Autumnal Sunset

Thanksgiving went rather traditional this year. The standard fare was tasty and plentiful. We opened some local Petite Sirah and had black tongue the next day, which was handy as it was Black Friday.

A local winery was offering up some good wine for $100 a case on Black Friday, so we hustled up the hill to stake a claim, and now we have plenty of wine and plenty of turkey sandwiches.

I hope your T-day was a happy one. Onward to Christmas!

Peace Posies for April

Spring is a pert little season around here. So fleeting is the wild flower show on the backroads, so sweet the weather and the green hills, and then it all goes away.

We went wine tasting at Pear Valley yesterday, which is always good for a quick buzz. There were lots of folks too. Maybe the busiest I've ever seen the place. I bought a case of Aglianico, a lovely garden wine for the coming months.

My garden is really rolling along too. We have only one Juliet tomato plant with nine red cabbages plants, six hot red pepper plants, six celery, two fennel, bunches of artichokes, and lots of chard, lettuce, red mustard, miner's lettuce, and parsley.

The irises are out-of-sight this year, and we have lavender with buzzy bees.

Oregano, hollyhocks, milk weed, artichokes, garlic chives, chard, just to name some, have all gone wild. So it's chaos, wonderful chaos. And Mad Men tonight!!!

How is Spring treating you?

Happy (Summer) Solstice!

Or winter solstice for those down under 

- just think, the days will only get longer for you now, 

and for us northern hemis 

- the nights. 

Also I want to thank everyone who reads this blog. 

I am grateful to have you.

We will all have hairs on our stems today.

The end of a sweaty day - it's muggy here - something we don't experience much on the West Coast. And I sketched a bit in the garden. Trying to find peace. Trying to calm myself.

I seem to be having a hard week. I am not a cheery person today.

Thank goodness, my garden did its thing though all by itself this spring - which I thank to the rains. Here's a pic.

Just for today

Happy Mother's Day!

This picture was taken by a camera salesman in a place called Fedco (which was like a precursor to Costco but for federal employees). He was trying to sell my Dad a brand new Polaroid camera.

We were a dubious threesome. Can you tell?

I remember the incident so well. We had come in from the rain, kind of raggedy, and the salesman just sprang it on us. My mom was upset with the way her hair looked. My dad was skeptical with this new technology, and I didn't want my picture taken. (My father is holding me there by my jacket. (btw, I loved that jacket!))

When I look at this photo now, I could kiss that salesman on the lips for capturing us all on film in that weird moment, especially my beautiful mother.

Why A Little Loaf Can Make Me Cry

During the summer before I transferred to a four-year university, I substituted for the receptionist at the place my mom worked in downtown L.A.

Mom and I would burst forth from that office building at lunchtime like race horses. She was always so excited about the hustle and bustle of city life, as she would whisk me down a hole that suddenly turned into a restaurant.

"Oh, this place has the best soup!" she would exclaim. "And look at the cute loaf of bread they give you. Personal size!"

Lunch and some window shopping went by quickly and we were back at the office in one of those towering glass and metal buildings.

I think she was quite tired of the sexism and the politics of her workplace, but they paid her buckets full of money, and mom and dad were in a five-year sprint to an early retirement to Sedona. So she put up with it. I could tell having me around for that short time was a saving grace for her too.

Not that was always the case. Mom and I had not talked to each other for a few years before this. She had a problem with me when I was teenager, so I graduated high school and moved out when I was 16. It was for the best, and I was okay. I worked and went to college. I didn't have a car, but I didn't need one.

By the end of my L.A. summer, I was ready to move north to go to school. A year later I got married, and a year after that Mom got cancer.

Star River Haiku

When I was driving to work today, I was amazed at the beauty of autumn. The cottonwoods along the river were turning the beautiful shades of yellow, orange and brown. The hills of vineyards were that deep red color of harvest and the grand canopies of green oaks speckled in the brown hills.

It was so peaceful driving along the old country road seeing everything so new. The experience reminded me of meditation; how real real can be.

I am here alone
High in the place I was meant
To see bugs on road.

I missed every one of them too. I have a "no kill" policy if I can help it.

Freedom

Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey

Yin Yang Clouds

I talked with my Dad this evening. He lives in a place that is currently burning like crazy. Thankfully his home is far enough away, although he is getting lots of ash and all that. He said, "wherever you live, it's always something - Best to just be happy where you are." Sound advice.

SkyWatch is a place to watch the sky. Come visit.

Fred The Cat

I think Fred loved me. I am sure I did so back at him. He was the biggest cat, and you know how big translates? So mellow. Unless. UNLESS he needed to enforce his badness.

I just posted kind of a history of all my cats on Flickr tonight. And it's true. It broke my heart when Fred disappeared. I wandered the streets calling his name. The picture below was in the newspaper. "I lost my best friend." I said and was quoted. My goodness, it took years to get over the fact he never came back. That it was never resolved of what had happened. I can totally relate to people who hold out when a family member goes missing. You think one day they are just going to come home because you KNOW home is where they WANT to be. 
I just remember these picture moments so well. These moments when my human guy that I still live with took them, probably in the late eighties. Fred was weightless as I hugged and twirled him around. And that was it, not 20 pictures, but two. One of Fred happy to see me in the street, and one of me hugging him at the threshold. My 21 pound weightless Fred with the fluffiest tail. 

Things I Like

1. Double rainbows

2. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
3. Fun New Projects
4. Sleeping In (till 9:07am)
5. Rosso Di Montalcino

Embrace 365 Days Of Grace

At two o'clock in the morning I had the most incredible wave of thoughts. I was pissed. First I didn't want to be awake. I was cold. I remembered all the horrible things this nasty boss did to me. I went screaming down memory lane about an old flame that I wish gets everything he deserves (and somehow I think he will). And most importantly I was mad at myself for not being to shake it. All this friggin negativity.

Think good thoughts, I commanded myself. You're alive, girl! Be grateful.

But I couldn't. I kept going back to hate. And then my heart started to pound. Bam Bam, like too fast and too hard. Like someone knocking on your door in the middle of the night. All of sudden, I think I'm going to die of a heart attack. It happens, you know, people just die of heart attacks all the time. Bam Bam Bam. Get a grip, girl! (aside: I wonder how old I'm going to have to be when I consider myself an old lady. Get a grip, old lady!) 

Four hours later exhausted I fall back to sleep. I have a theory about all this just in case you want to know. It involves MSG in restaurant food and sinuses. Lack of oxygen really, but anyway.

Today I'm wandering around the web - kind of aimless, but I'm happy. I'm looking for gardening blogs. Kitchen garden, potagers, vegetables and flowers. That kind of stuff. And I run into



and all at once I know I need to incorporate this into my life.

They say happy people live better lives, and I believe it. So much energy is consumed with anger.

First day - my five small things:

1. The way Si leaps on me whenever I sit in the sun, like Yay lady! Time to snuggle!

2. My new crock pot. I made potato soup for lunch. It was good!

3. Going for a walk down to the mailbox. Well, I felt good when it ended. Two miles of up and down hills. Boy if I did that everyday, I'd be in good shape.
  
4. I'm really glad I didn't die of a heart attack this morning.

5. Cloud pictures.

Here's To You!

Cheers! 

  

2008 was an interesting year. I moved from an old ranch house (built in the 1940s) to a new ranch house (built in the 2000s), and I must say newer is much better. I have warmth and A/C on demand. I was always effen freezing or roasting in that old house, and I was always washing dishes. Now I have a dishwasher. I did loved that old ranch, and I plan to upload the ton of photos I took when I explored the place. 

  

Silas: The First Day of 2009

These photos were taken a few minutes ago. I've got serious love for the digital age. I was just reminiscing with my dude about the olden days when we would take (as in shoot) a roll of film and have it processed, and it would cost an arm and a leg and a small loan from the bank. And you would have to wait. I don't wait real well. I want it now. So you know I feel like kissing pixels these days. Thank you technology!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Representing

Most everything that I love about home. Music, books, plants & Si.

Adventures With Google

I've just entered the world of Google Reader. I've realized this week that given the choice of eating double fudge chocolate cake or reading blogs, I will pick the blog reading every time. Maybe this is not a good week to make that determination since I've been housebound with the flu. It's a really gnarly flu too. I still can't hear very well out of either ear and the cough has left me limp with weakness plus the headache, oh the headache, man o man the headache. I don't do headaches well. I don't get them too frequently either. When I do, I just try to sleep, but you really can't sleep when you have to cough every ten minutes and all you can hear is someone pounding on the door two houses down over and over Bam! Bam! Bam! But nobody is pounding on any door. It's my heart beating. Anyway.. Ye Ole Google Reader!

  

I tried to figure out who has subscribed me, but apparently you need a special decoder ring. If anyone knows, pass it to me, okay? 

  

I deleted some and probably will add some blogs before the day though. I don't mean to offend. Blogger has this "following" widget that many people use but I didn't want it on my blog because quite frankly I really don't want to know how unpopular I am. When it started, I thought to try it out by "following" Alicia. After a month or so, I've decided to de-follow because of the redundancy. Alicia is still in my Favorites not because we agree on everything, but because she is just so dang honest and true to herself and she finds neat gadgets to put on her blog that I steal, I mean imitate ;) Go visit Alicia!

  

I'm finding a lot of kind hopeful people here in blog land, but I wonder if the only way to increase readership is to do a giveaway. Some advised joining forums or groups and I've started that with photography. I get such a blast out of taking pictures now that we are in the digital age. Using film was so costly and wasteful. Yay! Pixels! And I'm also very excited because I think Santa is getting me a DSLR camera this Christmas. You should see the smile that put on my face! 

  

So do you have any recommendations for cameras, my fellow picture takers?

Gosh I Love This

This is an illustration from Patience Brewster from a book called Bear and Mrs. Duck by Elizabeth Winthrop. It's a picture book with a theme and a moral tale of separation anxiety. I have this with my fur coat, so I know it well, and I love this picture.

Moving Forward

That will teach me…I did this beautiful Saturday morning blog and POOF! Blogger just crapped out on me. So this time I’ll write in Word and paste it. Dang it though. Sometimes words only come right once.

So anyway – Happy Saturday to you all!
I’m getting back into the blog-O-mania after lurking quite a bit at Alicia’s blog and others. Thank you Alicia for the E is for excellence award. You’re the sweetest!

My life has been pretty busy lately. I’ve left the big old ranch for a new ranch, and I couldn’t be happier. I know I loved that old house, but it did have a few problems like bad water and mold, and the hunters and the poachers, and it was impossible to keep clean, and it was impossible to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

So I’m quite happy to say I now live in a brand new 3 bed/2 bath house with a huge kitchen (with a dishwasher!!!) and oodles of space for a garden. The view in all directions goes on for miles too. I can’t believe my good fortune.

So this year I’m going to try and grow all my own vegetables and rid myself of megamart produce. If I have surplus, I’ll get into preserving too. It will be a fun project, besides the cost of groceries is just plain ridiculous.

I feel a great surge of energy too. Yesterday I baked a loaf of whole wheat bread, and today I’m going to sort out the pantry and the linen closest, plus I’m still unpacking.

We spring forward this weekend too. I really think time changes are nonsense. It takes my body a week to adjust. Oh well, that’s my gripe for this beautiful day.

The Here And Now

Coyotes usually don’t howl at 10 o’clock in the morning. That’s what made me turn to the east.
I was standing outside with the sun on my back trying to get warm, and the coyotes sounded way far away, but definitely to the east. I wasn’t concerned.
I noticed how the hazy day had set back the tree-covered mountains. The gray-green digger pines looked like they were floating in a sea of atmosphere.
The local golden eagle flew ovals back and forth against the steep greening hill and disappeared and reappeared through the pines.
My eyes, now shaded with my hand, followed the eagle for as long as I could see him. When he disappeared one last time, I waited a bit and then looked straight overhead at the wispy clouds.
It was a cool morning. My hands, in particular, were having a hard time warming up.
But the sun felt good, and I thought, no time like now.
I know it’s popular to be “too busy" and want more hours in the day to “accomplish things,” but I think some moments deserve to stand alone. Like right now.
The coyote stopped singing, and all I could hear was the little birds hiding in the tumbleweed.
“Chip, chip,” they said to each other, probably leery of a human standing so close to their hangout.
“Don’t worry,” I replied. “I’m not going to eat you.”
They all flew out in one motion and headed for the very top of the tree.
“Alright,” I said. “Don’t believe me.”
Although I could sense that they did believe me. They just wanted to make themselves comfortable.
I can understand that. Yesterday they weren’t comfortable at all.
We've been having a bit of rain, and it felt like twilight all day long. It was a weird day.
I was standing in the laundry room staring out the window lost in thought when I noticed a Cooper hawk hopping around on the ground underneath the tumbleweeds.
I presume he was hunting either rabbit or little birds, although I couldn’t say for sure. I definitely have never seen a hawk pursue its prey on foot.
I stood there for a long time watching the bunnies alternatively freak out by running around in circles, or stop and remain motionless.
The little birdies were making a racket, but staying put. I thought they would head for the tall tree, but maybe they felt safer in the dense bush.
I didn’t see the hawk catch anything that day, but I think he must have found something to eat at one time. He keeps coming back.
The little birds have to stick together, and bunnies have to multiply. If the coyotes want to sing in the daylight, then that’s okay by me.
We all have to make ourselves comfortable. Because all we have is now.

O Christmas Tree

How lovely are thy branches.

At the lot I generally go for the feel. Does it feel like a friendly tree? Does it make me smile? Who of all the flocked or not is saying, "take me?"

I really like this guy. He has an aura. He looked all lit up without any candles. I call him Ralph. Ralph Tree I'm sorry.

RIP. Trees take a long time to die. And we fool them at Christmas by putting them in water. 

But it's a tradition. One of the few I really enjoy. Not that I like killing a living thing, no no. But bringing the wild into the tame and celebrating. Imagine living without a house or a hearth. Every time I hear the coyotes sing at night, I am thankful for the walls that surround me. Right now, in fact. Thank you. 

But back to my beauty of a tree, even without a light or ornament. A Noble Pine standing tall at 7 feet. My Charlie Brown tree with all its imperfections is here at home for little while.