Winter in the NW

Snow in cherry orchard


Snow in back yard

Heavy snow falling

Well, we are in the middle of a winter storm event that is going to be about 10 days or so. An arctic blast from northern Canada decided to move west and south and park itself right over the Pacific NW. Combine that with some moisture off the Pacific Ocean mixed with a southerly wind warming things up in the upper atmosphere, and you get snow. Not a huge accumulation, but just enough to be an annoyance and cause problems on the roads. It is, however, lovely to look at. The unsettling thing about this Winter weather event has been the extreme (for our area) cold temperatures. It has not been this cold in 2 decades (20 years). We have had daytime highs in the low 20's, and dropping into the teens at night. Add a strong east wind of 15-20 mph, and you get wind chills of about 5-7'. That is cold! My cheeks are chapped from the icy wind. Sally does not seem to mind the cold. But I have to go out and check her water and break up the ice in her bowl frequently. I went around the house and closed all the foundation vents to keep the icy air off the pipes. The poor heat pump has been working nonstop. And I keep going out to fill the bird feeders. This morning there were about 30 birds munching on the Wild Bird Seed. We have Oregon Juncos, Chickadees, Sparrows of all sorts, Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, Towhees, etc. It is fun to watch the symbiotic relationship of the birds. Some of them are feeder eaters. Others eat from the seeds that fall to the ground from the scratching of the sparrows on the feeder (they are messy eaters).

We are scheduled to have more snow tomorrow - up to 3 more inches. And Sat. looks like it could be a nasty snow/ice storm. Not fun for all the Christmas events scheduled. A Christmas concert that I wanted to go to last weekend was cancelled because of snow. And our annual Church Ladies Christmas Cookie Exchange was also cancelled on Monday night.

At least I got all my Christmas cards addressed and sent to the ladies that are part of the Changed Choices program in the SE prison system. I sent out 52 cards this year. Many of the women have no family and getting a Christmas card means so much to them.

Well, that is all for now. Stay warm and well. And be blessed.

The beauty of the Sun as it sets and rises

Last evening Bob called me up to his office to look out his window over the orchard. This is the sunset that was visible. I ran and got my camera and got this amazing picture as the sun was going down and illuminating the clouds with bright red and orange. Beautiful!



That same morning I had captured this shot of the sun coming up over the orchard, with the valley all fogged in. I love living up on our hill above the fog line. The valley is often shrouded in fog this time of year, but we wake to beautiful sunrises quite often. The fog does move up the hill most days, but not before giving us a lovely look at the sun's greeting.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving us such amazing beauty to behold. This is just a tiny glimpse of Your majesty, and I am sure a small taste of the beauty of our eternal home in heaven. Thank you for allowing us to see Your creativity through this amazing world .

We had a very fast moving thunder storm the other day. I was able to get a great picture of the storm after it moved over us and down into the valley. The sun came out and everything was all sparkling and bright. A rainbow appeared and was just the perfect finish to the storm event.

Mt. Hood peeking out over fog shrouded valley

Large old Royal Anne Cherry tree

Cherry Orchard at the end of Autumn

I was outside this afternoon admiring the lovely autumn afternoon. The air was crisp and the last of the leaves were still hanging on to the trees. The valley is white with fog, but we are above the fog line quite often, and today is no exception. Mt. Hood was just peaking out and looks like it is floating above the fog in the valley. I love it up here on our hill this time of year. We get to see sights that are not visible from the valley floor. So I wanted to share this autumn splendor with you all to enjoy.

Our Little Lamb

Eating the yummy fall leaves, like a good little lamb.

Thank you, God for making such a lovely world.

Am I adorable, or what?

Elsa Jane, our Little Lamb

I grew up in a very strong Christian family and we made a big deal about the holidays. We usually dressed up for Halloween and went Trick or Treating. It was just a 'fun' time for us. My husband's family did not celebrate Halloween at all. No costumes, no Trick or Treating. Halloween was considered to be an evil day. I respected that, and since it is not a big deal to me either way, we did not celebrate Halloween at all when our children were young. Often our churches would have a Harvest Party on Nov. 1, and we would go to that. But Halloween was not even acknowledged. Our kids are pretty normal even tho they did not dress up for Halloween or participate in any of the 'festivities'.

Miranda sent me some pictures of our little Elsa Jane all dressed up for Halloween as a little black and white lamb. She was so adorable, that no matter what you believe about Halloween, you could not be offended by this Little Lamb. I just wanted to squeeze her when I saw her costume. Surprisingly, she did not even pull at the fleece on her tummy. How precious.

Colors of Autumn

Brilliant gold and reds of God's palate
Brilliant beauty of fall leaves

I LOVE this time of year! I drive around town and the trees are amazing with their intense colors. I know it is not as amazing as the East Coast this time of the year. But I think, somehow, that our colors are better because they are mixed with all the Evergreens that don't change color. So the contrast is greater. I have seen pictures of the colors in the east and it is stunning. But I really love seeing the bright reds, oranges, and yellows against all the green here in the NW. I took some photos today to illustrate what I mean by the beauty of our colorful trees.

October in Oregon

Sunrise over the foggy Willamette Valley - Oct. 12, 2008

Sunset over the Snyder Cherry Orchard - Oct. 16, 2008
Sunrise over the Willamette Valley - Oct. 17, 2008
Banana Squash fully cooked - 10 lbs.
16 cups (4 quarts) Banana Squash ready for the freezer
( Dad will sure be happy since this is his favorite squash)

This is my favorite time of year. The air is so clean and crisp. The colors on the trees and bushes are so vibrant. The sunsets and sunrises are amazing because of the clear air. The days are warm, the nights are cool, and there is a nice breeze to keep things fresh. The harvest in the Autumn is abundant, and so the freezer is full of containers with fruits and vegetables to enjoy during the winter.

Getting Ready for Mom and Dad

Since Mom and Dad will be moving to the NW at the end of the month, I am trying to make sure that their new 'home' will be ready for them.

I went over yesterday and spent about 5 hours cleaning. The duplex was supposedly left 'clean' by the former tenants. However, I have learned that everyone has a very different idea of what 'clean' is. I took my step stool, a bucket, rubber gloves, environmentally friendly 'green' cleaner (hey, this is Oregon), some disinfectant wipes, and a roll of paper towels. The first thing I did was to weed the yard. The grass may be dead, but the dandelions continue to grow even when there is no watering done. I got a very large bag of yard debris. Next, I went into the kitchen and washed out all the cupboards, drawers, stove, fridge, and counters. It fairly *sparkles*. On to the bathroom, which was not that dirty........amazingly! But now it is spotless. My next cleaning chore was to clean the windows, troughs, and sills. My last cleaning chore is to clean the kitchen and dining room floors. I discovered that there are little spots of tar on the floor, which I don't know how to remove without harming the surface. Any suggestions? I did talk to the owner about some things that need 'fixing'. One of the keys does not work in the deadbolt and one of the drip pans on the stove are missing. No big deals. I did find a great - over the toilet - vanity cupboard for the bathroom. Got it half price at Walmart and need to put it together. It will give lots more storage in the bathroom. I will put that together today........maybe. Anyway, things are coming together. I talked to Mom yesterday and she actually said, "I am getting excited about moving up to Oregon". Now that was an amazing thing for her to say! I have prayed over and over that she would do well with this move. I know how the weather affects her moods, and we do have a 'few' days of grey in the winter. But being closer to family is something she is really looking forward to. They put their home on the market this week, and that is great. We need to pray that just the right buyer will come along and that the timing will all work out for them. God is in control and He has orchestrated every step of this move so far. I know all the last bits will fall into place as well.

Autumn's Seasonal Bounty

Thursday at the Farmer's Market I picked up some winter squash. One variety was called Golden Nugget and the other was a Sweet Meat. And yesterday I saw an older farmer with his truck in our little town of Amity. He sells produce out of the back of his truck. He had an ENORMOUS Hubbard Squash, and he was selling it for only $5. It was over 20 lbs. And it was 38" around the middle. Pretty cheap. Anyway, I cut the squash up and bake it in the oven at 350' for about 2 hours. ( I had to take Bob's hacksaw to the Hubbard, it was so tough and so big!) Then I let it sit for about half an hour so that the squash pulls away from the rind. Then I scoop the meat out and put it in a bowl and mash it with a potato masher. After it is all mashed, it goes into containers for the freezer. We have 12 pints of frozen squash now. I had a small sample of each left over, which we had for dinner. Our favorites were the Hubbard, and the Sweet Meat. The Golden Nugget tasted a lot like an Acorn Squash. Bob eats his with butter and salt and pepper. I like mine with butter and brown sugar. Delicious!!!



The other benefit of the Autumn Season are the apples in abundance. We have a Gravenstein Apple tree and a Golden Delicious tree. The Gravenstein did not get worms this year and since we love them the very best, that was very good news. Yesterday I spent about 4 hours outside cleaning up the ground under the Gravenstein Apple tree. There were so many good apples that had fallen. I put them into a big tub and it was heaping. The bad apples were tossed into the orchard for the birds, deer, racoons, and squirrels. This morning I made two batches of applesauce from the apples under the tree. Bob came home from Spokane and he also cut up enough apples for two batches of applesauce. We got 19 pints of delicious applesauce in the freezer. We just quarter, core, and peel the apples. Then let them bake slowly at 300' for about 2 hours. Then mash with a potato masher, pour into containers, and freeze.



I took some photos of the apple tree before and after the cleanup. And also the huge tub of apples, and the gigantic Hubbard Squash. I put a can of soda in front of the tub so you could get a perspective of exactly how many apples there were. What a project!!! But I am so happy that we can experience the bounty of this, my favorite season - Autumn!

No More Babies

Monday I went over to Jenn's to see Jacob and Abby. I had not seen them in a month due to my trip to AZ, and all the time spent finding a place for Mom and Dad to live up in OR. When I last saw Abby, she was still crawling and not at all motivated to walk. But all that changed and she is all over. Lots of bumps and bruises - big knot on her forehead. She is chatting up a storm and the only time she is not talking - and loudly - is when she is asleep. Jacob is using so many more words and making sentences now. He loves his sister so much and he is so affectionate to her. He has such a sweet little personality. Here are some pics from my time with these two. I put Abby's hair in little pigtails and she looks sooooo much like her Mommy at the same age. I love those babes so much!

Little Comedienne

Miranda sent me some recent photos of Elsa. She is 4 1/2 months old now. This baby is so cute and funny. It is as tho she knows the camera is on her and she plays to it. I don't think I have ever seen a funnier, more comedic infant. She makes the goofiest faces and looks like she is enjoying herself immensely. We will be seeing her in 2 weeks and I am so excited. I can't wait to kiss that little bald head and just hug the stuffin's out of her. She will be 5 months when we see her this time. Our first and only visit with her was in Toronto when she was just 5 weeks old. What a difference! Her little personality is really coming out and she is very personable. She makes me laugh out loud when I see her photos. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Season of Transition

It has been too long since I posted my thoughts and adventures. I will 'catch up' here and now.

The end of August, I flew to AZ. Drove my Dad from the hospital in Phoenix home to Yuma. I helped Dad get settled in at home. He had been away from his home for 130 days. Mom had a lot to do to get things back in order. We got home health care set up for two weeks, as well as two weeks of home rehab for Dad. Their church brought in meals every other day for two weeks, and that was great since there were usually a lot of leftovers for another meal.

We started the long and very stressful job of sorting out years of paperwork, files, bookshelves, cupboards, etc. We are going to move Dad and Mom to the NW to be nearer 4 of their children who live here. Mom needs some help and 1500 miles is just too far for any of us to be able to give them the help they need on a regular basis. Anyway, we gave an enormous pile of 'goodies' to the mission, two very large boxes of books to their church, lots of knick knacks to the AWANA store at church, and still had several large trash cans full of garbage that went out. It is amazing how much a person accumulates over 57 years of marriage. It was very difficult for Dad to pare down his treasures, but I got him a huge box for all the things he could not part with. He spent hours reading old letters, newspaper clippings, and lots of things he had saved.

Mom and I spent hours going thru old photo albums that had lost all their 'stickum'. We threw away hundreds of photos of scenery that no one knew where it was taken. I put all the photos of us six kids in piles and we sent them to the appropriate sibling. We had such fun laughing at the way we all used to look. We honestly thought we looked good with those awful hairdos! It was a time of nostalgia and reminiscence. Mom kept all her albums of all the wonderful cruises they took over the years. Those will be for the "remember when" times.

I was blessed to be able to be with Mom as she celebrated her 80th Birthday on September 3. She was given a delicious carrot cake, which we enjoyed for days. And lots of beautiful flowers. Barb gave her 2 dozen mixed roses that were stunning! It was a lovely birthday.

Now that I am home, I have spent days looking for an appropriate place for Mom and Dad to live in. It must have no stairs, and that is a problem. Most of the nice apartments that are ground level have an enormous waiting list. Literally years in some cases. There are just a lot of seniors that can not use stairs and not enough places for them to live. I finally found a little duplex that is ground level. It is in a nice, quiet, residential neighborhood in McMinnville. I think it will be perfect for them for a few years or until they need to have more care.

So this is a time of transition. Mom and Dad will be transitioning to life in the NW and being close to their children and grandchildren (and two great grandchildren). And I will be transitioning to a life where involvement with aging parents will be a regular part of my week.

I look forward to having them closer, so that holidays will be shared with them. And I am very thankful that I am able to help them in this 'winter' season of their lives. It will be exciting to see how God blesses our family having Mom and Dad here.

Finished Quilt

I did it! I finished my first quilt. It actually did not take that long. I worked on it for about a month and only once a week. I started with a very simple pattern for my first quilt. Karen, my friend and teacher, helped me understand the pattern and the 'how to' part of the instructions. I have been sewing since I was a kid, and since this was all straight sewing, it went really fast. Sunday afternoon I hand tied the entire quilt and that took about 4 hours. Then yesterday I sewed the edge binding on by hand and that took another 4 hours. It measures 54" X 68" and is a really nice size. I know I will use it a lot in the cool evenings to snuggle up with when I am watching a movie or reading. I have to say that it gave me a great deal of satisfaction to have it done and to see what I actually made by myself. Those of you who are "crafty" people may not understand that feeling because you make things all the time. But my talents do not lie with hand crafted items, so this is all new to me. Now I have the 'bug' and may make a quilt for each of my Grandchildren. Who knows.........this may be my new hobby. Who would have guessed?

The new Mummy movie

Well, we went to see the new Mummy movie today. It is the third in the series. Lots of special effects, lots of action, and lots of noise. There was an appropriate amount of comic relief when the situation got really intense. The surprise for me in this movie was Michelle Yeoh. She was the star of Crouching Tiger, Sleeping Dragon and she was also in Memoirs of a Geisha. She is a beautiful Chinese actor and she is great in this Mummy movie. She is beauty and grace and feminity, yet strong and powerful. I love the role she plays, and her costumes are amazing! It was a fun movie, full of action and suspense.

New photos of Elsa

Well, Elsa and Miranda are home from a 2 week trip to Alberta to see her family. They had a family reunion with her father's family. It was a chance for all the Aunts and Uncles and Great grandparents to meet Elsa Jane. And also Elsa got to meet her cousin Harris Drake who was born 2 weeks to the day before she was. Here are some new photos that Miranda took on her trip. Elsa is such a pretty baby and her deep blue eyes just sparkle. I miss her so much!

Vacation Memories

Every year we take a week and go to Silver Lake, WA for our vacation. This is a shallow lake close to Mt.St. Helens. Ten years ago we stayed in a cabin and I became friends with the owner. She is a wonderful Christian lady and we really enjoy sharing about our families and our faith. We have continued to go to the lake and have a great time. Bob loves the fishing - crappie, bass, perch, blue gill, catfish, and carp. He is a catch and release fisherman. He gets up early every morning and is on the lake by 6 a.m. in his little aluminum boat with a nice quiet trolling motor. I take the quiet mornings as 'my vacation time'. I watch movies, go for walks, and read.........all by myself. Bob comes back about noon and cleans up. Then we have lunch, and spend the rest of the afternoon playing cards and reading. We usually take a boat ride around the island or elsewhere on the lake in the evening. It is a very relaxing week. No telephone, no computers, no blackberrys.....just R&R.

Jenn, Tim, Jacob, and Abby came up for one day. We got a small life jacket for Jacob and he went on his first boat ride in Papa's boat. He grinned from ear to ear, he loved it! He did not want to go in. We had to take him on another boat ride later in the afternoon. Abby spent the day exploring the deck. Everything is a curosity for this very busy 14 month old. Jenn even got a thrill when the owner's son came to the dock with his new wave runner and he took Jenn out on a ride on the lake. The wave runner turned over and Jenn got soaked, but she did not care for one minute and loved her time zooming around the lake.

All in all it was a very nice week. The weather was perfect and we made lots of memories. The photos will be of our week. It is great to be able to preserve these moments for posterity.