somewhereNtime

His Light Will Overpower

2012-01-04T19:43:00.001-08:00

Like a candle burning desperately,
Trying to shed it's light
Into the powerful darkness
Of the fears I try to fight.
Sometimes it starts to flicker
And the light grows very dim,
I feel my strength begin to fade
As uncertainty seeps in.
With shadows of confusion
That clings to every breath,
I reach out to grasp my FAITH
That will put my mind to rest.
And with this FAITH, I'll face my fears
That's filled my life with doubt,
And HIS light will overpower
As the candle, finally burns out.

Best christmas present ever!

2012-01-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas I hit a home run in picking a present for my hubby.
I told him his present will be a dog but we need to decide on what kind,
size and temperament. We agreed on a small dog, short hair or one that doesn't shed,
a mellow temperament (since we are grandparents), Not one that chews on furniture or digs holes in the yard. Does that sound like I asked for too much in a little furry friend?
Well, in the paper appeared a dog, free to a good home. This dog lived on a ranch and Bob was so excited to take a look. He said we we NOT going to decide but just take a look. I agreed since our search had just begun. Within a few minutes of meeting "Katie" my hubby had fell in love with her. How could I say NO. He already was saying she was "the best Christmas present ever!" Remember, she came from a ranch and her full name was Cattle Kate. She is part Jack Russell and part border collie. She was great at herding cattle but also liked to herd the horses and chickens....Need I say more?
She was just 1 year old. This puppy has ADHD I am sure of it. Within the first week so had chewed the wood legs on our occasional chair in the living room, knocked a 200 dollar lamp off the end table and broke it because she was running in a full circle in the living room. She was running too fast for us to catch her! She has dug holes in our back yard, and gets excited and pees on the carpet when company rings the doorbell. We have since taken her to obedience school. She is very smart but has a never ending supply of energy. We take her for walks and when we let her off the leash, she tries to herd us! She demands attention all the time.
This year I wanted to get her a boy for Christmas. A boy with her energy level, but since that wasn't possible, she got lots of toys and doggy bones and Christmas for me, I prayed for patience.......

A heavy heart

2011-05-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

I saw my oncologist on Tuesday and on Wednesday he DIED suddenly. It was totally unexpected. He was only 65. The medical community and all his patients are in shock. He was a gentle man with always words of encouragement. He was a compassionate Dr, and loved by so many. My heart is heavy.
Tell your loved ones you love them,and show it.....carpe diem, you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Carpe Deim

2011-05-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Last Oct. I had a lymph node removed from my neck. The test showed I had SLL, which is lymphoma.It is also in the bone marrow. This type is indolent, slow growing. I went to Stanford for a second opinion, and was given the same results. Since this is slow growing, no treatment is needed at this point. They are doing "watchful waiting." Some people have this many years before chemo is needed. Stanford's guess was 4 to 7 years. I see an oncologist for blood work and check ups on a regular basis. It is frightening, of course, but I know the will of God will not take me to a place that the Grace of God can not protect me.
Each day is precious...Carpe Diem...or seize the day!

I'm back!!!

2011-05-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the long delay. Most of my friends got caught up in FaceBook so I gave it a try. They played Farmville as well as leaving little notes.
I just didn't get it as far as the farm thing went. Farmville had caused a temporary rift between some family members, and the locating "lost or old friends", caused two divorces between loved ones. My husband thought FB was evil, and since I seldom would leave comments, it was very easy to give up. Besides,giving up FB was a very small thing that pleased my hubby.
So anyway...I am back to blogging, (only a couple of people even read it) But I did enjoy blogging.
Alot has transpired and I will slowly bring this up to date.
The flip houses I blogged about earlier did not end well. The kids left us in debt, damaged the work we had paid to have done. We actually gave them 64 thousand dollars for the year plus paid for rent, and ALL utilities. They had said deliberate hurtful things to us. It was bad, very bad. We had to "PAY them off" to get them out, with the law enforcement on our side. Now they won't let us see the grandkids and haven't for almost two years. They have returned birthday cards we sent to the grandkids and have not contacted us since.
I'll blog more tomorrow my friend, as this is just the tip of the ice berg.

A Walk in the Park

2009-11-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

The colors of fall are every where now...so beautiful!

We have seen a coyote, lots of deer and an egret by the water during our walks in the park. I had my camera this day and captured this peacock just outside the park.

Grandma and Joshua at the Park.

There wasn't much wind so Joshua had to run his legs off just to get his kite up in the air. There was a draft higher up that carried his kite to the end of it's string. He was so proud...and Grandma was so pooped from trying to keep up with him.

Camping, fishing and smores!!!

2009-06-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

We took our grandsons Jacob and Joshua camping for a couple of days. It was great!
Both boys remind me in very different ways of my son as a young boy. It was fun.

We did nature hikes, went fishing, did arts and crafts, caught poly wogs, played card games and Yahtzee, and watched a couple animal movies. Jacob was the big winner in the game department. I think he won just about every game we played.

Joshua is the more patient fisherman. He caught 4 fish.

Jacob had gotten a big bite but lost the fish and his hook so he traded in his pole for a bucket to catch poly wogs.

Take me out to the ball game...

2009-04-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Jacob and Joshua are on the same team this year. (Jacob is almost 9 and Joshua is 7.)
This is good for the boys. Josh is learning a lot from his big brother.
It also makes it easier to watch a whole game instead of going back and forth between 2 different games. They were warming up with the team when grandma got her camera out. Without having to say anything, they both looked at the camera and said "cheese".

Jacob was the only one to hit home runs on both teams that played. This was his second one that game. These 2 home runs brought home a total of 6 runs.
Joshua did great too. He got base hits each time he was up to bat and even made the final out of the game. He was playing 3rd base and stopped a ground ball then tag the base making a forced out. He did it so naturally even tho he seemed so surprised at what he did.

Fort Bragg

2009-04-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

After Tax season, Bob & I spent a few days at Fort Bragg. We walked the beach, gathered tumbled glass at Glass Beach, visited the lighthouse, museums and botanical gardens. The weather was great with only morning fog on one of the days.

...and the sunsets were spectacular...if you look close, you can see Bob standing near the point. Just click on the picture to enlarge it.

We strolled the streets of Mendocino. These pretty flowers were growing outside the restaurant where we had lunch.

We took a drive "through" the redwoods, so to speak.

These trees are so huge! You can see how little our car looks next to them.

Mt. Calvary...(AKA some hill near Butte College

2009-04-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

At the very top of this hill/mountain are 3 crosses. Bob and I refer to this as Mt. Calvary. Many times we have gone there for sunrise services on Easter Sunday. Usually 30 or more people will be there. This time the gate was locked and we seemed to be the only 2 that took the chance in climbing over the fence and hiking to the top.....It was really very intimate.

Up on top...It was sad to see one of the crosses broken.
Sorry the pictures are blurry. I set my camera for "twilight" since it was before the sun came up. Never try new camera settings before an important event.

Here comes the sun.....It was so awesome to be praying by the crosses while the sun came up....to each of you, have a blessed day!

Table mt. hike

2009-04-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Joshua spent the week end with us.
He is in Cub Scouts and needed to go on a hike to help earn one of his badges.
So Grandpa & Grandma took him for a hike to Table Mt. We went to the big waterfall, only there wasn't much water going down. It was fun anyway. Joshua, being a typical little boy, thought it was more fun to walk beside the stream (and sometimes in it)instead of on the path. (I had to buy him a new pair of shoes for church the next day.)
It was a good day for kite flying. He was so proud to get his kite up in the sky. In fact, it was so high he ran out of string! Boy...he could hardly wait to tell his brother. It was a very rewarding week end.

Winter is finally here!

2009-03-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

We took a drive to Mt. Lasson recently. It was a nice peaceful afternoon.We stopped to stretch our legs and throw a few snowballs.

Since the groundhog saw it's shadow, we have had lots of rain, snow and strong winds. Yes, we need RAIN. The lake is so low. It is starting to look more like a pond.

As you know, my husband is a CPA, so we are deep into "Tax Season". (I'm back working in his office.)
It's 1040, 1040, 1040, 1040, 1040, 1040..........

Groundhog's Day

2009-02-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

Most people have heard of Ground hog's day. While it isn't any kind of a holiday, it does appear on calendars and marked on Feb. 2nd. My birthday is also on that day so all my life I've been called the "family groundhog." If the gr.hog sees it's shadow on that day, it is said we will get 6 more weeks of winter. As you can see by this picture, the "family gr.hog did in fact, see her shadow. Yes... I know, where I live, we desperately need winter, (rain mostly.) The lake here is soooo low, it will take more than the grhog's shadow. Does any one know a "rain dance?"
I did have a great birthday. I feel so blessed and loved. I had heard from so many family, old dear friends and new friends. All of my birthday wishes left me feeling quite special indeed. I thank each and every one for making my day so great....Did you say, how old am I? As my husband puts it, I am two nickles. (55)

Fire proof

2009-02-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

Last night my sisters Marilyn and Evelyn and brother Wayne (and their spouses)came over for dinner and a movie. I had bought the movie "Fireproof" which I was eager to share with family. It was great bonding time for all.
All my sisters and brothers could not make it last night so I'll have another dinner/movie night soon.
The movie is now on DVD for rent, so PLEASE do if you have not seen it. (The "Love Dare" book is a big part of the movie.)

Code Of Arms

2009-01-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

Cathy asked to see a picture of her room. Here it is with the crown molding. Notice what the sign says in the teddy bear's hand?

We had Code of Arms Construction hang crown molding in 3 rooms. This is the owner, Chris Ecton. He is also the one we had do a room re-model last year. He's a great guy, (a christian too).

Crown Molding

2009-01-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hey girlfriends...Just wanted you to know that I'm putting crown molding in your bedroom here, also in my home office and master bathroom. Your room is always waiting for you.Lets try again for a reunion this spring-early summer.
P.S....Have our blogs become a thing of the past? Is FACEBOOK the latest thing now?
(I just learned how to blog!)

Prayers are needed

2009-01-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

One of our church family's young son had a skiing accident on Friday. He is in intensive care in a Reno hospital. I just learned of it in Church today. He has multiple injuries, including a broken neck. His name is Cody. Please add this young boy to your prayers.

The Secret Code

2009-01-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

The last time the grand boys were over, they talked about how cool it would be to have a secret club house and to be able to make a secret map and write in secret code. They were really big on this "SECRET" thing. So I told them I would mail them each the alphabet with a secret code for each letter. They could then write letters to one another in this secret code. Rannon lives about 25 miles from Jacob and Joshua. They were so excited. Grandma had scored some big points!!! They asked how I knew about this kind of stuff since I was a girl. I told them, "It's a secret." (Having raised a son was a big help.)

Testosterone overload !

2009-01-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

I had my 3 grandsons over night. These little boys are so much fun...but a little too rambunctious. I had rented the movie, "Dog Gone" for them. (It was only 1 dollar at the "Red Box".) Excellent movie for young boys. They laughed so much. The next day we went to the park for a nature walk and to ride their scooters. (Really, I had to get them out of the house for a while.) After lunch everyone enjoyed banana splits, and before the sugar kicked in, they were on their way back home. (I'm old but not stupid)...I LOVE being a Grandma!

A precious moment

2009-01-01T18:16:00.000-08:00

Often Jacob & Joshua go to church with us when they spend the night. We also give a blessing before eating a meal. Well, the other day at dinner, Joshua spoke up and said he wanted to pray also. Grampa said absolutely. That little guy (he's almost 7) thanked God for the food, his parents, grandma and grandpa, his friends, Santa, his numerous pets at home, ect., ect., ect.,......Amen. When I told his mom about that, she said at Thanksgiving dinner at her parents house, Joshua wanted to say grace. She said they finally had to stop him so they could eat. When I expressed to him that I was proud of him for wanting to pray, he said, "Grandma, God likes it when children pray. God listens to them." .... Ahhh, God bless Joshua!

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

Joe and Cheryl invited us to their house for New Years eve. They had a huge taco bar with everything you could want on a taco. Cheryl makes the best salsa. She has given me her recipe but it never turns out like hers. (I did manage to snag a bowl of it to take home.) She also had a goody table with cookies and candy and sparkling cider. I wish I had taken pictures.
My nephew and his wife and 3 kids joined them.
Bob and I being the old folks, didn't make it till midnight. We both started yawning about 10 pm. It was foggy out and we had a 30 minute drive home so we left early.

Now that the holidays are behind me, I can take a deep breath and reflect on how blessed I am. To all my friends and family, I wish you a healthy and prosperous new year. Your friendships are most precious to me. I love you all and I know my walk through life has been greatly improved by your examples.

God is Great and Life is Good!

Christmas Day

2009-01-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

My son Joe, his wife Cheryl and their children Jacob, Joshua, and Mallorie joined us on Christmas Day. The kids opened presents and we had a nice dinner and fellowship. I had hoped to have both Wendy's family and Joe's family together for Christmas but it didn't work out. Wendy's family came over the day after. It was all good.
Cheryl and I hit the after Christmas sales early the next morning. It is a good bonding time for us. We always go the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. I picked up all new ornaments for the tree for next year

Christmas cookies..yum...

2009-01-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

My two grand daughters each had a turn to stay at grandma's and make cookies for their family.It was as much fun for Grandma as it was for them. Wow, I had sugar and flour everywhere! Of course we had to sample our freshly baked cookies. After they had cooled, we put them in a decorative box with a pretty bow. The tag read, Do not wait till Christmas, enjoy now! This is a picture of Mallorie putting icing on her cookies.

Grandma's elves !

2009-01-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Mallorie and Jacob spent the night. They wanted to earn some Christmas money so I found some chores for them. Grandpa muttered something about child labor in which Jacob said it was more like capitalism since they were going to be paid quite handsomely, as he put it. They sure learn quick.

Time to decorate...

2009-01-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

...My nativity.

Jacob and Rannon decorated the Christmas tree. I stated this tradition a couple of years ago. They enjoy it so much and I must say they do a great job... within their reach. After they are asleep, I move a few to the upper branches.

A Child is Born

2008-12-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

On Saturday at 4:15 pm, our family was blessed with a new addition. My niece,( brother Wayne's daughter) gave birth to a darling little boy. His name is Isaac DeDupre Gutierrez. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 21 inches long.
Everyone at the hospital said it went fairly fast for a first born. I was there the whole time but I have nothing to compare to since I had experienced NO pain during my childbirths. Seeing her in pain during a contraction made me realize how fortunate I had been.
In the course of 6 hours she had dilated to 9. Her husband has fingernail marks on his hand (probably permanent, LOL)from her grasping tightly. She did great!! Before giving birth, her doctor had told her the baby would be around 6 lbs. (The baby's father is small framed and she had gained only 17 lbs.) Boy was he wrong. Pictures will be in my next blog.
Currently I'm baking and preparing party stuff for our Office Christmas Party. We invite around 700 clients in which about 200 usually come. It is an open house type of party. BUT !!! It is so much work. I decorate the office and cater all the food items myself. The party is on Wednesday. Hey, you are invited!

Your room is Ready !

2008-11-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

To my dear friends, Dawn and Cathy.
Dawn (or do you prefer Helen?) Anyway , your room is ready. I'm so excited that you and Gary will be coming by for a night.
Also, my home is open for Cathy and her hubby, should they like to come for a visit someday.

A Walk in the Park

2008-11-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

Some times my friend Lucy and I walk over to the park and back. (The distance is 3 miles.) We went today so I took my camera. The park is so beautiful this time of year.
This is where Bob and I had our first date. We went for a walk in the park and for the most part, it has been a walk in the park ever since. On our 10th anniversary we re-newed our vows at this park.
Before I broke my wrist, we would go to the park and Bob would ride his bike next to me while I roller bladed. This park has special memories for us. I have hung up the roller blades for a good pair of walking shoes. (I don't want to chance breaking a hip!)We walk there alot in the summer.

When Bob gets home from the office, we always go for a walk before dinner. We just stay in the neighborhood. This is the same walk I take early in the morning before I start my day. The trees are in so many different colors right now.

I try to wear this when I walk to measure distance. However I need to add 1.20 to this total because I forgot to wear it on my first walk at 7:30 am.

The Love Dare

2008-11-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

Recently, Bob & I went to see a movie. It was called FIREPROOF your marriage. Awesome movie. If you haven't seen it...you must! It is on relationships between a husband and wife. It is a Christian movie and very powerful. I'm am babysitting my gr. kids so my son and his wife can see it today.
I have actually ordered 10 of "The Love Dare" books on line to give out to family and friends for Christmas.
If you have seen the movie, I would like to hear your comments.

Happy Birthday Cathy !

2008-11-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

I know that Cathy's birthday is coming soon. I had hoped to meet up with her during my visit with my cousin since she lives nearby....but luck wasn't on my side. This trip was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Every time I tried to plan it, something always came up. I was looking forward to seeing her as well as my cousin.
I did bring a birthday gift for her. Knowing she likes tea pots,I had bought a cute tea pot night light at TJ Max. (I love that store) In fact it looked just like the one she put on her blog! Same color too. Since she already had one,I returned it and bought this instead. So, Cathy, here is your birthday present. I'll wrap it back up and save it for you. Hope you like it.

Grim Reaper visits a local Rest Home !!!

2008-11-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

The grim reaper actually got a warm welcome on the eve of Oct. 31th.
My grand children visited a local rest home on Halloween. All the people in the home seemed as excited as the children who trick or treated. The kids made their way from room to room as the old people filled their bags with candy.
After they left, Jacob (grim reaper) asked his mom and dad why there were so many old people living in one home. They explained to him the diferent reasons as to how or why some one goes there to live, then quickly added that their grandmas would live with them when they get old and need help. AHHH isn't that sweet!

In God's hands

2008-10-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

My surgery went well. The doctor said all the things that could have gone wrong, didn't. I was admitted to the Paradise hospital at 9:30am, taken to surgery at 11, in recovery at 12:15 and arrived home at 3 that afternoon (minus a gall bladder).
I was so afraid to be "put out" for surgery. I remember thinking of Helen's famous words to me from high school, "DON'T WORRY SHIRLEY!" But still I did.
My surgeon came to see me before I was "put out" and in a calming voice said, "You know you are in God's hands." He was so RIGHT!
I haven't done anything to blog about but now I'm ready to do something fun.

In a Blink of an eye...

2008-10-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is the flower bed I made before work called me back. I did it in 2 days.I moved the rocks and cemented them by myself, also haulded in the dirt and added a drip system. I could have done better if I had more time, but still it filled in that ugly corner of the yard. The planting was the easy part.

What happened???? I guess I had planted too many plants in a small area. Some are hidden under all the yellow black eyed Susans. (I had only planted 2 small ones.)
Wow! I had not noticed the huge growth since I was working so many hours. I looked out the window and was so amazed. Now that I have time off, I will need to weed, and move some plants.....maybe this flower bed is going to be more up keep than I thought.

No Work...Now All Play.....

2008-10-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Work for the season is finally over. It seemed strange this morning to not head out the door at 4am. (Of course my inner clock had me wide awake at 3am)

I had my appt. with the surgeon today. Gee, these doctors seem so young. What happened to the grandpa type's? Anyway, a good friend of mine (a retired surgeon) recommended this doctor. My gallbladder will be removed Oct. 14th.

The flip house is on the market . The kids did a great job and they staged it so cute. People who had seen it before they started were truly amazed. With the economy the way it is now, it is really scary. It is just a BAD time to try to sell a home.

I need to drag my camera out so I can post pictures.

2008-09-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

As you know, I've haven't written since my heavy work schedule started July 7th.
Every day is Monday when you work 7 days a week. I am up at 3:30 and on the road for the 30 min. drive to work by 4:15. I do enjoy what I do. My shift is 8.5 hrs a day and fast paced. Before I know it...my shift is over and I'm driving home.
I do miss out on a lot of summer fun. I was having play dates twice a week with the grand kids after work until they started back to school. School starting was a good thing. I was showing signs of fatigue trying to keep up with all their energy.
I am known as a clean freak. I love keeping my home in order. But that changes when I'm working these hours. Bob helps me by doing the house work.( A man's idea of clean is not the same as a woman) As the season pushes on, I come home from work, smile and say "Good enough!"
When we slow to 6 days a week, it almost feels like part time! LOOKING forward to the end. Another reason for not writing is there's nothing to write about. I go to work, come home, go to work, come home. yada...yada...yada...

Where did the time go??

2008-07-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Two of my grand daughters with grandpa.

My three grand sons on the 4th.

I'm sorry it has taken so much time to get back to blogging.
The fires and smoke went on for over a month. The only clear day was the Fourth of July. (I guess the smoke took a holiday!)
I'm back to work at my summer job. It is 7 days a week in which I'm up at 3:30 am. So I try to get to bed early. I take turns having the grand children over for a swim and dinner after work. Thursday is with our daughter's kids and Friday is with my son's kids. I get my "grandma fix" and the parents get a little time for themselves. These swim parties last about 5 hours and we cram all the fun we can into it. Then I go to bed and die!!! Oh, too be young again!

OOPS! I forgot the picture

2008-06-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is how it looks around here. This is daytime, not evening!

UGH!! I can't breath...

2008-06-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you have heard on the news about all the fires burning in the county I live in.After the last 2 hugh fires, we had lightning strikes that started a bunch more. The Concow area and some of Magalia have been evacuated. There also fires by Redding and that area but I only follow the ones in my immediate area.
The fires did bring the Governor to Chico. Before he left he said, "I'LL BE BACK" (No.. just kidding, but he did come here.)
The air is so full of smoke! It has been like that for some time. No blue skies, just grey. The air quality is so bad they have ask everyone to stay inside as much as possible and to run their air conditioners. All outdoor sports activities have been cancelled. Your eyes burn, the sun has a strange look mostly because it is covered by smoke. Every thing outside has the smell of smoke, even the pool water!

Brain freeze!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is for Cathy. I did try your strawberry-mango smoothie. I got one at Taco bell. Yes, it did taste great. So great that I took several big sips of it and then had to pull my car over till my brain thawed out. They are so great tasting that they need to come with a warning...causion..may cause brain freeze!

Elueded by The TOOTH FAIRY...again!

2008-06-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

My grandson Rannon had lost a tooth in the swimming pool. It was found and since he was spending the night, his mother promised to "call" the tooth fairy and give the tooth fairy Grammy's address.....Gee.... it had been a long time since the tooth fairy came to my house. Anyway, I told Rannon I would stay up and wait so I could get a picture of the actual tooth-money exchange. Well Grammy was really tired that night and fell asleep with camera in hand. I awoke in the wee hours of the morning, still on the couch with my camera. Panic struck quick! Did that sweet little boy awake and find that his tooth was still under his pillow? ... He was still asleep so all ended well, except I had failed to get the picture of the tooth fairy. Rumor has it, no one has actually been able to capture that picture!

2008-06-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is my attempt at landscaping. There use to be bottle brush bushes (say that 3 times fast!)along the front.

2008-06-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

I've been busy the last couple days so I haven't had time to blog.
I did paint the trim on my house, finished my landscaping and had landscapers put the mowing strip around the lawn. I actually found it to be therapeutic. The hardest part was deciding which color to go with. Do you recall that commercial on TV where that lady is looking frantic and pulling her hair as she looks at paint swatches? It is a Lowes add I think. Anyway, that was me. Lowes and I are buddies. Did you ever see "Cheers" on TV and every time Norm came into the bar every one would say, NORM! That is me again. Every time I go into Lowes every one says Jesea! It sounds like I watch too much TV but really I seldom watch. My brother helped with the white trim along the roof line and those three little do-funnys up high. I don't have a before pic but here it is now.

Fire Contained

2008-06-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Flames from the Humboldt fire chewed through 23,344 acres, destroyed 74 homes, and damaged 20 others before it was brought under full containment. One life was lost. It is just so sad. Over 9,000 people were evacuated.
It was a big relief to see fire trucks going in the opposite direction.

More on the FIRE

2008-06-14T09:49:00.001-07:00

52 homes were destroyed in the fire and 1 fatality.
We opened our home to friends who had to evacuate. The kids home was now in a safe area, so they left late after noon. We currently have only one evacuee, who should be returning home today. The fire is 20 percent contained. At least the winds have calmed down.
This picture was taken on the 2nd day of the fire. I took the picture from my driveway. The winds had kept all the smoke away from our home, but now we can smell it.
My brother Steve was also evacuated yesterday. (He had bought our parents house) It was a new fire in Oroville. All of you who know me, also knows that there is only one road out from the house I grew up in. He had 5 horses, chickens, rabbits,dogs and a cat to get to safety. I think he lost one dog to heat stroke.This is all so sad! Keep the prayers coming.

Fire update

2008-06-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

The kids made it here safe. The fire as of Friday AM is only 10 percent contained. As many as 40 homes destroyed and 5,000 more at risk. It has burned 20,500 acres. All roads to Paradise are closed. Only Pentz is open for traffic leaving Paradise. No one can enter except emergency personnel. It is really scary. Please continue prayer for these families and the brave fire fighters.
The cause of fire is under investigation but they think it looks like arson.

FIRE !! FIRE !!

2008-06-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Kirk, Wendy and the 3 gr. Kids are on their way back to our house. ! I think everyone has heard of the Humbolt Fire on the national news. They are under mandatory evacuation and had to leave the Flip house. There are only 4 roads into Paradise, 3, which have been closed because of fire. It has already burned 8,000 acres and some homes and is heading towards Pentz Rd. The kids live right off Pentz !!!! Plus it is the only road left to get out. They are afraid this fire might destroy the whole town.
This fire started yesterday just about a mile from our house. The winds have been terrible. Lucky for us, the wind was blowing in the opposite direction. I had gone to town to buy dishes, glasses, silverware, towels, sheets, etc. to give to a family that lost their home the day before in the huge fire in Oroville/Palarmo area. (21 homes destroyed in that fire.) I was shocked to see another fire burning and so close to my home. This fire reached Paradise so quickly.I never would have dreamed it would burn so far…so fast. These are 2 separate fires, a day apart. Bob’s main office is in Paradise.
We are anxiously waiting for the kids to get here. They called once saying traffic was stalled as everyone was trying to leave town.
Prayer is needed for all the families affected.
I’ll keep you posted.

Chainsaw massacre

2008-06-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

Kirk had an accident while working on the Flip house. He cut his hand and wrist pretty bad. Blood was everywhere. He left a trail of blood to the neighbors who drove him to the emergency hospital. It took 13 stitches to sew it up. So he is taking a much needed break from work. It was very scary and looked much worse than it was. After seeing all the blood on the floor, I expected to see a chalk outline of a body!
Now kirk is tending to the kids while Wendy is doing the demo on the house. What a wife she is! She stands by her man and steps up to help with the dirty work. It is really hard for Kirk to NOT work but with a bandage the size of a boxing glove, he has no choice. (besides it's his right hand too) We call him "Lefty" now!

"Cootie Catcher"

2008-06-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

We had the 3 grand boys spend the night. Joshua is 6, Jacob will be 8 next week and Rannon will be 8 in a couple months. Since Rannon has moved closer, I want the boys to get to know each other better. They started a "Cool Cousin Club." They swam, farted, ate hamburgers, farted some more, made ice cream sundaes and had a burping contest. They did their best to clean up the mess, putting the dirty paper plates in the "cootie catcher." That's what they call my trash can because it has a cool lid that goes up and down. These boys had so much fun, sometimes laughing till they had tears. I made them a big bed on the floor with all my cushions in the TV room. They stayed up late watching Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
I took them to church with me this morning. Jacob and Joshua go quite often with me, but it was a first for Rannon. (I generally plan my sleep overs so they can go with me to church. It is so important to plant little seeds!)
My sweet, noisy little guys told me they had a cool grandma! It sure warms my heart.
Well, this is one cool, happy, tired grandma who has a "cootie catcher!!!" I will have no problems sleeping tonight.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

2008-06-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ahh... yes, I'm having a margarita! Before I tell you the lastest goings on, I want to share a funny story ...about margaritas......
It was a couple years ago, a hot summer day and I had just gotten off work. (I work 7 days a week, July thru Oct.) A month earlier at a neighborhood pot luck I had ended up with a bottle of margarita mix in my bag of left over food.(We don't drink)
It had been a bad day at work so I decided to float around in the pool. I saw the bottle of Jose Cuervo Margarita mix in the pantry and decided to make one. A first for me I might add. It tasted really good and after I drank it while floating in the pool, I was so relaxed!!! Well, the next day I made another one and went out to the pool. I again felt so relaxed which i attributed to the buzz I was feeling. I was feeling naughty and started to make one more when something on the lable of the mix caught my eye....CONTAINS NO ALCOHOL... Boy, what a placebo that turned out to be.

Ahh...yes I'm having a placebo now. It had been a busy week. Bob's brother Thom and his wife came to visit for a couple days. They live in Mt.Vernon, WA. Thom showed me how to add pics to my blog. He has a great sence of humor and his wife is quick to giggle which became contages. It was a nice visit. They had margaritas while here so I'm using the mix they left behind.
I had my gr.daughter, Mallorie over for the night, then babysat all 3 gr.kids today at their house. They are so full of energy...they even had Grandma jumping on the trampoline!

IT'S TOO QUIET !!!

2008-06-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Kirk, Wendy and the 3 gr.kids moved out a few days ago. Gosh, I can really hear myself think! I do miss their sweet smiles.
We have bought a Flip house and Kirk,(a licenced contractor)is going to do the work. The gr.kids nick named it "the cat pee house." Alot of stray cats had made it their home. They have made it "livable" and are going to live in it while doing the work.(It doesn't smell anymore) Kirk is very talented and we we have confidence in him. It should be on the market in early July. They plan on selling it at a "they only want how much price?" and still should show a 40 grand profit. The profit will be theirs, and after a couple more flips, they will be on their own.
I must say it is a win...win situation. We are helping them get started and now they are living close to home. Now I can see the gr.kids when ever I want.
Gee...they just left from the bar-be-que a couple hours ago...and IT'S TOO QUIET!!

Splish...Splash..

2008-06-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yea.... the pool is finally done. Now I need to finish the landscaping. We are going to bar-be-que later and let the gr.kids try out the pool. (If the pool boy gives the go ahead. He is coming by for a final inspection and to collect his last payment.)

Food, Family and 34 candles!

2008-05-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

I think I have already told Cathy & Helen that Wendy, Kirk and my 3 grandchildren moved in for a while. (Wendy is my hubby's daughter.)
Anyway, it was my son's birthday (Joey)so he & Cheryl and my other 3 grand kids came over for a bar-be-que.
It was very nice. It is hard to imagine my son being 34. Sometimes I wish I could just push a button and have my son for one day, be 7 years old again. His oldest boy Jacob, (8 next month) reminds me of Joe so much.

The "pool boys" were here early this morning. They did the coping around the pool and will be doing the deck on Thursday. Of course the grand kids showed up with swimsuits, hoping the pool was ready. They had to settle for the sprinklers instead. Boy, does that take you back a few years!!!!

Well, got2go.

I did it !!!

2008-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

I finally got my blog started. I owe Cathy a big THANK YOU. More blog stuff to follow shortly.