Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Christmas is coming....

When I was little, we sang this song. I remember my sister and I singing it so "perfectly" in a round. We thought we sounded like angels. I can go through all the motions of "getting ready" but the moment I find myself humming this little song I know Christmas is here. It happened for me today........

Christmas is coming
the goose s getting fat.
Please to put a penny
in the old mans hat.
If you haven't got a penny
A ha' penny will do.
If you haven't got a ha' penny
God Bless You. We started this tradition when Allison was young. Each year she decorates a gingerbread house. I tried to find past pictures to show you how her artistic creations have changed through the years but you'll just have to believe me when I say that they have EACH one brought many fond memories and laughs for our family. ( One year she used little gingerbread men and her small plastic dinosaurs. There was red frosting and too many laughs. I'll leave it at that) ahahahahaha

This year was very subdued. Thoughtful and amazingly...clean....

Much fun...... The tree is trimmed and waiting....


The stockings are hung by the chimney with care............
Matt and Carlye will be here in just a few short days..... and it will be complete. My mom is coming the day after Christmas to spend New Year with us and to meet her new Grandson. I am content. My family will be together and that is what matters the very most to me.


We're finally having "weather" here in SO CA. It's great.
God Bless You all and stay in the spirit while out doing the rest of the preparations.
Sue




Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Candle, candle,
Burning bright
On our window
sill tonight,
Like the shining
Christmas star
Guiding shepherds
From afar,
Lead some weary
Traveler here,
That he may share
Our Christmas cheer. Isabel Shaw

Lets remember what it's really all about, take a moment or two, to reflect on what's really important.
It only takes a moment to tell someone what they mean to you, how blessed you feel to have them in your life. That might be just what that person needs to hear.
Blessings, Sue

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Yeah I found it !

Having crocheted Christmas stockings for everyone a few years ago, well really quite a few years ago, I always had in the back of my mind that when my girls were married I would of course make one for each of their spouses. This was, at the time, a long way off. But like praying for future spouses making stockings is important too, right.

Fast forward and now the time has come. Aaaaggghhhh.......... Where is that darn pattern. I have to find the exact one.. It can't be different... That wouldn't do at all. So with thoughts of making the whole gol' darn family new ones and much emotion..... I finally found it! Yaaaaaahhhh! I'll put it somewhere really safe for next time.
I would also like to introduce you to Beatrix. My new, new bunny. She too is an English Angora and she is the sister to Susan's bunn.

And i will close with shot of THE BEST pizza so far. I made the crust new york style. For the sauce I squished up a can of diced tomatoes and let them drain, added about 3 cloves of fresh smashed garlic and a handful of fresh picked basil. ( that is one good thing about having summerish weather so much of the time, My basil is still growing like crazy)
Then I topped it off with diced red onion, mushrooms and some hard salami. Not to forget the mozzarella. Oh My Gosh..... It's definitely a repeat.
More later then, Blessings Sue:)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Buster's new hat

This is Buster. This is Busters new hat...... No not really. She is my new spinning partner though. Buster thinks it's his job to babysit. He watches guard and makes sure she is ok. He has always done this with our other animals. He has even been known to "nurse" the kittens. He is the coolest dog ever. He is also the one that was paralyzed in his back legs for about 6 months. He's all well now. Such a dear.This is a sample of fiber from Clementine, my new angora bunny. This is the softest, most amazing fiber I have ever seen. She is a really sweet little girl. I haven't had her very long at all but she is definitely a great addition to the family. She is actually a pedigree show bunny and so she is used to being handled alot.

And here is her full face shot.
Whats not to love!!!!!


For some reason I'm having a hard time downloading the pictures in the order I want. Weird. Again they came out backwards. Oh Well.
More later. Blessings Sue



Saturday, November 22, 2008

We found Nemo!!!!

We found him...... We really did !!!! He's living in a tank at in Morro Bay at the Great American Fish Company. He seems happy. When I was little we used to go to The Fish Bowl and Bobs Fish and Chips. It was a family treat. Outside of Bobs there was a pool with a seal in it. We used to get to feed the seal before we ate dinner. Major highlight. (Remember??? ) I wonder if we washed our hands before we ate. Probably not. oh well.
While in Georgia, I bought an Alpaca Fleece, named Hanes. He was a pet, of a friend, of a lady that owned a yarn store.. (another story) While in Morro Bay we stopped by Morro Fleece Works and I dropped it off to be processed. It will probably be done in 5 months, shes that busy. I think that will be just fine since her work is lovely and it will be like Christmas when I get it back. ohhhhhh it's so beautiful, Black.

And this is the best part.......... This is my nephew and his beautiful new baby girl. He was such a blessing to me when he was born. I was still single and my sister was happily married. I went through her whole pregnancy with her and when He was finally born I thought of him as much as mine as hers. AND she let me. He is an amazingly good Daddy. I enjoyed every minute that I was there. I got to meet his new wife. I am looking forward to getting to know her alot better. She was gracious made me feel very comfortable. They make a wonderful family. (sorry, no pictures of her as I forgot my camera the first night and she was working the next day)



This one is my absolute FAVORITE. I remember holding her daddy like this. How blessed am I. I can't even begin to say. To see and be involved in life coming full circle. And to know there is so much more in store.


My baby Hailey and Great Auntie Sue... sounds good, really good.
Treasure the blessings you've been given, even if sometimes it's hard to see them. Take the time to seek them out and, well, treasure them........ Blessings, Sue




Monday, November 17, 2008

Double Trouble !!!

I hope that you have or will be blessed with the kind of friendship that Susan and I have found. You know the kind..... When life is so busy you haven't seen each other all week but its ok because you think so often of each other, that it's like your together anyway. We have fun... No matter what we're doing...which is usually fiber related but not always. I care about her family and she cares about mine. Nothing is too big or too small to share and time means almost nothing when we're together. Ah and trouble wellllllllllll... Lets just say that pretty much what one of us doesn't think of the other one will and we have really great ideas. This is how out trip up north began . And by the end of it we weren't sick of each other one bit (come on, you know what I mean. We've all been there with a "friend", that by the end of the day your ready to kick 'em to the curb with a teeth gritting smile) It was a beautiful trip all the way around. The company and the scenery...

A bit past Santa Barbara we figured out that we weren't in Kansas anymore,er I mean San Diego. No this isn't really a tornado just a really cool cloud. I love the California sky .
We (I, some would correct) talked and laughed so much that we didn't really realize we were all the way through all the L.A. stuff until then.

Of course we stopped in Solvang. My old teenage stomping grounds. You know it's been awhile since you've been there, when, with the passage of time, even the windmill has shrunk. This is Susan holding it in the very palm of her hand. hahahahahahahaha I told you everything seems a bit funny... Guess you had to be there.

Of course we had to stop by Village Spinning and Weaving. Nice little shop. Very friendly and knowledgeable ladies there. Very small. (Musta got caught in the rain too)


And of course what would be a trip to Solvang without stopping at Good ol' Andersons Split Pea, in Buellton. Funny as one gets older, perspectives really change alot. (referring to last post as well)
The soup was still just as good but I remember the atmosphere alot different.



Susan decided that she would help split the peas that day. hahahahahah Isn't she cute.
Well enough for today and more later......
Blessings to you and your families, Sue




Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Yeah I'm home !!!!

I grew up in Morro Bay....... There I said it.... I have never really thought of it that way until this trip. You see I spent my life trying to erase so much of what happened to me in Morro Bay that I just "forgot" all the growing up time I actually did there. Until now I would have told you that " grew up in Atascadero" but that's just not so. Most of it was in Morro Bay and now... finally for the first time I was able to see the beauty of the place. In fact I was actually blown away by the beauty ... This is the view from " the hill". That is in fact Morro Rock in the far right hand corner. I spent many hours "climbing" the hill. If you look real close at the lower right hand corner you will notice "the jump" we used to ride our bikes over. I even have a small rock from this very street, lodged below my lower lip from the time I was on the back of my brothers trike pushing us down this hill. Oh yeah and the tree on the left is "the tree".
This is a picture taken from the restaurant we had fish and chips. It really is a quaint little harbor. We watched as a group of pelicans and seagulls harassed the living heck out of a little otter. The otter would come up with his dinner on his tummy and they would try their best to get it from him. He would finish eating, lick his fingers and gently roll back into the water, only to come back up a few minutes later with another tidbit to eat. ( OK I exaggerated about the finger licking part but it sounded good, no?)

This is the view from the base of the rock looking south. Across the way is Cayucus and Cambria. The trees on the upper right was my high school which would have made it really easy to ditch class IF..... that was the sort of thing I would have done back then....hahahahahahahahaha.


This is a close up of The Rock"



And this is "The Rock" in all its glory. Truly I never saw it this way until now. It really is a beautiful place.
More on my trip later....... More pictures too.. Blessings Sue




Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween !!!











These pictures downloaded backwards but you get the idea!!! Happy Halloween.....
Susan and I are off on a road trip. I'll be back early next week. Going to see my Mom and meet my new niece-in-law and my new grand-niece. And of course have fish and chips in Morro Bay and visit Morro fleece works and hit a few wineries in Paso Robles. I'll fill y'all in when I get back.
Til then lots of Blessings your way, Sue



Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Ahhhh..So this is the reason.

About a week before I went to Georgia I spent the night in the ER. having the pad of my finger sewn back on. Yep I do everything really well. That's why they call me genius. That is also why I didn't blog for awhile. It has healed really well. I have feeling in it, which is one thing the Dr. mentioned I may loose. So all is well with that..... Jennifer made the most amazing muffins for us. My girls are all pretty much genius's too. The apple doesn't fall too far from the ol'tree. ( I pretty much milked the finger thing for all it was worth, no dishes, I couldn't even sweep for awhile,wink wink... you get, it right) Spinning however was pretty do-able though. Knitting was not too hard once I figured out how to catch the yarn right. (I knit continental)
Jennifer and Seth went hiking up to Vulcan mountain Sunday afternoon. You drive through Julian to get there, which is a beautiful little mountain community. We usually try to avoid going there during October however, since ti is Apple Days there and everyone goes up to enjoy the Autumny environment. They have lots of "pick your own" orchards and fun entertainment things for the family.
They did find a lovely fruit filled tree on one of the trails and brought these little gems home for us . Aren't they pretty. and soooo sweet. Most definitely, God's candy.

They also stopped in a place called Descanso on the way home and brought me back this wonderful surprise. Local honey!!!!!!! the lady they get it from sells two different kinds. The lighter is from between the ocean and Lakeside, and the darker (here) is from the wildflowers from Lakeside to Descanso. It is a total treat and just in time as my other bottle is almost gone.
I love Autumn. This is most decidedly my favorite season. The crisp morning air and the brilliant blue sky. I love the colors and the smells. The feel of the air and everything pumpkin. The heat of summer can almost be a pleasant memory. I can again enjoy my afternoon cups of tea, and look forward to having a log in the fire soon. Yes... all is well......
I bought these acorns in Historical Newnan, Georgia. We put them in a bowl with Carlye's other gourds while there and now they have they're own bowl here with me. Aren't they cool.

There is a poem that keeps playing in the back of my mind... I'm not sure how it goes for sure but something like this....

Where ever I stop to rest.... It seems I like my own home best.......
Yeah I like that . Even if it isn't quoted correctly. This is how I'm feeling today... Happy to be here... Right here.... Home....

Blessings, Sue

Monday, October 13, 2008

Suzy Crepe Maker ????

I am NOT !!! I have wanted to try making these cool Swedish pancakes for awhile now and found a mix for them at Whole Foods awhile ago. In my mind it is a cool autumn morning, just me and this extremely handsome guy, home for a romantic brunch. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

This is the first batch. Okay not a problem... The first of every other "pancake" breakfast are put aside and eagerly awaited by the weens. They know there coming soooooooooo.... This is about as good as they got. They poured into the pan just like planned. It was the turning over part that kinda messed up. (This Crepe filled the pan perfectly... I promise)
So as it was so politely asked of me in between slurps and finger licks. "Hey whats the difference between these" (jelly covered finger pointing down to his plate) " and those over there?" (Freshly licked finger pointing to the weens plate) "They're all ripped up the same"
That I remembered the really great bran muffins from yesterday in the fridge. Oh Well. It was fun. I'll try again later... There are plenty of autumn mornings left.
Blessings, Sue

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Back from being ......well..... gone!!!!

It has been awhile, no? Not really intentional. I was able to go to Georgia to visit my oldest daughter and my wonderful son in law. I had an amazing time..but.. more on that later. Yesterday was one of those days that you never want to forget. We spent the day at the zoo. The weather was absolutely PERFECT. This is us in the sky tram. Yes I made him promise not to shake it.haha
The giraffe's were so close. I think this is a cute picture. I love how they had their necks all wrapped around each other.
This guy looked like a few other spinners got to him before me. He is a Guanca from South America. I would really have liked to get some of his coat. He has the same thoughtful eyes as the alpaca.
Really, I could have touched this girl. Being the mature adults that Seth and I are, we were talking about the gap in the fence that we "could" squeeze through. Also being the mature adults that Seth and I are, we knew that it was not only against the law but that it would be my luck to tick it off and get trampled. Sooooo............... hahahah
and this is the man and his beautiful daughters. Am I BLESSED or what????????????????
We had a great day and since we got our year passes we will have many more.

More later.... Count yours...Blessings that is... Sue

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Grandween???? You ask.....

Yes as well we all knew.... ( sing with me now) First comes love, then comes marriage then comes a ween in the baby carriage. I would love to announce to you that I am a grand mama, already. This is my daughter with my new grand weenie...... Wilbur. He is now 10 weeks old and to quote my girl " a very, naughty boy" Is he not adorable??? Is she not beautiful??? This is a rather random post today. I feel kind of random.
Seth and I went on a date. Yes a real live date, just the two of us. ( I'll wait while you get a cool cloth for your head if you need one) haha. This was just before the wedding and we took the time out to go to an exhibit at the Natural History museum in Balboa Park. That story next time .
These are pictures that I took of the fossilized leaves on exhibit. I love leave of all kinds and thought these were really cool. I believe, don't quote me though, that they are actually local.
This is the famous fig tree at the park. It is huge, and AMAZING. They now have a fence around it but at one time you could go right up to it and feel its magnificence. One time a long time ago... When I was a Daisy Girl scout leader, we took a field trip to this very tree. Not just our troop but about a million other little girls. This tree was swarming with legs, arms and laughter until one minute we heard screaming and realized that someones little foot was stuck in the fork of a few branches. Oh yes.... The fire department was dispatched as was the police dept. and about a thousand other emergency vehicles. I have to admit that after I found out the little girl was okay. I was really glad that I was able to swish my little group back to the van and make like ducks, to get the flock outta there. Whew.... I new there was a reason I had said no to their mournful little pleas. Hence the fence. Which is really a blessing to us all. Now the tree can be admired from afar and not have to worry about we silly humans.
And last but not least I leave you with the fountain that graces the park. We have had many hours of enjoying this fountain. When the girls were little all the way until now when we shared a sandwich and Ice tea and listened as the saxophone player. A couple even broke into a few steps of dance while walking by. It was good.
Til later then, Blessings Sue