Ring-a-Ding-Ding !

Since this week is choosing to go down in a blaze of searing heat , I decided it was too hot today to sit around and suffer ! Good decision on my part because it did turn out to be really hot up here....101...hotter than I've ever seen it......and because I ended up having a really fun day . I headed down to Molly and Ross'.........they have AC.....and Ross and I sat down and figured out our picks for this week's football games......I think I'd better prepare myself for big losses! Next, we took off for an afternoon of antiquing......maybe junk shopping is a better term ! My big purchase was this sweet little bell......if I ever get sick I can summon Jim to my side. Molly and Ross found a few goodies.....including a birthday present for Seth, who'll be 30 tomorrow!! Actually this will probably be one of Seth's best birthdays ever.....he's so happy right.....even he will tell you he's in love......and we love Amanda too !
I stopped on the way home to pick up some Chinese.......food that is !.......Jim recorded the Cal game so we'll have dinner time entertainment. Tomorrow Molly and Ross are coming up to watch the 49ers....I hope they don't lose because if they do I owe Ross another $1......such is the fate of a gambler !

Foresthill, Hawaii !

Bravo for this amazing bromiliad...... a decidely tropical plant , this one has taken on mountain living ! Snow and freezing temps have not stopped this hardy lady from blooming this year ! I have it just sitting out on the front porch railing.....kind of hidden from view.....for ...oh...about 10 years now. I've been amazed that it stayed alive at all.....but now this ! The blooms are a little strangely shaped , but hey......most people can't get these to rebloom even under the best of conditions......like being indoors and not being covered in snow ! Now I don't know if I should leave it as-is....or move it to a better suited environment. I guess I shouldn't argue with success......if it blooms again in another 10 years I'll be sure and let you know!
Some sad news this week......Pearl Dreyfuss , my Dad's partner's wife died in her sleep. Pearl has been a part of my life since I was two years old......I have so many wonderful memories of Pearl and her family. My mom, Molly and I are going to her funeral tomorrow.....I look forward to giving her children , my childhood friends , a warm smile and hug.

A Farewell to Summer !

It's supposed to be the first day of Fall today , but it seems the heat of summer holds on. Since Jim took the day of .......we decided to do a little summertime hike to send the season off in style. We loaded Jenny up , threw in a couple of sandwiches and off we went ! We hiked into one of our favorite lakes......Long Lake. A little picnic, some stick-throwing-in-the-lake, a little more hiking...........time to head home. Yes, it was sort of brief , but it's a short drive and was a fitting goodbye to Summer.
My sale on Saturday was dismal......all indications are that this will not be a very profitable season......I heard lots of sad tales from other vendors that were there. Maybe as it gets closer to Xmas it'll pick up a little.
The days are getting a lot shorter.....and even though the days are hot, it cools off nicely at night. For now....I'd better start dinner and pay attention to Monday Night Football......Ross and I are wagering and I already owe him $2.00.....!

In the Heat of Battle!

My visits with my computer have been few and far between lately.......however.....I've reestablished my tormented relationship with my sewing machine! My first sale of the season is this Saturday and so the past week has been all about making my dreams a reality!!!! I guess my dream this year is to delve further into "green" products.....customers seem to respond well and I can only keep this business going if I can think of new things to make.......I hate the drudgery of sewing the same items over and over. The new additions this year are........mousepads [I know, does anyone but me use them anymore ].......clothespin "clippies" [no more plastic clips to hold your chips closed!]......hand towels for the bathroom [not really so green, but clean!].......organic lavender-shea soap [a natural tie-in for the towels].......and my favorite.......clothespin bags so you all will start hanging your clothes on clotheslines and give up on your energy guzzling dryers!!! Well, we'll see how it goes on Saturday.....of course ,I still have my aprons and kitchen towels if all else fails .

49er's Win !

Opening day of the San Francisco 49ers ....and after a few miserable seasons , they started out with a win today! It was a little bit of a nail biter, but they pulled it off. A perfect day for football, cool, cloudy and windy....with rain forecast for tonight! There were, of course, barbequed sausage for lunch and the chip bags stayed open throughout the game. For penitence......tonight will be a light salad.......but what a wonderful cozy day it's been!
Last night we went down to mid-town Sac and listened to Ross' band. My cousin Bev and husband Shel were there, as well as their son and daughter-in-law. It was a very interesting crowd and of course the music was great. I couldn't stay seated and was soon up on my feet movin' around. We had dinner about 10 o'clock at Mah Jong's .....a great restaurant down town. Sometimes living way up here we forget anyone's even awake at 10 o'clock!
Tomorrow will be all about sewing.....a show on Saturday and my inventory is not lookin' so good. At least it sounds like it'll be a good day to stay inside.

Another Peaceful Day at Peaceful Valley !

Another big trip over to Grass Valley in the old truck.....always kind of a bonding experience for me and Jim.......I don't really know why,,,,,we just seem to love each other a lot on this particular trip. Maybe it's the Paco's tacos we always get......perhaps it's the great music on my Ipod.......but, probably......most likely.....being around all those organic gardener types at Peaceful Valley remind us of being two young hippies in love !

Rollin' On Ebay Again !!

A few days ago I decided to list some of my aprons that haven't sold in the past year on Ebay......sort of a Lupine Hill Farm closeout sale ! I discounted them ......a lot......starting the bidding at 99 cents , but I figured something's better than nothing and I really wanted to cut down on the inventory I haul around....plus, I always add a little "handling" charge to the shipping cost. Well, it paid off.....sort of.....I sold all 6 of them ranging in price from $6.60 to $9.oo each.....plus my dollar handling charge per apron. Still much less than I sell them for usually, but I'm happy ! Guess I'll list more "slow movers" next week.......it's a good little supplement between my shows.
Tessy came yesterday for a short visit......wonderful to see her. She seems very happy and looks great. Seth and Amanda came up last night also.....we had a fun dinner and a rousing conversation! This afternoon we all went down and had a delicious lunch with my Mom.......and more robust conversation ! The "kids" went to the discount stores......I went to Costco and then headed home.
No cooking dinner for me tonight!!!!!......Tessy's making her famous fish tacos!

A Walk Down Todd Valley Road !

Today I've decided to share my "walking trail" with all of you. I started walking Todd Valley Rd. about 5 years ago with my good friend Pam.......Pam has since moved to Oregon......I miss you Pam !.......and my walking routine sort of fell apart ! I used the treadmill for several years , but it never felt quite right.....and it certainly didn't look right ! A couple of months ago I decided it's outside or nothing ! I think I shared several of the routes I tried out and each one had it's pros and cons.......but something about the peace and quiet of Todd Valley Rd . kept me going back. It's about the right distance .....3 1/2 miles.....it's beautiful......the Mountain Misery smells pungent and fresh.....and it changes so much with each season. The history is also pretty awesome........the name Todd's Valley comes from the Todd family, as in Mary Lincoln Todd.......wife of Old Abe Lincoln ! They were early settlers around here and Mary herself had a home here after her husband was assassinated. Scattered around in the forest there are lots of remnants of the old homestead that dotted the valley, as well as old abandoned orchards that miraculously still bear apples every year. I routinely find bear scat on my walks , but I'm not scared a bit........Jenny walks with me and is my constant protector !
I can't wait until the tall Pines and Cedars start singing in the Autumn winds.....and one day before too long I'll be strolling in a Winter Wonderland !

Peaches and Plums !

We had a great crop of plums and a decent amount of peaches this year.......and here they are dried and put away until the coming Winter. The plums , of course, make delicious prunes when dried and the peaches, well.....they actually taste like fresh peaches ! I love dehydrated fruits.......they taste wonderful...especially mixed with some almonds .....but the thing I love most is the fact that I don't have to can them !!
Speaking of winter.........will it ever cool off ??? Pretty much my whole adult life I've lived where September is a Fall month.......cool days and cold nights......but, here, summer goes on and on. I'm sick of summer clothes, sick of summer food .......even sick of my flip-flops! I guess the "up-side" are the tomatoes we're still harvesting, my ice water tastes a whole lot better this time of year and I guess I'll put late season baseball games in the plus column.........but that's about it ! Be gone hot weather !!!