Schneekonigin

Two weeks ago...

2010-03-02T00:37:00.000-08:00

This is what the view looked like from our ranch above Cocolalla Lake. For the middle of winter it's pretty pitiful as far as snowfall is concerned. I think we'll be spraying for weeds next month...

2nd Ave. Pizza

2010-02-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

So...I've been in Cocolalla for almost nine years now and my last trip up was the first time I ate at 2nd Ave. Pizza. What huge pizzas !

I was surprised by the lack of snow, thought Len was joking when he told me there was still dirt showing...I couldn't even use my snowshoes this year!

Horizon Airlies is offering non stop daily flights from San Jose, Ca to Spokane ,WA

2010-01-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

Whee-doggies.! I'm all over that one!

Bear stuff

2009-10-05T08:38:00.001-07:00

Just one of the bears in Idaho we've seen this year...well, not me. I'm stuck in California for the next month!

Hi Dee Ho blues

2009-09-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

This is maybe 10% of the crap on this place...

Yes, it's time to blog..I have no excuses ..well, unless you count just being lazy as one. I'm stuck here in CA working and helping the folks on the ranch. HELP !

You see, there is 56 years of crap on this ranch...and I mean crap. Scrap metal, old wood tree props, tractor parts, old cars, rusted trucks, my crap, my husbands and my kids crap and my siblings and their ex spouses crap. This ranch has been a catch all for everyone's "I'm not sure if I should throw this crap out" pile of crap. Now, who gets to sort it all ...the chosen few,that's who...me, Dad and if I'm lucky my sis and nephew will show up. Yes. I will offer to pay the nephew, he's 6'5" and loves to toss things...Once he even came to Idaho and helped us on our ranch...*note to self- Beg him to come back.

So, here I sit typing and sipping a glass of wine...waiting for someone to save me...

Sandpoint Travels

2009-08-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today neighbor X forced me into her car and took me to the local Dufort Mall. If you're from Cocolalla or Sagle you know what I mean...actually, it's the local dump that has a donation station where people place used items that aren't total trash. My neighbor donated some items, and trash, then we took off to Sandpoint.

In Sandpoint we decided to visit a local eatery and bar (2)...yes, we drink. We went to the new restaurant called Oishii which has decor that combines mob stuff and fish...very odd..so we had some sake with an assortment of sashimi...it was great, but not filling...so...on the way out we see an even newer bar attached to this place called (blank) ah, I think the sake has taken hold by now...called "Spar". So we go upstairs. The music is playing and as soon as the bartender sees us he turns it off...what the heck? Oh, I get it, he thinks because were not a "21" crowd we can't handle the music, great..I'm the "Mame" generation. We look around, ask a few questions, neighbor X checks out the seating and decides it's not too comfy....we leave. Here's a few pictures of Oishii.

Next stop is the Tam-O-Shanter bar...ah, what can I say. It's a local hang out and has been there a long time...We did make friends with this 83 year old lady, Lucille, who was about the only friendly person in the place. She told us about her garden, work and life's travels, she said she really liked a beer now and then even if it wasn't good for her. We took her name and number and she told us to drive by and check out her garden, so we did. Pretty impressive for someone her age to be gardening as much as she does! Here's a picture of her garden.

Then off to the local Farmers Market. We were so happy to see fresh tomatoes. We taste tested a few local cheeses which were surprisingly good. Lots of huckleberries for sale, $30.00 a gal which is cheap. We made our purchases and then off to Yokes grocery store and back home.

Sorry butt ....this is not art

2009-08-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, a few years back the city of Sandpoint placed this wood sculpture, aka piece of art, in the front of the court house in downtown... Much controversy later it's still there,ugh! I don't care if there's any connection to the gay community or not, to each his own...I just think it's ugly. It doesn't represent anything I can think of ...except the fact that there are no more logging companies up here and maybe this "art" represents how some locals got screwed...not. Oh, this is my raciest blog yet...
What do you think?

Huckleberry Picking in Idaho

2009-08-10T12:10:00.001-07:00

First picture is a huckleberry plant on our place, but as you can see it's a little too reddish. They should be a purplish-blue color. We were invited by the neighbors to go up to the high mountains in Idaho on government land to hunt huckleberries. While they weren't plentiful or big there were many,many plants. It seems most the plants had already been picked or the bears had their fill!! Some of you may know that hunting areas are kept secret by most people as they can fetch as much as $40-45.00 a gallon!!! Personally, I think they're over rated... They are good in milkshakes though, but since I've never made anything else from them I'll reserve judgement. I've gotten a few new recipes I hope to try this year.

My long time friend, Vonne, is waving from the patch she is working on. Our group took a short lunch break, thankfully not too many flying critters were there.
The cleaning process is almost as labor intensive as the picking. Rinse, sort three times, used a blower on cool setting to dry off to prevent ice crystals. Then packaged them and froze between my Limoncello and Haagen Dazs! Humm, I see a milkshake in the near future...

Bee Gone Already !

2009-08-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

These bee's have stung almost everyone in the area....including me. Put out this bee trap in the morning...

A few hours later there's over an inch of dead bees. Next year we'll set them out earlier to get the queens, like Thomas (my neighbor) mentioned in his blog.

Lazy blogger...found her crown!

2009-07-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, Marmite.., this Snow Queen (Schneekonigin) is guilty...I've been way too lazy about blogging.

Here are my best excuses:
!. Work nights and worthless during those days...
2. Lazy...
3. Addicted to Facebook and applications...Farmtown, Class Reunion stuff..
4. Nothing really exciting to write about....

I'm leaving for Idaho tomorrow so I'm sure I'll be in a picture taking mood and have something to share.

Local Wildflowers

2009-06-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post some of the local wild flowers. These were taken on our place in Idaho.

Idaho Cusine ???

2009-06-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ok I was just looking at the menu on the Dish restaurant webpage in Sandpoint when I noticed the link to Idaho Cusine, North Idaho's premier restaurant and entertainment guide. The main page is here.
This sheds a whole new light on dining since I'm not really familiar with Coeur d'Alene and the surrounding areas.

I'm flying into Spokane next week so I'll be trying out one of the places listed in either Hayden or Coeur d'Alene on my way up to Cocolalla...as long as we don't meet any moose.

And here's something for the ladies, North Idaho ladies that is!

Geocaching....finally!

2009-06-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from my first geocaching expedition. We all took off on the ATV's, yes this is the before accident photo. We used our GPS units and if we'd followed them correctly we'd have gotten their much sooner and probably easier. Once we found the site, thanks to Doug, they all let me open the container since I've been buggin everyone to do this for at least a year now. Once the can was opened I was a bit disappointed in the swag. Swag, the items you exchange in the cache. We decided not to take anything but left a $5.00 Starbucks card. I huffed and puffed my way back up hill and back to the ATV...you know what comes next if you read my previous post. BTW, in second pix I'm on the end in the blue cap. And..I took my new header picture from my neighbor, Anne's, deck !

Flowers and the ATV

2009-06-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

Since getting in the moose collision I've also taken a header off the ATV...well, more like a butt plop and then did a nose dive down a ravine. After going to the ER I'm now on medical leave until who know when...I was very lucky, since I wasn't wearing a helmet, and the ATV flew off in another direction...I guess God has other plans for me. The flowers are from my garden that my hubby has been keeping weed free..well, almost. I was able to enjoy them at their finest moment.

I was also able to meet our new neighbors from the midwest and they had a block party, camp out style, at their soon to be home site. It's really nice to know all my neighbors up in Idaho. I've lived in California most of my life and I don't really know any neighbors there and they live closer to me than in Idaho!

Moose Mishap

2009-05-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

On the way home, to north Idaho, from the airport in Spokane we collided with a moose. If it weren't for our Ford F-350 truck, and the moose being young, we would have been killed.

It was 9:30 at night, dark. The moose was black and it was running across the hiway, we didn't see until it was in front of the truck. All my husband had time to do was shout "Oh (&)*, a moose" and slam on the brakes. I was sleeping in the passenger seat, I opened my eyes and heard the bang all at the same time. In a spit second the body of the moose slid up the hood, then she flew off. I think her momentum carried her to the side of the road.

We called the hiway patrol and it took them forever to come, at least thirty minutes. I'm guessing that was because no one was hurt, but the moose was suffering as I had told them in the report. Just before the patrol showed up the moose was flailing and starting to drag herself back to the hiway. When the officer showed up he ended up having to "put her down". Unfortunately, it took him two tries, it was ugly. We were so shaken. Before the patrol showed up there was one man who stopped and used a yellow flashing light to warn drivers behind us, but they just zoomed on by. Three other cars stopped and offered help if needed. We are very appreciative to them, who ever they were.

Most people die as a result of hitting a moose, they are so tall the bumber knocks their legs out from under them and they crash into the cab. We were fortunate this was not a large moose and our truck is tall, plus we were slowing down for a red light...thank the good Lord!

Three Years Ago

2009-05-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

My beautiful Grandbaby, Eva, was born three years ago, today. Happy Birthday Sweetie!

COPD ....

2009-04-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Many patients in my unit have COPD..what is it? Well, COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It's kind of a global description for various lung diseases like asthma, bronchitis, smoking and SMOKING too much... this obstructs the air flow and exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your lungs.

I would venture to say that 90% of the COPD patients that come to my unit are from SMOKING too much...

After educating patients we still hear these comments;

..."but I quit a month ago"... {{{after smoking for 40 years...doh}}}
..."I didn't refill my Rx for my inhalers" {{{well, there ya go}}}
..."I ran out of cigarettes"...{{{what the ?}}}
..." I don't like my c-pap"..{{{it's keeping you alive *%&^%*}}}

After 24 hours a heavy smoker will need a nicotine patch...usually they beg you let them go out for a smoke first...to myself I say, "job security,job security,job security"

Are you not feeling my compassion...

What are these ?

2009-04-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

After finding these in the shed yesterday I decided to do a spin off from SicilyScene.blogspot.com's " What is or where is this?"

I'll give you a hint...they are not for lighting. My Dad's had these for decades...and I mean decades... One is blue tinted and the other is green tinted both with lots of air bubbles.

Answer tomorrow.

Spring is here...at least in California....

2009-04-11T23:25:00.000-07:00

Today was sunny but a bit windy down here in California. It also happens to be my Mom's 83rd birthday. We, my sis, niece Steph, nephew Paul and Mom and Dad, went out to lunch to one of our fav restaurants in town. For appetizers we had oysters on the half shell, deep fried calamari and the best clams...and for my main course I had salmon tacos....it was yummy but too filling.

Back on the ranch the cherry trees are blooming as well as the irises and calla lilies...we all sat around the patio and had coffee and pie, razzle berry and lemon chiffon, from Marie Calendars. Oink !

Pictures will be posted tomorrow as I'm in the process or reloading all my drivers for all the programs that were removed after I had to recover my computer. We had a local terrorist attempt who cut some fiber optic cables in San Jose that cut cell phones, land lines and computers for a day in Santa Clara Valley to Santa Cruz!

I was on the computer at 2am and something strange happened... my computer warning system came on that said I was getting attacked by a virus. {{{{{PANIC}}}} So I shut down my computer...and then couldn't get reconnected...I was stessing and feard I'd lost all my pictures and genealogy files. Come morining I called my son, Skye, to come check the connection and he decided to take in the drive to where he works and have them run a virus check. Ta-Da..no virus. we recovered the computer one more time and it all worked...even better! Come to find out it was all because of the cables being cut. There is now a 250K reward for the person or persons involved!!!

Talk about withdrawals! Even though I lost all my bookmarks I'm thankful I didn't loose any pics or files!

New Restaurant in Sandpoint

2009-04-08T12:47:00.001-07:00

There's a restaurant in Sandpoint called Dish and the menu looks pretty darn good, too. Plus, there's take out, wine list, Wi-Fi and a parking lot...what more can you ask for,eh?

The wine list is pretty varied and affordable. I just hope they get Liberty School's Cabernet Sauvignon and a Australian Shariz as these two are my favs. I rarely see port wines listed and they have two from Portugual. Now all they need are some Italian wines like Barolo (hopefully, a 10 year old Barrossa) which is aged in Slovenian casks not French oak.

I do like to dream...

Geocaching...pitiful me

2009-04-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

So another year of not geocaching went by...I've been trying to do this since Dec 29 2005, at 06:30 AM per my account at geocaching.com !!! One problem is that I don't know how to use my Rino GPS and no else seems to either...the instructional video sucks...or maybe I'm just to daft to comprehend it....

What's even more pitiful is that I put together a great cache and haven't been able to hide it. I'm hoping I can get my adventurous neighbors to go on an ATV hunt...are you guys reading this? That's about as close to begging as it gets...

Lack of Blogging...

2009-03-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

The excuse for not posting this week comes to you by way of the FLU! Since last Wednesday after work I started having that run down feeling...it progressed into a full blown sore throat, laryngitis,incessant coughing, searing chest pain from coughing,fever and chills, earaches (my least fav), body aches, sinus headaches and a migraine. Today I'm feeling slightly better but I'm now coughing up the goo-gobs of ...well, you get the picture. My last patient had the exact same symptoms...except he was morbidly obese and they thought he was having a heart attack, but no, just a case of the creeping cruds...sometimes universal precautions does not guarantee protection to all those bugs being slathered around by coughing and touching and that goes for the staff,too.

Thanks to my son for being the errand boy this week. With out him I would have been reduced to a diet of water, rice and beans (another story...)...maybe just water as I was too tired to cook. I ate all the leftover Nurtisystems...what can I say...one minute to nuke it and I'm done. I've done ONE load of laundry and washed dishes twice. I finally took out the garbage yesterday...and only because the sun was shining.

I'm sure I'll feel better just in time to start my next work rotation which is this Thursday. You may wonder why I'm posting about getting the dang Flu? It's because, as a nurse, I've become immune to many ailments over the years and haven't had the flu in over 12 years! When ever there is a bug going around it seems to manifest in me with as a migraine. I have an Rx for that and as long as my stomach can tolerate the pill I'm only down for six hours or so...

...did I mention I'm a very bad patient? Yes, I avoid the docs as often as possible....Iknow, pretty bad coming from a nurse who works in the ICU. It's kind of like the cobblers kids having no shoes...

So, there ya go.....

Our McKay passed away...

2009-03-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

We shall miss her terribly...she was fifteen years old and a wonderful companion to Len all those years.

Is it spring yet?

2009-03-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally starting my week off...after working six nights. I'm hoping my enthusiasm for getting my projects done lasts more than this very moment. I haven't quite figured out how someone my age (moment of silence here) manages to have so many projects...is there no fun for me? If I'm not at work I'm working on some refinishing or decorating, car maintenance and all the other domestic goddess rituals... I still haven't decided if I'm going to make it to Sicily this year...again. Maybe I'm just a procastinator after all.

I did join a group who is researching the databases out of Termini Imerese in Sicily. While it's not my families home town it's just a few miles down the road and I do have some relations that are from there. They have an annual get together and I plan and going to the one in Denver, Co in September...I see a shopping spree in my future!

Lets see...what else have I done...oh ,yeah...went off my diet and gained five pounds. I'm refusig to exercise in the this cold weather but when I imagined myself in shorts this summer I made a mad dash for the treadmill....

My new Limoncello cups

2009-02-19T18:18:00.000-08:00

Kinda cute,eh? They weren't my first choice but the other sets I liked were either out of stock or just way too much $$$$ like almost $300.00 not including shipping!The quality was not up to parr either...a few pits here and there and the color wash is uneven...but it serves its purpose for sure!

My Limoncello supplies are dwindling so I'll be making another batch as soon as dear old Dads tree kicks out some new fruit.

I noticed a bit of difference in the two batches between Cali and Idaho. The Cali lemons were organic and the Idaho ones store bought. Even with a good wash the Idaho end product did not freeze up like the Cali's did. I don't know if that has something to do with the wax on the fruit or what? The Cali's had a much smoother flavor, too. So...that means I'll lugging a dozen or so lemons on the plane to Idaho when the time comes. I'm gonna try oranges next time, too!

I'm taking lessons from the Italians...

2009-02-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

Rules of the Italian Road:

"Look at this testa di [XXXXX] kissing my bumper!" Italians drivers
are much more comfortable driving much closer than is typical in
America. 'A centimeter is as good as a kilometer,' is a motto we love
and we couldn't care less of getting that close. If you know to
expect this and do not panic by slowing down, or worse, touching your
brakes, you will be fine. After all, this reduces air resistance and
increases mileage.

"These cornuti keep cutting me off!" When driving in Italy, your
responsibility is to those in front of you and those to your side.
Rear-view mirrors are solely used for checking our good looks. If
there is an opening in front of you, it is your obligation to fill
it, or we will fill it for you. After all, the more we cut off the
faster we arrive to our destination and the more money saved on gas.

"Look! Stop signs and traffic lights are useless to these coglioni!"
Time and mileage are of the essence for the Italian driver. We do not
have money for brake maintenance nor the patience and will to
downshift gears. Besides, it is irresponsible to go through an
uncontrolled, blind intersection quickly without at least a look or a
small toot on the horn.

"There is no place to park, [XXXX]!" You would be quite surprised at
how difficult it is to find parking in downtown Italy. The sidewalk
parking space is savored and rarely abandoned. After all, it helps to
avoid wasting gas driving around the neighborhood for 30 minutes in
search of unoccupied sidewalk space.

"Faccia di [XXXX]", 70 euros (90 USD) to fill up a tank?! I'll buy a
fuel efficient mule instead.

People who say Italians do not know how to drive are measuring us by
the wrong scale. We have a very controlled recklessness to our
driving and we now do what is necessary to save money on gas and
maintenance.

**
So if I keep my POS Jeep...it's already got 282k miles on it, I should fit right in. I'm not so sure about parking on the sidewalks here... but I can relate to the parking, or lack of it, in downtown Sandpoint.
Side note-I do not know what those words in "" and [XXXX] mean, although I'm sure they are not nice.

Extreme Makeover: Foreclosure Edition

2009-02-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

This article was on the front page of the Daily Bee in Sandpoint,ID
"Donated home used as loan collateral"

SANDPOINT — The Bonner County home featured on the reality television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is in foreclosure.
Eric Hebert put the home up for sale last year because he said its upkeep and utilities became too costly. Hebert also cited the darkening economy as a reason for putting the home up for sale.

Since then, the home was used as collateral on a defaulted Wells Fargo Bank loan, according to a legal notice of trustee’s sale slated for publication later this week. As of Feb. 11, Hebert owed the bank $396,145, the notice said.

Hebert could not be reached for comment on Monday. A message left on his mobile phone seeking comment was not immediately returned.

The 3,678-square-foot home off Baldy Mountain Road was listed for $529,000 in May 2008, when Hebert put it up for sale. The current asking price is $449,000, according to its listing on the Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby’s International Web site.

The online description calls it a one-of-kind custom home, but makes no mention of its high-profile origins.

The home was built by the show and a swarm of volunteers with donated materials in November 2005, after producers learned Hebert was raising his late sister’s twins and living in a makeshift “berm house.” Hebert, a bachelor, took custody of the children after their mother died of a heart attack.

The reality TV program rebuilds homes for families in the grips of hardship. The series debuted in 2003 and is in its sixth season on ABC.

Although the show is a ratings hit for the network, it has also attracted criticism for exalting lavish lifestyles and saddling recipients with hefty property tax and utility bills.

Hebert’s home is among a growing number of “Extreme Makeover” homes to become subject of foreclosure proceedings.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last summer that a couple lost their Lake City, Ga., home after using it as a collateral for a $450,000 loan from JPMorgan Chase which fell into arrears. A couple in Oak Park, Mich., were facing foreclosure of their home partly because a refinanced mortgage caused their payments to soar, the Macomb Daily reported in December of last year. However, according to an Associated Press story earlier this month, the loan was renegotiated to give the family a better chance at keeping the home.
**
I think EM need to keep in mind where all these "winners" are gonna get the money to pay taxes, heating bills,etc., on these McMansions when most of them are blue collar workers...no forethought. They could build three nice homes for families in need instead of these outrageous monster homes.

Pitiful Palin

2009-02-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

Ok, this had to take the cake. People on the Sandpoint forums had nothing better to post than saying "Happy Birthday" to Sarah Palin? Whoo hoo. She was born in Sandpoint and lived here for a whopping three months. Thankfully, she's screwing up Alaska now..but then again what state isn't screwed up lately.

Wanna read an Alaskan political blog ..and no, Palin is not their favorite politician.
http://mudflats.wordpress.com/

What I did today...

2009-02-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

Below is what we do in Idaho for fun....after milking the cows..just kiddin. We bought a new John Deere, and yes, it is kinda fun!

I flew into Idaho last night and this morning went on a job interview . It went quite well, but I'm unable commit to full time and hoping they'll have a slot for someone who wants to work every other week. They call it occasional, I call it per-diem... it's all still iffy.

Anyhoo..afterwards we had lunch at one of my fav restaurants in Sandpoint, Bangkok Cusine. There must have been a different cook because the Thai soup and salad just didn't taste the same...the waitress was less than enthusiastic, too. She didn't even ask if we wanted drinks and I really didn't notice until I sat down to write so I guess I can't bitch about that too much. I hate being disappointed over food your paying good money for...ok, it only cost $20.09 for the both of us and it beats me sloggin over the sink and stove.

Pasta Putanesca !

2009-02-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I decided I wanted to eat something bad tonight and nothing from the cardboard diet (aka Nutrisystems)... with simple ingredients and a tad bit of pepper flakes this dish has enough zing to keep me happy. Would you believe the first time I ate this was in Idaho at a restaurant called the Power House. I'd never even heard of it and the name was rather peculiar... "Putanesca?", I say out loud... my sis sat there and nodded her head giving me that "yep, it's exactly what you're thinking" look.

Watching the Super Bowl tonight did nothing to curb my appetite, so there I sat with the bowl like a feed bag and watched the climactic ending...I am feeling rather guilty now..I couldn't eat just one bowl...and I feel like a nap to boot. Oink !

Genealogy stuff....

2009-01-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

For my relations that actually read my blog....are you there? They're afraid to post comments...I know because they slip and ask me about something on my blog now and then. Ha.

So anyhoo.... I write to this lady in Minnesota researching families from Trabia, Sicily and she finds my father's grand parents and their parents in the LDS records ! Mind you...I paid a genealogist from Italy 300 UDS to find my grandparents...this lady did it out of the kindness of her heart. So now I know I came from the Vallelunga, Sunseri, Teresi and Spitaleri's lines...and about ten more but I won't bore ya with all that.

Where's that Stud ?

2009-01-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, where were you...before...I put two holes in the wall...I can usually find them, studs that is, by tapping the wall ( I can find the other kind, too!) but I guess I'm gettin a bit rusty. So now I've gone out and purchased a $20.00 plasticy gizmo to put up a $20.00 shelf...

The Silver Spoon

2009-01-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

I ordered this cookbook, The Silver Spoon, through ebay...brand new for less than 29 smackeroonies.

While it's not very appealing to the eye it does contain some interesting recipes.
It also has recipes and menus from some famous chefs...although I only recognized two! Yea, I'm not that worldly I guess. But... they were on Iron chef I might recognise them!

What it lacked was maybe, just maybe the heck you're suppose to buy all this specialized ingredients...bergamot sprigs? I've heard of bergamot lotion and scrubs (which I actually have) but I've never seen it in a store. Jewish artichoke..well, I live 20 minutes from the artichoke capitol in Wastsonville, CA and I've never seen a Jewish artichoke! Italian flour 00...even my Italian Catholic Federation friends didn't know where to purchase these ingredients...and they would know.

Tagiatelline! What is that? Pasta? It doesn't explain much in this book..not for a novice I guess...maybe the next edition?

Three Guesses

2009-01-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

First two guesses don't count if you've been reading my posts....

Yes, it's Limoncello in a vintage glass from Len's mom...none of his family wanted these old etched glasses so I snagged em. Their loss... as you can see I'll put them to good use!

Sorry for the blurry picture...it's my second glass...nummy!

KC 10

2009-01-13T20:58:00.001-08:00

This is the plane my son has been flying for the USAF. Now he's being transfered to Laughlin AFB in Texas! His next assignment is to be an instructor in the AT6...I don't have a picture of that plane but... as soon as my son calls me (hint-hint- Bob) I will post one.

~~~~~
So I've been working this past week, er, shall I say supposed to be at working. Usually, in the middle of winter the unit I work in is almost full...the last few days there's been just one patient or none! I'm on call tonight until 11pm...OH, please let me stay home......two more hours to go...

What's up?

2009-01-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

Pictures from Cocolalla

2009-01-03T14:25:00.000-08:00

These are a few pictures from today....I was planning on snow shoeing but the roof on the rental needed shoveling...nothing like a little exercise, one way or another.
The first picture is our snow capped corrals.
The horse is one of our quarter horses, Shine. I think I was annoying him by whistling and calling his name so he'd look my way. It was the sideways look of disgust.
The last view is from the roof with Cocolalla Lake below..yep frozen over.
The temp this morning was ZERO degrees, burrry cold, but right now it a whopping 17, whee hoo!

Forums in Sandpoint...

2009-01-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

So I decided to ask a question in the Sandpoint online forum about horses and open range...The conversation was pretty interesting until..."someone" had to defend himself about his claim against the railroad... his horse got out and ended up on the tracks and ta-da bye-bye horse. Train won. He was reimbursed for the horse....what's wrong with this picture???? Ah, yes...the old laws still in place that people take advantage of instead of being responsible for keeping their horse fences secure.

Well now, after my last response which was an "enough is enough" of this little debate the "someone" had to put in his last 2 cents...I didn't check the postings until last night and noticed the whole debate was deleted! Ha, I think, just maybe, another poster (again) chimed in on my defense of these old laws and "someone" was pissed.

You know the old saying (which is not law but still appropriate today)....
if you can't take the heat get outta the kitchen...

Happy New Year from Idaho !

2009-01-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Snow on the forecast ! Yippee !

Gone for the winter......

Merry Christmas Everyone !

2008-12-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

This is me from Idaho last year. Wishing I was there and not here in a grey California rain storm! Makes ya just wanna stay home under the blankie watching the boob tube with some hot chocolate...yep that's what I'm gonna do...until I have to head for work.

Should I Stay or Should I Go

2008-12-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is Len aka Snow Elf as dubbed by Anne... he's at her place next to us in Idaho. It's been snowing heavy up there and just may continue for sometime.... Thanks to Anne for this picture !!!

I'm sitting here in sunny California right now...but next week after Christmas I'm scheduled to fly out for a week in north Idaho. That means... when I leave San Jose,CA I make a connection in Seattle and then on to my final stop in Spokane, Washington before my hour plus drive up north. The current airport conditions in Seattle's airport just reported the airport is now letting passenders fly out that have been stranded for THREE days !!! Yipes...

There's been only one time before, in eight years of flying up north, that I've been stranded because of the snow...I was with DH at the time but now I'm flying solo...so I know I must keep my cell phone charged and ready to make either hotel arrangements or switch airlines for flights that will get me up there when the weather clears. On the other hand... I can just stay in Seattle and visit my son and granddaughter then go back to California. I hate the unknowing.

Earthquake ! California!

2008-12-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

Wee-hoo ! Small earthquake just rolled on by, probably about a 3 on the Richter scale...more updates later....

Here's the report.
I use the www.earthquate.USGS.gov site in case the link doesn't work. It shows worldwide information...in detail! You just need to keep clicking on the maps to hone in on the area your interested in. There's also other text links that show history and magnitude among other tidbits of fascinating stuff...most of which is over my head..

North to a White Christmas

2008-12-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Ah...having not been to Idaho in three weeks I've become home sick...I never thought I'd hear those works out of my mouth...well, in my mind. I'm beginning to feel like a wayward wanderer, a displaced soul...It's been hard to NOT consider California my home... but now it's just not where I want to be sometimes. Too crowded, smoggy, dirty and nasty people....especially at work. I won't be leaving until the 31st, just in time to ring in the New Year! Whoo Hoo!

I'm considering looking for work in Idaho. I'll most likely take a huge cut in pay but will relish in the fact that I will probably have a more simple life and want for less. The only thing holding me back is my parents...they aren't spring chickens and since I am "the nurse" and no one has offered to take care of their medical issues and the fact that I have this inborn Catholic guilt I have decided to hold out in Cali... for now.

I'm currently taste testing a batch, another batch, of my Limoncello ! Surprisingly it tastes as good as the first. Boy, that 100% proof vodka it's made with sure hits ya straight away! With that said I need to stop typing...too many typos.

Limoncello !

2008-12-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Currently in California.....
Nestled between my home grown frozen cherries is my third batch of Limoncello I've made this year...all ready to go for Christmas gifts... I made them with green lemons off our tree, 100 proof vodka, water and sugar. It tastes pretty darn smooth if I so say so myself!

Ouestion: If the rinds were green why did it still come out yellow?

Turkey Trot

2008-11-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

This morning we took an ATV ride to the top of our property and on the road we saw some big turkeys trotting ahead. When they spotted us they took off on a run.... we were unable to catch up with them. I barely caught them going up into the National Forest that joins our place....

I took this picture after the sunset, about 4:30. In the background it shows the snowcapped Cabinet Mountains in Montana and it's also the view from our future home site...fingers crossed.

OGGI NEVICA !!!!

2008-11-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

Yippee ! It's snowing tonight! Last night it was windy as hell, 30 mph, woke us up all night. I hate wind, makes my lips chapped, my hair all staticky and then we have to pick up all the debris in the yard. Wah.

And the stock market...yes, it's taking a mighty dump again. The big three car makers want a bailout after their CEO's fly into Washington in their private jets. Thankfully, the powers that be are wanting them to have a "plan"....While I hate to see the little guys outta jobs because of greedy CEO's and unions I just can't image how this government will feed it's own people without these three ....of course we'll get more loans from China ...

But what really pisses me off is that some guy or gal working on the conveyor line (aka: the little guy) makes as much as me with my degree, and some make more!!! Now don't get me wrong, they work hard but I've been there and done that. It's pretty mindless work most of the time but I do know it can be a PIA.

News Flash! Fanny and Freddie are suspending evictions until the holiday season is over. Yes, go spend your money on presents so you'll have a nice Christmas and act like nothings wrong...but come Jan 2009 we're bootin your patoot. Trust me, that is the California way.

Whilst.....

2008-11-18T22:13:00.000-08:00

Whilst...I love that word, a word I've never used until today. It sounds so proper..and if you know me... proper I'm not...well, only if it's absolutely necessary.

I've always had fear of being labeled as a snob or just screwing up with the pronunciation or meaning of words, you know those "BIG" words....Plus, my Dad could never pronounce words like aluminum and four syllables were torture for him. I always felt his pain and I think that stemmed from his speaking Sicilian and English as a child and then being torn out of school by his crappy brother to work on the family ranch. He had such a bright future, well liked and class president in his junior year...but he was never able to graduate. His brother even pulled a few strings with someone on the Air force enlistment board to pull him out due to family issues...the issue...his brother needed some slave labor.
Grrr..

I think my issues with language was a crappy education and partly familial...is that possible? I never learned correct sentence structure or I just wasn't paying attention. Ya think? Sure we knew the noun, pronoun, adj, subject, verbs but not the rules of structure. And what the hell was a dangling participle? Ok, I've now broken down and currently reading this site...Guide to Grammar and Style. Help is on the way but at my age I hope I can retain half of it.

I subscribe to Websters Online dictionary, "word of the day". How exciting is that? Some words I already know, some I'd never use. At least it's not spam.

Ok..now it time to go pack the bags for my trip to Idaho in the morning... Yippee!

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposals..

2008-11-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

Egads... well, the Terminator is making some changes...and he's a republican !!!

...But, I'm afraid the taxpayers of California will be none to happy with ole Arnie....We have this huge deficit..hummm, hey lets close the borders and stop all the free rides, that should save a few billion right there.

If you want to see more tax payers leave the state then keep raising the taxes and registrations....tsk,tsk,tsk...cut the registrations in 2003 and end up in a deficit of 6 billion a year and now you wanna increase it again....fickle boy.

Sandpoint, Idaho news...or lack of it

2008-11-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

OK, Obama has won but could the local paper or sandpointonline.com print that in the headlines? No, we get the local yokel crap on drug busts...

While Idaho is a very red state with a whopping four electoral votes...I was disappointed in their lack of respect towards the new President-elect. At least McCain had the dignity and respect in his concession speech to congratulate Obama.

Not only did Obama win the electoral vote he won the popular vote, but low and behold Sandpoint has ignored that. There is still the picture of Sarah Palin and an article that mentions she was a resident her first three months of life, like she has real ties to Sandpoint . That's a joke.

So I will now end my subscription to the Daily Bee and continue to make comments on the sandpointonline.com editorial pages...

Manolo Blahnik and Camo...ahhhhh

2008-10-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

I told my hubby I needed new hunting shoes....I showed him these...only $665.00 at Neiman Marcus....no response...dang.

Yee haa ! What a weekend.

2008-10-08T14:14:00.001-07:00

So this weekend my son, grand daughter and niece drove out from Seattle,WA to visit us here in north Idaho. We did a bit of fishing, horse back riding, ATV riding and checked out the Wolfpeople shop down the road. (They're hybrid wolfs.)

I included a pix of one of our horses...the grass is always green on the other side of the fence!

Eva

OBAMA Wins...McCain BOMBS in Debate

2008-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

OMG...how many times can I say this....plenty. The Obama-McCain debate tonight was, again, graded by a group of uncommitted Ohio state voters....on the scale McCain was mainly flat lining while Obama rose above to receive the highest marks. What was really amazing was that of the twenty five people selected about thirteen said they would vote McCain...now that is just pitiful. They give Obama high marks on almost everything but would vote McCain? And, the questions these people asked afterwards... just embarrassing. They couldn't even comprehend that fact that these two nominees can't get any more specific than they already have and they seemed like if they were given a free toaster that would have swayed their vote. E gads!!!!

As usual with the Repbulican ticket they, McCain and Palin, do not...repeat, do not stay on track with the questions. Not only that.. McCain didn't even pay attention to repeated remarks from Obama. I fear for this country if McCain wins, we will be the world police and globally despised even more so, economically challenged beyond my retirement years, and the middle class will be no more. It will be the rich or the poor. Period.

How many times did McCain try to kiss-ass to the military guy who asked a question...OMG. Then McCain mentions this "precondition" crap by Obama on talks to other countries like Iran...Obama made one "thank you" to the military guy then moved on to the question asked...

Question: What don't you know and how will you learn it....Obama, he does know that is wife as the best answer to that! He didn't know why we were the supposed liberators in the middle east...we weren't, but that's what the Bush bucket heads told us. What's at stake is the US needing fundamental change...

Mcain on the other hand...he again, talked about his military service and asks the American people to rest on his record...yikes! Please, read his record and you will see he's all about taxing the middle class, giving tax breaks to the corporations and
keeping his lobbiest buddies(who, by the way are also on his campaign payroll) happy.
Be afraid, be very afraid.

OBAMA WINS THE DEBATE!!!! "That one"

Post debate commentary; Even the Republican analyst thought McCain didn't fair well! He was condescending to the American public and his attempts of humor weren't appreciated.
Also mentioned was that Tom Brokow, the moderator, was not very fair to Obama
(no kiddin).
Obama stayed and listened and talked to the audience afterwards but McCain left. He didn't even attempt to shake hands and his wife snubbed Michele Obama!

Poll numbers resulted in people who watched.
38% Democrates
31% Republians
Who did best 54% Obama, McCain 30%
Favorable for Obmama, the percentages went up but McCain stayed the same.

Sarah Palin is an IDIOT

2008-10-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

OK, the woman can't even answer the damned question asked in tonights debate...
She skirts around the issue and then changes direction...even the moderator, Gwen, mentioned it to Palin in the beginning.

How can we even consider this person to hold such an office as VP...shame on the McCain-Palin ticket.

Can't wait for the Tina Fey rendition of this debate.

Bidden just spanked Palin's butt and I now I can understand why some Republicans want her off the ticket.

ATV Trip

2008-09-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today we met up with some neighbors, new and old, and took a nice ATV tour around the mountain above us. I found out the mountains name is Long Mountain and trails lead to both Jewel Lake and Round Lake near Cocolalla. Here are a few scenes.
The pictures: #3- Anne, Jenny and Thomas, #4- Anne, Jenny, Thomas and Len

Our neighbors small lake that feeds into our pond most of the year.

Cocolalla Lake, below all our houses.

The Debate

2008-09-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

While I hadn't really taken a position on the presidency, McCain or Obama, before this debate I have now. McCain was a name dropper, insulted, belittle and patronizing toward Obama, "you don't understand"...especially after Obama fully explained his positions. McCain the lecturer? Palease. Obama spoke to the people while McCain rimenesed about his patriotism...over and over over...

I feel Obama would take a more diplomatic approach to running this country and a handling foreign affairs. While McCain is more geared towards keeping big business happy and making sure the loop holes remain in place...something this country does not need with the current financial crisis and foreign affairs. Spending freeze, come on McCain, no one knows what this bail out will entail. Obama has the right idea...take care of the people who will move the economy...not big business....

And some who were those interviewed after the debate supporting McCain...did they not listen or just have their blinders on?

McCain has been wrong on his judgment for years..look where we are today...John wants to spend 10 billion a month on Iraq ...hello? Strategy...have Iraq spend their own 70 some billion in reserves...

The war in Iraq has embolden Iran...and remember we heard that from Obama...

Kessinger? Well, didn't he screw things up. And McCain is his good friend he's known for 35 years...not something I'd have NOT mentioned.

Can't wait for Bidden and Palin to debate...it's Bidden hands down.

Container Water Gardens

2008-09-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, for those of you who love gardening and all those little projects to make you feel like your relaxing by a stream or waterfall...

About three years ago I bought a pot to make a water garden for the porch in Cali. I installed the water pump by drilling out one hole a little bigger to fit the plug through and sealer products to keep it water tight...by alas...it didn't hold. So with many months of procrastination I finally decided it was high time to get "er done".

With a bit more research and brain picking at Home Depot I found a pot sealer called Plasti Dip by Performix to coat the entire inside of the pot. This gave it a rubberized base and would help hold the Silicone Sealer II for Kitchen and Bath by GE to seal around the pump cord and holes on the bottom. The pump is a 60 gph by Beckett also purchased at Home Depot. Next time, if there is one, I will try to use a lighter color base on the inside of the pot. Another live and learn lesson...

I'm really happy with the bubbling after removing the attachments provided in the pump kit. It's now a soothing sound, like a simmering slow boil you'd hear on a stove top. Just perfect to sit near and relax or read a book. Now to find some plants this late in the season...maybe I can put a couple of goldfish in after it cures a few days...oh, the possibilities!

As you can see I found some plants today!

Prickley Pear and Cactus aka Nopalitos

2008-09-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

So I had some inspiration on this blog from the SicilyScene.blogspot.com site. It seems our ranch in Morgan Hill has many of the same plants grown in my fathers land of heritage, Trabia, Sicily. Aside from the loquats, lemons, fava, oranges we grow there's also a few cactus or prickly pear scattered about the ranch.

Most of the time people come by and just pick the fruit without permission. Even though that may be irritating at times it is nice to know they aren't going to waste. Personally, I'm not that fond of of them. If you can manage to get to the pulp of the fruit without a major injury your in luck. And, the pulp is not that easy to eat either, it has has a lumpy seed like texture.... I'm not sure what else you can do with the fruit besides eating it fresh.

I do know you can make a variety of dishes made with the leaf. There's also pickled leaf strips you can buy and make a refreshing salad.

Our trip to Canada

2008-08-29T02:37:00.000-07:00

Since we flew out Len's grandkids from Delaware, on the east coast, to Idaho we decided to take them to Canada. Len's mother was born in a small town called Field, British Columbia, Canada. This little town is about 30 minutes from some of the most beautiful scenery in North America. We visited Golden, BC where the restaurant, the Eagles Nest, is at 7,800 making it the highest restaurant in North America. It's located near the Kicking Horse River.

A massive mask about three feet wide hanging in the restaurant.

This is Lake Louise...one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area.

Emerald Lake...my favorite. Len is in the boat with the kiddos.

One of the many fishing trips Len took the kids on.

This is at the Black Lakes (#3).

The Kicking Horse River in Golden, BC

Cocolalla Lake Views

2008-08-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture from our neighbors new house. What a great view they have. I hope someday we'll have a similar view .... just starting on the building site and have a long way to go.

This is our granddaughter from Delaware standing on our building site....someday down the road. Trees to cut, dirt to move, yada- yada- yada......

Taking off for B.C. Canada tomorrow with all three grandkids in tow. Hopefully, I should have some great pictures to post when I get back.

The Bad Blogger

2008-08-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've been on another hiatus...no excuse except for feeling like I've had nothing note worthy to blog about. I've been off work and cleaning up around my folks ranch...a never ending project. I always feel guilty if I don't have a picture to post and I haven't taken any lately... what to do.

Got it...here's a picture from the 4th of July on Anderson Lake in Morgan Hill. I went over my friends house and we sat outside and had a nice picnic with this view. Her place is on the water and boy were there a lot of boaters that day...I heard some boats burn up 150 bucks worth of fuel in a few hours, whew!

Bumps and Grinds

2008-07-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hubby's on the left. (the before picture)

Well...DH and his buddy went out riding when I was up in Cocolalla this last week...the mare is about 3 years old and has only been out a few time so guess what's coming...
You guessed it. A big fall. Len took a header off Torri after our neighbors horses saw them riding down the trail and decided to run full bore and scare the jeebers out of Torri. Torri being a bit squeamish bucked, and even though Len was holding on one of the worst things happened...his rein broke. So, no control means no go. His riding buddy saw her buck four times and then down he went. He ended up with a concussion and a three inch laceration to the back of his head. A trip to the ER and five stitches later he's home. How he's experiencing all the sore muscles and the black and blue marks are quite prominent along with the road rash...

Are you still with me?

2008-07-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, yes...I've been a bit busy with a family reunion, birthdays, deaths, canning jam, entertaining my granddaughter and of course....dreaded work. I finally took some pictures of the things I've been up to..

Me and Granddaughter Eva in the cherry orchard. We rode around the ranch and pond in G-Grandpa's golf cart...Eva was in heaven, must have thought it was an amusement park ride.

The Beer Drinking contest at our Portuguese family reunion at Coyote Ranch.
L-R: Jordan (my son), Paul (nephew), Steph (niece) and Marsha (sister-in-law). They came in second only because Steph left a few oz of foam in the bottom of the baby bottle (no fair)...I was cracking up because my son had to drink from a glove...after ripping the thumb off. I didn't know he could down a beer that fast. I must say, of the four groups he was the fastest glove squeezer. Paul drank from a straw! Nasty. Nasty. Nasty. As I said, Steph drank from a baby bottle, that was insane! Then Marsha had to pour her beer into a champagne glass and hold it up so it was like a water fall...it didn't quite happen that way but she chugged it all down. They were the only group drinking before the contest as you can see. This contest was actually the highlight of the reunion because everyone was cheering and taking videos and pictures...

These are the cherries my son Skye and I picked, some I dried and some I froze. Then I picked and canned Santa Rosa plums and Blenheim apricots into jam. What an arduous process in the heat...most of the time I canned early morning or late night...

A total of thirty half pints and ten pints of jam !!!! And I'm not done....

My Dad turned 91 on July 3rd...his sister just turned 96 in June!

I lost one of my very dearest friends, Patty, to cancer. She was a fabulous cooking teacher, and she loved her job! Between the school where she taught, her hubby and "our gang" we had a wonderful memorial...and she just happened to be one of the funniest chicks I knew!

L-R top: Jeri, Vonne, Didi. Bottom L-R: Dottie, Patty and me.

News of the Weird ...

2008-05-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

Driving through the back roads in New Jersey my son's girlfriend, Sonia, pointed out this huge figure in a backyard. She said it's in some calendar where each month has a strange statue or figure. No rhyme or reason. It certainly looked out of place, that's for sure!

Blogger Bitchfest - American Airlines

2008-05-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Just give me the damn controls already.
BTW-this is a Boom Operator seat on a
fueler...not the picture I was hoping
for but close enough.

While I am a regular flyer about the western US I must say my flight back from the east coast was anything but pleasant. I was flying out visit my son and his girlfriend before he left for the middle east..

Bitch #1. I don't know how much cheaper AA can get but to offer only beverages, two times, on a 3-4 hour trip is insane. Nothing like a plane load inline to the restroom towards the end of the flight. While you can buy a cookie for $3 or a chicken wrap for $5 I wonder how much income is produced once the airlines pays the bill for cost of ingredients, food handlers and transport...not to mention spoiled food. From what I could see only a handful of people bought these items, wouldn't a bag of 25 cent chips be cheaper in the long run? I would imagine some chips are given as freebies as an incentive to purchase them at the grocery store.

Bitch #2. Connecting flights. Hello? Do ya think allowing more than 45 minutes between flights would help with decreased re-bookings? Flights, both to and from, were re booked due to backed up take-offs, delay with prior flights and weather. While I can't slight the airlines for weather I think they might,might just take that into account. NO, it's not alright to strand us in Chicago at 10pm! Thankfully, I was whiny enough to keep the agent on line long enough to find that the flight would be another 45 minutes late and to re book for the following day...

Bitch #3. Sorry? Did that word every come into play? Two trips to the airport is just crazy. My son and girlfriend were such great hosts providing transport, and waiting, waiting, waiting.

Bitch #4. No seat assignment when your re booked..."it's under airport control," what crap. If there's seats available book it, but, no... Yes, we like sitting there till 10 minutes before boarding not knowing if we have a seat..even though we've been told so...you have a bad track record AA.

Bitch #5. Last one. If we are booking flights under the same confirmation code could you make an effort to seat us together? Especially when your screwing up?

My Private Idaho

2008-04-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

I this song is goofy but I love the B52's. They even play the song we named our cabin after, "Love Shack"

I'm such a Slagger

2008-04-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Idaho

Yep, my bloggin has taken a back seat...to what I'm not sure. I've been up to Idaho, over to Seattle, and back to work. The weather in California is absolutely gorgeous the last two days so I've been out in the garden and orchard so that accounts for some slagging.

And just what do I do outside? I weed mostly and then re-pot all my scraggly plants. Idaho on the other hand ..it's still snowing on and off but it's melting. I've got dirt under my nails but I don't care, it's just one of those things I love to do and I'm not much of a glove wearer. My nails will take a beating but I did get a pedicure yesterday....now that's a whole new topic...massage chair, massage to my legs, hot rock massage to feet and legs and then a foot dunk in a vat of hot wax and some hot orange-pink nail polish. I'm in heaven.

On the Hill, Jordan Silcox and Frank Cariglio

2008-03-27T03:25:00.000-07:00

My youngest son, Jordan, just put his band, On the Hill, on myspace... so I've decided to give them some free advertisement. The music genre is ambient, progressive and rock. The members consists of just my son and his friend Frank. Jordan plays the guitar, drums and base while Frank does the vocals and plays piano. The first song, Scarring Lashes (on the play list), has a long intro but it's my favorite, my next fav is Another Story Told.

Happy Listening !

Cherry Blossom Time !

2008-03-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a snap of some cherry blossoms on the ranch. I'll be taking more shots of blossoms since it's that time of year but for now this is all I have.

Easter Sunday Morning....

2008-03-23T07:06:00.001-07:00

My husband's daughter-in-law woke me up with a "Happy Easter" text message at 6:08..was I awake....NO, hahaha (it's all about payback). At least she woke me from a crummy dream. I'll have to give her a break since she's three hours ahead of us...but she does know there's a time difference..hummm.

So with nothing better to do I decided to put the clothes I washed last night into the dryer...oh, for Pete's sake....I left an envelope in the pocket of my jeans so now it looks like snow in the washer. Shake, shake, shake..into the dryer and and we'll see what happens.

Deciding to take a stroll outside, in the dark with my camera hoping to get the jump on a cool picture....well, none of that I guess. The full moon was still up but I need a tripod for a decent shot. All I got was a blurry moon. So, around to the back yard, err orchard, I see one lonely Easter Lily!!! So here it is, not such a perfect specimen, but hey I'll take what I can get. Walking down further are all the cherry, plum and some remnants of almonds trees in bloom. I think I'll try some pictures in the sunlight...

So Happy Easter to all !

Here Comes the Tax Man....

2008-03-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

(One, two, three, four, one two)

Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

(If you drive a car car) I'll tax the street
(If you try to sit sit) I'll tax your seat
(If you get too cold cold) I'll tax the heat
(If you take a walk walk) I'll tax your feet

Taxman!

'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Don't ask me what I want it for
(Ah, ah, Mr. Wilson)
If you don't want to pay some more
(Ah, ah, Mr. Heath)
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Now my advise for those who die
(Taxman!)
Declare the pennies on your eyes
(Taxman!)

'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

And you're working for no one, but me
(Taxman!)
Written by Geroge Harrison

What brings this on...By crackie it happens to be TODAY, I went and saw my CPA ...Oh, it just pisses me off I suppose. I have never owed more taxes than already paid, period. BUT, today I do... due to my husbands part time "after retirement" job that put us over the limit to claim other expenses, therefore...with the declining dollar, no refund to spend for vacation..not to mention my stocks suck, I'll be(am)in a real pissy mood. And what about hubby? I told him to quit his "social hour" part time job, it basically nets us close to nothing not to mention suckin up gas to and from the job. Ok, I'm done.

On Top of Old Smokey...Errr.....

2008-03-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

Well, let's just say this is really a blog about the Lick Observatory up on Mt. Hamilton in east San Jose,Ca. I lived in Evergreen, just below this mountain from the time I was born till around four years of age. We lived on a big apricot ranch up Quimby Rd. that leads to the observatory.

While you can't see the area in which I lived, the webcam brings back childhood memories of this mountain. In the evening, my Mom would sit my sister and me on the rim of our old kitchen sink. From there we could look out the window and see the "diamond bracelet" of lights from the city below. Oh yes, the stories we imagined...

Thirty years later... I recall flying around Mt. Hamilton with my first husband in an old Cessna 140 tail dragger shown below. That's him and our first son who is now Capt. in the USAF, who would've thought! We were coming back from Livermore,CA and by the time we flew back to San Jose it was dark with NO lights and NO radio. We radioed ahead to the airport to tell them,I guess back then it wasn't a big deal by the lack of excitement. At one point I swear we were about 200 feet from the mountain side, which I mentioned, and the ex says "no problem". Lastly, have you ever landed in a rickety old plane on an old blacktop runway in the dark? Like I say back in the day....

The last time I was up at Mt. Hamilton was maybe ten years ago... our ranch is gone and now it's part of the big city...

Random Pictures

2008-03-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Click pictures to enlarge...much better details.
Hubby and his 14 y/o Gordon Setter, McKay, back from a mailbox run.
All the mailboxes are buried in snow and have fallen backwards...

What happens when too much snow falls...
Poor old woodshed.

Cabinet mountains in the background. Picture taken from our neighbors
property, again...about 2 weeks ago.

Mt. St. Helens, California. Picture taken in airplane from San Jose
to Seattle.

The Little Things I Do...

2008-03-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

Almost every day I check out the Sicily Scene blog, Orto Botanico live video and my email.

The Sicily Scene blog just takes me away and keeps me from having second thoughts about not visiting Sicily this year.

Orto Botanico has quite a calming effect, trees gently sway, birds and rodents looking for food and nesting materials and an occasional bicycler in the back ground. Not once have I seen a person walk in the round-about.

Of course I can't show you my email but what I look forward to are some of the "property for sale" adds in Sicily, near Cefalu and Trabia. Wow, has real estate soared in the last year. I can remember seeing some pretty dumpy properties going for a song and now they seem to have quadrupled in price.

I've always dreamed of being one of those people, like in the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun", who buys a house and fixes it all up with a little elbow grease and a whole lotta money. Humm, well I'm doing that in Idaho but with a bit more elbow grease and less money. Hopefully, this summer I'll be able to do a before and after on our place. It's actually tarnished my thoughts on buying one of those dilapidated county homes, especially when I ask the sales agents questions. They skirt around the questions like, is there a well,electricity, dirt or paved road, sewer..you know the real necessity stuff. I did receive a video from and agent on places for sale in Caccamo that included some pictures of the beach in Trabia. I guess I'll just have to go and look for myself.

2008-03-04T19:39:00.001-08:00

Here's a picture of Cocolalla Lake and that little red circle is just about where I live...of course it's covered in a blanket of snow right now.

Hubby and I are all set for the snow. Just ordered these snowshoes for hubby today, hopefully, they'll come before the snow melt...with that and if I can make it up in two weeks I'll be happy as a clam. Got a big 30% off from an eBay store. Tubbs must be coming out with a whole new look after being bought out by Atlas...or maybe Tubbs bought Atlas? Oh heck, we need poles.....

Last I heard there was a foot of snow the last 24 hours, which cracks me up cuz everyone thought it was the beginning of the melt off (aka: MUD SEASON). I'd rather fall on my arse in the icy snow than slip in the clay mud. One is a harder landing but the mud gets is nasty and sticks on everything.

Local Delights...

2008-02-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

Well, good grief, thought I'd never make it back to Idaho. I just missed the big snow but on my second day here we got about three to four inches of the white stuff. Much to my surprise I even saw a Northern Lights display in the sky. I didn't know what it was and kept telling the hubby "look, those mountains have a pink cast shining on them". After talking with my astronomy buff friend, Vonne, she said I was seeing the Northern Lights. She also mentioned the lunar eclipse is coming on Wednesday.
Here's the Northern Lights

While up at the ranch my neighbor left me her Atlas snow shoes to try out, they're also a pair I debated on getting this year but waited to long to find anything available in the stores...But, I'm in luck, eBay has them for only $105.00.
Here I am modeling Anne's snowshoes,lol.

And for my last local delight are the ice fishers on Cocolalla Lake below us. This picture was taken on my way into town a few days back. Ice fishing scares the beegeebers outta me, I would never do that...ever.

Geraniums and Crappy Chickens

2008-02-06T11:10:00.001-08:00

Ok, it's Wednesday, 11:15 am and I hear this rooster. We don't have chickens but our new neighbors do. Guess who likes our place better? We've had chickens in the past, but steppin in poop is no fun, plus when you have to clean it off cement and patio furniture it's a real drag. So how do you tell your neighbors to get their poopin chickens back in their own yard...pfft. My poor old Dad has asked them and they did come once to chase them back, yes, chase... because these are wild chickens. They are ugly, too. See....

As I walked out in the back amongst all the trees to find where the noise was coming from, low and behold, no rooster. A rattle in the trees startled me and when I looked up here's this rooster 20 feet up in the tree. Of course, me as always, the rowdy one, picks up rocks and old walnuts to coax this rooster out and back home. No dice. This bird was staying and as defeated as I was I trotted back home. Next time it's the good ole sling shot!

On the brighter side, I've got flowers in February!!! My faithful old Geraniums that grow like hair on a dogs back have started blooming. Each year I take cuttings to Idaho only to have them die from the frost. Even taking them in the garage and shed has proven fatal, just too dang cold. When I take them inside hubby kills them with a lack of or too much watering (when I'm not up there). Can't win for losing sometimes.

Crochet Project

2008-01-23T12:00:00.001-08:00

I finally crocheted a baby hat! It turned out OK, I was cracking myself up cuz it looked very similar to a TP cover. The real sad thing was it was too small for my Grand baby. So next time I guess a little planning is in store. It was actually pretty simple once I was shown how to read the directions. I worked on it in California and finished it in Idaho before Christmas.

Crocheting directions are usually a bunch of abbreviations for stitches with an occasional comment about gauge, which I ignored obviously. Most of the girls at work have been knitting or crocheting so I jumped on the bandwagon.

All in all, I'll save it for her, even knowing it was on her head for a total of three seconds before she ripped it off. I can only imagine she thought it was like a vice being on her head. BTW, she actually has some hair these days, not like the few wisps in the frame.

Rainbows and Rain

2008-01-20T16:22:00.001-08:00

Just saw this out the window and had to take a picture. It was such a pretty double rainbow but had those ominous black clouds behind it. Within five minutes it started to sprinkle and the upper rainbow disappeared...

New Toy and Rant

2008-01-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

Ya know when your bored and have nothing horribly exciting to say but eventually come up with something? Even if it's on the lame side? Well, today is that day...

Almost a month ago I upgraded to a new cell phone, after two years with Verizon, to a Palm Treo 700p. After being harassed at work for being obsolete with my communication choices I was talked into this unit. I can download nursing programs, math formulas and the like. Well...it was bulky and heavy, had an outside antenna, but it did have some pluses. So I bring it to work and show the girls I'm finally "with it" only to hear," why did you get that model, it's the old one?" Ok, so I can't win, BUT I have 30 days to exchange it and was told this over and over until it sunk it.

At 28 days into the service, yes, I'm stubborn (or lazy, I dunno) I finally trek down to the Verizon store in Gilroy. It's located in a new huge shopping area, much like the outlets.(btw, I hate the outlets). Take my box it came in only to find I was missing some cords, so back home I go. Grab the cords I left in my suitcase and head back to Gilroy, this is on a Friday night mind you. (Yes, I have no life)

Finally the sales lady shows me the new 755 Palm Treo, ah very nice, lighter in weight, slimmer and fits the ear better. SOLD ! I even got a 75 dollar refund, don't ask cuz I don't know. I think it had to do with my original online purchase. Now I must have a cover and my choices are...anyway you can see my choice above, I now call it my Red Phone.

I am also advised to upgrade to the full time internet connection for only ....tadaaa $49.99/month! This is on top of my National Calling, three other lines with text/picture and 1400 minutes! Plus, I have two other land lines, one here and in Idaho!!! I love to, or is it live to communicate???? All I know is if my youngest son downloads another song I'm gonna fry his hide.

I guess I'd better sign up for some overtime at work.....

Cute Old Rhyme

2008-01-19T20:53:00.000-08:00

Mare ze dotes and dozie dotes and little lamzie divie.
A kiddlie divie too wooden you?

This is old rhyme my Mom would say to me when I was young. It wasn't until a few years go I realized the real words.

Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy.
A kid'l eat ivy too, wouldn't you?

I still can't get over it........now if I can just remember that old rhyme that starts with "Playmate come out and play with me"....

Happy Faces

2008-01-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

I just happened to stumble upon (Have I used that saying too many times?)this site HAPPY FACES It's great for when you need a little laugh.

Otherwise, I'm in Cali, still cold and rainy. Watched a few movies that were a bit unusual for me. The Swimming Pool, for one (French), with Charlotte Rampling. I'd seen another of her movies and it was kinda different,too. Maybe just how the French direct and write? I dunno. I subscribe to Netfix...after about 6 months I think I've seen everything worth seeing. And don't watch "If Only" unless you like gagging.

Well, it's nap time... I'm scheduled to work tonight, ack.

Dribble....

2008-01-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I spoke too soon. The power went out last night at 9:15. Ah, but I had my candles and matches were ready to go. The forced mood lighting was actually quite relaxing so I slipped off bed early... only to wake at 4:00am with lights blaring that I forgot to turn off.

This is the orchard before the second storm hit...well back to watching online news clips of the debate last night.

Rain Rain Go Away

2008-01-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

I have finally decided it's time to blog again.

It's raining here in California. The first of the three predicted storms has arrived and I find my self a bit depressed. Grey everywhere. Wet and cold.

Thank God for forced air heating and no loss of electricity. Which reminds me to run find matches and candles. Whew, thankfully I haven't thrown them out.

Homemade veggie soup is simmering on the stove to take over my folks. Dread.
I will be drenched and miserable when I do so.

I'm currently reading "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. It's one of Oprah's recommended books...the one that later became ostracized for not being 100% truthful. Though the first 100 pages are quite depressing it's still it's a captivating read.

For Christma my second son, Skye, bought me a Capresso burr grinder for coffee beans. I'm so excited. Silly at my age. So far I have just admired it but tomorrow it gets baptized.

For the last three hours I've been unable to upload my blog. Even thought I have cable my connection was s-l-o-w and I kept getting kicked back to the old "problem loading page" message. So I drove my soup over to my folks, yes, I drove next door because the rain has flooded the driveways and ditches in the front yard. When I returned, and since the storm has died down a bit, my connection is back to its old self. Unfortunately, for my folks their forced air heat motor burned up and the house smelled like burning electrical wires...after checking out the basement we found it flooded with about six inches of water. The heater was almost 50 years old so I guess its time was up...so that's all for now!

My Travels up North

2007-12-26T22:19:00.001-08:00

For my first tid bit of info this is a picture of a Monkey Puzzle Tree. This tree is along the Seattle shoreline and many tourists were taking pictures of it as it's so peculiar looking. While staying at my son's place, in Seattle, Wa, I was able to convenience him to go next door (in the rain) and smack down a big brown seed pod off the tree. In doing so a small limb came off. Much to my surprise it looked like it was from the aloe family but was it hard and had sharp ends! The seed pods look like baby shark pods. I plan to plant these seeds in early spring. The tree is about 70 feet tall and more than 30 years old so the seed pods should be viable.

And the highlight of my trip is my grand daughter, Eva ! She is a sweetie...just my unbiased opinion.

The Seattle skyline just up the road from my son's place. There's a seal in the foreground.

Me and Eva. You can see the Space Needle to the left in the back ground. When all the buildings and Space Needle are lit with Christmas lights it is an amazing view. I usually find city views not my cup of tea.

This little humming bird in the tree was here all though out the day. He looked so lonely and was there even when it started to snow! In the back ground are the Cascade Mountains but only the first day of my visit did I actually see them, even in this picture they are hidden by clouds.

Snowy North Idaho

2007-12-22T16:14:00.001-08:00

This is the barn across the road from our place in Idaho. It's much more scenic than this picture. I should have taken a picture yesterday when the sun was shining, oh well.

I've been here since Wednesday and today is the first real snow I've seen. I just hope it lets up tomorrow so I can fly to Seattle to see my grand daughter.

I'll take some more tomorrow and post them when I get chance.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and New Year!

McKay's Christmas Fashion Show

2007-12-20T11:04:00.001-08:00

This is our Gordon Setter, McKay. Again, she tolerates me putting on Christmas head gear. At fourteen years old she's in great shape! She just came in from a morning walk in the snow. I think I'll be getting her snow booties....

Back to Blogging and Genealogy

2007-12-10T16:41:00.000-08:00

Since I'm off this week I though I'd dig my heels in and work on my genealogy brick walls. That meant putting in another phone call to a distant cousin who has, of late, been my best source for family information. After getting the scoop on the Sicilian clans from back east we started in on the families that came over, on the boats, in the early 1900's to San Francisco. Perusing the ancestry.com files for eight hours I came up with six people who all went to my great grandmothers home address during that time. And what does that mean? Well, probably that I'm related to most of them, ah, you see back in the old days, mostly the 1800's, Sicilians married first cousins so....back three or four generations I have double cousins, aunts and uncles. I did have one set of cousins that married from San Francisco even though the families frowned upon it from what I was told.

The communes in Sicily were small and villagers, afraid of outsiders, inter married. No, no one so far has any dreaded deformities or diseases. In fact, most of my family live into their 90's. I have a great aunt who lived to 100. My family, on my Dads maternal side, have blue eyes and blond hair, guessing only from the influence of the Normans around 1061. Where as I have brown hair and brown eyes, like my dad, this may be from some Phoenician influence around 700 BC. These are all wild guesses as I still have to get my Dad to test his DNA, he's agreed but the cost is about 600.00 for testing the mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome. It will just have to wait till after Christmas. From what I've read it seems most people in Sicily do not judge anyone for their dark curly hair or their blue eyes due to the diversity on the island, this stemming from the invasions of many societies.

Now I do realize that being half Portuguese and the fact that my Mother's family came from the Azores, they had the same influence of invasion in the islands history. She has green eyes and dark curly hair as does my sister. In fact, my sister has enough hair for three people. I have skinny hair, straight, thin and does not hold a curl unless I use hairspray with super extra hold, of course after ratting it all up and combing it over so I don't look like Amy Winehouse.

Getting off that subject, I just received a call from my oldest boy back east. That really made my day, you see I was able to talk to all my boys today and that is what makes me happy. The little things in life are the best!

Baptized Legal Bread and the Mafia?

2007-11-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

Bakers in Napes, Italy are protesting paying "tribute" to the Camorra's (Mafia) by handing out free baptized bread... While I didn't realize any bread was baptized I guess it's the norm there? This same protest also happened in Sicily. I thought the Mafia was on its way out in Italy and Sicily. Just watching this video makes me wonder why the Vatican hasn't put the kabash on this atrocity, its BAPTIZED for Pete's sake, unless....ah! And yes, sometimes I'm too embarrassed to admit I was born and raised Catholic. Really, how much can a bread maker profit when paying taxes to the state and paying off the Mafia?

Flirting Siciliano and Italian Style

2007-11-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

I was on my early morning perusal of the news online and came across this report from the UK, "An amorous offer you can't refuse". Of course, the words "can't refuse" got my attention. I found the video to go along with the article somewhat amusing and feeling a bit like the the British reporter lady when it comes to flirting. Since American's rarely flirt in this manner (maybe I'm just not in the right circles) I'd be quite stand offish and in another sense find it highly amusing. I do know that this guy does not float my boat in the looks department but I've long gotten over the "looks" being a priority when it comes to attraction. I know, I know, it sounds contradictory but it's my fickle side showing.

I can't wait to hear a response from blogger Welshcakes Limoncello at Sicily Scene as she lives in Ragusa, Sicily.

Smokin in Idaho

2007-11-24T17:41:00.000-08:00

This is a pic at the top of our mountain looking down on
Cocolalla Lake. The smoke is from one of our burn piles.

On my last trip up to Cocolalla we had to start some burn piles. What are burn piles? It's all the downed trees or left over timber that the loggers leave,about the only way to dispose of it is to burn it. We do cut some for fire wood but during the dry season you don't want a chain saw sparking a fire in the forest! We spent over two hours just gathering wood from a ten to twenty foot radius around the piles. If you think that doesn't sound like much just imagine 28 acres worth! Our logger, four years ago, left our place a mess. Of course after he was paid by the lumber company he found excuse after excuse not to come back and finish out his contract of cleaning up the mess. The contract says he's responsible for any fires that start on our property as a result of his "neglect", but it only covers 250K. That would barely cover the cost of my cabin let alone any neighbors homes or barns. So now we bear the task of clean up when ever the weather allows. Even though we have one year left on our contract we found early on "our" logger wouldn't even return our calls. We could always go to small claims court.....

Here is a pic of about 1/8th acre of timber down.

And one small burn pile.

Happy Turkey Day....

2007-11-22T09:36:00.001-08:00

well, maybe not for the turkey. I'm just off my work rotation of six nights, whew! I'm so tired when I am charge RN and have two patients. One on a ventilator and a new admit on a bipap machine. My only saving grace was that they weren't too needy and not on any drips. Tuesday night was my last night and that means I get off at 7:30 am Wednesday.

BUT ! Tuesday we ended up taking my Mom to the hospital ER. She wasn't feeling well and looked like crap, ah yes, "crap" a very professional technical term there. I made a MD appt for the next day but my gut feeling said to take her to the ER since she is a diabetic and sometimes have different symptoms for an MI than most...she had no chest pain for one. She had a CXR, EKG and all the other interventions they do to CYA. She ended up with a positive troponin (a cardiac marker)a small lung infiltrate (probably starting of infection or edema)and dehydration. They admitted her to med surg unit, not the ICU where I'm at-which surprised me since most people with pos. troponin are, at the least, observed there. I tend to think she had a non Q mi as nothing showed up on the EKG or she had it a few days earlier and because her troponin levels weren't that high and were already starting to drop. So on my breaks at work I would go over and check on her..(mostly snoring,lol). Today they are "supposed" to release her...any boy does she want to come home!

Guess who's cooking all day! Between me and my nephew, Paul, I think we can handle it. Paul's Mom, my sis, is off to Seattle to visit her daughter, Stephanie, who is house mates with my son.

Len says it should be a beautiful day in Cocolalla, Idaho. No snow for now which is so unlike last year and not good for the ski people up there. I heard Schweitzer Mtn. is making snow as they haven't reached the two foot mark in order to open. That's all for now, gotta get cookin!

North Idaho....burrrr

2007-11-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

The cold winter is approaching but so far no snow. Today was dreary, windy and rainey. I wanted to go out and take a picture but it was too depressing so I just sat inside and looked for ancestors on ancestry.com and ellisisland.org. Man, I can spend hours on those sites. I did recently find my Dads aunt in Rochester, NY so that made it worthwhile. Well, that's all for now...

Knitting and Knots

2007-11-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally finished my knitting project. I used to crochet and knit years ago but with kids and the follies of general life that went by the wayside. I think my last project was 25 years ago, crocheting my Dad a burnt orange afghan. My co workers have been on a knitting and crocheting frenzy this last year and it's rubbed off. While I prefer crocheting, because it's one less tool for my aging uncooperative fingers, I did manage to knit using these huge needles below.

Looking on is one of my three Eclectus parrots , Koki, I'm invading her space.
I chose that frizzy yarn because that's what everyone's been using and it's forgiving when you unknowingly add or lose a stitch. I used the most basic stitch.
I have to add that my son's girlfriend, Sonia, gave me one of these scarfs last Christmas which helped inspire me.

Mafia...another one bites the dirt....

2007-11-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to todays news on the latest Mafia news. Normally, this wouldn't interest me but after reading the last few books on Sicily I've come to realize these gangsters helped ruin a beautiful island and the people who inhabited it. The Mafioso is like an artichoke, the "Pith" boss is surrounded by all his men (the leaves) and the choke becomes a strong hold for all the riches they have stolen from the poor farmers and God fearing citizens.

I have no idea if any of my ancestors were in the Mafia or needed their protection to stay alive but many of the families I have read about were so afraid. They would take your farm animals, poison your wells, burn your house if you didn't see thing their way. What a horrible existence. No wonder my ancestors left way back as early as 1880.

I never thought I'd be interested in this Mafia stuff because as a child my friends would ask if my Dad was in the Mafia and I just let them think so. Purely for self entertainment. NOW, my opinion has taken a 180 degree turn because, unfortunately ,one relative reminds me of the macho Mafia by extorting his own siblings and choking them out of their own family inheritance (family dirt) ...thankfully he's dead now but he ruined five families after my Grandparents died.

Well, maybe I'll write more on this later but for now I need to get ready for work.
Ciao

Cara Mia why, must I say goodbye...

2007-10-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm eating marinated artichokes for breakfast and thought I'd try to figure out what they use to make them stay that light creamy tan color in the jar. As I'm reading my "Cara Mia" brand jar (California Style), which I've eaten for years and thought they were Italian, I was speechless. The are made in CHILI. What? Cara Mia means "beloved" in Italian!!! I've been duped, lied to, and now I'm just flabbergasted.

The citric acid must keep them light in color but, but..they aren't Italian! AND, they cost about $4.00 for a 418 grams! My new quest will be finding the perfect Italian marinated artichoke. Any suggestions?

Earthquake !!!

2007-10-30T20:49:00.001-07:00

We had an earthquake at 8:05 PM tonight in California. It registered 5.6 on the Richter Scale. It was centered around the Alum Rock area in San Jose.

At first I thought it was my son running through the house. I then realized the lights were swaying casting shadows so I went into the hall to yell for my son who was standing in the doorway looking out over the balcony. He thought it was a 4 or 5 on the scale. I thought it was about a 6 or 7 and that's partly because our house is set on pillars :0 It lasted about 15 seconds with two distinct jolts. Thankfully nothing broke and so far no injuries are reported. Too bad the powers that be didn't plan it for tomorrows Halloween. Other than that it's been quite a boring day.

Barn Trippin

2007-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post a picture of my boo boo from falling a few weeks back in the hay barn. The colorful bruising has gone, all that remains is a sore instep where all the fluids drain when standing on my 12 hour nursing shifts....wah. Between this and the stomach flu it was a pretty miserable week.

Rather Strange Weather We're Having

2007-10-26T23:58:00.000-07:00

It's almost midnight here in California and as I look at my blog page the temperature meter in Idaho says 21 deg F. Wow, I don't think the hubby was expecting the temp to be that low up there. Hope he put the deicer in the horse trough. Last time I was there it was starting to hit the 40's at night, but yipes! I think it just might be that cold snowy winter I've heard a few locals talking about. How they know is a mystery.....When bought the ranch back in 2001 it was covered in over four feet of snow and I've never seen that much since.

The house has been tenderly called "The Love Shack" (from the old B52's record) and someday I will post pictures, before and after. Most people are amazed at the renovations we've made but I think anything would have been an improvement from what it was.

We're having a roofer come over to give us an estimate and a time frame tomorrow. I have a feeling we may be waiting till next spring. Oh well, we've waited this long.

La Cucina Italiana- my first !

2007-10-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

I subscribed to La Cucina Italian magazine and today I received my first one! So far I'm enjoying it. There's an article on Ragusa, Sicily, along with five other cities in Italy. These cities are the "new" destinations "bursting with palazzi and culinary meccas to see and conquer". There is reference to the Donnafugata castle and scenes from "The Leopard" that was filmed there that starred Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale. A picture of Alba Rugusa, the ancient town, dates back to the 14th century and what a lovely picture they presented. My friend from the Sicily Scene blog lives there, now I see why she loves it!

I like the list of gourmet stores listed in the back of the magazine. There's even two in Idaho,in Ketchum. There is a small store near Sandpoint,Idaho called Pend Oreille Pasta & Wine where I like to buy my port wines and cheese. Ok, back to recipe reading and making a shopping list!

The Sicilian Gentleman's Cookbook

2007-10-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased this book for my son, Bobby. Bobby if you're reading this -STOP HERE !

You can scroll down in the link and read the reviews which were all good.

Last time I visited Bobby he made me some German Apple Pancakes- boy were they yummy. It was quite an involved recipe and me made me proud. So, with that in mind I thought he should venture over to his Sicilian side with a little help from Ma.

So, Bobby if you're still reading there's a naked women picture in the Antipasto section... just kiddin, well, there are some pictures on a plate....

The recipes look a bit on the simple side but it's a starter and stories along with some of he recipes are entertaining. I think I will bequeath all my cookbooks to Bobby someday...along with all my other treasures he so loves...HooHa (Mom, the collector of "stuff").

Ok, it's a nice day so outdoors to do some gardening I've neglected since I've been sick and bruised...I'm feeling almost human now!