I'm still in Oregon.

Hello friends/family, I am still in Bend, visiting my family. My children and grandchildren have been here this week. Everyone got to spend a little time with grandpa Tom. We had to spread out the visits to times when he was feeling strong enough to visit. He gets very short of breath with activity and talking. His cough is pretty bad and makes him tired too. The first cough medicine had Codeine in it and it made him vomit, so now we are trying a new medication. Chris (my sister) is picking up the medicine today while she is out doing errands. Fortunately, dad does not have pain. I hope it stays that way. I am trying to get business paperwork done for the end of the year. I am my mom's "bookkeeper", although I really don't know anything about bookkeeping. I have quickbooks 2008 and have been trying to figure out how do use it over the last year. I have printing paycheck stubs down pretty good, but can't figure out how to do the taxes, W-2's, W-3, etc. I have a friend that I consult with to figure these things out. She would probably help me more but she just recently broke her ankle, so is staying close to home. She can't drive or walk yet. (Hope you are getting better Vicki!). Since I live so far away from my mom and her business I am thinking that I need to get her hooked up with quickbooks payroll and let them do all this stuff for her. I can still try to record her expenses and income other than payroll and taxes. Although if they do that too I may just let them. She needs to have someone who knows what they are doing, and that is not me! I am homesick for my Panhandle home. I worry about my cat, worms and rabbits. I also need to go home to get some business records for my mom. Dad's best friend since they were about 12 years old, Jerry Mack, just had a massive stroke on Christmas morning. We are all upset about Jerry. He and his wife Darlene have been a part of the family since I can remember. He is still in ICU in Eugene, OR and they are taking it "one moment at a time". His outcome is unknown. His stroke was caused by a bleed to the brain. I wish I could get my mom over to Eugene for a day or two to visit with Darlene, and also to visit with my auntie Jo. My uncle also had a massive stroke recently, so my aunt and cousins are still adjusting to this change. I must admit that it makes me MAD that these things happen. Being a nurse doesn't make it any easier to accept. In fact sometimes I think it makes it worse because I have seen what patients and their families go through during these times. I know that I am going through the various stages of grief. I think I have already gone through denial, and am now on to anger. It is impossible to believe that I will not have my dad forever. I am too young (55!) to become fatherless. He has been the greatest dad. He has taught me to have humor. He has taught me that men can be trusted (of course, my x-husband kind of killed that trust). I expect fathers to be like my dad, and I am always surprised to find that they aren't all like him. My dad is 5'6" and I remember when I was a little girl I thought he was so tall and big. I got lost in a store once and was crying. A man (probably the manager) asked me if my dad was a big man. I said "yes". Then when my dad came to get me the manager started to laugh, and I noticed that my dad was a lot shorter than that man. I was about 3 yrs old at the time. It was the first time that I had ever taken notice of details about people. I am going to post a picture of my family when I was a little girl. Guess which one is me! Love you all, Cathy

I made it to Oregon to see my dad! Yahoo!!

Hello friends and family, I am now in Oregon. My sister Chris and my neice McKenzie drove all the way to Montana to pick me up. They arrived one evening and we left the next morning. She used grandma and grandpa's car to drive up. This turned out good since my car needs a new headlight, and licensed. Some of my kids (maybe all) will be coming sometime between Christmas and New Year to see their grandpa (my dad). He is doing ok, but he is seriously sick. I went with them to the oncologist appointment yesterday. He showed me the CT scans and his lungs are full of multiple cancer sites. It looks like a clear night full of stars only twice as many stars as are in the Bend sky. He also has what looks like cancer in his common bile duct and around his major artery and vein that pass through the abdomin and go to his heart. Dad does not know this but I have told everyone else. Dad doesn't need to be afraid or worried. He is very accepting that he is going to die but I don't think that it will be as far off as he does. Our hospice nurse friend, and I and Chris think it will be only 1-2 months. It seems to be spreading fast. He is breathless with very little activity, and he was started on oxygen. Chris and I are also giving him airborne to help keep him from getting a cold or upper respiratory infection. He also is taking codeine cough syrup to help calm his cough down. He spends most of his time sitting in his recliner watchng old movies and taking naps. He is happy to see people who come by to visit, and he is very cheerful and still cracks his crazy jokes. He and mom have been talking alot. I think that it is great that we were warned that the time is short because we can all say goodbye and have closure. Dad want to try chemotherapy. They will give him a drug called Gemzar. It is to make him more comfortable and maybe give him extra time. If it works then he might get a few more months. I just want him to be comfortable and as happy as possible. He has lost 40 lbs and he often looks very pale. He sweats and then complains that he is cold. But I would not say that he is miserable yet. He sat at the table and talked with Tige (my cousin) awhile this morning. My nephew Jessie will be coming in tomorrow by greyhound bus. The both want to spend time with dad. In fact I hear that Tige wants to get all the boys/men and take dad out to hunting camp for a day. I think dad will like that. I think that he is still well enough and has enough energy to go. In fact I think it will be good for him. All of dad's grandchildren will be coming in the next week or so to visit with him. We are going to try to not exhaust him. Well I need to go help out around here. I will be back on this blog as things progress and change. Love to you all, Cathy

Life is full of challanges...I love my dad...

Hey there everyone, where have you been? Oh, yeah it was me that hasn't been on here lately. Sorry about that. I get so busy, then I am so painful and fatigued that it takes me awhile to get back to normal (whatever that may be). In the last two weeks I have obtained 5 rabbits. They are still very young but are large and going to be larger. They are meat and breeding rabbits. I use the rabbit dropping for my worm's that I am growing as a side business. I will have baby rabbits in the spring but until then I am keeping my boy away from the girls. It is just too cold out for babies. It has been 0.0 degrees for two days. I am having trouble keeping my house warm. Tonight I finally put blankets over the front door and living room window (which is very large). I have winter window panes up on the outside of my windows but they are still frosting up and freezing. I have to put wood on the fire every three hours or the house takes forever to get back up to 60 degrees. I wear lots of layers of clothes inside and even more when I go outside to care for the rabbits. I built a rabbit hutch by myself. Tomorrow I put the door on one side so that I can move the boy outside and into it. The 4 girls are in a big wire cage in the shed. Tomorrow I am going to put wood around it and make it similar to a wooden hutch. They seem to be surviving in the cold but I want to make it somewhat warmer for them. I am also going to put a large piece of plywood over a window opening that previous tenents had for some type of animal stall. I can take it off in the summer if I want to use it as a stall again. My plan is to build a chicken coop/yard next. I am using lumber that I salvaged from a construction site! With permission of course. I have had to piece things together since it is all used lumber. I love it. I have decided to change the name of my farm to the Triple R Farm. It stands for reuse, recycle and repair. It could probably have a retarded in there too. LOL. I have some great plans of things to come but will not share them at this time as life has taken an unexpect turn and my plans are now on hold. My dad was diagnosed Monday with lung cancer. He just went to urgent care because he was coughing and it caused him lots of pain in his chest. They did xrays expecting to find pneumonia or something similar. Instead they found cancer. It is metastsized from somewhere else but they haven't found from where yet. My dad goes to the oncologist later today. Then we should have more information. I expect they will be doing tests for awhile and then deciding on how to proceed with treatment. My family is of course having a hard time accepting this new and sudden "challange" in our lives. My dad is actually probably doing the best of us all. Does anyone know of someone who would like to house sit for me and take care of the dog, cat, rabbits and worms? As well as keep the fire going by adding wood every three hours night and day? They would get free room and board. My freezer is stocked. I have lots of DVD's but no TV. I would like to go see my dad for Christmas, and of course the rest of the family too. The main thing holding me back is money. You know, that green stuff,and of course a housesitter/petsitter. I love my dad and do not want to have him have to go through this but he is a strong man and we will keep him as happy and comfortable and busy as he can tolerate. It is time for me to get his childhood stories written down and any other memories that he wants to have saved for posterity. He is a complex person, with a multitude of experiences in his life. As I get older I see that we are all like that. He has a great sense of humor that has been passed down to children and grandchildren also. He has been a fun dad most of the time. Well since it is tomorrow already and I have just stocked the woodstove full of wood, I think I will go get three hours of sleep. You all take care. CJ

An inspiratonal story by a disabled woman who is homesteading! I am so amazed by her gumption and intestinal fortitude.

I just read this great story by a disabled woman who is living on her own terms. She makes me ashamed that I ever have complaints about aches and pains. If she can homestead from a wheelchair then I can do even more! You will be inspired by her story. Please read it. Homesteading", no excuses! We've never heard a story quite like this one--and we've heard a lot! If you need inspiration, you'll find it here.

It snowed yesterday and today

Hello friends, It has been cold in the mornings and there has been some snow flying around in the air and even sticking. But by afternoon it is melted. Just the way I like it. I am continueing to finish prepping my garden for winter. The original garden area is all completed with newspapers and leaves on it waiting to be rototilled in the spring. I now have about 10 or 12 bags of leaves waiting for me to prep a new half of the garden...in other words, I am going to double it's size. I will probably make one half all strawberries and the rest into several smaller raised beds. My worms arrived and are growing and eating and hopefully making compost. They were very small and thin when they arrived and about a fifth of them were smashed and dead in the bottom of the bag. But the survivors are already getting bigger and looking healthier. They did not arrive until a week after I was told that they would be here, so they were probably dehydrated and hungry. I have a huge firepit in the very back of the property that I have decided to make into a large outdoor worm pit in the spring. I have been cleaning up scrap lumber from a old construction site (with the owners permission) and I only have a few pieces of long lumber left. I need to find a truck to borrow to bring it home. Now I have been told that I can clean up the left over lumber pieces at the construction site of our new church building. I started today. The wood is all muddy but I cleaned the bigger pieces off and they are now drying in front of my woodstove. Most of them will just be burned in the stove but a few good ones may make some small shelves or something....maybe birdhouses? I have done so much today...picked up two loads of bagged leaves from a family in town. Put the leaves out on the last 2/3 of the garden area. Went to the dump to drop off the last of the garbage from the first construction site, then filled a huge box with newspapers from the dump recycling bin. They are very nice about letting me take papers for both my woodstove and my garden. I also got a wheelbarrow without a wheel at the dump. It says no salvaging but the "dump man" Cliff let me have it, he even helped get it into the back of my car. He used to live in Bend, OR in the '70's. He lives in Montana now. He seems really nice. His dog is a heeler. I usually don't care for heelers because the ones I have known have been mean but his is a really nice dog. I did not take my little "sweetie" dog out with me today because it was just too cold for her. I can't stand to see her shivering. Last night we had a potluck at church (not the new building yet), and many people brought different kinds of dishes made with various meats. We had bear, goat, beef, chicken, and pigen dishes. I took ice cream (I didn't have any wierd meat and I had to go straight from a Dr. appt. in Sandpoint). The kids all loved me for bringing ice cream. I had a mammogram about a week ago, and they found a suspicious spot, so they want me to make another appointment for another mammogram and possibly an ultrasound. It is probably not anything. It's funny because I had a breast biopsy in 1989, and a second one in 1999 (both negative) and now here it is 2009. I wonder if they will do another biopsy this time? I'm not too worried about it, in fact I keep forgetting about it and I am afraid I will forget to make my appt. for another mammogram. I need to do that this next week. I am finding that I am actually a country girl and did not realize it my whole life. I love puttering around my little farm. In fact I am naming my new little farm the TRIPLE J FARM. Then I can put a label on my worms, my berries and fruit and vegetable when I take them to the farmers market next summer. I have decided that I want some small farm animals but I haven't decided on what to get or when. It will probably be awhile since I need to figure out housing for any animals. And how to feed them (moneywise I mean). I'm thinking chickens, rabbits, pig, goat??? who knows...maybe it is just a pipe dream anyway. I spent this evening watching DVD's while I dried wood in front of the fire and rolled stacks of paper to put down in the new garden area. Well so much for my day. I am sure it sounds really boring to you all but it is actually joyful and relaxing for me. Much less stress in my life right now. Except for having no money but hey what do I need anyway (besides food, shelter, gasoline, car insurance, prescriptions, medical bills, etc). I just don't think about what I do not have and I enjoy what I do have. Hope you can say the same about your life. Love to all. Your favorite farmer girl.

What a great day today has been.

I started out by sleeping in a little. Then I straightened up the house, made a fire, moved firewood from the old dog kennel (that needs repairs) to my front porch where I can make kindling from it. I raked out about half of the dog kennel, there was great old leaves and plants that are now in a compost pile. I picked up a lot of wood chips and bark pieces that will be good for starting a fire once they are all dried out. The whole back yard is still full of these because of the firewood being split back there. My whole living room is covered with newspaper and wet wood chips, drying by the wood stove. It really looks messy but the wood will come in handy during the winter. Then after that I spent a couple of hours digging by hand half of the front flower bed (in front of my porch). I mixed in compost and then planted some perrenials. I still have more to do but it started to rain and I ran out of time. Then I went to my granddaughter's house to help her celebrate her big 9th birthday. Then I took all three girls out to dinner. I got them home just in time to eat a piece of cake with ice cream and go to bed. I am planning a trip to the Spokane Temple Thursday evening so will need to hem my dress tomorrow. The one thing I am not so good at is hemming. I hope I can get it straight and not too short or long. Well that was my day, how was yours? Jan and Jeannie, Thanks for joining as a follower of my blog. Talk to you soon.

Keeping busy in my little house in the big woods!

Hello friends and family, I have been busy working outside as well as inside. I have finished getting newspapers down on my garden area. I removed the wire fencing to be replaced in the spring with taller fencing. It was not high or strong enough to keep out the deer, elk or moose, let alone the bear(s). I will rototille the newspapers and leaves into the soil in the spring after it has had time to decompose. I plan to ask the neighbors, who have horses and cows, if they have any manure that I can add also. I have also began raising red wiggler worms. They make great compost and can be sold for fish bait or to other worm breeders. I can also sell the excess compost after I use what I need for my garden and flower beds. What a fun new hobby. One of my granddaughters loves worms (she usually likes to tear them apart) so she is excited about my new hobby also. I have been splitting my own kindling and my arms are getting stronger, my back also. I am raking up leaves from under the fruit trees to put on top of the newspapers in the garden. That is the hardest of the yard work right now. They are pretty soaked so not so easy to rake. But the grass underneath definitely looks happier. When I run out of leaves from my yard there are zillions everywhere, so I may ask if I can rake up other yards to start a compost pile outside too. I try to keep physically busy as I find it makes me feels much happier and pleasantly tired at bedtime. Tomorrow is my granddaughter J's 9th birthday. I plan to take her presents to her in the afternoon and then spend the evening visiting with the kids while their parents go to a meeting. They are so busy. I love to be able to have time with the girls just to read books, tell stories, play game and talk. We sometimes rough house some, which their dad finds annoying so it is good to be with them when the parents are gone. They love to tumble and dance but tend to get louder than he likes. I thnk that I am a good influence on them that way. Every kid needs goof off time. It is getting late so I will go hit the sack now. Would love to hear back fom some of you once in a while. Love to all.

Facebook | The Music of James Gillice#/pages/The-Music-of-James-Gillice/198198790287?v=app_19935916616&ref=mf

Facebook The Music of James Gillice#/pages/The-Music-of-James-Gillice/198198790287?v=app_19935916616&ref=mf: "Fan"

Gardener’s Journal, the official blog of Gardener’s Supply

As some of you know, I love to garden. This is one of my favorite gardening blog sites. Feel free to visit it and look around. Green Thumbs up to you. Cathy Gardener’s Journal, the official blog of Gardener’s Supply

This and That: James Gillice, third CD almost completed

This and That: James Gillice, third CD almost completed

James Gillice, third CD almost completed

Hello all, I spent almost two hours last night talking with my little brother on the phone (I use a prepaid calling card from AT&T since I have no long distance service). We talked about everything under the sun. We discussed various ways to make money on the Internet. One idea I have is to promote and sell my son's Cd's online. He is already selling them on Amazon.com and itunes but he isn't actively marketing his music. I would like to get his name out there as he has written some great music. He produces and records his own songs. He will be completing his third CD very soon. He loves his music (singer/songwriter) but as a responsible family man he has just finished his Bachelor's at Utah Valley University in Orem Utah,where he also is employed as a "media services engineer". He graduated last May, but has been working there for a few years now. While attending school and supporting his family he had to put his songwriting on the back burner for a few years. He is back at it again. If you are interested in hearing his music just google "James Gillice" and you will find several websites where you can go to hear his songs.Some links are listed below. My favorite song is entitled "Lyla in the Middle". His first CD is mostly about love lost, his second is about love found and I can't wait to hear his third CD. I have heard some of his new music/songs and they just keep getting better and better. I will display some current pictures of him on my side bar. You can go to several of his websites to listen to and/or download his songs. He is also active on facebook. An interesting thing about his music is that he plays the instruments (or computer effects) himself, and when you hear more that one voice, he has recorded all of the parts and he harmonizes with himself. He also plays harmonica and whistles in a few of his songs. He is basically a one man show. He has written the music and lyrics, and self produced his CD's and done all the legal stuff to protect his property rights. I would love to see his music used as background music in movies and commercials. It would be great if he could produce his own Music Video next. His senior project in college was a group project where they made a commercial type program/video about a food bank in Utah. They had Miss Utah and several people that work at the food bank interviewed and told how it helped the community. James' music was used for background and worked in perfectly. I wish I could find a way to get this project put on UTube. It is really professional quality (It should be since he and his team members got their degree's in mass media communications (or some such title). I may be biased but he is really talented. When James was a little boy he would often daydream in school. I remember his teacher in first grade wanted him checked for petite mal seizures because he would zone out during class. His EEG showed no problems. I later asked him what he was doing when he went into his own little world, and he said "I listen to the music". He has had music running through his head since he was very young. When he was about 11 or 12 his favorite music to listen to, was a Bach tape. He would listen to it day and night. One day he couldn't find it so he asked his grandma B, "where is my Batch tape?" His other favorite tape about that same time was MC Hammer. Go figure! What a variety that kid had and still has in his taste in music. He didn't pick up his first guitar until he was 16 years old, then taught himself to play. He has now taught himself to write music as well. Even after he was a missionary (for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in New Zealand, where he did not pick up a guitar for two years, he came back and just picked up as if he had never taken a break. I hope that you will take the time to check out his music and if you like it spread the word to others. You should not have to buy anything to listen. If you have any marketing ideas please share them with me. So much for my walk down memory lane with my son and you. I will be back soon. Love CJ

Winter is coming soon !

Hello family and friends, The rumor around here is that it will start to snow within a few days. It has been overcast with some drizzle and near freezing but so far no snow. The surrounding mountains have a light dusting on top. Did you know that there is an evergreen tree that turns yellow and looses it's needles in the winter? I did not know this but they are everywhere here. They are called Tamarack or Larch trees. They really add to the beautiful colors seen at this time of the year. There is such a wide variety of trees here. Right now the rivers and the lake are very low, and the trees are varying shades of yellow, red, orange, green and brown. It is just gorgeous. Yogi bear has been in my yard again recently. A few days ago I was transplanting my iris, rhubarb, and a few other plants when I accidentally stepped in a very large and messy "calling card" from my bear friend. Yuck!! I was hoping he was hibernating by now. I have seen deer, elk, and moose recently. Usually at the side of Hwy. 200. Thankfully, none of them has decided to jump in front of my car. It is hunting season around here but I'm not sure which animal anymore...it seems to change frequently. If you like to hunt this is the country for it. Everywhere that I look I see hunters around town. I can hear gun shoots in the wilderness around my home too. My plan is to eventually get a gun of some type (and maybe even go hunting in the future?...) A friend of mine got his deer yesterday in Montana. His BIG dog has already tried to tear down the door to get at the meat. Speaking of dogs, I am thinking about getting a large dog for protection. I especially would like a big one that could scare the bears away in the spring. I am planting berries in my yard and do not want to have to fight the bears for them. It is already bad enough that they want the fruit from the fruit trees. I am trying to get my garden plot ready for spring by rototilling it and fixing the fence but the weather has not been cooperating. I have taken down the old wire from the fence in preparation for replacing it. I would like to make the garden area larger. I have so many strawberries to plant that I could fill the whole area that is already marked off. I will need more space. I plan to plant raspberries and blackberries by the solid wooden fence so that I can see clearly if any bears are around (they won't be able to hide on the other side of the berry bushes). I have to go into Clark Fork tomorrow so will probably not get my strawberries planted then, but I will try to stop at my daughter F's house and dig up some raspberry plants. Her raspberries are so thick and are spreading into areas where they are not wanted...so I will help take care of that problem by moving some to my yard. I wish I could transplant Huckleberries too, they are so delicious and cost anywhere from $35 to $40 per gallon. I already have elderberries growing in my yard. Well enough about fruits. I will have something much more interesting next time. Love to all, CJ PS I have added family pictures...

Almost back to normal...

Hey friends. I haven't written for a couple of weeks, because of many reasons. It started two weeks ago when I had an episode of extremely high BP. It went up to 248/146. Yes, I did feel terrible. I ended up in the ER and was kept overnight for observations. It took from about 8 pm until 6 am for them to get it back down to normal using a nitrogen drip IV. I finally started feeling better when the BP came back to normal. Since then I have been taking it easier... at least until a few days ago when I finished stacking my wood. It had been split but the last 1/2 cord or so still needed to be stacked. It took me from 10am to 5:30 pm on day to get it done. I took a few "drink" breaks but finally got it done. The next day I was too sore to move. That lasted until yesterday when I finally could move without wincing. Today I only did small things, like paint an address sign for my porch and put away some things that I bought at the store yesterday such as toothpaste, etc. I put the perishable things away last evening after I got home from shopping. I actually went into town to get some prescriptions for some of my medications that I am running out of...but they weren't there (the prescriptions or the doctor) so I wasted the gas. I have a follow up appointment on Friday so will hopefully get them then. I have avoided typing on my computer because of the pain in my R. shoulder, which I think is caused from being on the computer too much. I have been researching coupons and other things on the computer the last two days. Today I stayed off the computer until just now (it is now 2 am). I need to get to sleep but am not sleepy yet. I hate not being able to sleep. Does this sleeplessness come with menopause? I've heard that it does but I am the only person that I know with this problem. Have you experienced it? Please let me know that I am not alone. I am going to go read to see if it will make me sleepy. Good night all. Love CJ

Too Proud [or Stupid] to ask for Help??

Well, hello again friends. I was talking about wanting to be independent and what happened? While trying to put up a bathroom cabinet I dropped it, thus breaking the mirror! All I needed was someone to help hold it in place. But, of course, I couldn't wait until there was someone who could help me. I had to try to do it by myself. Maybe independence isn't always the best way to go. Speaking of independence makes me think of shooting a gun. There is a quarry near my home where I can go shooting. Now if I could just borrow a gun! Does anyone have one to loan me? LOL. Really, I am going to ask my son-in-law Jo... to take me out shooting. He says that I need to have a gun...if only to shoot Yogi for the meat. Sorry, Jo... but unless Yogi threatens me or my dog, I will not shoot him OR eat him. But I would not mind going hunting with my daughter F... she goes every year with her husbands family while her husband stays home with the kids. Her husband hunts with a bow which is at a different time then gun hunting. He will go out during the day for deer or elk. We also have moose around here but I don't know if there is a hunting season for moose. I think that there is actually a bear season though. Until I moved here I never even thought about hunting seasons. I used to spend my time playing [sometimes working] on my computer. Today I spent hours on my computer. The stupid thing kept freezing-up and I would have to start over again. How do you spell frustration? I spell it like this: C O M P U T E R! Yesterday it snowed at my house. Today a little bit of snow is still sticking in some areas. It was 16 degrees this am and in the afternoon it was 28 degrees. I have been trying to keep the fire in the wood stove going all day. It seems to be either too cold or too hot in here. But at least my little chihuahua isn't shaking anymore. I have a cute little chihuahua, who has the personality of a wild animal. She will lick me and jump all over me, wiggling her little behind and making u-turns but with other people she barks, growls and nips at their heels. There is a rumor that she is much nicer and calmer if I am not around. She even allows my granddaughters to carry her around if I am gone. But as soon as I come home she mysteriously turns back into a monster. Am I so pathetic that a tiny 3 lb dog thinks that she has to protect me? I call her "sweetie". But most people call her "Rosita" or "Rosie". No one except me [and my grandchildren] think she is a sweetie. I have another sweetie in my life too. My cat, "Ginger" who is part Siamese. She has blue eyes, and white with dark tiger lines and a raccoon-ring tail. Why name her "Ginger" you ask? It's a long and boring story so I'll spare you the details. "Ginger" came to live with us when she was only half the size of "Sweetie". She is now over twice "Sweetie's" size. They both love to snuggle under the blankets with me at night. They are the cuddliest, smartest, sweetest, and warmest bed partners I've ever had!! [Sorry to my ex if he should hear about or read this]. Why did I move way up here? This is also a long story and one that I need to think about before I can share it. I want to assure my family and friends that I love it here. Of course, I might have a different opinion after my first winter. Some may ask, where is here? Here is in the country near Clark Fork, ID. There is a forest outside my back door and a gravel road in front of my large front yard. The front yard has a fenced garden, fruit trees, pine trees and lots of grass. Spring will be a time of extreme activity! I spent the summer on my hands and knees, planting, weeding, and harvesting the garden. Jo.. & F.. (and I) harvested tomatoes, corn, beans, peas, pumpkins, (the zucchini died, but we were able to get plenty from other people at church), carrots, onions, lettuce, spinach, broccoli and potatoes (after all, this is Idaho). We had such bounty that, even with canning and freezing, we were able to take our extra vegetables to the farmers market. I have to admit that F.. did the most and the hardest work. They {I did a little with them) have spent time this fall cutting, loading, delivering, and splitting wood for three homes and a business. I really appreciate them getting wood for me for the winter. I really appreciate them. Jo.. is an amazing worker and so are his parents and my daughter F. I have learned a new word from them. DILIGENCE. Diligence is a new concept for me, I am sorry to have to admit. I have been reading a book "Preach my Gospel". In this book, on page 121, it defines diligence as...steady, consistent, earnest and energetic effort. It is to work persistently and with great effort and care. Also to work effectively and with efficiency, using my free will to do good things, and to continue until I have done all that I can, even when I am tired. The way to be diligent is 1) to focus on things of importance, 2) avoid wasting time, 3) pray for guidance and strength, 4) plan regularly and effectively and 5)avoid distractions of mind and/or body. My son-in-law and his family are the most diligent people I have ever met. They do everything with full force and enthusiasm. I doubt that anyone could keep up with them. My daughter has learned from them since she married into their family almost 10 years ago. I am trying to become more diligent. Since I moved here June 1st, I have lost 33 lbs. I have increased my activity level by kayaking, walking, gardening, and playing with my grandchildren. I have also made it a rule to only eat when hungry and stop eating before I'm stuffed. I do not miss those extra pounds! I need to find ways to stay active in the winter. Snowshoeing or alpine skiing sound like fun. There is also a ski resort within a reasonable distance from Sandpoint. I hope to go with my granddaughters [J, B, and R] and take lessons with them. It has been over thirty years since I took skiing lessons on Mt. Hood. I will need lessons, especially to learn how to get up from a fall! It has been delightful being with you tonight. You make my living alone less lonely.

Single women need tools!

Today started out fairly well. I puttered around the house in the morning then had to go to town for an appointment. Since I was already in the big town of Sandpoint, I decided to do some shopping, mostly groceries. I also visited the Habitat for Humanity Restore. What a great place. It has everything, including the kitchen sink! This is only the second one I have ever visited and it is so much nicer and has much better items for sale than the one in Oregon. I was able to buy myself a B&D drill & power screwdriver. A single woman needs this type of tool on hand. I can now put up my own shelves and not have to ask someone for help. I really like to be independent. Having worked with the elderly in the past, I realize that independence will not last forever. I do not look forward to those "golden years", especially since I have heard that they are not so golden after all. Talk to an old person, say in his or her 80's or 90's and if you ask the correct questions you will learn that the weak and cripple old man was once a navy seal, or that the fragile and bent old woman once danced in the movies. It is interesting how they seem different from us younger adults but are really just the same inside. As I age I am beginning to understand about being frustrated with a body that is not willing to do things that were once easy to do...such as split wood. I guess that is why God gave us son's and son-in-law's to care for us as we age (at least that is what I hope will happen). Tell me your aging stories or experiences. Maybe you have some great things about aging that you would like to share. I feel that there are some great things about aging. #1 I am not afraid to talk to people as I was when I was a young adult and a child. I am not afraid of most things (except bears!) anymore. #2 I love being a grandparent...my youngest grandson just turned 1 last week. Have you ever noticed how the time seem to literally go faster as you age? I heard a person I once knew in California say that she thought that it was not just an illusion but an actual fact that time is moving faster than it used to. Wouldn't you think that modern science would have discovered this fact if it were true?

I'm following other blogs...do you want to be one of them?

I found a blog of the son of one of my friends from when I lived in Oregon. I have made his blog one that I am watching...do you have something that I might be interested in following also? If so, drop me a note. I might want to follow your blog also.

This and That goes online Oct. 2009

There is much happening to this city girl moved to the country! Just as an introduction, I moved from a town of about 80,000 people to a small township without a posted population. The nearest town is Clark Fork with a population of 530 people. I would guess that there are about 40 people in my new "town" in the country. We have no gas station, no store, but we do have a post office and a very small library. I heard that the library had to be closed all last week, because someone checked out the book. (Sorry about my sense of humor but you'll get used to it). The biggest occurrence (of interest) is that I have a bear that visits my yard every day. He comes while it is dark out to eat fruit from the trees in my yard. I have seen him at 5 am and at 9:15 pm, and I see his calling card that he leaves in my yard daily. If you think it is terrible to clean up after your German shepherd, try cleaning up after Yogi the bear. Yes, I call him Yogi. It seemed appropriate. Other interesting wildlife around here are; moose (I haven't seen one at my house yet but I did see one in a large field on a back road), elk (I saw three just a few days ago along side of the Hwy), deer (lots of them everywhere), I heard an elk in the woods (making a bugle sound - his mating call). I have also heard coyotes yipping, a wolf howl, lots of birds (both day and night birds). It is very quiet here, except when the wind blows hard. The electricity seems to go out most every day at least for a little while. I definitely need to get a battery powered alarm clock.