What She Said

Happy Valentine's Day...

2012-02-14T07:32:00.001-07:00

So we were walking down to the bridge and I was pushing Flint in his stroller. The road had been recently graveled and I tripped a little...looked down, and there was a heart rock embedded in the soil.

Happy Valentine's Day...

Christian uses Richard as a pillow.

I was laying in my chaise longue chair, had the computer in my lap on the pillow. Set computer aside to go get a drink, and didn't realize Christian was there. He never protested or got up. Came back with my drink, settled in, took the computer and pillow off him and he acted like that was normal.

Dinah takes a nap on an unfinished quilt.

Emmy the feral cat, visiting inside. She was climbing in my lap for cuddling.

Enough cuddling. Time to survey the kingdom.

Flint settling for a nap. If napping was an Olympic sport, Flint would have a gold medal.

Echo keeps track of who's putting on shoes. Shoes on humans means going outside. She doesn't want to miss her chance to go outside.

Richard came out to the living room and found a shredded glove...so I reprimanded Buddy (because he's the only chewer) and he climbed on his couch in shame. He will now look shamed and sulk for a while, until one of us consoles him and tells him he's a good dog. He has been known to turn his back on us while sulking, until we reassure him all is well.

Buddy, Christian, Dinah...

2012-02-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

I took the beds apart and stored them away, in preparation for selling them. Well, I sold them, but the folks who bought the set wanted to see one bed set up, so rather than dragging the bed back into the house, we just set it up on the back porch. Looked out the window later, and Buddy was lounging on the bed...when they were in my sewing room, he laid on them all the time. Guess he decided to reclaim his territory.

Buddy on his bed.

The dogs and cats have a jealousy thing going on. Every time one gets in Richard's lap, the others vie for a place when that one is done. Christian and Flint had been snuggling Richard, so Buddy decided it was his turn to be the baby.

And then there's Christian...he has to be touching me if I am nearby. Guess its the warmth, or something.

Then he got hot...

He is under the covers.

Then he stretched out.

Stealing the dog bed in the corner of my sewing room.

Don't ask. I have no idea how that could be comfortable, but he stayed that way for a good hour.

Note where Dinah's tail is positioned. When she wants attention from me, but doesn't want to beg for it, she will sit on the corner of my desk and flick her tail over the computer mouse, where my hand happens to be. I will lift up her tail and move it, she will flick it back. This goes on two or three times, before she concedes, and then climbs into my lap, crawls up my chest, and nestles in my neck. She sits balanced on my left hand, so that I can continue to use the mouse with my right hand.

Autumn Days and Christian...

2012-02-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

We're finally getting autumn-like weather here. I'm not complaining, I've loved the temperate climate, so far. No snow, no ice and only a few frozen dew mornings. We've even had doors and windows open for a couple weeks. Then, the clouds started rolling in. A stark, yet serene vista now punctuates our morning walks.

A few days ago, these barely pink clouds played between the trees.

The trees above the creek mirrored in the water, accented by a fluffy cloud.

Not taken on the same day as above, these clouds seemed to delineate a highway to heaven.

And then there's Christian, sleeping on our bed, where I had set up camp with the computer. I got up to get a drink, and tossed computer and pillow aside...not realizing Christian was so close. He didn't move a muscle, and continued sleeping under the pillow.

He comes in, climbs up on my arm, leans back against my chest, and then folds himself in half to sleep. It has to be uncomfortable, yet he is content. He purrs quite loud, too. (Richard says his muffler is broken).

"God's In His Heaven...

2012-01-19T00:28:00.000-07:00

...All's right with the world!" - from Pippa Passes, by Robert Browning.

The colors streaming together were just beautiful.

This was taken the same day, to the right of the photo above, only about 10 minutes later. The wall cloud with the horizon below just looked spooky and melodramatic. Love it. Our God is an awesome God...

Emmy, Dinah, Buddy, Flint & Echo...

2012-01-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Random photos of the animals...

Emmy, nested in the stroller on a cold day.

Dinah, enjoying the warmth of the stove.

Dinah, contemplating the snow.

Buddy considers his chances of getting a treat...

Naptime!

Stealing Flint's favorite spot.

Flint in his favorite spot!

Echo and Buddy share their futon - notice the open windows...the wood stove heats so well we have to keep windows open or we'll all cook.

All three dogs lined up by and in my sewing room door.

Christian Entertainment...and Buddy...

2012-01-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Christian is as entertaining as always when he sleeps...

On the bed next to my sewing table. Note the white sheet on the bed - its to keep the comforter under it clean. When company comes, I whip the sheet off and everything looks pretty again. No dog or cat hair showing!

On the chaise lounge chair, which if you notice the ball - is where the dogs like to be. Christian and Dinah both like to take over.

He gets on our bed before I can make it, knowing we will leave him be in a bundle of blankets. Usually, the heated mattress pad is on, too.

I took this shot because it is one of the few relatively normal sleeping positions.

But then, he did this...

Note the tongue sticking out - you'd think he was dead...

You can barely see him, but he's stretched out at the top, lightly touching Buddy with his paw.

Christian has loved Buddy from the beginning, and Buddy likes him, too.

The animals...

2011-12-16T23:12:00.001-07:00

Richard and I love our animals...they're spoiled rotten, too.

I needed some sleep and went to nap. Richard decided to nap, too. He came in and found this...Buddy, Christian and Dinah had joined me. Richard napped on the couch. Guess he should feel lucky it wasn't the doghouse.

Buddy sleeping on the Christmas pillows with his Wubbie. Life is good.

Buddy supervising me while I am quilting.

Echo, Flint, and Buddy supervising Richard and I as we put up the Christmas tree and decorations.

Emmy, the feral cat has been coming in at night. A rare photo of her, sleeping at the foot of our bed.

Dinah contemplates the meaning of life, the universe and everything. But probably, she just sees a bird.

Christian Sleeps...

2011-12-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I'd have a funny blog if it weren't for Christian - here are his various sleeping photos...

Camouflage Cat...

2011-12-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

I looked out my office window and Christian was on the ground. Some birds were swooping around. I don't think they were teasing him. However, Christian apparently decided he could have a bird lunch.

We have always wondered how Christian managed to survive outside, because he has no protective coloring at all. His white-bibbed front is visible, night and day. His orange tabby back doesn't blend with anything natural.

Well, we were wrong. Christian blends with fall colors. Can you see him in the tree below? I made a black arrow. If you click on the photo, it will enlarge and you will see his two white paws.

See his paws?

Here he is, trying to get down. Richard and I, cruel cat parents that we are, stood and laughed, watching him circle that branch about 10 times, almost falling off another branch as he tried to figure out how to get back down on the ground (No birds were harmed in this picture, they chattered at the top of the tree and flew off). I started yelling, "Backwards, Christian, climb down backwards!" He obviously had no idea what I meant.

Finally, he figured it out. Note his awkward position, he slid that far, then realized he could hook his claws in and "step" down. About 5 feet from the ground, he took a flying leap and did a four-point landing in the grass. Of course, Dinah was on the porch watching, so perhaps he wanted to impress her. *She* knows how to climb trees, and can get down easily.

My Favorite Holiday - Christmas!

2011-12-06T07:04:00.001-07:00

This is the season the ancients chose to celebrate the birth of Christ. Glory to God in the Highest, peace and good tidings on earth.

I went to visit my sister for a few days and in addition to my sewing, her baking, feeding animals, garage-saling, and shopping, we managed to go look at the lights in the Ft. Smith, Arkansas parks...and best of all, a living Nativity at one of the churches. Actors and actresses dress up in costumes to play the parts. Sheep, cows, donkeys, goats and camels also make their debut in the live scenes. I forget the name of the church that put it on, but it was so beautiful and moving. We all loved it.

The final scene in the living Nativity - the wisemen bringing gifts to the Saviour.

The park's lighted Nativity display.

Ahhh...the belle of the Mississippi and other rivers - a lighted paddlewheel riverboat. That's my sister and I standing in front of it.

We had a great time together and plan to do it again.

A visitor and some sky...and Christian...

2011-11-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

We had a visitor here last week. And the fall/winter weather is finally starting - rain, clouds and the lovely gloomy days that make one want to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book. Fortunately, I can do both.

Our visitor - I've not been able to identify the genus, but notice he/she has had a full meal.

Love this photo - I took it at a garage sale we went to. The photo is the only good thing I got there - LOL.

Christian is a never-ending source of amusement around here. I've never had a cat that consistently cusses (yes, he does, if you heard it, you'd know). And he sleeps in odd places, in odd positions all the time. As you can see.

Brisk, cold mornings...

2011-10-31T19:14:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, I see a vision that reminds me of photos I've seen of England or Ireland, maybe even Scotland. This is one...

Fog in the valley. Within 15 minutes of taking the photo, it had burned off in the morning sun, despite the cold.

I've watched all the leaves fall off this tree, day by day.

A jet leaves a contrail.

Flint, walking along, as happy as can be. Each day he wants to walk more. I let him, as much as possible, keeping an eye out for when he gets tired.

Lots of photos - been busy...

2011-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

This morning's walk was a crisp 31 degrees. We didn't go to the bridge, only walked about halfway due to time constraints. Because its getting light later, our walks have moved to about 7 am. Usually, we have places to be by 9 am. An hour walk gives us only 30 minutes to get ready when we get back. Here is a conglomeration of photos from different days.

A honey-colored sky.

You can barely see the moon in the lower center right of the photo.

This photo was taken the same day as the moon shot above, about 30 minutes later at the bridge. The cloud spot in the center was a natural phenomenon - not a flaw in the camera. It was quite unusual to see.

We couldn't tell from far away, but this is probably a falcon, not a red-tailed hawk. The photo doesn't show it well, but the beak was more curved.

This moth was on a bathroom washcloth one morning.

Richard is outside, and Echo and Buddy are keeping an eye on him. When he chops trees, the dogs aren't allowed outside. Both were a bit miffed they weren't being let out.

The glow on Buddy's face is Richard's computer screen. Note Buddy's paw laying over Christian.

I was sweeping the room and threw the dog beds together, one on top of the other. About 30 minutes later, as I went to put them back in place, Christian crawled out of the lower bed. I'd not even seen him there, and I guess he figured being snug was OK.

A rare picture of Emmy, with Dinah. Emmy has become so feral she won't hardly let anyone touch her. However, she has finally decided she likes Dinah and Christian, and will often eat with Dinah (but not Christian, because he steals her food).

An assortment of photos...

2011-10-08T12:48:00.001-07:00

We are still going on morning walks, but the rest of the days are taken up with various things. After weeks of traveling off and on, there are a lot of chores - mowing, grocery shopping, church, helping neighbors, and taking care of our own household/cars/property. And walking the dogs. :)

Right in the road, between our house, and Mom and Pa's.

At the bridge, Echo contemplates the sunrise.

Flint is joyful he can now walk part of the way, and he happily explores the sides of the road, the bridge, and anything that moves.

On a walk with the neighbor we found this. An armadillo, snuffling in the gravel before making his way to the side of the road and into the brush.

Home again, Christian chose to sleep in a somewhat normal pose...except for his tongue protruding through his teeth.

Christian is perfectly content being unable to breathe, apparently. It took him about 5 minutes to figure out he was being squashed by an 85 pound dog, and protest mildly. We had to tell Buddy to move, Christian didn't seem too concerned. We don't call him Dumber-than-a-box-of-rocks for nothing. Sigh.

Dinah decides laying on Christian is a good thing.

Echo tolerates the cats, who adore cuddling up to her, because she is very warm with all that fur.

Busy few weeks...in pictures...

2011-09-24T14:59:00.001-07:00

We decided to take a little holiday and go visit Mammoth Cave. We've been by it quite a few times and never stopped. Well, this time, we stopped and took a peek. We took the historical tour, which was 2 hours and 2 miles long. Pretty cool.

This is the entrance to the cave.

Some deer, hanging out by the side of the road. They weren't the least bit disturbed by the car.

Down there, somewhere in the cave. It was very cool, about 45 degrees, so I stole Richard's jacket.

This is what I did today - canned 18 pints of applesauce made from Jonathan apples from the local orchard.

A few days worth of photos...

2011-09-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

We've been taking our morning walks every day, but the rest of the day has been hectic and I've not posted the photos. Our walks have been a little earlier, too. The sun is up, but hasn't made it past our horizon, so when we go down the road, it is barely peeping over the treetops. Makes for great pictures!

Barely there...

First blush of pink and soft blues...

The mornings are getting cooler - fog in the valley.

This is a mother skunk, and there were little ones with her - I suspect the white spot is a sport - a genetic albino - people around us have reported several albino skunks in the area.

This little snake was sluggish and probably dying in the too cool morning air. He flicked his little forked tongue at us, but didn't move. A day or so later, we found his dead little body, petrified by the heat.

Dinah guards the porch...or else she's contemplating life through a rail post.

Gracie came to visit today, with her sister, brother and Mom. She is about 3 weeks old now, and weighs around 7 pounds. Look at that hair!

Saturday...

2011-08-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Today's walk was in crisp, cool morning air, with low humidity. Autumn is upon us. It was a perfect morning.

The photo doesn't do the sunrise justice - the red tinged to pink and was beautiful.

This young bald eagle was on this snag yesterday, I forgot to download the photo. There are two nesting pairs of parent eagles, they've produced 2-3 chicks every year for the past 10 years. This part of Missouri is known for its bald eagles' nests.

Buddy likes to check the water, in case he sees an opportunity to run away and get into it. He loves the creek. We don't let him go down due to the copperheads we know reside there (see past photos of said copperhead). Buddy's been bitten by a copperhead once, in our woods.

Flint takes a break at the bridge.

This was a photo from yesterday, too. We went to KC and Echo was sad she couldn't go.

I opened the doors and windows today because it is lovely out. Christian loves sitting in the window, watching birds and snoozing.

The Afternoon Walk...

2011-08-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

So, we decided to take an afternoon walk (and it was way too hot). We walked out to discover THIS! Actually, someone ran over an armadillo this morning right in front of our mailbox and the turkey buzzards were after that...EWWWW.

Guarding his supper...

We continued on and went to visit a neighbor. Our neighbor has a new little puppy...not by choice. Someone DUMPED this little Shi Tzu puppy on the side of a main road and our friend rescued it...it is pointless to ask why - people still believe that domesticated dogs...oh yes, even puppies, can survive in the wild on their own. FYI, they cannot. Our road is a dumping ground and sometimes we don't find them in time. We've buried a few, too.

Hello, my name is Peaches, and I am loved.

The Morning Walk...

2011-08-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

We took our morning walk and came upon this...red sky at morning, sailors take warning...It was awesome.

It reminded me of descriptions of "The Bloody Sun" by Marian Zimmer Bradley...It was gorgeous.

By the time we got home, it was fully light and Dinah was perched on the railing, looking down at Christian, under the porch steps. She looked so settled I snapped a picture of her.

Hectic and our Monday walk...

2011-08-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

I've been traveling - went off to a conference and only just returned last week, but playing catchup with home, family, animals, and chores.

However, our morning walks resumed and I have lots of pictures from the last few days.

This was Monday's walk. Richard, Buddy and Echo were ahead of me.

As we went further up the road, the clouds shifted and this was the view.

I took a shot straight up the road. You can see some of the 'God rays' to the right.

Came home to the butterfly - a White Admiral - on the hoya carnosa. The plant is native to the tropics and was given to me by Richard's grandmother. This plant is over 40 years old. I've had it 20 years and when Grandma gave me the slip, she said she'd had it at least 20 years. After she passed, I took the whole plant because no one else wanted it. So now I have two.

WHAT?????

2011-07-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Oh, MY!!! Yes, we drove out of the Walmart parking lot and THIS was the temperature on the car's gauge! Actually, it was 111 Farenheit, but as I snapped the pic, it changed.

Sky, Earth, water...

2011-07-27T07:33:00.001-07:00

As usual, the sunrise was glorious. I had to lighten this photo a little to get the hayfields to show up.

Sunrise over the horizon.

This photo was actually from yesterday, coming home. This little bunny let us get within 10 feet before bounding away. The hayfields are mowed so the rabbits are coming out everywhere.

I looked over the bridge rail and saw this...note the open mouth - this is the way water moccasins like to sit, waiting for prey. This guy was HUGE.

Probably around 5 feet or so.

He moved on, and tucked under this set of rocks. Did I mention I hate snakes?

And while watching the snake by the bridge, we looked out across the creek and there were the baby raccoons again.

This photo was from yesterday. A car went by, and we looked back, and the dust was playing in the sun's rays. As a child, I had a little white Bible with several small paintings in it, depicting God talking to Adam and Eve, Moses and Jesus. All the pictures showed the rays of sunlight like this, as 'God talking.' So, when I was little, whenever I saw these rays, I thought God was talking to someone. My family thought that was cute, so now when we see these rays, we all say,

"Oh, look! God's talking to someone!"

When I went to look up the phenomenon this is what I found..

"These rays are known as crepuscular rays - or God rays..."

Open Sky, Raccoons, Dragonfly & Christian...& Oranges...

2011-07-25T06:43:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, the mowers came and hay-baled the open fields. The fields on the left are Corps land, the right belongs to a farmer down the way.

Echo looks down the long road, contemplating life.

There are 5 coons in this photo - but you cannot see 3 of them. Momma is in the water in the upper left. The babies are lined at the edge of the water, mid-photo. Two babies are visible, the little hump almost middle of the pic, and the other sibling, just to the right.

This dragonfly's name is Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa). It is the male of the species.

And now, for Christian the Cat pictures....I was doing computer work, and saw a flash out of the corner of my eye. It was Christian, climbing the tree outside my office window. I thought he was just playing around, he and Dinah often run outside, go up a tree and hop back down, just for fun. And then I looked up, to see what he was looking at. A pair of pileated woodpeckers were hopping between the trees...40 feet up! Christian jumped off the tree, and then climbed the skinny stump next to it. I went outside to get a better photo of the birds, and they flew off, upsetting the 2 pairs of blue jays that live in the trees along our back fence. Everyone was flying around, and Christian still sat on the stump next to the tree he climbed, waiting for a bird...or two.

Christian in the tree. Windowscreen is making the picture cloudy.

Now, he's on the stump, thinking he can leap 40 feet and get that bird.

Once the woodpeckers flew away, he turned and zeroed in on something else. I went outside to see what it was - the two sets of bluy jays were squawking and took off. Christian gave up, came up on the deck to twirl around my ankles, and then stretched out for a nap.

And while I was out there, I took a photo of my orange tree - 2 years old and finally producing oranges. It had about 10 oranges on it, but wind and rain knocked some off. I now have 3 healthy oranges about the size of marbles. We'll see if they make it to maturity. I need a greenhouse.

Today's walk...

2011-07-24T20:07:00.002-07:00

I know I take a lot of photos of the sun rising, but each day is so different and beautiful.

Sun through the clouds. We were hoping those clouds would make rain here, but they moved on to the north of us.

Look closely at the center of this bouquet of black-eyed susans. There's either a white daisy or an albino black-eyed susan in the midst of them.

Going home, more clouds, alas! no rain for us today.

Walk, Cat, and Cake...

2011-07-23T18:45:00.001-07:00

Occasionally, someone else pushes Flint in his stroller on our walk. Today, it was Mom. Her backpack contains bottled water, a snack, the camera and the brown bag is the binoculars (because you never know what we'll see on our walks).

The basket under the stroller contains a water container with a lid for the dogs. They know its there and when we get to the bridge, they wait for me to open it so they can drink. Echo and Flint try to drink before Buddy, because Buddy slops water everywhere.

Dinah and Christian came inside today for a while. The heat is really getting to them. Christian only stayed for an hour. Dinah remained inside longer and took up residence in her favorite spot, the back of my office chair. She twirls around a few times, and then settles, laying down to keep an eye on everything from her perch.

I am attending a baby shower tomorrow for a neighbor and fellow church-member. So I made a diaper cake for the baby. The 'layers' are rolled up diapers (secured with rubberbands), then I decorated with baby things, in this case, I stuffed in lotion, baby wash, petroleum jelly, medicine spoons, baby pain reliever syrup, and pacifiers. The "frosting is two folded onsies, and pink & white ribbon folded into a flat bow. I topped it with little pink baby shoes. The baby's name is Grace Kimberly. The whole thing fits on a 12 inch pizza pan. :)

Dogs, dogs, and dogs...

2011-07-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Since no wild animals graced us with their presence, and the flowers are all dead in the heat, I thought I'd take photos of the reason we walk to the bridge every day - the three dogs who not only need exercise daily, but sulk when they don't get their walk!

Why everyone believes Echo is part wolf - despite her stunning wild look, she's actually one of the gentlest dogs we've had.

The 'old man' - Flint. Note how his front elbows splay out. He's arthritic, has hip dysplasia and had both cruciate ligaments in his hind legs replaced. Despite the pain, he howls when left behind, which is why I bought the jogging stroller. He walks when he wants, and signals when he decides to ride. I've been giving him CM8, an amino-acid arthritis natural remedy, and it has greatly improved his quality of life. Since he's been taking it, he's walking a lot more and even runs when the spirit moves him, something he was incapable of for the last 6 months or so.

Buddy - the puppy. Yes, puppy. He is closing in on being 2 years old. Before, he ran free and was a lean, long distance runner. However, he was constantly hungry and was underweight. We took him in and now he's around 100 pounds, gets regular meals, and enjoys the air conditioned life inside. He loves men, trucks, and rides. Everyone who sees him says he is a gorgeous dog, and he truly is, very well porportioned and great personality.

Buddy and Echo together. Buddy has to be on a leash, because he loves running and will take off without thought. At one point, he ran off and was found 3 miles away. People shoot strange dogs out here, so we keep him leashed. He has a red collar and leash, but in the photo he is wearing Echo's pink, sparkly princess leash - it just happened to be convenient for us humans.

All three dogs, heading home. Flint decided to walk a ways, rather than ride in the stroller.

Sun, Moon, and animals...

2011-07-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

As we top the rise to start down the road to the bridge, the sun is usually right here, appearing as if it is rising through the trees. Actually, its just the angle of the hills. However, it makes an awesome photo. That ray of light looked pretty cool, too.

The sun through the trees.

On one side of the sky, to the east, was the sun...and to the west, was the 3/4 moon.

This was the best photo I could get of the snapping turtle who hides/lives under the big rock in the right corner of the photo.

The little coon was out and about again, turning over rocks to find crawdads.

Walking, Napping, Animals...

2011-07-17T16:09:00.001-07:00

This morning's walk was pretty, the sun rose through the trees in a flaming ball of fire.

Sun in the trees.

A fog was in the little valley as we walked to the bridge.

The little raccoon was busy digging for crawdads and probably catching the little minnows, too.

Later, we went to church, had a bite to eat, and came home in the late afternoon to take our usual Sunday nap. I crawled into bed, and next thing I know, Buddy was up at the foot on Richard's side. When Richard came in, Echo was looking longingly at the bed, so he helped her up. We ended up squashed on my side to nap...until the phone rang. We both got up, and when we thought to come back to finish our nap...

this is what we found...

Echo and Christian curled up in the middle of our bed.

I've heard people say our animals are spoiled...ya think?

Going Home...

2011-07-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

I take a lot of pictures going on our walk to the bridge...but 2 days ago, I decided to take one coming home...the sky was such a pretty, bright blue and the clouds were shadowing each other.

Going home.

When I came home, I settled in to do some writing and heard a noise from outdoors. Yes, that's Dinah, hanging on the screen, wanting in. She came in for her daily cuddle, then hopped down and wanted back out. Silly cat.

Today's walk...

2011-07-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

The clouds were stunning today.

Walked right out of our driveway, and there was God.

This baby raccoon was leisurely wandering over the rocks at the bridge.

Queen Anne's lace near a rock formation.

The infamous bunny...

Yesterday's walk...

2011-07-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

I really love seeing glorious sunrises.

This is over the trees right in the middle of our road.

Chicory flowers.

The roots of this flower are used as coffee subsitute, and down south, are added to coffee to give it a different flavor.

This rabbit is in the same area almost every morning. We believe its nest is across the road, and it waits until the dogs spot it before leisurely running off into the brush, away from the nest. The dogs now know to look for the bunny and Flint even tries to get out of the stroller when he sees it.

Sitting on the deck...

2011-07-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

It was a nice afternoon so I took a magazine and went out on the deck. Buddy was the only one who would come with me. Richard took this photo of us through the window, the screen is making the picture cloudy.

Buddy with me.

Later, I was working on the computer and saw a flicker out of the corner of my eye. It was the fawn, scampering about in the open while Mama Doe grazed. Finally, the fawn settled to snack a bit. Again, photos are taken through the window, and the screen causes the cloudy effect. Mama is to the left. The other doe is probably last year's fawn.

Baby stops playing long enough to let me get a face shot.

Christian had his leg in the air, washing his toes, when he switched gears to wash Dinah, who was sleeping, instead. He didn't put his leg down, just continued with the washing on Dinah's head. This cat causes much amusement around here.

Night Sky, Budding Fruit, Morning Walk, Animal Friends...

2011-07-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Richard and I try to spend a while each evening on the back deck, where we have a great view of the Southern and Eastern sky.

A fingernail moon glows through the trees.

After two years of careful handling, the Valencia orange tree has fruited (see the pencil eraser-sized fruit right in the middle?). Whether the 6 fruits (so far) will mature is another question - they usually get blown off by wind, or eaten by something.

Someone tossed catfish guts on the embankment at the creek down by the bridge. This raccoon has been there since yesterday scavenging. Today we got a photo of him.

Buddy and Christian enjoy a quiet moment together. Actually, it wasn't that quiet, Buddy tried to pick Christian up by the neck and the cat protested. When I reprimanded him, they settled down again.

Home On The Range and Bridge Walk...And Dogs...

2011-07-05T16:50:00.001-07:00

I looked out the window a few days ago and discovered a visitor in our back yard. I see her and another doe with a fawn frequently, but normally, they're further into our woods, about 40 feet back, where I am unable to get a clear photo. I took this through the window - the screen is causing that cloudy effect.

Doe, a deer...a female deer...

Whenever I put shoes on to go outside, the dogs suddenly alert. Yes, Buddy is alert, he got up to lay down close to the door so we wouldn't forget him. Flint is still favoring the operated on leg, he sits like that to protect it. Echo was hearing Emmy or Christian at the front door, and was paying attention to the sounds outside.

When we walked down to the bridge today, this bald eagle was sitting on the dead snag on one side of the creek.

Heaven and Obligatory Dog/Cat photos...

2011-07-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

We've been walking the dogs every morning, first thing - which means now they expect it and are waking us up at the crack of dawn to go. Richard gets up early, but they know they don't go until I am up. I pretend to be asleep, but Buddy is determined. He jumps on the bed and lays quietly, but gently huffs in my face hoping that will wake me. When that doesn't work, he takes my hand and holds it between his -paws, and gently licks it until I get outta bed!

This was a couple days ago - soft rays coming through the clouds.

We walked out and the sun was coming through the trees, capped by the cloud display above.

Obligatory Christian sleeping pose. Note there is no cat head. Its under the lace. Note also that his hind feet, as usual, are in the air.

Buddy goes to bed with Richard and stays in the bedroom until Richard goes to sleep. Then he quietly comes into my office, and curls up to be with me until bedtime. When I head to bed, he follows me back to our room, curling up on the floor on Richard's side to sleep.

Christian Many Sleeps (that's his Indian name)...

2011-06-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Unlike regular cats, who curl up in a ball to sleep, Christian assumes many poses and positions depending on where he is.

The Wall (homage to Pink Floyd)

Roadkill (homage to Roadkill Cafe Cookbook)

If I am shot, and heaven I face

Lay me in a bed of antique lace...

The last photo probably requires an explanation - I am currently very carefully cleaning a tote full of antique lace given to me by Richard's grandmother. As you can see, there are yards and yards of it as I set it aside after cleaning to wind onto cardboard holders. Christian believes the lace piles are there for his sleeping pleasure.

Morning Walks...

2011-06-23T07:05:00.001-07:00

Richard and I have been taking morning walks with the dogs for the last month. The walk exercises all of us, plus helps burn off excess energy for the dogs. We walk a mile down a gravel road to a bridge that crosses a creek. We check out the creek every day, looking for fish, turtles and even the occasional snake (shudder). Barn swallows, heron and bald eagles fly overhead. The barn swallows live under the bridge. The herons nest down the road, in a shady grove near a low-water bridge. The eagle's nest is about half a mile away.

Richard with Echo and Buddy, and a spectacular sunrise splashed across the sky. This was taken a few days ago.

Today, walking out of our driveway, this was hanging in the air, attached to the ground and the hanging limbs of our driveway pine. It floated there, with the sun's rays streaking through it, the only reason we saw it. When we looked at it from the road, it was invisible.

I love walking each morning, its a meditation with God, an affirmation of faith.

Summer Rains, Butterflies & Flowers...

2011-06-12T16:43:00.001-07:00

We've been walking the dogs every morning, which they love. Being out that early (usually between 6 am and 8 am), the world is quiet, and the sun has been up for a while, but is just peeking over our horizon. We amble along, and I always bring the camera, just in case moments like these happen. Enjoy our mornings and afternoons...

On yesterday's walk. I love this kind of photo - its as if God gives us a gift to commune with Him and feel the wonder.

A Missouri primrose, growing on the side of the road.

The butterflies are out in force - this purple admiral sat still only for a few seconds before flitting off into the sky.

Flint's new wheels...

2011-05-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago, Flint slipped on the ice and tore the cruciate ligament in his left hind leg. An operation fixed it, but he would forever walk with a limp. A couple months ago, he tore the cruciate ligament in his right hind leg. An operation fixed it, but now, both back legs are weak. In addition, he has hip dysplasia and arthritis in both front elbows.

Despite all that, he is a little trooper, loyally and faithfully walking with us, falling woefully behind when we walked to the bridge. It was heart-breaking to watch him struggle to keep up. The other alternative was to leave him at the house, but he hated being left behind.

I decided it was time to find him a ride. The first thing we tried was a child's wagon. But the wheels are small and we discovered they didn't do well on our gravel road. A dog stroller was a thought, but has the same issue, plus, I couldn't find one made for a medium sized dog - they're all made for small dogs.

Then, it occured to me - jogging strollers for babies had large wheels, and they are larger, with a reclining seat. I thought I'd never find a used one, though, and so was saving money for a new one. This past week, I happened upon a yard sale, and there it was...for $25.

Flint's New Ride.

I had to put the dog leash as a strap across the front because the seat doesn't fully recline, and tilts him slightly forward. With the strap, he is able to stay in the stroller. See how he sits? He is still protecting the recently operated on leg.

I let him walk as far as he is able, and then when he starts falling behind, I put him in the stroller. At first, he was wary, but now that he realizes he can still see everything and be with us, he settles down and enjoys the ride.

The cool thing is, there is a basket under the seat, not visible in the picture, and I can toss the camera, a jacket, and/or a bottle of water in there. The stroller moved easily on the gravel road and wasn't hard to push.

Looks like we'll all be walking to the bridge again.

Oh, and see how neat and trim Echo looks? I clipped the lion's mane around her neck, and some fur off her back and belly. She is a lot more comfortable as the weather turns warmer.

What do the animals do all day?

2011-03-28T20:53:00.001-07:00

Dinah and Christian take a nap.

Slim chills on the couch.

Naptime for everyone!

Why me? Why does this cat want to be with me?

Sometimes, one just needs a wubby.

Cheap Acne Treatment

2011-03-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

I have oily skin and used to break out continually, even into these late years (I'm over 50). After years of one expensive remedy after another, I finally went on the web and started reading up on facial treatments, skin cleansers and so on. On many of the home remedy sites there were all sorts of treatments for skin, but none seemed to work. I was also reading about using natural cleansers for cleaning house on the same sites...and something clicked. So I decided to try a natural cleanser and antibacterial on...my face. And just in case, I decided to try a natural oil with lots of healthy ingredients, as my moisturizer. Within a week, I looked so good, people commented on my glowing skin. For $10 or less, you too, can have blemish free skin and you don't have to pay me or anyone else for it, although you will need to go to the grocery store.

You will need:

1 small spray bottle
Apple cider vinegar
Coconut oil (in the cooking section)

Pour apple cider vinegar in the spray bottle.

Wash face thoroughly with any bar soap.

Close your eyes tightly, take a deep breath, and spray ACV all over your face, especially the T-zone. ACV stings a little and smells a lot. Hold your breath. Immediately rinse off under the shower or in the sink.

Alternately, you can spray ACV on a cotton ball, swab your face, and then rinse off immediately with a warm washcloth.

Then take a small amount of coconut oil in your hand, no more than your pinkie nail, and smear all over your face. If your face is greasy, you have too much on - swab it on your arms and legs.

Put on makeup as usual.

In the evening, wash makeup off with whatever cleanser you use, then swab your face with a cotton ball soaked with ACV, and put coconut oil on as your nighttime moisturizer.

You should see a difference within 3 days to a week. Your skin will be smoother, less breakouts, and any open pimples will be drying up. Within about 2 months, you will notice almost no pimples, smaller pores, and fewer red spots.

I have no idea why it works, except I do know ACV and coconut oil are antibacterial.

BTW, spraying a little ACV on scratches a couple times a day will make them heal quicker, and a little coconut oil on dry areas will also help moisturize your skin.

Use at your own risk. Not responsible for accidents. Yadda, yadda, yadda...

Busy Life...

2011-02-27T19:44:00.001-07:00

Things have been hectic since I last posted. Nothing earth-shattering, just day to day life, church, editing/writing, sewing, and dealing with the weather.

We have a new baby in the family - my sister-in-law had a little girl. Of course, she is adorable and the most beautiful baby, ever. I did some sewing for her.

In a rare moment, the cats all ate together one day and I snapped a picture. Emmy, the gray cat, has been ours for 2 years. The other two are kittens and have only been with us since late summer. Both were abandoned. Emmy didn't like them much at first. The orange tabby is Christian (we found him at the church). The black one is Dinah, named by one of the kids.

And SPRING IS IN THE AIR! These are snow geese, flying north for the summer. The field had thousands of them. We spooked them when we stopped to take a photo.

Merry Christmas...

2010-12-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

From our house to yours, may you all have a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year...

Love, Richard and Merry

Sewing composition book covers...

2010-12-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of fabric, most of which was inherited from relatives/friends, given to me, or from my own various quilting and sewing projects. It was time to do something with the eight Rubbermaid totes filled with this fabric. Back in September, the local stores had compostion notebooks on sale for 25 cents each. I bought a bunch! I also bought 2 packs of cheap pens for $2. They went from this:

To this:

This is a small sampling of the multitude I made. I will be giving them as gifts to the children in our church's community outreach program. Total cost for 22 gifts...less than $10.00.

Sewing...

2010-10-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some sewing, not a lot, just little projects I've had for a while and needed to get done. I repaired a few articles of clothing, did some embroidery and put the binding on the baby blanket above. That's our blankie - my Mom bought it when my oldest sister was born and each of us subsequently were wrapped in it as babies. The satin binding had long since shattered, so Mom gave it to me to repair. The original was cream-colored, but when I went to buy binding, none were that color so I chose blue.

I also did a special projec,t but can't reveal it at this time since the recipient might be reading this blog :).

More sewing is in my future as I like to do things for Christmas.

Snuggle Kitties...

2010-09-19T19:10:00.004-07:00

Christian wants to snuggle all the time. I want to be able to type, and use my mouse to work on my computer. This creates discord. At a yard sale, I found a $1 solution. A baby Snugli. Christian loves it. And there's something to be said for a gently purring kitty snuggled up against one.

They've taken over my chaise lounge, too...

Redeeming Daisy - Tanya Hanson

2010-09-10T07:12:00.002-07:00

White Rose Publishing's Newest Release:

Veterinarian rancher Pike Martin has no choice but to advise putting down Daisy Denmore’s fatally ill dog, but she swears it's revenge for her mistreatment of Pike's brother years ago. Although stung by her insult at his professionalism, Pike finds himself drawn to the troubled woman who flounders in faith and aches for love and acceptance. Costly mistakes have sent Daisy down an unrighteous path. Abandoned by her ex-husband, humiliated and broke, she has no choice but to return to her parents’ home in Mountain Cove, Colorado. As soon as she saves enough money, though, she'll be gone. Until Pike Martin's soft voice, caring manner, and downright empathy for her wounds tempt her to stay. With God on his side, can Pike help Daisy along the path to forgiveness, trust,and whole-hearted love?

2010-09-03T14:41:00.005-07:00

Release Day Special offer! Purchase any edition of Hearts Surrender by Marianne Evans--The latest release from White Rose Publishing--and receive a FREE .pdf of "Hearts Crossing." Purchases must be made on 3 Sept 2010 to be eligible, so hurry before time runs out. Heart's Surrender

Enter to win...

2010-08-21T07:07:00.002-07:00

My publisher is also doing a giveaway and a free read!

To have a chance to win free books for a year:

Win Free e-Books!

Read a Free Novella!

The last 3 Fridays...

2010-08-21T05:31:00.009-07:00

Every Friday, my publisher releases a new book - sometimes an e-book, sometimes a print book, sometimes, both! Please visit White Rose Publishing to take a look at the books (including two of mine!)

Mended Heart by Mary Manners

Jade McAllister returns home to Pineyville, Tennessee to help nurse her estranged mother back to health. She’s grateful her friend found her a job as an administrative assistant at Pineyville Church. That is, until she runs into Shane Calkin—the bad-boy-wannabe who broke her heart.

Shane's job as Youth Director at the church is a far cry from his high school days as the town's privileged rich kid. The death of his sister has left him with a young niece to raise and a rambunctious puppy to tame. He's not the self-centered person who once hurt Jade, and all he wants now is a second chance to love her. But how can he prove it to her?

Standing On The Edge Of Goodbye - Mary Eason

Matt Stevens is finished with life. Grieving the death of his son, Matt withdraws from humanity, sequestering himself in a mountain cabin far from the reaches of anything human—anything that may remind him of the life he can no longer have…that is until Kate Alexander arrives on his doorstep and begins to strip away the bitterness he carries in his heart.

Running from an abusive ex-husband who tried to murder her, Kate Alexander’s life is turned upside-down. Learning of her grandmother’s death—the only woman who ever believed in her—is almost Kate’s complete undoing, especially when the devastating news comes from a man so lacking in human emotion he may as well be a robot. Yet, Kate is drawn to Matt Stevens in a way she’s never before experienced. Could there be more to this unlikely friend of her Grandmother’s—something beyond the cold surface he presents to the world?

Only In Novels by Laura Briggs

When a simple mistake lands bookstore owner Lannie Maxwell with the wrong author for her book signing, she wonders if her tiny business is destined to fail. Instead of Ms. Modern Homemaker—an author sure to multiply the bookstore’s gross revenue—Lannie finds herself stuck with D.E. Hensen, an unorthodox and infuriating adventure novelist. The dashing D.E. is determined to help Lannie rescue her struggling business, but his outlandish ideas threaten to turn her world upside down. Can the two put aside their differences to save the store—and find their own version of happily-ever-after?

Diaper Cake...

2010-08-18T14:56:00.003-07:00

This is my first diaper cake.

We have a baby shower next week at the church and I decided to try my hand at making a diaper cake. I bought all the necessary items and brought them home. While Mom was visiting, I put her to work.

Its not perfect, but its our first cake and we think it looks cute. The baby is a boy named Jordan.

Washing fabric...

2010-08-18T08:27:00.004-07:00

Dinah cleans Christian after whomping him in their playfight yesterday.

I brought most of my fabric into the house from the garage. In between writing and editing, I've had to wash it all - it smelled of mustiness from being out there. Because so much of it is scrap and unfinished edges, when folding time comes, I have to use the scissors to cut all the threads that have wrapped around everything.

So tedious.

What you see is 4 loads of laundry. Doesn't look like much, does it?

Oh, and Christian and Dinah think of this as their bed, so my placing fabric all over in neat piles was simply an invitation to cuddle up to it and sleep. Look close. They're in this picture.

I cleaned the garage today...

2010-08-17T15:13:00.004-07:00

You can't see her - but Dinah is on the teapot, in front of the stovepipe. Christian's glowing eyes look a little spooky! For some reason, both kittens love to play on the wood stove. Christian has been eyeing the mantel, but I'll have to bust him if he tries it. Dinah has tried for the cord hanging from the dining room light, but I discouraged her by draping it too high for her to reach. At least for now.

I didn't mean to clean the garage today.

The garage has been filled with other people's stuff for quite some time. We had taken (with their permission) a bunch of stuff to a charity store, but still had some stuff left. We've also been using garage stuff (camping gear, tools, etc.) and not putting it back properly. The place was a disaster.

But since the kids left, all my sewing/fabric stuff hasn't made it back into the house. About now is when I start thinking about Christmas, and sewing up a few gifts. I need fabric for that...and the fabric was out there...unaccessible.

So I started at the front and went to the back. I didn't clean it completely, but with a little rearranging, there's a lot more room out there. I filled the back of the car with clothes, blankets, and so on to take to Goodwill. Now that we no longer have a 4 bedroom house, its time to let some of this "extra" stuff go.

The kittens are growing. Christian is a Mama's boy, always coming in to get a cuddle from me. Dinah does it, too, but less often.

Echo and Flint are fine with the kittens, no problems at all, except at treat time, when everyone congregates to get their share.

I've been canning up a storm - peach jam, blackberry jelly, salsa, Richard's chili, spaghetti, tomatoes, and soon, from the neighbor's tree - apples and applesauce.

Summer's been busy.

Every time I get out of my chair...

2010-08-08T14:09:00.002-07:00

I come back to this...for some reason both kittens love my office chair and if I go get a drink or a snack, I come back to find it occupied. Dinah also likes to dance across the keyboard and I often find strange things staring back at me from the screen.

A cat's a cat and that's that...

New book at White Rose Publishing!

2010-07-30T06:18:00.002-07:00

Release Day Special offer! Purchase any edition of Moselle's Insurance by LoRee Peery--The latest release from White Rose Publishing--and receive a $5 White Rose Publishing gift certificate FREE. Purchases must be made on 30 July 2010 to be eligible, so hurry before time runs out. http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/Moselle39S-Insurance

Creative artist Moselle Carson gives new life to old items, but she can’t seem to renew her shattered ideal of love. When she returns to her hometown to help with a new family business, memories of a broken heart and small-town gossip chip away the tough exterior she’s erected over the years. Now she’s forced to decide whether she’ll rebuild the wall or trust that true love never dies when it is ordained by God.

Generous insurance agent and vulnerable firefighter, Eric Todd, remembers too well how he mistreated Moselle and then set her aside. Now he longs for true love and the second chance to become a husband and father. He Can he learn to forgive himself and still keep the secret that may redeem him in her eyes?

The grand-nephew's quilt

2010-07-30T05:53:00.001-07:00

The grand-nephew needed a quilt and his 7 year old sister wanted to help. So she drew the pictures, her Grammie (my sister) embroidered them onto squares and I put the quilt together.

It should be loved until its a rag. LOL

Announcing Harbourlight Books

2010-07-28T05:22:00.001-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Lisa Dawn, Marketing Director
Harbourlight Books
A division of Pelican Ventures LLC
PO Box 1738
Aztec NM 87410
http://www.harbourlightbooks.com
lisadawn@harbourlightbooks.com

Pelican Ventures offers new opportunities in Inspirational fiction through Harbourlight Books.

Aztec, NM –July 27, 2010 – Nicola Martinez, founder of Pelican Ventures, LLC, a New Mexico media company, announced today that the company has launched a new publishing venture. Harbourlight Books will publish Christian fiction that ranges in length from 25,000 words to 80,000. This announcement comes just nine months after the company acquired White Rose Publishing, a Christian romance publisher of electronic and print titles.

Harbourlight Books seeks to publish all genre of Christian fiction, Martinez said. “Everything but romance.” Martinez said. “Romance will still be handled exclusively by White Rose Publishing.” According to Martinez, there is a need for the expansion of eBook availability within the Christian fiction community. Harbourlight Books will fill that niche, bringing general Christian fiction to the eBook arena where White Rose Publishing fills the gap on the romance side. The popularity of eBooks is on the rise as “…evidenced by the recent Amazon press release that announced eBooks for Kindle outsold hardbacks,” Martinez said. In addition to electronic books, Harbourlight will publish print editions of novels. Submission guidelines are available on the Harbourlight Books website.

Harbourlight Books is dedicated to providing quality inspirational fiction that adheres to mainline Christian teachings. Currently Harbourlight Books is accepting unagented submissions for short stories and novels that are already complete. The company launch its first release in 2011.

Harbourlight Books titles will be available for purchase directly from the Harbourlight Books website and through various retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others. Bookstores wishing to stock Harbourlight titles may contact the publisher directly, or use Ingram Distributing. Titles will also be available to retailers and at several public libraries as electronic downloads through OverDrive Media.

For information: http://www.harbourlightbooks.com or
Contact: lisadawn@harbourlight.com

Christian & Moses

2010-07-27T15:56:00.003-07:00

Right after the 4th of July, we found a kitten at the church. No one claimed him so Richard and I brought him home. We took care of his medical needs, and had him neutered. The vet said he was 8 weeks old. We named him Christian since we found him at the church.

Saturday, I was running my laps when I heard meowing. I thought it was Emmy, chased up a tree by the neighbor's dog. I walked over and it wasn't Emmy. It was a small black kitten, aproximately 6 weeks old. He will be going to the vet shortly. We have named him Moses, simply because our daughter wanted to name him that.

Here there are sleeping together in the cat bed.

Needless to say, I am all scratched up as the kittens like hooking onto the tail of my shirt and scaling my body like Everest. Both kits are not afraid of dogs or cats at all.

The guys now outnumber the girls in this house...

Two Books at White Rose Publishing

2010-07-22T18:41:00.004-07:00

Release Day Special offer! Purchase In His Sight by Pamela S. Thibodeaux--The latest release from White Rose Publishing--and receive a FREE .pdf of THE INHERITANCE. Purchases must be made on 23 July 2010 to be eligible, so hurry before time runs out!

Order both books here - White Rose Publishing

RODEO REDEMPTION was released last Friday and I meant to shout to the world it had arrived. Go here to order it from my publisher - White Rose Publishing

FAITH - Book Trailer

2010-07-19T15:27:00.004-07:00

A friend made a video book trailer for FAITH, my book available now at White Rose Publishing.

Contact lawrence.miller@live.com for information and prices to develop your own book trailer.

Special Offer at My Publisher!

2010-07-09T05:46:00.001-07:00

Release Day Special offer! Purchase any edition of A Time for Healing, White Rose Publishing’s latest release, and receive a $5 WRP Gift Certificate FREE. Purchases must be made on 9 July 2010 to be eligible, so hurry before time runs out!

A Time For Healing

New From White Rose Publishing

2010-07-08T21:05:00.002-07:00

A Time For Healing by Tamelia Tumlin

As an active church member, Jaci Sinclair believes the Christian message that forgiveness is open to all…all except her, that is. Years ago, Jaci made a life-changing mistake, and now she’s sure she doesn’t deserve the one thing she wants the most—a family of her own. But when Hunter Grant walks into her life, her world is turned upside-down. Not only does he make her desire a family even more, he shines a lamp on the one thing she refuses to see.

Ex-FBI hostage negotiator, Hunter Grant, has lost the one thing he treasured the most—his family. Filled with bitterness and anger towards God, Hunter vows never to let anyone close to him again. He moves to Yellow Rose, Texas, trying to forget the tragic deaths of his wife and son—deaths he should have prevented. Wanting to lose himself in the sleepy little town, he is not prepared for the powerful feelings Jaci stirs within him.

As Jaci’s and Hunter’s worlds collide, neither is prepared to face the demons that haunt their pasts and hinder their future together, but for everything there is a season…even a time for healing.

Reviews of my book, FAITH

2010-05-26T10:58:00.006-07:00

Got Romance! Reviews

Title: Faith
Author: Merry K. Stahel
Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Publication Date: 2010
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 29 pages
Buy Link
Rating: 5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Sweet
Reviewer: Starla Kaye
Date: 4-17-10

Afraid of losing the only person left who loves her, Faith follows her widowed mother-in-law to a new home. But God has plans for Faith...plans that include a new love, hope, and a future. Can Faith open her bruised and hurting heart to allow a loving God and a loving man back in?

What a wonderful modernization of the story of Ruth! All of the characters are well-developed and the storyline tender and loving.

Faith lost the man she believed to be the one love of her life and struggled with getting past the pain and with trusting in God right after the accident. But God didn’t give up on her for hurting and for blocking him out for a short time. He was patient with her and loved her enough to help her heal. His stand beside her helped her find a way out of what had happened, and guided her to find another special man.

Ben was a wonderfully, caring man. He believed in God and saw the uniqueness, the warmness of the young widowed wife of his cousin. Watching their relationship develop was touching. I especially liked Ben’s thoughts of “tell God thanks. Thanks for guiding Faith to us. I will love her and cherish her, your gift to me, my gift to you.”

This was a very short read, but well worth the time.

Sweetly Reviewed

Story: 9.5
Presentation: 9.5
Total: 19
Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Inspirational Romance
To Purchase

Blurb: Afraid of losing the only person left who loves her, Faith follows her widowed mother-in-law to a new home. But God has plans for Faith...plans that include a new love, hope, and a future. Can Faith open her bruised and hurting heart to allow a loving God and a loving man back in?

Review: Every so often I get the pleasure of reviewing a story that is so powerful, so well written and so wonderful that I am in awe when it is over. This is one of those.

With emotion so powerful and raw that it left me gasping. I was able to connect, to feel, to experience this passionate tale of love, moving on and taking another chance on happiness and love. Ahhh. Yes Ms Stahel has done a wonderful job and I have full intents on see her name on may more stories on my computer screen for a long time to come. ~ Posted by romancereader at 9:46 AM

CK2's Kwips And Kritiques

FAITH
Merry K. Stahel
ISBN: None Assigned
March 2010
White Rose Publishing
Short Inspirational Fiction/Contemporary Romance
eBook

Faith is still dealing with the loss of her husband, her brother-in-law and her father-in-law when she finds out that her mother-in-law, Dulcie, plans to move back to her hometown in Colorado. Faith, an orphan, clings to Dulcie as her only remaining family and begs to come along. Once there, they can both seek a new beginning as they work to discover how to live without their beloved husbands.

Faith is a creative retelling in a contemporary setting of the ancient Book of Ruth in the Bible. Even though we suspect how the story will unfold, Stahel’s delightful characterizations of Faith, Dulcie and Ben engage and enchant the reader who finds herself equally enthralled with the contemporary love story just as she was the ancient one between Ruth and Boaz.

The short format of Faith limits the time that we have with Ben and Faith, and I, for one, was not ready to let them go even though we were allowed a brief peek at the promise of their future happiness through the Epilogue. I also wish we had more time with Dulcie. Such a strong, loving lady deserves her whole story to be explored as well. Excellent story. I’ll be watching for more from this author in the future.

Helping out a friend...

2010-04-24T06:03:00.004-07:00

My friend, Jean, has written a book:

The Dandelion Journal - Coming of age in foster homes, with no adult mentors to guide and teach, a young girl attempts to make sense of life, love, God, and relationships. Filled with heartfelt truths and humor, the journey resonates with candor and the observations of a teenager who struggles with today's social boundaries.

This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made...

2010-04-12T19:32:00.002-07:00

Today, I got notification from a friend that I'd sold a short story! She subscribes to a magazine and saw my byline. Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, while I was chatting with said friend on IM, I got an email notification and discovered I'd sold ANOTHER short story!

Between last week's book and this weeks two stories - I feel very blessed by God.

My Newest BOOK!

2010-04-08T11:27:00.010-07:00

Afraid of losing the only person left who loves her, Faith follows her widowed mother-in-law to a new home. But God has plans for Faith...plans that include a new love, hope, and a future. Can Faith open her bruised and hurting heart to allow a loving God and a loving man back in?

Download this Christian Inspirational romance at White Rose Publishing

The Old Testament Bible story of Ruth is one of unconditional love. Nearly everyone who has ever been in church can recite Ruth’s most famous declaration: For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God…” I modernized the story, but tried to leave as much allegory in as possible. If you read the four short chapters of Ruth, you will find the outline of her faith and love in that book of the Bible. I hope you have fun reading to see how many points I modernized and touched on in my version of Ruth’s stunning portrayal of unconditional love, and God’s redemption and reward.

Gifts By Becky

2010-01-11T17:21:00.005-07:00

Becky has finally started selling her wonderful creations. Please stop by to look!

http://thepersonaltouchbybecky.blogspot.com/

Here's a sample of her work - my Rock Nativity:

P.S. If it doesn't show up, try again in a few days. Its a new blog and may not be in the Search engine yet.

The new woodburning cookstove

2009-12-30T10:59:00.002-07:00

I decorated the new mantel for Christmas. The kids say I should leave the lights and garland up...maybe.

Quilting & Crafts

2009-12-29T08:07:00.010-07:00

I've been busy this month. My neighbor made a painted rock Nativity for me which is gorgeous.

In return, I made her a tablerunner and coasters to match her kitchen/dining room.

Becky's Tablerunner and Coasters.

I also made quilts for my sister's twin grandsons. The twins have a 7 year old sister who helped make the quilt by drawing the pictures. My sister then embroidered the pictures onto squares of fabric. I pieced the squares to a flannel fabric and back. The babies should be snug and warm this winter.

Tristan's Quilt

Sam's Quilt

And since the sewing machine was out, I made my daughter a new terrycloth pillow case and repaired my Mom's antique tatted reticule that Becky and I bought for her birthday.

I sense more sewing in my future - there are still quilts to make and careful repairs needing made on some antique textiles I acquired from various places.

December 12, 2009

2009-12-29T08:05:00.002-07:00

Hubby's mother, Alma Theresa, passed away quietly in her sleep in the early morning of December 12, 2009. She will be missed by our entire family.

Halloween & Beyond...

2009-11-20T16:48:00.004-07:00

Echo wanted to be a French maid for Halloween, Flint wanted to be a shark. Emmy the cat was King Tut.

We've been working on landscaping for the last month. The weather has been really nice, as high as the 70s during the day. Hubby has cut down the dead trees and we're now burning our own wood in the wood stove. The only cooking I've tried was a pot of beans and they turned out great.

Family will be here for Thanksgiving, so I expect next week to be fun, hectic and noisy. LOL.

Life is good...

2009-10-15T11:37:00.005-07:00

Its been a while since I posted, we got busy during the summer with a variety of tasks and the kids. :)

We've now settled into a routine (well, as routine as you can get with kids).

The Hubster and I have become involved in a local church. I am now on a rotating schedule as a worship leader, we both teach adult Bible classes (I teach a Monday night ladies class, he teaches a Sunday class). We also are actively involved on our community outreach children's Bible class on Wednesday nights. He does a PowerPoint presentation every Sunday morning, too, with announcements of our church's local events and missions.

The 10-year-old niece is delighting in piano and voice lessons and plays trumpet in the school band. Or will, when she masters it! Trumpet practice was banished to the back deck for a while...but now that its cold, she's practicing in the laundry room, the furthest away we could get! LOL

The eight-year-old nephew is thrilled to be riding a bike, at last. We bicycle down to Grandpa's almost daily (except when its rainy) to show off our skills. They've had fun visiting local sights - the corn maze a local farmer set up was a huge hit. Both kids are doing well in school, with decent grades and developing friendships.

My brother and sister-in-law are wrapping up their affairs in another state, divesting themselves of household goods, selling the car and property, giving notice to their jobs, and preparing to move here to be with their kids.

Hubby and I have been involved in a variety of projects, including more landscaping and attacking the dreaded garage cleanup! We decided we needed backup heat after the ice storms of last year left us without power for a few days. So here's one of the projects that kept us busy.

The mantel is not installed yet, it is being finished off-site. We've had 3-4 fires in it to burn off the temporary protective sealants inside. It does exactly as advertised. We're toasty warm in a 1500 sq. ft. house. The stove has two burners, so I will be practicing cast iron and dutch oven cooking on it. Should be interesting.

BTW, look carefully at the photo. Emmy The Cat blends into the rock wall VERY WELL.

My new book will be out October 9, 2009!

2009-09-23T18:51:00.005-07:00

This e-book is downloadable at:

https://www.whiterosepublishing.com/

Hannah didn’t expect to be raising her mother’s surrogate child. But Baby Seth’s parents also died and he has no one else. Until Uncle Aaron shows up, demanding that Hannah give up her half-brother to HIS family, since genetically, Seth is their son. Can the love of one tiny baby unite two families?

I'm getting old...

2009-06-27T19:26:00.003-07:00

Richard and I received a gift last month. Two, actually. Here they are:

These are my brother's children, who will be staying with us for the summer. Don't be deceived by their apparent quiet time while playing a computer game.

So far, they've planted a garden, fed the birds and deer, played in the hammock, watched the bald eagle babies through a telescope, silly-stringed the yard with Grandpa, driven a tractor towing a "magic carpet," charcoaled marshmallows, played with two puppies, hunted for pretty rocks and fossils, found a spearpoint, swam in the lake, swam with the neighbors, gone to church, gone fishing, gone canoeing, gone to a wedding and a couple showers (wedding and baby), swam in the stock tank (daily), shopped, bugged Grandpa, are learning to ride bikes, made paper airplanes, learned to play a cutthroat game of dominoes (Mexican Train), bugged Grandma, and completely exhausted Uncle Richard and Aunt Merry.

Its been 20 years since I had kids this young. The good news is, I fall into bed every night and go straight to sleep. The bad news is, I fall into bed every night and go straight to sleep. LOL

We're having a blast.

YouTube Stopped Working!

2009-04-10T20:56:00.003-07:00

Nothing annoys me more than when my computer decides to develop a mind of its own and quit working the way I want it to.

A few nights ago, I needed to be in a chat related to work. Had to download Java to get in there and change some advanced settings. Okay. Got to chat, worked fine.

Then I went off to YouTube to check for music for church (when I don't know the song, I go find it on YouTube and listen). YouTube had stopped working! ARGHHH.

I did all the usual fixes - reinstalled Java and Flashplayer, cleaned the registry, defragged, changed the advance settings back to what they were, yadda, yadda. I searched high and low on the Internet for answers. Lots of advice out there, none of it worked.

Computer had an appointment with the Computer doc for Monday.

I was at the end of my rope searching for an answer. Once again, I clicked on Tools to go look at my Internet Options...and my gaze fell on something called MANAGE ADD-ONS. I clicked on it. There was another little menu, ENABLE OR DISABLE ADD-ONS.

Nah. Can't be that easy. No way. Both FlashPlayer and Java are add-ons. Can't be that easy.

Yes, it was. Flashplayer had been disabled, as well as FlashPlayer Shockwave. So I enabled them.

And YouTube now works.

Sigh. Sometimes the answer is literally staring you in the face.

Spring is almost here...

2009-03-17T15:55:00.003-07:00

The dogs and Emmy the day of the thunderstorm, snuggling on the bed (the only time they're allowed on the bed, now).

With the warming weather, the animals are making themselves known. On the way home from church, I see deer in my headlights, possums and the occasional feral cat. Hubby and I spotted a gray fox and her kit right in our yard Sunday night. The rabbits that have been nibbling my grass are probably prey, now.

This evening I was out on our back porch and heard two A-10 aircraft go overhead. I looked to see them precision flying close to each other. Right underneath them, many miles away, but framed by the A-10s, was an eagle! It was a perfect shot. Naturally I didn't have a camera. Sigh.

Richard and I ahve been busy lately, but we hope to get a garden going at some point.

Its been awhile...

2009-03-04T12:14:00.002-07:00

I've been really busy this past two months, getting more involved in church, pursuing my own hobbies and doing a little, (very little) reorganizing around the house. We still have things to finish, but the cold weather pretty much blocked our efforts until we work out some things. We want to put a wood stove in the garage so Richard can work out there in all weather if he chooses.

We also need a wood stove in the house. The power outage of two days showed us with striking clarity that backup heat truly is a must. We spent the first day here at the house because the temp stayed well above 60 degrees, due to the good insulation. However, the second day dropped to the 40s, so we now know that another source of heat not dependent on electricity is necessary. We meant to get a stove last year, but simply put it off.

We've been feeding the birds and enjoying all the antics as they slowly come to trust the food supply. We have nuthatches, cardinals, blue jays and a pileated woodpecker, so far. Also some little brown birds, probably phoebes or sparrows.

The squirrels also love the bird feeder and Echo loves chasing them off. The squirrels know she can't catch them and won't go up the nearest tree. They go off into the woods to give her a run for her treat. Its cute to watch, because at least twice now, I've seen a squirrel stop at a tree, make sure she's still running after it, and then it takes off for another tree. They aren't threatened and Echo loves her "job."

Beyond that, I've simply been trying out new recipes, playing with some old ones, and enjoying the buffalo meat, now that we've found a local source (well, within 50 miles, anyway).

Richard has been playing with dutch oven cooking - he makes a pretty good chicken pot pie which we both truly love.

I'm glad Spring is springing - I am so ready for some action around here - we're hoping to get a garden in this year, but we're complete novices beyond the little "city garden" we had in PA for a few years. We have to clear land, get rid of stumps, build some raised beds and then bring in soil since ours is eroded down off the ridge.

Its should be an interesting Spring and summer.

Poor Emmy...

2009-01-18T17:03:00.002-07:00

So our main goal at Echo Ridge was to catch Emmy in the process of scratching the wall so we could deter her little beastie tendencies. I figured squirting water on her would do the trick.

This morning, she leisurely walked over and began tearing up the wall. I got her with the water and she shook it off, then continued her destruction. So I got her again. She shook it off and went right back to scratching!

I was holding a towel in my hand so I wound it up and snapped her with it, then gave a banshee shriek, "NO!" while stomping towards her.

Poor Emmy went straight up in the air, took off like...well...like anyone who's been snapped by a towel takes off and skidded to a stop half under Richard's desk, all big-eyed and hackled up.

Now, whenever I walk out of that bathroom, if she's standing anywhere in a 5 foot vicinity, she runs like all the hounds of hell are after her.

However, my wall is now being left alone. We went to church this morning and came back, no tell-tale drywall on the floor at all.

Poor Emmy. (snicker).

Good Dog! Bad Cat!

2009-01-17T13:28:00.002-07:00

The dogs are pretty much out of puppy stage, although they occasionally go a round just for fun. But usually, they enjoy being together and get along just fine.

Here, they share the office bed. Echo even groomed Flint for a while, before they both nodded off.

Why is Emmy peeking around this corner with big eyes?

Because she did THIS to the wall, while we were busy. BAD CAT!

We're just hoping we still have some of that paint left. Spackle is on the grocery list already. BAD CAT!

Long time, no see...

2009-01-17T09:42:00.003-07:00

We took off to see my sister and spent time out at the ranch to watch Katie ride. Richard snapped this shot of me hanging on the gate, watching Katie work with her new 4-H colt. For some reason, I don't have any pictures of the colt!

Hanging on the gate.

The winter weather has seriously curtailed our work around the house. Richard did get some clearing done and he burned a lot of brush, too. The loggers down the road told the locals that we could take the scrap wood when they finished. A bunch of us did so, and pretty much cleaned up the site for them! Richard chopped all the wood to woodpile size. What's funny about this is that we don't have any woodburning stoves! We plan to get one for the house and the garage in the future.

It snowed yesterday, but temps for the next week will probably melt it quick.

Flint is doing well, he took the 4 week program of Adequan shots (liquid glucosomine) and is doing remarkably better. He will always walk with a limp because of the surgery, but he is perky, happy and willing to explore, even in the cold. I'd recommend this treatment for any dog with hip dysplasia, arthritis or joint issues. The initial treatment is 8 shots over a four week period, and then if necessary, maintenance shots after that. Some dogs never need the maintenance shots, some need them monthly, some need them yearly, just depends on the dog. Flint now walks easily, even in our two mile hike to the bridge daily. Before, he ran out, did his business, and wanted back in immediately. Now, because he feels better, he is happy to explore the yard, wander around and enjoy the outside again.

Echo and Emmy have a guarded truce. As long as Emmy doesn't try to attack and gnaw on Echo's paws, Emmy can sleep next to Echo. When she starts playing, Echo gets up to leave. LOL

Life is good.

The 100 Sheep Nativity

2008-12-10T20:23:00.004-07:00

Our Taiwanese 3rd "daughter," Bun-Chu, spent plenty of time with us due to her parents ministry in Taiwan (her father is a Presbyterian minister). Bun-Chu knew I collected Nativities and decided that she'd make me one. Each year, she gave me new pieces to the Nativity. One day I was bemoaning the fact that most Nativities I get only have one sheep...and the Bible says it was a flock, ya know? So Bun-Chu, being the sweet little angel she is, made 100 sheep for MY Nativity. And 4 shepherds to watch that flock. So every Christmas, I have to find a place for 100 sheep. And I always do! LOL

The sheep...and the stockings because I have no mantel this year.

And the house, all lit up!

The dogs are starting to accept...

2008-11-05T10:07:00.003-07:00

That Emmy is here to stay. They've snapped a couple times and chased her under the bed a few weeks ago. However, she is getting bold about being near them, as long as we are nearby.

We had a massive thunderstorm rip through one afternoon. The dogs are afraid of thunder, so they stick close to me. Usually, they settle down if they are on our bed. I helped Flint onto the bed and Emmy joined him. She played with his ears, his tail and then attacked his back collar. Flint was not amused. He put up with her for a few minutes then hopped off the bed and went to his floor bed, curled up and went to sleep. Emmy went into my office and proceeded to chew on the cardboard flap of the slide projector box, which is sitting in the middle of the floor until I find a home for it.

I went to fix Richard lunch this afternoon and found the girls in the chair together. Echo tolerated it for a little while, but then Emmy decided to play. She grabbed one of Echo's paws and began gnawing on it. Echo put up with it for about a minute and then left.

Emmy is getting big. She eats her dry food throughout the day, gets breakfast and dinner wet food, and then slowly creeps towards the dogs' dishes while they are eating, silently intimidating them until they leave. Then she eats a little of their food. I tried giving her a portion of their homemade dog food in her own dish. Nope. Its all about who is Alpha-Cat in this household. She won't eat it out of her own bowl. She must eat it out of theirs.

The good news is, Flint and Echo used to be a little spoiled about eating their food. They'd let it sit then beg for their treats instead. Now that there's competition, they've taken to eating their food quickly and efficiently. no more food souring in the bowls!

New addition to the Stahel household...

2008-10-04T11:36:00.004-07:00

First - allow a rant. If you acquire an animal and are not a breeder, spay or neuter your pet immediately. If you cannot afford this, do not get the animal. Domesticated animals have SOME survival instincts, but usually have to be TAUGHT hunting skills from another animal. Dumping a litter of kittens or puppies on a back road where predators are known to roam is despicable. They cannot survive on their own, no matter how smart or instinctual they appear.

Three of Emmy's litter are probably dead. They survived a grand total of four days that we know of. We could not get them to come to us. Emmy finally came to Richard after he spent two hours in tick and chigger infested grass coaxing her to come to him and only after the rest of her siblings were gone. The chances that they ran off and left her are remote.

Emmy's a beautiful smoke color with bright green eyes. Estimated age is 3-4 months old. In keeping with our family tradition, Emmy is named for Emily (Em) Sackett Talon, a character in Louis L'Amour's Sackett series of books.

We think Emmy looks like an Egyptian temple cat here.

I used to belong to a writer's group called the BatCave. I received two charms from them, a small brass bat from Cathy and a silver kangaroo from Lex in Australia. I hung them from my computer screen so I'd always feel close to my buddies. Emmy attacked the charms and the rest is history. I have to get pliers and put them back on their jump ring to re-hang on my screen.

I bought Emmy some bizzy balls to give her play time. I figured 8 was too many, but heck, it was only a $1.97 for the pack. I think we've found two again...the other six have disappeared into cat magic lalaland...they are not under any furniture that I can see. One day when I deep-clean (Ha! Like that's gonna happen) I might find the rest. Or Emmy might.

I don't know 6 blog-people...

2008-09-05T10:04:00.006-07:00

Quirky Meme...

1) Link to the person that tagged you.2) Post the rules on your blog.3) List six unspectacular quirks you have.4) Tag six bloggers by linking them.5) Leave a comment on each person's blog to let them know they've been tagged.

My Six Unspectacular Quirks:

1. So as not to hurt my daughters' feelings after they fixed my hair at ages 3 & 4, I went to the grocery store with a 20 barrette hair-do. Kid barrettes - pink, purple, green, yellow and blue pastic clips. As people would start to comment, I'd jerk my head at the girls standing beside me, so proud of their work, and say quickly, "Don't you like my hair, the girls fixed it!" and every one of my acquaintances and the store clerks went along with the it.

2. I used to drink Pepsi continually, all day. I had a special insulated cup so the ice wouldn't melt. I carried the cup around with me - driving, walking, talking to neighbors. My family and neighbors knew my "Pepsi cup" and would bring it to me when I "lost" it. When I decided to be more healty, I switched to iced tea. After, that, I'd look for my "tea cup" when I lost it. My BIL thought I meant an actual tea cup and got tired of the mis-labeling. So he named it Fred. My cup has been Fred ever since. The cups change as they wear out, but the name doesn't. Everyone of my acquaintance knows Fred.

3. I love looking at photos. Anyone's photos. All those people who say get rid of guests by dragging out the photos and slides...I'll stay till the wee hours. I like looking at photos and speculating about the stories they have to tell. People, places, scenes, all of it.

4. I hate feather pillows. That sinking, smothering sensation makes me crazy. Give me a firm pillow any time. However, I love down comforters. That sinking, smothering cocoon makes me feel cozy and warm.

5. I am always cold. I wear wool socks year-round. I have a hard time keeping warm and therefore don't usually wear shorts or dresses even in summer. I have a special thick fur blanket that goes with us when we travel because I rarely have enough covers in hotel rooms and family/friends homes'. My children named the blanket Minkie (it is a "mink" blanket from Korea). All my nieces and nephews love Minkie, too, and have used it as a tent, as covers, as a nap pad, and to warm up around a fire when we camp. My dogs settle immediately when they lay on Minkie during storms. Despite being *my* special blanket, Minkie's actually a source of comfort for our whole extended family.

6. I'm very lazy. I work hard to streamline chores so I can go do the fun stuff whenever I want. People think I'm very busy because I have so much time for my hobbies, but in reality, its directly atrributed to sheer laziness. Chores have to be done, but there's no reason to drag them out. LOL

Its been awhile...

2008-06-30T06:33:00.003-07:00

Life is good, we've just been busy with various things.

Pa built a teardrop camping trailer and wanted to test it, so we went camping for a few days.

I've been poking around doing jobs in the house, a little sewing, some rearranging of furniture and decluttering. And writing, of course.

Mom and I went to a couple weddings, that was fun!

I've been trying to capture butterfly photos but for some reason they all seem to be in a hurry this year. Flint had one between his ears like a big bow. I grabbed the camera and started shooting, and the thing just disapepared!

Flint has been doing quite well. He's lost a lot of weight, is happy to be outside and prances around like he owns this place. Echo stays inside more, she gets hot and wants to be in air conditioning.

1974 Airstream 31' Sovereign LandYacht FOR SALE

2008-05-12T07:52:00.004-07:00

This Airstream was gutted and refurbished to live in while constructing our house on site. We lived in it for almost a year. We cut the pipes to the propane appliances and made it all electric because electricity was already at the property. Propane can be reestablished by a professional, if needed. The propane tanks are still installed on the tongue and have the new code connectors.

The futon couch, double bed, microwave, toaster, hotplate, fire extinguisher and refrigerator will remain. ALL are FREE-STANDING. My Pa also built a kitchen counter (without the sink) and a cabinet for storage over the wheel well. Neither cupboard is fastened down, but can be if necessary. Remember, this trailer was used for living and was parked for the full eleven months, so modifications to build-in were not necessary.

There's a large unit in the upper kitchen cabinet that was used to monitor the holding tanks and other stuff - we disconnected this and have no idea if it is still usable.

A new subfloor was laid over the old one for support. Previous water damage (which we also fixed) had made holes in the old flooring. I also installed carpet.

The air conditioner was broken, we had a Carrier representative fix it properly and it cools great now. In times of VERY HIGH humidity, the A/C sometimes leaks if you overuse it. This only happened three times last year (we ran it for over 8 hours per day). To prevent the leak, we discovered that if you turn it off for an hour, it will defrost and be fine to turn back on. The AC has an outside winter cover for insulation.

All walls are painted, except the bathroom.

I made new duck fabric curtains for all the windows. I put up standard rods for easy off/on to clean.

The screen door is now reinforced with a patterned cut-out steel mesh because our dogs kept destroying the regular screen mesh.

A new 10 gallon Sears water heater replaces the old 5 gallon one. There is a cut-off switch inside on the bathroom wall to turn it off. It can also be unplugged inside. The weater heater is larger than the old one, so I made a temporary wall of foam-core so it would still look nice in the bathroom. The wall is removable for service. We replaced the old toilet, too. The shower had a crack which the former owner repaired. The repair has held up nicely and we've had no problems with it.

Phone and cable were run inside for landline telephone/dialup computer and satellite TV.

An extra electric box with a separate outside connector was installed into the living area so I could run a heater during the winter months, without compromising the rest of the appliances and lights.

The full length front awning comes down easily, but has a small tear about 8 inches long at the rear end. Its never been a problem to all-over use (we just make sure to roll it back up if there's wind). The awning over the back window was never used, due to broken struts before we acquired the Airstream.

Only one outlet doesn't work and that is by choice. It was retro-installed and wire was run across the room under the couch, which was a fire hazard. We cut and capped the wires. Power can be restored by a professional electrician. One of the bedroom lights has a short, the light will go on sometimes and not others. Needs an electrican to look it over before use.

We are fairly certain the holding tank has a leak ON TOP. If lines are clogged, it will create a small wet spot on the rug in the hallway. To alleviate this, flushing the black water tank for 20 minutes on a daily basis (in the evening) worked wonders. The lines remain clear and water flows easily. A few teaspoons of Rid-X once a week kept the anaerobic bacteria happy, too.

I replaced the plastic fan caps, the bathroom light cover and the kitchen light cover.

All the rivets have been caulked and as far as I know, nothing leaks. There is condensation between the panes of the front window, but not inside or outside.

This Airstream is fully habitable now - it would make a nice parked unit on your camp or vacation property. It can also be used as a nice hunt "shack" on your hunting lands. If you are a person who wants a restoration project the hard work of gutting it has already been done.

Price: $4,800.00

This Airstream is located in the Midwest and you will have to pick it up. It is being sold in an "AS IS" condition.

If you are interested, leave a message in the blog comments section with your email address written out like this to avoid spambots: johndoe at aol dot com.

What I've been doing...

2008-05-12T07:41:00.002-07:00

Between days of never-ending rain, we've been getting spots of sunshine. On those days, we're able to walk to the bridge. Flint's recovery has been slow because of the weather. However, now we're getting somewhere!

I've also cleaned out the Airstream in preparation for selling. Next up, the garage and cars! And of course, the landscaping. Richard and I bought some plants to pot and our front porch doesn't look so naked now. I also bought a slide bench. I am planning to make cushions for the bench and the chairs. Richard's been cleaning out rocks in the soil and has fertilized the grass, which is growing beautifully.

Today we meandered to the bridge after stopping to check on Pa's progress. Pa is building a teardrop trailer for camping. The frame and body are put together, now he's doing doors and windows.

At the bridge, the barn swallows began buzzing us, about fifty or so flying overhead trying to get us to move on. Their nests are on the underside of the bridge so either babies have hatched or they're very close to being born.

Next time, I won't forget the camera.

2008-04-28T17:53:00.002-07:00

So...there was a lot of crackling off in our Sanctuary. Richard and I were excited. What kind of birds were back there, nesting and raising their babies? Maybe it was the rare flying squirrels, or perhaps some owls? Ricahrd went back there with a camera to catch whatever he could.

He heard a crashing noise, looked up and two birds were locked together falling through the trees...

BUZZARDS.

BUZZARDS. Mating and nesting in our Sanctuary. We don't know where the nests are. They're not visible in our leafless trees. Maybe they don't make any. At any rate, we've never even seen a baby buzzard. So while all the country neighbors have the cool animals, we have BUZZARDS.

It could only happen to city-slickers.

Six days ago...

2008-04-07T09:49:00.003-07:00

Tuesday, April 1, 2008...It wasn't an April Fool's Day joke.

The lightning storm caused a strike right in front of our house. We had turned off all the computers, but not unplugged them from the surge protectors. Richard has a fancy, battery operated surge protector...I have an expensive one, but no battery. The resulting EMP (electromagnetic pulse) from the strike fried my computer. We took it in to salvage the harddrive, thinking only the motherboard or the power supply was damaged. According to the tech, this is only the second time he's seen a harddrive so badly damaged he couldn't retrieve all the data. He did a couple sweeps and collected some, but my books were gone.

Needless to say, I was crushed. Not only had I lost my books, I lost YEARS of photos and other documents.

Richard was certain he'd done a backup of my system in the last month or so. We'd moved from the Airstream to the house, so stuff that was hurriedly packed was scattered between garage and house. We had no idea where the backup drive could be.

We bought a new computer and began the task of learning the new Vista program, plus downloading things I use like Yahoo Messenger (which took 3 days, due to disconnects and extremely slow dialup - 24 baud at times!). We also bought an external harddrive, in hopes of salvaging my data. That didn't work on Richard's computer. We may try it on mine, later, but chances are slim.

I found the backup drive this morning. Richard loaded it to the new computer...and the only thing I've lost is about 150 pages of two books (anything written after Feb 15, the date of the backup) and the last six weeks of photos!

Needless to say, despite the loss of my last 6 weeks of work, I'm still ecstatic - most of the precious photos were saved.

I'm happy.

The Visitors...

2008-03-30T17:28:00.002-07:00

The girls and Richard's sister arrived last weekend for a visit. The girls only stayed a couple days but we had a blast. Massages, shopping, breakfast at Grandma's, playing in the shop with Grandpa and walking the dogs. It was like old times!

Richard's sister stayed for the entire week and we also had a lot of fun. I'd forgotten about late night girl talk, laughing at our men and long walks discussing everything under the sun as the dogs sniffed and played.

They were our very first visitors to the nearly finished house.

I hope everyone loved their visit as much as I did.

The New Me...

2008-03-15T09:07:00.002-07:00

Back in the 80's I had a hairstyle that I loved, that looked great, and was not fussy to fix. I could put it in a ponytail and look good, or fluff it out for special occasions, or wash and wear it for every day. Everyone said it was dated and I needed to try a new style. I went from short to long to in-between, never happy with it. Basically, because of that, I skinned it back in a ponytail and just didn't bother with it.

Finally, I decided, you know what? I LIKED my 80's hair style. So poof! I went back to it.

I took the picture in the mirror which is why its a little wonky. But there I am, all 80s hair!

LOL

Ready for Spring...

2008-03-07T08:56:00.005-07:00

We had a couple days of 70 degree weather and then winter hit once more! Richard and Echo tramped out in the snow. Flint and I stayed warm and cozy inside.

We're still having the up and down weather of March, but I hope in a few weeks Spring will be here because Richard's never been here during that season. Already, a few trees and bushes are showing tiny buds. I hope we don't have a repeat of last year when everything bloomed and then a surprise cold snap froze all the budding plants. It pretty much killed the apple crop for last year.

I still have the little apple twig...er tree...that my sister gave me for Christmas. It even has fresh green leaves. When it grows up and fruits it will be a Macintosh apple.

Richard, Mom, Pa and Echo walked to the bridge last week. I waited a bit and then Flint and I went to meet them. He tried to turn around and go home three different times but I urged him on. He needs to exercise the leg and get back up to walking daily. I let him rest the next day. Mom and Pa meandered down the day after resting and we all walked to the bridge. Although Flint was slow towards the end, he made it there and back with no problems. He sacked right out in the bed and napped the rest of the afternoon, though. LOL.

Walking in the woods...

2008-02-20T19:30:00.002-07:00

Since Flint is down for the long count concerning his leg surgery, Echo and Richard have taken to tramping in the woods around the property to investigate new smells, enjoy the crisp air and watch for wildlife.

Richard went up to the ridge above ours a few days ago and snapped a photo of our roof in the trees. The black spot near the center of the picture is Echo investigating something.

Echo keeps an eye out for moving targets...er...wildlife.

This is a shot of the moon in the morning a few days ago. The good thing about a digital camera is that we can simply take even "impossible" shots without wasting anything but a little battery power. Its been fun trying to get night shots, distance shots and everything else. Sometimes they turn out okay.

Watching the work...

2008-02-13T11:12:00.003-07:00

Flint and Echo, despite the last two years of subcontractors coming and going on a nearly daily basis, still get nervous when anyone new is in the house. They've only "met" Nathan the cabinet maker once before.

Guarding the couch (and my messy house) and keeping an eye on the stranger.

I've been unpacking boxes and have no where to put the stuff I unpack. All the shelves, bookcases and display cabinets aren't in place yet. The roll-top desk has become a major piling place. LOL

Partyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

2008-02-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

P and Mom feed the birds through the winter. A couple days ago, Pa went out the door and the cardinals had taken over the picnic table. We figured they were having a party...

The long, long walk...

2008-01-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

So Mom and Pa came up to see us and offered to take us tramping through the woods. We have wanted to do this for a while, but the weather has not cooperated. Today was beautiful! We had deep blue sky, the big fluffy Colorado clouds and about 60 degreees up on the ridge. I decided to take Flint, even though he's not supposed to be exercising that much. We went up the loop road and then cut through the woods to walk along the ridge above the lake. Echo was thrilled to be running a new path and stayed ahead of us leading the way throughout the whole walk.

This is the top of the ridge looking out over the lake.

I knew Flint wouldn't be able to walk the whole way. I took off my scarf and made a sling, put it under his chest and over my shoulder. This way, he was balanced on my hip and the load was spread evenly. I could only carry him like this for about 200 yards. Richard also carried him. We tried to do it in places where the trail was rough or uphill and let him walk downhill and in low spots.

Once Flint realized he could get a free ride, he'd stop walking and wait for me to sling him up again! Richard and I carried him about four times before we made him walk the rest of the way to Mom and Pa's house. By the way, Flint weighs 53 pounds.

Two tired puppies! We stopped at Mom's to have a bit of birthday cake and give the dogs some water. In the 30 minutes we sat there, the temperature dropped 10 degrees, a wind kicked up and we came outside to wisps of fog and overcast skies! Richard and I hurried home in the cold and wind, surprised at the sudden change in weather.

I gave Flint a pain pill, doctored his wound a little to be sure it was okay, helped him onto the bed and he's been sacked out ever since. I expect to be doing more walks - the days are warming up and the housebuilding is slowing down! And Flint will need the exercise, too.

After I finished all that and we puttered around a little THIS is what we found when we looked outside again! SNOW!

Mom's Birthday!

2008-01-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

We had planned Mom's birthday party a couple times, but postponed based on people being unable to attend. Finally, we had it Sunday night. Richard grilled rib eye steaks using mesquite wood chips for flavor. I made sauted mushrooms, sauted squash, twice-baked potatoes and homemade sourdough bread. Dessert was birthday cake and ice cream, of course! Becky brought a 4 cake sample with carrot cake, red velvet cake, German chocolate cake and chocolate turtle cake. Some of us sampled it all LOL.

Mom blows out her candles - they say 29 because that's how old she says she is. Naturally I mixed up and had them as 92...I'm lucky I can run faster than Mom!

Mom reads her cards....surrounded by presents.

Mom loves the British TV show, HOW CLEAN IS YOUR HOUSE? She's wanted a pair of frou-frou gloves like Abby's for a while. I bought the gloves and put the fancy cuffs on them so she could clean house in style!

A good time was had by all.

Busy...

2008-01-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

Flint only had half his staples removed. Although he's healing well it's slower than the vet anticipated. He's very active and wants to run and play so we have to be careful he and Echo don't get too rough.

We took them for a walk in the woods today and he really enjoyed it. Towards the end he started getting cold and headed home. I went with him and Richard let Echo play for a bit more before coming in, too. Its about 7 degrees outside and the sun is shining. The grass was crunchy with ice and the air was pretty brisk, but no wind, so it was nice.

Mom is healing from her second cataract surgery. She is very happy to be able to see better, although she still has to wear the sunglasses for a while.

I'm still working on decluttering my office which is difficult due to the fact that a lot of my stuff is still out in the garage. I have binders, sheet protectors and file folders somewhere out there! I suppose I should go out there and haul in a few boxes today.

Echo and Flint last night waiting for supper.

Flint's Day...

2008-01-21T05:19:00.000-07:00

Today, Flint goes in to the vet to have his staple stitches removed. I expect he'll not be too happy. We've had to keep the cone on his head to keep him from chewing and I anticipate having to use it for another few days, too.

Flint is not a morning dog. He prefers sleeping until daylight. I woke him up to take a picture of him. Note the couch. That's his and Echo's sleeping spot in our bedroom. Initially, I was letting them sleep wherever they wanted, but on second thought I decided that if we had company, especially company who didn't like or was afraid of dogs, it might be better to have an assigned sleeping place with us. Flint sleeps there every night, but since his operation Echo has avoided sleeping there because he growls at her. I expect once he's healed they'll go back to the old arrangement.

Echo often will sit/sleep in a doorway or just behind me as if she's guarding me from everyone. I suppose in a dog pack that's pretty much what dogs do for the leader. Richard claims I am the undisputed Alpha dog in this household. Yay, me! LOL

Success!

2008-01-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to bake sourdough bread. I had a few false starts towards that goal that never seemed to work out. Well, now that I have time I've decided to try again.

My friend, ElizaBeth, gave me a friendship starter which I managed to kill. So when we moved into the house I started another one. I also mixed together a sourdough starter. The instructions off the Internet claimed when it was bubbly and frothy it was ready to use. That happened in about 10 days. However, it didn't have that sourdough yeast smell I'm used to from the San Francisco breads we bought when we lived there. More reading on the Internet confirmed that a good sourdough needs about 2 months to really acquire the flavor and smell. So I let it go another couple weeks. About a week ago I put in the flour and water and the smell was perfect. I finally had some time to devote to the task so yesterday I made sourdough pizza crust.

May I say WOW! It was perfect (okay, I skimped on the salt and immediately noticed, but really it was almost perfect!) I baked it in an electric oven on a pizza stone which I'd also never used even though I've owned it a gazillion years. I didn't have any meat so I made a veggie pizza - bell peppers, onions, olives and mushrooms, with homemade pizza sauce (1 small can of tomato paste, 1 can water, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt - slowly heat to boil, then turn off and apply to pizza crust). I topped with mozzerella cheese. Then I baked the whole thing together - pizza crust and toppings. If you want a crispier crust supposedly you cook the crust alone for a bit.

This is the SECOND pizza. We ate the first one all up! BTW, this second pizza was frozen without cooking - I put the whole thing together, froze it, thawed it out about an hour before and we ate this one for lunch today.

The starter:

1 large glass pyrex bowl with lid
1 cup flour
1 cup water

Mix well, cover with a lid. Every 24 hours, stir and feed the starter with a half cup of flour and a half cup water. Keep it in a warm area. Mine is on the back burners (not used) of my Corning glass stove top. The residual heat from cooking and baking on the front burners & oven kept it warm enough. Some days it'll be bubbly, some days it will have a clear liquid on top. Stir it all back in and keep going. In 10 days, you have a decent starter, but like I said, I wanted more of that sourdough yeast smell and taste, so I let it grow for 2 months.