Photos to go with previous blogs

One of our raised beds we were mixing soil filliing

what I see looking out Barb's window

pretty sunset at home

Don's dirty face after working with dirt in the fierce wind all day

another golden end to the day

unusual, cool cloud formations at sunset

almost looks like a tornado forming, doesn't it

"I wanna go, too, Mama"

"I can play Wii just like my bubba"

This is a typical Wally pose--He was always interested in what others had to say. He was the ultimate good listener.

Wally and Mom dancing on her 80th birthday.

I loved Wally in the hats he wore. He was such a treasure to us.

Barb and Carol's house I love this place!

Snowy woods beside their house

It is just so pretty outside. Quite different from our brown at home.

Update from New York

Wally and his son, Steven

Note: this blog was written Sunday (yesterday)


Right now I am on a plane headed for Chicago, then to Newark. Sure was not planning on this trip. We love going to New York but this is twice in a row we have gone for funerals of loved ones. We don’t like that--much prefer going for birthday parties.



Wally, Don’s step-dad, passed away yesterday. He was dearly loved by all of us--a real treasure. I always looked forward to chatting with him and seeing his beautiful smile. He was such a sweet heart. It just won’t be the same without him there to lighten up the room, crack a joke, or give his opinion on something. I feel blessed to have known him for the past 8 years. Mom and he were so very happy together.


We spent all day Saturday in Johnson City taking a CPR/AED/First Aid class for Red Cross. We have to have this class to drive the ERV and we just plain like having the skills and knowledge it teaches. I think everyone should have this course.



On our way home we got the news about Wally--so we knew we would be leaving today. Ran some errands in town then spent the rest of daylight finishing up tasks outside--like planting the two peach trees we bought at Sutherlands…..and the 20 asparagus plants that arrived in the mail..and just getting things set for Alisa to take over. We ran into her in Walmart so that worked out well. We were stocking up on ammo in Walmart as we are scheduled to take the Concealed Handgun course in a couple of weeks. But Walmart said as fast as they get ammo in it is bought up and they did not have any that we needed for our guns. I guess lots of folks are worried about the state of our country and what our President may do. Did you know that in part of his stimulus package is a clause that any schools or public facilities that receive money from this package can no longer rent to or allow a religious group to use their facility. So no more could churches hold services in a school gym or auditorium if that school receives funds from this stimulus bill. That package is so full, so many pages, no telling what other little clauses like this are lurking inside it. ok-I will get off my soap box now.


If you have a chance please go view my daughter Jenny’s new website and see all the awesome photos she has taken. It is http://www.sprinkleofgracephotography.com/ An awesome website. I think Jenny did a terrific job of expressing just what her photography business is all about and described her heart for expressing her creativity through photographs.


Almost to Chicago so I will close. Miss you all. I am so sad that I had to miss our gathering in Austin for Josh’s birthday. We were so looking forward to seeing those family members on the southern end of the state.



Ok--It is Monday morning now and I am sitting at Barb's breakfast table enjoying the beautiful view of the snow covered ground. The weather is sunny and gorgeous.

We left home at 5am Sunday after about 3 hours of sleep--so much stuff to do before we left and then to try to pack for really cold weather. Thank goodness Josh is a pilot and we get those flight privileges so we can easily leave on a moment's notice. Our flight was at 7:25--through Chicago instead of Dallas this time. We thought it would be nicer to break the flight time up into 2 - 2 hour segments rather that a short one and a really long one. Weather was gorgeous and looked good in Chicago so we took this one and we got to fly First Class. Wow! Was that nice--lots of good food, lots of room.

It was a great day of travel. And to top it off when we got on the train to take us to Pearl River, NY where Mom lives, we met up with niece Kim, arriving from Florida. We arrived at Mom's to a huge feast being prepared by two dear family friends, Judy(fondly known as Princess Judy) and Eileen (the owner of those gorgeous gardens I photographed last summer). Judy makes the most wonderful pasta sauce and Eileen made a huge, wonderful salad and the greatest, most garlic laden, garlic bread ever, and they topped it with fresh fruit to dip in a heavenly chocolate fondue. What a delicious way to show their love for Mom and all of the family. Mom was doing well and delighted to have all her children and dear friends surround her. Later in the evening Wally's son, Steven, arrived from Texas. It was a nice, warm family gathering. Just what Wally would have wanted. But I must say it was so nice to get to Barb's house and crawl into a warm bed and catch up on some sleep.

I must get out and take snow pictures. Us "girls" of the family are going to go out and "stimulate the economy" (go shopping). Barb is busy putting together a slide show of pictures of Wally. The wake is on Tuesday and the funeral on Wednesday.

Here is something interesting: In December Don and I watched that best movie of all time, SLEEPLESS IN SEATLE and I mentioned to him that I would love to be in New York City on Valentines Day. And now....the possiblity is here...we will see how it pans out. Wouldn't it be so cool to go up on the Empire State Building on the evening of Valentines Day?

More news from down on the farm...

Note: this blog was written Friday and just posted today. We are now in New York.


Today Don and I worked all day getting our raised garden beds ready to plant. We bought a pickup load of compost from the nursery down the road and mixed it with peat moss and coarse vermiculite. Sounds simple but it was not. We were using the stock tank/swimming pool as a mixing bowl and our feet and legs were the mixers. But the peat moss was all clumpy and we had to stomp on it to get it to crumble. So picture Lucy and Ethel stomping grapes. Talk about leg exercise--try walking around in knee deep planting mix kicking it around and mixing it up. And all this being done with 15-25 mph winds with gusts higher than that. It was crazy.
But we got it done. Filled the 4’x4’ asparagus bed, the 4’x12’ bed, and most of the 4’ x 24’ bed. They look so pretty and nice.

Also, that same day my next shipment of fruit trees arrived so I planted 3 plums, 1 apricot, 1 pomegranate, and Don planted the two pecan trees and 10 blackberry vines.

And then I tackled my chicken problem. Moved the three girls who insist on setting into a separate pen and used dog crates for their nesting boxes (so I can lock them up safe from predators at night). Moved them eggs, nest, and all --boy, were they ticked off-- they all had a giant hissy fit. It was like they were telling the rest of the chickens they were being violated so the whole barnyard got involved and carried on squawking their heads off loudly. But now they have settled down and seem happy in their new quarters. It is much nicer to gather the eggs without getting my hand pecked when reaching under them to swipe the fresh eggs other hens lay in their nests.

So that is the news from down on the farm.

Yahoo Groups and some other stuff..........

Don had been telling me for months that I ought to check out gardening groups or photography groups or anything--just take a look at all the groups available on Yahoo groups. Well, I ignored this until one day over Christmas when I was sick and had not energy to do anything but surf on the net. So I checked out the groups--oh, man, there is every interest imagainable. I went crazy and joined about 7 groups--gardening, homesteading, frugal living, and some preparedness and survival groups. I must confess I have mostly been a "lurker"--just reading the posts and not sending in my own. I have commented on a few but mostly just read. They are all so interesting and informative. Really have enjoyed them.

Most of them are Christian groups. Read a lot of scary stuff on many of them--fears of what lies ahead for us in America because of the economy and of course, Obama. I really struggle as I want so badly for Obama to be a good president--and govern with integrity and the best interests of our nation at heart. I pray for him and I will support him and do my best to think the best of him.....but I am watching him like a hawk, too. There is just something in me that does not trust him. Yet, I really really hope I am proved wrong here.
But to go on, I hear lots of things on these groups and I fear of passing them on to my family and friends as I do not want to be thought of as a kook or fearful or paranoid or crazy or pessimistic. I am not afraid. I know and trust my Lord and I KNOW He is in control of everything and I am safe in his hand. But does that mean that I just sit back and do nothing and let what may come, just come. Is it wrong to want to be prepared and wise to the best of my ability and to warn others to do the same? We have many seperate issues going on here--the collapse of economies worldwide; war and terrorism; Obama. So even if Obama is an outstanding , wonderful president he cannot control the other two. So I just think we all need to be wise, aware, pay attention to the news and what is going on in the world, pay attention to what goes on around you. By this I mean--listen to lots of things--what are people saying,?are those around you losing their jobs? do you no notice bare spaces on grocery shelves?, are more and more major companies going under each day? how does the dollar compare to other currencies? are more of the rights we used to take for granted being taken away--even in the name of national security? Just pay attention--that is all I am saying. Pray for God to give you wisdom. Buy a few extra groceries each week and stash them away. Keep cash on hand. Keep your gas tank filled. Work hard to get out of debt. The best way I know of to think of this is to pretend a hurricane is coming your way and it is likely you will be out of power for a couple of weeks and that all stores and gas stations will be closed. Could you survive for those two weeks on what you have at home? Where would you get water? How would you stay warm? How would you communicate with loved ones? Do you have a battery radio so you can stay informed as to what is going on? Do you have enough diapers? formula? baby foods? your food? pet food? another way to cook besides electricity? Everyone should have one or two out of area--preferably out of state family contact for emergencies. Often, for whatever reason it is easier to reach someone far away than across town in emergencies. We should have someone out of state that can take messages and relay them for us. I suggest for our family we use Barbara Barlow in New York or Chris Elder in Florida--Don's sisters who are listed on the family address sheet I emailed everyone. And everyone should fork out the $29 for a weather radio and put batteries in it NOW. That is an emergency broadcasting station, too, for your local area for emergencies other than weather.
I am just going to start posting (at the risk of my family calling the little guys in white coats) anything I come across that bears hearing. You can do with it what you want. I just don't think I could live with myself to just keep quiet and let my loved ones be surprised by events that I think are quite likely. The main one being food shortages. Frankly, I think all of us would be wise to try to grow at least a little bit of food--or at least buy some seeds to keep on hand (non-hybrid ones). That's all for today. (please don't think I'm crazy)

Busy, busy, busy down on the farm

I have been away again--from blogging, not home--for far too long. We have just been real busy around the ole' homestead. Both Don and I are deep into "homesteading mode". We want to grow lots of our own food so we know where it is coming from and that it is safe and that it is real food. I am really into growing heirloom vegetables--the good old varieties that have not been messed with by Monsanto and genetically altered. They should taste better and just be unique. As I mentioned in my New Year's goals, I would love to be able to grow and sell heirloom tomatoes. So this year will kind of be my trial year--I am planting about 18 different varieties and will try to keep records of which one do best and that we like the best and then zero in on those. We are going to plant just about every other vegetable imaginable, too.
Don has been busy building us garden beds as we are using the Square Foot garden approach. This is where you plant intensely (close together) in 4x4 size beds. So far we have a 6x7' bed that I planted last fall with winter vegetables. Yea, it is off size but we found it in the barn at the ranch and it was designed to dovetail together so we used it as is. It is a bit hard to reach across to the middle but I can live with it. All our lettuce, onions, spinach, chard is growing nicely but the brocoli did not do so well. I think I will have to use transplants next fall instead of direct sowing.
So back to Don's building..he built us a 4x24' bed; a 4x12' bed, and a 4x4' bed all of which share the space inside the old pig pen (the one with the chainlink fence around it back of the goat pen). But I still want one more 4x12' bed so we are going to fence a little area off next to this area and add some more room. It is hard figuring out just where to plant everything so that something does not shade something else, etc. I think I have it all figured out on paper.....now I need to start planting my little peat pots so things will be ready to set out in April. I have stacks of gardening books and seed catalogs all over the kitchen table. Have all my seeds bought. I ran into a great deal last week at Ace Hardware--all their last year seeds were 10 cents each and they had lots of the heirloom varieties in there and lots of flower seeds too, so I went kind of crazy and came home with a whole bag of seeds. If you keep them cool and dry seeds will last for years.
I also decided we needed to revive our old orchard, too, so ordered a dozen fruit and nut trees. Six of the fruit trees came in last week and we got them planted. There were 1 plum, 2 peach, 1 apricot, and two Apricot/Plum crosses--1 called an Aprium and the other a Pluot. I love apricots and plums. Then I have some more plums, apricots, pecans, and a pomegranite tree coming in early February. I also want to buy locally a Loring peach (my favorite) and a fig tree.
And we ordered six blackberry vines to plant where grapes used to be in the orchard and 20 asparagus crowns to put in that 4x4' bed. Asparagus is a perennial that should last 12 years or more.
We also accomplished something else on my goal list: got three cats spayed and their shots and got rid of two wild feral cats. So now we have only 1 cat on the place that is not fixed--she is a wild one that lives under the old white pickup. She is tough to catch but we sure want to do it before she adds more kittens to our lot. Now we just need to get our older cats caught up on their shots and we will be up to speed. Also need to haul the billy goat, the two mamas and their 4 babies back to the ranch. It is getting too expensive to feed them all here. That will leave us with 3 pregnant goats, 1 pregnant ewe, and 1 ram.
It is so so dry here--not a blade of anything green. The chickens get let out of their pen after noon and love to roam and scratch and are roaming farther and farther in search of food. We have got to figure out a way to let them out to scratch and range but keep them contained somehow, too. Right now, they don't do much harm but I would like to plant some muskmelons and watermelons and corn and pumpkins in the orchard, too, and they would really make a mess of that.
So that is some of what we have been up to lately and what has kept me from blogging. But today is drizzly, cloudy day--the kind it is nice to stay inside and blog kind of day so I will add more in next blog.

Happy

I am so happy. Last Sunday Don and I visited a new church--Hill Country Fellowship in Burnet. We have been feeling the call to find a new church home for some time now. That is so hard. But when we walked into this church we knew we were home. We both loved it. God was there. We loved the worship, the preaching, the pastor and other leaders. It was all about Jesus and praising Him--no agendas, no programs, just people gathering to love the Lord togeether. So we now have a new church home. And even though the church is in Burneet, there is a home group that meets just about 2 miles away. We saw so many old friends--it was like coming home again. We sat next to Ronnie and Jodie Waggoner and Stefani Powell. I am just so excited about getting involved there.
Can't remember if I blogged this earlier but back in December I went to a community Christmas program--MESSIAH--by myself as Don was sick. I just love Christmas music and this was directed by my friend, Barbara Bend, and it was so wonderful. And I ran into two old friends from home schooling days--Suzan Leggett and Stefani Powell. We had such a good visit and they invited me to a book club they have started that includes some of my other old friends. I am so excited to be getting together with some women friends once a month. The book we are discussing this month is THE MEMORY KEEPERS DAUGHTER. Anyone read it?
I have started my own little workout using a book I ordered from Amazon. I like it. I am also trying to walk everyday with Don--we have a 2 mile route--and I want to work out on my cardioglide 3 days a week. I already feel better. And I want to follow the Superfoods RX eating plan. BUT......my sweet tooth is hollering something awful. I just crave sweets. I am going to have to give all those Christmas goodies leftover to the chickens tomorrow to save myself.
So I am feeling energized and ready for the new year. But I gotta go to bed now. Night, night

Grandkids at Christmas time

Mason and the string of fish he caught with Pop-pop in our pond.

Pop-pop and his fishermen

Rebecca

Elizabeth

Grant, the "I-refuse-to-wear-shoes" boy, loves being outdoors.

Star football player, Blaine, runs to catch a pass in a football game with daddy and his uncles.

Hayden and his grandma

Hayden things Mason bouncing a ball is the funniest thing ever.

Beauty

Thought I would share some photos I took of the sunset tonight and some birds at my feeder.

2009

This is the year:

1. I will lose 20 pounds and keep it off. (had to start with that one, right?)



2. I will have a quiet time with the Lord early each morning and continue to chat with Him throughout my day.



3. I will eat healthier. I will concentrate on eating the Super foods.



4. I will walk two miles at least 4 times a week and do a workout 4 times a week.



5. I will be active in our new church--Hill Country Fellowship



6. I will grow heirloom vegetables and practice organic gardening methods. I will work hard to learn how to be a better gardner and grow more of our own food.



7. I will plant more fruit trees.



8. I will learn more about animal husbandry--especially chickens, goats and sheep. I will develop a market for my fresh eggs.



9. I will get all our cats fixed.



10. I will get caught up on all the animals vaccinations.



11. Don and I will finish the ranch fence so that our animals have access to entire ranch.



12. I will find ways to volunteer and be more active in my community.


13. I will plant lots of flowers.


14. I will improve in my photography skills.


15. I will spend more time with my family and friends.


16. I will play games more.


17. I will pray that together Don and I will develop a home farm business that will produce an income, delight us and our customers, bring families together, help others and bring us all closer to the land and to God. I pray for God to lead us to something akin to the strawberry farm--an activity/business that could complement that enterprise.


18. I will work hard at learning to remember people's names.


19. I would like to write more and improve my writing skills.


20. I would like to read more for pleasure and relaxation.


21. I would like to be more confident with my cooking and invite others over more.


22. I will strive to have positive thoughts, a cheerful countenance, and gracious speech.


23. I will have an attitude of gratitude. I will make a habit of sittin' in the sunshine and counting my blessings.


24. I want to have a teachable spirit and to accept criticism graciously and to learn from my mistakes. I want to be quick to recognize my faults and repent. I want to be quick to forgive and difficult to offend.


25. I will practice building up and encouraging others. I will smile more.


26. I will fight for my country to remain a Godly nation.


27. I will be alert, vigilant, and informed on any attempts to destroy the rights and freedoms given to Americans in our constitution.


28. And the only reason I might succeed in any of these resolutions is because: I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.

Happy New Year

I'm glad to be in the new year. I love Christmas and we had a wonderful one but I am glad to get back to normal life....whatever that is. Yet, at the same time it is a bittersweet parting. The house looks so sad and lifeless without the Christmas lights and decorations. And it is so quiet (after having grandkids here for five days). I loved having everyone around--both at Tammie's for Christmas and here at home for New Years. We played lots of games but the best by far was our New Year's eve game of Capture the Flag. Tammie and I rocked! One of us captured the flag in each of the three games. We showed those youngsters how to play. Adam would be so proud of us--yet so mad if he was on the opposing team. It was great fun.
Seemed that most of us went through the stomach bug, too, at some point during the holidays. We share everything in this family.
I am sitting in front of a nice roaring fire on this very cold, rainy evening. We have had our woodstove for nearly 30 years but it never drew really well so if you left the doors open smoke would fill the room. We got the chimney worked on and it draws so much better now that I can open the front doors to the stove and put on the firescreen that came with it and it is like a fireplace. I love it. Sitting on my new couch, cozy by the roaring fire, surrounded by several sleeping cats, and catching up on the blogs. Doesn't get much better than this.
But then.....the telephone rang and it was the Burnet sheriff calling us about a house fire in Granite Shoals--10 people lived in the trailer that burned to the ground--thankfully, none were home when it happened. So looks like we will have to out in the cold and wet and do our Red Cross duty.
I will try to be better at blogging. It is just that sometimes my life seems so uninteresting. I am not being a snob, or lazy, just hate to be boring.

Merry Christmas

I feel like such a slaker--so long since I blogged. I just lead a dull, quiet life and feel I have nothing too interesting to say. Have just been enjoying being home for a long spell and puttering around the house. I love this time of year with all the weather changes--you sure don't get bored with the same ole weather. Have had so many gorgeous days to spend outdoors doing stuff. And today----Brrrrrrr! It is nasty cold outside. I am sitting next to the woodstove enjoying the warmth, cozyness, and pretty Christmas lights of my little village. I'm surrounded by sleeping cats and listening to Christmas music. I love it.
We have two new additions to our barnyard. Don went out to feed early Saturday morning and there were twin baby goats. They are so sweet. And I think we will soon have more by the looks of our other nannies.... We went down to the ranch yesterday to check on everything there. The sheep and goats all looked good but were glad to get the food and treats we brought them. The creek still has lots of water, springs are still flowing, and there seems to be enough grass to keep the critters going--they all looked good. We cleaned up the cabin and yard and gathered some firewood to bring home. Was a nice warm day to be out there. Saw a huge flock of wild turkeys cross our land and quite a few deer.
We will spend Christmas at Tammie and Jess's home this year along with Beki and Josh and Kara. The Wilde family will be down the week before Christmas for our Christmas with them. I looks to be a quiet but wonderful Christmas. I only put out a small table size tree this year because of Dickens, our kitten. She is a wild thing and into everything. She knocked my bird in his cage into the bathtub yesterday. The whole world is a playground to her. So far, my little tree has not been abused too badly.
So thats my news for now. Don and I have both been sickly the past week or so--bad colds and Don has a nasty cough. He gets this crud every year about this time when the cold fronts start rolling in--plus it is just so awful dusty and dry right now.
Will try to not go so long without blogging in the future.

I AM THANKFUL

These are some of the things for which I am thankful:


• that I belong to Jesus



• to live in the United States of America



• freedom



• Don


• all my children


• the wonderful spouses of my children


• all my grand-children


• all of Don's family



• a warm, safe home to live in



• plenty of food to eat



• a nice car to drive



• our ranch



• all of our animals



• a hot shower



• no debt



• land to grow things



• good friends



• the beauty and intricacies of God's creation



• the Bible



• books



• flowers



• that I can hear the songs of birds, laughter, water falling, a loved ones voice, the winter wind, children playing, babies babbling, thunder, our windmill, music, and all the wonderful sounds of life.



• that I can see the faces of my loved ones, all the colors of nature, autumn leaves, flowers, deep blue oceans, colorful birds and animals, mountain vistas, the printed word, photos and paintings, big cities and rural landscapes, home, clothes hanging on the clothesline, windmills, fields of cotton, my chickens---just everything



• that I can smell a wood fire on the hearth, snickerdoodles baking, puppy breath, freshly mowed grass, the sea, a baby's head, my husband's aftershave, grubby little boys, the fresh earth in spring, bluebonnets, honeysuckle, home, a new book, a new car, the barn, Ink's lake



• my parents



• my good health


• time together with family


• for all the people in our military who preserve our freedoms


• for all those people who serve to help others


• for our forefathers in America who sacrificed to form this nation and give us the freedoms and prosperity we have today. I am thankful that they honored God and established a Christian nation.


• I am thankful for life.

GOD IS SO GOOD!

Thank you, Lord

I have been so sad thinking that Josh and Kara would not get to be with us this Thanksgiving because Whole Foods was open on Thanksgiving and she would have to work. I mean, Josh actually had the whole holiday time off from flying which is a miracle in itself so that made it doubly hard to take.

So I have been praying diligently for God to make a way for them to come. I was hoping maybe she would get Friday off so they could at least come be with everyone even if they had to miss the Thanksgiving meal. But God (as He always does) gave me far more than I was hoping for and Kara was scheduled OFF for Thanksgiving so they will get to come on Wednesday and spend all day Thursday with us. I am so excited and so happy. EVERYONE in our family but Brian and family in Colorado will get to be at Thanksgiving. I can't believe it. I am so thrilled. Thank you, thank you, God. You continually delight my heart.

And oh, the pictures I will take.........

Lord, I just praise you for your goodness and deep love for us, your children. I thank you for this upcoming holiday time to be together and to remember all the many things we are thankful for--just how very blessed we are. You are our God and we love you and honor you. I pray, Lord, for protection and safety for all of us and we travel back and forth to San Angelo. Please keep us all safe and secure in the shadow of your wings. And may this time of thanksgiving bring us all closer to one another and closer to you. In Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray. Amen

Instructions

Ok-so I had lots of free time on my hands to blog today. Photos will make more sense if you scroll to the bottom to my first post titled Thoughts from New York and read in chronological order ending with the pics.

About photos--I had a nice slide show madeup on that place I have always used but could not get it to download to my blog. I wonder if they are on the "outs" with blogger or something because it was not the same easy download as always before. So I just added some photos to my blog myself--but I am not too good at lining them up nicely. Desperately need some help from Jenny on this. Hope you enjoy the photos anyway. I took hundreds--it is just so incredibly colorful and pretty here--I cannot get enough.

More New York photos

We celebrated our anniversary at Babe's with family. Josh/Kim in forefront.

Can you see the skyline of New York City?

wild geese on the reservoir we walk to

hills near Barb's house

House on island in Brant Lake

Don's family's camp house at Brant Lake

colorful country lane

mist over mountains near our B&B

really old cemetary and pretty farm

Autumn in New York

our B&B

Lake George

What I Love about the Northeast

Don and I took a couple of days to drive up into the Adirondacks to celebrate our 5th anniversary. These are a few of the things I love about the northeast--namely New York state--especially in the Hudson River valley, the Catskills and the Adirondacks. We followed route 9W along the Hudson River, through Albany and to our destination of Brant Lake. As a child, Don and his family spent every summer on Brant lake in a little camp house they owned. Those are his favorite childhood memories. I will post pictures when I get home. The autumn leaves were breathtaking. We had sunshine, rain and snow flurries in our two day travels. Stayed a night in a countryside Bed and Breakfast and had a wonderful time. Following are bullets listing my favorite things in the north.

• small delis everywhere
• old, old cemetaries
• old buildings with great architecture and character
• mom and pop groceries
• family owned butcher shops, bakeries, hardware stores
• general stores that have not changed too much
• very, very few Walmarts
• Dunkin Donuts coffee--tell them coffee with milk and sugar and you get the best cup ever
• lots of small, local bars and grills--you know, nice friendly neighborhood hang-outs where you can share your troubles with friends over a cold beer and a hot sandwich.
• Sam Adam's Octoberfest beer--ok--, I have drank more beer here than the rest of the year put together--but it is so good--one at a time will do me--but I really have come to love this Octoberfest beer.
• Farmer's Markets--with big bushels of all kinds of apples--varieties we never hear of back home. And crates of assorted weird shaped squash, and pears, and tons of pumpkins--really giant ones and little baby ones and lots of fall flowers everywhere.
• fresh apple cider
• Diners--they are known for their diners here and I love them. Just plain, good down home food served in a local atmosphere.
• many small old-time motor courts--like from the 50's--and places with quaint little cabins in the woods to rent
• snow flurries
• chimneys with smoke coming out of them
• front porches--everyone here decorates for autumn--lots of scarecrows, pumpkins, autumn wreaths, Halloween decor, shocks of corn, Indian corn
• Adirondack chairs
• town halls
• all the small towns and villages have character--not generic like so many of our cities--they are quaint, homey, and show community pride
• downtowns that are still vibrant and alive--old buildings are treasured and still in use
• old (one movie) movie theatres and even drive-in theatres are still functioning
• American flags--so many houses and buildings fly the flag
• bandstands in town parks
• Firemen's Parades
• old rock houses and rock bridges
• trains
• basements
• big old barns
• colorful carpets of leaves
• friendly folk
• clocks in each downtown area
• very old churches with tall steeples and bell towers--lots of them
• old family businesses that just keep going still run by same family for generations
• family owned Italian restaurants with REALLY good, REAL Italian food
• Birch trees
• stacks of firewood
• cute cottage homes
• big Victorian houses
• roller rinks
• Canadian geese
• lots of small lakes and reservoirs
• the beautiful Hudson River
• Schroon river
• Brant Lake--and the tiny island with a big old house on it
• that Mead's Camp where Don spent his summers has changed so little in the past 45 years
• woods of tall pines, white burches, and colorful maples
• maple sugar operations
• the sandy soil around the lakes and pines
• the chance of seeing a moose
• lanterns and snowshoes hanging from the ceiling in hardware stores
• wooden chainsaw-carved moose on the sides of roads
• Rexall drug stores--(they still exist)
• Chestnut street---every town has one

Thoughts from New York

I thought I would wait until I got home to write this post but found some time today and I need to write so please bear with me.

Don and I came to New York October 13 for a very sad tragedy in the family. The son of Don's sister Claudia was killed in a motorcycle accident. Tommy was only 23 years old, a senior in college. What a horrible shock for us all. Claudia is a mother who poured her life into her two kids. She was a single parent most of the time. She loved Tommy as deeply as any mother could and went through some really tough times with him.

Tommy was not the easiest person to like--especially when I first met him when he was 15 and a surly, obnoxious teenager who treated adults with great disrespect. But as he grew and matured he changed and became much more likeable and we looked forward to seeing him on our visits up here. He was the kind of person who could talk to anyone and would debate with you over issues as long as you could last. Don and I were on a different page than he was on many issues but he would still listen to us, then give his side. We were just different--Tommy wanted to make lots of money, look perfect, never age, and have the best of everything. I don't think he could ever understand us but I know he still loved us and respected us. Tommy had many friends who spent much time hanging out at his house--Claudia always had the best snacks on hand, a full candy dish, and an open door. Tommy's domain was their basement so they had a great private hangout.

How do you ever reconcile the death of a young person? All we can do is look at the good aspects of it. Tommy left the house that Sunday to go riding with his friend, Rob, in a beautiful mountainous area on a gorgeous fall afternoon. He was doing what he loved to do. Earlier in their ride they had stopped to visit with two other riders whom they did not know but just had the common love of biking to share. But as fate would have it two of these boys would meet a couple of hours later in a fatal crash. Tommy and Rob were making a u-turn after stopping to rest for a bit--the boy they had met earlier was speeding down the road in excess of 100mph and we think Tommy must have not seen him as he pulled out so he was t-boned by the speeding cyclist. Both boys were killed instantly--the other boy only 24. Tommy's friend, Rob, witnessed the whole thing and tried to give CPR to Tommy and help him. An awful experience and memory that will forever be etched in Rob's mind. He is really struggling right now and needs all of our prayers.
But back to the more positive things to think on. No ugly harsh words were said when Tommy left--thank goodness he did not leave in anger or on a bad note--in fact, the last thing he was doing was playing Wii bowling with his little 5 year old step niece whom he loved so much. He had earlier spent time with his Dad and their departure was a hug and I love you. He was doing well, about to graduate college and move out on his own. The accident was not his fault and he was doing nothing wrong--just the wrong place at the wrong time. As bad as this was, it could have been so much worse.

What have I learned from this? Not to judge a person for what you see on the outside in just a few short visits. There was so much more depth to Tommy than I ever saw--because I was wrong--I did not make much effort to look deeper. He touched so many, many people in his short life. There must have been between 500-700 people who came to the wake--each having special stories of how Tom had touched their lives. And he had friends. Many really good, true friends who were devastated by their loss. They have all vowed to be the "big brother" now to Courtney, his little sister, who loved him so much. They have even declared they will take over his job of mowing his grandparents yard each week and helping out Claudia all they can. Neighbors who Claudia did not even know, came and told how friendly and helpful Tommy had always been to them--how he always stopped to talk and see if they needed anything. What a tribute to Tommy and a gift to his family to hear all these kind, wonderful things said about Tommy.

So I learned that it is so important not to just discount people because of their brusk, arrogant manner or because they don't have the exact same values as you do--but dig deeper, really get to know them, give them a chance--find out who they really are. We miss out on so much by simply dismissing those who are "prickly" or difficult. That was something else--nearly everyone who spoke about Tommy mentioned how difficult he was and what a jerk he could be at times--they all knew and experienced this side of him but they accepted it because they saw the other parts of him as well. They loved him through the difficult times and periods of his maturing. We laughed and enjoyed so many of the tales told by his friends as they came to the house to help console Claudia and the family. What great friends! What a great family Tommy had. He lived such a full life--short as it was--he packed it full and he lived it "his way". He will be greatly missed.


Throughout this time I have seen God at work--his mercy and grace. Kim, Don's niece from Florida, had just gotten engaged to a young man who is the youth pastor at her church. Claudia asked Josh if he would say a prayer and help with the funeral service. Josh did such an awesome job (what a way to be introduced to your new family) in learning about Tommy from his friends and family and just leading a great service for him. Was a tough position to be in but we could see God using him. Claudia has many good friends and fellow teachers who are there for her as well as a strong family. So many praying for her. God will bring good out of this tragedy.


Thank you for all your prayers. And the last thing I have learned is to ALWAYS let your loved ones know how much you love them, and do not depart each other on a harsh note or with things left unsaid. Remember that words are containers of power--what you say does matter--words have great power for good and for bad--so watch what you say or write. Tommy wrote some really negative words on his facebook--"Life's a bitch and then you die" and he always said he did not want to grow old. Just be careful what you declare with your words. Be positive. Speak good things into your lives and those of your loved ones. Phillipians 4:8,9 Be real, be who you are and love each other with abandon. Treasure each moment and don't put off important things til later. Make the most of each moment, each visit. Life is so short, so fragile. Embrace it and live each day to the fullest. And to all my children--I love each of you so very much and am so proud of each and every one of you--in-laws and mine--I love you all the same--you are my family and I treasure each one of you. You have blessed me more than you could possibly know. And I thank you for each and every beautiful, wonderful grand child you have given me. What a treasure family is, my family, Don's family, all of my kid's extended families; friends who we have adopted as family--I treasure them all and they have blessed me so. Don't ever take family for granted. Treasure every moment you have together and don't neglect getting together. Time is precious, don't waste it on stuff that does not matter. I think it is really good to occasionally ask yourself: "If I knew today was my last day on earth, how would I spend this day?". But most of all--get yourself right with God. Does he know you love Him and that He is Lord of your life? Do you spend time daily just being with Him and talking to Him? Do you know how much God loves you and wants to be part of your daily life?

Ok--I better stop now as tears are beginning to come. Have a grand day.

Down on the Farm

Have you ever tried to snatch 4 baby guineas away from their mama and her 3 companions? Let me tell you it is quite an adventure. You see, mama guinea had been sitting on her nest by the front water faucet for quite some time. I would forget she was there and walk over to turn on the water only to be rushed at by a squawking, menacing bird who looked like she would tear me apart. Well, one morning I noticed she was not on the nest and there were several broken shells so I looked for the guineas and saw mama with 4 little ones trying their best to keep up with her. From past experience I knew that guineas were not very good mothers--they tended to lose their babies in the tall grass and just go on off without them and they would die from fire ants or some other predator. So I wanted to save these little ones. Don came out to "watch my back" while I tried to scoop up the little ones. All four guineas were making a huge ruckus--these birds can be VERY noisy. I was chasing the babies, mama was chasing me, while Don was playing defense--it was scary--but I managed to snatch them and put them in a bucket and make it to the garage safely. Put them in our little chicken nursery while the big guineas were still going off and circling the house and garage with loud chatter. Got the babies under a heat lamp and gave them a drink of water and they settled down to sleep.
The next day I happened to notice another baby with mama and scooped it up, too. We had not thought about more hatching. So Don and I carefully gathered the remaining eggs and put them in with the babies under the heat lamp. Long story short we now have 10 baby guineas. And I think Mama has forgotten all about them as she does not pay me any mind at all.
We also discovered new kittens. Just as we get our cat population down to an almost manageble number more appear. I got the kittens and put them in the big dog crate cage on backporch so I could tame them. If we let them stay with their mamas they are wild and feral and we can only trap them. These were sweet, calm ones so they tamed easy. We already found homes for two of them. Now if we can find a home for the last one--then trap the mama and get her fixed--along with another teenage cat--then I think we may have everyone fixed.
It is good to be back home and with our animals. I just love it.