Fire Season

Living in Southern California provides us a "season" that is unique to us. It is a time when the Santa Ana winds blow with fury. They are very dry, hot winds that come in from the deserts. The sky is gloriously blue and the air is crystal clear. However.....it also brings the terrible fires for which we are well known. This has been our week of fires. There has been fire "activity" all around us and we are all acutely aware of the extreme care that we must take in preparing our homes and neighborhoods for the times when we are threatened. It is a sad moment for all of the folks who have lost so much. Our hearts and prayers go out to them.

The helicopters have been flying back and forth with their scooper baskets loaded with water. They fly low and the deep "woof, woof, woof" of the aircraft can easily be heard all day.

We have firefighters from all over the West fighting these fires. I was glad to see that perhaps they were able to get a little sleep and a shower after their heroic efforts.

One big project that we do is to have our eucalyptus and palm trees trimmed. For some reason the tree trimmers showed up to do their work with howling winds. I would think only a crazy person would climb a sixty foot tree and dangle from it's branches during weather like that. I guess I must be wrong. Check out this job.

See the little man high up in the tree? See the wind as the cut sections blow away? Oh dear....not a job for the faint of heart.

Our son was down to meet the new baby with his little guy over the weekend. He looks so big compared to the new baby and he is so much fun.

He loved a few bubbles in the whirlpool tub.

As promised...a glimpse of him in his snail outfit. I will post a better one from his parents (once they stop laughing each time they dress him in the costume).

Yesterday was our monthly quilt guild meeting. We had a wonderful guest speaker who had flown in from Hawaii. Sylvia Pippen brought many of her quilts in which she works magic with applique and Japanese Sashiko. You can check out more of her designs at www.sylviapippendesigns.com/ . These are a couple of her pieces that she brought with her. All of the Sashiko - a running stitch of thick white cotton thread - is done by hand. Note also the details in her applique. It was amazing.



Thank you all for the wonderful birthday greetings. I had a fabulous day as I am so blessed.

Another Whirlwind Week

Today is a special day for a fellow blogger. It is Pea's birthday!!!! For anyone who does not follow Pea, she is an incredible blogger. She is warm, witty and a friend to all. Be sure to pop on over and wish her a happy birthday. Her blogging party should be special. This gal loves a party!




To say that the past week has been a whirlwind is putting it mildly. I have found myself chasing my tail much like a dog does and accomplishing just about as much, unfortunately.



Thank you everyone for the kind congratulations on the arrival of our newest grandson. Babies are such a blessing. Everyone here is thrilled and enjoying each little thing that he does. Okay, maybe not the middle of night feedings, but MOST everything else. Of course this is coming from a grandma who does not have to get up all night and function on little sleep. We can somehow relate to all of that, can't we?



My posting was quick after the arrival of the new baby. The reason for that was because I had a morning flight to San Francisco to meet my husband who was there on business. I had almost cancelled my trip because of the pending arrival of the wee one, but figured that it would be the perfect time to go as my daughter was going to be in the hospital for several days following the birth. We both flew back on Friday morning and Grandpa finally got to meet the newest grandson. He is a chubby, content little boy.




We both enjoyed ourselves immensely while we were in San Francisco. The city is beautiful and I doubt that I have ever had better weather than what we experienced while we were there. My husband loves the city as he went to college at USF in the 60s when the hippies were in Haight Ashbury. Lots has changed since that time. The city is one of those cities where it is so much fun to get out, walk and explore. They have so many interesting ethnic areas and stores that one cannot even begin to describe. They even have a fabric store that calls me to visit each time I am there. It is literally about five stories high. I practically drool the whole time as I look at the luscious fabrics for sale on each floor.

This is an athletic club on the top of the hill in the city. Can you imagine what the membership dues must be?

This was the view of the Bay from our hotel room. It was crystal clear and we loved it. The cable car stopped right in front of our hotel.

The Blue Angels were also in town and were practicing for a weekend show. Always incredibly impressive, they amazed us once again as they did a maneuver above the Golden Gate Bridge.

We were also able to take a tour out to the Napa Valley and Sonoma area wineries. These are always interesting to us as one of our sons works in the wine business in the central coast area of California. The two areas grow different types of grapes and produce different wines due to their temperature differences. Harvest is in full swing in both areas.

One of the wineries that we visited produces sparkling wines and the winery itself is absolutely gorgeous. There are many rock sculptures throughout the gardens and I couldn't pass up showing you a photo of the mushroom garden that I loved. I'd like to try something like that at my house.

Halloween will soon be here and my son and his wife asked me if I could come up with a snail outfit for their crawling little guy to wear. I was playing around a little with the idea this week and this is what I designed. It should look really cute when he is crawling about. I will have to get a photo of it with him wearing it.

The temperatures have taken a cold turn this week. Our low was actually 39* yesterday morning. It seems a little early to get temps that low for us. Let's hope that is not an indication of what the winter will be like here. Our farmers do not need another bad freeze this year. They are still recovering from one just two years ago.

I hope that everyone will have a wonderful week .

It's a Boy

Our daughter just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy - their first child. He was born exactly at midnight -- too bad it wasn't a New Year's Day baby!!!! She had a delightfully short labor of three hours and did great.

He is a beautiful little guy with lots of dark hair and a great set of lungs. Everyone is doing well and thrilled that he is now out in the big world. Congratulations to Mom and Dad. Happy birthday baby J.

More pictures to follow, of course, but it is now 2 a.m. and I am off to bed.

Fall Into Fall Giveaway

All of the names were placed in a bowl and one name was drawn.......and the winner is......Midlife Mom. Congratulations! When I entered this Giveaway I had no idea how popular it would be. I have met some wonderful people by checking out the blogs of my commentors. There are some incredibly talented people that I will definitely be following. Thank you all for entering.

As promised, I am going to post a photo of what I am going to be offering in the Fall Into Fall Giveaway . I told you to think about candy corn and this is my "corny" pillow. I have always been an addicted to candy corn and this is my tribute to that wonderful fall candy.

The pillow is 20 inches square, machine quilted and will be given to a lucky winner on October 15th as per the contest rules. If you do not have a blog, please leave an e-mail address. In order to qualify, you must tell me what is your favorite food to prepare as the weather gets colder.

Just click on the scarecrow in my sidebar to see the list of over forty crafty people who will be participating in the giveaway. It's still not too late to join. Good luck and be sure to check back on October 15th

A Little Rain

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their care and concern over my dermatology report. I feel very comforted by all the kind words. I am certain that this will amount to very little as I am persistent about frequent checks due to my fair skin. I am so glad to see the care that is taken now with little ones regarding the sun. Our parents had no idea that the sun could be as dangerous as it has turned out to be. Of course as teenagers the almighty tan was so important. I can remember slathering cocoa butter all over us and literally frying our skin. I was fortunate enough to avoid that practice because the sun and I have never agreed upon what color I should be. For me it has always been white or red. As a friend once said, "we are now paying for the sins of our youth."






Today has been a day to sit back and enjoy a little rain. We have not seen any rain since the early spring so this was a cleansing event. The trees all got a washing and are now sparkling. Everything looks so much greener. I love the way it looks and the fresh smell outside. It was also cool - a chilly 60*. That is quite the contrast to the 90s that we experienced earlier this week.





It seems like when the weather cools down I get a craving for pumpkin pie. I made one this afternoon and the smell of it is lingering throughout the house. We will have it for dessert tonight with some freshly whipped cream. My mouth is watering.





It was the perfect day for doing a little sewing as well. There is a Fall Into Fall Giveaway going on in many blogs right now. I thought that I would spend a little time working on something to become a member of it. Be sure to check it out as there are about forty people participating and there are some really great items being given away. Just click on the scarecrow in my sidebar to see what they have. I will post a picture of what I am going to be making, but I have to finish it first.





One of the blogs is having a candy giveaway. The gift would be wonderful to win, but I am more thrilled to see what is now back on the market. A bonus prize from I Want Candy is a box of Mallomars. This is my all time favorite cookie. We have not been able to get them here for years and I so hope that they will have them in our stores. That vanilla cookie and milk chocolate coating is so yummy. There is no comparison to the Pin*wheels with the chocolate cookie and dark chocolate coating.






I have been doing a little Halloween decorating around the house. The grandchildren helped me get a lot of items put out last weekend which got me motivated to get the rest out and put around the house.





I have always loved frogs and I am amazed at all the different "frog" decorations for the seasons. My Halloween frogs include a .....

candy bowl

cookie jar,

and a table sitter.

This is my ghost that I made many years ago with paper towels and Styrofoam cups.

I also made a witch using the same items.

While I was out running errands this week, I went past the farm fields where folks go to select their pumpkins. There was a sea of orange and tractors pulling wagons loaded with children on their way out to find the perfect pumpkin for their homes. What a thrill it must be for all the little ones. Many of the local schools take field trips with the younger students to this pumpkin farm.





I hope that everyone is enjoying their weekend. Be sure to take a few minutes and check out all of the Fall Into Fall Giveaways and check back in another day or so to see what I will be adding to the list. Until the.....think candy corn!!!

So This is My Wednesday

This was NOT the way that my anticipated Wednesday was suppose to be like.




My intentions were to get up, go to my dermatology appointment and then come home to enjoy the day. What was I thinking?




It all started last evening while our daughter and SIL were here for dinner. I had made a delicious apple crisp for dessert and went to add the ice cream to the bowl. The ice cream was not as hard as it usually is but I had just purchased it yesterday. Not a problem!




This morning as I was quickly trying to get out of the house for an 8:00 a.m. dermatology appointment, I thought I should double check that ice cream to make sure the freezer was still cold enough. NOPE!! Since most things were still frozen, I quickly moved what needed to be moved to the freezer in the garage and figured that I would deal with it when I got home.




Two weeks ago I had a small spot removed from my arm and the doctor wanted to remove two more spots - one on my leg and one on my back. I had both of them removed and a few stitches put into both areas. However, the one on my arm has turned out to be a skin cancer that I will now need to go in and have surgery performed on it. I was not expecting that news as I have had so many "areas" removed over the years. This fair skin is no delight. Perhaps my saving grace is that I grew up in the Midwest were we were not exposed to sun year round as we are here.




Leaving the office it was now back to deal with "the problem" at home. I managed to drop a box of blueberries that went wildly rolling in every direction (I thought about you, Dawn) and under every cabinet. Of course the situation was not improved with the instructions that I had just been given at the doctor's office to not stretch. Try collecting all those things without bending your back. Mind you, this refrigerator problem happened in March as well - March 18th, to be exact. The repairman will be here sometime today so all of my plans for running errands have now vanished. Let's hope that it is the same problem and that the new parts will be under warranty. Have I ever mentioned how I dislike G*E appliances? All I can say is that it is one lousy way to get the fridge and freezer cleaned out.



We enjoyed the grandchildren over the weekend and they were well behaved -- busy, but very good. It is always fun to have them for several days when their parents go away. You get a good chance to visit with them and to hear all that is going on in their lives.

Here we have an older sister with a willing dress up partner.

The sale of my FIL's house went through and was finalized yesterday. It was a busy week with clearing everything out and getting ready for the sale, but it feels great to have it done with the way the market is these days.

Yesterday was our DIL's birthday and we met up with them at the volleyball game for their eldest daughter. I love watching volleyball. Our boys played it in high school and college and we have a sand volleyball court in our backyard. It has always been on of my favorite spectator sports.

Happy birthday, L. Who would guess this beautiful woman is the mother of ten?

Ms. M serving.

Ms. M during matches.

Our daughter had her doctor appointment on Monday and was told to anticipate delivery sometime next week. She had her last day of work yesterday and the escrow on their home is suppose to close any day now. She is frustrated that she has not been able to set up the nursery and do the typical "nesting" that comes at this point of the pregnancy.

We have surprised them with the baby cradle that she and her four brothers used when they were newborns. I had it refinished and have made a new bumper pad and mattress that will match her sage green and white nursery. We showed it to them last night and they loved it. I can't wait to see a little baby snuggled up in again.

Our weather has turned quite warm which is typical for the fall here. It has been in the 90s for the last few days, but is forecast to be cooler with even a chance of some rain this weekend. It would be a welcome sight as we have not seen any rain since last spring. The cooler summer has driven our tortoises into an early hibernation. Our three females have gone to sleep and the males are definitely slowing down.

It's hard to imagine that it is the first of October already. It won't be long before we are deep into holiday plans and wonderful family times. My only question is, "Where did the past year go?"

Have a wonderful week.

Autumn in the Air

It is definitely starting to show signs that autumn is in the air. Normally this is the time of year when we are very hot and dry with the Santa Ana winds blowing. It is not so this month. The winds are a big nightmare for us as they are what tends to bring out all of the firebugs who enjoy starting the wildfires for which our area is well known. To that point, it is a great relief. I, however, do enjoy the warm temperatures that the winds bring us.



Please do not get me wrong as I love the season of autumn. I enjoy seeing the leaves changing and the wonderful cooking magazines with the hearty tummy warming recipes throughout. I do know that the cooler temps and shorter days mean that the winter months are quickly approaching. It was actually 43* the other morning and I am thinking that it is time to put the electric blanket back on the bed.



I do not think that I could live without my electric blanket (EB). It is wonderful that they have improved them over the years so that there are dual controls. It would be terrible to have to cook my husband who is the absolute opposite of me. Sigh. Who would ever believe that I grew up in snow country?



We've had a busy week around the house. We replaced the older windows throughout the house. Other than having workmen in and out for three days, the worst part was removing all the blinds and window treatments. It is nice to have the new windows as they are much more efficient and they all work so easily.



As well, we had our youngest grandson for the weekend while his parents got away for a few days. He is at a great age and is just starting to get into things. He has learned to crawl and goes like crazy for anything he wants. But.... he also learned how to pull himself up onto things. Unfortunately he does not know how to get back down other than to fall. Thankfully it is a soft landing on the carpeted floors.

He LOVES to eat! He hasn't quite mastered the art of picking the food up and putting it in his mouth but has found shoveling it in works quite well.

He and Grandpa enjoyed the golf on television.

I did manage to get a little sewing in as well. I make a quilt for each grandbaby that arrives. Since we have one coming in a few weeks, I have been working on that one. I saw this fabric and fell in love with it. Then a pattern caught my eye in one of my recent magazines and I knew that this was the project I needed to do. My daughter LOVES this book. The fabric is every bit as cute as the book. I have the top done and need to back it and quilt it for the new little darling.







Another big event is that my FIL's home sold and the new folks want to move in next week. Hello!! It has been an extremely busy week trying to sort out all the furnishings and get packed up. We had only gone through all of the personal stuff prior to listing it and figured it would be on the market for months. It was a cash offer and they want it by the end of the month. The weekend will be busy around here.

It was already scheduled to be a busy weekend as we are watching our second son and his wife's four little ones from Thursday through Sunday. I hope they enjoy packing boxes! Yes, our lives are busy but we are so incredibly blessed with all that is going on here. We count our blessings daily.

I have enjoyed seeing all of the autumn decorating that people are doing. I need to get mine out and up so I can really get into the mood of the fall. Keep posting so I can become truly motivated. Have a great weekend.