Reomote Control Deer

I have been getting ready for the holiday season and things are coming along nicely, I’ve always wanted to do a camping event for turkey day, I may get my wish this year.

Hubby found the “left-overs” from poachers at the farm last weekend and had to call the game warden. They left behind a knife so that is going for evidence. Next weekend we will have to do no hunting markers on the fence posts, these, then the game warden will be putting up a remote control decoy deer.

We have decided to take the camper up and it will be good so we can get lunch, and warm up. Soup is on the menu. This is close enough to count.

Daughter in Love ~ to be’s parents got a new place, tongue and grove wood interior walls it's a log cabin and last night she said they have no water the well is nearly dry, and the sellers had to worked on the pump.

Dear son said some other people he knows had well problems,
that had never had trouble before ever, it’s been such a dry year here has caused problems what a bummer!

New job is going well, I’m watching dear grandson while he plays with his cousins and his mom works on the new house they are building less than miles mi. from here.

Daily

Today I’ve done my morning stuff dishes laundry kitchen chores;
lost six lbs. and went for a walk, we are supposed to get a rain storm before the day is out. A rain storm is supposed to blow in here tonight and dump several feet of snow in the cascades!

No grand kids here today #1 dgd got strept throat we caught it early and she is on meds now. Hoping to stop this before any one else gets ill.

I was going to watch dear grand son 3 this morning while his folks did a concrete pour on their new house, but they had a rain delay so I got the morning off, this is sweet because I was up early and got my stuff done sooner than I’d hoped.

I cleaned my rings and polished the silver and took a nap!

I un-kinitted four inches of a baby blanket I to correct a mistake. I have some of it knitted up again.

I have some verses to add graphics to now I hope I can get those or the pictures I need for this.

Wireless

I am SO excited found out there is wireless close to the house at the corner when I was out for my walk I asked the guy working on it!!! So glad I took my walk when I did,
a storm blew in after I got home so my timing was great. I walked 2.5 mi. today so feeling good about that.

Clear wire is in our area the is intriguing, having that where ever, not just at home.
I’ll be checking in to it. As well. And there is high speed cable in the area too we've had that before. Our son thinks we need to have pc capability for the ones that are not wireless too. I’m not sure I think that is a priority for me any way.

My finger is healing up, learning what I can do one handed now quite a bit actually and the family is pitching in to help this is good. gkids had fun trick or treating last night, despite the rain. We only had like 5 trick or treaters here Mon. night rain does that.

Owie!

I cut my finger on Fri. and it’s doing better.
I’m glad to be able to type!

I have made out a list of 10 goals for next year, and thinking about where I want to be next year at this time; it feels good, dear son will be married looks like we will have the farm decluttered by then too.

Focusing on strengths is good, and on continuing to learn, books I’m reading.

My web. design class, and swimming lesson car pool time slots have been freed up for the rest of the this year, this is good so I can focus on the holidays and some things for the first of the year.

I took a long walk on Sunday 2.5 miles in mile sunny 51* temps and I was able to enjoy some great weather and process a lot that’s been going on around here. This weekend I enjoyed painting and drawing, I got some knitting done too. Dear granddaughters helped me bake up a few cookies.

Back From Town

I’m back from town got some errands done got on the pumpkin bread waiting list at the store. I found turkey napkins and plates for sides and TV trays wood like I’ve been wanting for a while! =D

At the thrift shop I "found" fish slippers (bass)! A basket in fall colors to match the house! We have rust colored carpet we love it this time of year! I also found an item in my favorite sent lavender this year. A wood unfinished shelf to paint. A container to paint for the reception to hold flowers sand or what ever. Got a book Bob Green’s Total Body Make Over, I enjoyed the make the connection one he did.

Last night I finished reading a book on Da Vinci (non fiction). Today I’ve been reading in the Christmas Box Miracle By Richard Paul Evans.

I'm getting weaned off the news again now after the hurricane Katrina I was riveted. This morning I woke up at 4:30 am I'll need a nap today!
I got a list typed up for gift baskets and entered in my Airsplanner group.

Rainy Tuesday

It’s a rainy Tuesday here, and we really need it! I’ve had a fresh juicy home grown apple from our tree this week, bottle of water and a new artists sketch book magazine came in the mail for a special treat for me before my “me time” after lunch. Some inspiring music is on in the back ground getting some good in put to fill the well of my heart after giving a lot it’s time to recharge.

I made up some healthy home made trail mix with no nuts Great for a snacks is good. Made up some home made granola too. Part of my eating program to get back to the normal weight range and being over weight. and obese was no fun I'm glad to be at a new goal with this today great news here yea!

I’ve cleaned out the clipping from my 3x5 file and put them in the box for
dear grand kiddos to use for gluing and pasting on cards. They will love these new additions to the craft supplies.

Shopping Fun!

I was at the fabric store last Fri. it was busy, and the sound reminded me of buzzing like a hive of bees with all the gals in there shopping. It was very inspiring just to be around all that energy. I was looking for some thing did not find it in there. A mag. personal journaling I can no longer find I think they have stopped publishing it, I really enjoyed that one I’m sad to not be able to find it. =(

We painted wood craft last weekend, and next we are doing to glue paper and I tore up some scrap booking papers for the girls to colage with for the next crafting project, now I need to find a container for them to collage. We have some paper craft ideas to use for our next crafting session with granny.They love it we have snacks and tea or juice in mini tea cups if they want. The girls had fun and visited like hens at a hen party! LOL!

While shopping I did manage to find some new books:

The Power of A Positive Woman
by Karol Ladd

The Martha Rules
10 essential for achieving success as you start, build, or manage a business.

It's Time

It’s time to blog again sick grand kids here this week so
my focus has been on that, nothing like a sick child to get your priorities back on order!

House building job offer watching dear grand son while his folks work on this.
Retirement party / open house b.b.q. to attend and get a gift basket made up for it have the stuff for it so it won't take long.

Swimming lesson car pool, knitting on a baby blanket it’s ½ done now.
I made up 4 more gift bags it felt great to be sewing again.

I’ve been super excited about learning my way around the paint program on my pc and learning some new things I can do with it so that’s where my time is being invested. I'm going to be checking in to some stuff for the pc port plug in memeory adapter, and I still need a printer cord.

We walked around the block to see the fall lights that are up and saw 4 deer last night. Rugby season is in full swing for dear son. Dear sis is excited about a new grand child. These are few new things in our week.

Busy Week

I have been busy this week class,
car pool begins for swimming lessons,
web. design class,
learning how to make tags,
and do stationery features have been fun
for me this week.

New grand nephew made his appearance this week,
our family is growing again now.

Not much time for blogging or journaling.
I’m learning to edit photos in some of the programs I have on my pc.
This has been fun!
Last night I got the book idiots guide to windows XP book,
I was disappointed in this one,
the 98 version has more info. in it.
I will be looking in to the web page design one next.

Grape & Raisen Pie

I had a great time yesterday with dear grand daughter in the back yard we were playing tea party, and espresso drive through at the play house. And then we played soccer, picked some grapes for a pretend grape pie, and I told her about grape pie, and raisin pie, and raisin sauce granny used to make.

I did some gardening and got some pruning done, the weather was great,
sunny with clear sapphire blue skies. Today I took some great pics. on my walk with the cell phone camera. The fall flowers are lovely after the much needed rains we had last night and this morning.

Today I’m got done with granny duty for the week. I finished the pink baby blanket and I have started on the next one green white and blue.

My sis said she’s going to be a granny again any day now, the family is growing, the granny thing is not a temporary job!

Tools of the Trade

Party decorations are like my tools, a carpenter has a hammer and nails.
I have bows bells and silk flowers to decorate for weddings, parties and other
events. My tools are kept in boxes.

Ack! A couple of people have suggested tossing the bows, and table clothes
when done with the event. There is so much money that can be saved by
reusing these items. Another way to save is by getting them at yard sales
and or thrift shops. I get my things out that I need, after the event separate
out the colored things and set aside the white bows and bells from the colored ones
and see who needs them for upcoming weddings etc.

Tossing them unless they are totally ruined is just not acceptable,
we have used some of these items in like eight events! I have cleaned them
up to reused again and if we can't use them then I'd at least like to donate
them to a place that will recycle them for the next party or other event.
My challenge has been to get others to understand this.

Seasonal Workout Changes:

Fall swimming lessons are starting up this month.

Swimming and working out at a gym, fall makes us think about things to do to increase our indoor exercise activity level. Considering renewing or getting a gym membership?
Getting out the pedal bike or indoor stationery bike? These are a few things that might be worth considering. I need to remember that Washing walls, windows, moving boxes.
and other cleaning, for holiday prep. counts for exercise too!

As well as fall yard clean up, fall gardening mowing and yard work count too.
raking leaves, hauling wood and or branches off, we have that to do here this fall.
Hubby mowed yesterday it was his turn this time of year I don’t have to worry about him mowing over any of my plants they are done for the season now! LOL!

I’ve been know to just do some Walking in place in front of our favorite TV shows. It’s a great to get the blood moving also. So is doing some shopping.

This past week I got some rubber tubing at the pharmacy it’s good to use on my walks for resistance exercises, and this fits in a pocket, purse, brief case or book bag, for a portable work out on the go when traveling, or on a break. I have a ped-o-meter and that is a one way we have used to gauge our amount of exercise.

Well that link did not work!

What is Fall?

What is fall?
We went for another walk my granddaughter and I she’s five now earlier this week she was asking, “What is fall?”

We gathered nuts and she started collecting leaves that had fallen, yellow and green ones. It was such a delight to share in her experience of “discovering fall.” I realize that fall is something you can’t explain it has to be experienced! Like the festival with hay rides, pumpkin picking, and corn maze they went to last weekend complete with cider and freshly picked apples at a local orchard.

So what is fall to you?

----

Note: I wrote this last year it's from my peelsplanner yahoo group.

Sat.~ File Tweaking

Note: I wrote this on sat. As a draft but could not get in to the site because they were doing updates & tweaking of their own.

File tweaking I have been moving some files and clearing out excess ones from one of my groups that was over loaded with them and moved them into the other one today. I decided journaling is a hobby I moved journaling prompts files to my craft / hobby group. While I was doing that I was able to update one of my programs (Adobee) for the XP version and the PC is working so much better now! Yea!

I got a letter off to mom this week, and the girls got some pictures drawn for the next one.
Fri. I went to a yard sale and got some more netting and tulle in four inch wide rolls for decorating the wedding reception for dear son. Hubby said there was snow up north Fri.
Sat. morning I got seven boxes of wedding decorations loaded in the truck to take up to dear daughters; but she was not home, so I was not able to accomplish my mission not yet any way. After I got that stuff out of the sewing / craft room kitchen/dining area. I was able to put the yarn I'm working with for baby blankets in containers I empties out and it's nice to have some room to put stuff again now. I get it out of the main living areas upstairs.

Well the guy did not buy the boat I have mixed feelings about that.

For fun I have been drawing some sketches in my journal and using colored pens on them!

Dear grand daughters are here more this weekend their mom is out of town.
She is going to try go get a flower girl dress dear grand daughter will be a flower girl in two weddings in the next eight months, the first one is in a few weeks their back up sitter who is sixteen is expecting and getting married. She will be getting the first baby blankets I've been knitting on.

Looks like the neighbors are moving out they have split up and she said they are getting a divorce.

Interesting Web. Page Design Class

Web design class was interesting, I learned some stuff and was glad I went. Learning to build web pages in a program I have on my pc has been consuming a lot of my time. I'm glad I can focus on this now that school is back in session. It's good to have something for me. The church's praise band pratice session was going on in the back ground I thrived on it! =D This was not the case for other class members.

One brought up a change and strongly urged it, not me & I expressed my view. I like meeting at the church, I have thought of some other things I consider and it feels safe and there is lots of lighting, and parking! Other classes meeting there too it's a busy place makes it feel safer too.

After class I got a devo. hand-out they print out for Oct. that would not have happened had we not been there, I punched holes in it and it's in my planner now! And last week I was able to get a bulletin. I suggested we get hand outs and we can be thinking about setting up a note book. They liked my suggetions! Looking forward to the hand outs and c.d.'s

Grats:
I have the next color on the pink baby blanket I'm doing, I am enjoying this project.
I saw a couple of deer on my walk the other day.
Dear daughter and dear grand son came by and we enjoyed the swing that was when it was still nice weather mid. week.
I got current on my journaling and quiet time readings, and updated my planners, got a letter to mom ready to mail.
The sketches I did to decorate my journal pages have been inspiring me this week I have been enjoying them.

Liquid Gold II

Ways to save on fuel

1. Ride a bike the kind you pedal.
2. Use the vehicle that burns the least amount of fuel to drive the furtherest distance.
ie hubby takes my car to work.
3. Drive motor cycle.
4. Budget outings like camping boating ect. less often.
5. Shop for groceries closer to home mail bills plan errands by distance with as little back tracking as possible.

Writing blogging posting on message boards errands web page designing = messy house! {Guess what I’m doing today. LOL!}

Liquid Gold

The coffee is on I love mornings java junkies unite!

We are having a bit more lovely fall weather up to 82* & 83* today and tomorrow before fall rains come this weekend and through the week. Yesterday was warm with bright blue skies and leaves turning colors were very eye catching as we drove around town. I came home the long way and enjoyed the scenic drive by the river and I’m counting it for my artists date, because we got books!

I got a review written up on one and learned how to use the new web site, kind of scary, but each time I do it I seem to learn something.

The new to me book idiots guide to windows 98 I got at the thrift shop yesterday already has me learning. I learned some stuff just by leafing through it! So I’ll need to take this one it to class I can tell! I made a tag so I’m going to see how to integrate that with graphs. Learning to run the paint program is fun! I’m be getting some stuff I need out of it already.

I read some in the new books gleaned out the info. needed and
some of the things in the other book was interesting The Notebook had review on the cover that gave away the ending, this makes me not even want to read it or see the movie! Talk about a spoiler! Their ought to be a law against this or something.

The book 17 Essentual Qualities of a Team Player by John Maxwell, I really like the format of this book and the white paper in this book is great too! I read a chapter yesterday.

Hubby called and said “I got some of the liquid gold” referring to fuel in the truck. Gas is the new liquid gold.

Blissful Days of Fall

I’ve been thinking of having biscotti with my mocha to go, but they all seem to have nuts so I had to forgo that today. I was processing info. about the news of the boat back in the shop again, for break work on the trailer the wheel bearing needed replaced on one side. Hubby sighed knowing it was a bill we did not need right now not be happy about this newest development, with the boat on the market and for sale he took it promptly in for the repairs in case some one wants a test drive on the weekend.

Other than that I’m having a blissful day, got my morning stuff done an hour before my goal, and was able to get some errands done, found some books at the thrift shop. Dear granddaughter found another “Froggy” book we all love reading those. I found some for me and one for hubby to learn the pc with.

Younger dear grand daughter said "lets go see the cows I’m tired of the other place we walk",
so we have been going to see the cows and horses down the road a-ways. We did the earlier right after the bus came to pick up her older sister in the first grade this year.

After our errands and car pool duty and granny duty was finished I put out the extra effort and did another walk, counting that and vacuuming as my exercise. I have great news today I was able to wear a smaller shirt in a size I’ve not seen for a while. I’ve dropped two sizes after getting on this weight program. I’m excited at the family gathering I was among the ones that were not “fat” yea!

Over the weekend hubby and I talked about an approach for the holidays and we are going to cut out desserts for the most part and I’m not going to be doing baking. Last year I "caved" and did some baking and the 10 lbs we put back on has taken nearly 3/4ths of the year to take back off again.

I’m and excited about the new show coming on with the woman pres. Comander and Chief is the title I believe.

I did up a blip on a book for another blog, the web site was down so I was not able to get it mailed to be posted. At least I got it typed up and saved.

New to me books I got today were:

The Notebook By: Nicholas Sparks

The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player
By John C. Maxwell

Complete Idiots Guide to Windows 98

Camping Weekend!

Fall camping season has begun here! We had a great time camping one of the highlights for me was sitting by the river and getting a chance to read while I was fishing. The weather was perfect! I saw a mama cat and her three kittens. A flock of geese flew over head in the V formation honking as they went, not an unusual site as geese winter over here but it always amazes me how they line up like that just to fly a few miles! I worked on some sketching and journaling too, I got some knitting done too.

I enjoyed it. Our dear daughter called needing some table clothes and the kiddie size card table and lawn chairs for adults and kids. Hubby helped me load these and I made the salad, and got the stuff loaded. I caught the news on hurricane Rita to see if mom’s county in Ark. was going to be under a deluge but they weren’t. When I was home doing that hubby ran over town for an errand I went for a walk and found a yard sale! I got a some fabric, craft supplies, and books!

The birthday party was great we had a family event on Saturday, dear grandson’s birthday party with family there kids cousins, grandpas grandmas aunts and uncles were there in force! Kind of like thanksgiving a big crowd only with summer foods, grilled burgers, and freshly caught salmon by the other grandpa on the coast.

We made a few changes in the camper when we got home and took the T.V. out we never use it when we are camping no reception and we are too busy fishing! We took it out to make room for the microwave I took out of the kitchen to make room for the new white one I got for my birthday from dear daughter this was a blessing!

The camp ground was full in the loop we were in, it was quiet and peaceful, not as many babies there this time. We got home and unloaded the truck and camper, I washed up the dishes, and wiped the counters down. Hubby took laundry to the basement. We both unpacked our bags. I think it’s going smoother with the post camping clean up this time!

I was able to rest read a book, and get some fabric cut for gift bags. We finished up having dinner when we got home, I cooked the beans on the stove and we had salad.

Hubby cooked the hot dogs at the camp ground he offered to take me out but I opted to stay because we were both enjoying it so much, we forgot to take the salad dressing so decided to have it at home ! So we sat on the swing and had the side dishes when we got the truck and camper unloaded. We got unpacked and the helped and took the laundry we rounded up to the basement. I go it going this evening.

This camp out was good for me I notice I’m a lot less interested in the hurricane Rita’s aftermath news which is a plus for me. I have been enjoying playing with the fabric and looking at my new to me Christmas books and reading them. One is by ME (Mary Englebrit) and talk about inspiring! It was also fair weekend be we did not make it.

Stoked!

My evening improved I went for another walk 1 mi. and collected walnuts in the shell to take with when dear grand daughter and I go on our walk tomorrow! I saw four deer! that was great. Some times you just know you are in the right place at the right time.

I had a blast at the web design class tonight, it's a life group at our church. They want people to be on the web design team; this just means using the message board they are going to put on the church web site from what I can understand! LOL!

I'm on it pretty much already because I've been blogging on the I.T.F. site. A guy has a site I blog on about faith topic, life lessons stuff like that, and one other guy that graduated from I.T.T. tech. from the Devry Institute is one of the teachers too.

They wanted to know why we were there I just went to talk to other adults and get out of the house! There were nine of us in class, gals were the students close to my age and guys were the teachers about my kids age. Thirty-something They were talking about ugly web sites, I joked that even that would be an improvement because I don't even have that! LOL! I have to take my notebook p/c next week. We will have assignments. Now all I need is a techie shirt.

Dear son wanted to take this class but has collage work to do. {Hubby called me on the cell while I was in class, I guess he did not get the voice mail message}. Note to self turn off cell next week.

I got home in a stoked mood! Hubby had the camper all loaded and I've packed clothes, toiletries I keep packed and some are in the camper! I'm excited to go. Gotta remember to load the worms and fishing poles!

Triumph over Tragedy

I have the news on this was a quote or quip from one of the anchors on Katrina. "Triumph over tragedy". I have the news on as I type this. Listening to the news on Rita the latest hurricane.

We are trying to experience some triumph of own here too. Getting the peace back was a process getting enough sleep last night was a great help. Getting up and having a pain free day is some thing to celebrate! Finding better things to focus on today instead of the rough spots we have been through helps too.

Today we did an early morning appointment and signed closing papers on the lot and had time for a walk by the river it was great. We saw the squirrels looking for a hand outs, the leaves are starting to turn on the trees and the promise of more fall color to come was in the air. I’m enjoying these cooler days.

The walk helped us to process all the changes going on and the fresh air was exhilarating, water lapping on the bank was up, this past weekend the water level was up less going over the dam as temps cool off less demand for power no heat at night needed yet air conditioning use is way down for us too. 73* is the predicted high temp today.

I sat out on the swing and did my quiet time and journaling, hearing the birds sing, and squirrels go up and down the trees. A wood pecker's shrill call sounds above the tree in the front yard. The skies are clear and blue and you can see the mountians in the distance with trees on them and there is no smoke.

I'll be continuing to trying to focus on the positives here today. Humming the song Rita Mae in my mind as I continue with the rest of my day!

Sniff Sniff….

We have to put our big boat up for sale this was not good news
when I found out I was rather in shock!
It's to get out of debt ~
hubbys getting ready to retire
in ten yrs.

We are trying simplify and down size
lot has closing papers to sign next week too

I’m not having a good time at the moment!
Some one told me there is life after boating.
I'm using that as my motto now.

Feeling Inspired

I am feeling inspired these days, I had fun on my artist date yesterday. Got some ideas for new music, had fun jewelry shopping, got a new ring, I'm hard on my rings in the summer when I garden so I've had fun swapping out to different faux diamonds every season now and I'm having a blast with it! I got some healthy snacks too unsalted peanuts what a concept peanuts with out salt. LOL!

I'm trying a new floor plan out in my mind, for the new-to-me drawing table with a top that adjusts. I got last weekend at a yard sale and I’m wondering where I can put this so I will use it, and the light will be the best. I'm not going to move any furnature until I have a plan, and I'll get the guys to help so I don't hurt my back on the bigger pieces if I decide I want to move them.

A garden show is inspiring me today, now that it's cooler it's much more fun thinking about gardening and yard improvements making patio area with bricks I got for just hauling them off!

I want to camouflage the neighbors junk pile. This is my on going goal! I can prune back the old fashioned roses for a thicker screen and shorten them a bit. Before I begin I need to think about a plan, and where to put some things I’m considering like a portable studio rent-to-own former espresso stand, seems like the front side yard might be the only place for this but there is a boat there! Hum… I”ll have to get some measurements.

Coffee Sugar Molasses and Salt Mills

I’ve been watching the history channel about the history of coffee, and a show on sugar. I’m learning a lot and the molasses reminds me of stories mom used to tell about the sorghum cane they used to grow in the south and took to the sorghum mill. It was is interesting how they make rum, I just figured out why I can’t find sorghum a milder from of molasses the rum demand is up around the world these days! I want some for my rolls in the morning!

They had a segment on sugar beats I’ve seen the sugar beets growing in the field, and the sugar beet roots on trucks in Southern Idaho and Utah when we were team driving long haul trucking at a pretty close view. We never hauled them but saw these at the scales and on the road. We did haul salt from salt lake and I got to see the salt being milled, and lots of grain.

Recharged and Ready to Go!

A really good way to get weaned off of excess news watching senate hearings happening on most of the news channels that I like; for most of the day ~boring! Turning the tube off or for the kids channel for dear grand daughter to watch.

Our son had a shoulder in a sling, he hurt it at the Rugby tournament in Seattle over the weekend they, the tied two games and lost two.

Monday I took some down time to recharge my batteries and it was just what I needed. I got current on some reading.

I am happy to report that the grand kids are fine, I left my cell in hubby’s truck, and was glad that I found it. at dear son’s suggestion I called my cell phone and hubby found it on the way home, then we went to the store and I told the dear granddaughters we were going on a date, they one of them said “A DATE”!!! I said. “Yes, old people have dates too”,
when I told hubby he said “I do not consider myself old yet.”
LOL!

Today I have been working on some weekly cleaning, and watering out side and the inside. I’ve been reading to the granddaughters in their children’s Bible in the morning this seems to be making our mornings flow a lot smoother.

Sunday Shopping and Fishing

When I got up this morning it was cold, I fixed breakfast, and finally had to turn the heat on and go back to bed to get warm. I got my quiet time done, and some journaling, Bible study, and some personal down time which I seemed to need. Our son and his girls were not here this weekend, it was one of those times I was able to really relax.

Then at noon after cutting hubby’s hair, it looks nice I used to be a beautician, we went shopping and I finally got an electric pencil sharpener, I found a purple one, and some pilot pens in turquoise, hot pink, and purple, I looks at toaster ovens and microwaves, before we went fishing today. Hubby caught all the fish today, I did not catch any he cought his limit and we only had a few worms. It was weird that he could catch his limit with that few worms. They were not biting very well today. I saw lots of minnows where we caught so many fish before, and a box turtle, the weather was perfect and I did not even need my jacket. The view of the mountains all around was fabulous, I was relaxed and peaceful when we came home I could not think of much to say. It was good. I had a book and lawn chair and it was good to have time to enjoy that.

On the way home we drove by our lot and there were some yard sales in the vicinity and I got a few items and a drafting table I’m hoping to reclaim my art studio back next summer after our son is married it will go in there the girls are using that room now. I found a couple of new things for the gift dresser with a holiday theme that will be great additions for holiday baskets. We ordered take out for dinner.

Theme Journal List

Sketch book journals
Dream journals
Travel journals
Imagination Journal
Fantasy Sketch book
Fiction
Poetry
Gardening Journal
Experiments
Problem solving lessons Journal
Spiritual growth
Culinary Journal
Notes
Garden sketches
Fishing Journal Birding Journal
Food journal

Daily Adventures

I have organized the last food shelf in the kitchen, and loaded up a few more donations in the car. I’ve been working on tweaking the reminders in my calendar. I found out some important info. the pres. has designated a day of prayer for Sept. sixteenth (9-16) while doing a search on the fox news channel web. site. http://www.foxnews.com/ It was in the yellow spot that now says Ophelia is a hurricane with 70 mph. winds.

I have learned from reading the last time management book I read that I need to turn the tube off at certain times of the day for a couple hours in the morning and in the afternoon and I get a block of no TV time to get other things done! This has been a very effective tool for me that little off switch on the remote! LOL!

This is my writing day. I’m doing awesome today I can’t explain it but I am, I am so grateful to have a well stocked kitchen, and that I’m in great spirits and I slept well last night. I guess you could say I’m having one of those nice boring days we all need from time to time.

I have been doing kids bedrooms zone work and it’s a great sense of accomplishment to clear off some work space for home work the beginning of the school year. I found more donations to load in the car for this week. I got the Christmas books put in with the holiday decoration items. Some of these things are just easier to get done when the kids are in school.

Red Neck Fund Raisers and Snow

I have heard that there are going to have a fun raiser at hubbies work,
they are asking of donations of knives and guns to auction off and the money will go to relief help in La. New Orleans Blogger link http://mgno.com/ I've been hearing about this one on the news.


He also said that he heard we are supposed to have snow down to 5,000 ft. on the pass etc. over the weekend. The kids were both talking about trips or being in the mountains over the weekend so I called and gave them a heads up to take the snow gear and chains. It’s really weird because it was 90* and hot here today and I did not hear any thing about that on the weather channel, granted I was a little fixated on the next hurricane’s track.

Confessions of a News Junkie

This past week has been a news junkies dream. First it started with following the weather channel, and I got the scoop from the guys and gals who seem to be idiots enjoying the big wind storms from Hurricane Katrina, then when they were washed away or headed to higher ground we shook our heads at the storm chasers were getting their adrenaline rush. Then the evacuation orders were put out, I am amazed that they were still trying to run hospitals in this storm I cannot understand why they did not shut that down and head for higher ground, or evacuate the ones that were there. Hubby was understanding and we came home for a few things over the weekend and I got my news fix over the weekend and I think we all breathed a collective sigh of relief when more troops arrived.

It was such a good feeling to see the air lift rescues in operation, and I thought of the navy ship my cousin was on and he said his job was to move the supplies and it gives me a picture of some of the type of things he did when the war first started. It was fascinating to see the sand bags go in the dike, and the dump trucks hauling the fill into plug up the holes in the dike, the back hoe propelling it self with the scoop arm along the water was absolutely amazing.

Some of the questions I’ve had seem to be the ones asked on the news by casters on their shows, like why did the school busses not take people out? It’s kind of too little too late now but we all need to learn from this. What I’ve learned is to have five days food and water meds etc. not three days in case of emergency like the weather channel suggests.

My folks used to have a bomb shelter area in the basement when I was a kid, canned foods, and cases of things we could use in case of emergency. Some of this makes sense to me in a whole new way now. There were times I thought that they were nuts. But I for one will be stocking the camper this week with a new supply of foods like soup the is ready to eat chili, a non electric hand operated can opener, and case of water, we can fill the water tank in the camper, the propane is full and even if the hot water tank does not heat unless we have electricity we can heat water on the stove. I’m glad we bought a house up on the hill away from the dikes in our area in case the dam brakes up river. Looking forward to camping season here.

I found blogs Gretawire and Rick’srambles on the fox news blog and have been following those a bit too. The situation room was good too. Now another hurricane Nate and Ophelia are in the gulf brewing up even more excitement as I type this up.

Labor Day Weekend Fun!

We have had a great labor day weekend here!
Some of the fun actives we have done are
camping, a dinner cruise for my birthday a few days late,
then we brought the camper home unloaded it and unpacked it
and then hooked up to the boat and went fishing.
Other family members mowed at the farm.

I had fun sharing my fishing story when they got back.
I have caught the biggest fish so far this season. Love that part!
Yesterday I was the one that caught all the fish!
A bass weighing 16 ¾" long and weight almost 2.75 lbs
and a 12” bass we did not weigh that one.

I Had a blast using my in my new red fishing pole.
Hubby did not catch any he was pretty busy keeping the boat on course. It was windy and the wind blew us along the shore and we fished on the way back. It was great fun!

Mid-week

Today I have been doing errands with #2 dear granddaughter date with granny we had fun. When we got home we cleaned the play house she picked up the toys, and then we swept, I got the cob webs, and bees out,
she used her small child’s size broom it was very important to her to be able to use the red one!

I used to think it might be nice to live in the south where they did not get snow, and I have changed my mind about moving! At this point I think we have the best area to live tornados and earth quakes are rare here, we have 90 M.P.H. winds here occasionally.

We got our reservation conformation info. today and I had to call to straighten that charged us for the whole day instead of the dinner cruise, so I’m glad I opened that letter up and looked it over and called and got that taken care of on the phone. Yesterday was glued to the tube the news is riveting, my garden has provided a welcome stress relief for me from that I have watered the trees, shrubs, and grass, pruned some of the straggling branches off the back hedge and apple tree.

My mom is not retired any more she is working got a call to cook for the sr. center for twenty people every other day.

Getting Ready for School:

Our son checked on the bus schedule for our grand daughter and let us know when and where the bus comes here. He checked in to the hot lunch too. I saw on the news any info. a child gets helps to prevent anxiety for students starting school. The bus comes by twice here earlier for the jr. hi. students. Seems to be a bit better this year getting info. to us the week before the actual start of school. I called the district office and complained that we didn't have the info. we needed soon enough. So it seems that was effective or the teacher this year is better about getting info. to us in a timely manner.

Collage classes start today:

Our son is in the explorers group helping with new students and recruiting, through this group they set up tours and he and the other group memebers give families and prospective students tours of the campus, he has been involved in helping with warrior - orientation for the past three falls. They have helped to move students into their dorm rooms lots of stairs dear son said.

There is a "welcome" b.b.q. for the new students the first part of the week he is helping to get ready for that.

He works in the office at the collage for one of the profs. and is a teachers aid and has done some teaching when the prof. is gone. Rugby is going on and they have games and an out of town game or tourney in Montana next month.

Puppets and Costumes

I was at the fabric store with dear grand daughters, they had costumes out and the girls were enthralled with the princess type costumes, beads play shoes and other accents feather boas, crowns etc. Fun fun fun I got some long black gloves to go up to the elbow at the thrift shop washed them up and we have decided to make the treasure chest a place for dress up clothes.

Later the younger one came upstairs with one of the puppets I made last year out of sugar and cream yarn crochet the rest of the puppet are in a small childs suit case where we keep them and a few books for story time. This puppet had angel wings on it and she was having the puppet kiss us kind of like kissing a sox! Ha!

Date w/ granny & New read

I had a great day today, got the email’s working again with tech. support. Dear grand son is better after a bout with the flu.

“Date with granny day” today was good, these are the final days of summer and we are savoring the moments of them, we went shopping at the thrift shop and had a blast then to Costco, and to the $1.oo store, and to the fabric store, the girls were having a blast looking at the fabrics touching and feeling the different textures, and we got the groceries. Got home and unloaded the car, then girls picked up the mess they made the other day in the basement while I put things away.

Dear son came in to get the rugby uniforms, and said the fall registration at the collage went well he has done this for 2-3 years and knows the drill by now, they helped the students get things loaded in to the dorms lots of stairs, and he had ran 4 mi. at rugby practice earlier in the week and was sore.

Dh & I both had a good week. We went out for my birthday early this weekend so we could enjoy Labor day and miss the crowds.

New read:
I’m enjoying a new book I got today I’ve been wanting to read some thing back in the covered wagon days and I found Promiseland by Dawn Miller today.

Holilday Prep. Time Rolls Around Again!

I have been to Joann fabrics and they had their fall stuff out not just fall but Thanksgiving items were out too, a turkey that was for an entryway or front door greeting was great fun to think about. I had a blast just browsing while I was there thinking about the options around here of things I could do to spruce it up a bit while I was there to get ribbon for more gift bags I've been on a roll with making them this week. I have a few more recipes and things to think about, one new thing that will be fun is some plastic mayonnaise jars that are square it will be interesting to see what uses we can come up for these.

I’ve been in the sewing room and I have done another holiday festive table cloth I've been putting fringe on it I'd forgotten how long that takes! I put the bobbins in a clear container so they are not spread all over the sewing counter now. My holiday notebooks are in good shape and I have been working on tweaking my lists and reminders.

I’ve been in birthday mode here for the past two weeks and have been painting shelves, chests, filling gift bags, and getting ready for these occasions.

The red wheel burrow for the younger grandson is kid tested and approved by his cousins they found it in our bedroom and I had to tell them to stop playing with it! They were having too much fun! They love anything with some wheels on, they it to pick up toys and put them in it before putting them away, they can wheel them in to their room and it become part of a game and makes this chore a fun one. Mom’s and grandma alike love these too! We have discovered that shopping carts, small mini wagons also work for this.

Working with festive holiday prints this past month has really gotten me motivated and inspired to get going on the holiday prep. stuff. When I was at the store I noticed a new product cookie mixes by one of the cake mix companies "Betty Crocker" I think it was. You might want to give these a try and see how they work for you. We like the slice and bake or break and bake cookies I used to be the slice and bake cookie queen, and I was having a blast with that a couple of years ago but our waist lines grew too much so we had to focus on more healthy foods for snacks during the holiday season.

I still want to try some cake mix bread recipes, I have been thinking of the different ones I can do, lemon, apple sauce, date, pumpkin, cranberry cherry, pineapple coconut, and chocolate mint, to name a few. I like to experiment not all of my concoctions are a success but we have come up with some that are sure fire hits and keepers!

I still need to put the rest of the black berries in the freezer, and a cobbler topping mix might be just the thing to pun in a jar mix for those 1 qt. square plastic jars I can use the apple cobbler in a jar mix and use the topping recipe for these!

One of the gifts I ordered mid – summer came today an ugly stick gear bag, so we promptly filled it up with picnic stuff and tried it out and it worked great, they will be a hit for the guys when the rest of them come, but this on was mine! Now I’m thinking of other places that I can go picking black berries tomorrow maybe! I just love the challenge I think.

We've starting to might keep our eye out for camping gear and long fire place matches for some of the camping gift bags and baskets for loved ones on our lists that need these items they will be in stock now too for hunting season.

I think it’s time for me to make another trip to the bait and tackle shop to see what they have in that is new! I can’t wait that’s where I found my mini webber grill for the camper. Freeze ahead meals work great for camping too you can warm up things on the grill too! Hubby is already thinking of a bunch of places that we can go camping this fall now that the temps. have dropped below 100* here!

My apple tree is blooming again for a 2nd crop! I'm feeling SO blessed right now!

Four Point Buck & Crawdad

Four point buck & crawdads also known as black-berrying.

Yesterday I got an unexpected afternoon off so I went to the fabric store for more sewing machine needles and ribbon for sewing projects more gift bags, and table cloth I am fringing out from the fabric I got a box at a yard sale on Sat. I’ve been working on these projects and needed to get out of the house and getting a few supplies was my opportunity for this, I stopped at the berry patch on my way home. This was a wonderful break in my daily grind this week!

I picked about a half of a gallon of black berries. I have the biggest sweetest berries that I had to fight the spiders, yellow jackets, and even chase a deer off for. I used a stick I found to get the berries up where I could see them. This was refreshing and the wind gusts were not so bad in this protected spot by the fish pond. A lovely setting for thinking and picking berries! I caught a crawdad brought it home for the fish tank.

Crafting Fun

This weekend have been making progress in decluttering and filled loaded two more bags plus two more boxes to go for Pomery and got it loaded in to the trunk to be delivered to the drop off point here in town. The boxes were small so I could handle them myself. It's always good to get these out of the way in the kitchen. Dh I took old oil to his work to be disposed of properly, it feels good to get these out of the here! Decluttering is such a freeing experience! Then we stopped by for some sugar free ice cream cones on our way home, we begged out of water park birthday party it’s just too hot for us to do that today, with 103* record hi temps are in the forecast.

I got some new to me books at the thrift shop; Two cook books "Fix and Forget-it Recipes for Entertaining" and "Favorite Recipes from Quilters".
I’ve seen these at Costco and I've had the fix it and forget it one before and given it as a gift great crock pot cooking recipes in this one! The quilting one has those too and lots of others for pot lucks yummy! I got caught up in reading a cook book by quilters with loads of great recipes that I recognize lots of these recipes, they had quilt patterns they were working on listed very inspiring. I'm thinking how many kinds of bread could be made for the holidays! Not on my diet however so I’ll have to use it with caution! LOL!

And Friendship with God by Neal Donald Walsch.
Who also wrote conversations with God books 1, 2 & 3 which I have not read. Was at the bargain place at the grocery store This one reads fast like a blog which I enjoy! Have read half of this book over the weekend.

Yesterday I stopped at a yard sale on my walk hurried home to get purse & car for my finds! This motivated me to walk faster!

Off to the nice cool sewing room! I have added some fabric from a yard sale, kids prints that will be fun to work up! I've been playing with in the craft zone this weekend having a blast too! I got them cut out ironed and ready to sew yesterday afternoon, last night I sewed up a some more gift bags, and got the draw strings in them. I'm doing up the blues so I can keep the same thread on the machine, then I'll do up the ones that take white thread. I have a goal of and hour or fourty five minutes each day this gives me way to break it up into smaller chunks and I don't get overwhelmed! I did some more today so I have a dozen more done now! Yippie! I’m on a roll!!! Using the crock pot helps for a better flow to my days when I'm crafting! I saw a friend at the store yesterday from the motor cycle club we both used to attend. She showed me some fabric she had special ordered in for new curtians she was sewing up. That was fun.

Gotta Love Those Fridays

I am so excited about getting ready for the birthday, painting projects, assembling gift bags, and baskets, I even had some things that were left over in the gift dresser from the holidays last year and went through these for house hold items that were needed and dug in my closets for things I could share. This reminded me of when my grandmother had a box going of things for people that lost every thing in a fire she gave quilts and pots and pans. It was in my teens that this made such an impression on me.

As rounded up items for those that had lost homes in the wild fire in our area I remembered my grandmother. I was so blessed because they were so grateful to receive things, there has been such an out - pouring of clothes from the community they were no longer accepting clothes. (I hadn't put any clothing items in.) It feels good to have the outlet of giving. I was starting to feel stuck again, and giving always seems to get me out of that, so I was delighted to have this progress. I got some donations of craft items over for the kids at day care to use on my way to town.

It was fun to round up the birthday gifts and fill the treasure box, and I got a wheel borrow and got the joy of putting these items in for another gift giving occasion we have not far down the road.

I was able to find a bit of wonderful green fabric with gold stars on it and put that to good use in by sewing it in to two more gift bags! They turned out great and are festive. I realized I need to remember to not sew lace on all of them, and leave it off for the guys!

I found a recipe I’ve needed for banana bread from a cake mix in an old magazine today I was delighted to have that. I’ll be adapting it a bit for something other than bananas, like pumpkin, apple or cranberry! This is going to be fun!

Last year I did not like my recipes so I just gave up and bought these breads at holiday craft and bake sales! Even thou I think I’m a good cook we don’t starve. I like to craft better than cook, and dear daughter ask me “to not make the her wedding cake” mine tasted great but hubby can frost one better than I can! You did NOT hear that from me. Ha!

Birthday Season Here

It’s birthday season here, there are like 6 of them in 6 weeks, I’ve been painting wood crafts for gifts, mini tool box, and toy box I call a treasure box any thing can be put in it, toys, school papers, what every they want. It is amazing what a coat of paint will do! I still have a small mini shelf to paint or finish too.

The kitchen smells great! I consider my self a throw together cook a little of this and a little of that most of my recipes are in my head. I have dinner in the crock pot, some herbs I grow with meat and veggies and tomato sauce yummy! I just need to make a salad to go with it now.

I made up a big batch of chicken last weekend for a family reunion and the food did & I did not make it there so it’s been great I’ve had less cooking this week, and dh has had chicken in his lunches.

I do not really like freeze ahead meals because I like to cook but I have times I need some thing quick to prepare and those are the nights we have frozen burritos, or fish portions, or sandwiches, sausage dogs or chef salad. I have tried some mini pizzas and we like them I’ve made them in the past and will try to get some of those made up ahead of time. The grand kids like to help when we make those up. I think that it’s time for some of that again now I like to use “Bisquick” because it does not have yeast and I seem to do better with less yeast.


I’ve been trying to stay on track with my health and fitness program and it’s been extra challenging with the smoke and heat. I’ve been walking shorter distances and doing chores mopping, yard work etc. for my exercise that plan seems to be working I’ve dropped a few pounds and getting back down to what I was before the holiday goodie season happened last year I’ll have to rethink that this year!

Dress day

Back in the day went I was in grade school we could only wear dresses, even in below freezing weather, if we wore pants we had to have a dress on over them!

In high school my best friend and I decided that we were going to change things and wore pants to school we were seniors, and it was about three weeks before graduation, so even if they kicked us out we would still get our diplomas and we knew this. We got called in to the principals office and he talked to us, dress codes were no longer legal and we knew this and so did he, no one had challenged him on this yet so we decided that it was time to, in the end we were allowed to wear pants, soon all the girls were wearing pants or slacks to school.

I still had a “dress day” so Fri. I wore a dress made a dress up day for myself. It was nice!

The dear grand daughters were bemoaning the fact that they could not wear skirts or dresses to daycare so I just declared "Mon. is dress day here"; they looked at me with amazed looks, and asked if I could do that, and I said sure. We can have dress day here, so we did. Mon. is now dress day. Today they went to a birthday party and wore dresses! It’s great because we have been taking them to church and they know how to act in a dress too.

Weekend Notes

I have been sewing I did up another night gown for dear grand daughter #2, and a gift bag of the same fabric, that was fun. Hubby is in the oil changing mood. We rented DVD Miss Congeniality two and we are looking forward to seeing it.

I was looking for the yellow jacket nest and found that the white barn owl is back in our tree this year. I saw the squirrels sprawled out on a branch taking a nap too.

I’m been working on getting recipes in a file for the holidays this weekend. It was cooler here yesterday but has warmed back up again today.

I got a book bag at the thrift shop it’s the kind that expands and has wheels on it. I’m delighted with this find, I’ve been putting my planner, pens, journal, Bible sketch book and other daily reading books, and keeps the pile off the couch and chairs in the living room, and I can take the whole bunch of them to the kitchen to use at the table too. Like today when the grand daughters were drawing too.

New Pens & Bees

Free Food got a free squash today and squash for 10 cents ea. at the thrift shop found
I found a shelf to paint, and hat box set to paint, and pen case at the trift shop too.
a refill for my fav. fat pen, and another refill for my other pen that died last night. I got some school supplies I use for my art and a piece of luggage with handle and wheels at a great price our sone has one for a collage book bag. These are going to be fun projects. Got a basket with rust color in it and I can use a squash in it for a center piece.

At the office supply store it was busy I found a comp. note book with a yellow cover this will work great for spring. A steno book to go in the staples cover for it. (I found the cover at the thrift shop.) I found some more metallic gel in pens those use up quickly when I’m using them for my art! I had a blast!!! =D I had the rock and roll music on the way home blarin’! ;D Credence Clearwater Revival.

I’m in the peek of my craft season now, I'm very busy getting ready for the holiday sewing knitting weaving etc. I can't just produce stuff in two weeks before the holidays. Ha! Big projects need to be in the works now! I'm starting to plan what I'll be doing when school starts up again and I have a big more time. Guess I just answered that question with this paragraph.

I've had a blast doing a holiday journal and I've been illistrating some of it with these metellic gel pens, the grandkids and I have art time! They have been getting me to show them how to draw this and that, Pooh our nick name for the older one took an art book with her to draw at the sitters.

I've been hunting to find the yellow jacket nest there must be a pretty good size one for the amount of bees that we have here. No luck yet. Dad use to have bees so I'm not too afaid of them but I have been making the kids wear shoes throngs or something on their feet so they won't get stung. The bees are bad this year here!

What Stinks

What Sinks?

It’s been hot and after the guys went fishing Mother Nature cranked up the heat to 100+ degrees and there was this awful smell out side we looked under the tool shed where I found a dead cat one year. Nope nothing there this time, and I looked around the play house but the sink was not coming from there.

We looked around the house moved stuff and the stink just kept getting worse. I thought about awful crimes I’d seen on CSI as I helped to look for this putrid smell.

Yuck! I have a “nose” as they say in the perfume business. The stink seemed to come from the boat, I told the guys that. Then dear son looked under the boat, and under the camper, and hubby looked in the boat. No one found the source, the sink got worse.

Each night for several days running we looked with no luck. When we went out side the dear grand daughters said p-uwe what stinks you could smell it as soon as you stepped out side the door. Yuck!!! Not the way I want to great the day assaulted with this awful stink, as the day warmed up it just got worse!

Then it got a bit better. One day I decided to go have a look see in the boat for my self, fly’s were thick in it, so I opened up the window I knew I had to keep searching. I looked under the seat compartments and sniffed nope, it was not there. I looked in the over head seat compartments sniffed in trays no, it was not there. I lifted up the anchor rope sniffed yep it was there,

Bait fish sack and foil was there on the step yucky! I grabbed it after wrapping a rag around it a put it in the trash! Then hubby hear about it with one of those I told you it was coming from the boat well I looked in there was the response. Guess who’s cleaning the boat today. Hint: It’s not me!

Shopping in the City

It was an interesting time before we could leave on out of town trip last weekend we had to take our truck over to the shop for a new alternator so we got a late start we were able to get to the Corvette car show before it was closed and I enjoyed seeing a big book store three stories the biggest one I had ever been to that was fun one block away from the car show so I was happy. I got a few good pics.

The next day we were able to have our first crispy crèmes doughnut, they reminded me of the ones mom used to make when I was a kid!
Then we went to the Barnes and Noble I got the idiots guide to drawing 2nd edition illustrated version, this book is inspiring and I’m enjoying the chapter on sketch book journaling lots of great inspiration in it! When I got home found my artist’s sketch book mag. had come so I’ve been reading that and it’s wonderfully motivating!

We went to this large outdoor sportsman’s store and I noticed where you could register for weddings there and told dear son he was excited to learn about that.

The party at the park was great good food, and a cool breeze blowing off the water made it nice.

Stopped by to see my dear sis for a short visit on the way home.
While we were gone the grand daughters got to see where there dad is working and had some red wheat they had harvested.

August Summer Heat

August is shaping up to be a month of heat it was 101* here today and will be 104* Sunday. We have fun and celebrations on the calendar some of the festivities will include jet boating, I have a new fishing pole to try out too. Corvette car show in Spokane, Washington. Christmas shopping birthday shopping a retirement party for a biker friend some school chums might be there too that's in Post Falls Idaho, the place they have outlet malls I'm trying to decide if I still hate shopping or not LOL! Hot Aug. nights, classic car show. Toss in two birthday parties, and add to the mix wake the snake wake boarding clinic for our son again and harvest collage is starting. Getting ready for the new fall carpool schedule will be a bit easier this year, more fruit to pick and pick up. Then another birthday, (mine) Labor Day weekend, I'm already dissy just thinking about it. I’ve not even began any sewing, and there is school shopping. This will be one fast month. I've been feeding the freezer fruit I've picked for smooties.

Son in law is building another house and dear daughter will be helping do a concrete pour and I'll be doing granny duty in the afternoon. She is no longer a novice at this and her helping is no longer optional. ;D

Black Hole

I did not make it to the new Star Wars movie but I’ve been to the black hole and back also known as the under bed zone!

Have you ever been there?

I was looking for a gel pen for my new holiday journal it’s black and I needed a gel pen to write with. Dgds borrowed back the pen I had borrowed from them and I was looking for it to use.

In my journey to the black hole I found some things to toss and some things they had out grown some; craft things in the craft wagon under bed storage container and the holder for some rubber stamps. We need to get to that next month. We have been having so much fun with outdoor fishing, berry and the fruit picking, playing in the kiddie pool, for a pool party at granny's there has not been much time for crafts this month.

Note: I have a new blog for photos at this point on yahoo link is in the tile of this entry.

Harvest Heat

Harvest week here I’ve been picking apricots,
and apples here they are ripening pretty fast in the heat we have had.

Our son said they were done cutting peas at work,
and they are cutting wheat now.

There was a big wind storm that ripped through our area
on Fri. and uprooted trees, and knocked big limbs off
of trees all over town.

Bike Week

It’s bike week here our son has been working on getting his motor cycle going, and he was successful in doing that last night took it out for a spin.

I ran dear hubby’s motor cycle 1,100 yamaha for thirty minutes to get his battery charged up, he asked me to do that they other day if I got time this week. I drove along the river and it was a beautiful drive the water was smooth as glass.

I went for my artist date on my motor cycle after I got back on my motor cycle also an 1,1100 yamaha. I drove across the new bridge Red Wolf Crossing Bridge and drove on the other side of the river past the saw mill and on past Chief Timothy Park to a Y in the road it’s is a pretty good turn around point. I came back and went up the street with stores next to the bike shop is a scrap-booking store. I got some fall and Christmas theme stickers and papers for my note books these were fun!. I was the only one there on a motor cycle there ;D. This took up most of the morning. I saw a blue harron in the bass hole we fish in a lot and pair of deer on the way home!

On a sad note: Scottie from Star Trek died this week. I used to watch that show every week when I was a kid!

Finds

Finds

Picnic blanket
Small oak basket
Christmas books for children
Sports basket
Tote free
Sponge bob pillow
Wedding bubbles with ribbons & silk buds
Snow man tray free
Holiday magizine free
Soap dish Free
Tea tin
8x10 hand painted water color pic framed
Large framed canvas of beach hut scene for basement

Sat. Shopping Adventures

I went out shopping in the morning hitting several yard sales first thing beating the heat. I got some pretty cool stuff. The it was off to the grocery store I was amazed at how un-busy it was for a Saturday morning I usually do my shopping on Fri. before the weekend but after vacation our cupboards were unusually bare! I got home unloaded the car put the food away. Dh was out washing the small bass boat. I left after having cheese and crackers for lunch. I bee-bopped back over town for some fishing gear and some fun cook books. Dh had come home and had been out washing the big boat at the car wash this time and was looking over my tackle after he said I had to get my own he was not going to share, that what I heard he said that is not what he said (yea right)! LOL!

Then we decided to go out to a show, there is a new movie theater in town that has been here about eight or nine months and we have been trying to get time to go to it. But first we had to go by his work he washed the car to get the bird poo off of it one of the disadvantages of having the biggest shade tree on the block! mean while I sat in the ac and read a novel. After that we had to fuel that car, he was looking for a belt buckle his broke on vacation nope none at the truck stop, none at the bait and tackle shop I asked them if they missed me they said yep! I’ve been there every day for the past four days now! No belt buckle at the mart store either so I was looking for a picket knife for my tackle box guess what find? A belt buckle! I gave it to Dh and he is using that, and got a new belt so he can trade off now.

Yurt ~ Winchester Lake Vacation

We enjoyed the park and the cooler temps. I was able to just sit by the lake in my lawn chair fish read journal rest relax and enjoy that day while the guys were out on the lake fishing, I had a turn too. It was great big tall pine trees surround the lake. I got some sketching done. As I listened to the sounds I heard the Canadian geese honking, and I saw an eagle fly over head, and a loon dive under the water to get a fish, we saw a deer when we first came in the park and I saw a chipmunk scamper up a big tall ponderosa pine tree as I went in to the camp ground office to check on renting a cabin or yurt. I liked the sky light at night you could look up and see the tops of the pine trees and the stars through the roof. (Sh-h this is me not telling about dh backing the boat into a tree when he was trying to park it in the dark.) The one thing we did forget was a flash light that would have helped!

I discovered that they had a Dutch oven camp cooking class in the evening and outdoor movie on Thurs. nights. They were having a community event a paddle fest I think that meant canoe races. We were lucky to get a Yurt for the night. We enjoyed it I slept well dear hubby said that’s because I stole covers all night! LOL! He did not sleep as well! We had sleeping bags and did not sip them together thought we would be too hot boy were we wrong! Br-r ! It was cold up there in the night. A yurt is like a Mongolian tent and we got the smaller one. The bigger ones come with a canoe bbq and pedal bikes.

Dear son got some great pics. of the smaller bass boat that he will be putting up on the website later on {he came up during the day} dh looks like he has been on vacation he has quite a tan, I got burnt again and had to get out of the boat and go sit on the bank in the shade, it was too hot in the sun and too cool in the shade. Not that I’m complaining. There was quite a bit of road construction. The understatement of the year the are putting in 4 lane from Boise (southern part of the state) to Canada so no matter where you go you find it! We took the old grade on the way home to by pass the construction and enjoyed the scenic views coming off the grade seeing the fields in various stages of ripeness it looked like a post card view!

Rattle Snake in the Berries!

Audrey our son’s friends mom has a great blackberring story.

She takes a board a half sheet of plywood [4’ x 4’] and puts it down in the middle of the patch. She picked five gallons in forty five minutes it was a good patch she thought. That was until she picked up the board to leave; there was a big old timber rattler that has been trapped under the board and it was mad! She takes a 38 caliber pistol with her now when she goes out to pick berries now.

Trout Fishing in Idaho

We went fishing tonight at one of the guys favorite spots I loaded my new gear in to the tackle box and we were ready to go. I love the sound of the water coming in to the lake. We caught our limit in about two hours. I caught a crappie too the biggest one I’ve caught. I broke my new pole. I was glad I had a spare, with the two pole permit Idaho has was wonderful!

Hubby caught his limit in about 20 min. then he spent the rest of the time trying to “coach” me. I had to tell him to stand on the other side of me or squat down he was going to get hit in the face with a fish! And bam I had a fish on got it to the bank and it came off the hook and landed about 6” from the bucket. We had a great time! I caught the biggest ones today!

The Black Berry Patch

One summer when I was in my teens I picked a gallon of black berries for my granny from the berry patch by her Arkansas garden , mom, granny and I headed out in the cool of the morning with wide brimed straw hats, pails tied to our waist and hoes, and sticks for protection against snakes, and to help reach luscious berries just beyond our grasp. That Christmas granny wrote in the Christmas card that she made pies and thought of me when they ate that pie.

When we are out fishing I always keep my eye out for the good berry patches. I have picked three and a half gallons of black berries this week on three different trips to berry patches. The weather was perfect in the low to mid - eighties a nice breeze was blowing off the water we were by the river next to the fishing pond. I saw a deer when I was leaving on two occasions what a delightful surprise that was.

One of my favorite blackberry picking experiences was when we were boating while dear hubby was fishing and I swam to shore to pick them. I took a gallon size zip loc bag and I got it almost full, then floated the bag of black berries back on a piece of drift wood as I swam to the boat.

I took the granddaughters with me last year and we had fun picking we used a back pack and sand pails and zip bags for collecting these big black luscious fruits. The grand children ate more than they put in the bucket and the liked the experience and they were able to ride their trikes on the paved walking path we were next to.

Berry Syrup Story
Later that fall we made black cobbler with the berries that they had helped to pick later that weekend they were having pancakes and dear grand daughters were bemoaning that fact. I said “no were are not” and I spooned the “syrup” off of the black berry pie or cobbler that had turned out way to runny, they were amazed and delighted to get the purple syrup! Dear son gave me a look of gratitude for rescuing breakfast on that morning! LOL!

Getting Ready For Large Mouth Bass Fishing

1. License small bass boat put new tags on boat.
2. Go fishing with spouse to pick berries for lunch.
3. Help load branches to be hauled off from front yard so we can get to the boat.
4. Thaw out huckleberry, & cranberry orange bread from freezer for lunch.
5. Get out of state fishing license & worms, order new fishing gear bag.
6. Go to camping store & for fishing tips tackle etc. and cook books and how to fish book.
7. Load and restock gear bag. Take zip bags for berries in tackle / gear bag.
8. Load gear & poles in boat.
9. Hook boat up to trailer clean out and wash boat, out seats in boat help put electric motor on.
10. Pack lunch & change of clothes.
11. Drive up to mountains to get away from heat ac is out, dock, launch small bass boat at lake check on cabin to rent.

Getting Ready For Sturgeon Fishing

1. License boat put new tags on boat.
2. Call friend to set up time to go schedule and plan trip.
3. Go fishing with wife so she can pick berries for lunch to eat, go for walk with and haul off branches in front yard to keep spouse happy.
4. Have spouse get worms on trip to the store.
5. Go to camp store for fishing weights & tackle.
6. Get fish thawed out of freezer to use as bait.
7. Go fishing with son for more bait fish at local small trout pond.
8. Load and restock gear bag. Take zip bags in tackle / gear bag.
9. Load gear & poles in boat.
10. Wash & fuel boat.
11. Pack lunch.
12. Drive up river to dock launch boat drive boat up river to go fishing.

Fishing

Today feels like vacation it was a great day we picked fruit in the back yard, this morning the grand girls love the opportunity to get on the ladder and help me pick apples and apricots in the back yard.

This afternoon we went fishing I saw a snake, a deer, and a marmot with long hair, caught three fish, and had the excitement of falling in got one foot wet. I used up a whole container of worms fishing they were biting good. I did not fish that much spent most of my time picking berries.

I was delighted to find blackberries ripe, I scrounged around the fishing hole and found two pop cans, and two beverage cups, and two plastic beverage containers and cut the tops off of those and was able to pick a gallon of blackberries.

Today’s exercise was climbing around on the rocks and waking back and forth up to the truck. Dear son said he fell in [He was fishing Idaho and we were fishing Washington.] He was in up to his neck wet all except for his arm because he was holding his pole he said I caught more than he did. The dear granddaughters were impressed with the berries. Hubby caught more fish than I did he did not pick any berries.

I had an idea for a dinner cruise one was a café with a dock we had dinner there after fishing it was great. No boating today.

Royal or Commoner

When I was child I remember granny always was saying we might be related to the queen and have royal blood. She got these books on table service and place settings of the white house, she got a set of silver ware that was like some on in the white house used in the Nixon era. Pretty stuff to go with her yellow rose china we used during the holidays.

After I was grown up my aunt did some family tree research and found out that our ancestry were common pub owners no royals in our blood we were just comoners it’s funny now to think about that.

Post London Trauma

Yesterday I was very weepy as I learned of the events in London. I have heritage in that area. Londoners you are on my heart and in my prayers.

It certainly made me rethink some of the things I’d been upset about in my own life. It made me think I was whining about trivial daily things, I got a much needed change in perspective.

I’m grateful for even the daily problems now and having a regular day. And thinks like dealing with walking early or late to avoid the summer heat, and how to schedule in cleaning my floors between errands and plans for our week puts vacation stress back in to perspective for me.
I’m feeling very grateful to be alive on this Friday morning.

Raspberry Patch & other fruit picking adventures:

I was thinking about this after getting the raspberries at the farmers market yesterday. We used to have a raspberry patch on the small ranch where I grew up, these were not those newfangled thornless ones either. These were the old ones with thorns. We had a 20’ by 12’ or so patch and there were three or four rows of berries in it. We strung wires in on the posts for the grape vines that had originally been there, the wires kept the canes off the ground we could get in to pick between the plants. We put the berries in a shortening can and picked berries several times a week when they were ripe and in season. Mom made jam not one of my favorites I must admit we enjoyed one of her flops the best a batch that turned out more like syrup, it was great on pancakes and other breakfast breads.

When the cherries we would travel to the orchards where we could pick our own after driving forty five minutes or so we were in for a day of it or half day depending on the type of fruit. We picked three lugs (boxes) of cherries and then all regularly scheduled chores would stop and we would commence (My southern mom and granny’s word for begin, it took me years to figure out a commode was a toilet! LOL! )

Anyway moving on we would wash, and cull out damaged fruit and pit these cherries, filling jars to the proper amount, then mom would put the sugar water in them and cook them in a hot water bath cooking them on the stove top steaming up the house. No one had indoor air conditioning in those days and the small Northern Idaho town not very many people have it still for the three to five days of 90+ weather that happen in August during harvest. Dad helped with this process too, pitting cherries was a messy job.

Peaches was an all day event because the peach orchard was further away. We would pack a lunch and travel pick three or four lugs of peaches and stop all regular chores and get peaches canned up for the winter. We all loved mom's home canned peaches our grandparents would come with us on these peach picking outtings and I had a great time climbing the ladders and trees for these huge fruits!


Picking huckleberries in the woods while we gathered fire wood was an annual event too, that was one dusty dirty chore that I did not enjoy. As I grew being the oldest and no brothers, mom’s back went out I was the work horse of the family getting wood hauled in from the wood shed was one of my regular chores.

Mom worked part time at the library to pay for our swimming lessons and season tickets at the pool. Summers were a very busy time for us. I ran the ‘tiller and helped to can in season vegetables too.

I learned to sew at home and in 4-h when and when I took home economics in school I aced those classes. Now I enjoy picking black berries with even more thorns with the grand children when we are boating and hubby is fishing.

www . hells canyon tours . com put these with out the spaces for link to see!

Today

Today as I get dressed I was looking out my bedroom window as I do every morning, combing my hair I look out at the tree and see a mother robin sitting on and tending to her nest.
That reminds me a conversation hubby & I had last weekend about tossing old nests
and if they reuse them or not, he said he got up on the latter and was doing to do some pruning
in that tree and saw the robin and decided that he needed to wait. It looks like we were wrong about them reusing the nests!

The robin has to guard her eggs from the squirrels that make rounds raiding the other trees nest eggs in the yards. We see these on-going feuds between squirrels and robins in our yard
from time to time.

It’s farmers market day again, and having a short week some of the chores at home will have to wait. Granny duty is almost over for the week. And we did not get all of our playing done! It will have to wait.

I think I need a week at the farm no make that a month. We can play, fish, read, paint, and enjoy nature. Grandkids can run, play collect pine cones, help with the orchard up keep, and ride the mini bike.

Local link. www.hellscanyontours.com

Bubble Day

It’s bubble day around here today, dear grand daughters are going to be having fun playing with bubbles, and getting wet in the sprinkler and playing in the kiddie pool now that the hot weather has arrived. And then we will be feeding the squirrels nuts later today and watch them scamper up the tree with them that is fun to see out the window as I type!

I’ve walked 2.5 mi. did that when I got up at 5:00 today, these cool early morning walks are a great time for me to think, pray and gather inspiration.

We got a lot done at the farm sharing with the grandchildren the fun
and they enjoyed the room to roam. We all seem to need that from time to time a little room to roam. I worked on pruning the small family orchard and the guys mowed dear hubby used the brush hog machine, dear son ran the riding mower. I did get a turn on it, some branches I trimmed off and put them in the trailer that can be pulled behind the mower or the 4-wheeler. Grandkids love to ride anything with wheels up there!

Dear Hubby decided to let me pick the spots where to fish,
when he picked this weekend we did not catch anything.
He loved the new reel I got for his ann. gift.
My new red reel and pole are working good I caugh a bass with it!
Killed the biggest hornet I've ever seen and used a stick to get it on the hook and the fish picked that hook clean!

Today on my goals list is to get a baby and new mom basket together.
Four a couple their first baby he is in his 50’s and she is in her twenties, much joy for this couple the first for both of them!

What I’m reading: A Good Yarn By Debbie Macomber
A link about the author link in blog entry post title. I’ll be savoring this one and reading some when we are on vacation this month.

I also picked up Family First by Dr. Phil from the book shelf
and I am reading in it where I left off from last time had it out.