Winter

Winter

Saturday, January 30, 2010

A Day of Go Cart Racing


My youngest son getting ready to go.


My husband getting ready to race. We took the kids today
and went to the local go cart place and let them race the clock.
it was fun and they had such a good time. I didn't race because
I drive like a girl. But my daughter raced.

The last race she stayed up with my husband.
It was a fun day and I hope that we do it again
soon with all of the other kids. :)

Finished Borders


I finished the borders yesterday. Now the batting
and the backing and then the quilting. Then I can
finally hang it. It was amazing how different my mind
was since the last time I worked on it. I was finally able
to think clearly and making flying geese wasn't
as hard as I thought. I am still only using material
from my quilt stash. I have material from two women
that were cleaning out their room and just wanted to
get rid of the boxes of bits and pieces leftover from
their old projects. I decided I would just use all of this stuff
up before I went and bought anything.

The funny thing about using other peoples stuff is it might not
be colors or patterns that I would ever use but because I don't
remember buying it it is always a little surprise when I find
stuff going through the boxes.

I just don't have a cohesive feel to my quilts but that is okay.
I have some old quilt tops from my husbands families and they
just used what they had. I am going to do the same thing.
I have so much stuff that I need to get rid of or use up or
give away. I have been convicted of what a hoarder I am.
I mean really, when was the last time you saw a U Haul at
a funeral?
Happy Saturday!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Sewing Friday


Here is my quilt I thought I would have finished by
Thanksgiving. Never knowing that I would be making
a quick trip to Oklahoma or any of the other things
that took place in my life, but here it is so close to being
finished. So I decided that it was time for Sewing Fridays
to begin again. I only have the three flying geese borders
to finish and then the quilting part. Since I prefer hand
quilting to machine quilting I will just sit in the evenings
and hand quilt. The reason being
as I had a spring quilt that I want finished by March.
I started it last summer but didn't get very far as it is on
the complete edge of my skill. I have to look up terms
on Google because I just don't know what some of them are.
Here is a picture of this lovely quilt.

I have the sun block finished and I am almost finished
with the house and tree block. I love quilts with checker
board edges and It has every shape I love. It is just
doing one huge block at a time is very different for me
because I am just a Elinor Burns Quilt in a Day kind
of quilter. Give me ruler and a rotary cutter I am good
to go, cutting every thing in to strips.
So this is the plan which maybe changed if it is as sunny
tomorrow as it was today, I may hang out with the chickens and
trim raspberry bushes. The dirt is perfect for pulling weeds.
I made sugar water today for the bees and when I went out
to check them this evening they had drank a bunch so I know
they are okay too. Life is good.
I love Fridays!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Bleak House and Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens
Not only do I love gardening but I also love books!
Sometimes it seems like a sickness. Anyplace I go
like antique stores or used furniture stores I run across
old books and I feel so sad because I can't give them a home
When my great-grandmother died, her legacy was books!
Some had been passed down from her grandparents so I grew
up always with people who read books and then discussed them

My goal this year is to read all of Charles Dickens. I wanted today
to talk about Bleak House. It gets deeper the more I read it. I love
Dickens because of his ability to create characters like Mr. Guppy, and
Mr. Smallweed and Mr. John Jarndice and of course, the lovable and true
Esther Summerson. You have the tragic Mrs. Deadlock and how
her desire for security and prestige made her a shell, of her former
self, where once she was ruled my her passions, she becomes a
woman ruled by her rigidity and control.
The detective, Mr. Bucket who seems to see and hear everything and
yet seems above reproach. Yet keeps his thoughts so well to himself.
But then we see that he is much deeper. He is not afraid of the rich.

The movie done by the BBC is one I could watch over and over.
Just for a small dose of Dickens when I don't have time to sit and
read a book.


This is my favorite version of the book.
Bleak House (Norton Critical Editions) by Charles Dickens, George Ford, and Sylvere Monod (Paperback - Dec 17, 1977)

There are words I have never seen in Dickens before so this does a nice
job of explaining the meaning behind some words, not to mention
the part about the real people the Dickens knew and used
them in his book to make a smarmy person like Skimpole. Who
was a real person who lived the same way in real life.

I was thinking of doing small book reviews once in a while.
Books that cause my thinking to ponder deeply into
the contrasts that Dickens gives us through his writing.
I hope you have a nice Thursday!








Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Odds and Ends on Wednesday


When I was a kid, Disney did a movie called.
The Horse in The Gray Flannel Suit, with Dean
Jones. I loved that movie and as I was so horse
crazy at the time, it became a deep-seated dream.
It wasn't until I was browsing through old movies
at Wal Mart or Target that I ran across the movie.
My heart about stopped and I picked it up and brought
it home.

Imagine to my surprise and deep delight that in my sub-conscious
mind I had white split rail fences around our house too. As I watched
the movie I was still as spell bound as I was then. Not to mention
Kurt Russell was just awesome and so cute!! So I just had to post
this picture today of the white fence against the backdrop
of the green grass.

Off to do school now,
Happy Wednesday!


I

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

New Sunflowers


I was out walking and I could see this green,
I thought what on earth? As I got closer I could see
so many sunflowers coming up volunteer. I thought,
I will just have my husband plow them all under and
replant because they are just growing willy-nilly.
Then as I was thinking, since my goal was for sunflower
honey, why don't I just let them keep growing and there
will be food for bees to eat when it gets warm enough for the
bees to work.


This is how it looks from standing in the pasture,
looking across the field. So many sunflowers. I have
always dreamed of a field of sunflowers, if I am not
careful I could get my wish.


Monday, January 25, 2010

Pictures out in the Pasture


Today, I was outside in the bit of sunshine we had.
The grass next door, really is greener. It looks so
unreal I just had to take a picture of it. It is just
so green. I am going to look at this picture in the
summer because then it will be all brown, and I
won't remember it.


As I was walking out there with my camera, there
was this really cool sight of the sun coming through
the next approaching storm. It was beautiful.


I just had to take a picture of the clouds through
the limbs of this tree. I love the limbs that are all
curly against the back drop of the clouds and the sun.
It is Monday again.
Two verses I would like to start Monday with are these.
"When I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:10
"And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was
not in the fire, and after the fire a still small voice."
1 Kings 19:12

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Back on Line



Yesterday was a long day for my poor, System
Administrator/ husband. He did it though and today
I am up and running. I am so impressed. I have this computer
now that is all zippy again. I have room again on
my hard drive, and I don't spend hours doing something
else while my computer loads a page. Though I
did get lots of work accomplished between pages.

My son came in while I was out, and cleaned the keyboard,
but also took pictures of my desk top. I thought they
were great pictures so I decided to publish them today.
I have lots to get accomplished today so today is a
short post.


We cleaned up after all of the storms from earlier
in the week. Hauled 4 trash cans of tumbleweeds
out to the road for the trash man. So many tumbleweeds
and trash.
Today is another sunny day!
Happy Sunday!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

My Lovely Ladies


These are my lovely ladies out for a stroll in the
bit of brief sunshine we had yesterday. I hope
to let them out for a bit more sun when it
warms up today.
One of my favorite things to do is to go outside
and let them out of their houses and then sit
outside and "visit" with them.

Our two oldest children got married in 2006
3 weeks apart. I guess you can never prepare
for an empty nest, but it is a wonderful gift from God to see
the completion of my children as they become
not a half but a whole. It still begins the change
of hats from mother to mother-in-law

I struggled to find a balance and now almost 4 years
later I am so happy at the fruit that has taken place.
What helped me to get over my empty nest was
Chickens!
Not only are they great for the mind but they lay eggs
too. So my idea of mental health is a flock of chickens,
they make you get outside and they make you have
something to take care of and they look up and thank
God for the water every time they take a drink,
so I think for me as I am thinking about new chicks
Nothing has helped me to stay sane, like chickens.
Have a very nice Saturday!
I might not post for awhile as today is the day my
hard drive gets re-formatted. It needs
lots of work and my husband had offered to fix my
computer at Christmas and I have put it off, now
I can't anymore, so today is the day. Good-bye
for now. :)

Friday, January 22, 2010

I Can See The Sun.


It is still raining but I can see the clouds breaking
up and I can see that we still do have a sun.
I feel like such a wimp. I really don't know how
people live that have really cold and really wet
weather. It must be so hard to steel themselves
to winter. I am glad my forefathers
decided that California Was the place to be, and loaded
up the car and came to... Bakersfield??? :)
I read a nice blurb yesterday that the city
manager was having to cut so much of the city
budget because California was broke, but he wasn't
too worried because the people here have lived though
the depression and knew how to live without
handouts. I really liked that.

I am surprised at how over the moon happy I am
since I had to stop living like a spoiled queen and
have had to live with what I have in my hands.
I think we eat better, because I had to go back to cooking
from scratch. I use up what I have instead of going and buying
more and being dissatisfied with what I had purchased.

I like simple.
I really do enjoy going to the library and having Netflix. Instead
of going to the show. I even enjoy canning and having
a garden. I am still using the stuff I canned in the summer
and I am looking forward to doing that again.

I think for me God has done me a favor, by giving
me less, He has given me just what I need for
each day and I have not at one time gone
without if there was something I needed.
I think I am simply happier and more content
and more thankful today than I was say five years
ago. I believe with my whole heart less is more.
Happy Friday!!!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Storm day 4


Today is Thankful Thursday. So I am sitting
here trying to have a thankful heart. I feel
like drumming my fingers on my desk and saying,
"I know I am thankful for something, but what is
it?"

I am thankful I am in the house and not outside,
in the wind that threatens to blow away the house
and all of the trees. The wind is howling and the
trees are roaring like the surf in rough seas.

I am glad that our power hasn't went out and
I can still have a warm house, hot coffee, and
my washer and dryer can plug away all day
so we can have clean clothes to wear.

I am thankful I have school to teach today, and
we have the choice of starting a fire in the fireplace,
and sitting around it and the boys can do their school
in my living room and not at school, in the wind and
cold like my older two will do today.

So when I do think about it and don't have a bad
attitude I can be thankful. Because after all
the only person I can change is myself.

Have a great stormy day today.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Wandering Rocks of Death Valley


I was looking through my pictures on my computer
and I came across one I had found about the wandering
rocks of Death Valley. When I found the picture and
story a long time ago, it made me laugh.
The thought of these rocks wandering all over
the desert. My mind thought up stories
of a rock waking up one morning and deciding
to go for as walk. Did it get bored or maybe
too hot? Or maybe as one of the kids favorite
books, Silvester and the Magic Pebble, was it
really a donkey transformed by a magic pebble
into a rock.
This is what Wikipedia has to say about it.

Sailing stone in Racetrack Playa

The sailing stones (sliding rocks, moving rocks) are a geological phenomenon where rocks move in long tracks along a smooth valley floor without human or animal intervention. They have been recorded and studied in a number of places around Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, where the number and length of travel grooves are notable. The force behind their movement is not understood and is the subject of research.

Racetrack stones only move every two or three years and most tracks develop over three or four years. Stones with rough bottoms leave straight striated tracks while those with smooth bottoms wander. Stones sometimes turn over, exposing another edge to the ground and leaving a different track in the stone's wake.

Sliding rock trails fluctuate in direction and length. Some rocks which start next to each other start out traveling parallel, but one may abruptly change direction to the left, right, or even back the direction it came from. Length also varies because two similarly sized and shaped rocks could travel uniformly, then one could burst ahead or stop dead in its track.

Speed is an unknown variable. Since these stones are rarely transported and nobody has witnessed the movement, the speeds at which the rocks travel are not known.

That last part makes me laugh too, "the speeds which the rocks travel are not known."

We live in a funny world.
I was tired of posting storm pictures and thought a picture of sunshine
would be nice.
It's baby day!! Have a nice Wednesday.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Odds and Ends


I finally finished up these pillows I have been working
on, it seems like forever and there isn't that
much work in them. I got the pattern from
currently favorite, favorite magazine.

Create and Decorate. It is bi-monthly and I wish
I had time to do every single project. They have
so many things and different mediums to use.
I have been out of the crafting world for so many
years it is nice to get my feet wet again.
Speaking of wet feet.

This was my flowerbed yesterday afternoon.
The back yard looks like a swamp and there
was so much water coming down it filled my flowerbed
up and it finally overflowed.
We have storm number 3 coming today. They haven't
got old yet. I am afraid I won't be as happy when
I am trying to hula-hoe all of the weeds.
Have a great Tuesday!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Storm part 2


This morning, I was sitting with a cup of coffee, looking
out the window, and all was still.
Then I noticed off to my right in the neighborhoods, some
people had a banana tree blowing back and forth, I thought
how odd, but then as I sat there I noticed the pepper tree in
my front yard begin to move, then the ceders and then
every so slowly, the wind chimes started a faint
note played over and over. Then I noticed this:

You can't really see it too well but the tumbleweeds
have began their march across the field in front of my
house. Thousands of tumbleweeds by the days end.
They are the bain of my life. They scatter the seeds
and I work to cut the thousands that will grow if
I wasn't diligent.
The wind is really coming up.I had to go out and put heavy
things in front of the gates so the dogs don't get out
and as I was checking my chickens they were all so
afraid. That is when I wish I knew chicken language.

So today what we have in store is storm part 2
I love storms!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Early Morning Sun


With the forecast for finally a El Nino storm on its
way, I think this might be our last bit of sun. I can
see the mountains in the distance so that is a good sign
and we might have feet of snow in the mountains instead
of inches that we normally get.

With all of the beautiful clouds in the sky, I am reminded
of this little poem by Ruth Bell Graham.

Clouds are the dust of His Feet
And watching the evening sky
I chuckled to think, "how neat.
God just passed by."

Sundays are such nice days. Life moves a bit slower
As I was walking today and I could see the mountains
this popped into my mind.
"I will lift mine eyes unto the hills; From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth
The Lord will guard your going out
and your coming in from this time
fourth and forever."
Psalm 121:1-2; 8

Then once again He reminds me.
" He who promised is faithful. Has He said and will
not do it? or has He spoken and will he not make good?
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will
no means pass away"

I can look back at the darkest moments
of my life and I can see how all over my
life are finger prints of a loving heavenly
Father who led me down paths
I would not have gone nor been given
the gifts I did not deserve. He has
been faithful always.
So today, I lift up my hands in thanksgiving
because He is there.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Batten Down the Hatches


Batten down the hatches, a storm is coming.
This morning that will be my chores, making sure,
all the chickens have enough food and water, and
making sure all of the things that will blow way won't.
I am going to have the boys haul wood from where it
is stored to the wood pile on the porch.

I love storms, in California. Not in say, Texas or
Oklahoma. Here I can choose to read the weather
report and if a few days pass well then no big deal
but in those other states you miss a weather report
and it can kill ya.

When the kids were small and we would go for a visit, to
my parents who lived in Oklahoma at that time. ( they live in heaven
now.)
every single year we got caught in Tornadoes. My daughter
who is married still has nightmares about them.

I haven't really been in that many earthquakes, but to
me they haven't been as scary as a tornado.

I hope you have a great Saturday. I am off to take care
of all of the outside stuff.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Odds and Ends Friday


This is a trip we took with our family. In the summer.
Remember what if felt like to be hot? I don't that is why
I posted a picture of summer so you can remember,
yes, summer will come again. :)

I have lots to do today. One of my favorite bloggers,
said that you can find wool for her latest project at
Johann's so I am going down to see if I can find
some. Her latest project is here. (The Pickled Pepper Patch
see side bar.)
That has been my biggest problem is finding wool.
I also need a trip to the Library.
I am sort of like a drug addict when it comes to books
my world is just a bit better if I have a stack waiting
to be read. Since it forecasts lots of rain, I need to have
a stack of books handy.

Then a grocery store trip. I know one is needed, when
I am out of everything and I don't have anything to
fix for my husbands lunch. I felt bad about that,
but he isn't in a place to warm up the chicken pot
pie I fixed for dinner last night.

Then I might go visit a few stores that have used
junk in them. I need a couple of chairs for my office.
but I do not want to spend more that five dollars.
Really it is just a information gathering trip.
I don't want to spend money so I just go look
at lots of stuff.

But it's Friday and it is like a magic carpet today.
I do love Fridays!

I had to add to this post, go check out Hooked on Houses
in the side bar, she has a P.S. to the house named
Serendipity. It is going to be moved!! They
have a live web came set up so you can watch.
I am so glad, I really didn't want to see that
beautiful house destroyed.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Thankful Thursday


I am thankful for a sunny day!!! The fog was only on the ground
this morning. The weather forecast is saying that we
might get 10 days of rain. I am really happy about
that too. It is just that today, I am so happy for
the sun.
I am finding as I age, I want to spend more time in
the past. I don't know why, because it really wasn't
that good. I am forever telling the kids, the 60s
were junk. The 70s were not much better, I mean
what the heck was the Age of Aquarius? and Hair??
I was 12 years old and I wanted so much to be a hippy.
But, I lived next door to my grandparents, so they would
make me come over and watch Lawrence Welk, on Saturday nights. My
grandparents wanted me to look like the Lennon Sisters.
So anyway I digress,
Here is a poem I found that makes me remember
to stay in this day.

I was regretting the past
and fearing the future....
Suddenly my Lord was speaking;
"MY NAME IS I Am" He paused.
I waited. He continued.

" When you live in the past,
with its mistakes and regrets,
It is hard, I am not there,
My name is not I was."

" When you live in the future.
with its problems and fears,
It is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I will be."

"When you live in the moment,
It is not hard.
I am here.
MY NAME IS I AM"
----Helen Mallicoat---
Have a great Thursday!!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Eggs


Yesterday, I went out to collect eggs, and in my new coop with my chicks
That hatched in June, I had eggs, scattered all over the coop. Some
had made it in the nest box, but some had not. It always
makes me laugh because when they first start laying
eggs, the little hens just don't know quite what to do.


The big row of eggs are my banny eggs, with the top
being the newest layer and the biggest at the bottom
being from the 2 year old hens.
The two large brown eggs are from my normal laying hens.
I like the banny eggs for omelets. Because 3 make a really
nice size omelet.
Yesterday was a beautiful day so I let the chickens out for some
sunshine.

It was so nice to have a break and sit out in the sun
and I know the hens loved it too.
It rained all last night, so the fog is back for now.
I am glad though, we need rain.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Storms Coming


The one thing about living in California, and in Bako, this doesn't mean
much. It means, we might possibly get a drop or two
of rain. Other places this might mean, thunder,
lightning, 10 inches of rain in 15 minutes.

The one thing is that it is clear and you can see the mountains.
Someone told me that they had moved here from someplace
else and got up one morning and saw the mountains.
They had no clue that we even had mountains you could see.
That is how hazy or foggy, or dusty it is depending on the season.

I was looking through a old book I came across yesterday, and it
had songs written down in it from the Yocut Indians. They were the Indians
that lived here originally. I kid you not they had a song to the dust storms.

The book was a old book called Stories Along the Kern. It had songs from the Yocuts,
and stories about Father Garces, and I think about him every time
I drive by him living in his little house on the circle. I just have
to stop next time and get a picture. It just makes me laugh.

You will have to forgive me for a bit, I found pictures of the grave yard,
my husbands family is buried in, in Texas and it clicks the switch on in
the brain for local history and stuff and old stories of long ago. So I start
digging into my old history books and that is all I can think about.

My poor husband gets talked to sleep at night by me telling him about
treasure that is buried and old gold mines and places like Robbers Roost.
He told me this morning though how good he slept last night. I used to talk
him to sleep all the time. I never do now.

Monday, January 11, 2010

A Few Flowers


I went outside to find something to take a picture of
I found these flowers in my flower bed and with the cold
and foggy weather, I thought they still had something to
smile about. They made me happy.
Today is Monday and this is what I am thinking
about and of course, my goal for today is to be quiet.

"Lord, deliver me from the urge to open my mouth
when I should shut it. Give me wisdom to keep
silence where silence is wise. Remind me
that not everything needs to be said and that there are
very few things that need to be said by me."
(Elisabeth Elliot, A lamp for my feet. Pg 42)

A man of understanding holds his peace. (Proverbs 11:12)

"We accept and thank God for what is given, not allowing
the not given to spoil it."
(Elisabeth Elliot, Let me be a woman)

Sunday, January 10, 2010

A Summer Day Picture


I was looking outside at the gloom, and I thought,
Why not a picture of summer. This is my grandson,
Alex. He was out in the corn and the sunflowers
last summer. This year he will be bigger and will
get to help Gma in the garden.

This year I think I will have lots of helpers in the garden.
There will be 3 big boys that will be three years old, and
Two babies that will be one.
My, my how our garden grows.

Yes, I am a very happy Gma today.
Enjoy the Lords Day in peace and safety.

"The secret of contentment is in casting all your care upon
Him and placing all your confidence in His ability to
handle it." Elisabeth Elliot

Saturday, January 9, 2010

More Tree Trimming


Here is a picture of one of the trees that is in need of a trim.
I wanted so bad for the red of the branches to turn out. Lets
see if I can do a close up.

There, see how red the branches are? This is from a peach tree.
I never knew that the new branches that will have fruit on them
this year are the ones that are pretty and fresh looking.
That is why you don't trim these off, like I would do if I was
the tree trimmer. I am of the hack and chop kind of gardening
person. You should see the look on my poor husbands face
after I get finished with my rose bushes. Yep, stubs.

But because it looks like this,

It is going to be awhile before I go outside. Maybe a fire
and another cup of coffee, and a little bit of hooking.
I love Saturdays!!

Friday, January 8, 2010

New Sunflowers


If you know me, you know that I am nutty about sunflowers. My dream is to have bunches and bunches of sunflowers. I like them because as a cut flower they last forever. Imagine to my surprise in the old leftover leaves what is coming up but sunflowers. It makes me so happy, because I know that when I am sickest of winter, I will have sunflowers there to make me happy. I think that is what I love about gardening is there is always some surprise waiting around the corner.
I love Fridays and this one I have so much planned, who knows if I will get it all finished. I started hooking a rug, and I find I want to sit and do that all day. I went to some rug hooking blogs and they have this neat little button that says something like "15 minute hooker." I wanted it so bad, but have not ever hooked a rug. So my goal is to start hooking so I can have that button on my blog. :) It isn't latch hook, but rug hooking which is from New England and completely a American craft. The only hard part is finding wool. If I was brave I would show you what I have done so far, well what the heck, I will.

So here is my first project.

This is a close up of the hook that you use to hook the rug.

So here I go working toward my button.
Happy Friday!!