Lisa Marie's

Living Healthier - Day 8

2009-01-18T17:22:00.002-07:00

I have been smoke free for 8 days. Well, for the most part. I have to admit I had two cigarettes within an hour one day as I was extremely upset. I know, excuses, excuses. But, I haven't had any more since so, I decided to not really count those. I am already beginning to feel better. While I've never had any real sinus issues, I have been plugged up every morning for years. Not anymore! I now wake up with clear sinuses and my mouth and throat aren't parched from breathing through my mouth half the night. I find this very encouraging and look forward to whatever other changes are coming.

Now, that my daughter has been back at college for a week, I'm just starting to adjust to the quiet. For the past week, up until today, I would stick a movie in the player and then go about whatever I was doing just to have some background noise. There is no cable in this house I'm staying in and I don't have a radio so, this was the only thing I could think of to do for noise. Didn't matter what movie or how many times I'd seen it; as long as it was playing. Living alone takes some getting used to but, it's better than the alternative.

Christmas Break Sleepover

2009-01-18T16:57:00.003-07:00

I forgot all about these pictures that I took a week ago when my daughter had her sleepover with her best friends. They all took turns hosting a sleepover during the Christmas Break. We decided to celebrate 2 of the girls' birthdays as their birthdays were this month but, after they went back to school.

First, I made the chocolate cake. Seems that chocolate is a must with a bunch of girls. 'Scuse me - young women. I don't have any cake pans at the moment, but my biggest cast iron pan worked out beautifully.

I also didn't have any cake decorating equipment so I spelled out Happy Birthday with almonds. They loved it.

I also made them a pizza which they promptly devoured. My daughter says they can't make pizza like mine at college. That's good. I'd hate to think some institution could out-do my cooking! The girls were up until sometime between 4:30 and 5 am. So, I got a great opportunity to get them while they were sleeping. Ha!

So, I made them french toast and bacon for brunch. It was a lot of fun having them all here. I just love listening to them discuss their favorite bands and their unattainable heartthrobs and the latest movies and books they've seen and read. Such silly stuff that speaks of those days we all left behind when we graduated and started careers and families.

It's a Brand New Year!

2009-01-01T09:28:00.004-07:00

Well, lots of changes and new things in store for me this year. First, I cut 20 1/2" off my hair. It was time for a change. Hair that long gets to be really bothersome after a while. I couldn't sleep unless I braided it before bed or it would all be in my face. Actually, my hair was braided most of the time just to keep it out of my way.

After taking this picture, I've also decided that I at least need some foundation. Ugh! I called my friend, Terri (you know the one who built the carport herself?), who just happens to be a Mary Kay person and she's going to do a make-over on Sunday. All I really want is to hide the blotchy-ness. Can't do anything about the sagging, but I can at least improve my color.

Then this morning, I started the Welbutrin to help me quit smoking. I'm fairly healthy in that I eat well and walk/hike a lot (even in winter), and want to go the next step and get rid of the tar and nicotine (and whatever other chemicals are in them) that I know are holding me back in my efforts to live well. Now, that I no longer live with a smoker and most of my friends are non smokers, this should be MUCH easier than past attempts (I lost count of how many).

So, onward and upward, my friends! A toast (with orgainic milk) to good health, good times and good friends!

Christmas Day

2008-12-27T10:11:00.002-07:00

Terri's family invited dd and I for Christmas. Actually, they said we were now adopted into the family and were expected to be at their house for breakfast and opening gifts and, of course, for supper later on. I really had nothing to exchange, and felt bad. They told me it didn't matter. I did remember that I had managed to get some of the apple butter and plum butter I had canned out of the house and I gave one of each to everybody.

It was a wonderful day. DD and I were told that everybody just shows up at Grandma and Grandpa's house first thing in the morning in pj's. So, we didn't get dressed and guess what? We were the only adults in pj's! Terri's sisters laughed and said we should know better than to listen to Terri! Must be a big family joke that we just weren't in on - at least not this year! Anyway, breakfast was soooo good. Savory ham, scrambled eggs, all kinds of fruit and the biggest, softest, tastiest cinnamon rolls I have ever had (I had to cut one in half). After everybody ate breakfast, we all went into the living room where the gifts were handed out. Actually, they were tossed out and I found myself ducking! It was such fun to watch all the kids open their gifts and just get so excited about everything they got. Other than a sister and two brothers on the other side of the country (who don't respond to letters or phone calls), I don't have any family left. I haven't been a part of a big Christmas gathering since I was little. I was just on cloud nine!

Then, they dragged out a big red bag and told all the kids that the dog had scared Santa and he dropped the bag and left. I thought that was too funny. There were also gifts for me and Felicia and they were just wonderful.

Terri and her sisters all got a copy of "Mamma Mia" which they all went to the theater to watch three times. They just love that movie. One of her sisters, opened hers up to find a little sticky note on it that said "slightly used". She goes "Moooom!" Her mom said she just couldn't help it; she had to watch it one more time before wrapping it up!

Christmas dinner was wonderful, too. Turkey, dressing, prime rib, mashies and gravy and every other trimming you can imagine and the best dinner rolls and coconut cream pie! They had other folks for dinner, too, and had set up 3 long tables in the living room. The dining room table was set with all the food and we dished up our plates buffet style. After supper, they popped "Mamma Mia" into the player and all of us women watched while the men all went out to the kitchen to talk. That movie is sooo funny! I loved it.

Felicia and I had such a wonderful Christmas. We have so much to be thankful for and so many friends to thank for it. God has been watching over us and all those near and far who have made our holiday so memorable - I thank you all!

It's A Work of Art!

2008-12-27T09:52:00.005-07:00

My friend, Terri, and her daughter brought us this tree that they had cut down on their own property. Terri laughed when we got it into the house and said it looked straight when it was on the side of the hill! No matter! I can make that work. It will be a beautiful tree and it will really cheer up the house. Who says it has to be straight, anyway! My Buffalo Bills blanket covers the stand. Ok, it's not a Christmas theme, but at least it's mostly red!

All decked out with what we had. Rose had given us most of the ornaments and Terri had brought some, too. It almost looks like a bonsai but, bigger! It smells great in here and I love it. DD keeps laughing at it, but I think it will be a tree she will always remember with fondness. I plan to leave it up until after she heads back to school.

Farmgirl Cookie Exchange

2008-12-27T09:40:00.002-07:00

So many different kinds of cookies! Rose held the exchange at her house. Terri and I made simple oatmeal cookies.

Ten of us gathered for this exchange and Rose had prepared munchies and sangria punch for us, too.

We had so much fun! Next year, Rose suggested we do an ornament exchange instead of cookies. That sounds like fun, too.

This is the other Terry (with a "y") who won the prize for best display of her cookies. Rose had gathered up several prizes for various things and I won a MaryJanesFarm Calendar! Woohoo!

Woman Power!

2008-12-27T09:12:00.007-07:00

After spending 2 days holed up in a hotel room, my friend, Terri, invited me to stay with her until I found my own place. She is also in the middle of a divorce and so was building this carport by herself. She had put up the posts and main support beam and half of the roof supports when I got there. I helped her get the rest of the roof supports up.

Supports all up and now we had started nailing the wood on top of those to support the tin (which she didn't have yet). For now, the wood would be covered with large tarps to protect it from the weather until spring.

I'm a big-time wuss up high and so I used the step ladder while she used the higher ladder.

We actually had fun getting this done. It was snowing the whole time and colder than we had hoped for but, we laughed our way through it and got it done. Terri's brother and brother-in-law came up later and helped her to put the tarps on over the top of it. I didn't get a final picture, but it works wonderfully and now she has a place to park her vehicle and won't have to clean the snow off every day and work to thaw the doors in order to get in and go somewhere.

The power of women to do what needs to be done (with a little help from the guys)!

Starting over...

2008-12-26T21:12:00.002-07:00

I haven't blogged in quite a while as my life has been in some turmoil and I'm just getting into a new groove. I left my alcoholic husband on Dec 6 and filed for divorce on the 8th. We had been married for 19 years. His drinking has been a problem for most of those 19 years. I had spent much of it forcing myself to love someone I didn't even like and who was incredibly mean when drinking. I had finally had enough. This was a very difficult decision for me. I am a staunch believer in marriage and all it stands for. While ending it seemed wrong, survival instincts took over and I fled.

So, while the divorce rages on, I am starting all over again. I have a place of my own, though I don't own this one. I have peace and tranquility. I have the ability and opportunity to put my talents and desire to help others into action. I feel rested, calm and my home now feels warm and inviting; a place I WANT to come home to every night.

I will be able to accomplish more on my sewing machine and more of my baskets and more gardening and more activities with community groups. I won't be tied up with serving someone who thinks that is the only reason I'm here and isn't happy with anything I do anyway.

So, onward and upward as my farmgirl friends have said. I can do wonderful things now for myself, my grown children, grandchildren, friends and community. I am looking forward to the me that has been kept down all these years.

My very first BakeOver

2008-11-09T15:28:00.004-07:00

Well, after making bread all day and then putting a pot roast in the crock pot, I decided I wanted to make some kind of dessert. I don't usually make desserts except for holidays. DH has been asking for desserts lately, though. So, it's kind of a surprise for him. I didn't have many eggs left, so a cake or cookies was out of the question. I decided to try a BakeOver.

I'm not one of those experimental, creative or adventurous type cooks. I prefer to have tried and true written-down recipes. But I guess I was feeling a bit creative in the kitchen today (what?!) and thought this would be a great way to use some of the peaches I had canned. Instead of the usual cottage cheese and peaches which has been getting boring.

So, two pints of sliced peaches, a handful of raisins, a handful of chopped almonds, 3-4Tbsp brown sugar and a splash of cinnamon sauteed in about a Tbsp and a half of butter in one of my medium sized fry pans. In hindsight, it was probably more butter than necessary.

Then, as was mentioned in MaryJane's Idea Book, Cookbook, Life Book, I added slices of cream cheese on top.

Using MaryJane's Budget Mix, I used 1 1/4c of that with 1c of water and 3Tbsp butter cut in. I was going to roll it out, but the dough was so soft that patting it out with my fingers was good enough. Getting it into the pan without ripping it was a bit tricky, but I got it done. Now into the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

I felt it actually needed another 5 minutes of cooking time to get a nice golden color to it.

I then placed a large plate over the fry pan and flipped it over. I should have used oven mitts instead of hot pads as I burned one finger tip on one hand and the heel of my other hand. And ta da! All done. It took hardly any time at all and smells just heavenly. Can hardly wait for dinner. Hmmm, I think it needs whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on the side.

Hey, Grandma! What's for supper?

Organic beef pot roast with baby carrots, new potatoes and sweet green peppers from the garden. Home-made whole wheat potato bread and for dessert; a peach/almond BakeOver.

Yum, yum!

Voicing my political opinions

2008-11-05T16:48:00.003-07:00

I have thought about this all day. Should I or shouldn't I speak my mind on my blog? Well, it IS my blog and we should all feel free to speak our minds, right? So be it. I voted for Barack Obama. If this bothers you, please don't read any more and please don't leave me nasty messages. I have many friends who are staunch Republicans and I listen to their opinions and believe they have the right to voice them just as I do. They are very dear friends and I love them even if we don't agree on political ideologies.

Now, to what is really on my mind. I am so proud of our country right now. I have seen the worst in people in regard to prejudice and bigotry. This election is the biggest proof of the change in our nation's social thinking. I shed happy tears last night when they announced the new President of the United States of America. I felt such overwhelming joy that our nation is finally evolving into a better frame of thinking. What an incredible, historic moment for this country. I not only lived long enough to witness it, but I was able to take part in it! I realize that most of those who voted for Obama are younger voters which means that someday, when they raise children of their own they, too, will have evolved social views of people. Will this be the new Age of Enlightenment? I certainly hope so.

The other part of this that makes me so happy is that I don't believe that the old-school way of doing things works anymore. John McCain, while a very nice man and should be honored for his outstanding service to this country, is very old-school. Our country has changed, the economy has changed, the way industries conduct business has changed, the world has changed. The old ideologies no longer produce the intended outcomes. They just don't work anymore. You know the old saying "If you keep doing the same thing the same way, you can expect the same result"? Well, it applies here, too. President-elect Obama has fresh, new ideas. He has a great, energizing, inspiring spirit. He's extremely sharp and a wonderful speaker. He also has a great temperament that I think will work in our favor when it comes time for diplomacy. If the old way doesn't work anymore, why not try something new? Shake things up a bit and hopefully turn things around.

I realize that things could quite possibly get much worse before it gets better and Obama has one hard, hard job ahead of him. Our country doesn't just have one or two serious problems, it has a dozen or more that need immediate attention and I don't envy anyone taking this on. But, I hope and pray that our country can get back on track soon and that Obama has a productive and safe term as President.

Elk Hunt 2008

2008-11-04T13:25:00.013-07:00

Day 1: First day of nine and it was raining but not too cold. The elk apparently weren't willing to be out in it and neither were most of the hunters camping up there. We were the only ones out in it and didn't see or hear ANYTHING.

Day 2: More rain, harder this time; all day. No sign of anything, no sound of anything. Not even a squirrel or chipmunk was out in this stuff. Trying to find elk in inclement weather is like trying to find morels. Elk will hunker down in the thickest parts of the forest and just wait it out. The places they lay down in are so thick with trees, bushes and dead-falls that it's impossible to get in to these areas without making noise. And, of course, if they hear you, they're gone long before you get to their beds. Later that night we saw quite a lightning storm up over the peaks we had been hunting. Now, we understood why nothing was moving. They were waiting for this storm to come in. It also meant it was going to be colder, now.

Day 3: The rain stopped for the most part. We got sprinkled on a little bit and snowed on for about 10 minutes, but that was all. It was colder, but at least we were dry. We saw a couple other hunters, and two does. We were sitting in a spot when we heard a bunch of shots. Probably somebody trying to scare the elk out of hiding. Then I spotted one of two does on a hill across the ravine from us. Well, we weren't after deer, but it was a good sign that maybe the elk would be up and moving, too. DH decided to go up the ravine and cross over to see if maybe elk were moving around up in there, too, and try to push them out to me. He saw the two does coming down toward him and he just knelt next to a big stump to wait for them to pass. Well, they came down right to the stump dh was kneeling at and as the lead doe came around it, she spread her front legs, with her head down and snorted at him. So, he did the same back to her! She jumped up in the air and both does took off running. DH mimicking that doe was just hilarious. I ended up laughing out loud. Shhhh, you'll scare off the game! Hunting...it's not just a job, it's an adventure!

We continued hiking and came upon a very well used game trail and decided to follow it for a bit and see if we come upon anything. There were lots of tracks and semi-fresh droppings. Seemed like a good plan. After a while, we stopped for a short rest. We were just standing on the trail when we heard a cow elk call from down below us. Suddenly, there was this crash of branches and pounding hooves on the trail above us! It was a bull! He took off so fast through the forest we never had a chance to even get our rifles up. Dang it! He was coming down behind us on the very trail we were standing on and that cow ratted us out!

Well, we didn't get one today, but at least we got to see one. Elk are magnificent animals.

Day 4: It was raining here in town when we left this morning but snowing like crazy up where we hunt. There were a couple inches on the ground up there and coming down fast. We got out and started hiking up to the same trail we had been on the day before. The wind was blowing hard and the snow was coming down sideways. We didn't go but a mile or so when we realized that we were in blizzard conditions and it just wasn't very smart to be up there in that. We decided to get back to the truck and come up with a plan B.

Heading down the mountain, we decided to take a different turn and check out another area down low. We noticed some of the campers and all of the tents we had seen in previous days were now gone. When we parked off the road, it was just raining down there and no snow was on the ground. We thought (hoped) maybe the elk had come down during the night to get away from the snow. Walking further up the road, we decided to leave it and head up into this drainage. We hadn't walked but 10 minutes when we spotted two elk butts. Their heads were down and we couldn't tell if they were cows or bulls. They were about 100 yards away. We waited. Then the one on the right looked up and it was just a cow. The one on the left was still grazing. We continued to wait in the hopes it was a bull. At least a spike. The one on the right had her fill and started meandering up the hill to the right. Finally, the other one raised it's head and it was another cow. Disappointment. She turned around and spotted us but stood still. We also stood still. We kind of had a staring contest for a couple minutes. When I turned my head, she took off up the hill after the other cow.

After the cows disappeared over the ridge we heard a bark from the same area the cows had gone. Not a normal dog kind of bark. This was really deep and loud. My first thought was wolf. Then I realized wolves can't bark. What the hell was that?! DH said he had just seen a hunting show the other day where the bull "barked" just before the guy shot him. It had to be a bull up there. DH has been hunting since a little boy and had never heard one bark before. This is my eighth year and I never heard this sound before either. DH was telling me that on this show, they said it's only the big bulls, the heads of the herds, that do this when we heard another bark from the ridge behind us. The two bulls barked back and forth for several minutes until the one behind us drifted off. Then, the one up where the cows went, stopped barking. It was the coolest thing to hear this. DH said that on the show, they said this was rare. And we got to hear it. I was just thrilled.

We hiked up and around and over and back down to where we started and couldn't find that bull. But there were his tracks, over top of ours in the spot we had first seen the cows! I don't care what anybody says, elk are not dumb animals. This isn't the first time we had found tracks over top of our own and probably won't be the last, either. I'll tell you, these guys are smart and by the time you bag one, you've earned it just in the mileage you've put on your feet trying to find him.

We hiked a bit more, but the rain was coming down harder and we were feeling a bit wussy-ish and called it a day. Besides, we had to get back to town to vote. This election was very important to us to be heard. Besides the Presidential race, we have a county commissioner race and our local library is at stake, too.

At the very end of the road before we got on to the highway, were a couple of campers and several vehicles that hadn't been there before. We stopped to talk and see if they had seen anything. The campers had a good six inches of snow on top of them. The guys said they hadn't hunted all day. They packed up, hooked up and it took them all day to get out. They were afraid if they didn't get their campers out now, they would have to leave them there until spring. Wise decision.

So, we try again tomorrow...

Day 5:We had sunshine today. Yay! The sun felt so good. But there was crunchy snow everywhere and it took a while for the sun to warm it up enough to not crunch while walking.

I spotted a bear first thing this morning. It was quite a ways uphill from me and it was just foraging. I kept on walking. I don't want to mess with a bear. I'd hate to have to shoot one out of self defense. I only believe in shooting something I plan to eat. Shooting something because I disturbed it would feel tragic to me. So, I went on down the trail.

We saw lots of cow tracks and nothing else today. We decided to drive to another spot when something went wrong with the 4-wheel drive. It was far too hazardous after the snowfall to mess around up there without 4-wheel drive. So, we left around 3. The drive down in 2-wheel drive was pretty scary. We were slipping and sliding all over the place. DH is out trying to figure out what's wrong with it now. Hopefully, it's nothing serious and we can get back out there tomorrow morning.

Day 6: Not a bloomin' thing to say about today. Other than it was very cold, I'm very tired and my feet need a good soaking. I don't have enough energy to make dinner and don't really care if I even eat dinner. I did get a pretty shot of a fast flowing stream with iced-over branches.

Three days left. I sure hope we can get one.

Day 7:It was pleasantly warm today. It started at 35 degrees. I don't know exactly how warm it got, but it was warm enough for the bees and other little bugs to be out. We found lots of fresh track today. Much of it had wolf track over top of it. Which means the elk are not only hiding from us; they're hiding from the wolves, too. No wonder we're having such a hard time finding them. The sun came out after noon and we stumbled on some really fresh tracks. We decided to follow them and hopefully find them in hiding. After several hours of tracking, three guys on dirt bikes came by and continued riding the trails around us. I was hot! Animal rights activists do this every year to interfere with the hunt which is why we usually hike up and into places where there are few or no bike/atv trails. Since the snow the other day, we can no longer get into our favorite area. So, the hunt was spoiled today. And it was such a beautiful day. It's supposed to rain and/or snow starting tonight through next week. So, we'll be back to trying to find them when they're really hunkered down. Only two days left. Well, one and a half. We decided we were only going to hunt the morning on Sunday since I have to go back to work on Monday. I'm really going to need some R&R before I go back to work.

Day 8: It wasn't raining this morning as expected. And it was warm again. The sun came out every now and then which was nice when it could actually get through the smoke. The Forest Service started a bunch of "controlled burns" last night and it made it VERY difficult to see very far at all. We laugh about the term "controlled burn" as they often get out of control because no body stays around to monitor the fires after they set them.

I was totally bored today and took more pictures just for something to do. My hubby looked pretty bored, too. We didn't see or hear a thing today and we hiked all over the place. Hubby estimated we hiked about 9 miles today. We can't seem to find their hide-outs and scare them up although, we've been seeing a lot of track.

This shot is actually of Idaho City, but you can't really make it out through the smoke.

One thing, besides not finding our bull, that has been bugging me this year is the hot flashes I've been having. Your not supposed to work up a sweat in colder weather but when you're having hot flashes, it's impossible not to! I have to keep stopping while we're hiking, take off my gloves, head band and hat. Wipe my face, unbutton my jacket and sweatshirt and roll down my turtleneck collar until the flash passes. Then I feel chilled and have to put everything back on and button back up. I've had to do this 3 or 4 times every day. It's driving me nuts! I was finally able to buy black cohosh on the 1st, but it hasn't kicked in yet.

Anyway, one more shot tomorrow morning...

Day 9:We're both too tired to go out today. We're done. Neither of us wanted to get up this morning. I'm going to go to church and make bread this afternoon instead.

A surprise from my very good friend!

2008-11-03T17:44:00.004-07:00

What a wonderful and lovely surprise from Miss Wilma! I am so thrilled to have these beautiful pillows! The embroidery is so perfect and lovely. The patterns and colors are just right up my alley. I can just see every stitch lovingly done by her hands. I'm so touched by her generosity I'm tearing up!

I think I'll put them in our camper. They'll go beautifully in there and the dogs won't be able to get them to lay on and our overnight visitors will get to enjoy them, too. Our dogs are so spoiled, if I put these on the couch or chairs, they'd think I put them there for them!

Coming soon to a computer near you!

2008-10-22T06:59:00.002-06:00

I have decided to create another website for my aprons rather than keep them stored in a box all winter waiting for the next craft fair to start. But, in the mean time, here's a preview of what's to come.

On occasion, I get my hands on some vintage fabric.

This one is for someone with a wild side.

This one has little pictures of various herbs.

This one is just a pretty pink floral.

Our New Outpost on Wheels

2008-10-12T14:28:00.006-06:00

A friend of my hubby's just bought a bigger, newer camper and wanted to unload this one in a hurry and offered it to us. It's a 1976 Wilderness. I don't really care how old it is. It's in such great shape. It's obvious he took really good care of it. Nothing is banged up on the inside or outside. The upholstery is in perfect shape. The table and counters don't even have a scratch on them. It almost looks like he never used it. This is a view of the back. He had put that black cage thing on the back to hold a dirt bike, but it could be used for a variety of other things.

The view from the front. I haven't opened the storm cover yet.
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This is the bed with another bunk above it meant for young kids, he said. He even left the comforter on the bed.

This is the kitchen area. Isn't that a cute little stove and sink? I'm not a big fan of yellow and orange, so I'll be making new curtains for it. Maybe lace! Or some pretty fabric with lace embellishments! Oh, the ideas going through my head right now!

The dining area is in absolute mint condition. You would think that with use, the cushions would be worn or the table scratched up, but they are just perfect. Except for the color! New curtains for this section, too. What to do to the table? I'm not sure what will work for that other than to keep a table cloth on it. The table and benches make into another double bed and another bunk above, again for small kids. Maybe we'll take the kids and grands camping next year!

This is the shower curtain in the cutest little bathroom. Blue butterflies. I actually like the shower curtain, although it's a bit too long and makes it bunch up instead of hanging straight. But I can easily just trim off the bottom as it's just a plastic curtain.

Here is the cute little sink and counter in the bathroom. It even has a window in it! Our bathroom in the house doesn't even have a window.

Maybe this is tacky, but I just thought this little throne was cute, too! I think I"ll make a seat cover for it.

It even has a cute little fridge!

Everything about this camper is so cute. Can you tell I've never had one before? I've only stepped into a few that other folks owned. I just think it's adorable and can hardly wait to play with the decorating part. I'm almost done with my weekend project of cleaning out the back room. When I finish that I'll start looking around the house for stuff to take out there. I'm so glad this is a 3 day weekend!

It's already been winterized (coolant run through the plumbing) so we won't be taking it anywhere this year or we'd have to winterize it all over again. But next year, we plan to take it and the dogs up to our hunting area and not come home for 10 days! Oh, we'll be able to take it to farm fair, too! Oh, and while it sits here, the kids can stay in it when they come to visit and they'll have privacy that way. Oh, and on our anniversaries, we won't have to pay for a hotel room anymore. We can take our home AND our dogs with us! This is going to be so much fun! Oh, and dh says that if the sh-- hits the fan, we'll just hook up and head deeper into the mountains! haha

Muley's October Festival

2008-10-11T17:07:00.012-06:00

Here I am, 13 degrees outside with some of my chef-style aprons. My denim-butt aprons are hanging behind and beside me, but the lighting is bad under the tent. I had my baskets on the other side that you can't see. I sewed ties onto 3 king size sheets to tie up for walls to block the wind. It helped a lot.

This poor lady was so cold. She was selling calendars.

This cute little guy was the model for doggie blankets that his mom had made. She was also selling hand made tote bags and patchwork chef-style aprons. They were all very pretty.

These aprons were made by another lady. She had some great camo aprons, some with lace. The one apron in the middle has shiny pumpkins all over it. It was really cute.

The tea towels were really nice and were made by the camo lady's friend.

The Cowboy Fast Draw Association was there conducting a competition. The little gal in the white hat had recently won the state championship. She was pretty fast.

Now, these guys are quite the crack-ups. They offered to give me free advertising by wearing my aprons. Aren't they cute? They are both shooters in the competition. The big guy on the left is the dad of that state championship gal.

They even competed while wearing them. You should have heard the other cowboys giving them guff over it! It was all in fun and everybody was laughing.

Muley's was selling his coffee, tea, breakfast burritos and muffins. Diamond Lil's was there selling bbq chicken and bbq pork sandwiches and beer. Another local was there with his premium hotdogs. Three bands were there to play in the big army tent that was right behind me. I didn't sell a thing, but it was fun anyway.

So much for Autumn!

2008-10-10T17:45:00.004-06:00

Remember the pictures I took yesterday of the fallen leaves? Well, it appears that we only get one day of Autumn this year because this is the scene today! It started snowing at 3pm today and as of 6pm we have about an inch with more expected tonight and tomorrow. It's only October 10! Just a touch earlier than we're used to. There are still a lot of folks who aren't done getting their firewood in yet. I think they'll be stepping up their pace a bit now.

This is the front yard. I took all these pictures after work today.

There's my garden, which just 5 days ago still had tomatoes and peppers in it. Good thing I pulled them up when I did! My poor plum tree is totally weighed down. It kind of looks like a spirea with all the snow on it.

My new cherry tree still hasn't even dropped it's leaves yet.

Cody just couldn't wait to go out in it. He so loves the snow!

2008-10-10T12:05:00.002-06:00

Well, fall is here. While we have had several frosts since August, we haven't had many leaves falling. Yesterday morning I woke to 19 degrees; the coldest yet. When I went to work, there was a leaf here and there, but nothing worth getting the rake out for. When I came home for lunch, the big ash tree had just DUMPED! Not a blade of grass to be seen. Most of the leaves that fell are still green. It's as if the tree said "Here! You can have them; I'm going to bed!".

Empty Nest sucks (so far)

2008-10-05T12:39:00.004-06:00

I so miss my little girl. I know she's not really a little girl anymore and I know that going off to college is how it's supposed to work and she'll do well. Even though she's only an 8 hour drive away, it's just not the same as having her here. Mornings aren't the same, dinner's not the same. Weekends aren't the same. At times, I feel lost. Especially when I get home from work. I'm feeling very selfish and just don't want to give her up to the world.

It's funny, I used to get a little annoyed at how she just couldn't wait for me to get in the door and would meet me in the driveway or even walk to my work to catch me on my way home just to tell me about her day. Now, I miss it. She's such a Chatty Kathy and would tell me everything and ANYthing. Well, actually she still does, but phone calls and emails just aren't the same. You know what I mean?

Sometimes she tells me things I don't want to hear but I just listen and do my best not to let on that I'm shocked or embarrassed by the conversation. I felt that was important to keep the communication going through her teens. I wanted a better relationship with my daughter than I had with my mom. While her topics sometimes caught me off guard, I never let on. As a result, I think, I never once got the one word answers typical of most teenagers when asked about their day at school.

Since she left for college, I have totally delved into everything to keep busy. I've been canning, gardening, cleaning, sewing. Totally busy all the time. I'm told that once I get past this Empty Nest Syndrome, I'll actually enjoy having no kids at home. I'm wondering how long that takes?

My fall decorating

2008-09-28T09:12:00.003-06:00

Our little town has a scarecrow contest every year and this is my entry. I decided to put a farm girl up in the wagon seat with my pumpkins from the garden. She's wearing my pants and shirt, dh boots, dd hat and a braided wig I got a couple Halloweens ago. You can't really see the pitchfork leaning on her right shoulder. The cornstalks came from my garden also. My scarecrow appears rather well-endowed although I didn't blow up the balloons very big at all. Oh, well.

DH thinks I should put a face on her, but I'm not very good with faces. The next time we get down to Boise we'll pick up a Happy Halloween kind of banner and hang it from the front hoop over the scarecrow.

Canning week fiasco

2008-09-20T16:34:00.004-06:00

The light is actually too bright but there are 4 buckets of red apples and 2 boxes of green apples. What was I thinking?!

The cherry plums (cherums) from my tree in the back yard.

Saturday, I processed half the green apples as apple slices. No problem. Then, I set to work to juice the plums and make jelly on Sunday. They juiced beautifully in my steam juicer but my first attempt at jelly with my canning book recipe was a total failure. Monday night after work, I try the pectin recipe from the box of pectin. Another total failure. I've only used up one gallon of the juice I got and still have another gallon. And what was I going to do with all this syrup I just ended up with? Well, one more shot. Tuesday night I dumped all of the non-pectin syrup into a pot and added Chillover powder and that did the trick. Still not quite jelly, but it is spreadable now instead of pourable! So, I did one more batch on Wednesday with Chillover powder and then just canned the rest of the juice as juice. I don't think I'll try jelly-making again. It's just too tricky. I don't like having to re-work things.

Thursday meeting so I had no time to can after work. I get a phone call telling me the peaches I ordered are in. Oh, man, I still have all those apples to do! Friday night I finished off the green apples. Today I got up at 5:30 to pouring rain. In a way, I was glad it was raining so I could stay home and can. I got on line for a bit while drinking my tea then set to work cutting up the apples for apple butter. One bucket down. I started running them through my blender and we got a major power surge and it blew up my blender! Sparks and smoke and man did it stink! I had to light candles to get rid of the smell, ugh. I had to borrow another blender so I could finish what I started. I didn't have a sieve to do it by hand. My neighbor had a food processor. Ok, that'll work. I got it home and the power went out completely. Waiting... After a half hour it came back on and I finished the apples for apple butter and had the pot on the stove. I started cutting up another bucket-full for applesauce and the power cut out again. Waiting...This was at 8:30. I continued to slice up the apples and got another bucket down but still no power.

I started sorting fabric and cutting out oven mitts, sweeping, mopping, playing with the dogs and wandering around looking for something else to do that didn't require power. Couldn't do laundry, couldn't iron, couldn't vaccuum, couldn't go on line to chat and it was still raining cats and dogs with lightning. Bugger, I was bored. Normally, I love it when the power is off but this time I was just annoyed.

The sun came out at 1:30 and power was finally restored at 2pm. I just put the last 6 jars in the canner and I'm about to make dinner. The last two buckets of apples will just have to wait until tomorrow along with the peaches. I'm pooped. If it hadn't been for the power outage, I could have had all the apples done this morning and started on the peaches this afternoon. There are still plums down the street that I need to get (they make the best plum butter). I sure hope tomorrow is better, but I can see more storm clouds moving in as I type this and there's the thunder...

Cody's got a girlfriend!

2008-09-16T21:46:00.003-06:00

We have been looking for quite some time for a mate for Cody. Hubby wouldn't even hear of getting him fixed until he got a pup from him. Well, we finally found Tashi; a beautiful little red and white border collie with a wonderful disposition. The owner dropped her off today and she'll spend the next 5 days with us and hopefully Cody will become a daddy. We get the pick of the litter. So far, they get along great, but Tashi is not an easy gal. Cody is not going to get anywhere on the first date!

Girlie Girl is not at all happy about another girl in the house and we have to keep her separated from them. Thankfully, this is only for 5 days.

Cody's mom was a red and white, too. So, while there is no guarantee and the red gene is considered recessive, we're still hoping for a red and white male. Wish us luck!

This picture is kind of dark. But that's Tashi on the left and Cody on the right.

Tashi by herself. She minds very well.

Cody and Tashi sitting on command. She's such a tiny little thing but she's 2 1/2 years old. Cody is only 3 1/2 now. He's all excited about her being here, but still doesn't quite know what to do with her!

Farmgirls in the family

2008-09-16T21:40:00.002-06:00

We just got some old photos from the family and I just loved these so much, I want to share them with you all.

This is my hubby's mom. She's gone now, but I thought this was a very farmgirl-like photo of her.

This is my hubby's grandma. Now there's a busy farmgirl!

I finally got to go shopping!

2008-07-27T14:49:00.013-06:00

One of our neighbors on the next street over had a yard sale and I got some really cool stuff! I got this really pretty green apron.

And this pretty Christmas apron...

And this pretty pink and peach apron.

This beautifully embroidered strawberry tablecloth

This great cut-work daisy tablecloth which I'm hoping to make into an apron following the directions in MaryJane's Magazine.

This is a closeup of the daisies. Closeups don't seem to work out very well; it's a little blurry.

This was the best prize! I didn't actually get this at the yard sale. We went to a little antique shop that's right near the house with the yard sale. She sold it to us for half price! I've always wanted one of these butter churns but they were always priced out of reach for me and/or they were missing paddles. And they were all the quart sized ones. This one holds a gallon. I will be using it tonight.

This is a closeup of the top. I can't find a manufacturer's name on it anywhere nor can I find a patent date or anything. If anybody knows anything about this kind of butter churn, please let me know. I'm curious as to where and when it was made.

Closeup of the paddles. Aren't they in great shape?

Back at the yard sale...I got this neat old snap press. This will come in handy for so many projects that I have in mind.

I also got a large bag full of notions and 8 large pieces of fabric in lots of different colors and patterns. I got a roll of wallpaper border of a clothesline with patched jeans, colonial flags, braided rugs, aprons, quilts and socks hanging from it and wicker laundry baskets and baskets of sunflowers under it. It's a really cool farmgirl-like border. I don't know yet what I'm going to do with it, but I just couldn't pass it up. I don't have a laundry room; the machines are in the kitchen. Anybody have any ideas?

2008-07-27T12:59:00.002-06:00

Since this is the first year that I have grown broccoli, I wanted to show it off to you all. This is the second head that's about ready to cut. I already cut and ate the first one before I even thought to take a picture. The white parts on the head are water drops. The picture didn't exactly turn out the way I was hoping. Anyway, I'll cut this head tomorrow morning and then I have two more that are much smaller that are coming along just as nicely.

My swallow babies are getting ready to leave

2008-07-23T12:13:00.002-06:00

I took these pictures two nights ago. I just get the biggest kick out of watching the pair of swallows that come back to my birdhouse every year. George and Gracie clean it out, rebuild the nest, have their babies, feed them constantly and one year we were lucky enough to watch George and Gracie teaching them to catch bugs mid-air. In the first picture, the babies are just looking out the hole; not too sure if I can be trusted so close.

Now, it seems they're not so fearful as curious.

I know it's hard to see their features, but they look like little Orcas. Of course, they don't have the beautiful dark blue coloring of their parents yet, but they are so cute.

One of them fell out of the bird house yesterday and still couldn't fly. There are so many wild cats around here, that I just couldn't leave him to that fate. I got a pair of gloves that had been laying around outside and picked him up and put him back in the house. I sat out on the porch to watch and make sure George and Gracie weren't going to be upset that I had touched them. They seemed fine with it and all is back to normal.

Veggie Garden in July

2008-07-12T09:52:00.007-06:00

I took pictures this morning to show off my heirloom veggie garden. I didn't bother to take a picture of the bed with the corn, potatoes and horseradish because the neighbor's junk is sooooo visible where that bed is located up against our back fence. My carrots didn't do well this spring, so while the bed is visible behind the zucchini/pepper bed, I didn't bother to mention it.

This is my little strawberry bed. Soon to be expanded to the grassy area right below it between it and the red picket fence. That area is quite a bit bigger.

This bed has watermelon in the foreground and cantaloupe in the rest of the bed. I'm about to build more beds so the blue tarp is there to kill the weeds.

This bed is Amish Paste Tomatoes. They do VERY well up here. A neighbor gave me the wall o' waters. I put those around the plants in the middle in the hopes that the warmth from those would help the plants on the outside, too. They are just blooming now.

This bed suffered the most from the frost last month. Zucchini plants at the front; the rest are my pepper plants. They are bouncing back, but it took them quite a while. Flower buds are finally forming on them.

This is my Amish Pie Pumpkin bed. The pumpkin plants have just gone nuts! I have several tennis ball sized babies in there.

This is my cucumber bed. I lost several plants to last months' frost which is why the left side of the bed looks so empty. There are tons of baby cukes in there though.

These are pots of Tumbling Tom cherry tomatoes. The only non-heirloom seeds I ordered this year. There was no more room in the garden so I had to put them in these pots in front of my greenhouse. They are a trailing type tomato and seem to be happy in these pots. These are loaded with lots of little green tomatoes.

This bed was planted with Anna Russian Tomatoes. I lost a lot of them last month, but I still have 6 plants in there and that will still be plenty.

This bed still has snow peas growing like crazy. At the far end of the bed is the spinach going to seed which I hope to harvest soon and replant for fall. The left side of the bed had rows of lettuce which is now all gone. I have one head that I'm letting go to seed to plant later, too. The sheets hanging over this bed prevented the lettuce and spinach from bolting too soon. It's not exactly pretty, but it worked.

This bed has chives and cilantro on the far left (not visible) and dill which is doing really well. As you can see, I have far more than I need. There are 8 plants in there! The parsley is doing well and I have harvested quite a bit from those plants.

This is the far right side of the same bed with the herbs. These are my broccoli plants which are just beginning to head. In between the broccoli and parsley I have beets. Across the front of this bed, are the pole beans I had to replant last month with a lean-to kind of structure of chicken wire for them climb and shade everything behind it from the hot after noon sun. When the beets are done, I will plant more lettuce and spinach behind it. Unfortunately, you can see my neighbor's junk behind my log fence. Someday, I want to put in a stockade fence so I don't have to look at it anymore.

So that's my veggie garden so far this year. I hope you enjoyed the tour. I will take you all on another tour in mid-August when the fruits are actually visible.

Mystery Plant

2008-06-21T14:52:00.006-06:00

I am hoping someone can tell me what this plant is. I'm guessing it's some weed as it was a volunteer and looks NOTHING like any plant I or my neighbor's have ever had. It's about 16" high.

Leaf detail

Close up of the developing flower

Don't Forget To Remember Me

2008-06-01T09:33:00.005-06:00

This is the song Felicia sang at Commencement. She lost it at the end because she thought I would be crying. I told her later, I was doing just fine until she did that!

I got as close as I could, but it's not the best video. Sorry that it's not a real steady video. I sat on the floor and had the camera perched on my knees to hold it still, but it's still a bit shaky.

Graduation!

2008-06-01T08:40:00.005-06:00

Rose is on the school board and I requested that she be the one to give Felicia her diploma. Rose also gave her a big bear hug!

Presenting the class of 2008. Hats off!

Felicia and 3 of her best friends after commencement.

I just had to get this cute picture. This is actually just an hour before the commencement ceremony when our son, daughter-in-law and grandsons got here from Salt Lake. Hunter was starving when they got here and just couldn't wait to eat. Felicia is such a proud Auntie. She had no idea that they were coming. It was a great surprise for her.

2008-05-21T21:25:00.003-06:00

Here is my brand new grandson, Hunter Lee, born on May 17. I think he is so adorable. The first two pictures, he was all dressed up. Then his daddy, my son, feeding him. Then my dil and other grandson with Hunter.

My 45th birthday present!

2008-05-18T17:59:00.006-06:00

My wonderful husband brought this old hay wagon/freighter home for me today (my birthday's not til the 23rd) while I was over working in the Farmgirl's Garden. I usually get mad at him when he gives me a gift early but, I couldn't get mad this time - I guess he couldn't really hide it.

He got it in a trade for some work he did and plus an old wood stove. It's been fitted with steps off the back and heavy duty hoops over the top for a canvas. He thought I might like to use it during our Farmgirl's Market each month as we could have a "shop on wheels" since it has benches in it to display things and when we get a canvas for the top, it would protect all of our hand-mades from rain and sun exposure with a definite farm flair. Also, we all could ride in it for the 4th of July Parade. Oh, and he wants to paint Mountain Farmgirls of Idaho City on the side. Great ideas, Honey! I love it.

An old poem that I wrote long ago

2008-04-07T01:09:00.005-06:00

I just found this tucked in a book. I wrote this poem about 10 years ago when living in Salt Lake. We moved to Idaho City about a year later. We have everything but the cows, roadside stand and windmill. Our place isn't big enough for cows. The windmill will be built soon. It's kind of long...

The Life I Dream

Hurry home, hurry to work
Rush hour; crawling
Honking horns, obscenities
Drive here, pay there
Get to the store
Telephone ringing
Pager beeping
Knocking at the door
Kids crying, yelling
Dogs barking; shut up!
Traffic noise
Sirens in the night
Blaring stereos, no sleep
Get ready, must hurry
Rush, rush to get there slowly
Frustration, impatience
Get out of my way!
I hate this
I hate being late
I'm not late so,
Why can't I slow down?
Damn it! Move!
Choking on exhaust
Can't see the mountains today
Constant noise
Phone calls
Endless bills
I want, I need, when can you pay?
Papers piling up, too much to do
Not enough time, hurry home
Must not waste time
Precious seconds
Light's green, move you idiot!
What are you doing?!
Want out, want out so bad
Escape to dream....

Each day I would bake
In the quiet before dawn;
Before my family wakes
With a stretch and a yawn.

They would greet each morn gladly;
The warm, comforting smells.
The dogs wag their tails madly.
They're hungry too, their attitude tells.

O'er the majestics to the East;
A flood of warm sunshine.
We kiss, say "good morning" and sit down to feast.
Ahh, the life in the land of aspen and pine.

Then off to school and chores on the ranch
That seems like work not at all.
Mend the fence, trim that branch,
Feed the animals, clean out each stall.

Everything done with joy and reason;
Plant veggies, tend fruit trees,
Collect firewood all season.

We earn our living from our roadside stand;
Veggies, fruits and homemade things.
Reaping the benefits from our land;
Enjoying the peace that it brings.

Out in the barn and in the field;
The dinner bell brings them all in.
The smells of supper; our hard work's yield,
To each, brings a satisfied grin.

With the dishes washed and homework done,
We might take a stroll down the lane.
Bask in the colors of the setting sun
As the day begins to wane.

Or we might hold hands in our rocking chairs
On our porch that faces West.
The dogs are lying near the stairs
We truly feel blessed.

Our home is a haven
Full of peace and deep love.
Nothing more am I cravin'
This life fits like a glove.

My loving knight in bright armor,
My cowboy, best friend
Has become quite the farmer;
He loves this no end.

Side by side, we work and play;
Enjoying secluded peace.
This tranquil life, I hope and pray,
For us will never cease.

In spring, we sow; summer we reap.
Nearby, the windmill whirls.
The well we drilled is clear and deep.
Around the rocks, the cold stream swirls.

In fall, we ready for the storms
That winter will inevitably bring.
Long johns, boots, and hearth that warms;
Keeping us cozy til spring.

With winter, comes a ton of snow.
We close our stand for now.
The winds begin to whistle and blow;
Time to bring in the cows.

The winter's so white
And all snug by our fire
It all feels so right;
To this I aspire.

Pickling and canning,
Building new things;
Working and planning
For what next year brings.

The trees that we sold
Sustain us through
The long bitter cold
Til spring comes anew.

Wildlife and sweet smelling rain
Warm summer sunshine
Green grass and gold grain.

Camping, fishing, hunting galore;
Sunrise, sunset
Enjoyed all the more.

The summers are warm
And the air; it smells sweet
A harsh winter storm
Makes the spring a real treat.

We work hard, but we play
And take time to smell flowers.
We don't mind a hard day
Because it's all ours.

Living in peace
With the rat race behind us.
This is our new lease;
No noise and no fuss.

No trusses, low stress
We work as a team.
This is what I want, yes!
This is the life that I dream.

Our trip to The Farm

2008-03-30T15:58:00.007-06:00

Well, technically, it was a trip to register my daughter at the university. But staying at the farm was the best part! The university is much bigger than I expected and we spent the ENTIRE day there standing in lines on concrete floors. My back needed help after that. It was so quiet and peaceful at the farm with no tv, no phone ringing, no body talking or barking. I just love that kind of peace. It was an absolutely perfect stay.

These first four photos are of the cabin we stayed in. It was so cozy and cute!

These three photos are the view from the porch of the cabin we stayed in. The camera didn't really capture the full glory of the sunrise. It was much more colorful in person.

I just loved this wreath on the chicken coop.

One rooster and a hen came out to greet us.

Alee and Nora. Aren't they just the sweetest mom and daughter?

Directions at the farm.

A mailbox down the road that I just HAD to get a picture of. It's so darn cute.

An abandoned house on the Nez Perce Reservation.

I love old barns and this one was just cool.

It's spring!

2008-03-21T14:52:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was officially spring and today my crocus are blooming! They are so cheery. I love the extra early flowers. They give me such a boost after our long winters. This is the flower bed that I shoveled off a few weeks ago. Well worth the effort or it would still be under about 2 feet of it.

My babies are loving it...well, at least 2 of them are.

2008-02-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Cody (border collie) and Treu (bassett mix) really have a lot of fun in the snow. Cody is something of a ham. He loves the camera. I actually got Treu to sit still long enough to get a great head shot of him. He's so active and wiggly that it's very difficult to get him to sit still at all. Girlie Girl (pit bull) is thoroughly disgusted with the snow as you can tell by her expression. She looks like she's saying "I can't believe you made me come out in this for a picture. Hmmf".

Now that it's February...so sign of spring yet.

2008-02-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures yesterday. We got another 10" last night. The first photo is our chapter's "farmhouse". The next 3 photos are at Rose's house (dh is shoveling the front steps). The next 3 are at my house. My kitchen window is getting covered fast. It's really getting crazy with trying to find a place to throw all this stuff. The rest of the photos are around town. I took a walk yesterday while the sun was shining and really enjoyed soaking it in. We haven't seen much of the sun this winter. But when it does come out, it feels really good.

2008-01-21T16:13:00.001-07:00

Chicken & Fish from Pillsbury; 89 pages, $1 + shipping. Mexican Cooking from Ortega and Sargento; 90 pages, $1 + shipping. Fast Fresh Meals from Pillsbury; 89 pages, $1 + shipping. Hamburger & Ground Meats Recipes from Better Homes & Gardens; hard cover, 92 pages, $1 + shipping. Colorado High Country Cooking by The Colorado Department of Agriculture; lots of beautiful photos of Colorado and many historic stories, hard cover, 207 pages, $5 + shipping. Creative Cookery from Lipton; soft cover, spiral bound, 93 pages, $2 + shipping. Weekday Survival Cookbook from Kraft; soft cover, 71 pages, $1 + shipping. The Big Beautiful Book of Hors D"oeuvres by Julia Weinberg; hard cover; lots of instructional diagrams and info, 163 pages, $5 + shipping. Party Snacks Cookbook from Southern Living, soft cover, old (1974), 92 pages, $1 + shipping.

2008-01-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Three of the four smaller books are part of a series "A Treasury of Classic Recipes" by Michelle A. Preston; Seafood is 122 pages; Meat is 122 pages; Appetizers, Soups, Salads and Desserts is 123 pages; $1 each + shipping. The Fabulous Egg Cookbook by Jeffrey Feinman; 127 pages, $1 + shipping. The two Better Homes & Gardens Cookbooks are 62 pages each, $1/pair + plus shipping. The Quick & Easy Cookbook by Unknown Author, 91 pages, $1 + shipping.

2008-01-21T15:51:00.001-07:00

Contest Winners from Betty Crocker; 89 pages, $1+ shipping. Corn Flakes Recipe Classics from Kellogg's; 78 pages, $1 + shipping. Great Tasting Health Foods by Robert Rodale and Prevention Magazine; 76 pages, $1 + shipping. The Best of Bisquick from Betty Crocker; 91 pages, $1 + shipping. Country American Cooking from Pillsbury; 89 pages, #1 + shipping. Family Favorites from Taste of Home; this is a "clip & keep" kind of cookbook, 97 pages, $1 + shipping.

Cookbook sale

2008-01-21T15:36:00.001-07:00

Real Home Cooking is from Pillsbury; 89 pages, $1 + shipping. Celebrity Chili Cookbook is a charity cookbook benefitting the YMCA Excels Project and Camp Roger in Utah; 45 pages, $1 + shipping. The Holiday Cookbook is from Pillsbury; 90 pages, $1 + shipping. Cooking with Soup is from Campbell's; hard cover, spiral bound, 189 pages, $2 + shipping. One Pot Cakes by Andrew Schloss; hard cover, 102 pages, $2 + shipping. The Frugal Gourmet by Jeff Smith; soft cover, 437 pages, $1 + shipping.

Snow, Snow and More Snow

2008-01-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Early morning photos of the back yard. The trees are technically in the neighbor's yard, but we get to enjoy them since they are so close. The twig arbor is the entrance to my veggie garden. The sign on the gate says "there will be peas in the valley". The weight of the snow is twisting it quite a bit. I may have to do repairs in the spring. That's ok, twigs are free!

Girlie Girl is not too sure she wants to venture out too far. She's not too thrilled about the snow and cold. She's my pit bull and her hair is pretty thin. She just turned 11.
The picture on the right below is from the front porch facing North. The small structure on the right is the old schoolmarm's cabin built sometime in the 1860's.

My hubby shoveling the walkway between the side porch and the driveway. The snow is coming down hard again. I accidentally got the ladder in this shot. We had it up to get the snow off the roof. It just wasn't sliding this year. Across the street behind him is the Prospector Motel.

This is our neighbor's dog, Rowdy. He's just a pup; not even a year old yet. He's really enjoying the deep snow; he can see everybody over the fence now.

This is the view of part of the front yard through my kitchen window. My culinary and medicinal herb garden will be in this area. That's a four foot fence and normally, I can walk under those branches without ducking. No short jokes, please.

My hubby on the roof of the woodshed/garden shed in the back yard. The snow wouldn't slide off this roof either, so we had no choice but to get up there and shovel it off. It was very heavy with a couple inches of ice at the bottom. That apple tree he's under really needs a trimming. That tree is ancient. There are many apple trees around town that old. The story is that the Chinese had planted them along with plum trees. There is no shortage of apples or plums around here.

This is the aspen in the front yard. That same pine tree with the branches laying on the fence is behind it. That's an old plow on the left of the tree.

A close-up of the aspen where the bird feeder is hanging. It has over a foot of snow on it's roof.

These are our other two dogs, Cody, the Border Collie and Treu, my daughter's Blue Healer/Border Collie/Bassett Hound mix. We joke and tell people we have a Blue Border Hound. He basically looks like a Bassett Hound with some Border Collie markings. He has the brains of a Bassett but the energy of the Border Collie. Treu and Cody are best friends. Cody took him in like a new baby brother when Treu joined our family. We were kind of surprised but Cody really needed somebody closer to his age to play with. Cody is almost 3 now. Treu will be a year old this summer.

My sewing projects

2007-12-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

I made this apron for my daughter in law for Christmas. I got the idea from a craft fair and I felt Jamie really needed an apron. Being so young, I'm hoping she really likes it. My daughter thinks she will.

I made 2 more with different colored fabrics and lace; one with blue jeans and one with black jeans. I gave one to a co-worker for Christmas and I gave the other to my boss who had lost all of her aprons (she had quite a few) in a house fire last year. She kept asking my friend, Rose, if she was making any for sale. And had she made any for sale yet? And will she have any at the next sale she sets up for? So, I couldn't stand it anymore, I had to make her one too.

This is my farm girl badge. I embroidered the whole thing. The pictures I took didn't come out very clear. I embroidered "Idaho City" at the top. "2007", the year I joined the sisterhood, on the left. "#35", my sisterhood number, on the right. "Mountain Farmgirls Chapter" around the bottom.

I thought about putting lace and pearls around the outside of the badge, but it just made it too big and a little too fu-fu for a denim jacket that I wear in the yard and garden and for firewood and such. I would just end up ruining such embellishments. So, this works for me. This badge is on the upper left front. I already had my alma mater patch on the right. I'm really looking forward to earning more patches!

Refinishing 140 year old floor

2007-12-21T08:22:00.001-07:00

This is what my living room floor looks like right now after I ripped out the carpet (God-awful mauve). There were many, many staples and nails. The old finish is very dark and there are a lot of chips and dings in the floor. I don't mind the chips and dings, though. I think they add character to the house.

I've started the sanding, but it is taking quite some time to get through the old paint splatters and the old varnish, so it's getting done a little at a time.

The dust! Ugh! I didn't think to cover the furniture or anything the first day I sanded. I thought the little bag on the back end of the sander would catch all the dust. It only catches a fraction of it. So, now I cover the furniture and stuff. Now, I just have to vacuum off the walls, wood stove and ceiling fan after each sanding session.

The wood has this beautiful golden glow with a pinkish-orangish tint to it. I'm not sure if this floor is red oak or if that's the color that oak turns after 140 years. When we gutted our bedroom to put insulation in the walls, we found the entire house is built with true 1x10 and 1x12 pine planks (inside and outside) and we decided to leave the wood exposed rather than cover it with drywall again. When we sanded it down (it was rough sawn) we found that it also had a beautiful golden glow that new pine lumber does not have. So the color of the flooring could just be due to it's age. In either case, I absolutely love it.

I was doing the sanding on Fridays (my day off from work) because nobody was home to get in the way or bother with the dust. I've had to put the sanding on hold until after Christmas because I just can't cover the tree with out knocking all the ornaments off and my daughter is home on Christmas Vacation. I can't fill the living room with sawdust when she's here (asthma). So, I will resume after New Year's. I can hardly wait to see it all done. It's going to be so pretty.

Bear Cub Comes To Town

2007-08-22T09:29:00.000-06:00

We had a bear cub show up in town that had climbed up a tree next to the senior center. Fish and game tranquilized him and got him down out of the tree. They took him to a woman in Garden Valley who raises abandoned/orphaned young until they're ready to be on their own. So he'll be fine now.

Fish and Game said that food is scarce this year due to the extreme heat and no rain so the sows are kicking their cubs out. Poor little guy. I worry for the rest of them that can't fend for themselves and might starve to death.

Anniversary Trip to Stanley, ID

2007-08-08T12:10:00.001-06:00

Here are some photos of our Anniversary trip to Lowman and Stanley this past weekend. We had a great time. The weather was perfect and fishing was good. This was our 18th anniversary.

Photos of my dh fishing in the various streams.

This chipmunk decided to get up on this stump with my baskets while we were down at the creek photographing another basket. When we came back up the bank; there he was.

Isn't he just soooo cute?

This is one of the firefighter helicopters. We were fishing in this creek at Grandjean on Saturday when he flew in to pick up water. This chopper was HUGE. It only took about 20 seconds for him to fill up through the hose hanging underneath. The fire they are fighting is about 4 miles from Grandjean. Fortunately, for us, the winds kept the smoke going in the other direction.

Young cow elk ran out in the road in front of us on the way to Stanley Sunday morning.

Photos of the Sawtooth Range just outside Stanley early Sunday morning. Breathtaking. I absolutely love roaming around this range.

Stanley Lake. It's as quiet and serene as it looks. Great meditation place. Loons, ducks and cranes live here.

One of my catch for the weekend.

One of dh fish. He actually out-fished me this weekend (20-10).

Waterfall in Clear Creek at Lowman. Only caught bullheads here.

Well, that was our trip. We sure enjoyed ourselves but it was nice to get back to our comfy bed at home.

Baskets and bowls for sale

2007-07-05T11:43:00.000-06:00

If you wish to buy one, please go to www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm What is shown here is just a sampling of my inventory. I am now using my own website to attain more recognition. Thank you for your interest and patronage.

#24 Mushroom Basket $285.00

Past Blessing Show in Fairfield, WA

2007-05-26T19:22:00.000-06:00

Well, Rose and I had a great time there especially when MaryJane and Carol stopped by our booth. Their visit was the highlight of our weekend! Two wonderful women who were definately worth the wait to meet.

That's me on the right working on the next basket at the Past Blessings Show.

That's me and MaryJane after she signed my book.

MaryJane, Rose and Carol.

Rose, MaryJane, Me and Carol. Aren't we a picturesque group?

Our chapter banner. It's hard to read the bottom. It says: You are never alone in the forest of sisters.

Of course, we had to stop at Pendleton Woolen Mills on the way home.

I got to ride Sir Woolliam at the Mill.

Here goes.....

2007-05-21T12:55:00.000-06:00

Well, girls, here is what I've been doing. I only just started this after elk season 2006. The first 5 I made all went to my best friends for Christmas. They and my husband were the ones who convinced me to to keep making them. The baskets all seem to have a personality of their own. I really enjoy making them. Especially through a winter with no snow!

I have sold quite a few just here in town. Word gets around fast here. I now hope that someday my baskets and bowls will take off and be a nice retirement supplement. I have 2o or so years to go before I retire, so that should be enough time to catch on, huh? Or maybe it will get going well enough to pay for my daughter's college by the time she graduates. I'm dreaming, I know. Might as well dream big! It could happen.