Strange that this should be my reading today

Aquarius (1/20-2/18)
You may be starting to be more ambivalent about the future, especially in terms of your career. These unexpected feelings about ambition or advancement might seem like a bad omen, but they are just part of a natural growth process you're going through. You cannot always be driven and goal-oriented. Sometimes, you need to just walk down the path of life checking out the view. Besides, this period probably won't last long. You'll soon be scheming new ways to get up the ladder again.

Found a fishing hole!

Took a drive yesterday. Click on the pic to the left and see the elk herd. Lets see we saw elk, deer, a marmot, prairie dogs, and nesting cranes. Wow. Must be spring, even though there is still snow up at 7,000 feet +.

Now back to work since the sun is shining, picked up a load of cedar mulch this morning so plan to get the rest of the plants in the ground that we moved from Mo.

Bob Woodruff, from GMA: Cho. chip cookies

I saw this on Good Morning America and copied it to share here. They are flat crisp and chewy at the same time. Thought it looked interesting as you use cake flour instead of regular flour.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs 2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated, then add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda and salt. Stir with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture all at once, and mix until they are just combined. Do not over mix.
Fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Drop 1-tablespoon-size mounds of dough onto a nonstick cookie sheet.
Bake at 350° until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Click here for the full "GMA" recipe index.

Been Weaving

Finally got my weaving area set up. Hubby hung a lamp in the corner and I have music or TV or big window to glance out. This rug is from an old denim rag rug that I have had for years and the warp was worn out and it was coming unraveled. The gal that taught me to weave, told me I could clip it loose and re weave it. I really like it and will keep it for many years of wear. It is 48 in. long.
The second pic is of some denim that I have saved for many years. The most of it is from some old striped denim overalls that my dad wore and I have packed them around for close to 40 years. So this rug is a keeper too. Darn I have a hard time weaving something that I don't want to keep for ME.
Can click on pic to see a larger pic. Working on one now that is from some cotton cable knit sweaters that I wore for years and hated to get rid of. It is coming out nice and thick.
Thanks Betty for all your teaching. I am finally getting back to sewing rag balls and weaving in my spare time.
New project coming up that I will report on later next week.

Getting dirty

After all it is the first day of spring and you have to get down and a little dirty!! Hubby went to Walmart to get a few bags of potting soil and came back with a pickup full of bags of Chicken manure and top soil. Great stuff. I have painted some huge potting tubs like you get from a green house, that trees come in. I painted them a stone red and now I have big pots to do my gardening in. They look great along the edge of the lawn sitting on the gravel. I plan to have tomatoes, onions, and several for flowers. Will post pictures as things progress. Got the bird feeding station up. We did hear birds singing in the trees a block away so hopefully they will find us. Hung up my first load of cloths on the umbrella clothesline that got set up 2 days ago. Got one rose bush planted. 2 more to go. The flower bed is full of small boulders so it takes time to dig them all out, then will add some of that good stuff he bought today. I brought several small pots of ground cover, cone flowers, yellow spiky plants, and a big tub of hibiscus with me when we moved. Making progress.

Since we can't fish might as well get dirty!

What do ya mean we can't go fishing for 6 mo!

Went to Walmart to see about our fishing license and what the crap! Have to be a residence for 6 mo. before you can get a simple fishing license. Doesn't matter that we own a home, have valid drivers license for this state and our vehicles are licensed for this state. That is so stupid. I would think they would be glad to make the money selling licenses for something so simple as to fish.

We were so bummed out we stopped by the Cold Slab Creamery and drowned our sorrows in big ice cream cones.

OK DON'T LAUGH!!

OK this is one side of our back yard. Mostly rock! We have 500 Square feet of grass. Thats all. Should take about 10 min. to mow it. We will be putting in trees along the back and one side. We plan to do most of the front yard in rock and put in Purple Sage or Heather with a drip system. So we should be free to get the fishing poles out soon.

We actually got the garage arranged pretty good and have both vehicles inside now. Even got the old tennis ball hanging so I won't run into the freezer when I pull in.

Please don't call me for a Tow

When we moved we got a new phone number. It is always interesting to find out who had the number before you got it. Apparently this number belonged to a Towing Company that is now out of business. It is mostly funny to get the calls except the other nite it was about 11 pm. Hubby jokes that we could have made alot of money if we had a truck!

At least this isn't as bad as the number we had when we lived in Nevada. It had belonged to someone who not only didn't speak English as a first language but was wanted by finance companies, collection agencies, and the law. It was hard to make people believe that the person they wanted did not live there. That went on for over a year.

Thought for the day: Smile, it uses fewer muscles that a frown. Besides its catching, try it.

Not a tornado!

Just a weird cloud formation last PM. Had to go out in the street and catch a picture. We had these little dry snow "balls" showers off and on yesterday. This morning the foothills were white till the sun hit them. Mountains got several inches.

Busy yet with unpacking SIL Tooooo much stuff for her cute little house. Already sold her sofa and hassock. She must have 15 lamps!! Oh well she is being a really good sport about it and is just glad to be here and not where the real tornado's are. I hear Kansas got hit again.

We should have our back lawn in tomorrow. Will be glad, we are already tired of looking at dirt. I have roses and some other plants to get in the ground that we moved with us. Putting up some peg board in the garage today, and bought a couple of cabinets to put over the toilets to use as medicine cabinets. Guess they don't put them in new houses anymore.

I have one more picture to add of the sunset last week that was so pretty.

Thought for the day: Look for all my little notes with "thought for the day" ideas. LOL

Oh, the mountains!

If you click on the picture you can see a better view. These are the mountains that are just So. of where I live now. Mighty pretty huh? I can see a bit of them out my kitchen window. All is going well. Talked to hubby today back in Mo. and he says movers are scheduled to load his sister up in the morning. Then they will head out Sat. and get in here on Sun. Will be good to all be in one spot again. The landscapers are getting her back yard into shape with a rock border all around the inside of the fence, sprinkler system installed and they will lay the sod in a few days. Then they will start on our back yard. Getting tired of taking the dog across the street to some grass several times a day. Somehow dogs seem to prefer to poop on grass instead of dirt!

Fri 13th

These pictures were taken when I crossed the great mountains on Fri the 13th by myself! Beautiful huh?

E-mail, almost there

Big accomplishment today, I got my e-mail to work on my new computer. The instructions were very helpful till it got the the last step, which they left off. But my new best friends, the computer guy and his wife got it going. I so wanted to do it myself! Now I have to find a copy of MS Office 03 to load (without having to pay thru the nose) My friend saved all my old outlook express info but it won't run with this Vista Lady. I will live without it and get used to the new program, but dang I loved that old Outlook and I had so many files stored on it. So if anyone wants my new e-mail you already have my yahoo address, just send me a message and I will give it to you. Oh, I don't like yahoo e-mail format either.

New PLAN: I will learn how to do a back up disc for all my hard drive info.

Home At Last, and on line too

Here I am, safe and sound. Also to be noted that I have a new computer and this is my first day back on line. First about the computer, my old one bit the dust. It was bad timing but I think it will work out great. I got some good advice from a really nice computer guy and went to Office Depot and got a new 17 in. laptop by Toshiba. He was able to download my hard drive and put it on this new computer. It has the Vista program and I am going to give it a go, so far it seems easy to use. What the heck I think I will get a wireless router later on. You can't say we aren't doing all we can to help the economy.

Now about my trip back alone. One whole day to get across Kansas, stayed all nite in Colby Ks. and kept getting weather reports about a snow/sleet mix moving into that area after midnight. Well needless to say I didn't sleep very well. Ended up getting up real early and by 4:20 AM I was on the road and the sleet was just starting. Of course, coming west, I was driving into it. I feel sure that if I had waited till 6 or 7 AM I would have been to chicken to head out and would have been stuck there for a couple of days. As a storm was coming over the mountains west of Denver for later that evening. Anyway to make a long story short. I managed to get on some black ice and slid off in the ditch. I was very lucky, as no one was around to run into me, and the ditch was wide and only 2 or 3 feet lower than the highway. After I sat and got my heart to slow down, I just turned the wheels and drove along the side of the highway till I was back up on it. I drove with my flashers on and stayed on the shoulder for at least 10 miles till I saw that traffic was moving along and the road was more clear. I finally drove out of it, but it took me 3 1/2 hrs to go 130 miles. Boy I was ready for breakfast and a break! But the rest of the day went well and I got home before dark.

So I got here on Fri the 13th, Hubby left out on the 18th and is now back in Mo. helping finish up packing his sister up (I think I got about 90% of it done the week I was there). The movers come next Fri and they will make the trip back here to HOME.

I think I will like it here. Everyone has been very friendly and helpful. Ran into a gal at Office Depot who has a weekly "estate" sale locally. Think I will check it out. She takes stuff from all over the area and sells it on consignment. I know a sister-in-law who is moving way tooooooo much stuff that she won't have room for. Dang with all the stuff we got rid of I don't have room either, But I love my house and have just decided that there is still alot of stuff that may have to go. Sometimes less is better.

So thats my thought for the day:: Less is better

Oh, my! I'm not in Kansas anymore Toto!

What a month this has been. Not sure where to start except to say my computer blew up! Can't believe it. I have had a computer for years and this is the first one that a bug got into and blew it up for me. When I took it in they thought the hard drive was still intact. So I will get it rebuilt but it will be probably at least 3 weeks before I get back on line. Gee I hope I didn't loose all my "favorites"

Well where to start. We got moved to Co. 2 weeks ago today. Made the trip over the mountain OK. I spent a week there to start unpacking, and get a little organized. Then I took a bus, yes I said a bus, back to Mo. as we left our pickup here. I got in here last Sun. and am staying with my SIL and helping her get packed. She closes on the sale of here house here on Tue. Then closes on the house she bought in Co. just a block from us later in the week, then I am out of here to drive home if the weather is good for me to travel over the mountains. 2 day trip all by myself!! Then hubby will come back by bus about the 18th and stay with his sister and drive her to Co. after the movers load her out on the 27th.

So far things have been falling into place pretty well for us. Hard to believe really. For us to finally get the farm sold in Oct. Then to sell 2 houses and buy 2 within 2 months. I think someones hand was on us for sure.

Now just don't know why the darn computer had to shoot craps on me. Been on line trying to make sure that I have all my accounts switched to my yahoo act. Am going to try to transfer my Outlook Express info to Yahoo. Anyone know if that can be done??? I have alot of saved folders there that I believe will be lost when I close out that act. next week with my IP.

OK, I said goodbye to my little store today. Feel sort of sad as Teresa is running it now and she will be fine. Doesn't know much about books though, but she has half of the store for her antiques and collectibles and is advertising. In exchange for letting her use half of the store and I pay the utilities and all as I did before, she will ring up my sales, weekly give my sales for the week to my brother who will deposit them for me. I think it is a fair deal.

Well that's it for today and I won't be back for awhile again. Seems funny to not have access to a computer daily. I am using my brothers today while I am here in town.

Thought for the day: Every path has a few puddles.

Last DAY

Today is my last official day in my store. (wipes a tear) I will be back the first couple weeks of Feb and do some blogging then, but for now this is it.

I was very lucky to find a young lady to share my store. She will be selling country collectibles!! Doesn't that just fit with use books! I will maintain everything in the store, utilities ect. and she will be here 6 hrs. a day 5 days a week. I have been working with her for 3 days to teach her how I handle my books, the trade in system, and all. My brother will pick up money weekly and deposit it for me. She will hopefully sell her stuff. She has a hubby who drives semi and is gone most of the week. So she is excited and I am too. This will work out for us. So thats it for now. Will not be around on line till about the 2nd of Feb.

Please send up a little prayer for me for good roads for our mountain crossing next Thursday!

Nut Case?

I know that doesn't sound "Nice", but since the guy called himself that I guess it is OK to refer him to a Nut Case.

This was a customer who came in yesterday. Just a little scary. Here is a description of him:
Big guy, very pale blue eyes, big glasses, dark stringy hair down past his shoulders, bandanna tied around his forehead, front teeth broken and decayed. Nothing to unusual you say, Well he had a bushy beard about 10 in long, BUT only on half of his face!! Duh do you think? He came right out and said he just got out of the Nut House. Of course he was in there against his will and had to take the psyc drugs or they would never have let him out. He talked for 20 min. or more and I just tried to act natural and slightly interested. Because I really just wanted him to leave. Anyway he told me he was a minister of (I think I have this mostly right) Church of Christ and the Arriayn (I don't even know how to spell that) Brotherhood. He said the face thing was his political and religious statement. He has run for governor, you know they are all crazy that run the government, and he was on his way to the local City Council meeting. Oh, Boy, I was glad to see him leave. Wonder if he is the Nut that burned down the Pub down the street a couple weeks ago?

Thought for the day: The statistics on sanity is that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends--if they're okay, then it's you!

Me?

AQUARIUS - The Sweetheart (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Optimistic and honest. Sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Eccentric personality.

Yup that me! LOL

Got a contract on SIL's house this weekend!
Now just need to find someone to share my store and get that settled

Thought for the day: My mind works like Lightening
One brilliant flash and it is gone!

Good Advice! Please read

This message was sent to me but I am not e-mailing it on to folks, but thought it worth while to put in here. I have always had a feeling that alot of this junk we send around to each other is not a good thing. In fact I delete alot without even opening. And now feel I will stop forwarding anything at all. No wonder we get so much junk mail from all sorts of sites.



Advice from Snopes:
If any of you are wondering why I didn't return something to you that said something like "if I don't get this back I'll....or, "See how many flowers you can get back", or " Forward this to 10 people in the next 5 mins. or something bad will happen to you", etc.The following is why I don't send them back.Advice from Snopes.com http://snopes.com/1

Any time you see an E-Mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, or sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an E-Mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and E-Mails of those folks you forward to.The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' E-Mails to use in SPAM E-Mails, or sell to other spammers.

Almost all E-Mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guiness Book of Records for the most cards.All it was, and all any of this type of E-Mail is, is a way to get names and 'cookie ' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers - - to validate active E-Mail accounts for their own profitable purposes.


There was more to this but didn't want to bore anyone to death, but I think you get the idea.

Sleepless In Mo.

Still not knowing for sure about SIL's house, they are still countering each other, but I think they are finding a meeting ground. Hope so as the folks in Co. won't hold the house out there for her many more weeks. Its all enough to keep you awake at night. We were worried that her house would sell first and we would be sitting her and she can't move and be there alone.

I just have faith that this will work out just fine. And with the housing market we need to be really thankful to have found buyers so quickly.

Thought for the day: Memory is the Personal Journalism of the Soul:
Richard Schickel

Just a Weaver

I clipped this from the news paper recently, and since I consider myself a weaver I fell in love with it. The poem is by Benjamine Malachi Franklin

My life is but a weaving,
between my God and me,
I do not choose the colors,
He worketh steadily.

Ofttimes he weaveth sorrow,
and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent,
and the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas,
and explain the reasons why

The dark threads are as needful
in the skillful weaver's hand
As threads of gold and silver
in the pattern He has planned.