Christmas 2007

What defines your Christmas? From the sacred to the silly? Here are a few observations.
Christmas is? Food and family times

Christmas is pictures by the tree
Christmas is Extremely over done houses

Christmas is children proclaiming the advent
Christmas is a little horsing around!

Winter berries!

Hard to believe one could enjoy fresh blackberries and raspberries in December! This is for you brother Walt! I don't ever eat raspberries without thinking of you. Our rainy day raspberry picking in Oregon, many, many, years ago! I spent the week with you in July by myself, Duane was working and I had a week vacation...I rode the bus home to Bakersfield...the only time I've ridden a bus traveling, more than city...yeah, haven't since either!! 22 REALLY long hours...
Plus, one has to say the word raspberry correctly...rasP-berry!
Yeah, they tasted as good as they look too!

pretty cute!

5 year anniversary for Scott & Lorie...we had the privilege of watching Henry. Looks like it was alot of work wouldn't you say?

AHHHH!! A NEW PIANO FOR ME!!!!

Brian Regan

Duane and I had the opportunity to see Brian Regan live! What fun!!
We rarely take the opportunity to go out of town, over the hill (LA) to see concerts! Usually to expensive and/or I have to endure (yes, endure) the 2 hours of LA traffic!! And those who know me, don't need explanation, they've endured ME for two hours in LA traffic. However, I periodically succumb to going over the hill for an occasional visit. This time, Brian Regan!! in Thousand Oaks! What fun! And wouldn't you know we ran into one of Lorie's acting friends from high school, even amongst 4 million people we run into someone we know! If you've never heard him, I will attempt to put his link here... but caution I'm not sure if it will work. Thanks Brian Regan for a great evening of clean laughter!
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.

What is your sleep number?

I know dog's sleep, but really...I think her sleep number in hours is 22 1/2! She wakes for her morning cookies (first breakfast) and goes outside, does her thing...if she is really feeling good, she might do her walk about, but if it's cold, no...her cozy bed calls to her and I think sleeps until I get home late in the afternoon. She then begs for dinner...and is more or less awake/sleep following me all evening until she finally has enough and goes back to bed. This might take a total of 1 hour if you put it all together. And then this morning at 4:00am the snoring contest between the dog and Duane, not sure who was loudest!!!

Thanksgiving 2007

I have many things in which to be thankful. Each fall season, as I reflect on all the 'goings on' during the year it brings to mind the numerous blessings in my life. I am grateful for
good health: my parents are still in really good health, and though they are getting up there in years still drive ( hmmm...) and travel somewhat and still continue to give their opinion!! that's for my mom!!
I'm grateful for Duane's job. What an awesome blessing it is for him to be teaching and who could have possibly foreseen it!! Though he has been teaching for 3 years now, we still count our blessings and are truly grateful!!
...my/our children...where they are in their lives, their spouses!! how Jamie compliments David, encourages and is truly a helpmate to him. And Scott supports and encourages Lorie. What true blessings they are to Duane and I, as they complete our kids!
...and of course Henry! We are very thankful for good doctors and nurses that helped Henry get here safe and healthy!!

Thurs. Nov 22, addendum to first post: So today is actually Thanksgiving! Many blessings to you who might stop by to peruse this blog.
How do I put what is going on in my head in words! My in-laws are coming and what fun we have together! Margaret is bring 'all this food' which she has prepared! (one needs to read this phrase with the southern accent!) However, as I'm preparing the few things to complete our dinner, I can't help thinking how easy it is to cook these days! Even in the 30 something years I/we've been married, the advent of microwaves and ice makers and food mostly prepared for you in the market, cooking in general is rather simple! However! a call from my son asking how I make gravy makes me smile!! I love the fact he enjoys cooking! David and Jamie are visiting cousins Em and Brett in Redding and cooking Thanksgiving dinner, much like Duane and I did visiting Rich and Lu (Em's parents) many, many years ago!! What fun memories D&J are creating!! All this to say, Thanksgiving really is about being thankful, and being with family and or those you love! No matter if you make your cornbread stuffing from scratch (why?) or from a box! And who really has a Pottery Barn table and ambiance!!!
May each of you reflect on God's goodness and blessing to you through this holiday season!

I live where?

In the land of the endless sun, we do have seasons. I know hot and hotter! No, we have hot and foggy! And though I am not fond of Tule fog, the fog this morning on my commute to work was awesome. You see, In Bakersfield-land one has to look for beauty! And after Sunday's rainy day (yeah!) fog was bound to appear. Little Truxtun lake (?!!!) takes the mundane commute to anticipation, especially this time of year. This morning the fog was movie-set fog, just laying above the water. And with it being a holiday the bikers were out in force riding the bike path along the water's edge. I would have taken that picture, but didn't want to make the nightly news, 'car into the water'! But the red light enabled me to quickly snap this picture. The Canadian geese are back, at least for a short time. The are awesome perched on the slip of the bank or a float in the water. Pretty cool! We just have to look for the beauty! And I just know the red cardinal is gonna float down there sometime!!

But Now...

'But now a righteousness from God', not man's righteousness, but God's, is 'apart from the law.' It has been made known, it is from God and through faith, faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. You see, God presented Him as a sacrifice, not a lamb or goat or of bulls, but of a son. 'God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood' Not blood of an animal, but blood of His son, so that God might demonstrate His justice. There is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. God presented, God justifies, not by man's works, but by God presenting His son for the atonement for forgiveness. The perfect sacrifice. But now, a righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
thank you Father for giving us your Son, that we may have the privilege of coming into your presence. it is by your grace we are able to take hold of salvation.

my how time flies

Wow! I can't believe its been so long since I blogged! Time really has just zoomed by(e)! A short update...I'm a new grams!! I know you all know, I just had to tell you! He came to see me today, yeah, his mom came too! Cute little guy! I think this is his aunt Lena holding him?

But that's just part of the busyness. The end of August I said good bye to my boss, Monda. With the slow down of construction, lay offs happen and so Aug 30th was her last day. which only means someone has to do all her work...hmmm...yes, and I'm not all that sure what her work entails. It has taken alot of energy on my part and my other co worker Beks, to fill Monda's shoes!

(okay they aren't Monda's shoes, just fun shoes and if you know Monda, she's all about fun shoes!)

One forgets how draining it is to learn new work, especially since this 'one' is old! But, I'm learning with each new situation!
Oh, yeah, and then my daughter had a baby!! and her sister-in-law and then her other sister-in-law! Yeah, 3 babies in one week! Hi five to Brenda and Ryan! Tired we all were! And Duane and I weren't all that involved! just a couple trips to the hospital! Several late nites, lots of new work at work, and holding the grand baby! It just takes time and so the blogging has not found a way into my time table! Though, one problem about blogging...I find myself blogging in my head! or making the comment, o I feel a blog coming on! Kinda like being conscience of what you wear when there is a family get together, knowing the pics will be taken and they need to look good in a scrapbook!! (Lorie's influence)

O! and then I decided to get a puppy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that wasn't smart on my part, in the midst, my older brother had to have major surgery...yeah, the puppy went back home...better decision! Sorry Em, no pics of the new/gone puppy! Though she was sweet and cute, I didn't really think it through...duh!!! I'm enjoying my old, blind, deaf, sick dog. she kinda fits us!
And the phone call my youngest brother is having TWINS!! O! is all I can say!!!
I take full responsibility of my emotions being completely out of control! I just let them have control over me!
So, that sort of brings me up to date, not that anyone other than my daughter reads my blogs, and maybe Em, but at least I feel like I can go forward getting this all out of my head!

PS: those leopard print shoes in the picture? I have lived in them this summer! the black strappy slides, not so much!

Remodel done? well almost

Carpet, bad mirrors, oak cabinets, window that doesn't open...

Tiny shower...no room for two people ;-)

Dog days of summer

New counter tops, no more carpet...

Beautiful lights, new mirrors, painted cabinets-love it!

A grown-up sized shower

So, it is finally complete. Well except for a small valve, cover plate for the bath tub. Oh, what a nice shower and bath and closet!! Seems rather silly to be so excited over something like this, but it is great to actually be able to take a shower and not worry about the door flying opened if you dropped the soap!!!
Rumor has it that when a big event like a wedding, or another wedding or a baby coming, duane and I do major projects. what was it Lorie?, new downstairs and master bath flooring several months before you got married? No we wouldn't do that! And of course then we promptly moved! Only to have children (S&L) live with us while we plan another wedding! And of course, this year, a baby and another remodel! I just don't plan on moving this time!
The goal was to enlarge the shower, one which very much needed to be enlarged. The orignal plan was an 'optional shower' where the linen closet was! Yeah, well we had a linen closet sized shower!
We expanded into our master closet and a small amount into the actual bathroom itself. I myself, I don't know about anyone else out there, but I'm sick of cleaning grout! We opted for a corian shower stall, all one piece, two tones actually, the ceiling and floor a dark gray and the walls a sandstone color. Glass half walls and shower door! Which means off goes the counter tops, and tub surround, up goes the carpet on the floor to be replaced by tile (small grout and a color that doesn't show the dirt!) painted cabinets, replace the 6 foot long vanity mirrors with a large mirrored medicine cabinet, hardware, paint and whew I think that about does it! with new paint in the bedroom and new carpet (old time shag looking carpet!) It's almost all back together. Now for a few pics. And as usual, they don't really show how it really looks, oh, yeah, we put a new window (openable) over the tub, raised the ceiling to accomodate a small ceiling fan, for those hot, summer mornings! I hope the pics give you the general picture.

Its been a long summer

Few of you know, we have been in the midst of remodeling...if anyone has done any kind of remodeling, enough said, but those of you who have not succombed to that virus, just know it is all consuming. We are almost done! We have remodeled our master bathroom, which pictures will follow soon. All that to say, the blog has been on the back burner, with not having my own computer up and running, it has been a burden to use another computer to keep up to date with blogging. But with the wonderful internet (?) now connected to this machine, I will once again be free to blog. So be ware!!

Land of the Endless Sun

I live in part of the country where the sun shines constantly. I don't really know how the weather man keeps his job! 'Tomorrow's forecast is sunny and warm, highs in the 90's to low 100's'! duh!
But on rare occasions we have a few monsoonal type clouds which do make for a wonderful sunrise, but usually in the summer, its sunsets. Last nite for example, not a bad looking sky, taken from the road on our way home! Actually pretty awesome, worthy of a phone call to my skywatcher friend Neal. Of course he's in Arizona and not able to appreciate this sky! More'n likely he's enjoying the stars overhead Pinetop!

The swim towels have been gathered and being washed, the dishwasher is running with a full load of breakfast dishes (again) and the house is quiet, and I'm in nostalgia-land. As I have seen my mother do countless times through the years, when the family and friends have left for their other destinations, I am now doing! How odd, 30 years later I am doing for my grown children and soon to be grandchildren as she has done for me and my children, creating memories, that I hope too will carry into my grandchildren and great grandchildren. As I see in my mind's eye (don't you love that phrase) my mother doing, what we call, puttering. the picking up and reassembling the house which has been home for this short time.
We have enjoyed a brief visit from my extended family. And as always, too quick and too short, but how we savor our times together. Brett and Emily, thank you for coming and sharing your life with us! and oh yeah Trerex! how do you spell his name!? Photoging, swimming, laughing and of course eating!! Great times!!
We love you and look forward to our next time together! And Em, we are waiting for your blog!

Summer memories

Blaaaaa......May zoomed by and now June is upon me. The month of warm/hot days AND nights. When a night time swim is what has become to me, a look forward ritual. Ahhhh...the fragrance of nite air and chlorine. One of many summer pleasures.

Whew the month of May!

Wow! It is hard to believe it is the end of May! May has flown by(e)! It has been celebrating of birthdays, Nick 60! Jan 60! Jini's over 60! mine, not 60! Mother's Day! the end of Duane's school year and off to the coast for a weeks vacation!

My birthday and Mother's Day is usually celebrated together, along with my sister and Jan's in years past! But in the last few years my children have worked hard to separate them, (since I whine about being cheated!) This year Lorie took me for a pedicure and we went to our favorite store, Target, for shoes, we dined on appetizers at PF Changs for lunch. And a new make up make over! which we just did this week! Lots of fun and laughs! And who would know David would learn and LOVE to cook, grilling anything he can!! He cooked delicious salmon, asparagus, yum!
And flowers from David and Jamie in a cool ceramic pot (hydrangeas) and a large photo of their wedding!! Which I just can't stop looking at!

And vacation! Cayucos Beach, California. One of the few unspoiled beach towns. It still has the charm of old time beach towns of
no franchises, just mostly main street enterprises which change owners all the time, antique stores, candy/ice cream store!
Skippers burgers and of course the Sea Shanty, which has every known ball cap hanging from the ceiling!! It was completely awesome.

So, tomorrow it is back to work, very sad day...too bad we can't just always live on vacation, with never ending money!! Yeah, right.
Dinner at the infamous McClintock's