SORRY!!!

I apologize for being so slow in posting lately. But I have been so busy working on the organizing and packing that by the time I get ready to retire for the night I am just too tired to sit down at the computer and post.

The intense part of this job should be winding down in the next few day so I will update my blog at that time. Thanks for your patience.

While going through some of my boxes of pictures I came across this picture of my beloved horse Dusty. He passed away a few years ago and I still miss him and think of him often. He was one of the easiest horses to train of any of the horses I have owned. The first time I put a saddle on him and climbed on he seemed to think that this was pretty cool cause he just loved being with me all the time. He had the most beautiful slow, smooth jog that made him a pleasure to ride. He loved to be in the show ring and during our halter classes he was so sure that the judge was there just to see him and he would often try to take the judges clipboard away from him. Fortunately the judges just laughed because Dusty was always so gentle about it. We did win almost all of our Showmanship classes..He just loved to show off! And he was a dream to ride as well. We did well in Western Pleasure classes as well at the Trail Classes. Dusty was born on my birthday so the owner of the ranch made him a birthday present to me. And from that day forward we were together everyday. I believe he enjoyed my presence as much as I did his. I still have the beautiful ribbons that he won with me just as a reminder of our fabulous days together. I still miss you Dusty.... Maybe we can find a sweet horse somewhere in Montana that needs to be loved like I loved Dusty.

WHEW..IT'S HOT!!!!

I posted this picture today because I have worked very hard all day doing my organizing and packing for our up coming move. And today our outside temperature was in the 90s and I was very hot. Thinking of the cold winters we have here helped me to imagine that I was a lot cooler than I really was. Oh, the power of your mind...Awesome.

Progress is being made in the packing and organizing department. I can actually see some empty shelves and cupboards around here. But I am very tired so I am turning off the light and getting some well earned sleep. Night all!!

TIME FOR A BREAK

I decided that I needed a break from all of my sorting and packing. So I took my camera and headed out for a walk tonight after dinner. As I passed by my purple azalea I was very surprised to see that she is in bloom again. You see, this plant usually blooms just once in the early spring. So I pulled out my camera, leaned in REAL close so I could get a great picture of the bloom. At about that moment a slight movement caught my eye. And of course I was startled at first then I realized that this wonderful Praying Mantis was starring me right in the eye!! I zeroed right in on him and took his picture. They rarely seem to be in any hurry to leave so I took the picture and slowly moved away. They are great insects to have in a garden and I didn't want to scare him away from mine!!

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500's.

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water..

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, It's raining cats and dogs.

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up you nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, Dirt Poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence, The saying a thresh hold.

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a whi

MORE GARDEN FLOWERS

My beautiful Irish Bells have grown again this year from seeds. They are such a interesting plant and so very easy to grow. I understand if you harvest them at just the right time they make excellent dried flowers. But I haven't found the time to do that yet! Each little bell has four white seeds deep inside them so they are easy to have in your flower bed each spring and they grow very quickly to about 18 inches in height. Since they grow on a single stalk, they like to be planted with something that will give them some support. They bring a bright spot to my garden in such a pretty green and as they begin to fade they turn a wonderful tan.

I have so many different colors of hollyhocks that it's hard to choose a favorite. They have a long bloom time and I do enjoy them all.

MY LATE SUMMER GARDEN

Things are beginning to slow down in my little garden. The peaches are ripening and soon the frost will be on the pumpkin!! The flowers all seem to turn a deeper color when the evenings begin to cool.

I'M HOME AGAIN!!

I made it home safely late this morning from my visit with my son in Seattle. We had such a wonderful visit...Staying up way to late last night talking about stuff. He is my only son and we spent 21 years together before he "flew the coop"...Just he and I and he is still my best friend.

The weather was very warm in Seattle for my visit. People who say it rains to much in Seattle should have been in this beautiful city ANY time during this summer. I have traveled there many times in the last 6 months and have not encountered any rain yet.

I was surprised to return home realizing that I did not pull out my camera at any time on this trip. Very unusual for me!! So no pics to post tonight.

So it's back to packing for our move to Montana....

MY TRIP TO SEATTLE

I am in the beautiful city of Seattle visiting my son for the weekend. Our weather is perfect so we have enjoyed the time out and about the city.

We spent several hours in the giant Ikea store in Renton south of Seattle. Oh my gosh!!!! What a awesome store!!!! They even have arrows on the floor so you can find your way out. I had so much fun and of course I was able to find several great items that I couldn't live without.

After our great adventure at Ikea, we found the Half Price Pots store nearby. A very dangerous place for me to be!!! Because once again, I was able to find something I couldn't live without...a couple of very large pots that will be perfect for my hostas that have leaves that reach a foot in length. They will look fabulous on our new deck in Montana.

I have enjoyed my time with my son, I will miss him dearly after we move to Montana in the coming months. Of course, he knows there is always room for him when he can get away to visit us there. We are counting on all of our kids to come for many visit in Montana.

More travel pics

We had such beautiful sites to see on our trip to Whidbey Island this week. The weather was good but unfortunately the trip on the ferry across Pudget Sound was much to short. I sure don't think those ferries were that fast when I was a kid!!!!


This is the gorgeous gardens at the spa where my friend keewee works at Langley on Whidbey Island. Every part of this place was groomed to perfection!! What a site. So pretty and serene.

We attended a barbecue at my brothers home near us last night. His twin brother drove over from Seattle to join us and we had a great time. Lot's of joking around and reminiscing. We are a family with a great sense of humor so the laughs were many!! And of course JW fits into all of this like a natural!! We also watched some picture slides from our youth and they brought back so many wonderful memories. We had a fabulous meal and a very fun time. All of us, including my sister-in-laws, are all close to the same age (one attended high school with me) so we had a real "Hoot" of a time!!!!!!!!!! I love you guys.

OUR FABULOUS TRIP TO WHIDBEY ISLAND

JW and I had a fabulous day when we made a day trip to see my very special girlfriend keewee (she's on the right in photo above) who lives on the beautiful island of Whidbey across the water from Seattle in Washington State. Keewee and I hadn't been together in at least two years. We had spent many years together pretending to be working at Sears...We finally discovered that cleaning out the dressing rooms could be the prefect opportunity to sit and visit while folding and hanging the clothes all the customers left lying on the floor and benches. We did make some happy times in that store...The manager would finally discover us because she could hear the laughing and giggling!!! Rats!!Caught again!!!!! The picture above was taken at the gorgeous Spa that keewee works at in Langley. (She does laugh when she uses the word "work"!!!)
I hadn't been on Whidbey Island in at least 30 years and keewee helped us find the home of my fathers foster dad near Langley. I was thrilled to be able to not only find his home but to discover that it has been kept in the same design as I saw in my youth. And we were so lucky to find the home owner home and she welcomed us into her home and even allowed me to take pictures. What a thrill for me. She had somehow acquired a picture of the house from the years the foster father lived there and she let me photo a copy of this picture. I am anxious to share these pics with my brothers and sister!!!
This was a sight we saw as we were driving past the city of Monroe on our way to the ferry for our ride to Whidbey Island. It was a beautiful site on a beautiful day.
Yes, I must admit...There is still lot's of kissing even on our 3rd Anniversary. Love you JW!!!
Keewee was my Maid of Honor at our wedding 3 years ago so traveling to visit with her this week seemed the awesome thing to do. Thank you keewee for being my dear friend then and even more for still being my dear friend after all these years. We have both found how wonderful life can be. I love you girlfriend.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!!!!!!!!!!!

TODAY IS OUR 3RD WEDDING ANNIVERSARY AND EACH DAY LIFE IS MORE WONDERFUL THAN THE DAY BEFORE. THANK YOU JW FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL LIFE! I LOVE YOU.

This is JW's newest toy...a 1941 Dodge. This is a project for those long cold winter days coming up in Montana!! This will be a fabulous toy to drive around town in!
Just another one of my beautiful Tiger Lilies. They bloomed so well for me this summer even though we were gone away for so long. The lack of attention has caused the plant to only produce seeds on the top 8 inches of each plant stalk. I will harvest them anyway to plant at our new home in Montana. I am planting a mass of them in a special corner of the garden.
Anyone for Blackberries??? This is a bush we planted in my little garden last year and they have really produced yummy berries this season. This is a wonderful thornless variety, and the tastes is great!
Does this coat make my butt look big??? Yes Dear, it certainly does!!!!!!

A RESTFUL WEEKEND

I spent most of the weekend lounging around and playing in my flowers. The weather was good....not to hot...not to cool...not much wind. We had several wonderful meals at our picnic table on our patio over the weekend, the view and atmosphere adding to our enjoyment.

My hosta's are enjoying the weather too and of course all of the attention I have been giving them.
JW's newest toy arrived today!!! He has found himself a wonderful 1941 Dodge pickup. There is restoration work to be done on it of course but we can both envision the fancy sign that will some day be on the trucks doors reading "Wilson Machine" and what fun we will have driving it into town at Darby to pick up groceries and such. We are looking forward to this new toy and I will post pictures of this new adventure very soon!!

TIGER LILIES IN BLOOM

My Tiger Lilies are in bloom and are beautiful again. This is my favorite lily that I grow in my garden, and between their bulbs and the seeds they also produce, I can have them in my garden forever. And they last so much farther into the seasons than the other type of lilies that I grow. And of course I will be digging up as many of their bulbs that I can possibly find to transplant into my new garden in Montana.

I am still busy tackling the job of packing my enormous collection of glass vases and of course my wonderful collection of Betty Boop figurines. I thought that if I packed up my collections now that it would certainly make packing up the household goods easier. I have discovered that I do have a lot of treasures!!!! I have been collecting Betty for about 25 years and the paperweight vases for around 1 year. Betty is my first cartoon that I can remember as a child and she has always been very special to me. I have purchased several items for both of my collections on eBay and really enjoy communicating with the sellers about the collections. It's a great place to find new treasures!!

MY YARD WORK IS NEVER DONE!!!!

Our weather is heating up again so I am spending a lot of time out in the yard trying to keep the Hosta's and other plants comfortable and happy. The plants have recovered from our time away and all seem to be enjoy us being at home. I know our cat has finally forgiven us for being gone forever!!!! But she does give us a strange look when ever we pull out of the driveway...poor kitty.

We have set up a new hammock in the side yard for me so I think I need to give it a test run...Nothing beats a nap in a hammock......see ya later!!

BETTY BOOP ROSE IN BLOOM

My flowers are showing us how happy they are to have us back home!! This rose is my beautiful Betty Boop Rose that was a retirement gift from my friends at Sears when I retired a few years ago. After giving her a major trim job and lot's of water and TLC, Betty has given us loads of beautiful blooms that are gorgeous.
After blooming for several days the blooms begin to turn white with red/pink edges and are still beautiful.

This is a new bud that is just ready to open her petals. It doesn't seem to matter which stage of bloom these roses are in...they are still lovely.

It does feel good to get my hands back in the dirt of my flower garden. We have plotted out where my hosta's and this Betty Boop rose will live in our new home in Montana. We may build a shade house for the hosta's to keep them happy and beautiful. A greenhouse is also in the plans at the new home. So life will be very busy in Montana in the coming months, and in the New Year!!

I THINK SOMETHING IS GOING ON!!

I have a feeling that something is happening at my happy little home. There are lot's of boxes lying around that are fabulous for me to play in. I am sure they are just for me!! But my people seem to be putting our "stuff" in my fun boxes. Oh my gosh...I think something is going on that they haven't told me about!!!!

This is the site that greeted us as we approached Darby, Montana the first of this week. And unfortunately the scene was pretty much the same on our way home yesterday morning,

OUR MONTANA TRIP

I am having trouble uploading pictures to the blog today so I will attempt to put them on my blog tomorrow.

We had a very pleasant trip this week to our future home in the Bitterroot Valley in Montana. The day we left on our trip there were 3 forest fires near our home in Washington state. As we neared the little town of Darby, Montana we were surprised to see a large forest fire burning there also!! What a summer this has been. The smoke in the Bitterroot Valley was so thick that it was visible all the way through Idaho on our return trip to Washington State!! The skies west of Spokane were thick with smoke and the radio reported that this was coming from the Methow Valley almost 150 miles away. So we returned to our home to the same thing we had left behind in Montana.

I enjoyed every minute of my time in Montana. Everyone there seems so friendly and happy to hear that we are moving to their area. We attended several farmers markets in the little towns between Darby and Missoula and I was thrilled to see the large numbers of crafts and flowers offered at all of them. And they certainly raise many fabulous veggies there too. So that gives me lot's of ideas and lot's of things to get involved in after we move.

We were able to find a great location for my greenhouse at our new location. And we also found great areas that will allow me to continue to grow my beautiful hostas. And we determined that there is also a place for JW to set up his machine shop very close by. So we are ready for our great move to the state of Montana! And between all of JW's machine shop and ALL of my life's treasures, we will be heading to our new home this summer. Wow, a very huge job lies ahead of us both!! So, please stay tuned as our next adventure begins!!!!!