Looking back Sunday & some Random Thoughts...

03-01-2007

No snow for us in the far north corner of the Pacific Northwest in February 2013 - but not so in 2007.  That was the year that The Shepherd hurt his back at work and was bedridden for several weeks.  I took this picture one morning as I went out to feed the flock.  It was beautiful and peaceful out.

03-04-2007

And four days later - all gone and the crocus was up and blooming like nothing had ever happened. 

03-01-2008

It didn't snow the last week in February 2008 and the Shepherd went to a church meeting in Tacoma,  I stayed home to farm-sit.  This was my "reward" - a beautiful bowl of spring flowers for the back porch. 










 But I had other things to do that weekend here at home - I was just learning how to spin.  Sinda is wondering what this fuzzy stuff is - it is the first bump of roving that I ever spun - Blue faced Leicester

Oddly enough, the yarn that I made from this roving ended up being part of the crocheted shroud I wrapped around her body when we buried her in Feb 2011.   

 

02-26-2009

A heavy late night snowfall on Feb 26, 2009 blanketed everything in several inches of the white stuff - are you beginning to see the common thread here? 

02-25-2010

 
Feb 25, 2010 was shearing day.  Remarkably it didn't snow, but it got real cold right after - of course all the sheep were nekked.

Since we aren't having any lambs this year, he hasn't sheared yet, but the sheep are starting to roo (a genetic thing with Shetland Sheep where their wool comes off naturally - probably from all those hundreds of years of living out on the wild coasts of Scotland.)  I just found out today that the shearer we've been trying to get hold of is not an appropriate shearer for a handspinners flock.  We won't continue to try to reach him.

02-26-2010

It was, however,  nice enough in the greenhouse in 2010 that his little bonsai forsythia was blooming

02-25-2011

For some reason I can't find any pictures that I might have taken in Feb. 2011 - Sinda, (my 21 year old kitty) died on Feb. 5.  I think that I just didn't see much beauty in the world that month.

The Shepherd took this picture up at one of his customer's job sites though - notice the date - our end of February snow struck again. 

02-26-2012

The 2012 snow didn't stay long, but it sure looked fierce coming down. 














While somekitty had found a warm place to sleep.  Jeepers creepers he has grown a lot this year.  He doesn't sleep up here much any more because he "flows over the edge" and it's not really very comfortable.  His new happy warm spot is the heater vent in the bathroom. 





And there is nothing better on a cold snowy weekend (or even one that isn't cold and snowy) than to snuggle down with a good book.  Nora Roberts' publisher is raking in the bucks re-releasing some of her older (and far less "racy") novels.  And even though I've read them before - - can't put them down -

I got Maeve Binchy's last novel "A Week In Winter" last week - I stayed up WAY too late several nights in a week - "just one more chapter" - I will really miss her writing.

February 2013

So this is what it has looked like for much of February 2013 - Grey and soggy.  But at least it didn't SNOW!  Sorry Boston...

Happy Valentine's Day!

May all your dreams come true

The colors of February -

Our beautiful Mt. Baker

The mossy spots in the yard are getting greener and greener with all the rain we've been having.

Don't get  me wrong, I'd rather have rain than the snow that's been happening in the other parts of the country.

The Witch Hazel is covered in spiky yellow flowers.  The Shepherd has a red one in the greenhouse, but I forgot to get a picture of it.  

When I went to the grocery/deli for lunch last week they had little potted primroses at 4 for $5 - so I got one for each one of my lady co-workers - they have all been keeping them watered so they are really pretty and cheery looking

Work has been a little slow for The Shepherd lately, so he has been spending a lot of time sprucing up our yard.  Looks like a park, don't ya think?

Concatulations to our Furriends

 at  THE KATNIP LOUNGE

for the occasion of their 1000th Post! 

These are some of the 13 fabulous, fun & funny kitties that live at The Katnip Lounge with their Mommy Trish and Daddy Scott in a posh enclosed cat lounge in the wilds of the Mojave Desert outside of Henderson/Las Vegas Nevada. 

 They are having a big PAWTY!

Make sure you stop by to tell them hello!  For every comment you leave (one comment per blog please) Mommy Trish will donate 50 cents to the Nevada SPCA!

So, click HERE TO GO TO THE PAWTY!

And tell 'em that Tina sent ya.  See ya there! 

Hello Effurybody & effury Kitty! It's Caturday!

Hello Efurrybody!

Mummy finally got it together so I could give you a Caturday report!  Of course, these pictures were taken LAST Caturday - but she had been furry busy at The Salt Mines, as her work there has changed (again).  She keeps getting up and going there every weekday morning, so I guess she must like it.  I wish she'd say home with me. (Mummy here - nice thought little one, but it will be a few years) 

Seeing this picture of "da Boyz", just  reminded Mummy that she was going to tell you all about the sheepy girls spa day last month.  She says she'll try to do it later next week because she doesn't have any church work or guild work to do. 

I heard The Shepherd say that this will be the first year since he's had sheeps that there wouldn't be any lambs here - I guess getting things worked out so "the correct parties" could get together just didn't happen at the right time.  The nice thing is, that there is always next year.  But we will all miss seeing the little things bouncing around in the pastures. 

Look, up in the air - It's a bird, it's a plane -

No, it's Georgie up on the top of the barn again - he gets up there an acts like a vulture - can you see him next to that tree top? 

I heard Mummy say that she is staying home from church tomorrow so she can have tome time to herself.  She also has to get her Christmas presents for her sisters wrapped, as none of them will speak to her until she gets them sent off.  Heck, it's only almost Valentine's Day - what do they want anyhow??? 

We hope all of our friends in the Northeast part of the country are safe inside from storm Nemo and that the rest of you have a great week. 

Love, Your roving reporter, Gracie

Wordless Wednesday

Cutting it close, again -

 This is the second glove in a pair of fingerless gloves that I made for my friend Felicity -

See that tail?  That is all there was left of the handspun grey yarn. And since I had no more roving left, that's all there was ever going to be. 

I had suspected that I would run short, which is why I put the turquoise and black stripes - but I didn't think I would come THIS close!  The good news was that they fit, and she liked them.  Yay -

Ms Myraki is looking for a Furever Home

  Meet my friend Mary Ellen - she has two email lists that I belong to - the first is AngelScribe and the second is Pet Tips & Tales - you can read some of her archived articles by clicking here

She also has taught her kitties to swim and appeared on Animal Planets Must Love Cats!

This is the story she had in her newsletter today and it broke my heart.  I asked her if I could repeat it for you because it's a conversation that needs to be had.  I have a new co-worker who, when I asked if she had any pets, sheepishly answered "Yes, Seven cats"  "Seven?!", I replied, looking at her like she might be one of those CCL's (Crazy Cat Ladies) - and she said that she and her husband live out in the country and people from town  just dump cats on their road, and she can't bear to turn them away, knowing that they will never be able to survive out in the woods.
  
It is sad when people can no longer take care of their pets, but even sadder when they just leave them behind like garbage that they no longer want.  Yay for Mary Ellen for fostering Ms. Myraki - I hope she finds a new furever home soon.  (And I hate to wish bad things on her previous owners, but - karma will get them...)

Mary Ellen "Angel Scribe" and her sweet Brindle Persian foster kitty, Ms. Myrakl. Why would someone treat this elderly cat like a sack of garbage, tossing her out to survive on her own? The reason behind this insanity is a mystery.

---

TALES

Pardon me, but today I am "hissed off" and confused. Why do humans refer to animals as "dumb", when it's really the other way around?! Some humans' actions result in pain and suffering to innocent, loving animals; but rescued mistreated animals smother their new "parents" with love, the only "gift" they know how to give, from deep within their souls.

It took three weeks for Myrakl's neighbors to lure her into a live-animal trap and take her to the Humane Society after her owners left their three domesticated cats behind, OUT IN THE JANUARY COLD to fend for themselves, after packing up all of their belongings, locking up the house, and driving off for parts unknown.

As a domesticated exotic Persian elderly cat with NO BOTTOM TEETH, Myrakl is far from "streetwise". Even if she did manage to catch any dinner (prey), she would have a difficult time eating it. She also had worms so she'd have been hard-pressed to absorb any nutrients from said prey. Her once-gorgeous fur was matted into cement hard, tennis ball-size clumps which made walking difficult. Myrakl patiently endured five hours grooming over several days to remove the matted fur, (we are still not done!) enough to fill one-third of a grocery bag. I named her "Myrakl" due to her "miracle" survival and will foster her until she is placed with someone looking for a purr-fectly beautiful lap cat.

Regarding Myrakl's two siblings, a kind neighbor took one in; the other was found mauled to death, either by a vehicle or larger animal.

As I happened upon Myrakl recuperating in a cage in the This 'n' That shop, a sobbing young woman entered the shop with a cat wrapped in a ragged towel, their close bond evident. Between sobs, tears, kisses and nuzzling her kitty, she repeated over and over again, "I love you!". The woman had just lost her home, but rather than leaving her beloved kitty behind to fend for itself she lovingly relinquished it to the Humane Society knowing that it would receive shelter, food, safety, and a chance for a new life with another family.

"I try not to tear up over this unfortunately frequent scenario. It breaks my heart, but there is nothing to do for these people but to accept their pets, and to pray for them", says Janetta Overholser, president of The Humane Society of Cottage Grove. "Adopting an older pet is wonderful thing to do and you can see that this young woman's cat is used to being loved."

Had Myrakl's pet parents acted as responsibly as this young woman did, none of that needless pain and suffering would have occurred. Bravo to this young woman for doing the right thing. Should you happen to hear of a family faced with a similar plight, offer to relieve them of the emotional burden of relinquishing their pet(s) and take their animals to a Shelter.

Now, off to cuddle Myrakl to keep her feeling safe and loved.

NOTE:

If you are interested in adopting Myrakl or donating towards her dental/medical bills, contact the Human Society This n That Shop on 8th Street. Phone 541 942 2789.

Donations are accepted by mail to CGHS; PO Box 61; Cottage Grove, Oregon, 97424, or in person at the shop. 

PS - Thanks again to Mary Ellen for allowing me to re-post her story here.  By the way, if you go to my friend  Miss Peach's blog  today, she has an another amazing story of redemption from Mary Ellen's Tips & Tales!


 .

Thought for the day -

01-13-2007

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” William James 

No snow here today - just kind of gray out, but I was going through some old pictures and thought this was pretty .  

I have, literally, thousands of pictures in "My Pictures" file - and have resolved to share more of them with you all this year. 

I think it sounds like it could be kind of fun -  I hope you'll enjoy them! 

An end of year Cookie Party

A couple of times a year I get together with a group of friends who all used to hang out at this little restaurant downtown.  When the restaurant closed, we missed each other - and used to get together more frequently - but now it's only in the summer at a local park, and at Christmas for a Cookie Party.  This year we were all busy before Christmas so we ended up getting together on the 30th.  It is always fun to catch up with people, and see what's happening in their lives. 

Maria always brings Nanimo Bars - these tasty bar cookies were actually "invented" just north of the border (ant they even have their own Wikipedia page- just click on the name to read the story of their interesting beginnings)  I have had some good ones and some not so good ones - (how can people use the same recipe and the same ingredients and. . . oh well -)  Maria's are some of the good ones.  I always look forward to her contribution to the party.
. 

I don't know who brought these yummy macaroons - there was also a very tart lemon tart and some delicious short bread cookies -

As I regularly do, I try to bring something savory to counter all the sweet - these are the same homemade cheese crackers that I took to a church function a couple of months ago - I got the recipe from a "Land of Lakes Butter" newsletter - whoa Nellie - there are some yummy recipes on their web site!! -

They are basically butter, cheese and flour - but depending on what kind of cheese you use and what herbs and spices you put in or on them, they really take on a life of their own - I roll them out and just cut into squares, and put the topping on before I put them on the baking sheet (Pampered Chef stoneware, of course)

Cheddar Shortbread Bites (from Land o'Lakes web site)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash ground red pepper ( I also added a little bit of Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning mix - it has some chili flakes, garlic, & other goodies. 

1 (8-ounce) package (2 cups) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese - (or you could always grate your own - use the fine holes on your box grater.) 

Topping

1 Egg white

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon poppy seed

1 tablespoon sesame seed

Combine flour, butter, salt and red pepper in medium bowl; beat at medium speed until dough forms. Add cheese; mix until a ball forms. Shape dough into circle; wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. (It will be hard to roll at first, but will soften. Press together any cracks that form on edges of dough.) Cut dough with 1 1/2-inch cookie cutters or pizza cutter into desired shapes. Place onto ungreased baking sheets.

Beat egg white and water together in small bowl. Brush cut-outs with egg wash; sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Immediately loosen from pan; let cool on pan.

The recipe says it makes 60, but I've never gotten that many - I also like mine to be about the size of a Triscuit or a  Big Wheat Thin.  I'm also going to see what happens if I don't chill the dough - it they will still be as flaky. 

Instead of putting the poppy seeds on the top, I tried putting them in the dough - I didn't like it as much.  You could use also any of the cheese flavors - I've used the four cheese Mexican blend for a milder cracker - I wouldn't use any of the soft cheeses, brie or feta and they wouldn't make the flaky texture that you need for this cracker. I'm going to try them with grated Parmesan the next time...sprinkle a little bit of Italian herbs over the top - yum... 

Anyhow - these disappeared almost as quickly as I set them down.  It really was a fun party and I'll look forward to seeing my friends again next summer! 

The Friday Noos- -

 

You know what tomorrow is, don't you Georgie??  

No, What?  

Mummy turns a squillion years old..... Bwahahahahaha..........

And, true to form, it's gonna be cold - she's hopin' it doesn't snow 'cause she wants to go see her spinner buddies.  

She also says I need to say "GO HAWKS"  and that Falcons taste like chikken....we likes chikken...

Delivering a Finished Object !

 Some 20 or so years ago, I invited a friend over to dinner - when I asked what he would like to eat, he replied "Hot dogs and Little Trees"   At my questioning look, Wendy, his mommy, explained that "little trees" was four year old vernacular for broccoli - now, why didn't I think of that.

Fast forward to today - that young fellow (Nels) is now an attorney, living in Palo Alto with his sweet wife and 6 month old son.  I started the blanket that the baby (LH) is laying on right after he was born, and luckily they were home visiting his folks for Christmas and we could deliver it in person - for in the next few months, the couple and their baby will be moving to Japan! 

Grandma encouraging LH to roll over! 

The little guy is pretty cute and seemed to like rolling around on his new blanket - I used double strand acrylic "baby yarn", so it was pretty cushy and very soft.

"Grandma Wendy" and I share a Danish heritage and she was happy to share with me her new "find" - Pickled Wild Sockeye Salmon. - It was really a treat.

In fact we had quite a conversation about pickled herring and other pickled things.  Although he does like sweet pickles, The Shepherd finds pickled fish abhorrent - but what can you say about a guy who comes from a culture that eats haggis?  Go figure...




Look at how pretty this is, and on a cracker with a chunk of that pickled onion - pure heaven...

But, I digress...

The video below was taken last Saturday night.  Nel's younger brother Jon is getting his PhD in Tuba at the UW and as part of the Bellingham Festival of Music he and another local musician gave a recital to benefit the festival.  It was fun.

 

A little bit of Tuba Trivia - did you know that the music in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was really played on a Tuba and not computer generated?   

New Year's Day at Nancy's

For the last 6 or 7 years we have been going over to our friend Nancy's Farm for a New Year's Day party.  Always good food, good music and this year it was more of the same.  The musicians generally end up splitting into two groups - one in the "great room" - the old rock and rollers - and the folk/Balkan music people in the living room - This year I was in the great room with the old rock & rollers - Pretty good for a bunch of guys who only play together once a year. 

Nancy cooked up a big Costco Ham (it was yummy~) and I made "Auntie Magga's Potatoes" I forgot to take a picture, but take my word for it - these are the best scalloped potatoes you'll ever eat!

Scalloped Potatoes Supreme

(My friend's family renamed this "Auntie Magga's Potatoes because she always brought them to potlucks - they are really delish!)

2 lbs. hash brown potato cubes

1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. salt
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. finely chopped onions
2-3 cans cream of chicken soup or you could use part cream of mushroom too)
1 c. sour cream

Mix all together and place into 9" x 13" pan.  Bake @ 350 degrees for approx. 45 minutes. 

Topping if desired:
2 c. crushed corn flakes or potato chips
1/4 c. melted butter

Place under broiler until golden brown.

ENJOY!!

Oh, and here's some more music!