So True

Sometimes God doesn't tell us His plan because we wouldn't believe it anyway. -- Carlton Pearson

Seasons Change

We are changing seasons here in the Kern River Valley. Although we had more than our four days of spring this year, I am not ready for spring to leave. Unless, of course, it takes this blasted wind with it. Fathers day the wind blew so hard we just stayed in all day.
Now we are going from our mild (for this time of the year) 83-87 degrees to high 90's, and low 100's for the weekend.
Dont get me wrong, I love the warm weather. I dread winter. But my cooler isnt ready at my studio. Nuff whining.
The White pelicans are dwindling and moving on. We get flocks of white pelicans joining us every winter. I am not sure where they come from, nor where they go when they leave. All I know is that our lake is almost 3 hours (driving time), and two mountain chains, away from any ocean. And our lake is no substitute for the beach, but here they are every year. We must be on their migration map. Some day I am going to have to research this amazing thing. But not today.
Today I have to go to my bookkeeping job. It is my friday!

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day to all you fathers out there. Happy Fathers day to my sweet husband Michael, who chose to be a father to two young boys, (whose father went his own way), that desperately needed a father in their lives. And now happy fathers day to my youngest son who is celebrating his first fathers day.

And

Happy Fathers day to my heavenly Father, who is always here with me, forever faithful and loving, who guides and directs my steps, and gives me everlasting life. The One True Father.

Today everything is Quiet

Yesterday, while celebrating Fathers Day, my hubby took pictures of the babies as they peeked out of their birdhouse and watched momma and daddy (Jack & Sally Sparrow) feed them. It was as noisy as it has been the last week. All hungry and demanding.

When we went indoors to eat, the boys commented how noisy the birds were, we just smiled. Afterwards, I was taking some veggies out to Shadrak, our tortoise, looked up at the bird house and there was a head peaking out at me. But it wasn't a birdie, it was a gopher snake. Now I never even thought to worry about one of those! Of course, my sweet noisy babies are gone. Into the circle of life.

It makes me sad, but also makes me realize again how fragile life can be and how we are not in control of our surroundings. Oh, we can plant, water, plan, dream, and aspire. But the end result is not in our control.

We kept the cats from getting the babies, but we couldn't keep that sneaky snake from getting them. We can plant our garden and expect it to give us the fruit and vegetables we see on the little package, but we have to wait for the outcome. We can carefully and prayerfully plan our lives to the fullest, most fun and rewarding, but we cannot predict the future.

The Bible says, "The mind of man plans his way but the Lord directs his steps."

I have always said that man plans and God laughs. Gods' plans are always better than what we dream up. I have also known that no matter how hard I try, Control is an illusion. But it never stops me from trying to control my surroundings.

I wanted to strangle that snake, instead I had my 6'4" son reach up and lift the birdhouse from the pole and turn the 3' gopher snake loose in my garden. Hopefully next time he will get those horrible gophers. I just keep telling myself it is natures way, the circle of life.

But I still had tears streaming down my face when Sally came joyfully up to the porch with her prize moth in her mouth for her babies and they were not there. And I had tears when Jack sat on the branch and just watched and watched the birdhouse for his babies. Even the sparrows have plans. But God cares for the little sparrows too, and they will refurbish the birdhouse and be back. I hope.
We will snake proof the birdhouse now in hopes of a new family. And life goes on.

Ah, this funny, sad, exciting, excruciating, heart filling, and heart wrenching, Circle of Life we are on.

This is for the birds!

Our new babies are so noisy that they are overtaking the frogs! There are four of them and one is going to get pushed out, I just know it!

Right Brain- go figure

My cyber friend Pat Sloan posted about this test. Curiosity got the best of me....
So I took it!
And Big Surprise I am Right brained....lol


Right Brain vs Left Brain Creativity Test

About this test | Disclaimer


Thank you for taking the Creativity Test. The results show your brain dominance as being:

Left Brain Right Brain
39% 61%

You are more right-brained than left-brained. The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. In addition to being known as right-brained, you are also known as a creative thinker who uses feeling and intuition to gather information. You retain this information through the use of images and patterns. You are able to visualize the "whole" picture first, and then work backwards to put the pieces together to create the "whole" picture. Your thought process can appear quite illogical and meandering. The problem-solving techniques that you use involve free association, which is often very innovative and creative. The routes taken to arrive at your conclusions are completely opposite to what a left-brained person would be accustomed. You probably find it easy to express yourself using art, dance, or music. Some occupations usually held by a right-brained person are forest ranger, athlete, beautician, actor/actress, craftsman, and artist.

Fathers Day

I do admit fathers day has never been one of my favorite days.
I do have a father, I do send him a card.

That being said, I do not have warm fuzzy memories of growing up and fathers. Or even of being an adult and fathers. Fathers always leave, always let you down, hurt you, and are not to be trusted. I did have one stepfather that I loved, but he is gone now. And I guess one out of three aint to bad.
At least, that is my experience with fathers.

Now Grandads and Uncles are a different story. :) Grandads and Uncles are everything daddys are suppose to be. They love you unconditionally, are always there when you need them, never lie to you, and never never hurt you.
At least, that is my experience with Grandads and Uncles.

Even the father I chose for my boys let them down, left, hurt them, and could not be trusted.

But my sweetheart Michael changed all that. He came into our lives, loves the boys unconditionally, raised them, was and is always here for them, never left them, and would never ever hurt them. My Michael is their daddy.

I like fathers day a little more now that I have Michael. And now that our youngest son is a daddy. And our oldest son is the best Uncle in the whole world.
I am now surrounded by men who dont leave, who can be trusted, who wont lie to me, and would never ever leave me.....

Happy Fathers Day

Spring in th Kern River Valley

We have had more wind this spring than I can ever remember in my 23 years of living here. We have also had a longer spring than I can ever remember. A trade off maybe? This is the first year that I have had birds nest in my birdhouses too! I have a small collection of birdhouses on my porch. The oldest and most delapidated one is the home of Jack and Sally Sparrow. ( Jack Sparrow - get it? I know, but he is my favorite pirate! lol) They had two babies that grew up and flew off a couple of weeks ago, now they have four babies and they are getting big. They should be leaving the nest next week. It is so fun to sit and watch and listen. Boy, the parents sure work hard at feeding these four noisy hungry babies.
Soon they will fly away and spring will turn to summer. Every thing is in constant change, constant movement. But it is nice to just sit on my porch and watch and just be in the moment.
Oh, did I mention that I have five cats? They have been told that the birds are off limits. So far, so good....

Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along

I have pieced it all together now and am adding borders. Not wasting an inch of fabric!
I have added a 2" Black border and the 2" block strips left over from cutting 11 1/2" blocks.
Now another 2"black strip and the 7 1/2" strips left over and I will be ready to quilt. Should I quilt it with red thread, black thread or white? mmmm?

This is what I was talking about Yesterday!

We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures
on earth and in eternity. Modern civilization is so complex as
to make the devotional life all but impossible. The need for
solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.

-- A. W. Tozer

Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along

Old Red Barn Co



3 weeks ago I posted about a Quilt Along at the Red Barn Co. I decided to Quilt Along!
I bought black and white fat quarters a few years ago at Asilomar and saved them for something special. This is special!
First you pick out the fabric, then cut it into strips, then sew the strips together in blocks of six. Then cut the strips three times, to make a square, rectangle and strip.
Then arrange blocks and sew together. Simple enough huh?

Catching Up

Catching Up
Do we ever really get caught up?
I keep trying, then I could have a day off.
But if I take a day off then I will be behind again.
It is the vicious circle we call life. We have put so much pressure on ourselves that we cannot or will not stop and rest and just be.
But we have so much to do.

I will go to work today and try to get caught up. But I promise to take a moment here and there to smell my roses, pet my cats, play with my dogs, and commune with my God.

Oh, and water the garden, and the lawn and flowers, vacuum and tidy up my studio. Do the dishes and take out the trash, and finish the laundry, and cook dinner. Oh, and finish the quilt on the rack and add a new one.

Wow, I gotta go, gotta lot to do. Maybe if I do all this I will get caught up. Then I could have a day off. :)

Quilt Qua Give away!

Here is info on the latest giveaway: Win: 1 Frosted Memories Fat Quarter Bundle by Holly Taylor for Moda Fabrics ! To enter simply "tell a friend" to spread the word about Quilt Qua. You can send an e-mail to people, post on your blog, comment on someone else's blog, put info in your guild newsletter, etc. Then send an e-mail to: quiltqua@gmail.com and let me know what you did. Enter as often as you wish. Random drawing for the winner will be at 10 pm July 31st. (Feel free to post giveaway info on your site)

Quilt Qua

http://www.quiltqua.com/links/blog Check this out! Great Site!

Drawing Day