut PTSA's request for snowflakes for the new elementary school. (The PTSA now has enough snowflakes; they have a semi truck FULL!!!!!!!!!!)

Making snowflakes has always been a healing thing for me. Viewing snowflakes, the ones made by chilly temperatures, has always had a peaceful and calming effect on me, perhaps because I grew up in the desert and they were so rare. Sending snowflakes as gifts has always felt like a perfect way to send love across the miles to places I could not be.

I wait anxiously with hope that someone might share photos of the donated snowflakes that likely will completely cover the walls and ceilings of the new school. Perhaps some special snowflakes will be given to the families who lost someone.

Wouldn't it be cool if snowflakes became a new international symbol for love and friendship?!?


NOTE: I had to close this post to comments due to the high number of comments being attempted by fake fans.

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