Sunday, February 15, 2009

Happy Valentines Day!





Hope everyone had a loving and wonderful Valentines Day! Ours was quiet by choice...but...there were flowers...and chocolates...and cards....OH MY!

Our favorite restaurant..Anthony's was filled up and couldn't take anymore reservations (we were late in calling them though) so we stayed home and went out for brunch the next morning! We're flexible!

One of the picture I've attached here is of DH and I years ago...when we were a bit younger and could climb better. This was in the early 1980's in Alpine, CA. East of Alpine was the Cuyamaca Mountains and we loved going there! There is also the quaint little town of Julian..known for the apples! And there are lots of places to hike and camp in the area of Cuyamaca. They even get snow sometimes in the part of San Diego County.

Friday, February 6, 2009

A Good Daily Prayer...

May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

WOW...love this "Pantry"

.....just came from visiting 'Between Naps On The Porch' Go over and check it out!

Now this is what I call a pantry! What do ya think? I have the storage to do this....but where would I put my food?.....I'll think of something. Maybe I could change the "broom/utility" closet right around the corner from my current pantry....to where we store our food staples! The cleaning supplies, broom, etc. that are currently in there could go to the garage.

Picture found on 'Between Naps On The Porch' of pantry from designer, Bunny Williams.






Saturday, January 31, 2009

My Laundry Room...

Here is my laundry room pictures below. Look...I even have the same antique washboard as Karla at 'Its the Little Things That Make A House A Home'. See my post just before this one. I have them out of order...oh dear!

Anyway...the old washboard....I love it and have had it for many years! I have the other side of this area posted too. My pantry shares this space with the washer/dryer and utility sink. I use the rod above the w/d to hang clothes when I take them out of the dryer. Husband put the shelf up for me for some of my baskets and attached the rod below the shelf. Works great!! And I love light coming into the laundry room. When the flowers and trees are blooming I can look out at them.


Laundry Rooms...



Karla over at 'Its the little things.....' just posted her beautifully organized laundry room..go on by and visit her. And she posted some other laundry room pics as well. I like this one....from HGTV. It looks "cozy" with the little lamp and family pictres. And...I have a thing for wood floors.

Thursday, January 29, 2009


I just happened to visit the Blog of my fellow blogger, Lisa... over at 'Coastal Nest' there I saw she had another fellow blogger friend "tag her" with a cute meme game....Six Picture Meme game: Just Go to your pictures folder, go to the sixth folder and choose the sixth photo and write something about it. Here is mine: Oh my and look what we have here. Sixth folder in my "picture" file was 'Grandpa's Old Farm"...and the sixth picture was....Yours Truly! I was first child to my parents..dad was in the Army and in Africa when I was born in ....dare I say it??? February 1943!! I was also the first grandchild for my maternal grandparents and that's where this picture was taken...at my grandparent's farm in Middletown, DE. Now...how do I send this on to another blogger???? Or...will someone stop to by my Blog and pick up on it as I did on Cindy's Blog??

Monday, January 26, 2009

One of the first signs of Spring in our front yard are the blooming of our ornamental plum tree...daffodils...forcythia
One of the first signs of Spring in our front yard are the blooming of our ornamental plum tree...daffodils....forcythia

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Will be good to see my flowers..my tranquility pond...etc....



Spring will be here before we know if....


Have been reading Blogs this morning...and it seems many of us are looking toward Spring! I have learned to enjoy every season of the year, but I do also look forward to Spring as well..to my flowers....my garden....my pond.....the coming and going of the different wildlife and birds...Here is a hint of what is to come (or come back) in my garden...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

God Bless America


Lyrics:

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

A few inspiration pictures...

These inspiration pictures are from 'Curious Sofa' Blog and the dining room in the HGTV 2009 Dream Home.


Just a few of my Inspiration Pictures...
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Shades of White...


I like this chair and the fabric it is covered in and is one (of many)of my "incentive pictures. I believe I got it off of a Blog...'CuriousSofa'...its a fantastic Blog...you should check it out... http://curioussofa.blogspot.com/.

Below is a view of our living room now....it will be part of my "canvas"...as I transform our living room and dining room into a "shades of white", comfy, "country/rustic/chic" living spaces. We love our current off white down sofa. The three chairs will be recovered in textured some shade of off white or creme fabric, the (now oak or pine) pieces of furniture will be transformed with a treatment of off white paint and distressed. The ceiling in both the living room and dining room will remain cedar plank. We love the view from our front windows, but I'd like to hang some off white silk accent drapes. There will also be our family pictures..going to use rustic black frames like Melanie did in her home(My Sweet Savannah..love her Blog!). http://mysweetsavannah.blogspot.com/ Of course there will be a few of my plants, fresh flowers when possible, white candles in shiny glass containers, and our special family items..which bring back wonderful memories.


http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/white-done-right-country-cottage-style/pictures/index.html

Friday, January 16, 2009

Need Ideas for my Pantry....

This is our Pantry/Laundry Room as it looks today. Directly across from this layout is the back door, w/d (with windows above), and utility sink . This "working corridor" serves as passage to 1) my "office" (you don't EVEN want to see the condition of that room! That's on the "to do list" for Spring '09)...and 2)past the pantry, if you turn right..there is a small broom closet and also the door into the attached garage . Any ideas for this area?
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reupholstering or slipcover????

Help needed! These chairs are very comfortable for both my husband and I. I picked them up for $10 each at a local resale shop. They definitely need either reupholstery or slipcovers. Which do you think would be easiest to do? Appreciate feedback on this one. Either recommendations for a very reasonable business in the Ferndale/Bellingham area...or instructions as to where I could find "Upholstery or make Slipcovers for Dummies" type instruction...lol.


What is that bright object in the sky???

Oh yes....that's what we call "the sun"...in there somewhere behind the fog....almost forgot!

Saturday, January 3, 2009


Tonight dear husband...Brian and I... had a wonderful anniversary dinner at Anthony's at Squalicum Harbor... in Bellingham, WA. If you are ever up this way be sure and check this restaurant out...we highly recommend it. Everything about it is great...the atmosphere, food, service...all wonderful...for relaxing ...casual dining. We got there before it got dark so we could enjoy looking out over the harbor and all the sailboats. As it got dark we could enjoy the Christmas lights some of the sailboats had still lit up. It was beautiful! It was lightly snowing when we left home (in Ferndale), but as we got to Bellingham...they were only getting light rain. In picture....here we are sharing a dessert....hmmmmmm....cream brulee!

http://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/info/bellingham.html

Thursday, January 1, 2009

I Love Etsy

Love all the creative items "SweetSavannah's Shop" has...finally ordered this cute sign with "The Jones Family"

http://mysweetsavannah.blogspot.com

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

My "boys" (son and grandson) - in Colorado

My daughters and grandson!

On Christmas Eve in San Diego my daughter Terry (green sweater), grandson Jonathan, and daughter Michele got together at Terry and Michele's Dad's home. They sent me this picture! I really miss being nearer to our children!!!!
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Monday, December 22, 2008

Oh My..my mind works in mysterious ways!


I don't know where to begin.....my mind is spinning. First I guess I'll say I believe everything in ones life happens for a reason...everything! I think maybe we individually can alter events in our lives consciously or unconsciously...or maybe not? But reviewing..in my thoughts...my life journey...I believe for me that is the case. Most importantly...I have a strong faith in God...and I believe that people come into and out of our lives...touch our lives...for a reason...and we don't even know why! In the following text when I say ...for a reason. I realize that I had my own conscious reasons, but I feel there were other reasons with which I may not have been in touch. When I agreed to move across country with my husband and children in 1980...for a reason; even my choices of where I worked...
  • a wonderful Social Service Agency-Harmonium as an office manager for awhile...for a reason. Several specific people touched my life there...for a reason; and when I made the decision to separate from and then divorce my husband....for a reason;
I left Harmonium and went back to college...for a reason; even my choices of where I worked.....
  • part-time office manager at a Architect's office while I went back to college;
  • Executive Assistant at UCSD Department of Psychiatry;
  • Senior Executive Assistant for CEO and COO at a several BioTech companies;
  • Alpine-Viejas Kumeyaay Reservation in Tribal Government where I was Assistant to the Tribal Government Manager...for a reason. Yes, all for a reason!!
All this time I grew in faith...and in spirit....special people touched my life throughout my "life journey"...and I learned from them valuable lessons of life. All the while I felt God was guiding me and looking over me. Like it is said......yours is not the only footprint in the sand even when you think it is....He is with you! Even when I had a heart attack and later strokes, I felt comforted.

I met my beloved husband in 1983-1984 and continued to experience changes in my life. There were also positive changes in his life over the years and in the lives of his children. His wife had died of cancer a few years before. He and is family were in trouble..."dysfunctional"... I believe the term is. I knew I loved this man deeply, but I also knew I had to be sure to take care of myself along my life journey...or I couldn't help them. The beauty of this story is that we ["my Bear" and I] are happily still together and married ...he is a recovering alcoholic for many years now...and his sons have had (through there were ups and downs) positive changes in their lives and people in their lives. I believe I was one of them. So you see....the fabric or the journey of our life is so complicated...people touch us and we touch people...for a reason.

But, let me get back to why my thoughts began to ramble on this morning. After a discussion with my husband....certain things triggered my memory (this is what usually happens to me..lol) and I thought back to Harmonium. I thought fondly of a gentle co-worker/counselor there named Larry Laveman. So, I (of course)googled him. He is still at Harmonium and also has continued with his private practice in California....and he authored a book which I just have to get to read! It's called "Mysticism & Modern Life: Ancient Wisdom for Personal Growth".

Another very special person who touched my life was Penny Culbreth-Graft. As I mentioned above she was the Tribal Government Manager and I was her assistant. Penny was by far the most wonderful and supportive bosses I have ever had! I admired her abilities...her strength. She was also a very generous and supportive boss. I am forever grateful she ...for a time...was a part of my life.

On another line of thought...I think that some of these Blogs are a tool for reaching out in a healthy positive way also. I'll close for now....wishing all of you out there a very Merry Christmas....love, peace, joy to all.... Tricia/NWlambear



Sunday, December 21, 2008

My Grandson - Jonathan



THEN (above)........with his parents (my daughter Terry and her husband) and one with me (proud Grandma got to hold him right after he was born!) A moment I'll never forget.....my daughter giving birth to her first child. Jonathan is 21 now -- below he is pictured with his Mom when he was returning to Fort Bragg at the end of his Christmas leave last Dec '07. Oh my its been 21 years...can't believe it...seems like only yesterday he was born...so here he is .... NOW (well...actually in 2007):


My daughter Terry and grandson Jonathan...December 2007. He's on leave down in San Diego now to spend Christmas 2008, but sadly I'm not able to travel to see my family there. Jonathan spent 15 months in Afghanistan already and he's due to go back over this Spring I'm told.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Our Malamute....Kume


Click Here to find out more about Malamutes:

Our feathered friends...


Our feathered friends...here is a Thrush. We try...well my husband does...to keep food out for all our feathered friends.......

Blogs I Follow:

Strolling on beach at sunset...