California Gets Her Kind of Snow!

Looking straight up from our driveway~
love this beautiful walnut tree.

Our next door neighbor's front yard

Yesterday I went outside to walk to the mailbox. I had my phone and ended up being out there for quite some time. I love this beautiful season, it just makes my heart sing. Everything is so crisp and beautiful and the brilliant colors ease the gloominess of gray days. The following are some photos of a few of the days during the season that I have been collecting to share with you.



This tree is on the property across the road from us that was at one time owned by Jim's grandparents. It was long before we lived here and that has been 33 years. I wonder if this tree was standing in their front yard when Jim's Dad was a boy?

Found on the old homestead on the
side yard of what was their home.

The yard across the street from theirs and near ours.

The Chinese Elm that shades part of our home

And covers everything with "snow" leaves.
Stepping outside the door is very crunchy!

Our Back Porch

Our side yard

The path to the Man Shed out in
the backyard on this dark gray day.

The canopy that hugs our roof right now~coziness!

Looking down on the family room
from the upper part of the yard.

It has been snowing leaves around here.
Our kind of snow for sure!

And today I am thankful for all our blessings!
It is a beautiful fall day
And we are all so blessed!

Chandeliers and Bobcats Are Us

Clifford, Jim and Bob

I think I have mentioned before that we do not have any pets. Oh, we have had our share in the past but since the last cat passed to another owner, we have chosen not to recommit. We do have lots of deer that live here with us and other wild life so we don't really miss having a little furry something or other to take care of as we once did.

However, things have changed as you can see...do meet Jim's new cat, Bob! A year ago about this time I was starting to wonder and worry about what retirement might be like for James. Well, can I just say, I have never seen him happier than he is right now. This pet of his turns this mature, retired guy into a gleeful little boy! When he jumped up on it and started tractoring around here all I can say is I have never seen him like that! And I could not be happier for him. He has never really wanted any "thing" if you know what I mean. Every occasion, and holiday I struggle with something he might like. Well, finally he has something he really wanted and I am thrilled.

I think it is great...he is much more practical than me with my chandelier (Viva la Difference!) He has been able to accomplish so much with Bob. He started to dig a pad to place a raised floor on peers and completed this entire project in less than a week. If he had had to dig it out and hand grade it, it never would have happened. It was just too back breaking and time consuming to even consider. Dave came over to help him and this project happened in the blink of an eye it seems.

After the grading he put in this nice

retaining wall to hold back all the dirt.

Then he did all the framing for the raised floor.

The next thing I knew, look
what he and Dave had done.

10x12 ft of storage space.

I love the little window and the
nice venting and the barn doors.

It is a nice place to keep things that you
just don't want sitting out in the weather.

He did a ton of research and got a really nice unit. He is just improving things around here daily. I love it. The best part is, he is really enjoying himself. God bless him, he thinks hard work is fun!

One of James' famous sayings is, "It doesn't get any better than this!" I tend to believe him, he is always genuine about the proclamation. And since we have our new pet, I am hearing it a lot more often. And his face is pretty smiley all the time too!

March Madness...

The ground cover is all so perky from all the water.

Here it is March 31st already. March was a busy, rainy month around these parts. I found a few random photos I thought I'd share. One of the upshots of the rain is the ground cover around the house is so pretty and the moss grows like crazy on the bricks and along the road side by our mailbox.

The moss is that electric, apple green that is always so beautiful in the spring. The rising water table keeps everything very healthy looking all summer with the help of the automatic sprinklers.


A few weeks ago we had some rather large storms roll through and one of them knocked over a tree in our front yard. The tree was kind of a wispy one, and was probably about 20 feet tall. It seemed little by comparison to some in this yard, but it was a lot of work for Jim.

Jim loves getting out the power tools!

I am so thankful it wasn't a really large branch off one of the big trees though. There are times when those giant trees really scare me when that old wind starts to blow. We have always been blessed during the storms, but it can be a worrisome bother. The trees all have such intricate roots systems that are intertwined, but the branches can crack and fall. We have been very blessed in that department, thank heavens. We know of several people that had much larger trees fall in these storms.

I wish I had thought to take some pictures early in the clean up process. Poor Jim was out in the pouring rain trying to get it all cleaned up. Here he is just cutting up the last of it. He is such a hard worker, I love that. And I do get a kick out of his Little Boo Peep hat!


I took these picture through my office window so he was unaware. He cut up some of the trunk of the tree for his mom's little family room fireplace. He is a very thoughtful son and takes good care of her every need! On top of all the work he does for her he spends a couple hours with her, mother and son one on one time, every single Monday. I would love to have that kind of time with Chris. What a blessing for her.

Hiking up the driveway to put the tools
away and clean up. He still doesn't
know I am taking his photos through the window.

He finally saw me and cracked a little smile.
He loves it when I take pictures of him working.
Love the Grampa scruff,
it is very early in the morning at this point in the day!
It is quite a good thing that I did not
turn the camera on myself!

Cali Snow Show

The path to the Man Shed on this dark gray day.

The canopy that hugs our roof right now~coziness!

Photos by Jim-Bobblehead this morning!
Origin of Jim's new nickname link

Looking down on the family room
from the upper part of the yard.

It has been snowing leaves around here.
Our kind of snow for sure!

And today I am thankful for all our blessings!
It is a beautiful fall day but...

Inside the house...
it is beginning to look a
lot like Christmas!

Can you see the cute little
partridge in my pear tree?

My friend, Sydne, who is a floral designer made it for me! She is another of my friends that has moved about a hundred miles away...She oozes talent from every pore! She is having her annual
boutique in Folsom (Of Johnny Cash fame, the town not the prison!) this year. I am not getting a thing (in case Jim reads this) but I really want to see her! A friend of mine is in the boutique so it might just become a reality! Woohoo!

A Simple Woman's Daybook~July 5, 2010

To join in focusing on the simple things and pleasures of your daily life or to read other people's entries, you can click here.

So, For Today...Monday & Tuesday, July 5/6, 2010

Outside my window...something new...the sun is going down. Jim and I have had our first day of unencumbered retirement. It was busy but very nice. We woke up at 6:15, in other words, we slept in for a Monday. Awesome. It has been a beautiful breezy warm day, not hot, just right.

I am thinking...this past week was really crazy busy. I got my root canal, so the pain is gone and so is my insurance for the year. Bummer. So now tomorrow I will do the crown prep and pay full price. Double bummer but pain talks like no other, so I am thankful to be having it all behind me tomorrow.

A friends of ours died and Jim and I worked on the funeral luncheon on Saturday. So were gone for 5 hours we hadn't planned on, on our day to prep for the 4th. But you work it out, work a little harder, get up a little earlier, work a little later and get it done. And you feel grateful to have been able to help someone in need.

I am thankful for..our three days in Yosemite with our wonderful son, Chris, after Jim had a perfect last day of work on Tuesday.

From the learning room...when you have a birthday you should rejoice that the Lord has given you another year on earth. I turned 63 this week and our friend that died was 69. I have always liked birthdays, even mine. Jim and Chris ( I was with them on my actual birthday) and many others made it a very wonderful one!

I am reading...Book 4 in the Zion Covenant Series by Bodie Theone. Jerusalem Interlude. And the Thornbirds and The Book Thief.

From the kitchen...Many leftovers from yesterday but we are having something light for dinner. Too much rich food lately...trying to get back to normal.

I am wondering...if I'll lose all my readers as I sort thorough 500 Yosemite photos and get adjusted to life with hubby home all day long. So far it has been wonderful but I don't have as much time for blogging now because I don't get up at 4:00 am any more. But Jim does a good share of the things round the house with me so that should free up more discretionary time in our shorter days. I just have to get my writing groove back and settle in. I cannot function without it so it has to be done. I would miss all of you too much.

I am hearing..."I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor

Today if I could change one thing...it would be that different things would burn calories like, spirituality, service to others, kindness, loving (not THAT kind!) , a giving spirit, reading a good book, writing. There could be a toggle switch on the board of calorie burning choices and you could choose the cerebral side or the physical side and you could switch them back and forth according to your plans for the day. That seems more fair to me.

I am quoting..."Sleep tight, may angels hover over you and spread their wings to keep you safe and warm. " This is a lullaby by Celine Dion but the lyrics remind me of how I feel when someone is laid to rest as our friend, Karen, was on Saturday.

My spiritual thoughts include...faith, HOPE, and charity make this world a better place.

Around the house...things are almost back together again after our BBQ yesterday.

I am missing...our kids and grandies, so is Jim sooooo we are leaving for Utah soon.

I am hoping...We can get all the work done for the kids that they are hoping for in the time we have to spend with them.

One of my guilty pleasures...My Mom's potato salad!

One of my favorite things...entertaining good friends and family~we are just getting back into it again after the long remodeling phase of living which sapped us of any extra energy.

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately...Possession.

I am curious about...how easy the transition is for Jim (so far) in his retirement. It has just felt like a week full of good Saturdays. How can you get tired of that? I can't.

A few plans for the rest of the week...I had the crown prep this morning~ post my root canal a week ago and a pedi, just dropped the car off for servicing, I have church work to do before we leave, picking up a box dolls in Danville from the Great Aunt of Piper, Julia, Chloe and Hazie to bring up to them, gathering all the other odds and ends that we have for them and that have been left here by them, haircut and color tomorrow, time with girlfriends on Thursday night, packing and getting out of Dodge. Church in Utah on Sunday!

Here are some pictures and thoughts I am sharing with you...

We had a nice 4th of July with our family and some good friends over for a barbecue. By riding on the shirttails of the retirement party it was a lot less work in the house and yard to get it all set up and ready. I love doing that. We are having a wedding reception here in August which is also good to keep everything up to its very best level possible. Here are a few photos of the 4th.

Emma~Fire Cracker Baby Girl!

Deanna and Christian were not at our party but sent this adorable photo of their little daughter and I just had to share. Isn't she so cute? She was adopted by them about 4.5 months ago after many years of waiting for a baby of their own. Now they have her! God is so good! He works in mysterious ways his "Miracles" to perform!

Gail, Alex and Patty

Gloria and Emily

Patty and Ruthie

Gloria, Dale and Jim

Aron and Will

Aronson

Will, but we call him "Willsey"

I love having holidays with a large age range of people. We had Gloria 83 down to Sarah that is 11 months. I didn't take too many photos so I don't have pics of everyone but we had 15 guests. It was very relaxing and casual! And it was warm but not hot, breezy but not windy. Perfect day, although minus other special ones that were celebrating in other far away places.

God Help America Retain the Freedoms
Our Forefathers Fought So Hard To Achieve
For Us All....is our prayer!