Anniversary

This past Monday we celebrated our "41st" wedding anniversay. We had lunch at the "Olive Garden"--one of my favorite places to go and BD's least favorite, but he wanted to do it for me. Then we continued the celebration by seeing BD's cardiologist.....always a fun trip, lol...we both do really like the doctor! We then stopped by the mall and my wonderful husband bought this beautiful - "Past, Present, & Future" diamond necklace for ME. I was so pleased and thought it was beautiful. You can't really see the detail clearly here. Come Tuesday, I wore my necklace with pride and thankfulness for the blessing of a wonderful husband. Later that afternoon, I stepped outside and found multiple wasps flying all around the front door. I quickly ran for "fly spray"...we did not have any wasp spray. As I ran from the porch after spraying, I thought a wasp was on my neck and I swiftly swatted at it----catching my necklace with my little finger...it really pulled, but I checked to see that it was intact. I continued around the house, bending over to pull weeds along the way, and heading for a hoe to knock down any nest I might find. I trailed all the way around the house and suddenly felt exhausted. I came inside to rest for a few minutes........I got up and went to the bathroom mirror to remove my contact lenses..........and guess what??? My beautiful necklace was GONE from around my neck. Woe is ME..........I wanted to cry and panic struck my soul, but my grand daughter was coming in the house soon. I told BD the necklace was gone and he just looked at me....soon to join me with a flashlight, followed by Gracie. We went step by step....the same steps I had already taken around the house about three times ...fretting and praying all the while. Gracie searched right along with us....and it was getting dark. I was absolutely wilted. We all came in the house with little conversation---I was feeling so irresponsible and telling myself I did not deserve something so nice....when very calmly Gracie says, "Grandma, what were we looking for anyway?" I said, "Oh Gracie, it was that beautiful necklace that grandpa gave me YESTERDAY for our anniversary." She said, "Well I saw something sparkling out in the front.....but, I did not know what we were looking for." My sceptical response was ....really??? "Come show me"........ Low and behold............there it was laying in a crack along the concrete in front of the house. Talk about thrilled and thankful.....I grabbed Gracie and hugged and hugged and thanked her so much. You know, the necklace is just a little worldly thing....not important in the big picture of life....I even felt guilty praying about it, but thank goodness the Lord cares about every aspect of our lives. I have thanked Him for the many blessings of life and helping with the little things. We can't depend on things, but we can always depend on Him.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

Neat Gadget

Okay, you have seen it on TV and you wanted it! How many times have you ordered something or bought it in a store only to find it is worthless? When I was in Mississippi Barb made the best fresh salsa and she used her handy dandy chopper. It worked great! Being the determined person that I am, I was having one of those things. I found this one at Linens and Things. It turns out this is not the same brand that Barb had, but IT WORKS! Anyway, you can see that it is a chopper/dicer and you can make salsa in a snap. Barb's version was a little different, but I wanted to share the recipe that Linda gave me a year or so ago. It is delicious!

Homemade Salsa

1 can Rotel (drained)

1 bunch of green onions chopped

1 large tomato chopped (or I use about 6 Roma tomatoes)

1 tsp. salt

2-3 Tbsp. lime juice or 1 1/2 fresh lime

Chopped Cilantro to taste

Very good, makes about 1/2 cup

I always make a larger batch because it goes so fast and we love it. You can vary the recipe with adding your own hot peppers and extra fresh tomatoes if you do not care for the taste of canned tomatoes mixed with the fresh tomatoes.

Enjoy!!

More Musings

It has been a while since I last posted. Where has the summer gone? I will be returning to work July 30 from the summer break. Gee, that seems soon. Just so you know---the eggs/birds that I kept writing about.....well, while I was gone with my long time friend Linda to help her daughter move........the birds flew the nest. At least I hope that is what happened. Katie called me in Mississippi to tell me she had closely watched the birds and how much they had grown. Then, the next day they were gone.....I guess they had to go sometime! My concern was that the one unhatched egg was gone too! Now, if any of you bird lovers have a clue.........let me know. Do you think a snake may have taken them all??? OH NO! Do the parents come and tell them all to get out?? I must study up on this situation, if I am to continue to soak up the nature around me.

Katie's two boys (grandsons) spent this week with me and grandpa. The boys have played Webkinzs, gone to the movies, played in the mud, read stories, played with play dough, watched Boomerrang, and more. It has been so wet from massive rains which limited our outside fun. Katie reported a good time at Falls Creek. She was excited that she was able to lead a young teenage boy to the Lord this week....bless you Katie....way to go!

We hope to enjoy a quick trip to the Cattlemen's Convention in Denver next week. The following week Gracie will come to visit us, while Gillan goes to church camp. Then it is back to work for me.

The amount of rain we have received the past two months has just been unbelievable. I don't remember a summer this wet before. We have been hesitant to complain due do the extreme drought last summer, but this could prove to be just as devastating as far as hay, silage, and other farm related activities are concerned. Oh well, I know the Lord will take care of us and He knows what he is doing...this will make us appreciate normal weather.

Enough of me...I hope you are all having a great summer. More later.

A Few of My Favorite Backyard Things

Day 5- Looking a little more like birds now. I know I need to go back to work and get a life! I sure am enjoying my time off.

The fish pond is my very favorite thing!!

I posted these pictures last night, but was too tired to write. I have mentioned how much I am soaking in the beauty of nature this summer....I couldn't start to tell you what all I see in my backyard. You have seen the new baby birds--well, there have been two healthy looking squirrels running all over the backyard recently......along with birds of every variety --scissor-tail fly catchers, cardinals, a red headed woodpecker, humming birds, blue birds and more. There are rabbits, turtles, frogs, deer and you name it. I have tried to capture some of these species on camera, but I just can't get close enough to do them justice.

I just have to share a funny/sad event that happened at noon today. The electricity went off....every thing gone...not even a sound of the freezer alert or computer backup. I checked with Katie and she had electricity..humm--BDB said that there was electricity at the barn...well humm--I called Cookson Hills for help and they promptly sent someone out. During the wait I checked outside around the utility pole and found.........OH NO! One of the squirrels lay dead under the pole....yes, he was the culprit. My 31/2 year old grandson Andrew was here with me during all of this, and I try to use events as teaching moments. I explained about electricity, the dangers, and what happened to the poor squirrel--telling him not to mess with electricity, etc. He seemed to be listening and I thought he might be sad, when suddenly he said, "grandma the dead squirrel looked like this"-- he then stuck his tongue out and to the side, stretched out his arms, and rolled his eyes back --stating that one of the squirrel's eyes were sticking out further than the other. I am sorry, but it was just hysterical....wish I had a picture to post....can't describe the look to do it justice, either.

Daily Watch

Okay, as promised in an earlier post........the babies are hatching. I have carefully checked the nest, almost every day! I had decided they were not fertile eggs. Today, to my shock and amazement a little one had it's mouth wide open, with another resting beside him (or her)....who could tell? I can still see at least one egg remaining, maybe two. The baby birds are pitifully ugly little things at this point. I will keep you posted on the progress. One would thing that I do not have enough to do. I really have plenty, but I have been enjoying my outside surroundings lately. All around the beauty, I see more weeds to pull, lawn to mow, flowers and vegetable garden needing attention........it seems I should at least soak up the beauty of things around me, as I go...don't you think? Sorry, you can't see the detail more clearly in these pictures.

Bedded with Webkinz Pets

Too cute! Tuesday night we needed to be gone, so Katie kept the kids. Upon returning, it appeared Josh and Andrew were in bed for the night and already asleep. As we were leaving, Andrew started to cry for Gillan to stay.....and then cried to go with us (he is so pitiful when he is sad), so of course, I said...."come on". Then at that moment Josh raised up, to say, "I want to go too"...well, of course.... grandma could not say "NO". They promptly went to bed when we got home, and this is how it ended.....all piled up together in the same bed (their idea) with their Webkinz pets.

If you don't know about Webkinz pets, you can see them at http://www.webkinz.com/ - it is the latest fun thing to consume your child's time on the computer. I think their parents are upset with my purchase, since they all want to play on the computer ---all the time. It is pretty fun and the activities are somewhat educational (well, RDB - they are). Sorry parents.....they love it. Of course, I agree that computer time and TV needs to be monitored and limited.....so I guess I will close. Love you kids!