in the year 2009...we are posting a little blog bit here - we are shutting down the computers tomorrow morning early...it's going to be a very busy day tomorrow...way too much to do this week and way too little time to do it all in...but i have the utmost of confidence that it will all go according to "somebody's" plan (although i'm not sure which plan that is)...and that we come will out the other end of this move with most of our brains left in our heads...
this is certainly not something i had planned on doing anytime soon. it's been less than 2 years since the last one...and here we are again...but we had absolutely no choice this time - a leaky and contaminated building and an owner who didn't see that there was anything the matter with any of that...and so...it goes and goes and goes.
in the interim - we have done this in 2.5 weeks instead of 2.5 months like the last time and none of us has any idea where anything is except it's "in a box" somewhere...but it will be over sooner than later and we can get back to doing what we love to do best.
keep good thoughts - have a great new year...and if this doesn't kill us - it hopefully will make us stronger :) HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
short, sweet and very much to the point
i have always been one to believe in "signs" and it sort of doesn't matter much to me where those signs come from...
it's been a rough couple of months around here with a lot of decisions to be made, lots of soul searching, lots of questions - to the point that i generally end up answering myself - and i have these very long and drawn out conversations with myself and a very dear friend who always listens even if she isn't physically sitting in the passenger's seat - i have these conversations on the way into the shop and on the way home from the shop...and sometimes (if i don't think the girls are listening) - i have the conversations while i'm working in the back room here...
so...back to signs. yesterday was sort of a watershed day - and lots of decisions were made (all for the good). i pulled out onto oakdale avenue this morning coming in. streets were dry, it had not rained - even though we are expecting it today maybe - and there was the most BRILLIANT rainbow over the field to the west. by the time i had gotten to briggsmore - there was a second rainbow right next to the first rainbow...a little bit less BRILLIANT but another rainbow - no doubt.
i knew i had received a sign...and said my thanks and dedicated the first rainbow to a good friend who is having a third angioplasty in six months today and also to a good friend in new york who is waiting for some results... and i kept the 2nd rainbow for us...and said my most appreciative thanks for those two rainbows...
by then...i was at the lake - and you guessed it - the goosers are back!!! silly birds...they are with us thru the spring i'm sure...good grits in that lake...why leave??? and good scratchings for bugs and grubs in the field...
am out of here - more on rainbows a little bit later this week...
it's been a rough couple of months around here with a lot of decisions to be made, lots of soul searching, lots of questions - to the point that i generally end up answering myself - and i have these very long and drawn out conversations with myself and a very dear friend who always listens even if she isn't physically sitting in the passenger's seat - i have these conversations on the way into the shop and on the way home from the shop...and sometimes (if i don't think the girls are listening) - i have the conversations while i'm working in the back room here...
so...back to signs. yesterday was sort of a watershed day - and lots of decisions were made (all for the good). i pulled out onto oakdale avenue this morning coming in. streets were dry, it had not rained - even though we are expecting it today maybe - and there was the most BRILLIANT rainbow over the field to the west. by the time i had gotten to briggsmore - there was a second rainbow right next to the first rainbow...a little bit less BRILLIANT but another rainbow - no doubt.
i knew i had received a sign...and said my thanks and dedicated the first rainbow to a good friend who is having a third angioplasty in six months today and also to a good friend in new york who is waiting for some results... and i kept the 2nd rainbow for us...and said my most appreciative thanks for those two rainbows...
by then...i was at the lake - and you guessed it - the goosers are back!!! silly birds...they are with us thru the spring i'm sure...good grits in that lake...why leave??? and good scratchings for bugs and grubs in the field...
am out of here - more on rainbows a little bit later this week...
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
baby it's cold outside
hard to imagine in this valley - where it can top 110 degrees in the summer time without even a blink of an eye...we had 24 degrees yesterday morning when i came in and the shop was 44 degrees INSIDE...and now it's all headed east and we are supposed to get more tomorrow. it's very clear outside and the clearer it is the colder it gets.
driving thru the orchards yesterday morning - all the unpruned peach trees looked like white crystal and the unpruned grapevines were equally as beautiful. i took a couple of photos when i got to the shop - wished i had been able to get the trees and the grapevines - but the camera was here on my desk - and i thought i would share california's central valley version of 'snow' - but this is pretty cold for us - and when you have no clothing warm enough and no coats warm enough...this can be pretty bitter. they got mountains of snow in the foothills of the sierra - enough to call a snow day for the kids yesterday...unheard of and maybe this will be the end of this drought we've had for about 4-5 years. we can only hope as we need the snowpack so badly.
annie, kay and i have been stuffing mama mia and the babes and first cousin merlin with canned cat food as well as yet another 20 pound bag of dry - i don't know where they go at night...but i can only hope to put enough food in their bellys to keep their little internal furnances stoked...and the vet appt. for the babes for next week is the first thing on the agenda as soon as the vet's office opens this morning.
so...checking in from the artic-like central valley...baby, baby - it's very cold outside.
driving thru the orchards yesterday morning - all the unpruned peach trees looked like white crystal and the unpruned grapevines were equally as beautiful. i took a couple of photos when i got to the shop - wished i had been able to get the trees and the grapevines - but the camera was here on my desk - and i thought i would share california's central valley version of 'snow' - but this is pretty cold for us - and when you have no clothing warm enough and no coats warm enough...this can be pretty bitter. they got mountains of snow in the foothills of the sierra - enough to call a snow day for the kids yesterday...unheard of and maybe this will be the end of this drought we've had for about 4-5 years. we can only hope as we need the snowpack so badly.
annie, kay and i have been stuffing mama mia and the babes and first cousin merlin with canned cat food as well as yet another 20 pound bag of dry - i don't know where they go at night...but i can only hope to put enough food in their bellys to keep their little internal furnances stoked...and the vet appt. for the babes for next week is the first thing on the agenda as soon as the vet's office opens this morning.
so...checking in from the artic-like central valley...baby, baby - it's very cold outside.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
cranky cranky cranky
is it me?? i don't think so??? lordy lordy the world is quite a cranky place. if you don't do your job correctly or you don't make the effort to do your job correctly or you're just plain lazy or you just don't give a flip - how is it that it always becomes the other person's fault?
am just getting very sick and tired of those who suffer from all the above symptoms and thus end up making the rest of our lives a living hell but getting thoroughly pissed off if we dare comment or ask "how come" they are behaving like this.
trying to remain positive...let a lot of things slide right off my back...but i'm telling you - it's getting tougher and tougher to "take it all in stride" and take the high road or turn the other cheek. what happens when we all run out of "cheeks" since any given person only has four of those?
makes me sad that there is no ownership, no responsibility taken, no apologies made - just laying down blame for all the boo-boos at somebody else's feet and slinking away in hopes that nobody will ask "how come".
little bit of ranting going on here i'm afraid...but it's really true and it's getting worse instead of getting any better and it just makes everything so much more of a struggle and a strain...when it really shouldn't be that way.
guess i'm a little bit cranky too - but, it's december 1st and it's 24 more days until christmas and then it will be gone for yet another year. i got our little tree almost decorated - we're going for 2 feet and sparkley this year instead of 9 feet of crystal and white and i decorated the front doors last night with giant ornament balls in white and silver and lots of curly ribbon in black, white, silver and red...it looks quite pretty actually - hanging on the red doors and it didn't take long at all...it's very twinkly..... can actually make door hangings while on the phone...get the last of the little ornaments hung on the sparkle tree and the mantle in the family room decorated and that will be the end of it for this year...way too much going on...but wait...need to hang the dogger socks and then we'll be done.
first an out of state trip starting tomorrow to virginia and then home on the 7th and then the holidays will officially start around here...and a whole lot of other interesting things too.
off to do an update - need, need to get that done ;)
am just getting very sick and tired of those who suffer from all the above symptoms and thus end up making the rest of our lives a living hell but getting thoroughly pissed off if we dare comment or ask "how come" they are behaving like this.
trying to remain positive...let a lot of things slide right off my back...but i'm telling you - it's getting tougher and tougher to "take it all in stride" and take the high road or turn the other cheek. what happens when we all run out of "cheeks" since any given person only has four of those?
makes me sad that there is no ownership, no responsibility taken, no apologies made - just laying down blame for all the boo-boos at somebody else's feet and slinking away in hopes that nobody will ask "how come".
little bit of ranting going on here i'm afraid...but it's really true and it's getting worse instead of getting any better and it just makes everything so much more of a struggle and a strain...when it really shouldn't be that way.
guess i'm a little bit cranky too - but, it's december 1st and it's 24 more days until christmas and then it will be gone for yet another year. i got our little tree almost decorated - we're going for 2 feet and sparkley this year instead of 9 feet of crystal and white and i decorated the front doors last night with giant ornament balls in white and silver and lots of curly ribbon in black, white, silver and red...it looks quite pretty actually - hanging on the red doors and it didn't take long at all...it's very twinkly..... can actually make door hangings while on the phone...get the last of the little ornaments hung on the sparkle tree and the mantle in the family room decorated and that will be the end of it for this year...way too much going on...but wait...need to hang the dogger socks and then we'll be done.
first an out of state trip starting tomorrow to virginia and then home on the 7th and then the holidays will officially start around here...and a whole lot of other interesting things too.
off to do an update - need, need to get that done ;)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
turkeys...and i don't mean the ones that gobble
have ya ever just had days where you wonder what the hell people are thinking ... or not thinking as the case may be??? love a duck ... sometimes i just wonder where their brains are!!! and then i quietly think ... maybe it's just me but by the time i get to the end of that thought i realize that no, it isn't just me ... it's that people just don't seem to be thinking much past "it's all about me" these days.
i was driving home the other night making a list in my head of all the things that have driven me absolutely nutso over the last week or two ... by the time i had been in car for 1.5 miles heading home, the list was so long i couldn't remember it all and since we can't "cell" and drive at the same time here in california i couldn't even turn on the "task" part of the phone to write them all down ...
anyway ... that's enough of that ... i have had a ton of requests for pictures of mama mia and the babes ... and they have cooperated most graciously this afternoon. so ... here is part of the elegant stitch brood (the outside contingent) wishing you a very, very happy turkey day weekend. \
this is "chessie" - who we thought was chessie ... but is really "chesterfield" when you get up close and he let me hold him last night. he is kay's favorite babe ... even now that she knows he is a he and not a little female . he is quite cheeky and will walk right in the back door if you give him any encouragement at all.
i was driving home the other night making a list in my head of all the things that have driven me absolutely nutso over the last week or two ... by the time i had been in car for 1.5 miles heading home, the list was so long i couldn't remember it all and since we can't "cell" and drive at the same time here in california i couldn't even turn on the "task" part of the phone to write them all down ...
anyway ... that's enough of that ... i have had a ton of requests for pictures of mama mia and the babes ... and they have cooperated most graciously this afternoon. so ... here is part of the elegant stitch brood (the outside contingent) wishing you a very, very happy turkey day weekend. \
this is "chessie" - who we thought was chessie ... but is really "chesterfield" when you get up close and he let me hold him last night. he is kay's favorite babe ... even now that she knows he is a he and not a little female . he is quite cheeky and will walk right in the back door if you give him any encouragement at all.
this is mama mia ... she is quite tame and loves all of us ... and we love her. she is very calm and a fierce mama ... and her tummy has healed quite well and the hair is starting to grow back .
this is frankie (ee) - you see - we're not quite sure because frankie (ee) won't get close enough for us to pick up ... obviously a totally different daddy from chesterfield ... kind of a siamese gone a little wonky:)
this is eggs ... and i don't even know how i got this picture. the most frightened cat i have ever met. we named her "eggs" because of her scrambled colors and also her personality ... she does a lot of hiding under my car ... and she blends right in on the other side of the fence amongst the browning stinging nettles and dried out weeds. she is quite plump ... so somehow she's getting her fair share of the food.
last but not least...this is merlin. i think he is a cousin of the babes...because he is about six months older. we don't know what flavor this pretty meow is...because - the name says it all...here one minute and poof - gone in the blink of an eye. merlin (or merlene) is hanging pretty close to the babes these days...and was quite out of sorts when the babes and mama mia were spending a couple of nights in the unit next door while mama was recovering from her surgery. this one is going to be the toughest to catch (if we can) and this one is our priority after we get the babes in for their surgeries right after i get back from williamsburg the 2nd week of december.
so...there is my herd of kitty meows. there are three more - the 2 daddies and a solid black one with yellow eyes...but we rarely see them - usually in the dark when everybody has gone home...they come and see if there is any food left in the dishes outside the back door.
have a wonderful, safe, happy and terrific turkey day - even if you have ham (like annie) or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...it's all good. i have many things to be thankful for and the upcoming year is going to present some major challenges and some incredible interesting changes around here and i am looking forward to all of them with a little fright, much anticipation and great hope for the amazing things we are going to do. ENJOY!!! it's all good!!!!!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
some silliness and other sunday stuff...
the geese are staying...despite silly rumors to the contrary - i came in this morning for multiparted chores...and they were in the field...about fifty of them...any goose who thinks that modesto in the winter is better than mexico or parts south and warm - needs their collective heads examined...but what's the alternative.
other news - no football game today because we played on thursday night...so we're taking the doggers on an outing to pet smart...that should be fun...as soon as i finish this and get home...then tomorrow we have dogger day spa (and they desperately need it) so i'll work all day down here until it's time to go get them about 2:00 ish.
last but not least....mama and the babes are now out enjoying the sunshine after their period of "lock-up". mama is recovered from her surgery and is enjoying a bath and a warm spot in the flowerbed...the babes are out and about as only babes can be on a warm fall morning...and we got permission yesterday that project X will fund the babe's excess neutering fees so sometime around christmas - we're going to do the whole thing again and take all three of them in...
we've named them: mama mia, chessie (because she looks like linda's chessie cat); frankie or frankee depending on the flavor (which we don't know right now) and eggs - because she is such a scrambled up calico. eggs couldn't find her way outside this morning...i think she's just a little bit scrambled - not only in colors of her fur - but also her personality...but it's all good now.
enjoy your sunday...i'm off to do an update and then get home where the stacks are taller than the ones here in the shop.
other news - no football game today because we played on thursday night...so we're taking the doggers on an outing to pet smart...that should be fun...as soon as i finish this and get home...then tomorrow we have dogger day spa (and they desperately need it) so i'll work all day down here until it's time to go get them about 2:00 ish.
last but not least....mama and the babes are now out enjoying the sunshine after their period of "lock-up". mama is recovered from her surgery and is enjoying a bath and a warm spot in the flowerbed...the babes are out and about as only babes can be on a warm fall morning...and we got permission yesterday that project X will fund the babe's excess neutering fees so sometime around christmas - we're going to do the whole thing again and take all three of them in...
we've named them: mama mia, chessie (because she looks like linda's chessie cat); frankie or frankee depending on the flavor (which we don't know right now) and eggs - because she is such a scrambled up calico. eggs couldn't find her way outside this morning...i think she's just a little bit scrambled - not only in colors of her fur - but also her personality...but it's all good now.
enjoy your sunday...i'm off to do an update and then get home where the stacks are taller than the ones here in the shop.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
mama kitty and the surgical wonders of modern medicine
well...mama kitty and i made a trip to see dr. mike this morning about 7:15. don't ask me how - i don't know - luck of the kitty gods i believe - but yesterday morning...there they all were - waiting for breakfast and i decided to see if i could get them into the spare unit so the babes would be a little calmer if they had been there overnight. two huge plates of canned food convinced mama and the three little ones that inside the spare unit was the best place to be...even the really scardy - truly so ugly she's cute - calico who scares herself most mornings...into the unit they went...and as they are slurping down the good grits...here comes kay, annie and i with the litter boxes, the water and the blankies and when we got everything settled in - bam the door got closed behind us and mama and the babes were safe and sound.
this morning went off without a hitch - i filled up food dishes (having taken away all water and yummies last night so mama wouldn't eat them), left them on the sidewalk - took the carrier in - and there was mama - into the carrier and then the food came in and the babes were munching quietly away while i took mama out the front door. into the car we went - two tiny meows in protest all the way to riverbank and she's there now...
the babes are safe in their giant playpen of a room while mama is gone...and mama will be home tomorrow sometime after morning rounds...and we're going to keep her quiet for a couple of days and then let everybody go...and hopefully she will continue to visit us and hopefully we'll be able to snag the babes when it's time and get them in to see dr. mike too!!!
and so is the saga of just plain luck, a little magic and somebody upstairs being on our side as we try to catch mama and the babes!!! it's a done deal and she will be much happier and healthier without any more "kids" and the feral population of modesto will have just a little bit of a hitch and we will be very proud that we helped in a small way.
this morning went off without a hitch - i filled up food dishes (having taken away all water and yummies last night so mama wouldn't eat them), left them on the sidewalk - took the carrier in - and there was mama - into the carrier and then the food came in and the babes were munching quietly away while i took mama out the front door. into the car we went - two tiny meows in protest all the way to riverbank and she's there now...
the babes are safe in their giant playpen of a room while mama is gone...and mama will be home tomorrow sometime after morning rounds...and we're going to keep her quiet for a couple of days and then let everybody go...and hopefully she will continue to visit us and hopefully we'll be able to snag the babes when it's time and get them in to see dr. mike too!!!
and so is the saga of just plain luck, a little magic and somebody upstairs being on our side as we try to catch mama and the babes!!! it's a done deal and she will be much happier and healthier without any more "kids" and the feral population of modesto will have just a little bit of a hitch and we will be very proud that we helped in a small way.
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