Running into Old Friends

Sometimes it's not fun.  You can run into some friends and it's great.  I mean they are really happy to see you and you can tell they are and you are just as happy to see them.  Mainly it's just that you remember the happy times you spent together and hey, who doesn't want to remember the happy times.  You chat for a few minutes and be on your way with a, "Hey it was really good to see you".  Your both smiling and wave as you walk away.   Then you have that so called friend.  You know the type.  The one who you realized too late was really not your friend.  The one who pretended to be there for you only to be able to report to others your downs, never your ups.  That happened to me a couple of weeks ago.  This so called friend makes a point of gliding toward my husband and I.  To explain a little, my husband and I have experienced some really bad times financially and let's just say were uprooted and are now somewhere else.  The expression on her face was like the cat who caught the canary, if you know what I mean.  You know, the smirk, the smile that never touches her eyes.  My plan was to be polite, say hello and be on our way.  I did not want to chit chat.  I don't wish her ill will but also I did not want to give of my time.  Well, so much for My plan.  As you have guessed my husband had his own plan.  He is chatting away.  Asking about this and that and of course she is doing the same.  I swear you would have thought they were best friends (um? is this something to think about?).  Well, after at the least, 15 minutes I finally say, " Sorry we need to get going", and start to pull away.  Her closing was, Hey, call me sometime my number is still the same.  Now I ask you, if she would have been a true friend wouldn't she have ask for My phone #?  Wouldn't she have truly made a point to let me know she wanted to see me again.?  The thing is I admit I do not want to share any time with her nor did I lead her to believe I was her friend.  Like I said I do not wish her ill will but do not want her in my life.  My husband and I have made it through some really hard times and I am proud that we have.  We have realized just what is important and what is a bag of hooey.  No more hooey for me.  You can guess what the ride home was like.........Tootles

June 2, 2011. Where am I?

It is June 2, 2011 but what I don't understand is...Well, let me add a few facts.  We had our pellet stove on last night. We slept with windows firmly shut. We heated up the bedroom before we went to bed.  We still have a comforter along with a wool blanket covering us.  This morning we had the heater on in the bathroom.  We are putting on heavy sweats and sweatshirts.  Our kitchen table sits along two windows which are again, firmly closed.  Now I ask you, is this Alaska ?  Is it North Dakota?  Is it Maine?  No, it is none of those cold weather states, which are normally still a little cold at this time of the year.  We are located in the Central Valley, yes, it is the North part but never have I experienced this amount of cold this late in the year.  Our gardens are in shock.  The plants are sprouting but you can hear them screaming, "It's too cold, I am not moving until I get warm".  In the last two weeks we have had 3 tornado's hit the ground north of us and guess what?  Three more tornado's have hit the ground just south of us.  We have not had the damage which the tornado's in the east have caused on all those brave and strong people but I ask you, Just what is going on?  It's pretty creepy.  Tootles

New Earth Market

Hey, want to share with you what happened. I'm shopping and ask where would I find pizza crust? He takes me to the frozen section, shows me something that looks like a large tortilla. This is not what I want as I am about to say so he says...I have a recipe for dough that is really easy. Well, not one to turn down not only a new recipe but the kindness of a stranger. I said ok, I would love it. He goes and gets pen and paper,comes back to me and starts writing as he is telling me the directions. I ask him to please put his name, at least his first name. I thought this was quite clever of him as he signed it,Dan the meat man. He works behind the meat counter. Must tell you I tried it, aside from having to add 1 cup more flour
(I think he was mixed up) it was delicious. Now that is what I call customer service. This is a new market, just opened by several families together who's main concern is healthy and organic. I love it and I think you can see why. The strawberries are the sweetest best tasting berries I have ever tasted. We are so lucky. Tootles

Guillain Barre Syndrome

Thought I would talk about GBS. I have experienced this syndrome and it is not fun. The effect it has on your well being is unimaginable. It simply changes your life in ways you never dreamed possible. I recovered completely the first two times I had it and was 8 months pregnant the first time. The baby was healthy and fine. The 3rd and last time was much harder. Much more pain and slower recovery which I'm sure my age had a lot to do with it. It's been 15 years and still have numbness in the feet. Other than some problems with balance I feel back to normal, whatever that feels like. Ha!

I'm going to include this subject on my site each time I write as I feel if someone out there has GBS and just wants to know more maybe I can help.

Our spring is here, in fact it's 5:00am and the birds outside my window are sweetly chirping, what a way to start the day. Tootles

It's Saturday, It's windy, It's May and I'm cold

What in the world is up with this crazy weather we have been dealing with?  Wait, let me stop myself right here...We, that is all of us on the west coast should not complain.  Am I right or am I right?  What I am talking about is usually by now we are in the summer sweats even though it's still officially spring.  But then again I have to say since I have lived here (from the age of 15) everyone has always said, no matter what time of the year or what the weather was , it was always unusual for California. Ha!  So, there you go.  I think I just answered my own question.

I wanted to get a good picture of our new members to our farm family.  New baby chicks.  I realize I did not get a good picture but you have to give me E for effort as I was crouching on my knees, squashed under the edge of a boat trailer getting this picture.  They, the cute little chicks, were not cooperating at all and would not get in the sunshine so you could see them better but hey, there they are and as you can see Mama is right beside them and did not like me angling for their picture.  We do so love watching them scurry around hunting for bugs yet staying close to Mama.   Tootles

Flowers and Cats

This is what my Jim, brings me almost everyday. They are so beautiful and from the first rose of summer to the last rose in the fall I will have a bouquet in my house.  The truly wonderful result of these are my dried petals.  I never throw them away because I have a basket I put them in.  Sometimes I end up with a lot of buds which have dried and they are wonderful especially the sweet smell.
We are having a warm sunny day today, I have made tea from my herbs.  I found out you must brew the herbs to get a robust flavor as last week I did not.  I just put the herbs, chopped, in a cheesecloth and put the pitcher in the freezer as I was short on time and had no ice well it just did not have the flavor I was expecting so today I brewed some raspberry leaves in cheesecloth and after it steeps for awhile will put it in the freezer to get cold.  Plus I also made a combination of rosemary, sage, mint and oregano tea. Yum Yum, it will be good tonight.

This is Eleanor.  She does this every morning.  I'm afraid she feels the water dish on the floor is beneath her (no pun intended, well maybe).  If by chance we have left dirty dishes in the sink we are meet with a stare which any cat owners will tremble at the thought.  One morning I was doing dishes (yes, by hand as I do not have a dishwasher, I am the dishwasher, along with plates, glasses, silverware, pots, pans etc., well you get the picture)  There was about 8" on the counter from the drainer to the edge of the counter, there she stretch out waiting for me to get done, I am not kidding.  What an Eleanor!  Tootles

Birds and Things

Hello, and Happy Spring.  At last our spring has arrived even though we seem to be having a lot of wind but who's complaining.  We had some birds hitting against our window, didn't know why so looked it up on google.  It seems our window was reflecting the outdoors and the birds thought it was another male in his territory.  He was seeing himself.  Since we have put up netting up and windsocks in front of the windows.  Just didn't want them to hurt themselves.  Interesting uh? 
When I snap a pic I always take several right in a row as I love to get the next expression on faces but as in
these shots I got the bird in flight.  Pretty cool uh?

This shot on the right I didn't even realize the bird was in the shot until my husband saw it.  He's just hovering above the bird bath and Rose, one of our goats.  I had more fun taking these pictures and our yard is full of birds and above these windows outside under the eves we have a nest above each window.  It's so exciting if by chance we are able to view the new birdie taking his first flight.  We do have cats but we have been able to keep them away from them, especially the new babies.
Now the picture below is so beautiful to me.  I also didn't see it right away. In fact I had went through the

pictures several times and until I enlarged them I had not seen the bird.  I think this is really a vision for the eyes and I must say am impressed with my iphone 3g camera.  Priceless. As they say.

Have a super good day and happy spring. Tootles