Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all - Happy Holidays - a belated Happy Hannakkuh - whatever you celebrate!

RIP Jack 199? - 2011

Many years ago we got suckered in by this crazy dog at the TriValley Rescue. Didnt know how crazy he was. He was - according to them - literally on the table to be euthanized when this group - who is a non-kill group - rescued him from the shelter he was at (which wasnt a non-kill group). He was then adopted out twice - and flunked both. Turns out he liked to chase cows - and people running or biking by! The first one is something that is really nt good when you live on a ranch!!!
He was not a huge swimmer like son's dog (see next photo) but he would swim if someone was in the pool. And when the kids were there, I think he thought he was the lifeguard...

He was patient and accepting of other dogs....except for that little little dog my daughter had - Rufus weighed just a couple of pounds and when he entered a room, Jack ould turn tail and run out the other way! Very hilarious!

If I was home alone - he was at my side....he was my buddy....he loved to run and jump and skid...we called him Jumpin Jack ...Jack-the-Dog once we had Jack-the-boy (grandson) ...ADHD...lots of names....
(I wont mention the ones hubby sometimes called him!)

He was patient.....he may have growled a few times over the years but never bit anyone.

In April he was diagnosed with rectal cancer. We discussed and read up about surgery/chemo. Found out that IF the surgery went perfectly, he would probably have another year after the surgery....

So we chose quality of life. And in the past week or so, he started going down hill. Incontinent of urine and stool. Not eating. Sleeping to the point that he wouldnt even notice if someone came into the house. But when he was awake, he was running around like always....

But he was giving me what I call the 'thousand yard stare". And when he dirtied his 2d bed, we decided it was time to talk to the vet. I cried most of the night before - and almost all that day....I didnt want to do this too soon, but I also didnt want to wait and let him suffer too much.

The vet was the one I really dont like but he was fine and he said two things that made it so much easier....He said that if we had noticed enough of a change just over the past 4 days that we were there asking, that hewould probably be going down hill much more quickly.....And the reason he would act so much like himself is that dogs are pack animals....and as such, do not like to show their weakness/illness/injury to the rest of the pack ....

My buddy.....I will miss him.....and I need to stp grieving caus realistically HE WAS JUST A DOG! But he was my companion and one things dogs have is unconditional love for their people....He joins a group of good dogs on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge....

Weekend Roundup

Nice weekend - even if it took days more for the wind to finally die down.

Went to some of the wineries around town yesterday for the Holiday Wine Tour, or whatever it is called. 'Bottled' 2 bottles of wine at the lovely El Sol winery for Christmas gifts....bought some fancy salts and some rub....and some more champagne splits - yum! - from Chouinard.

Today drove down to Monterey with oldest daughter and her 4 boys for hubby's family reunion - the Russo side - his grandfather's side. He learned some stories he had never heard before - and said he came away feeling old - cause now he is part of the older generation!

This is a barn out on Palomares Canyon Road that I always have wanted to photograph. Didnt have my good camera with me this time - but had the time. Also didnt get the best photos because of the dratted sun! LOL

Wind Wind Go Away

Actually, we live in a windy region. It is always windy/breezy here....but these last few days have been horrendous. While hubby was out last night I kept my cell phone at my side in case the lights went out - it has a flashlight app to!

I made 3 of these scarves. SO CUTE! SO EASY! And yet I did not remember to take a photo before I wrapped the other two. They each have a different button - I didnt realize it would be hard to find 2" buttons but it was! Actually my favorite one was the garnet colored one on which I put a white button. I think I might have to make a few more of these...

And see, I still know how to cross stitch! Arent they adorable? I might have to get few more sleds and make some mor up for next year!

Hubby is working on his Village - the one he wasnt going to put up this year. He is redesigning the landscape - something he also did last year....

Cashed our recycing in today....and took a large bag of presents to Sleep Train for their Foster Kids Secret Santa program...

Now hubby has a chicken in the pot cooking and it is smelling pretty good....think a glass of wine will go well with it? I do!

Happy Thanksgiving

Yes, I know I am a bit late with the message.....but it has been a long long week.
I ended up working 3 days in a row - because someone wanted to work my Thanksgiving! YAY!!! Well, I dont know.....they tried to kill this old woman.....3 looooooooong days, on my feet all day, no lunches, barely any bathroom breaks.....not sure why so many women decided they had to have their babies in the 3 days before Thanksgiving! Thank God for extra strenth tylenol!

Thanksgiving was lovely. A little wierd tho. First time in over 30 years that hubby and I have not cooked it. We went to daughter #1 house......she did the turkey and most of everything. We did a salad, the relish plate, an pies. Her MIL brought over some things too.

Went with the boys to see The Muppets - it was cute - the boys were good. But it was a long and noisy day....probably because I was still tired.

Yesterday we drove to San Jose to the Harvest Festival. We go every year. This might have been our last year. Smaller than usual.....mostly same old stuff....except for what we went for, and it wasnt there! I spnt less than $30 which is amazing....

Today was Small Business Saturday. We went to the donut shop for breakfast (small business), the Farmer's Market (many small businesses)....ok, had to go to Joann's to get some buttons and things and I know that isnt a small business, and neither was Safeway....then we were going to walk around downtown but there really wasnt anything there that we hadnt seen recently....so we hit some of the local thrift shops - the hospital one and the shelter one, not the chain ones.....

And at the hospital one I found:


a piece of the Balleek china I collect - for $10!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Better yet, it was 50% off!!!!!!!!!

Also got some yarn for the teddy bears, a couple of Christmasy serving plates, a book I have been wanting, and a wine bottle gift box.....not a bad day at all!

Then came home andfinished digging out a corner that turned ito storage way back when we painted our room and we just hadnt gotten around to clearing it out. Thought it was going to be the area for the Christmas Tree but then Old Scrooge decided - after all his bah humbugging about it - that he is going to put up his North Pole Village after all.....so we brought in the tables for that.

Been packing boxes to ship to daughter #2 in TN.....and I jsut know remembered something I havent wrapped! Glad I only sealed up one of the 2 boxes!

I really want to get all my boxes mailed this week and then I can work on cards....but I am waiting for a couple ofthings to come that need to go into the boxes....

I work tomorrow and I am achy again.....and mixed up since I usually dont split weekends...what day is this??? I work Sunday and Monday and I am sure I will be convinced that they are Sat and Sun all week long!

Just as long as I dont forget my haircut on Tuesday....and work on Wed and then 4 days off!!! This weekend is the Wine Trails which should be fun - have only done that about 3 times cause it is usually on my w/e to work....and then a family reunion for hubby's side on Sunday. That should be fun....but boy, time is starting to fly by - still need t get to Monterey, and San Francisco before Christmas - work really interferes with life sometimes!

Photo catch up - Blogger finally cooperated!

These turkeys are smarter than I have ever been led to believe - they crossed a busy road in the cross walk ...ok, they didnt have a crossing light, but they still stayed in the cross walk. It was a flock of aout 6 or 7 of them.

Boys never grow up do they? Yup, hubby just had to play with hs food...

Not the est example, but the one I could get. There are some glorious trees out there right now - who says we dont get fall folliage in California????

A lovely hand crocheted doily or hot pad that a friend brought back from England

Isnt this a lovely tool box? All rusty and glorious? Got it for $1 - and it is now filled with plants

A tea party baby shower for one of the nicest people at work. Thought I got a photo of the tri level tray full of goodies but didnt....that 'pillow' was filled with sweet potatoe pie filling....to die for! Their cream scones were also delectable!Co workers at the tea party....there were about 5 or 6 tables full....

The same friend who brought me the crochetted goody from England, supported my Balleeck addiction with a belated birthday present - isnt it lovely?

Interesting Day

Ok...I give up. For some reason I cannot get any photos to load.
So will have to try them later.

Woke up to a grey, cold, drizzly day.
Hubby had to get labwork done...then we went and had breakfast...and hit up some garage sales. A couple of books, 2 puzzles for grandson, a ceremic Nativity set, a very cute little duck creamer, a piggy pitcher, some Christmas flowers, and a rusty ole tool box that is going to be awesome for a planter....

Then to the market and then to gym to work out.

After that a memorial service for a colleague who passed away a few weeks ago. Old time L&D nurse. Had been around since , well, you fill int he blanks. She could predict almost to the minute, when a delivery would happen. This the second nurse I have worked with who died within a year or two or retiring.....maybe I should never retire?????

It was lovely to see so many old friends and co workers....ones who have retired or jsut quite and moved away. Sad to catch up on some - one co worker who had to retire way before she was ever ready - always sad to see her - and hear about her dad dying....another one who moved away and is younger than me but has colon cancer...OB docs (working and retired), anesthesiologists, nurses, XRay techs - so many people from work.

You know what? It is going to be a WINE night!

Got a lovely over due birthday present from a friend - the most beautiful Balleeck vase (just wish you could see it!!) and a hank made crochet dishcloth that she brought home from England!

Hubby has to get up very early tomorrow - going to be at the firing range ALL DAY tomorrow in this cold weather! And I will wake up leisurely and do some errands....including picking up a raffle prize I won yesterday at the shopping we did downtown after we went to the lovely Craft Sale at a local Church.

I love those craft shows....they have some of the BEST stocking stuffers....lovely hand made things...and some of the tackiest things you just have to laugh at!

Couldnt get my phone out of my bag quick enough (another photo that wont load) but watched a flock of turkeys - about 6 - 7 of them - walk across a very busy street - walking in the crosswalk!

He wasnt Uncle Walter - but he was always fun to watch and listen to - RIP Andy Rooney...

Thoughts at the Gym

• You have to time it just right at the gym we go to....you dont want to be there during Squatters Time.....that is when the elderly come in to "work out"...AKA sit on a machine and talk to all their friends without actually ever doing any of the exercise the machine is made for.


• What is up with the couple who dresses alike? Older white man with younger Asian? Filipina? woman....they wear matching white tshirts, khaki colored cargo pants, and desert boots. They come in and do the treadmill and some of the machines....


• I thought exercise energized you?! Today it just tired me out. Maybe because we went later than usual cause of an appt to clean our pellet stove.

Catching Up

Just have to throw in a Hawaii visit photo - cause a friend is there this week and I am soooooo jealous!So this is Waikiki and Honolulu as seen from Diamond Head.

Spent the weekend filled with football.

Saturday went to watch my 8 year old grandson play. It is funny - cause they BARELY understand what they are doing - and it really doesnt seem as tho the coaches have much more of a clue! I was amazed to find out that refs are refs are refs no matter what age group they are working with. All of a sudden one of the boys on the front line of the other team sucker punchs one of the kids on grand son's team - closed fist, purposeful punch. And do you think ANY of the refs saw it???!!! Of course not. But I have to say this about his coach - he either saw it or hears enough about it, that he pulled the kid out of the game since the refs didnt evict him!

Then today was the Festival at the boy's school - and my daughter is co-chair. It was also football practice and the first scrimmage for my 6 year old grand son. So we drove over and took him to football - and then delivered him and his brother to the Festival.
They got their flags today - took a while to get them on all 9 of the team members cause they are such small kids! They were wrapping around them twice!

Here he is warming up and actually listening to the coach! Not too much dancing or not paying attention. Altho it was very obvious that the attention span for this age is about 1/2 hour.....and they were practicing for an hour and then had a scrimmage game! Yeah, none of them had an idea what they were dong - even the kids whose father's apparently work with them - they could (somewhat) catch and (somewhat) throw but the idea of plays and defense and offense....just a wee bit too much! But it was fun (and funny) to watch!

AND, I got to talk to my other daughter and my other 2 grandkids! Combined with the lovely hugs from Luke - the I love you's from Kaia and Owen - it was a pretty good weekend all around!

Too bad we were so tired. The dogs were ready to be turned into dog meat last night. They totally ignore each other during the day (except for food and water time!) but last night they decided it was time to double team and drive the humans nuts.....they wanted OUT every 1/2 hour or so..... I kept waiting for a big earthquake to hit. (Yeah, I dont think they were 'feeling' the one that occurred over in Turkey). They have been told they are no longer my favorites and since I work tomorrow, this better not happen again or they will be shipped out to the dog food factory...

Speaking about work, it is really interferring with my life. Or maybe it is because I over commit myself to projects????? Nah, cant be....

So I am trying to finish some ***** for my daughter for Christmas, and some little ******'s for kids, and hubby, and friends.....and I need to start on a really special (and as of now, undecided) project for my swap partner for her Christmas present....someone at work wants some teddy bears knit to take to Africa in March and I am itching to try one but that will just have to wait....and the baby blanket I am almost 1/2 done on - yeah, they decided to have the baby shower tea on November 10 so I need to get that done (and I am now worried I did not get enough yarn for that...) Whew.....why do I do this to myself??????

The other good part of the weekend? (Besides the weather which is undescribably beautiful!) Hubby is filling the freezer with stuffed peppers and saving the leftover filling for some stuffed cabbage when we get to the store to get some cabbage!

Etcetera

These are just some sayings I ran across in a catalog today and thoroughly enjoyed...

they know me in a way no one else ever has.
they open me to things I never knew existed.
they drive me to insanity and push me to my depths.
they are the beat of my heart, the pulse in my veins, and the energy in my soul ~
they are my kids


Children are often spoiled because no one will spank Grandma.

Lack of planning on YOUR part
Does not constitute an emergency on MY part.

I laughed so hard the tears ran down my leg!

Do what makes you happy
Be with those who make you smile
Laugh as much as you breathe
Love as long as you live.

NURSES....Here to save your ass, not to kiss it!
(dang, if I could only put that on a shirt and wear it EVERYDAY to work!!!)

And I have saved the best for last:

The best things in life are the people we love...
the places we've been...
and the memories we have made along the way.

Vacation

Altho I love being on vacation - who doesnt? - it is stressful....will somehing go wrong with the flight (I hate flying)? Will something happen at home while I am far away? Will my son really remember to take care of the dogs - especially since one has a disease and the other has a "condition"??

Once I get to where we are going I am fine....

What is the worst tho is packing.

Not the actual act of packing, but deciding what to take. And hoping we dont forget anything vital. Non essentials - those are easy to replace wherever you go.

And I ALWAYS start off with - "I know I pack too much, so this time I am going to whittle it down"......and it never happens.

Even when we go somewhere that has a washer/dryer.
Cause you just never know what the weather is going to be like or what you will feel like wearing...

And shoes! Hubby is easy - sneakers and sandals. But this time he is also taking water shoes and golf shoes....hee hee hee, he will pack as many as I will! Cause I need my sneakers if we go hiking/walking/exercise....and I want my beach sandals....and I will take my water shoes (last time we were in Oahu the beach we were at was rocky and we didnt have them - this time we will have them and not need them!) and of course my sandals.....and you know what? My sandals are just going to have to do it for day and night (but.......)

And then there is my knitting.....books and magazines and kindle (cause you know you cant have the kindle on for take off and landing - STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!).....and my cameras.....no tripod....no walking sticks....oh and a hat and swimsuits and....and...and...

...I am not packing light after all.

At least it will be lighter than the last trip when we packed for walking and touring and beach. But still.....I envy those people who can pack a backpack and be set for the week....Oh, and my emergency glasses and the binoculars.....

sigh....This time tomorrow I will be much happier camper (I hope!)

Happy Anniversary!

Tomorrow is our 38th Wedding Anniversary!
Look at that young and innocent couple (and skinny!) in that photo up there!

It has been a helluva ride - and I hope it continues for a lot longer!

There are things I would change - but it all has made for quite a story.....and I definitely would not chang my life partner nor my family!

Happy Anniversary Honey!

To Catch Up

So I was a work last Sunday when hubby called.....and when he starts off with "Now don't worry, everyone is all right" I immediately break down.

Son was supposed to drive the Uhaul trailer to TN for his sister (sometimes they just boost my faith in family!!) but the trailer didnt wok so he was driving a Uhaul truck, towing their (packed) Matrix. In Wyoming a passing semi lost a tire which bounced over, bounced off the very end of the Uhaul and hit the tow trailer and hit the Matrix.

Spun him out of control - but thank goodness, if it had to happen to anyone on this trip it happened to the one driver with the most experience like this. Guess it blew out the tire on the trailer. So he had a delay getting all this taken care of.

BUT HE WAS OK.

And, after the misunderstanding of my husband, the car was even driveable.

But - and this makes a mom very nervous - the adrenaline kept him going and he drove allt he way thru. Got into Chattanooga Monday ..... checked into a motel and sleptsleptslept (after his first priority which he said was a shower!).

He then was still able to drive the Matrix to visit a friend - and flew home Wed.

Now yesterday we got the other reassuring news - not only is DD and family safe and sound in Chattanooga - they even have an apt. Today they are supposed to be unpacking the uhaul and moving in. Tomorrow they will be looking for some replacement furniture (anyone know of any nice consignment shops in the Chattanooga area???)

So now my worries can ease off....about the travel...for now!!

And we are adjusting our lives to include DD 14 year olf baby girl - her Althea.

Last Trip to Fallon Nevada

Funny, makes me think of the song Last Train to Nashville and they are moving to Chattanooga....Afterwe left Fallon to come home, me crying 1/2 the way home, the first song as I was scanning thru radio stations was dedicated to someone in "Chattanooga TN".

Hot and tiring days getting them packed up. Breaking my heart seeing my daughter get to that point we all get - when you just sy, if we cant fit it, throw it away.....

They made a few $$$ on an impromptu yard sale and I am sure the pickers were happy when they finally left so that they could come back and get some of the things for free! We ended up bringing some items back here to try and sell.

So the original plan was son was going to tow a UHaul trailed to TN for them and they were going to drive and tow their other car. That fell thru. Son drove a UHaul truck towing their car (with a Princess jeep strapped to the top! LOL! And the ar itself fully packed too!). In Wyoming he was in an accident when a tire flew off a semi going in the other direction and hit the tow car, and spun him around. Lukcily he was not hurt (in a way I am glad it was him driving then cause he knew what to do - and none of the grand kids were with him). But that ate up time. Apprently the car and tow trailed took the brunt of it but the car is still driveable (which I found out just a little while ago when he called to say he was safe in Chattanooga - thank goodness!).

So now we are trying to find/book a flight for him back home. Anyone know anyone flying their own plane home from Atlanta that could bring him home?

So one worry out of the way.....just have to worry now about daughter and family getting there.

This sucks big time! And yet we (hubby and I) did it to our parents....and my parents, and his dad, did it to their parents.....but I dont like being on the other side of it at all!

My Hero

He is my hero is so many ways, but I am o proud of my husband. Late spring he was told her had pre-diabetes.

Scared him to ...well, to checking his sugar 4x/day as the doc wanted him to. Now, this is a man who will not even look at a needle ON TV! And here he is checking his blood sugar by pricking his finger 4x/day, 7 days a week.

And the worst part - this all occurred right before we went on vacation to areas where we talked as much about the food as the activities we planned to do there! On the other hand, while on vacation we visited an uncle of his and found out that diabetes is very prevalent in that side of his family which I think made him ever more determined to beat this!

And even tho we both knew we needed to be on diets, and he is on meds for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, it was this diagnosis that motivated him.

He walks in the neighborhood for an hour each morning. One day a week he plays golf. Almost every other day - sometimes 7 days a week, sometimes only 6 - he works out a the gym for 1 hour - 1.5 hours.

And in Approx 2.5 3 months, he has lost 28 lbs!

His blood pressure is down - his labs are so good he was REJECTED for a clinical study on cholesterol + diabetes....

Now, I dont walk like he does, and since I still work I cannot get to the gym as often as he does. But we go on my days off. My eating habits have changed to match his - after all, it wouldn be fair would it, to eat like I want to and he cant....And the most amazing thing is - I dont miss the junk as much as I thought I would.

The downside tho is my weight is creeping down, unlike his. But I can feel a difference in my clothes, so I am slimming in some ways. Yes, honestly, it does make me jealous...

But it all makes me so proud of him!

Phase 2 Has Begun

Moved the plant stand with the yellow watering can out from the backyard. You cant really see it but on the second level of the stand is this beautiful rock. Found it about a foot+ under the ground when hubby was planting a plant - the big lavendars out near the front. Beautiful rock. Not sure how it ended up under there.

So at this point we have the blueberry plant, 3 grasses, 2 lavendars of of type and one
of another; 3 verbenas; a salvia and a black eyed susan. Hopeully they will all live. Plenty more to go but now we need to work on Phase 3 and get the drip irrigation lines out there.
See the beautiful hand made, one of a kind Native American pottery to the right and in front of the flag? LOL. Bought it for $1 at the Lions Club rummage sale in Fallon the last time we were there. The guy who priced it was a crack up - had to buy it no matter what after that sales job!

Planted that really pretty rust colored grass in it and placed it to hide the water faucets from the street.

That antique iron firebox we got at a garage sale in Walnut Creek. It is iron and heavy as can be and still smells of smoke.

Phase 1

Dang it, these are out of order and I dont feel like playing with them to fix it. So just bear with me.

When we first moved into this house, the front yard was rocks, with the 3 palm trees. They weren't too high yet. Unexplicably the one in the center had a circle of cement around it.

Eventually we replaced the rocks with lawn. Twice. And fought the battle of all hot and dry places to keep the lawn alive. And we lost.

So we said - we are done! And decided to go to a drought friendly/native plant solution. So we finally got a deal on taking out those godawful palms (which meanwhile had grown taller than the house and were havens for squirrels, birds, and probably rats) - and the cement circle around the middle one. Covered the whole yard with cardboard and then topped that off with mulch we got from a tree service.

Let it sit a month or so....meanwhile the neighbors think we have totally gone off our gourd and we still have a small pile of the mulch on our driveway.

This weekend we started some planting. Replanted the blueberry bush from a contianer (I want to getat least one more) and a lavendar from a container. Then we planted 2 more, but different types, of lavendar, a salvia, and 2 grasses. We have only begun! This is a work in progress and may take a couple of years to get done. I want more salvia and some agapanthas next...hubby wants some succulents/cactus.

Will get some current photos soon and post them.
(Original pile o mulch on the driveway with some of the work in progress)

(Middle mound built. We had looked at several yards on a special garden tour this spring. I did not like the small yards that had these big mounds; altho we know these will compact down, we wanted rolling and not hilly)

(Bare and ready to go as soon as we can gather enough cardboard; get some topsoil; and find a tree service willing to drop off their mulch - why not? It saves them dmp fees!)

(Getting rid of the palms - before they were ground down; you can see where the concrete circle was)

I dont understand...

Wow, that could be the title of a very lengthy post couldnt it? Cause there are so many things I dont understand.

But right now it is finances - financial institutions especially. You have a couple who have paid their mortgage monthly and they come to you with an issue. The issue being that they are being relocated because of their job - hey, a couple who both are employed! What a concept!
And what they would like to do is the responsible thing - they would like to rent their house - keep making their mortgage payments! Another unusual consept in this day and age - they have accepted responsibility and want to keep up with it. All they are asking for is a little help - to refinance so that they can make the house payments with the rent payment and yet still have a little extra money put aside for when/if the house needs something done to it.

Whew....dont know if I can handle this type of responsibility. I dont see much of it around me any more. People deciding not to meet their obligations and just walking away from the debt that they occured willingly.....and here is a couple who is embracing it but saying - can you help me out.

And guess what - you got it - they are turned down...
Why?
Well, let's see...
1. Because even tho both people are employed by a company who is not only continuing thier employment but also promoting one....they cant help them because they are NOT employeed by the military.....
2. They also cannot help them because they are NOT in financial hardship.....even tho helping them out could PREVENT hardship and yet be beneficial for the bank cause they will still be collecting monthly payments.....you know those payments, when they are strungout over a length of time and the bank walks away with 4 times what the original amount was....

So instead of rewarding RESPONSIBILITY the banks are rewarding those who chose NOT to accept responisbility....oh yeah, so sorry, you dont want to make those payments any more, ok....we'll just rack up one more mortgage loan loss to our account...add one more empty house to the area...decrease property tax income to the area...and hey - dont worry about it, you can EASILY get another mortgage in just months to years - WITHOUT EVER LEARNING A LESSON about it.....

But you want to keep that house out of the market? You want the area still to be able to collect property taxes? You want the bank to still collect monthly payments on a loan they gave you? Well, folks, basically, you are f**ked.

Like I said, I just dont understand finances...

Home Again Home Again, Jiggedy Jig

For once I did not grossly over pack. Came home with 2 clean tank tops, one clean pair of jeans, a new tshirt, one clean pair of underwear.....and all that means is I am doing a ****load of laundry today!

Just before we left I said to hubby - what are these shorts doin on the bed? To which he replied - oh, they need to go back in the drawer, I already packed all my shorts. I know all the ladies can see where this is going - yup, 1/2 way thru our trip we made a stop at K Mart to buy more shorts. Seems he only packed 2 pairs of shorts and left all the others home. And one of those pairs? Developed a potentially embarrassing hole in them....

Got in the house at 11:30 PM last night and we were wid awake by 6 AM today. Now I can barely keep my eyes open so am not the least bit able to download all the pix - those will come in a day or two!

It's The Little Things...

...in life that bring joy. The artichokes are all eaten (3 of them - I didnt even think we would get one this year), the birds got the majority of the blueberries, but the strawberries are still producing & our dwarf orange tree has teeny tiny itsy bitsy round green things on it....
Our eggplant has pretty flowers....

Our corn is growing!!!

All 3 tomato plants have tomatoes on them....

AND WE HAVE BEANS!!!!! Our beans last year had a few sparse flowers on them....this year they are growing and flowering and making beans!!!!!!

Our odd little pepper has peppers.....no photo but our maybe it is a cucumber plant is growing and so is our other what the heck plant is it out front - it is either a watermelon or a pumpkin (I am thinking pumpkin but we will see)

And our zuchini is flowering and making squash!!! YAY!!!!

County Fair

OK, I admit it.....I love the County Fair. And the Alameda County Fair is an awesome Fair - 99 years old this year! My only complaint is....the food. Not so good....

Grew up attending the Monterey County Fair. It was always so awesome to me. But sadly it has grown smaller and smaller over the years. USe to have the Horse Show with it - lots of big names appeared there - it was big (ok, so I was a little girl and it probably wasnt as big as it seemed to me). But the food was awesome and still is - altho I miss the Castroville HS fried artichoke trailer! Yummmmmmmm

So here are some shots from the Alameda Fair this year...


This is kinda how I felt at the end of the day. Done in. But it was a great day - the weather was perfect - the kids were great.


So I am partial to hairy animals cause I am a knitter. But ya gotta admit these area a great looking trio!

The baby goats in the Petting Zoo were so much fun. They were soft to pat. And this one kept falling asleep in the oddest positions!

Kaia got to feed a bottle to a baby!

And so did big brother Owen.

Actually got to pet a Wallaby - there were two and this one was the most shy but the most photogenic.

The llama was awesome. So patient. I dont think he ever moved more than open andshut his eyes (they don't drug them, do they???) I found something out. Right between the ears is THE softest lace to pat them. In the background you can see Connor, Owen, and Jack. Didnt have time to take many photos when I was in there alone with Luke.

Gosh - dont we often feel like everyone is just walking all over us??? All the baby goats seemed to think this pig was sleeping there just for them to play King of the Mountain on! And it was ok with him, all he did was open his eyes occasionally!

Luke wanted to "see a cow - see a cow - see a cow". So, shhh, dont tell him she wasnt real. As soon as he saw her and rang her bell, he was satisfied!

Saw this shortly after we got there. Meant to go back later and check to see if anyone was buying. I was disappointed - never did see the fried butter or the tacos on a stick (didnt look too hard either) and was curious to see what deep fried peaches were like but resisted...

They always find the lego table.... I had fun watching the solar powered cars and bugs!

Is this cake awesome or what???!!!! Kaia told her mom this is what she wanted for her birthday.....dont hold your breath Kaia! LOL

As always, lots of awesome quilts. And I didnt take photos of them all! Loved this one - if you look closely enough you will see the flower petals are actually embroidered words.

No prizes this year....sigh, I am slipping....well, except for the free fair ticket you get for entering! I wanted to spend more time looking cause I only saw one other pair of hand knit socks (and that one - rightly so - won a prize but not first prize). I am not sure about the judges this year. I saw a lot of things that justly won prizes but a lot of things that did not win. There were everal AWESOME knit hats - and the one that won as a plain stockinette knit but was kool aid dyed yarn - the ones that didnt win had cables, lace etc. Whats up with that????

This was what you saw as you walked in the front door. The sock monkey display with this huge monkey which appears to be hand knit!!! Kinda scarey.....