Merry Christmas !

How about that.  I missed Black Friday.  Does not bother me at all.  Shame on the retail stores for staging such a day and shame on the public for going along.  How sad it is.  They are only playing with those of us who do not have the money to maybe get the presents we would love to get.....but at what price !!  If only we could let the people know.  The problem is we want the best for our kids and it's hard when we cannot.  Although we really know the best is what we have already given them and that is love and pride in what they have accomplished in their young lives.  Pride in how they conduct themselves in difficult situations and lots of love which shines through our eyes for who they have become.

Happy Holiday to all of you !!

Windy Day !

We are having a windy day.  All the leaves are leaving the trees and our cats are running all over the yard.  We do have a lot of trees so the sounds are scaring them.  They mostly just stay in and look out the window.  The  weatherman says we are in for a storm this weekend. That's ok with me, I'm ready for some rainy days.  Very rarely does it snow here so rain and wind is about it for winter weather.

As I stated last post my shopping is done although I might pick up small items.  I'm just looking forward to the Holidays.  All the smells, sounds and sights, it should be fun.  Next week is Thanksgiving and that is the start so off we go.

How about the Kindle Fire.  I have been reading about it but have also read about the ipad.  What to do, what to do.  Well, I won't be able to do anything until after the New Year.  So will keep reading all the reviews.

Christmas is Here ?

That is if you are going by the stores.  I walk in and here are Christmas Tree's all decorated and ThanksGiving is next week.  I mean what is happening.  You just do not get a break between Holidays.  It wasn't that long ago we had Halloween. 

Well, I am happy to say, my Christmas Shopping is all done.  That is right, I started making gifts in September and am now done.  I don't really like to buy items for Christmas as I would rather make them.  Some people spend way too much and regret it after.  I feel really bad when that happens.  The point to me is the getting together with family and or friends....not the gifts.  This year I am only making for my grandchildren.

So that is the way it is for now.  Will keep you posted on if I change my mind but until then Happy Holidays !

Good Afternoon !

I took this picture of my cats.  Look at that sky !  Eleanor is on the left and Elviria is on the right.  In the middle is a bird house, which seems to be vacant all the time,go figure.

This is what I see in the morning while I am drinking my coffee and looking out my kitchen window.  I can't get over that sky.  It was taken early in the morning.  You know cell phones aren't so bad as long as you look up sometime and use the camera.  I must say I do have fun with the camera.  It is so handy and I always see pictures to take.

I'm getting flowers !  So far I have bought periwinkles, tulips (not in this picture), mini roses and I have to admit I really forgot what all I did buy.  I just get so excited and want all of them.  Although this year I only want purple and yellow.  Now I have to point something out, I don't want to but I will explain.......You see the little tiny pink flowers and the white flowers, well they are just fill ins (there fake flowers, don't have a keniption fit).  You see all around the Rosemary I have planted boxes of seed flowers and until they come up......well.....now you see why I have fill ins.  Besides, you have to admit they look pretty.  If you look close you will see in the center of the Rosemary is Mint coming up.  Oh, won't that all smell wonderful !
Well, happy Gardening, we'll talk soon.  Doodles and Tootles

Spring Flowers, Wild Flowers

Thought you might like to enjoy just one of my wild flowers in my yard.  My Granddaughter, Shaunna, first started this as she gave me a container of wildflowers.  My Jim planted it in our yard and we have had flowers every year since.  It just brings a smile to your face, doesn't it ?  All I can say is........... Hurry Spring, Hurry.  We are waiting for you !

I will be sharing my recipes and Farmers Market finds with you.  Who doesn't love to eat and where there is good, organic veggies involved....well you just can't beat it.  So keep an eye out and we might just have those flowers in our salad.  Tootles and Doodles

January 2011 Almost gone

     Well, up to today the weather has been awful.  Fog. Fog. Fog sharing the stage with rain.  So let's just say not a bright start to 2011.  Today, however, is sunny and getting warm.  Not shirt sleeve weather yet but getting close.
      I'm one of those, who feel excited about the new year.  Anything new is exciting to me.  I look at it as a chance to try something, maybe not new, but different.  You might have read about it or saw it but never tried it yourself.  Hope, I think is very important also, everyone knows that.  I, myself, have been through some tough times but you always have to add  not as bad as some people have had it.  So of course, I do count my blessings.  Your afraid if you don't then you won't have any good luck.  Like there is someone up above with a clip board writing down the things you do and say.  "She isn't grateful enough so no big surprise for her".  I sure hope that is not happening.  I heard someone say one time..."It's not like there is a limit of good luck going around.  There really is a lot out there and it's up for grabs for anyone".  Hey, I want to believe that.  I want this year to be the best yet.  I want all kinds of good surprises.  You know the kind where your mouth is wide open and you just can't believe that it's happening to you.  You keep shaking your head in case your daydreaming.  Well, I'm ready for this great year.  I'm ready for the good news.  I'm ready for that special surprise that will change my world for the better.  How about all of you.  If we all believe, it will happen.

On a different note. Am I the only person who does not like football.  I swear, sometimes I feel like I am.  My whole family just loves it.  I'm not kidding.  They even talk about the players like there best friends.  Come on, let's be real.  It's a game people.  Yes, someone is making a boatload of money off of it and it sure is not my family but your would think they do.  Every weekend it is just plain sad.  They have their family around them and all they can talk about is this game.  IT'S A GAME !  Some one needs to explain this.  That is the problem, if you say you don't like it they look at you with pity.  Can you believe that, Pity.  Like I'm unAmerican.  Well the way I look at it their unfamily as far as I'm concerned.  I have to say it's been the thorn in my side since I was first married.  My inlaws, well I won't even go into that.  Let's just say the Holidays were celebrated around, "The Game," period.  Now in my family it was never on, the TV that is, during any Holiday.  Unless of course, there was a parade or holiday related movie.  Never would it have been allowed.  I put up with it for many years, thinking I had to be fair.  After all that is how Jim was raised.  Never once did he want to be fair.  Then all of a sudden he did stop making it a big deal.  Oh, believe me he had his ways of finding out the score or hearing about a good play, which was fine with me.  The rest of the family felt real sorry for him.  Such a shame, look what he is missing out on.  Now that we are retired and home a lot more several times I have stated to him, "Hey, if you really want to watch, "The Game," go ahead.  All I ever heard was, No, I don't really care about, "The Game," it's fine.  But I would even go so far as to invite the family over make a special meal and watch, "The Game."  I told him how lucky he was he could do this with his sons.  Still he would way,  No, I really don't care about, "The Game," they are probably fixed anyway.  So this last weekend it's awful weather outside, we have really nothing to do and as I am flipping through the channels I see a game on.  He states, yes, it's a playoff game.  Well, to myself I say,  Crap.  So I say to him if you really want to watch, "The Game," go ahead.   I will be darn if I didn't get the usual response.....No, I really don't care about, "The Game," it's fine.  You know there comes a time when it's the last straw and believe me the camel's back is broke.  I continued to change channels and I think I ended up reading but the next day as I am flipping around he says.....I thought you would put, "The Game" on.   Let's just say I made it plain as far as I was concerned it would never happen, never would I put on, "The Game."  I'm sure you get the message there is a lot more here but I am not going to bore you with it.  I was being very generous because if you knew how much I detest, "The Game," it's a surprise for me to say that. I knew he really enjoyed watching and I felt bad about it.  But in that moment, when the straw broke the camels back, he was still playing a role, like I was forcing him to watch.  He did not want to acknowledge I was being nice.  Like he would have to be grateful. So, as far as I am concerned he took my generosity, wadded it up and threw it in my face.  So that is my spin on, "The Game".  Tootles and Doodles

Books, Books and more Books

     I'm cleaning out and giving away.  I have a lot of books, now don't get me wrong, I don't think you can ever have too many.  It's just at least half of mine, I simply do not pick up, glance at or think about.  That is just not right.  All of them need to be hugged, caressed, and lovingly laid down.  So I have been going through them and dealing with a lot of dust.  Who knew !  The shelves look fine but the top edge had at least a mountain on it. Yuk!  I thought it might be hard to do this but I have to confess it was fairly easy.  I'm donating the books that I did enjoy reading but did not bring up any sweet stories like how I got it, or someone special bought it for me, etc.  You know what I am talking about and now it's time for them to go to a knew home where someone will open them up with anticipation, excitement and maybe a cup of earl gray on the side.  Believe me I still have plenty left. 

 There are more behind the couch.  Most of  these, I would say 95% of them are going out to new homes.

And I would say probably 95% of these are going to new homes. 

I do still have many more shelves of books but don't want to overdue it (get it overdue).  A little play on words.  Ok, so it was very little play on words, I thought it was funny.


Hey, have a super day and enjoy reading.  Tootles and Doodles

Thought you might enjoy these

 Elviria enjoying the sun.

 Eleanor looking over her kingdom.

 Beautiful rainbow.  Peach orchard.

 Two of our 7 chickens.  Must get a picture of our Rooster.

Bella, although we mostly call her Puppers.

 Rosalie, our goat

 Alice, our other goat.

Spring is on it's way !

 Olivia and Bella in chair.

 Tasha the Queen !

 Do you see the double rainbow ?

Wow, what color !

Have you joined the Gym yet ?

     We are back in our routine again.  I, for one, am so glad.  I do enjoy the holidays but they seem to go on forever (Ha!).  Have I told you how great our gym is ?  I'm not kidding, it is the best all around.  As I have told you earlier, on many occasions, it's the best decision you will ever make.  Believe me I have a number of reasons.  First of all, and probably one of the most important reasons is, your Health.  It gets you to move.  It's so easy as we get older to sit.  You are no longer running after kids, or running here and there.  Your time seems to be pretty much free and open.  You could just bake, on the off chance someone will drop by for a visit.  Ha!  Visit ?  What in the world is that ?  With all the cell phones and high tech emails, etc., the word visit doesn't even exist anymore.  I know I sound like I'm eating sour grapes and maybe I am, just a little.  I have tried to be in the tech age, I mean here I am on the web with my own blog, and I must admit I do love it.  Especially hearing from all of you out there and it has helped to realize a lot of you feel the same way I do.  But getting back to the gym, do look into it.  Jim and I joined last April at "In Motion Fitness," in Chico, CA.  We love it.  We joined the Senior Wellness Program and have never regretted it.  The staff is caring, profession, and believe me knows what they are doing.  The other members are super.  I mean they are Seniors like ourselves and wanting to be active.  It doesn't mean we are training for a run, or to go hiking, although some of them are doing just that.  It means we want to stay in shape and be healthy for the rest of our lives.  Now, I ask you, doesn't that sound like something you would be interested in.  Believe it or not, we are in a aqua class.  Yes, you guessed right.  We are swimming and it's an outdoor pool.  First of all it is heated and oh, feels so good, plus we are undercover.  That is we have a roof over us.  The rest is outside.  It's funny, just the other morning we were joking you couldn't see the bathroom doors because of the fog.  I did say fog, and I'm not kidding.  We really do work out in the water, hey, you better keep moving as it will feel cold if you don't.  What is nice is you have other members there  with you and get ready here is that unknown word......we visit along with exercising.  It's great !  So don't delay, get out there and check out the gyms in your area.  Find out what they have to offer for you.  Ask about a Senior Wellness program.  If they don't have one, ask why not.  Don't just sit around, get moving.  Tootles

Happy New Year !

 This is our Eleanor reigning over her kingdom.  Ha!  Not a good sign when the little birdie looks out her window and sees a giant cat sitting on her patio.  What an Eleanor!  She is the one seeking adventure.  Although never going too far or out of site of the house.  These trees you see in the back ground are also peaches and have been in for several years.
     The picture is not real clear as I took it through the screen on the window

 As you can see Elviria is looking  out the same window and watching her sister Eleanor.  She is more the home body type.  Once in a while she will go out in the orchard but is not gone long and hurries back to the safety of our yard.  We do worry about them as there are coyote's around.  We have spotted a couple in the last few days.  They are alone and just scurrying through the orchard.  Looking for food I suppose. 

Now this is what they were looking at.  Once in a while we get Egret's flying in our yard.  They are so beautiful and graceful.  Sometimes we have several, maybe up to 10 to 15 but usually just one or two.  This day there was only one.  When it rains a lot they come in as the rain floods the gophers out and believe it or not the Egret's snatch them up whole.  WHAT!  Yes, that is right.  It's a sad site but I guess we will say, "It's the nature of the beast".  Any who thought you might like to see them.  Tootles and Doodles