I'm back

Since I was here last...

It's been a long, cold winter...

We had some fun

And then it was cold some more...

And we thought winter would never end...

But finally it did.

Cammie is getting bigger

Zarr got baptized

Megan turned 4.  Adam won a math competition among all 4th graders in San Diego.  Ethan had a birthday, and so did Zian, Zarr, Chase, and Katie, and Little Grandma, who is doing great by the way. (Whose birthday did I miss?  Anyone?  No, most of your birthdays are in DECEMBER!!!)  Paul moved to Benton City (can anyone say Twilight Zone?).  Justin made Super Chief (that's not what it's called...but something like that...Senior Chief, that's it!). Angelo passed his CDL.  Robin just finished her junior year at Heritage College on her way to her Master's.  Jen and Jade are doing well and I'll bet there are herbs and flowers growing in their garden, which probably looks better than mine.  Allicia's tomatoes are doing better than mine.  Lan and Floyd hit a deer on Snoqualamie Pass last week and totaled their car but they are okay.  Jen and Robin are both having birthdays this month.  How can this be?  We are all almost the same age now.  Robin and Uncle Rob share a birthday, which is cool. 

And I got a hair cut (this is a self portrait which is why part of my wonderful hair cut is missing in this picture), a new job (two actually, but who's counting), and my tomatoes are finally planted.  

And when I got home from work tonight, I was greeted by this miracle...

All is well with the universe.

Magic

My computer magically started working again. One of my daughters bargained with the ghost that occasionally visits my house (used to live here, actually), and my computer started working again (of course there's more to this story and really we're not crazy and my ghost just wanted me to get more rest, I think, but it's ok because I promised her I would and how can you lie to a ghost when you never know when she will be watching you, right?) None of my clocks started working however. And they all weren't electric, 2 were battery operated so it wasn't a power surge that knocked everything out.

So....Hello.

Spring has snuck up on me. The lilac bush in the corner of my yard is blooming and that wonderful purple smell just reaches out and grabs me every time I am anywhere near it. I was at Target last week and this rather large young woman squeezed her very ample bottom into a teeny tiny short very tight little skirt that left nothing to the imagination...and her high heels clicked along across the parking lot and men were literally stopping in their tracks and staring at her as she walked by. I don't think it was because they thought she was overwhelmingly attractive. There was rather a consensus of unbelief in their stares. My lilac bush is kind of like that young woman. Any time I get near the lilac bush, I am pulled toward it and I can't help but stare at it with my nose. I'm helplessly attracted to it. The large hussy in the corner of my yard.

I started my garden again. I planted peas several weeks ago, but alas, only four scrawny little pea plants came up (OK, you were right, it was too cold to plant peas, I admit it). So I transplanted them to a shady part of the garden and replanted another whole package of peas to go along with them and planted tomatoes where the peas were because that side of the porch gets more sun. So we'll see if I get peas. I also planted some zucchini. I have other things I want to plant as well, but have much work to do before I can put much more in the ground.

I'm so glad to be back.

Praise The Lord For Studs

It started snowing this afternoon. Snowed harder during yoga. Was a blizzard when I was driving home. But coming up the hill wasn't a problem with my studded tires. Got me home in good shape. I'm not too worried about getting to work tomorrow. The snow plow/sander comes by here in the morning to clear the road for the school bus. And I do have my studded tires.

I keep waiting for spring. It keeps not coming. I know we need the snow and all, but holy smokes, how about some spring here. Isn't it time to plant peas or something? I'm just sure it is.

Soon.

Very soon.

The end of tomatoes and ...

Yesterday afternoon after a bout of emotional paralysis, I went outside and pulled up dead tomato vines. Frost killed them. I picked a few tomatoes I missed last week and ate my last tomato of the season fresh off the vine. I picked the pathetic beets, and the miniature rainbow carrots, as well (orange, yellow, red, and white, pretty cool really except they weren't designed to feed regular people, that's for sure). It is somehow very sad to have my garden growing season over, clean up the little patches of ground for next year, and pick the last tomato.

I've started making Christmas presents, but it already doesn't look good. I'm doing counted cross stitch ornaments (don't read this kids). It is taking me FOREVER to finish one ornament, stitches in, rip them out, my count is off so my picture is a bit skewed, and a few stitches that I missed ripping out (I don't know how I could have done that) are leaning slightly to the left. How hard is it to sew a stupid x for crying out loud? Apparently more difficult than I originally thought. I'm going to have to take the thing into town because I missed the class on French knots and of course, this picture has French knots in it. A bunch. I'm hoping I can find someone in town who can show me how to sew French knots. I'll be the old lady on the street corner with the little cross stitch picture saying to strangers passing by, hey can you show me French knots? I'm not complaining. It's just that you can't eat cross stitch pictures, you can't get out and dig up weeds around the pictures, and the pattern isn't nearly as pretty as the picture of tomatoes on the front of a seed package. But since growing season is over and holiday season is fast approaching, I'm stitching. This started out as a labor of love. It has become a test of wills. Who is going to win, me or the needle that goes where it shouldn't and the thread that knots up on the back of the picture? I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Today is a good day

Today I have been home. I love being in my little home. I’ve cleaned a bit, cooked a bit, organized a bit and prepared for a meeting that was canceled. But I was prepared and that’s the good part. And I got to visit with a good friend and that’s the other good part. I am content tonight. And that’s the best part.

I made a huge pan of brownies with fudge frosting, that’s the bad part. Now what am I going to do with a whole huge pan of brownies I ask you. Too bad Stevie isn’t around. Whenever grandma made brownies, he always showed up at her house. It was like he had brownie radar or something. He was brownie psychic. But he’s not near by so I’ll have to figure something else out. I’m sure something will come to me.

Garden update: I am giving little tomatoes away, there are too many for me to eat. Not enough big ones to can yet, but it’s just a matter of time—a week maybe, or less. My squash and pumpkins have mold or something. I sprayed them with vinegar and garlic juice last night but Rob told me to just cut the infected leaves off. I’ll have to do that when I come home tomorrow. I hit everything with miracle grow yesterday. Just want to keep encouraging them to grow and give me lots of veggies.

Did I say today is a good day? Ah yes, I did.

Enjoying paradise...finally

Some time ago I was praying for health and the Lord whispered to me “Walk.” I thought, “Walk? Hmmm. Sounds like a lot of work to me isn’t there an easier way?” “Walk” was my answer again. Ok. I don’t walk everyday, which I know I should, but I have been walking down the road and through the orchard and it is not only a cardio workout, but whispers peace to my soul and heart. I always feel better when I get home.

This is the way I am. Not the way I want to be, but the way I am. Pray, get an answer, question, answer is repeated. The Lord is very patient with me. I confess to being a slow learner. Verrrrry slllllllllow sometimes.

Today as I walked out my door I wandered around my yard looking at my garden and lo and behold, I have green beans ready to pick. Downtown they have been picking green beans for weeks, but mine are ready today. How about that. Another miracle in my life. And before I headed down the road I brought in laundry that I hung out yesterday afternoon. My grandma would be very disappointed in me for leaving it on the line all night. I confess I completely forgot about it yesterday. I pulled the heads off a dozen dandelions in my front yard. They are the bane of my existence. Putting out their little puff balls to pollute my yard. So every morning I go out and pull the heads off the latest crop and throw them toward the canyon. I was putting them on the edge of the yard, but some of the tricky things, even without their connection to the earth, transformed into puff balls and scattered their little parachutes around. So into the canyon they go.

Then I walked.

I have been stressed over work or rather over not working and over finances and over transportation and over the health of my family and over…well the list just goes on and on. Needless to say, I have been stressing myself out over a lot of things and if I get a moment when I’m not worried about something I can sit down and think and allow something to come to mind that I can worry about. Do you see a pattern here?

I live in paradise. I am a woman of faith. I have never been homeless or hungry. I have people who love me and care for me and help me when I need it. People I can call at 1:00 in the morning to come take me home after a movie because I’m having car trouble. I am one of the luckiest people I know. Why am I wasting my time and energy worrying over things I have no control over? Well, I do have some control over some things…I can walk. I can submit applications. I can continue to pray and read my scriptures. There is much I do have control over. But why worry when I can do? I walk. I submit applications. I petition my Heavenly Father to help me and my family.

I have been in a gratitude desert for the last few days. Looking at what I don’t have instead of what I do have. And that has not been real satisfying for me. In the orchard this morning I looked at the trees. They work all year to make cherries and in a week or two, the cherries are gone; picked, and shipped out. The trees are still green and beautiful, but soon the leaves will fall and they will be naked trees standing forlornly in rows waiting for the snow so they can all go to sleep for three or four months. Winter is the sad part of the year for me, seeing all those lonely branches against the gray skies, trees young and old standing knee deep in snow. But the trees don’t mind it because it’s an important part of the cycle of their lives. The hope of spring, and the joy of summer, and the excitement of the first ripe cherry, it’s all right here for me to experience. I’m sitting here having a pity party because I don’t have a job which will get me up at dark thirty and I will leave my house in paradise and go to an office somewhere downtown and sit and work for eight hours before I can come home to paradise again. What is wrong with this picture?

I decided that today I will cast my burdens on the Lord (that’s one of my favorite verses by the way: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30). Today I will pick green beans, bake bread, work on my house, submit my resume and cover letter for the job I want, and eat squash (for the rest of the week I'll eat squash--the stuffed squash I baked yesterday is WONDERFUL—I did however opt for chocolate for dessert…what was I thinking, squash for dessert…silly me).

It is a beautiful day. I live in paradise. I have opportunities to work and do and be and enjoy this very moment.

How blessed I am.

I'm blessed with bounty

I went to the garden today and what did I see but a giant acorn squash. They blend in with the leaves and are hard to see. I thought to myself, self, I didn’t think those things got ripe till September but if I leave that on the vine another month it will be 10 pounds and who is going to eat 10 pounds of acorn squash I ask you. So I called my master gardener friend and she said oh no, you harvest them when they are the size of an acorn squash. Okie dokie. The thing is, I’ve been working and it’s been so hot I’ve mostly just watered my little garden and told it how good it’s doing and how proud of it I am and then I’ve left it to its own devices. That is the equivalent of telling a teenager, I’m leaving for the week end, now don’t you have a party, knowing 50 kids will be there by Saturday afternoon for the evening bash. Yes, my garden is totally out of control. The tomato plants have grown into each other, the pumpkin is snaking its way into the tomato patch, and the acorn squash is the bad boy of the garden. It’s invading the beets on one side and the peppers on the other. Plus all these beautiful giant squash. Eight. I picked eight acorn squash this morning. One looks like a regular squash, the rest look like squash on steroids. And there are more on the vines. I did take a knife to some of the squash vines so that my poor peppers could get a bit of sunlight. Anyone got any good squash recipes?

I took one down to my neighbors, going to take one to Carmen, she loves them, and give one to Rob. I don't think Kevin eats squash, but I'll ask. See, I'm down to four.

Don’t think I’m complaining. I’m already planning on squash stuffed with burger, onions, garlic and bacon for dinner and squash stuffed with brown sugar and butter for dessert. See, don’t you think I have this garden thing covered? Yes I do.

WELCOME TO ME

Ok so I haven't put colored borders or sparkly fireworks or fancy fonts here (who can tell me how to do that stuff?) but I thought I'd try this blogging thing. I enjoy reading your blogs. I'm not sure anyone will enjoy reading mine, and I'm not sure I'm real concerned about it right now.

I live in paradise, those who visit even say so. A cherry orchard in the back yard. The canyon in front complete with a river, some lakes, mountains. Who could ask for more. Oh yes, and there's my little garden. You know when you plant tomato plants they are ...what ... 6 inches tall. So I planted 10 of them. Some of them are now taller than me. We've had such a cold winter and spring that they are just starting to turn red. I ate my first day before yesterday. My second yesterday. I'm going out and pick another this evening. I love eating them while they are warm and their little tomato hearts are still beating. Several are turning ripe. In another couple weeks I should be up to my eyeballs in tomatoes. I can hardly wait. I have peppers, a bunch, with two ready to pick. My pumpkins look like they are making happy little pumpkin babies, the squash too. Beets and carrots are coming along. I can't remember why I planted chives. What on earth do you do with chives? Oh, I remember, I went in at the end of the potted plant season and they were massively on sale. So I said to myself-self, why not try em. Anyone know what one does with garlic chives? I'm so happy when I go out and water my little garden. I planted some flowers. Some are blossoming, some are just green piles of leaves or something, but they look pretty. Note to self: study which plants make flowers and which are ground huggers before next year. (Again, the lot of them were on sale...nuff said).

My children and grandchildren have come to visit over the last week or two. That was WONDERFUL!! I sent five home Monday and picked two more up today. Before that, four spent the week with me. I just love rocking a little one to sleep, singing to her and having her sing back. Makes me smile just to think about it. And each one of them, they are getting so big and so smart and they are all so beautiful. What a lucky grandma I am, that's for sure. I look at my children living their lives and wrestling with reality and sometimes I ache for them. At this moment about all I can do to help them is pray for them. But they too are all very smart, beautiful, compassionate people. See how lucky I am. It is a challenging time for all of us right now. And the rest of my family. What a blessing they all are to me. And my friends. How they put up with my silliness. We have two family members who are in the military. How I appreciate their sacrifice, the sacrifice of one's wife and children to have husband and daddy gone, oh my, but it is hard to see it. God Bless America and all our troops where ever they are.

So that's what's up with me. Tomorrow I'm taking my two eight-year-olds to town. We'll play in the park, do some grocery shopping, come home and make goodies and popcorn to take to the drive in movies tomorrow night. We'll glean cherries in the morning. Many are in the process of becoming raisins around their pits, but we may find a good one or two. And at some point, we need to make a batch of bread. Probably tonight when it cools off. That way we can have sandwiches tomorrow.

That's it from paradise for now.