Faithful And True ~

Jack
January 1998 - March 29, 2010


The Darkest Evening of the Year

By Dean Koontz

Dog’s lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you’re going to lose a dog, and there’s going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can't support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There’s such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware it comes with an unbearable price. Maybe loving dogs is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and for the mistakes we make because of these illusions.
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Sad and Happy ~

I was delighted to see my first humming bird yesterday. It has been nice to get outside with the warmer weather, soak up the sun and work in our yard. Our son Rob helped this last weekend trimming bushes, pulling weeds, and pruning trees. It started with our visit with my sister in the hospital and asking him if he would be willing to deck out our backyard; I would pay him of course. I would never tell Charlie this, but since Rob went into the military, our yard just isn't the same. Rob seemed offended that I offered to pay him as he gasped and said he would do it and for free. I love my kids! As I type this, I have tears welling up in my eyes. They both help in areas that they can.

This last weekend, everyone was out working on their yards. Although we were all busy, everyone would venture over to each other's yard offering a helping hand. Some of us have lived on this street for 20 years and watched each other's children grow into young adults. It feels like an extended family. One neighbor in particular would come to the hospital when Charlie was getting his chemo treatments and sit with Charlie after he got off from work so that Charlie had someone different to look at other than me; this would also give me a break. I will never forget what he did for both of us; it spoke volumes.

With the season changing, our street seems more alive. We used to have a ping pong table and Charlie would have all of the guys over that lived on our street and they would have tournaments. They would play until the wee hours of the night; they also doubled as the night watch men. The next morning, we ladies would hear about things we would never have known other wise. We no longer have that ping pong table, although the neighborhood boys have now grown into young men and I think it is sweet that they are now having ping pong tournaments of their own. I think our older guys made an impression of which they were unaware.

I have been feeling a little blue lately. At times, I can get fixed on what is not happening in my life and I don't see what is happening. I am working on focusing on the positive and seeing the blessings rather than dwelling on the negative. It seems that in the last four months we have been asked more to join dinner parties, out to dinner with friends, join in celebration of birthday's, and join for the weekend or a holiday. I mentioned this to Charlie and he pointed out that we always have been asked, it is me that is more open to it. I was left speechless. I didn't know what to say, but it left me pondering what he had noticed and what has changed within me. With feeling the way that I have been feeling, was I more open to attending these functions only because I was filling a void of emptiness, loneliness and rejection? I think it started out that way. I then started realizing it feels good to be with people that care about you and want to be with you. With this realization, I started questioning areas of my life. It's hard to accept things you don't want to accept.
Does this mean that I am starting to move on?
Letting go doesn't mean giving up. It also can mean you're choosing to set it free.
How can I feel sad and happy at the same time?

Tiptoe through the Tulips ~

Much on Monday

Last month, I came home to find this beautiful surprise gift for me on my front porch; a bread basket filled with two Lavender bushes and a Cineraria flowering perennial. I have kept them watered and just now had time to plant them.


Isn't the color beautiful? It is a "perk me up" color!


Rob, Ness and Diandra talking via skype. I love it! I wish we did this when he was in Nebraska. Do you talk via skype? We are a little behind on what technology can do.


The sky and sun rising last week taken with my cell phone.

I noticed on two different mornings there were lines like these seen across the sky. One morning, I could actually see in the distance towards the Sierra Mountains, something traveling with the line trailing behind. Can anyone explain what I seen?


Rob made this for me one afternoon with his new juice blender. It was yummO! This recipe makes a pitcher size amount and can be used the next day. So good for you!

1 bag of spinach
1 mango
handful of baby carrots
3 oranges
2 bananas

*Just a note ~ Today is World Water Day! What is your Water Footprint?

My husband Charlie is now installing a hot water recirculation system. He installed one in our home and seen what a difference it has made. Charlie felt it was important enough to put an article in our town newspaper to inform people. The system goes under bathroom or kitchen sinks and works for showers. He feels people are wasting gallons of water while waiting for hot water at a remote location in their house. Your not only wasting precious water, you're also wasting money if you are on a water meter. Last week, we came home to our answering machine blinking with message thanking Charlie for information on such a important matter; for making everyone aware. Please share how you are making a difference... I would love to know!

Lord Make Me ~

Prayer of St.Francis

Lord make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive-
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it's in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

One Of Those Days ~

*Sometimes I just don't get people...
*At work, I think the warmer weather is having an affect on the children; they are more than rambunctious.
*Did I already mention, I just don't get some people?
*Today I had the honor of donating blood for a very brave little girl who has cancer; I feel sad.
*Our veterinarian is pretty sure our dog has cancer.
*And well... I want to fly away.

where the beach house is ~

down below the beach house


in the garden


sundial ~ grow old along with me, the best is yet to be


succulent in the garden

charlie will be working on a beach house in the near future and it will take a little over a month to finish. i am envious he will get to see this every day as i go to work and school during the week. although, i will be able to leave on friday after i get off work to join him. i am trying not to get excited about this and just go with the flow and see how it all works out.

rumor has it, sean penn has a home near by and has been seen running on the beach. our friend finished that statement with, "i have never seen him."

i will let you know... IF it works out.

;)

More Than A Pile of Rocks ~

pfeiffer beach

Usually a small or large pile of stones is used as a trail mark or landmark, or as evidence of "I was here."

Description:
Flat rocks stacked on top of each other to signify peace and calmness

Keywords:
abstract, achievement, arrangement, balance, beach, beauty, boulder, buddhism, building, calm, clouds, coastline, create, culture, design, edge, equilibrium, flat, granite, group, harmony, idyllic, just, karma, meditation, morning, mystical, natural, nature, nobody, objects, ocean, order, outdoors, pattern, peace, pebble, pile, prosperity, pyramid, religion, rock, rocks, sand, scene, sea, serene, serenity, simplicity, sky, spiritual, stability, stack, stacking, stone, stones, structure, success, sunset, symbols, tranquil, wave, yoga, zen, zen-like

Pretending ~

This may sound silly to some, but while I am work, I pretend that I live by the ocean; it comforts me. I can look out the window and see seagulls at any given time. Whether I am washing the tables after breakfast , or unlocking the cafeteria doors for the children to come in where it is nice and warm/cool (depending on the weather) .

You can take the girl from the ocean, but you can't take the ocean away from the girl!

Below, you will see five pictures I have taken of seagulls. Can you tell which one's are taken while I was at work versus at the beach?


#1


#2


#3


#4


#5

#1, 2 and 3 seagulls are from where I work.
#4 and 5 seagulls are taken above the ocean.

Postcards From Big Sur ~

Where the sea meets the sky.


There is a house on this cliff. Can you see it?


An enchanting tree.


A tree exposing it's roots.


The path to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.






















Mushrooms scattered on the bed of canyon.


Beauty in a beer bottle, placed in the bathroom window.


1932 Bixby Bridge

God Save the Queen

Every now and then, my daughter and I will have a little tiff about the chores that need to be done around the house. What it comes down to is this, we both don't want to do them. I will never forget this one time it was getting pretty heated. Charlie was sitting in his recliner chair and I raised my voice and said, "You act like you are the princess and this is your castle, well let me tell you something, if your the princess, I AM THE QUEEN!" At that moment, Charlie put down the newspaper he was reading and said, "Well then, let's not forget, I am the KING and I am telling you better both stop this arguing!" At that moment, Diandra and I both looked at each other and started busting up laughing. With Charlie chiming in on our argument, it lightened things up between Diandra and I. It did leave me feeling a little of what a queen might feel married to a king.

This Little Light Of Mine ~

Point Sur Lighthouse

Recently on one of my blog post's, someone left a comment. It said, "Do you have a life?" I was, to say the least, taken back. I sat in front of the computer screen, stared at the comment and feeling a little defensive said out loud, "Well... sweetie, I AM TRYING TO!" I followed the commenter's trail and realized that was just her signature way of looking at life by reading her profile. I abruptly deleted her comment from my post as if I was shaking any negative energy from my cyber space proximity. I have come back to the thought of that comment, many time's since. It made me feel like maybe... I was boring and look more closely to what I do with my time or even what I post for that matter. Even if it was her way of looking at things in general, something inside her made her come to that conclusion about me, to actually type out her thought and glide the mouse over to the comment icon and click. I wish I didn't delete it now. I have gotten some comments on my faith in the past and even some that nicely put me back into shape. I like to think that I can take criticism and believe everyone has the right to their own opinions. I try to look at it constructively; serving to improve. I will continue to be me and I look forward to what life will bring me and what I will learn from it.

I realize that when you have a blog, you are literally putting yourself out there and leaving yourself vulnerable. I like to think the positive connections outway the negative and am so thankful for the new friendships that I have found here through blogging.

So blog world... thank you for the connections you have brought me!
:)