Tuesday March 31 2009

I drove down the back way to Melta's street and

saw these two big moose napping in the willows.

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This was a small pastel I started today.

Still unfinished.

Charm, Kay and Melita working in Melita's kitchen.
She baked us cookies this morning to have with coffee.
There were just the four of us today.

Spanikopita!! Yum!!

Charm and Melita.

Tomato basil soup and cesar salad.
Melita also made fresh baked french bread.
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A pair of red tailed hawks was building a nest
in Melita's cottonwood trees.

Wow End of another month. Where does the time go! It started off sunny, gradually clouded up and is lightly snowing at 8:30 p.m. The dogs just came in with snow all over their backs. Don't think it ever got above freezing again, and was a little breezy.

It was a great day. We had our small painting group meeting at Melita's today. I really enjoyed it. Melita made us another of her wonderful lunches. She is going to visit her home in Switzerland to see her sister and family, leaving on Sunday. She'll be gone I think six weeks? and they will spend two weeks of the time on the island of Tenerife. Tenerife, a Spanish island, is the largest of the seven Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Her sister has a house there not far from the beach. They go to the ocean to swim every day. ..... Anyway, its a good time to get away from Wyoming. Her sister is coming back home with her for a week or so. And on the way back they are stopping by Las Vegas for a couple of days. Melita, I hope you have a wonderful vacation and be safe. And thank you again for the special day at your home.

I took a variety of photos today so am sticking several of them in the blog.

On the way home I stopped at Obo's meat market for some of their meat and filled the car up with gas - $2.05 a gallon now. Made us chicken fried steak for dinner. Remember I sent out on email with a link to a video on how to boil potatoes with the skin on, then put them in ice water and just squeeze off the peels? I tried that tonight and it works great.

Monday March 30 2009

Last Night's Fresh Blackberry Pie.

It did turn out Good - was super simple.

I've never made one with fresh fruit before, just frozen.

Backyard Drift Again

Potty Time - Then Quick Back in the House! - Sparky

Joe went out to the ranch with the dogs this morning. He got back before 11 and said he was still able to drive in, that there's about an inch of snow there. The sun is shining. And the wind is blowing hard today making ground blizzards. The power went out several times, once for about an hour. No way of telling how much snow has fallen. More storms are supposed to be coming all through the week. Not sure what he will find in the way of drifts in the road out there. It sure piled them up here again. You can see in the picture of Sparky that the wind has just piled all this snow in our back yard. Beyond the fence the snow isn't very deep and the brush is sticking out. The front yard is scoured down to the dirt, with another big drift hulking beyond there too.

Am feeling pretty rested this morning. Am going to vacuum while Joe's gone. This afternoon I have to go to the clinic for the protime (coumadin) test and will probably get some groceries and fill the car with gas while I'm out. Joe's up in the attic again, and apparently building that safety platform around the furnace. No comment.

"Laughter is wine for the soul — laugh soft, or loud and deep, tinged through with seriousness. Comedy and tragedy step through life together, arm in arm. ... Once we can laugh, we can live." Sean O'Casey.

Sunday March 29 2009

This new LDS Temple was dedicated last week in Draper Utah. Beverly might have sent me this photo of elk in front of the new Draper Temple.

Yesterday afternoon, as I was mopping the floor, Joe asked if I wanted to go up to The Place and have prime rib. I said yes as soon as I finished mopping. It was like he could hardly wait. It was only 4 p.m.! So I did get the mopping done, and we got ourselves ready and drove up to the Upper Green for dinner. It was very good and not nearly as expensive as going to the (near to us) Lakeside Lodge - by less than half as much. Even though it had been storming the drive was fine. It was like going back in to winter though as there is still quite a bit of snow up there and it was showering snow. Kind of pretty. We were home before dark.

As usual was late getting myself going, but got a skirt on and went to church. Beverly's email I read after I got home said this was a fasting Sunday, but I didn't know it. So I ate a small breakfast before I went. The lessons were interesting and I got a whole bunch of postcard sized scriptures to read and study. Before I can do that I need to get my books I left at the ranch. I loved seeing the little children. They are so beautiful and shining. One of my most favorite things about the church is how important the family is. It's also fun to say hi to people that I know there.

We got a skiff of snow during the night but it really started to come down about 10 a.m. So it stormed with maybe 3 inches of heavy wet snow while we were in church. Covered the car and the roads with wet dirty slush, but it was o.k. getting home. The prediction is 100% for snow today, wind about 15 mph. I had let the dogs go along with me - they slept in the car. I've been letting them out at the corner to run home - it's about a short block and gives them a little exercise. Today the labrador retreivers from up the street all three came out to meet Sparky and Raven. They are acquainted so I'm being optimistic that they are going to get along o.k. Now they are napping and I'm thinking that I also want to have a nap.

Later: I did take a nap. Don't know how I sleep that way any more, except know it's part of the illness progressing. Tonight I made us a small steak with baked potato which was quite simple and made a fresh blackberry pie. Joe's anxiously waiting for it to come out of the oven. There's ice cream too.

I thought this article in the paper was interesting - about a living facility at the gas fields for the workers. http://www.sublette.com/examiner/v9n1/v9n1s1.htm

Jackie sent this one - Forging a Hot Link to the Farmer Who Grows the Food

Saturday March 29 20909

Breakfast - one of Sue's cinnamon rolls.

It was a pretty nice looking day out this morning with the sun shining, but another storm is on the way. Not above freezing and a stiff breeze. I feel so sorry for the people in North Dakota having such terrible flooding. If you check Judi's blog you will see a letter to her from friends in Fargo who are fighting to keep the river from flooding homes and businesses. It really shows us the desparation of the situation. Click on Judi's blog on the top right of my blog to read the letter. Awful Awful!!

A more fun one to check out is Gina's blog and she has given us some pictures of her family at the hill climb in Jackson. There's a cute picture of Charm and Jim there too. Jim didn't make it to the second round, so felt sorry for him not to go on. He's one of the Master's (the older group of guys to ride). Other's from Pinedale are doing well though. Good luck to them.

Housecleaning and laundry going on here today, so not much interesting to write about. Three loads of laundry are finished and folded - YEAAAA!!!! and ready to vacuum, mop and dust. Joe will probably help me with the vacuuming. Perhaps this evening I'll get a much needed manicure and pedicure done. So ..... WOW, really interesting reading today. Which reminds me I still need to read the emails.

Sandra has been writing again. She is a dedicated and wonderful pet and animal advocate. http://www.helium.com/knowledge/218189-controlling-pet-overpopulation

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be.

Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Friday March 27 2009

Kay and Jo - Kay works on her painting at left upside down.

Ruth doing a watercolor.

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Ruth and Kay discussion.

Jo painting a goldfinch and yellow monkeyflowers.

Dee's beginning.

Dee painting. She drives all the way from Jackson.

What a mess we have.

Mixed Media at lunch.

The wonderful cooks.

We had a great time at the Mixed Media meeting today. It's always such fun to be with the friends. I went down to the post office first and then got to Rendezvous Pointe about 8:40 and got the coffee going and my snacks set up. Brought cinnamon strusel muffins, chocolate covered strawberries and some pecan halves. Took me a while to figure out the danged coffee maker. Finally got it opened where you put the coffee in. Jo measured in the coffee - it seemed to be a 2 or 3 person job. There were seven who attended and we all worked hard. There was some discussion about our state artists convention which is coming up in about two weeks- who's going, who's driving, where we're staying, talk about the convention agenda, etc. It's in Cody this year, a beautiful location. Today I did get some photos so will post a photo essay. Sue the fabulous cook made cinnamon rolls today which the seniors can buy, and I brought three of them home.

Quite a few people are having illness, surgeries and such. Justine had what sounds like an extensive back surgery and then got staph infection. Just can't imagine what she must be going through. She is clear down somewhere out of Denver recovering. I am sending my best wishes that she will get through this and be back with us soon.

Most of us stayed until about 3:30 p.m. and then packed up all our stuff and went on home. Zonked out..... I took a nap for about an hour and a half. Our plan for dinner here was spaghetti - already had the sauce made, so added some salad and garlic toast. Then looked at my 60 emails which came since yesterday and just went on to bed.

Although I wake up numerous times in the night anymore - I see every hour on the clock through the night - still don't have much trouble sleeping pretty soundly in between especially in the early morning hours, usually waking up about 8 or 9. If I get wide awake at 2 a.m. I watch whatever movie is on til I fall asleep again. I'm just letting that be the way it is and not worrying about it.

It was spitting snow off and on this morning, and colder than it has been, maybe 5 this morning. Really funny that the wind wasn't blowing in town but coming home as soon as I drove up the hill to our place, there was the wind blowing snow and drifts across the road. It seems to blow all the time up here. It moved the snow across the landscape at least until dark, then seemed to die down a little bit.

Bonnie and her sister are going on a little trip this weekend. I hope they have a nice time and look forward to hearing about their adventures.

"Choice by choice, moment by moment, I build the necklace of my day, stringing together the choices that form artful living." (Julia Cameron - The Artist's Way)

Wyoming closed it's government offices in Cheyenne 2 hours early due to the blizzard. This is the first time I've heard of this happening. http://www.pinedaleonline.com/#closures

Thursday March 26 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CURTIS

Debbie's Husband. I'm his mother-in-law.

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Another 2 or 3 inches of snow. Joe says half an inch. It's predicted to have about 80% chance of snow for a day or so, then get sunny. Sun would be nice. All this gray and white gets ugly. Doesn't look like it will get above freezing today. It's noon and I've just eaten my breakfast.

I've about got my new address book finished. It's been kind of a chore, but just one of those things you sit there until its done whether its fun or not. Then I've been looking for a good recipe to present itself. Want to make something to take for a snack to the Mixed Media meeting at Rendezvous Pointe in the morning. We like to have something with coffee. Settled on Little Bear cookies perhaps, with some chocolate covered strawberries. I never made chocolate covered strawberries before but they look pretty easy. And are yummy. It says you can use the leftover melted chocolate to coat banana pieces so I might do that too. Streusel top banana nut muffins sound good too. One or the other. We'll do our artwork and have lunch there. It will last from about 9 to 4.

So far it doesn't look like there will be many at the meeting this time, maybe six or so. Some of our members are sick and some have family getting surgery etc. So prayers go out to them. Gina and Charm are going up to Jackson to the big snow machine hill climb starting today. To watch family and husbands, not to ride. It's a crazy "winter sport" around here. People take their souped up machines, travel to meets all over the country, and see who can ride their macine up a steep hill the highest. In this case, if you know it, the hill is the Snow King ski area. It gets a little wild sometimes because the machines are prone to flip over backwards or roll back down the hill, taking the riders with them. Maybe Gina or Charm will send us a picture.

That's all I have to report today ..... so far.

Wednesday March 25 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN

My Grandson

Woke up to a couple inches of new snow this morning, and about 20 degrees, no wind so far. "They" say another storm is coming this weekend. The last one has been bad east of here. With two to four feet of snow the ranchers are having a very bad time because it is calving season. I heard there are drifts 12 feet high.

Joe went to coffee and I took my watercolors (big mistake) and went to the Wednesday art group at Rendezvous Pointe. This isn't the usual art group I meet with. This was the first time I have met with them, although I already knew everyone but one lady. Duene whose blog you might have read, goes there every week. And I especially enjoyed seeing Vicky because I seldom see her. She is so nice. I've wanted to try it going to their meeting all winter and can't believe I haven't until now - the time just goes by too fast. The watercolors were difficult. I made five starts and made a mess out of every one. They will all be trash. Finally got a small sketch of a tipi and quit before I messed it up too. Joe met me there at Rendezvous Pointe for lunch, and we sat with his coffee buddy Ed, and James and Kathy. It was fun to get to see them. So it was a nice morning.

Joe wanted to go out for dinner so we went down to the Mexican place and had tacos and enchaladas. I didn't have to cook all day.

My neighbor friend Sandra has been writing some articles on this website. She's written on four topics so far. I don't have the link for all of them, but you can do "search". She's doing a great job. (Helium is the face of the publishing revolution! Helium is also a knowledge co-operative where our writers are also our editors who read and rate every article on the site. At Helium, we believe that everyone can contribute what they know to share with millions of readers around the globe.)

Victoria Stilwell or Cesar Millan: Who would you call? - by Sandra Goodwin

Volunteering at The Elephant Nature Park in Thailand - by Sandra Goodwin http://www.helium.com/items/1389036-volunteer-elephants-thailand

Should you take a free horse? - by Sandra Goodwin

Pets and emotion: Do animals have a sense of humor? - by Sandra Goodwin

http://www.helium.com/items/1387807-animal-humor