California, HERE WE COME!

Hey, all you wonderful friends out there in blogland!!!

My husband and I are planning a getaway to California in the near future!  We're going to fly into LA, rent a car and drive up the coast to San Francisco (with a little side detour to San Juan Capistrano).  Tell me what we need to see!  We're not into fancy expensive stuff - but inns, B&Bs, hotels, restaurants, beachy stuff, the usual points of interest?    Art, other missions, museums? 

Do we want to mess with Hollywood and all that?  I'm kinda thinkin....  ehhh...
Do we want to visit the Carmel area?  I've heard there's lots of artsy-fartsy stuff there and since I paint, that might a good place to stop...
Malibu beach?  or is there another nice beach area?
Drive up Hwy 1 of course...
Going to take in Napa Valley/vineyards area...
Points of interest in San Francisco - GGBridge, Fisherman's Wharf...

I've never been to Cali, so I'm really looking forward to doing that.  We thought about a long road trip, but started adding the fuel and lodging and food costs and it was alot cheaper to fly.

Any and all comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!!!   Thanks so much!!!

EDITED TO ADD:  OOOOO-WEEEE!  I'm getting such great suggestions already!  Keep 'em coming!

My Friend Tara at New Day New Seasons!

I've been friends with this gal for awhile now, and we've actually got to meet up and hang out a couple of times now with another blogger friend, Debbie at Wisdom.  Today, I need to tell you all to go meet Tara at New Day New Seasons.  She is an absolute doll and a dear bloggie friend to me!  We three girls have had the bestest times the twice that we've gotten together. Of all the laughing and joking and discussing serious subjects - you just wouldn't believe.  And eating, of course, lots of eating.  This time it was Mexican food!  I feel like I've known both of them forever and we had a blast at Papacita's and Dressin' Gaudy.

Tara is a school teacher and has a beautiful family.  She is also a Christian lady and her love for Christ shines through when you get to know her.  She is also a very talented artist - you should go by and visit her and see some of her creations!  They are amazing.  I've been quizzing Tara about her work and she's been giving me little hints.  Her sister is also talented and together they make an amazing pair!

Here's just a sneak peak at one of her creations.  Tara puts layers upon layers of mixed media into her work.

Gives it alot of depth and detail.  I know Tara's making some big plans with her artwork, but I can't tell... shhhhhhhhh... you'll just have to wait and see!  Pop over and say hi and tell her I sent you! 

My Little Clara Barton...

THIS is what $1,500.00 worth of books of first year nursing students looks like.....

(and that doesn't even include extra study guides and online study stuff and more workbooks, scrubs, shoes...)

And THIS is what a first year nursing student looks like...

wearing "bubba's boots"...

dressin' up her kittens in doll clothes...

playing soccer and t-ball, ballet, tap, tumbling, dance and cheer...

volunteering as a nurse's aid in Mexico... (the kids loved her)

fishin' with her Pop and brother... she loves it!

swimming and snorkeling in Caribbean waters...

lovin' critters of all kinds...

'specially her pooches...

Here's my baby girl, all grown up, and starting nursing school in a couple of weeks - her dream has finally come true.  She started thinking about this in Jr. High, and took all the health science classes and pre-nursing classes available thru high school and college.  She is so excited and so am I!!!  She is a Christian first and foremost, kind-hearted, practical, a people-person, caring, extremely organized and I think she'll make an exceptional nurse someday!  How did she go from "bubba's boots" to this talented and poised young woman in such a short time???  I swear I don't know.  sniff...sniff...sniff...

Blogger Problems

I'M ABOUT TO SCREAM!!!

Blogger won't let me make comments on some of your blogs today!  It keeps making me sign in, then I do, then it does that over and over and I've lost some comments I've made.  Help!  So if I missed you today, don't despair - I'm not ignoring you!!!

EDITED TO ADD:  Thank you all you smartie-pants that told me to uncheck the "keep me signed in" box!  I'm going to try that tomorrow and see what happens!!!

Hotter'n Blue Blazes...and Other Goin's On

I know, I know, we're all hot.  Wow, this summer's been a doozy, hasn't it!  Even up in the northeast, they've been sweatin'.  Even as I type, I'm settin' here waitin' on the A/C guy to come fix my A/C.  It's blowin', but it's not cold.  The inside temps are steadily climbing just as the outside ones are.  And it's only 10:42 in the morning.  I have the ceiling fans on and my box fan right here beside me trying to just stay still until he gets here.

Daughter and BF came home this weekend - she's in a wedding this afternoon and gone to town to get foo-foo-ed up and she's busy with all that while BF went to run errands with my husband.  BF plays football - he's a big tall guy - and hubby has a couple of he-man jobs to do here at the farm that will take more muscle than he himself has got, so he's going to take advantage of BF being here.

I have to thank all of you who have expressed their sympathy and concern for our friends, Helen & Erin, who lost their daughter Kayla two weeks ago.  I really appreciate your love and prayers and kindness and I know that our friends did, too.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!  The Lord is showering His lovingkindness upon them daily!  What would we do without the Lord AND our friends and loved ones??? I just don't know!

(several hours later...)  OK, we're back in the COOOOOL now.  It was the flux capacitor on the A/C. No, really it was!  "Back to the Future"???  Hint-hint??

Anyway, the garden's gone, the yard is gone, all the jelly is put up - 8 pints of grape from my two little two-year old vines, 2 1/2 doz pints of plum and a dozen peach preserves.  Put up only a little corn - 4 gallon bags of ears - small ears, but they DO taste good.  And boo-koo's of pickles.  Oh yeah, about a dozen quarts of tomatoes or stewed tomatoes or tomatoe juice,  8 quarts of purple hull peas, 10 quarts of green beans, and several gallon bags of pinto beans.  Do you know that down here, purple hull peas are like black gold?  I told Tony that we should raise those babies.  The farmers' markets are charging $10-$12 a sleeve for shelled peas - not sure if a sleeve is 1 quart or 2.  Maybe 2.

Here's a picture of my sunflower seeds still on the flower.  They were beginning to fall off and into the garden. The birds were picking them out. Next year, I guess I'll have rogue sunflowers in my garden again!

My dead corn patch...

My dead tomatoes...

My beautiful sycamore tree - I love this tree - it's beautiful against a blue sky

Hoping for rain (which we didn't get) - turned everything kinda orange-y. Wierd...

After one brief shower, the hay pasture greened back up - it looked great for a few days...

I did not re-touch these photos with color - promise - these clouds were awesome...

End of another hot summer day with no rain...

I HAVE to show you this --- My daughter has become quite a fan of the shabby, farmy, rustic look.  Look what her BF built for her apartment.  She was whining about not have any end tables...

Is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen?  She's been wanting a windmill for something.  She thought he'd forgotten her birthday.  He's been secretly working on this for her!  What a sweetheart!  He's built her a nice TV stand and a nice big heavy desk for school.  He's always happy to build for her whatever she wants!  She thinks he's a keeper.

Well, folks, guess that's all for now.  We're taking daughter and the BF and maybe my son & his wife out for dinner this evening to celebrate daughter's birthday AND

Hubby and my 33rd anniversary!  Take care &

Keep your gown down!!!