Christmas Pups!

Pepi and Lucy in their Christmas collars waiting for Santa Paws.

Spike is joining in on the fun, their Christmas collars are so cute! They have little jingle-bells on them. It drove Spike crazy at first but he got used to it before long.

Mom, Dad and Jimmy were up this evening for Oyster Stew and goodies. We opened an early Christmas gift from Jimmy, it was the DVD game Scene It, the Seinfeld edition. We played a couple of games it was alot of fun!

Mom's Surgery - Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

I guess I haven't posted in quite awhile. It has been a busy month though. On Dec 16th, I took Mom and Dad to Wenatchee for Moms brain shunt surgery the next day. Mike went down ahead of us to get Jessie's house warmed up and plow the driveway. We stayed at Jessie's house since we had to be at the hospital by 5:30 am and had to get up at 4am. Mom went into surgery around 7:45 am. Mike, Dad, Bill, Carl S and I waited for the Dr to let us know how things went. After a couple of hours he came out and told us thing had gone smoothly and she would be in recovery for a couple of hours. We went down to the cafeteria for breakfast then went up to watch for her to be wheeled to her room. Although she was tired and disoriented she was doing okay. They had her up walking before too long. She wasn't feeling very good and really wanted to leave. Clyde and Lana came up to visit her in the afternoon. In fact Clyde came by a few times that day. She seemed to be doing a little better by evening and had eaten dinner, so we decided it was time for us all to go and let her rest as well as us. I'm afraid she probably had a very confusing night but the staff at the Central Washington Hospital was wonderful, and took very good care of her. When we arrived in the morning we were expecting her to maybe be released that afternoon. We met her nurse in the hallway and she said she was going to be released that morning. I said in a hour or so? But surprisingly she said in about 10 min. Mom was sitting up in the room when we got there, she had had her CAT scan, seen the Dr. and had eaten breakfast. Bill was there, it was about 8:30 am. I had brought her clothes in so the CNA helped her get dressed and before you knew it we were out of there! Mom didn't want to ride out in the wheel chair ...so she walked. I know she was sooo glad to be leaving. Bill followed us up to Jessie's in Cashmere to stay and visit with them while Mike and I ran into town to do a little shopping at Costco. We got our things together and left Cashmere by 1:30. We drove straight home...making one stop at KFC for chicken for dinner, then we picked up her pain meds at the drug store. Mom was in some discomfort on the way home, she had staples in her scalp and stitches in her abdomen. She was using her walker and cane the first couple of days at home but yesterday when I got there she was up and walking quite well on her own. Wonderful!! Other symptoms...not much change. She is feeling better...less pain. All we can do is take one day at a time.

1st Snow!!

It happened...it snowed yesterday morning. It covered the ground in a clean white blanket of cold wet snow. I guess winter is here early. I think it made everyone just want to hibernate..work was pretty slow this afternoon too.

All the puppies have found homes. The lady that wanted Peanut flaked out on me...but he found a home the same day with a man who had lost his chi and desperately wanted Peanut. I miss all the babies, but I'm so glad they found good homes. It was a fun experience..nothing can put a smile on your face faster than a puppy.

Happy Birthday !!

We celebrated Jimmy's 23rd birthday and Mom and Dads 41st wedding anniversary on Thursday with pizza and this huge yummy All American Chocolate Cake!! Notice the thick chocolate shavings on the sides, it was four layers of chocolate lovers heaven. I wish I could say I made it...but Costco gets the credit for this one.

It is pretty cool that Jimmy's birthday is on his G & G's anniversary. Notice the little munchkins under the table. They gather at Mom's feet hoping she will give them a treat (because she does). If you look close you can see Lucy, Spike and Kozi. Dad is telling me I should turn the light out (yes, I still am getting advice from him).


Mike and Jimmy had worked all day getting the shingles up on the garage since it was supposed to snow in the morning.

Spike & Doodle Bug (AKA Peanut)

This is Jimmy's pup Spike with the last pup. The people that are buying him wants me to start calling him Doodle Bug, as it will be his new name, but it is hard since he has been Peanut for so long.

What a handsome fellow!!

I think I may let Lucy have another litter next year. The puppies have been a lot of fun!!

Up goes the Garage

The 3 car garage is going up at the new building site. The PUD got the power in this week, so the guys don't have to use the motor home and generator anymore. We have been having all kinds of weather the last few weeks, rain, snow, sunshine and wind. Nice & Nasty!

You can see our green house and garage in the picture diagonally behind where the new home site is. To the right is the house we sold this last summer.

New Leather Smells Great!

We are still getting settled back into our house. Our furniture came last week and we LOVE it!! I still have end tables that are coming. We went with leather this time..we haven't had leather furniture before and we are really liking it. This is the mission style recliner that Mike is claiming, and a sectional. The leather smells sooo good!

The chickens have a home again! Mike made them a deluxe house this time, it is twice the size of their old house which stayed with the house we sold. It still needs to be painted, but the hens are very happy!

On Monday Dad and I took Mom to see a neurologist, he wanted us to come back the next day to do a procedure on her, a spinal tap. We came back and she had it done and it seemed to be successful, so the next step will to see a neurosurgeon..hopefully before to long. The Dr. believes she has excess fluid causing pressure on her brain that is causing some of her problems with mobility, cognitive skills and other symptoms shes been having. ... A bit of hope.

Barter Faire!!

We took some time off from moving and cleaning the garage out yesterday afternoon to go the Barter Faire. It had been a couple of years since we had gone, so we wanted to check it out. Jimmy came with us. There are upwards of 10,000 people that go.....so very interesting in our little neck of the woods. When we started up the hill to the faire we noticed LOTS of cars parked along the highway and at the bottom of the hill and people walking up. It is quite a walk uphill, about 3+ miles. About halfway up the hill we discovered why, the road was bumper to bumper. Up the hill ....

And down.

We finally made it in though..and we found our favorite spot to eat! Mike had a chicken broccoli crepe and I had an apple cinnamon. Yummy!

Mike and Jimmy trying to stay warm. It was clear and cold.

I thought they were going to buy a hula hoop....

This girl was quite tricky with hers.

We walked up and down the rows of venders...produce..soaps..junk...jewelry...pipes...clothes...hats....food...card reading...pelts...campfires..insence..rocks..pictures...junk...

Up on the hill there are tents set up all over and people sitting in small groups...it didn't show up in my picture much though.

The shadows were getting long, we had made our way Thu the fair and it was starting to get colder, so we started our walk back to the pickup to go home.

We were parked in the very last row of cars....way back in the right hand corner of the picture. We got a good walk in.

This was my lone purchase at the faire, a batter bowl...it is a match to the bowl I picked up at the faire a few years back. I was so happy to find it...it is soo cute!

Happy Fall !!

Isn't this just so sweet!! Kelly sent us this "Happy Fall" surprise. She knew I was looking for a tart warmer while we were out on our visit...but I couldn't find just the right one. But leave it to Kelly she found one for me that is absolutely perfect!! It is folksy, country and rustic all in one and I love birds! It also has cute little star cut outs that glow when the tea light is lit. Included in her package were 3 wax tarts in wonderful autumn scents, and a cute wooden heart w/wire hanger. Thanks Kelly, I will think of you whenever I light my tart warmer!!

I found this little guy in Wenatchee yesterday at Lowe's, I thought he needed a home with me too. I have just the perfect spot for him in my Kitchen.

It has been a windy day today. I cut down my cornstalks in the garden, picked up my pumpkins, and pulled out the vines. I bought a bag of about 90 tulip bulbs at Costco yesterday and now I need to get them planted, probably not today though.

Our renters are moving out of the house today so it won't be much longer until we move back in, probably sometime this week. They were nice renters and we will miss their 3 little boys.

Then there were Three

Last night Big Girl went to her new home. I think she will be very happy there ... she has 3 little girls to love and play with her.

Now these 3 little sweeties are left. Aren't they too cute!

Mike and Jimmy have been working on putting in the chain link fence. It is sure alot more work than I ever thought it would be, but it is going to be so nice to have. I won't have to worry about the dogs being outside anymore

Rustic Pear Tart

I had a few Red Bartlett pears that were getting very ripe, so thought I'd try this recipe out on my family coming to dinner tonight.

So easy...now ready to pop in the oven.

Oops, I didn't get my picture before a few pieces were gone. We had it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Yummy!

Jessie's Place

On Saturday morning we drove down to Cashmere to see Jessie before he left on his next job. His place is really looking nice. His lawn is doing well since he has been able to give it a little TLC.

He got his garage painted and stairs on the back deck.

He made a nice little bridge across a dry creek on his property

We went to a Flea Market in Apple Annie's parking lot and found some great treasures. I got a couple of small ladders, a pet carrier, a painted wooden flag, and a Starbucks mug. Mike even found some stuff, a couple of Starbucks mugs and some wire thingamajig with plug ins. Lots of fun stuff there.

Puppies are doing great...they like to go outside to run, dig and play. Here they are all tuckered out and napping in the sunshine. They are going to the vet in the morning to get their 1st puppy shots.

Farewell to Summer...

I guess summer is officially over. The Labor Day weekend was chilly and damp, we were hoping to work outside but the weather didn't cooperate. We did go get our steer on Monday. He was greeted by our other cows.

The puppies are 6 wks old now, and such a riot to watch! They all come for dinner time, a bunch of little piggy's...too cute!

Peanut (male)

Spike (male)

Big Girl (female)

Spotty Dotty (female)

Yeller (male)

Aren't they sweet!

Nap Time !

What a Great Life!

Well, we have moved back into the apartment over the garage, and closed on the house we sold. It has been a real whirlwind couple of weeks since we got back from Nova Scotia! We are more or less settled in. Mike got my washer and dryer hooked up in the garage Friday morning so I can wash clothes again.

Jessie came up for the weekend...we hadn't seen him since he got back from Alaska. He had some really wonderful pictures of the job he was on and the beautiful area he was working in. Some of the pictures were really scary of how they did the work up so high, the helicopters that took them from tower to tower by a ladder hanging down from them or a "chair" hanging from a rope. Very interesting though. He will be home (Cashmere) for a couple of weeks before he starts his next job.

The pups are getting cuter every day! They are 4 1/2 wks old. I started them on puppy chow yesterday since they all have teeth. They LOVE to play and are so funny!

They are adorable!

This sweet little black/tan pup is Spike...he belongs to Jimmy....what a great home he will have!

What a Cutie!

Jessie might take one too... in the meantime they are for sale...any takers?