Blue Moon

Our grand kids from Oregon came for a visit tonight.  We had such a great time visiting and eating pizza and working on a "Blue Moon" craft.  Did you know that the second full moon in one month is called the Blue Moon?  It only happens every 3 1/2  to 4 years and Lily was so proud to tell her Papa this fact.  While we were waiting for our yummy pizza to be cooked, the grand kids completed a marble painting of the blue moon that was yet to come that evening.

Eve of All Good Things

Remember that wonderful feeling on the eve of a great event?  Christmas Eve and the anticipation of the next morning.  The night before the first day of school, anticipating wearing the perfect outfit, the night before your wedding when you should be sleeping to look radiant but just can't seem to close your eyes?

That's just how I feel tonight.  School starts tomorrow and so begins my last year of service with AmeriCorps.   I just love this chance to serve in our local After School Program.  (please remind me of this fact in a couple of months when I feel exhausted and want to give up}

Just so you know I'm not some sort of perfectionist nerd (would love to be), my school bag is not yet packed and I don't even have site ID yet.  I think my smile and full heart should carry me through the first day, don't you?

They Paved Paradise....

I just returned from a two day trip to take Ty down to the airport so he can spend two weeks with his sister Lizzie and her family.  Emily was so generous to give up her airline rewards so he could make this trip.  Chris put us up in his sweet home so I could have some rest time in between the big drive.  Our world is getting more crazy by the moment.  What should have been a 2.5 drive turned into a nightmare of a 6+ hour drive because of all the road construction and traffic.  It took us over an hour to get from Target in Napa to Chris' location.  I know Josh and Lindsay Stovall can relate to this as you travel home.  Thank you Emily, Chris, Lizzie and Trey for setting this Mama's heart at ease today.  I am soooo thankful that Lizzie will take take of Tyler while he is away from us!

 Al and Tyler have been working on this raised patio in our barren garden for awhile.  I will try to post some pictures of the flower bed just to the right of this but the heat is taking its toll on our garden.

this area used to be a hilly slope full of weeds but no longer.  Al has incorporated many items from the home we lost to foreclosure to make this space very special.  Tyler has the mind of an engineer so the two of them together form a great team.  I keep them supplied with beverages and food and on they go!  

True Beauty

I watched this beautiful movie earlier this evening.  If you or a loved one have breast implants please watch this or make sure you are always ok by checking in with your doctor.

Many years ago, maybe 10 or 11 I had my regular Mammogram and you know the drill... they make you stay until they are sure the films are ok.  Well, I was asked to hang out awhile in the cafeteria until the radiologist had a chance to review the films.  That was fine, I was up for some ice cold lemonade.  Ten minutes later the  technician shows up and escorts me to the ultrasound room.  After many conference calls I'm told that I need to see Dr. Persky our well known breast cancer specialist.  At that point life took on that surreal slow motion effect where everyone else is talking normally but I was underwater only hearing a blur of words.  Thank goodness for Lizzie.  She drove me to the surgeon, sat through the unsuccessful needle biopsy and helped me make the appt. for the next morning's surgery.  Going into surgery I was prepared for the worst.  Did I want reconstructive surgery if necessary?  At that point I distinctly remember knowing I wasn't going to have the offending tissue removed and then replaced by something my body wouldn't recognize and then reject.  I woke up bruised, stitched and sore but cancer free with a huge dent where healthy tissue once resided.

Months went by and it came time for our annual trip to Ft. Bragg to our favorite bed and breakfast to celebrate our anniversary.  I planned a horseback ride on the beach for Al as my present to him.  I'll share that hilarious story for another post.  We had talked long and hard about my recovery and my scar.  His gift to me was a beautiful dragonfly tattoo which encompassed the length of my ugly scar.  Best friends do this sort of thing for each other all the time.

Queen Isabella

Columbus would have had a hard time coming up against this Queen Isabella.  Here is our "sweet, innocent" beloved Bella.  Isn't she so cute?

She is also a child eater, man biter and a very insecure, protective member of our family.  I wish I knew a dog whisperer here who could release her from some of her memories that she brought from Mexico.  Bella loves to herd.  Mostly me.  She protects me from anyone who dares to come near me without permission.  She loves her long walks with Daddy and Tyler, engages in the most fun play, sits upon command, loves her kennel but generally hates the rest of society.  I'd say she is truly Tyler's dog but if I come any way near her radar she feels the need to protect me.  She behaved very well at the vet's office the other day when she received her shots.  OK, I'm lying.  We sent her in muzzled and she peed all over the place but then was able to calm down and responded well.

Any thoughts?

I Surrender All

I'm about to turn in for the night.  I have Pandora Praise music plugged into my earphones so I can fall asleep to calming music.

This week has been difficult.  A dear, sweet friend took her daughter and retreated from a very bad marital situation.  My own Mama has suffered from pain from an infection.  Friends are going through unthinkable situations.  Music comes to me "Jesus has overcome...Victory has been won...And I will Rise on Eagle's wings.

Healing

I am participating in this amazing online workshop.  Tomorrow marks day 13 of our adventure of eating vegan whole food.  When I embarked on this journey I wanted to get to the root of my ill health.  Mainly my tummy and energy crisis.  By day 3 my tummy and surrounding organs started to heal.  As time goes by the cleansing effect has caused me to draw inward.  I think it is a way to heal some of the "stuff" I've held onto and has poisoned my body.  I am learning new ways to cook that will feed our bodies with the nutrients we need to cope with our face paced society.  Mostly, I'm starting to connect with the triggers that cause us to go for the twinkies, or chips, or the Big Meal at our local fast food place.  I've replaced those offerings with healthy vegan burritos, waldorf salad, oven baked sweet potato/onion/apple bake,  yummy brown rice stir fry...

Making The Right Choice

Tis the season of phone calls, email reminders, snail mail reminders and then yes...Will you put my sign on your lawn?  My answer is always NO!  How can I trust a mere human to know how to guide us unless they are willing to say they stand by truth and honesty (even when they are found out otherwise).

Great Grandma always said...Time will tell.  

Dwarf Rename

In honor of allergy season I have decided to rename the seven dwarfs.  This is totally interactive; you can apply the new names to the dwarf you feel deserves it! 

So here goes:

Watery

Sneezy

Drippy

Wheezy

Blotchy

Brain Fuzzy

Cranky

Don't Go "Snakin" My Heart

Oh be still my heart!  My hubby rescued Bella from a huge snake this afternoon.  Our gardener for the Homeowners Association told us recently that he has noticed many snakes lately that are non-venomous to humans but they can kill animals.  Apparently this snake was very long.  I only saw it chopped up into 3 ft lengths!

Mothers Day 2012

 Our beautiful new red fountain.  I wish you could see it at night with the white lights.

 A little cozy corner to sit and sip on your beverage of choice.  Come and sit a spell.

The very beginnings of our "under the window" flower garden.

Oh my, these men work so well together :-)

Secret Garden

 Oh my, what a difficult week this has been for me and many friends and loved ones.  We are learning how to build fences that contain the beauty that God has destined for us but at the same time the very same fences are necessary to keep out our foes...those that would seek to devour us with a casual phrase, a glance, a bit of gossip.

I turned off all the noise tonight except for some beautiful Worship music.  During this time I prayed for blessed peace for those that are under attack.  These beautiful words bear repeating:

"In the quiet, in the stillness

I know that you are God

In the secret of your presence

I know there I am restored"

Livin the Country Life

 While we live in a rural area I really wouldn't consider ourselves "living in the country" until...on the way home from work on Friday I had to brake and honk my horn so the vultures would take a break from their dead rabbit feast so I could drive by.  Yuck and double yuck.

 You already know about my recent battles with the bats in our attic.  I really do love to watch them take off at dusk ready to do their duty in battling the insect population around the lake.  However, one poor bat was earthbound on our deck this evening and Al had to scoop it up and throw it over the fence before Bella had a feast.

Oh, and then we were driving home today and right there in the road before we entered our housing development was a huge king snake in the road.  It had an injury but the remaining 2-3 feet of it seemed to be OK.

Add this to our morning traffic jams with the wild turkeys, the amazing sightings of owl, osprey, blue heron and the constant cooing of doves and you'll get an idea of why we love living here.  

Remembering

It is at this exact time of year that I start remembering my Daddy and his journey to Heaven.  Mama and Daddy came to live with us in May.  Daddy was so very sick with cancer at that time that we didn't notice  Mama's dementia was becoming increasingly front and center stage.  I'm sure we excused many behaviors because Mama was never able to cope with stress.  I wish now that I had paid more attention to her needs at that time.  Today she is in a Nursing Facility that takes loving care of her.  I often remind my students with a "note to self"...don't do this, or that,  but remember always to respect your family and friends because we never know what they are going through.

So here goes:  "Note to self"  cherish each day with your loved ones.  Look for clues.  They are trying to tell you something important.

I can say all of this because today when the classroom was really loud, unruly and full of strife one of my littles said "Just breathe Nancy, remember what you tell us".

Bread Nerd

If there was a dictionary entry for "bread nerd"  my goofy smiling face would be right next to it.  I tried a new bread recipe which started last night mixing up the wet dough to set on the counter top overnight.  I would share a picture of the dough but as the old saying goes "if you've seen one, you've seen them all" 

 The real excitement set in this morning as I preheated my oven, then placed the dutch oven in to preheat for 30 minutes.  I was listening to Worship music, staring out the window at the beautiful hilltop view we have and then I placed the wet lump of dough into the dutch oven to bake for 30 minutes.

 After baking for 30 minutes I uncovered the dough for the last 15 minutes of crispy baking.  By this time I have butterflies in my stomach (nerds get those) and the steam fogged up my glasses (more nerd evidence) as I put the bread back in the oven.  Change of music now.  This excitement calls for Lady Antebellum at "almost" full volume.

Oh my, look at this crusty ball of beauty.  I can't wait to slice into it.  I'm bringing bread, butter and jam into school for the kids this afternoon.  If it is good, I'll blush and modestly say thank you.  If it's a bomb I'll quietly go into a corner and cry.

Turning the Page

I really love turning the calendar pages, either on my day to day calendars or my beautiful Susan Branch calendar or my newest love:

http://shop.sarahjanestudios.com/

Don't you just get so excited when you find an artist who seems to understand a certain side of you?  I mean elephants and rabbits playing together.  Of course they do!  Mary Engelbreit gets one side of me, Debbie Mumm gets another.  Susan Branch, dear Susan gets all me.  Sarah Jane and Bunny Hill Designs get that total whimsical "let's have puppet shows and sew dollies" side of me.

Whatever May brings you, I hope it brings you happiness and joy.  Please, don't forget to play with chalk, sew something cute, bake cupcakes or whatever else brings you joy!

A Packet of Seeds

 It all started here with this beautiful book written by one of my favorite authors, thanks to http://www.apathmadestraight.blogspot.com/

 Of course if you give a Mommy a book she will soon make tracks to the nearest nursery and fill up the little wagon that is so hard to drive with all the beauty that Spring affords.  Note:  bring along your strapping son to guide the unwieldy wagon through the narrow aisles :-)  Purple cornflower (echinachea) for the back of the bed.

 Also for the back of the bed, right outside my bedroom window will be gorgeous digitalis (foxglove) which I am dreaming will reach for the stars this summer.

To grow up and around two posts which are purely functional at this point but will be beautiful if my dreams allow is a beautiful honeysuckle vine.

Right up front will be pansies and petunias and sweet purple alyssum. 

And that is just beneath my window :-)

I'm Going Batty

 If you have followed any of my latest blog entries or my facebook posts you will have noticed that I have gone through a season of severe breathing problems with not much to attach the symptoms to.  Virus?  Maybe.  Pneumonia?  Possibly.  Allergies?  Almost sure as a catch all.

.

Our very intelligent Pest Control guy nailed it today.  He said "I know what ails you"  It is the bat droppings in our attic.  I'm all over the green environment, kill no species thing.  If you know me at all then you can attest to that.  I do however want to be able to breathe in our home and not have to be hooked up to a machine or hand held device 24/7.  I'm looking into a bat house to lure them away from our attic while our guy gets rid of the offending remains.

Wish me luck :-)

That Girl

One night, maybe the second night of visiting Jenny's family, all the littles were clean, fed, brushed, read to and prayed for...Jenny and I set out to bake, drink herbal tea and sew. What a blessed time it was. The guys were in the living room around the fire eating sunflower seeds and all was well. Around 10:00 "That Girl" came on and we all gathered around the cozy warm wood stove with tea in hand to watch the magic of years gone by. Cheers followed so Jenny and I returned to our sewing projects but for just a half hour we all joined in on the simple happiness of Anne Marie and Donald as they explored life as a dating couple in the late 60"s. Rated G of course! Yes, a blessed time it was.

New Life

Sweet Shepherd boy Caleb is down for the day with the flu. Big Brother Jared put the sheep into their fold for the night but told Caleb, "They keep Baaaa-ing, they miss their Shepherd". Back inside now. Jenny and her children are starting seeds indoors to give them a good start in life. The lettuce is showing off with early, rapid growth. The Black Eyed Susans are waiting for just the right time to pop up through the soil. Kinda like us huh? Show off early or develop deep, strong roots and show off later. Something to think about.

Medford Bound

I honestly didn't think this day would come. I've been so ill and weak that all I could do was hope. And now it is tomorrow! Al keeps telling me to pace myself but I am so excited I can't contain the emotions. He of course knows me and watches for the "signs of the crash". I had another one tonight so I am trying to pace myself for the trip. Jenny and I have plans, oh so many plans but I will just have to take my time and only do so much. Plans? I heard all of you ask :-)

1) Sew skirts for the twins for their Program

2) Program at Grace Academy

3) A trip to Michael's Craft Store

4) Meeting all the animals and getting to know them

5) Cooking up a storm, drinking tea, listening to good music...

6) Reading with the grand kids

7) Taking the family out for Pizza

8) Taking oh so many pictures to share!

Talk to you soon :-)

If You Give a Pig a Pancake...

Modern version...here goes.

If you give a pig a pancake (me, pig) she will be very happy. This is the first meal that goes down smoothly, creates that aaah moment and doesn't taste like my breathing meds. So now the danger begins. Said Piggy thinks that was so delicious and fortifying that maybe a load of laundry should be thrown in. Oh wait, I have to put the wet clothes into the dryer first. No problem! After that I clean up the mess from the pancake and decide "what the heck?" Bella's dishes need to be sanitized. One thing leads to another and I am breathing off the very top of my lungs and gasping for air as I prepare my nebulizer for another breathing treatment. Darn those pancakes, they should come with a health warning!

It's Not Easy Being Green (or red and splotchy)

Thank you Kermit for paving the way. Yes, it's not easy being green or any other color or "acceptable version of normal" these days. Case in point. For the past week I've had a virus that proceeded to attack my airways which led to medical intervention. That intervention, much appreciated by the way, led to a cycle of rather strange reactions. First, I developed a severe red coloring all the way into my eyeballs which I'm sure I could have made big money on if only

I had remembered to take Steven King's number with me to the ER. Then today, a lovely red bumpy rash that resembled something from an entirely different science fiction movie. Imagine if you will,

the horror on the face of the absolutely adorable young girl at CVS waiting to help me with my purchase. "Oh my" she says, "I hope you feel better soon!" We all know she meant "look better".

High Five Kermit, thanks for having my back on this one.

Storms

"The sea is never still. Sometimes it roars so loud that it drowns our voices. Mama says there hasn't been a storm this fierce since the night I was born. She thinks it too dangerous for me to go the tower again. Yet what else can I do? I'm the light keeper now"

I just love this book. I recently read it to our After school students. As I read they completed beautiful lighthouse pictures in the medium of their choice. Oh I wish you could see their beautiful art work.

Today I read about waiting upon the Lord. His delays are meant for our strength. He alone controls our every day schedule. "We can make our plans but the Lord determines our steps" Proverbs 16:9

Make a plan, be prepared, strengthen yourself in the Lord and then wait upon Him.

Lenten Rose

Meet the Lenten Rose which isn't really a rose at all. This beautiful flower has a long history including roots in witchcraft. You'd think I'd run the other way with that being said but this flower is very prolific during Lent, the season when most of us are thinking of what ugliness we can shed.

When I was growing up catholic we always shared "what we were giving up for Lent". Mostly it was chocolate or candy of some sort because we didn't watch much TV nor did we have any access to computers at all.

Old habits die hard so this year when the first day of Lent came around I took an inventory of what growth I would like to see in my own life during this season of reflection. For as long as I can remember I've been an overly sensitive person. I can see the look on your face and just know that you are in need of a hug or a prayer. This being said, I cannot stand drama! I prefer a quiet rhythm to life. So this year I am striving for this "quietness and trust which leads to rest". I'm trying to be vigilant as to what my eyes see, what my ears hear and what brings my heart closer to Jesus.

How does this flesh out in real life you ask? Well, not listening to idle gossip, choosing to walk away from confrontation, choosing life giving music (not everything on Klove is for me) and most of all screening negativity and criticism out of my life. I'll let you know how this works.

Kooky Mama

All through the mid 1970's till the mid 1980's we followed a pretty healthy diet. I baked bread using fresh ingredients, Al and I stir fried every week in our beloved wok that we bought at Pier One. Oh those great hours we spent chopping and slicing and cooking together. I was a died in the wool "wanna be homestead mama". I made our girls' clothing, my own nursing pads (don't ask) grew flowers on the pack porch and
Yes, I made my own yogurt. I show you this fancy machine because I couldn't find the one I had in the late 70's. It was a counter top model that would make I think 4-6 cups of delicious homemade yogurt. I then added fresh fruit in season along with my homemade granola and called it a good day!
All this to say, I'm going to make some nice fresh yogurt this week. I'm a little dismayed at some of the recipes that use sugar but I'm on a search!
We don't each much bread anymore and we don't need cloth diapers but every year I renew my subscription to the local growers co-op so we will still chop, and slice together!
Hey, if you have a great homemade yogurt recipe ~~ Pass it on :-)

First Garden

I'll be reading this book to our after school kids today. After they hear the story we will have a tasting of a few vegetables and graph their likes and dislikes. A surprise tasting will be beets. It seems our leader dislikes beets. I'll let you know if the students agree. This is an election year after all :-)

Tomorrow we will write a letter to Mrs. Obama. I hear the turn around time for a letter to the White House is six weeks. Oh, I do hope someone writes back. I can just see their faces as I read that letter to them. Probably much happier than the beet faces I'll see this afternoon!

Growing Up Pre-Kindle

How many of you remember this page in the book "How Shall I Tell My Daughter?"

All I can remember is, lucky girl, she has a pretty room and a pink bra. Her mother must really love her.
Or how about this one? Who likes getting their first period? Really? Must be some kind of TV girl with a perfect mother.

All this to say, there is a strong case for the printed word. The printed word that we can hide away in our drawer, backpack or under the bed for those times when we just need to read in privacy. No screens that have a memory. No brothers that can possibly "borrow" our Kindle. We can be safe in our own time and space to digest all that life is bringing on.

I know I'll eventually come alongside all of you enlightened ones that flip through those screens and really look great doing so. As for me, I wish someone, anyone would publish a really pretty booklet on getting old and losing all those functions we feared attacking us so many years ago.

Standing on the Edge

I'm standing on the very edge of progress friends. I'm thinking of buying a Kindle but all the while feeling as if I'm betraying the world of Read Aloud. Oh how many sweet memories I have reading to our children before bed or nap time. They could select two or three stories and to this day I'm sure we could recite them word for word. Then, many years after naptime they would use the very same books to play library with. Can anyone name the girl who visited those sweet Baby Animals on the Farm?
Oh and then we had Martha. What a great interactive book that was. We all wanted to live in her house! Then there were the Eloise Wilkin books and the Little House Series and...
So you can see why I am standing on the edge can't you? Books have been my best friend when there wasn't "one with skin" to be found.

Pillar to Post

This is my third attempt at sleep in as many hours. I feel as if I am sending my first born off to Kindergarten or College. Care giving began many years ago for our family. We (all of our family) eased into this role as if we were made for it. Now Mama is going to the Nursing Home tomorrow and our roles will shift into something unknown. Tyler and Grandma will no longer share the remote and chocolate as they discuss current events. I will no longer be the "stupid girl" who steals coffee, toilet paper and who knows what else. Al has become that male figure who fixes things even if she doesn't know his name all the time.

God calls upon me time and time again for tasks that I would never dream I had the strength or wisdom to tackle. Please pray for Mama as she enters into this new phase of life. Several years ago as I drove her to Deerwood she yelled and screamed and threatened to get out of the car. Once we arrived at the door she gathered herself together and displayed her best side. Let's just pray this will be the same scenario tomorrow.

Recipe for Success

First and foremost you must find someone who is a kindred spirit and can be totally comfortable with someone you have dated in the past and is still your friend.
Next, he must be someone who can put up with your snottiness and general ill will. I'd like to say this has passed in 40 years but hey, I'm human right?
Next, you must be willing to admit he is the cutest, God loving, most loving husband and father ever created (even if he thinks he can dance)

Then your raise a toast to 40 glorious years to the boy you fell in love with and the one you hope to be with for at least 40 more years. I love you so much sweetheart!

"Check Please"

I knew this day would come. I completed all the "steps" to make this happen. Yet, all along I thought God would just take my Mama to be with Daddy forever. I guess in the back of my mind I didn't really think that Mama would have to spend her final days in a nursing home. Last week, after refusing to eat or drink for four days I honestly thought that God was taking her home. Lesson learned...I am NOT God and cannot even begin to think as He does. Morning of the 5th day she calls me bright and early (5:20 am) and asks for her pills and $200 to go grocery shopping for chicken.

So, today the check arrives that will allow me to admit her into the nursing home. There is a reason the word "angst" is spelled as it is. When you utter it at the top of your lungs it comes out as a prayer for help. I'll tell you straight up, I hate this whole thing. I wish I could just erase all her pain and anguish. Instead I call for the waiter..."Check Please"