Family

   For the last 2-3 years my husband has been talking about going to S. Calif. to visit his family, or who remains, at least one last time.  And not at a funeral!  Two weekends ago, we got the opportunity to go to a family reunion in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.  There were many, but not all, of the people he wanted to see, present there.  It was a good time to catch up on so much that has gone on in all our lives, kids, weddings, grand-kids, travels, etc. Who knows when we will have this opportunity again?

We went down on a Friday and came back on Sunday.  We stayed with one of his cousins and had a great time visiting with her and others, outside of picnic time. 

While there we had a chance to look at some family photos she had, and they were great.  I took pictures of many of them and had them printed out.  I will label them and put them in albums for my kids.  This is one of the 8x10's we got.  I doctored it up a little on the computer so it's not so faded looking. This is a picture of my father-in-law (bottom left) his 8 siblings and his parents.  I think it is a great picture.  Of course when we came home I had to write down the order of them all, before I forgot (and yes, I have met everyone of them, except grandpa~ in the middle).

 Wish I knew knew the year it was taken, but they have all passed on so we can only guess.  It looks as if the youngest is still in school (upper right corner) so, my guess is the early 1940's. My in laws were married in the early 40's and he served  during WWII.  My father-in-law was the 5th child and youngest son, sitting next to the firstborn, Thelma.

Dog sitting..........

I am dog sitting Winston and Guinness,  while E. & R. are going to his grandfather's 90th birthday celebration in S. Cal. They will be back tomorrow and head on home, Ryan has school on Monday and she has to work.

I like to take the dogs for walks, they enjoy it and it gets me out of the house.  I get some weird remarks about the dogs: how do they get along, wow-what a combination , a couple of the remarks people say.  I guess it isn't often you see a boxer and chihuahua walking together. They are best buddies and get along great!

Winston, the chihuahua, can come inside as the cats are not afraid of him and all are bigger.  Guinness only comes in at night when I put him in a room or have him on a lease, he chases the cats.  My poor sick Kittyboy is holding up in the garage so he doesn't have to deal with either one.  Winston has yet to figure out the 'doggy door', so he does not follow the cats into the garage (where litter and food are).

Kittyboy

 I know there are many more pressing issues then a cat, but this is a  little memorial.  This cat strayed into my yard in July of 2003, a little kitten, a Nebelung breed.  We first saw him eating dog food and sitting next to the dog, which was something, the dog didn't like my house cats. To make a long story short, he adopted us.  We knew he belonged to someone because he had been fixed, but were unable to find out who.  Almost 10 years later he is at the end of his life.  He has a horrible cancer growing under his tongue and there is nothing to be done.  Our vet said (of a cancer like this) when we thought one other of our cats had cancer, just to treat him as best we can for the time he has left.  I will be calling tomorrow to make an appt. to take him in to have him put to sleep.  He can hardly eat or drink because swallowing is difficult, he has lost so much weight because it is a chore to eat, he looks very mangy, he cannot groom himself. He drools all the time. I have groomed him with a brush, but that is only part of grooming.  He has been a great pet and we will miss him. 

Update.

Georgia went in for a colon procedure last week and  2 huge polyps were taken out and sent in for testing.  She is not a big lady, she is little and has a weakened immune system.  She went through the procedure just fine, but after being off solids for 2 days a little weak and dizzy.  Yesterday her daughter took her into emergency because of it.  I went in yesterday to the ER and spent a couple hours with her, while her daughter picked her son up from school and took him to a babysitter.  Georgia was discouraged, so we talked. My husband prayed with her over the phone earlier in the day, she said that was so comforting.
Today she called, and she is going to have surgery to removed the right colon, where the cancer was found.  She had a family meeting with her daughters, and decided on the surgery.  She said she will wait for the results to decide if chemo is going to happen or not.  She will be 77 in July and is more interested in her quality of life then quantity of life at this point.  She is a believer in Christ, and she is putting her faith in God.  She has multiple Bible Studies going on and is taking a break from them right now.  Doctors say it will be a least 3 months before she should continue.
Her doctor is also a believer, and got down on his knees and prayed by her bed before they talked.  How blessed it that!

Somethings.............

I find that there are some things I cannot and will not post of Facebook.  I find that FB is just to public at times and not everyone wants to read what I post, oh well on the reading.  I do not want to share everything on FB or with some of the people therein.  I am not happy with many of the changes they've made and keep on making.  All but 6 of my "friends" on FB are family/friends I know personally.  1 is a blogging friend, with whom I have been blogging with for over 5 years and 4 are former game friends, and I enjoy their posts and hope they enjoy mine.   Many of the blogger friends I (thought) I had have gone private or have (just about) dropped off the face of the earth. I guess I too am guilty of not posting as often as I used to. OK ranting is done.

Happy Birthday!

 

Here he is with his beautiful granddaughter, the man in my life!  Today is his birthday and I wish him the merriest one yet! 

This day!

What can I say but "this is a day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Obedient cats, sure!

 This is what you get when you put warm (just out of the dryer) pillows on the couch and a Siamese cat!

 Chloe loves basking in the sun in a warm, out of the wind place.

 A bird was caught in the yard (by a neighbors cat) and our kitties are checking out the feathers.  They have been inside cats to long, they chase birds like they chase string and laser lights. They love being outside when it is warm.  When it is cold they lay by the heater, inside.

 I thank God that I have a husband who loves to do physical work on somethings.  He is repairing/rebuilding our side fence, and it is quite a job.  The neighbor is helping pay, but Dan is reusing what wood is still reusable as well as new materials. This way the dogs will stay in their yard and not bother the cats.

I know it sounds silly, but the kitties are old and stay in the yard for 90% of the time.  They like to bask in the sun and not run from the dogs.  It will also give us a little more privacy.  The young man next door will graduate from college in the fall and will be moving back near his family (we have enjoyed his company).  His uncle owns the home and we do not know if he will be renting or selling the house. So not knowing who will be there it will be nice to have a good fence up to contain pets and make the next door a safer yard for children to play.
We have an outdoor (portable) fireplace and have fun with it.  I like the idea of setting outside reading, enjoying a fire, visiting with family and friends.  So I want to get my patio ready for some outdoor entertaining.
God Bless

Up to it

I can say I have been a little lazy when it has come to posting.  This month has gone by so fast, and I still have so much to do.  I have been trying to get myself into a "different eating pattern" to lose a little weight.  Got a bike helmet for Christmas but it has just been to cold for me to want to get out there and ride, so I have been on the bike inside (not as much as I should).

I have a newer edition of Photoshop, and am planning to download it sometime in the next week or two and start editing some of my photos. I am working on a quilt (finishing it) and making some outfits for my granddaughter~~~ also gathering some yarn to make a small blanket for my niece who is expecting in July.  Right now I am playing on the computer, which I try to stay off of as much as possible, so not to waste to much time.  So at this time I will sign off and do some sewing.

Dickens Faire

Visits

 Visiting our youngest and her husband this weekend.  Going to a craft/period fare called the Dickens Fair (my daughter and I) and looking forward to it.
She purchased a little outfit for Winston, and even though he wears it we aren't sure he likes it.  He walks and shakes his hind legs as if he is trying to shake it off.  Very funny.

 We are sharing our time with a "Flat First Grader" our granddaughter sent us, for a school project.  We have taken her many places and have many pictures.  Here a a few.

Going out to breakfast, after going to yardsales.

Next to grandpa's 1955 Studebaker.

 After helping decorate the Christmas tree.

 Ready to go.

A rainy day in Yosemite.







She has had other adventures, with pictures!

Remember

  we need to remember~~( In the words of Michael W. Smith)~~

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

.

Verse 1
Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

Verse 2
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

CHORUS
Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Verse 1
Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

Verse 2
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

CHORUS
Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

CHORUS
Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

October

 

While visiting my sister-in-law,in October, we got to watch the porpoises, wave kite surfers and sunsets from her porch.

 

We explored a couple pumkin patches, after all Half Moon Bay is know for it's pumkins and pumpkin festival.

 

Had fun visiting a lighthouse that is now a Hostel. We had lunch with my cousin and her 7 month old baby Sophia, and that was a good time.

 

When I returned Friday evening, I saw that the new floor was more then half way completed.  On Sat. Dan helped some people we know move and was gone most of the day.  J. who helped with the flooring came back Sat. morning to finish the flooring and brought along a helper.  We had prepaid him over the summer (when he was wasn't working) for his time.

 

Squirt enjoyed the floor.  You can hear the cats claws as they walk across the floor.

 

Dan finished the baseboards, etc. before we moved the furniture back in.  We are thrilled, as you can see from one of the photos, the old flooring was pretty ugly and scared up from the previous owners.

 

I had some yams growing, so I decorated them with glow in the dark paints and put them outside with the pumpkins for Halloween.  I decorated the pumpkins for fall instead of carving.  D. is not so into carving since all the kiddos are moved out and on their own, and don't live close by.  However, I do have a ceramic pumpkin with face that I put a candle in for the trick-or-treaters. 

What I didn't post were the family pictures from our family picnic earlier in the month.  Such a fun time to catch up!!!