Monday, July 24, 2017

This plant is history — I thought it was one of the Crown Vetch seeds I had planted. No… as I eventually learned, it’s actually Stinging Nettle. The plant has a medicinal use, so it does have value to some people, but I am severely allergic to it, so out it goes. I put on rubber gloves, took a patient’s drawstring bag and put it over the plant and pulled the plant up and into the bag. When I was sure all the roots were pulled and put into the bag, I stripped off the gloves and put the whole mess in the trash. Sigh — it wasn’t until I saw the flowers that I was convinced that it was actually a Stinging Nettle plant. And it was growing sooo good, too! Ah well. I had some Zinnia seeds that I had salvaged from the garden in front of my dr’s office, so I planted those.

The railroad is coming along … The tunnel has been mortared in place and today Robert put duct tape across the inside of the spaces between the flues. He’ll mix up small batches of mortar and close up the gaps so the DG doesn’t fall inside the tunnel and onto the tracks.

It was 80+ degrees but Robert had to put on the long sleeved sweatshirt to protect his arms as he reached inside the tunnel. Once the martar has set up, he’ll remove the duct tape and be able to set the track inside.

There’ll be a board secured to the bottom of the tunnel that the track will be affixed to. There’s enough room for the train to pass through, but if it derails, it won’t fall over and it really shouldn’t derail as there won’t be any joints or anything to snag the train as it passes through.

Last week we contacted three fence installation businesses and have selected one of the three to put up what’s called a three-rail wood post fence around the perimeter of the back yard. It’ll have 2″x4″ wire screen attached to keep the younger son’s dog IN and the wildlife (hopefully) OUT.

 

Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them!

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Eyedrops, eyedrops, eyedrops. I have two prescriptions, and I use them 4 times a day for the first week after surgery, and then discontinue one. I continue on with the other prescription for the rest of the month, tapering the number of times I apply them until I’m down to once a day. Today is the last day of drops for the right eye!! Celebrate!!

I go back to the Opthalmologist next week for the post-surgery examination of my left eye. I’m eager to get my new glasses so I can see things up close. It truly is wonderful to be able to see as well as I can now, but as they told me prior to the surgery on my right eye, I will still need to wear glasses, they just won’t be as strong as I’ve been wearing.

Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them. Life is fragile and needs to be handled with care.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

I can’t say enough positive things about Dr. David B. Hair of the Bakersfield Eye Institute and the Riverlakes Surgery Center. I had my second cataract surgery yesterday and I can see better than I ever have in my entire life, without glasses! The surgery center called this morning to see how I was doing. We were gone to our monthly breakfast with the Depot Signal Crew and their wives, so I returned their call as soon as I heard the message on our answering machine. The surgery was virtually painless and was over before I knew it had begun. Everything went like clockwork, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased tickets for a raffle for the Relay for Life breast cancer fundraiser held here in Tehachapi. The raffle prize was the beautiful victory quilt shown in the above photo. When I came back from a trip to San Diego, I received word that I had won the raffle and the quilt was mine. I was sooo surprised and more than pleased to have won such a beautiful quilt. It was created by Cathy Criger of our Loose Threads quilting group. She’s a very talented quilter and I was honored to have won one of her quilts. Then, inspiration struck . . .

As some of you are aware, I was caregiver to my next eldest sister during the time she was in treatment for breast cancer. Her daughter, Jeanette Vogt, participates in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Event, where participants walk 20 miles per day for three days. A grueling event, each time it’s held at a different city here in the U.S. This year, it will be held in Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. Jeanette has signed up and has committed to raising a minimum of $5,000 before the event. I am donating the Relay for Life victory quilt to Jeanette’s fundraising effort. She will hold a raffle to raise funds towards her fundraising goal. The quilt will have a new life and will bring in much-needed donations for Jeanette’s effort. If you would like to help Jeanette achieve her goal, please consider donating by going here. If you don’t want to donate online, you can print out the donation form and mail it in. Every dollar helps. Thank you!

I haven’t been writing much these past few weeks because I have been undergoing cataract surgery. I had my right eye done on June 26th and my left eye was done yesterday. I didn’t get any sewing done, either, and I have truly missed it and my writing. I found that although I could see well enough out of my corrected right eye, the left eye kept me from seeing well enough to do much of anything. When I put on my prescription eyeglasses, the right eye went blurry and the left eye was corrected, but only a bit, as the prescription wasn’t strong enough to correct my vision. Horrible Catch-22 situation. Finally, I got my left eye fixed and hooray! I can see… such happiness…

I’m going to close this entry with blessings to all; be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them. We all need to hear those special words, letting us know that we matter to others.

 

Monday, June 12, 2017

We had a great two-week trip to Aurora, Colorado and Reno, Nevada recently. We drove to Aurora, where my one cousin, Mae Jane, lives. Then our mutual cousin Chris, and her husband Terry, flew over from the U.K. They were only able to stay four days, but we packed those days to the hilt with factory tours, great food and scenic drives.

We were one minute late in snagging this table by the window at a river restaurant. It was occupied when we were first seated, and I brazenly took this photo. Those people finished their meal and left, but before we could get our things picked up and moved to the window booth, the waiter brought another couple to be seated. Ah well, a picture with someone else’s drinks is better than none at all.

It was really an idyllic place to eat. The service was great and the food wonderful. Such a great memory.

I have another train quilt in the works for the Depot gift shop. It’s a children’s panel that I’ve made up a couple of times before. I still have three more panels to work up, but before I start on them I have a pieced quilt I want to make. Once I get ther first row done, I’ll post photos.

Until next time, be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them. Be grateful for what you have, and for what you don’t have!

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Yesterday morning I caught all five ground squirrels feeding beneath the shepherd’s crook bird feeder station. This is after watching a black cat make off with one in his mouth the day before! A bit after I took this photo, we watched Carl try to catch one of the squirrels–he missed, doggone it! But at least he was out there trying! LOL

We do get a wonderful selection of wildlife parading through our back yard. This morning I caught Red-headed Woodpeckers at the neighbor’s feeder.

 

I happened to catch the one when he was looking my way. It’s almost as if he’s saying, “Yes?” “Can’t you see I’m eating here?”

Then this afternoon, we suddenly noticed a huge gathering of horse trailers and RV’s in the meadow across the way. Tonight, they have a campfire and huge spotlights going. We’re not sure what the occasion is all about, but there’s more than a few people in attendance.

 

There have been times we’ve watched people set up an archery range with straw bale targets. They’re there for a day or two and then they leave. We usually see them in the late summer/early fall. The property is all part of the Broome Ranch, which extends all the way to Keene on the north side of the highway.

Not much else going on — I’ll close this with blessings to all — be safe, be well, and please by happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

 

 

 

Saturday, May 13, 2017

My neighbor was over visiting the other day and saw the child’s train quilt I was working on. He offered to purchase it on the spot, but I told him it wasn’t finished just yet, I was still working on the binding. I told him I had another panel he might like better than the children’s design. I showed him the Lionel panel and he agreed it would be a better choice.  I finished it this morning and am pleased with the way it turned out.

I also have three pillows cut out and ready to put together. There was a small piece of the binding fabric left and I knew I had a similar sized piece of my train postcard fabric in my stash, so these pillows will be the result.

 

I still have the children’s quilts to work up, but I’ll get them done as time and energy allows.

Our day started out all socked in with fog, but about 10:00 a.m., the fog lifted and the sun came shining through.

 

Hard to believe, but we’ll be heading for Denver in another week. I’ll be spending the next few days doing laundry and getting ready for our trip.

Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

 

 

 

Thursday, May 11, 2017

When we booked the follow-up appointment yesterday, the receptionist offered June 9th as a possible date. It made me realize how quickly this year has gone by. We’re almost at the middle of the year — it seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago that we were hearing Christmas carols. Each day grows in value as we move toward the end of our time in this life.

I picked up a like-new copy of “A Seth Reader” at the Friends of the Tehachapi Library book sale the other day.

Instead of showing the author’s name on the cover, it simply stated, “Edited by Richard Roberts.” I was intrigued by this, and have many books on the metaphysical side of life, so into my bag it went. For those unfamiliar with Seth, Wikipedia states, “… Seth is the internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher who spoke through the author Jane Roberts while she was in trance, and coined the phrase “You Create Your Own Reality.” Seth’s empowering message literally launched the New Age movement.””

I was introduced to Seth and the works of Jane Roberts many years ago when my step-mother talked about Seth and gifted me with a copy of “Seth Speaks.” A search for a copy of this book just now brought a huge surprise when I found a listing on E-Bay for $137.71! There are numerous reprints of this book with different covers, that cost far less than this. But this particular printing is the one in my library. Published in 1972, it was probably close to brand new when it was given to me. It opened the door to the metaphysical side of life and I’ve marveled at all I’ve read and learned since that first book.

We never know when something we experience will have a lasting impression on our lives. It could be meeting and connecting with another person, or reading a book that opens your mind to other doorways and pathways of thinking. The important thing is to keep your mind open to possibilities and to continue to learn about life. I sincerely believe we are guided in our lives–there are no accidents. We are here to learn and to love others.

Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them.