Packing

I'm keeping really busy packing. I was in a "let's purge" mood even before the move was planned so this is giving me a chance to clean out some stuff. The other day I emptied the Tuff Shed and left in it only the things my daughter is going to take and what I'll donate to the gardener. I put all my tubs of Christmas decorations and other miscellaneous "stuff" on the side deck. Today I went through it and was able to cut the number of tubs I'm taking in half. Some of the stuff I just threw out since it wasn't worth keeping. The rest is loaded in the van waiting for a trip to the thrift store.

We were informed of the items that the movers won't/can't put in the truck. No paint, garden and household chemicals, spray cans, the list goes on. Most of those items will be given to my Mom and daughter.

I had quite a few cans of spray paint. I also had some outdoor items that needed to be revitalized with a new coat of paint. So it made sense to me to spray them here and use up the paint rather than take them and have to buy more paint in Colorado. So I spray painted three little metal side tables, a vintage metal plant stand, a three tiered wicker table, a bird cage, a wicker planter, a tall metal garbage can that was my dad's, an umbrella stand, and two metal garden obelisks. I even spray painted a small vintage wicker sleigh that was in with the Christmas decorations. That's a lot of painting!!

You can't take plants in the moving vans so this little beauty, along with most of my other potted plants are going to my daughter's house to live.

My beautiful little Cherokee Red Dogwood tree will have new owners.

I'm allowing myself to take one plant This is a new variety of a dwarf Clematis. She is sooooooo pretty right now and I just can't leave her behind.

So she'll make the trip in our van. It's the only plant I have room for. I was going to take a camellia or two but they don't grow in Colorado! How sad is that? They are my favorite plants. The yard at our new place is huge and it will be fun sprucing it up. I've already found a lovely nursery to go visit and I'm planning many trips to the Denver Botanical Garden for inspiration.

I'm tired so I think I'll go have dinner and plan my day for tomorrow. I sure can't say I haven't got anything to do!!!

Tutorial Help-Ceiling Fixture

I have started keeping a recipe card file next to my computer. If I see a recipe or a quilt pattern or some other idea I want to reference, I write it on an index card and file it in the appropriate section. That way I won't forget where I saw it.

It usually works. Usually. Since the house is in turmoil from getting ready for our move and my brain is not functioning on all cylinders on a daily basis, I forgot to write something down.

A blogger did a wonderful tutorial on how to replace and hang an electrical ceiling fixture. Does anyone out there remember seeing it? I'd appreciate your help!!

Thanks.

*I found it - here!!!! Whew! I hate losing things. This is a great tutorial and I've made my little index card so hopefully I'll remember next time. Check it out.

Information Highway

There is a lot going on this weekend at our house. For one thing our son is home for about three weeks. Major Woo Hoo!!!!!! As you may know he's in the Navy and we've been blessed to have him stationed state side the last few years with just a brief six months tour in Afghanistan. He's off again in May, this time to Bahrain for one or two years. Major frowny face!!!!!

He's quite the techy guy and recently upgraded to the new IPad 3. He has generously given me his IPad 2. First I said, "Wow!!!!!!" Then , "What does it do?" Turns out it does just about everything except cook your dinner. Although you can purchase a special holder that attaches to your kitchen cupboard or the front of your refrigerator so you can watch your favorite cooking shows while preparing meals. So I guess you can say it does cook your dinner!


We went to the Apple store yesterday and I felt like a fish out of water. When I was working I was a whiz at the computer and was the "go to gal" when someone needed some help and our I.T. department wasn't available. I wasn't afraid to try anything. Since I've retired I've concentrated more on the "finer" things in life like gardening, quilting, reading and afternoon naps. I'm a little, or should I say a lot, rusty in the computer area. Our son told me to go in and ask questions about it. Well you can't just go in and say, "HELP!!!!!!! What does this thing do??????!!!!!!!", without making too much of a fool of yourself. So after talking to a few sales clerks who I swear were just barely old enough to be driving, we all decided I just need to go take a class. So I left with most of my dignity in tact, but feeling ancient - when did I start sounding like my mother? I'll go back in the next week or two and take a class from them and, hopefully, gain some of my confidence back. The major thing I'm going to enjoy about the IPad is that it has facetime on it. That means I can "talk" face to face with our son while he is in Bahrain. Cool!!

On another front, my cousin Sherry is visiting from Michigan. She flew into southern California to visit her best friend, Irene, and they have both traveled up north here to see the sites and visit family. We got together yesterday at my Mom's place for a bit. Today we're driving to Concord to visit our Uncle Carl. It'll be Sherry, her friend Irene, my Mom, my sister Janice, my sister Judy, my niece Jamie and myself. There's gonna be a whole lot of talking going on!! Poor Uncle Carl! He's a pretty quiet guy so I hope he's up for this!! I'll try to remember to take a breath and take pictures.

You all have a wonderful Sunday!!!!

Happy Birthday Dory!!

On a hot April 10th at 9:24 a.m. 42 years ago our daughter, Dory, was born in Livermore, California.

Rather than send me the usual mixed bouquet arrangement of flowers, my husband managed to find the most beautiful bouquet of lilacs and brought them to me. I have always loved lilacs and Dory has as well.

Dory, we love you so much and couldn't be more proud of the woman you have become, the mother you are to our grandson's and the friend others can only hope to strive to be. Your creativity is always a sense of pride and awe to us all.

Have a wonderful Happy Birthday!!

Happy Easter

Blessings to you all!

Sending a special Happy Easter Birthday wish to our grandson Redmond. I can't believe you are turning 13 years old today!!!!!

Changes

I've been putting off making an announcement because I'm basically a private person. I know that sounds strange. I write a blog and tell things to readers all over the country, if not the world. However, I shy away from personal stuff when I write. I also shy away from personal stuff in my day to day life as well. Just a little idiosyncrasy of mine. I like to think of it as an endearing quality! LOL!

Well, the time has come to make an announcement. We are moving. Next month. To Colorado!!!

"Big Whoopie Do" you say? I've lived in California since I moved here in the eighth grade many years ago. No, my family didn't come out here in a covered wagon!! My parents bought an Archway cookie truck, piled our stuff in it and off we came from Michigan 50 years ago. I've lived in the same house here in Escalon for nearly 25 years. I like things the same. I don't even like to rearrange furniture and once I set up knick-knacks and decorations around the house, there they stay.

So moving 1,300 miles away is a "Big Whoopie Do"!!! I'm excited, scared, apprehensive, worried, happy, nervous and a million other emotions that change from one minute to another. Mostly I'm tired right now. Packing!!!! What a nightmare. We are having movers move us but we are doing the packing ourselves. I now live in a cardboard jungle of boxes, tape and bubble wrap. I swear I can get a job working for a moving company packing when this is over. I've gotten really good at this!!!!

It will be sad to move away from the familiar places we take for granted. There are restaurants I've eaten at for 50 years here! There are still areas left to be explored and discovered. However, we have grown to love Colorado and it has felt increasingly more like home every time we visit.

I am hoping that eventually the rest of the family will move out there to be near us. In the meantime, I'll be making lots of trips back to visit my daughter and the grandsons. That's been the one difficult part of this decision so please keep me in your prayers on that account.

The one saving grace that I hold onto is that although I will be leaving family and friends, I will still have all of my blog friends no matter where I go. I hope you all know how much that means to me.

Posting will be rather sporadic while we make this transition. I still have lots of work to do here and once we get to Colorado, I'll have lots to do there as well but I'll be checking in as often as I can and will still be checking your blogs as well.

I value your friendships and I covet your prayers!

Wagons Ho!!!!!

Mail Man

I've been wanting to share with you a picture of our local "Mail Man" for quite some time. I finally stopped and took a picture today. Isn't he just the cutest?

Do any of you have unique mail boxes where you live?

Luck of the Irish!

I'm really excited and humbled to have won not one but three giveaways recently! How cool is that?

First off I entered a contest over at Kim's Big Quilting Adventure to name the quilt she just finished. Kim is one amazing quilter and always, always puts her creative spin on whatever she is working on. She was making the pattern, Rabbits Prefer Chocolate, but changed it up to where the rabbits were traveling around instead of the original Easter candy theme. I submitted my idea for the new name and I won!!!! You can read about it here. You can't imagine how excited I was!!!!! Just ask my family.....


The prize was two Redwork Renaissance charm packs and as you can see, Kim sent background yardage as well. How sweet was that?

The next prize was from Thelma over at Cupcakes and Daisies. Thelma is one creative and prolific quilter. Go check out her blog and her list of lifetime quilts. Amazing. She knows Carrie Nelson over at Miss Rosie's and thought, rightly so, that her Schnibbles pattern, Bibelot, should be named "T is for Thelma"

Carrie heard about it and sent Thelma a pattern with the name "fixed". She also sent extra for Thelma to give away. I tell you, I love quilters. They are so generous.

I was one of the fortunate winners!!!! So guess what I'm going to do? Put on your thinking caps........ I'm going to make T is for Thelma out of Redwork Renaissance!!!! How cool is that? My way of paying homage to two very wonderful quilting blog friends.

I mentioned three giveaways. I also entered a giveaway over at Susan Wigg's blog, A View From Here. Susan is one of my very favorite authors. Her books are wonderful. She lives up in Washington and has the most awe inspiring views of our Navy ships going out to sea from her yard. Spectactular!!! We had to guess what something was and I won (with a little help from my Naval Officer son!). Susan is sending me (Susan herself!!!! Little star struck here!!!!!) one of her books. I can't wait to get it and see what it is.

Thank you so much again to Kim, Carrie, Thelma and Susan!!!!!!!! You gals rock!

Just Peachy!

I know that I have shared with you all pictures of the almond trees in our area. They never cease to amaze me with their beauty. It occurred to me that I haven't show you pictures of some of the other orchards in our area.

I stopped and took these pictures the other day on my way into Modesto.

No, they are not pink almond blossoms. They are peach blossoms!

Acres and acres of pink!!

Just beautiful!

They look like rows and rows of pink tutus!

Later on the blossoms will fall. In their place will be huge, juicy peaches! Millions of them!!! This summer they will be harvested and taken to the local canneries, one of which is very close to where I live. On a hot summer day you can smell the peaches being canned. Heavenly!!! There are also orchards of apricots and cherries that will be blooming soon.

Highway 120 comes through town and goes on up into the mountains. That's one of the ways you can get to Yosemite National Park which is about a two hour drive from here. All along the highway are produce stands where the campers and tourists can stop and get fresh local produce to take with them on their journey. Along with almonds, peaches, apricots, and cherries, you can purchase tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, etc., depending on what month it is. You can even stop and get fresh cheese and homemade pies. All available to make your picnic just perfect.

How cool is that?

Camellia Time

It's Camellia time in the valley! They are right up there next to lilacs as my favorite flowers. This red beauty is Yuletide and starts blooming around Christmas time. It's a winter blooming Sasanqua camelia which I've mentioned before here.

I have them all over the garden, in every nook and cranny and even in pots.





There are many Camellia shows going on now, including the Modesto Camellia Show at the E & J Gallo Winery Administration Building next weekend. Check you local papers to see if you have one in your area and plan on visiting. You won't be disappointed.

Have a wonderful weekend!! Looks like we are in for some rain so YAY for us!!!