Happy Birthday, Matthew. We send our love.

When did the little boy grow up into this wonderful man who always sees his life as a curious and great adventure? Where did the little boy go who had his own language, always asked questions and needed a reason for everything? Who is this grown man?...

who has become a devoted follower of God; A good and patient person who is diligent,caring and hard working...

and loves his family.

With all the years of thinking that raising two boys was the hardest thing we ever did and knowing how, imperfectly, we stumbled through those years..., we look now on two fine men who make us prouder that any thing we have done in our lives.
There will never be enough time, in this life, for their mother to tell them how happy they make her and how proud she and their dad are of who they have become. They are grown men but their Mom still holds them in her heart as if they were very small..., for in her heart, they are safe and protected.
Even though they have grown up and have lives of their own, they will always be five years apart and have a birthday 3 days from one another, and there will always be a reason to celebrate the birth of these two "boys" because..., I'm their mother..., and I say so..., and it was all worth it.

Happy Birthday, my son. Have a blessed and beautiful Birthday.

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Information Wanted

Does anyone know these men?.., or the towns?.., or the names?

Where did the years go?

This picture was taken at Noni's house in Pleasant Hill. You were probably about 3 yrs. old.
It was a nice day that had turned cold and so Noni put her own sweater and hat on you .
This is one of my favorite photos.
















Kindergarden at Marsh Elementary. Look at that halo of blond, curly hair.(upper right corner)



















I think you're about 10 here. Your big brother is behind you.

















You were a joyful child and you loved being a kid. Where did the years go? Now you are a man with children of your own. You are a good and compassionate father. We are so proud of you. Be happy Jess.

We love you and wish you
a very Happy Birthday.
Love, Mom & Dad.

This is a poem I wrote a very long time ago..., you were a baby.
It's an acrostic of your name.

Join us
Easily,
Sweet
Son,
Especially loved.

Oh May, Oh May, Oh May.... Oh My.

"Everything is blooming.... most recklessly;

if it were voices instead of colors,

there would be an unbelievable shrieking

into the heart of the night." -

~Rainer Maria Rilke~

Sanctuary

Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing
There is a field...
I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass
The world is too full to talk about. —Rumi

Vintage Thursday: An Oklahoma gift

Cluny lace
The name Cluny is given to the kind of lace of which the design is based on ancient bobbin lace preserved at the Cluny Museum (Musée de Cluny) in Paris. The lace has certain distinct characteristics. The ground is made of plaited bars or brides. The solid parts are constructed of whole stitch, half stitch or whole stitch and twist. The designs are mostly geometric. For decoration, small picots and point d'esprit are used. Cluny lace was developed during the second half of the 19th century, inspired by lace samples originally worked during the 16th century. It was usually worked in coarse linen threads and used to trim household items, such as table and bed linens. Cluny is a coarse strong fabric still made by hand in France, Belgium, and China. Its name is derived from the Cluny Museum of Medieval Arts and Crafts in Paris. It is also made by machine. Heavy linen thread is used, and the design is so open that the product is light and pleasing. ( www.lace-tapestries.com )














This is such a treat to show all of you on Vintage Thursday. A new friend named Helen from Oklahoma ( aka: Reddirt Woman ) emailed me a few weeks ago and asked if I would be interested in a piece of Cluny lace that she had. She thought that I would appreciate it because I love vintage lace and "pretty things". I didn't know what Cluny lace was but I said "Yes" and she sent me this lovely doiley. Photos do not do this lace justice. This doiley is exquisite!
If you read the information at the top you will see that this is a very different kind of lace that came from France( and Helen's envelope says "South Belgium" too ). The envelope says that missionaries took this kind of lace to China before Communism and it was called Chinese Bobbin Lace. If you click on the photo you will be able to see that each thread is crocheted with other threads before it was make into this doiley and that the center and the butterfly body are multiple threads, built up and given a convexed, three dimentional quality to those places. I have never done any crocheted lace work so this seems magical to me.

What a nice gift this was, Helen. Thank you so much. It will be taken good care of and treasured.

Please go to Colorado Lady, who hosts Vintage Thingies Thurdays, and see other wonderful vintage goodies.

And she made Bread Pudding for Dessert

This bread pudding turned out really good. I used this recipe I have had for years. It was in a magazine and an ad for Sun Maid Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread. I don't add the extra raisins and I use three eggs. I also add a teaspoon of grated orange rine and 1/4 teasp. of pumpkin pie spice. I use half & half instead of milk. I also press the bread pieces with a fork after I pour the milk and egg mixture on top of it to make sure the bread is completely soaked. You don't want dry bread pieces in your pudding.

The wildflowers were a pretty background for the recipe but I didn't think anyone could see the ingredients so I did a close up too.

It's all gone and it was really good. The Prospector, Sis and I finished it off. Try it, with cream or half & half...., or vanilla ice cream. Hmmm good!

California Dreamin'

The luttuce is loving this mild weather and the goats wish that the fence would magically disappear.

The Fig tree has new leaves on it and everything is heavy with the anticipation of Spring.

Squeeky is not sitting on everyone elses eggs anymore. She is producing her own little white ones.

Old dog Maggie and the pupster are enjoying the warm porch.
Annibel is learning to live in the garage and seems to like being outside since she was bannished from the guest bedroom.
We saw a beautiful big fox yesterday, drinking from the water container across the driveway.
My sister is here for a few days . We took a long walk last night and picked wildflowers.
The prospector got new and stronger reading glasses today.
I'm baking(what else when Sis is here) BREAD PUDDING. The house is filled with the fragrance of raisens, vanilla and cinnamon.

Everyone is taking a nap...., quiet now. Don't wake this peaceful moment....

Bonding...

Maggie has finally found her maternal instinct..., in just 5 days. I guess it just lays dormant in all of us until some cute little baby starts running through the house, causing chaos and needing some attention. Poor Mags is tired, through. She says that her arthritis is really bothering her with all the running around and getting up to monitor the "speedster" . Carl thinks that Maggie is one of his pack now, and his resident chew toy. When he gets carried away, Maggie growls and puts her head on top of him, as if to say..., "Ok squirt, stop." , and Carl stops. He likes Maggie and wants to be her friend. He's very smart and seems to know when Maggie has had enough.

<<<^>>>

They sat together and posed for this picture. I said "Hey guys, SMILE!" and they did. How cute! I just love how dogs know about other dogs and "pack" together. Carl is so good for Maggie. He has lifted her sprites and given her a new lease on life. They have accepted each other except for one thing. Carl sleeps in a crate in the livingroom and when I tried to move it into the bedroom , where Maggie sleeps, Maggie barked and would not let him into the bedroom. For some reason she doesn't want him to invade her sleeping quarters. We'll keep trying.
The cat, Annibel, is another story, for another day.....

Vintage Thursday: Shaken not Stirred

Many years ago, my friend Karen's daughter collected vintage drink mixers. She has some of the most beautiful pieces you ever saw. I just fell in love with the crome and bakelite style and finally bought one for myself. At some point Karen's daughter sold her collection and I have always wished that I could have bought a few of them from her. Now, they are real collectors items and as I researched them, on line, I found that they are very expensive.
The one that I bought all those years ago, is made of "stainless crome" with a black Bakelite handle and produced in Brooklyn, New York by Forman. (I think this is what it says. It's hard to see.) What I love the most is that all the drink recipes are ingraved on the bottom of the mixer. It tells you what the name of the drink is and whether to "shake" or "stir" it. Drink names like Clover Club, Side Car and Palm Beach make you want to mix one up and rent an old 40's movie for the evening. My Dad's favorite was the Manhattan(without the bitters). I can still remember the smell of a Manhattan and the parties that my parents had in the 50's. Great food, singing at the piano and everyone having a good time.

When I look at this old mixer I think of all the good times my parents had together and also, how much drinking was done then. It was so acceptable..., so was smoking. A drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Why not..., all the movie stars did it.

We don't have big parties here on the farm. Mixing drinks for a crowd doesn't happen very often. Never did. So..., now I use it for a vase. Looks kind of nice with French Pussywillow in it. Doesn't it? Humm.., French Pussywillow..., sounds like a good name for a new mixed drink: 1/3 Gin, 1/3 Kahlua and 1/3 cream and some ice. Shaken not stirred.


Please check out Colorado Lady's Blog for other vintage things and see all the wonderful people who love Vintage and share what they love.

Wordless Wednesday: Three favorite photos

Sky Song

Jesse's Song

Goat Joy

A Little Surprise.: Carlton, (aka;Carl) our new Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

When The Prospector called me on Wednesday and said he was going down to a Farm,in Alcampo, to"Look" at a dog, I said "Fine, just don't buy anything until I get home". Thursday night he called and said that he had "Fallen in love". In 44 years of marriage I had never heard this statement from him before.
He said that when I drove home on Sunday, he would meet me at this farm and show me this puppy that he was so "..in love" with. I said goodby to my sister Sunday morning and drove out through the delta, across the Sacramento Valley, through Lodi and headed east to the ...only a post office, don't blink or you'll miss it town of Alcampo. The Prospector was waiting on the corner of two rural roads where we had planned to meet each other before we drove to the ranch. I followed him for a couple of miles and we arrived at a wonderful horse ranch with an entourage greeting of 7 Pembroke Welsh Corgis wagging non-existent tails at us as we drove in. It seems that these dogs are all the happy family of Carl, last of a litter of 6 and the cutest little puppy you ever saw in your life.
It was love at first sight. Hands down. Not a minute of doubt. This was THE dog we have been looking for. This was the little guy who would be a part of our lives from now on. Moke would have approved. It was a match made in heaven.


Carl is a adapting well. No doubt about it. He is in command and marking his territory. He's lovable and very affectionate. He's curious and smart, has won Maggie over in two days, although Maggie barks and worries when he runs around fast. Annibel, the cat is another story and may take a bit longer to adjust. Carl had cats in his life so he thinks that Annibel is OK, but Annibel is not so sure. We are working on the relationship.

This little dog is a breath of fresh air for us. The final "cure" for the sadness of losing Moke. We will never forget our wonderful German Shorthair and he can never be replaced but this little dog will bring us such happiness..., in two short days, he already has. We are laughing again. Dogs Rule.....

A Busy Week

On Easter Sunday I drove to my Brother-in-law's house to join my husband's family for dinner. We all had a wonderful time. The Bean and his brother played and looked for Easter eggs and ate lots of good food. It was a beautiful, warm, California day.
The Prospector picked up his mother and niece and drove them from Stockton to Pittsburg and back to Stockton that night. I drove down separately because I was continuing on to my sisters for a visit.

Then I drove to my Sister's house where I have been for a week. I saw my Mom almost everyday. The rest home where she lives was just lovely. Everything was in bloom and in the ivy geranium , hanging on the front porch, a Dove had built a nest. Everyday I found her sitting on her eggs . Looking at me as if to say..., "Don't you come to close now, I don't want to have to fly away." So I would give her a wide berth and leave her alone...,except for the photos I took. I cropped these pictures to get a better view of her sitting in the planter but I never got close enough to scare her away.
On Thursday I took Mom to lunch and back over to her house to see the cat which is still there. ( She leaves food and a place in the garage for the cat to sleep. ) and picked up some things that she wanted. She knows that she can't go back home now, but I know it's hard for her to see her home and know that she will never live there again. Still, she wants to visit. The house remains empty because she doesn't want to rent it. This may have to change at some point but for now it's OK. She loves where she is and they take such good care of her. She knows that she can never live in her home again and has accepted this ,but it is still very hard for her, and for my sister and I as well.

On Friday Sis and I met a friend for lunch and a trip to ROOM WITH A PAST. This is the once a month warehouse shop, filled with home furnishings and collectibles, that just happened to be THIS weekend. Isn't it a coincidence that my trips always seem to fall on the weekend of this sale every month? I'm just so lucky sometimes.
Every month they have a whole new store with new antiques and collectibles. Now, they have added a whole new section with more rooms. (See the arched doorway with the black and white floor? That's the new section.) My friend Jan Ely planned and painted the new section and it's gorgeous!! This store is a wonderland of vintage antiques and home decor. If any of you who live in California ever get to Walnut Creek you must go to see this store. It's just fabulous!! Check out the dates at the link above.

Well, I'm home and glad to be here. Tomorrow I have a surprise for you. It's a surprise that you will want to see. STAY TUNED.

The Good Visit

Yes, she's driving..., and smiling for the camera. Sis is doing so much better now and her hair is growing out. She still won't let me take a picture on the left side, up close, but the hair is growing and she's doing a "comb-over" to cover the fuzzy, scary part. Her eyesight is getting much better and she is having less and less discomfort around the left eye. All in all I think she has come through this ordeal well.

I slept in my favorite room with lilac fragrance on the table by my bed....
..., and angel wings over my head.

Happy Easter Everyone

I will be gone for a week. I'm going to see my Mother and sister. There are no working computers down there so I will not be posting unless I get to my son's house in Oakland. Have a good week.