...the calendar says it's spring!

What better way to celebrate the beginning of spring than planting a pot of pansies for the front porch!?! I've always loved pansies...........even before my Grandmother called me her "pansy-girl". When my visit would come to an end she would have me pull my shirt front out and she would fill it full of the beautiful, happy blossoms. I would take them home and "float" them in whatever beautiful bowl Mother would let me use. I love the rich "traditional" colors.......I love the "new" modern colors. They speak to my heart. I'm sure you understand............

Roger and I set up the "benches" in the heat room at the warehouse so we will be ready for the flowers and vegetables when Richard brings them next week............ahhhh, spring............

there's no place like home...

"The moon was a ghostly galleon..."

.....that's the thought that came to mind as I left the grocery store tonight....

Not gorgeous pictures, these, but I'm home............a short visit with a friend at said store, a hug and "checking up" with the sweet lady we bought our carpet from (15 years ago) as I was leaving said store, the view to the east and west, a train growling and whistling through town, the sight as I pulled into the garage.......the wind was not a "torrent of darkness"..........but a nice, gentle breeze........

........yeah.................I'm home

meanderings.....

I've needed to write here for some time now..........you know.....life goes on, and it gets to feeling ordinary and commonplace. But life is LIFE!!! And it's wonderful!! Over these months of being silent......and wondering if this blog is worth the time it takes and what I want it to be (I still don't have answers to those questions) life has continued much the same as for everyone else--busy. I have a new calling in our church. I'm president of the women's organization in our local congregation. It's something I never wanted to do! And hoped it would never come to me--but it has and the blessings have been numerous and wonderful.

We are officially empty-nesters, and have been for more than a year....so I have been able to spend more time with Roger. We have just been in the Bakersfield, CA, area getting the bees out of the almond groves. It has been an amazing experience for me! What a beautiful area of the world!!! the amount of food that comes out of that valley is beyond comprehension! Roger has been telling me for years about the vastness of it all........and I had no idea! There is no way a picture and/or words can convey all that. It's something you have to experience for yourself............but I do have some nice pictures I will share with you. There are lots............but I couldn't decide which ones to leave out!

The grove stretched almost to forever. The trees just beginning to leaf out as they dropped their petals--almost looks like snow.....but just a whiff of blossom scent in the air.

 I drove the truck through the grove while Roger and Michael rode on the back--stopping at every "drop" so they could treat the bees....

I'm glad there were some blossoms left.....can you find the honeybee?

 Some of the nuts were beginning to form. I should have take a picture a week later. It was amazing how quickly they grew--these are about the size of the end of my finger.

 The blossoms were just so pretty--each seemed uniquely gorgeous and the light didn't hit each one just the same! I couldn't stop with just one picture!

Again........it looked like snow........so lovely...........

Toward the east side of the valley--you can barely make out the mountains if you look hard--there are mile after mile of orange groves. Some of them had been picked, some not.......but all beginning to flower............

 Again........I couldn't resist.....the wonder and novelty have never worn off..........

 This grape vineyard had no end........really! I climbed the ladder on the truck and stood above the truck.......I have about six pictures just like this one from my extreme left to extreme right--they all look remarkably the same.........I warned you........even a picture doesn't capture the vastness of it all.

 

 We gathered up the bees from the drops in the grove at night and "stock piled" them in this large empty "field". Just look at all the stacks of bees--three and four pallets high--four hives to a pallet. There is no way a semi could get through a grove--besides, it would take far too long to load it that way. Roger can load a semi in 25:29.76 minutes--yeah...I timed him! Just look through these pictures and notice all the hives of bees.........

 The evening of the last night there.......in this field, surrounded by thousands of colonies of bees, three semis, two 3-ton trucks, men on fork lifts, and all that surrounded by almond trees on every side with the gorgeous sunset in the western sky. I was filled with awe at the wonder of it all......the goodness and generosity of Father in Heaven and the evidence of good, hard, honest work accomplished by men and a testimony of the bounty of the earth............all combined to fill me with reverent gratitude.

...silver wings on my son's chest........

We are so proud of our John! He has worked so hard and was awarded his green beret two weeks ago! Way to go John!!!! And Sarah............we can't say enough about her sacrifice and cheerleading! She is really one amazing, sweet lady!! We love you both!!!

...more joy!!!!!!

Today we are very joyful!!!!! We are going to be blessed with another lovely daughter-in-law!!!! I don't like using "in-law". I don't feel that way about any of them!! They are ours!!!! Scott and Meg are getting married February 28!!! We could not be happier! Yes! Joy indeed.............

lights in the snow

I hardly know where to begin here...........it has been so long--as you well know! I have thought many times, after an event or thought or experience, that I would share it with you. Then because of one thing or another, the time would pass and something else would happen I would think about sharing, etc., etc., etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one to experience this phenomenon but it's a little disconcerting when it happens to YOU!!! Soooooooo, though I have at least a dozen posts that have floated through my head in all these months, I'm going to jump to right now. And if the situation or desire presents itself to tell you about something in the past, I'll do that.........otherwise, I'll try to stay a little more caught up here.

We are having our January thaw--right now as we speak it is raining!!! There is something almost immoral about rain in January!!!! We have had such a beautiful white winter this year. I've forgotten now when we had our second snow storm..........the first one was absolutely lovely, but didn't stay around nearly long enough, and then it warmed right up again we you would have thought it was August!!!! A friend of mine told me the other day that he had charted the temperature--he has the equipment and the computer program to do it--from 23 December to 23 January. In that time, we had only SIX HOURS above freezing!!!! And for 10 or 12 days straight our "high" was in the upper single digits!! I will confess that I have absolutely loved it!!!! The snow squeaked like any self-respecting snow would, you could taste the frost--we used to call it "tasting the cold" as we would stand on the steps of our little old church building in Marion, and I could make ice lanterns!!! Years ago while sitting with Suzanne--as Suzanne was having an MRI--I read about a man in Alaska who makes ice lanterns every winter. I was fascinated and came home to try it. But it has to be cold. (Well, my sister did freeze some water in a decorative pan in her freezer and put it out for a night--that works too.) And once you get them made, it has to stay cold or.......obviously........they melt. I took a few pictures last night after lighting them. It's kind of hard to see them well. But they are so pretty, and another way to be glad in the middle of January! I love peeking out the window in the middle of the night and seeing their sparkle. I have checked the weather........maybe I will be able to make another one next week! I want to try coloring one............

...privileges and blessings......

Just returned home from voting early. What a wonderful privilege!!!! It never fails to hit me when I stand "in" the voting booth--it was a little different a couple of years ago when we actually went inside a little booth. But it still gives me such a sense of pride and patriotism!!!! How grateful I am for this wonderful country.........

 

And look what came in the mail the other day!!!!! YIPEE!!!!!! I feel so valued and appreciated!!!! Not that it really matters all that much, but it is an added perk I hadn't imagined! I'm so thankful I have a chance to "give back".........though I don't think I will ever be able to give back all that Suzanne required............I know it's not necessary or expected, but I love the feeling and thought of being able to do something for someone else that was so important and appreciated by us. Does that make sense? When I would take Suzanne for infusions, I would sit there and watch the blood drip....and more especially the platelets because when she got low on platelets it was scarier somehow..........and while watching, a feeling of deep gratitude would come over me for those people who were willing to give time and some of themselves for my sweet daughter. I want to give that hope and security--when everything feels so uncertain--to someone else..........I want them to know that someone cares...........someone who's been in that very chair..........