She's doing better...

Mom went into the hospital again last Monday and had 18 lbs. of fluid removed by Lasix treatments. She came back to the rest home on Thursday and is feeling so much better. The family is very relieved that there is still something that can be done to make her comfortable.
Her brother arrived on Wednesday from Susanville, Ca. She was so happy to see him. His two daughters drove him down here just to see Mom. They really enjoyed talking to each other and it was so nice to see our cousins again. It meant so much to Mom to see her "baby" brother ( he's 85 yrs old) again and I know it gave her a bit dose of "happy" medicine.

ON Thursday we got Mom settled in and Sis cut her hair for her. She was delighted with the haircut. She said it was really good to be "home" and..., "take a shower". We left her in good spirits. The doctor told her that he would see her again in a couple of weeks because the fluid will build up again and she will need more Lasix to help her body get rid of all the fluid. At some point this won't work anymore, but until then, they can help her. Mom is being so brave.

Sis decided to follow me home, yesterday afternoon, for the weekend. We drove into Sutter Creek for lunch today, but little else. The temperature is hovering right about 100 degrees . Summer has definitely arrived. I watered and "dead-headed" the flowers very early this morning. It was beautiful outside so early. Everything smelled so good. Only the sunrise and the windless air gave a hint to how hot it would be. This afternoon all the birds and even the lizards have found a place to hide from the intense heat. Annibel, our cat is stretched out in the garden, the dogs are in the house enjoying the air-conditioner and the goats are looking at us like we did something to bring on all this hot weather. They weren't happy when it was cold. They weren't happy when it was raining and now..., they're upset because it's too hot. Spoiled goats....

Tomorrow I will continue the saga of Carl's first trip to the Mokelumne River and, also, tell you about a special package I received in the mail.

The Long Road Home

Mom is in the hospital again. I'm leaving this morning . Will post "Pupster on the Mokelumne" when I return.

Imprints and Memories

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."


The roses in the garden have been enjoying the cooler weather and then we get a long day of sun and they bud out like they've gone mad with joy. Don't tell me that flowers have no feelings, no souls...

"No one can have a healthy love for flowers unless he loves the wild ones."


This wild beauty left it's imprint on my hand and in my heart.
The Queen Anne's Lace: or Wild Carrot is blooming down along the river. It stands high above the wild berries and poison oak; swaying in the breeze and beckoning all who drive by.
I remember fields of this flower on the road from Eugene to Florence Oregon; a trip I took a few years ago ,by myself, to see my cousins. Queen Anne's Lace was everywhere that summer. Every time I see this lovely wild flower I think of that trip...,looking for a new wild species of plants with my cousin Danna and her husband (both Botanists for a local university)..., my cousin Jeanne's beautiful garden and her cat that followed me through the berries as I picked them for lunch. Imprints and memories...

Yesterday the Prospector and I drove to the Mokelumne River, to introduce Carl to the beautiful water and wildness of this place we love so much. I have photos of Carl's first encounter with the river in tomorrow's post.

I Can Still Hear the Piano

This was a class photo of my dad (second from the left on top row). He was in the 4th grade in Napa, Ca. What a cute kid.

The two things he was most proud of besides his family was his time in the Navy and his work on the Grand Jury in 1978-79.

He loved wearing hats, taking long drives with his family and having get-togethers with his extended family where he could sit and listen to Mom play the piano and we would sing him his favorite song called Daddy's Little Girl....

You're the end of the rainbow,
my pot of gold
You're daddy's little girl
to have and hold
A precious gem is what you are
You're mommy's bright, and shining star.

You're the spirit of Christmas,
my star on the tree
You're the Easter Bunny,
to mommy and me
You're sugar, you're spice,
you're everything nice
And you're daddy's little girl.
(Repeat all)

You're the treasure I cherish,
so sparkling and bright
You were touched by the holy
and beautiful light
Like angels that sing,
a heavenly thing
And you're daddy's little girl.

I can still hear the piano and our voices and see the tears in my Dad's eyes. He had been gone 3 years now and he was a long way from us when he died because of Alzheimer's disease.
I still dream of being in our house on Rose Lane. There was happiness and sadness there, but I choose to remember the good things. One of those memories was the music and how he love to listen to my mom play the piano and have my sister and I sing to him. We were his little girls and we were his "angels that sing", and I know he still listens....

A Different Kind of Day

Yesterday I made some strawberry jam....

...and I thought about all the good things in my life.

...and in the evening I went for a walk and had a good cry. Sometimes things are not right and you know why, but you don't know how to make it better. Sometimes life is sweet and bitter at the same time...., and you end up making Jam instead of facing the sadness.

M.W.K. Would be Happy

When my sister and I went to the Art and Soul Festival in Asilomar I noticed that some of the ladies in our class were using old suitcases for their supplies. "Great idea", I thought and made a mental note to keep an eye out for a small case that I could use for the project I was working on at the moment. Instead of a bag or box that I had to lug around I could find a small makeup case that was sturdy and easy to carry.

This weekend when I we went to the Room With a Past vintage, antiques and collectibles sale, I found the small case I was looking for. It's sturdy, in good shape, lined with washable fabric..., has a good solid lock that won't open accidentally and a handle. I can put everything I need for one project in here and there is a mirror, just in case I have to check for spinach in my teeth or watch someone without them knowing it.

I don't know who M.W.K. was, but she (I'm guessing this was a "she") took good care of this little case. There are no nail polish spills or tears inside. We use to call these totes "overnight" cases or "makeup" cases. I had one when I was young. Too bad I didn't hold on to it. Right?
So many things that are now sitting in antique malls across America were useful items that still had a lot of shelf life in them; things that were given away or sold because they were not "new" enough or "good" enough . I think there's a trend (and a good one) ,now, to re-use rather than buy something new. Maybe the economy, tanking the way it did, has made folks rethink how they live. There are a lot more people in the thrift stores these days.
M.W.K. might have sold this case, or lost it or maybe she died and it was sold in an estate or garage sale. Who knows where this little case has travelled, but I'm glad I found it . I guess I could cover the initials with my own. I could decorate the outside with some Mod Podge and pictures that I like. We'll see..., but for now, I will put my Mystorian book parts inside and everything will be in one place and I will use this "new", little old makeup case for a different purpose. It's a good thing.

Please check out Colorado Lady's blog for more vintage, retro and antique items and a list of blogs who share the love of "old" wonderful and useful things.

Snakes we like to see in our Garden

Beautiful specimen: Corn Snake or very large Garter Snake. Seemed to like being held.

A Common Kingsnake.(below) They kill and eat Rattlers. This is a GOOD SNAKE.

My Son's Big "Little" Project

A few years ago my oldest son bought a very little house in the upper Laurel district of Oakland, California. We were surprised that he bought a house, as opposed to a condo, loft or co-op, but "M" found this little house, bought it and moved in. We can't find any history on the place but we know that it was built in 1910; 4 years after the Big Earthquake of 1906 that left the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area in ruins. He thinks that this house might have been a caretakers cottage on a large ranch or a summer cabin for someone who could afford to have a second home in the lovely hills above the town of Oakland. He may never know for sure why someone built such a small house but it's perfect for him.
Because it's so old, it now needs complete reconstruction. So, "M" has begun with a new foundation, as the old one is crumbling and dangerous. It needs to be completely replaced. He will add a new bedroom and a full bath on to the back of the house . I can't wait for him to get all the outside work done , so I can help him PAINT and DECORATE the inside.
I can hear "M" now..."Just remember Mom, it's a "man cave" not a summer cottage for company." Oh my!..., so when I went to see him on Sunday afternoon, I walked through the house with my mouth closed, but I was taking mental notes on what we can do to make this little place just wonderful. No lace, no pink pillows and no white wicker? Nope..., but classic colors and mission style furniture? Yes, yes, and maybe there will be tongue and groove wood floors under all that old linoleum flooring that will be repairable...., and..., and..., so many ideas. "Patience Mom, Patience." So, I went out into the backyard and pruned some roses, and after I took some pictures for his Dad we went out to dinner.....

This is Spettro's on Lakeshore Ave. "M" took me there for dinner. The restaurant is charming and my Salmon with Mango Salsa was to die for. If you live anywhere close by, check this place out. It's worth it!
Thanks for dinner, sweetheart. I enjoyed the evening. See you again soon. Love, Mom

Short Trip Filled with Good Things

This was a nice trip down to the Bay Area. The weather was beautiful and I got to see Mom again. She is doing much better. I think that her trip to the hospital made such a bad impression on her that she has willed herself to feel better. She is on oxygen all the time now. You can see the huge canister next to the bookcase. She calls it the "atom bomb" and doesn't like it in her room. What a funny lady she can be. She has filled her room with many of her belongings from the house. Each time she goes over with someone she brings back more things. The CNA's joke with her that they are going to have to add on an "addition" to her room, soon, so she will have more space to put her things. Mom says if she can't be at home then this is how she makes it feel like "home". They are the nicest folks and take such good care of Mom. They don't seems to mind all the things that she has accumulated. They are so understanding. It makes such a difference to Mom.
A dove is sitting on two eggs on the front porch of the rest home. This bird chose a hanging basket and there she sits (left bottom photo) looking at me and hoping I don't get any closer. I saw Mom everyday and that dove was always there. Mom can see this nest from her window and she is hoping that she will see the babies when they are born.
It was a busy weekend. Saturday we went to our favorite "once a month" store, Room With A Past, on 3rd. St. in Walnut Creek and on Sunday we drove to Berkeley, to an Art Festival at the Live Oak Recreation Center. Lots of beautiful handmade things: Wonderful jewelry, hand crafted one of a kind items that were very beautiful and expensive. The weather was really warm, for Berkeley, and the venue was a lovely park in a residental area at the north end of Shattuck Ave. We had a nice time .

Little Dog Thoughts

"Well, there she goes, again. Prospector says that she is going to see her mother in the city.....

I will wait for her.., right here. That way I can see the car coming up the road...., or maybe I'll take a nap....

I'm having a dream that she is here and I am in her lap. I'm happy and warm. She is rubbing my ears and telling me how wonderful I am....

"I will be back in 3 days little one. Take care of the Prospector and Maggie until I return."

Vintage Thursday

Last Saturday the Prospector and I went to town and on the way back we stopped at a farm/yard sale that a neighbor has about 4 times a year. We found this Vintage Cosco 3 shelf metal kitchen table/cart in almost mint condition. Didn't every family have one of these back in the 50's or 60's? I love the wheels. They are plastic with "sparkles". Very "mid century modern". It's now in our laundry , by the back door, for misc. dog stuff., shoes and temporary storage. The price was $10.00 but we got it for $6.00

This is what my sister and I needed, at the Art & Soul Workshop, to carry all of our supplies back and forth. It's a folding cart with wheels and it's BIG. Like the Cosco table, it's in excellent condition. Even the plastic handle covers are intact. This was $10.00 too. But we bought a couple of small items with it and got all of it for 9 bucks. I think it will be handy for carrying big bags of potting soil and conditioner into the backyard or down to the veggie garden...,or keeping the Pupster in control on long walks. A couple of pillows and some water, a few biscuits and an umbrella attached...., What do you think?

Carl had his second puppy training session yesterday. He's learning to heal, sit and stay. He is so cute to watch as he goes through his practice session with the trainer. His short little legs just moving along right next to the trainers. (She calls him "vertically challenged") Then we get to do it too and the trainer critiques us. He does all of it so well for her, but for me , not as good. It will take time to get the Prospector and I trained.
So, in a month or two, he will be trotting along beside me without a leash and coming when I call him. Right? This IS how it's going to be ISN'T IT?

Please check out all the wonderful Vintage things on Colorado Lady's Blog. She hosts this Vintage Thingies Thurdays post and there are some great old photos, stories and vintage items on the listed blogs.

Wordless Wednesday: Antiques in my sister's home

Mystorian Book: still a work in progress.

This is the front cover of the book that I started at the workshop in Asilomar. I have decided that it's finished. That sounds like a simple statement but it's hard to know when to stop adding things and say to yourself "Enough." The front cover is a piece of metal that was tarnish in liver of sulphur (nasty stuff, but it gives metal an interesting finish.) Then I glued an old piece of lacework to it . On top of that I glued a piece of bark, a metal dragonfly and two metal flowers, some pieces of agate(from the Oregon Coast) and a piece of wire with pearl beads (as a kind of imaginary tail on the dragonfly). There are two odd shaped pearls tucked in too. I had sanded the three metal pieces to tone down the gold tone so I covered them with a coat of matte Mod Podge to protect the metal and give it a bit of a shine. The collage is not centered because there will be fabric attached in the left side to form the spine of the book after I get all the pages done. What do you think?

I'm not sure this is done yet. It's an old photo frame that Nina Bagley (our instructor at the workshop) gave to me. I took out the old mean looking lady photo and inserted a copy of a photo that I took at my house. I stamped some leaves around the picture and stamped "Dog Farm" on the left side, "Sanctuary" on the top (It's kind of pale and hard to see). The top is a piece of lace and two pieces of the frame that I had cut off for a border. Then I pasted an old picture of a woman with 3 dogs on the right, colored them with pencils and glued some driftwood over it. On the left is an almost dry helleborus flower and a couple of small rocks. On top I glued two cabochons( flat backed, polished stones ) and a couple of old jewelry pieces. Everything got a coat of Mod Podge to hold it in place and protect everything except the center of the flower (it wasn't completely dry and I didn't want it to mold) and the cabochons.
Seems like I need to do something with the slot on the left side, but I'm not sure what.

This is about Creativity and the month of June. I accidentally covered the word "June" with lace, but I will pull the lace down a bit and secure it with a little "something" so the word can be seen. The metal flower and hummingbird were applied the same way as the other pages, then I took very thin pieces of mica and glued them all around the backing. Sometimes you learn by doing things and making mistakes. I should have done the mica first. It would have been easier than trying to fit the pieces around the bird and flower. Oh.., and before I had anything on the mat board I glued a "month of June" piece of clip art on and stamped a large green flower in the middle. Then I added the fabric and lace. The hummingbird is wired on at the top so I didn't have to glue it too much and it gives the bird more of a look of movement. I only used Mod Podge on the metal pieces . I wanted the mica to shine on it's own and the fabric to stay soft.

I have three more pages almost finished. I will show them to you very soon. I LOVE DOING THIS ..., it's so creative, but it's time consuming and takes up the whole kitchen table. I make a big creative mess everyday. Every night I have to clear it off for dinner. I'm lusting after the work spaces I have seen in a magazine called Where Woman Create and a workshop I saw recently of a lady artist here in our county. I NEED MORE SPACE.

The gourd art is on hold until I finish this book.

Happy 65th Birthday, my Prospector.

July 1967
Vacation on Russian River
The Prospector and I
He was 23 and I was 22.

(We had been married for 2 years and 1 month)

Happy Birthday to the love of my life. You worked so hard all your life and now you can enjoy everything you have today. Be proud of the things that make you who you are. I am. I love the sureness and determination you show in everything you do. I love the way you can be so sensitive about others and how you carry your heart on your sleeve. I love that you cry watching sad movies and the way you hold Carl and talk to him.

We have had a good life together. We raised two boys and they are something to be proud of. We have two cute grandkids. I hope that you can look at these 65 years and all the places you have lived, the things you have done..., and say "It's been a good ride." I wish you love, happiness and good health. .., and more life together. Look at you, you're still a handsome dude.

With love forever, your adoring wife.

Why? The Fly.

The Fly

God in his wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why.

~Ogden Nash~


Last night a fly kept bothering me while I was on the computer and I remembered this poem by Ogden Nash. This was one of the first poems I ever learned. I always laugh when I think of it.
As I watched the fly sitting on the book in front of me, It appeared that it might be looking at me too and I remembered a Zen saying written about this small insect....
"Don't kill him!
the fly, it wrings it's hands,
it's feet." ~Issa~

And so..., as I am always in the habit of doing, I looked this creature up in the Insect book. It is a Blue Bottle Fly:Calliphora vomitoria (Oh my!) in the Blow Fly family. It might have been a female because they often enter open houses and buzz loudly when they can't find an exit.

I won't even tell you what they feed on. It would ruin your weekend.There are 8 to 10 generations a year; not exactly an endangered species. They don't live long but tend to reek havoc while alive and they can also transmit diseases.

So, as interesting as it was to have an encounter with this shiny, metallic nervous creature, I will still have a fly swatter handy inside the house. These are not your average "Don't kill them, they're harmless." insect. If it goes from carrion to my dinner table and carries diseases, it's a "persona non grata" in my book.

Still..., I wonder why..., the Fly?