Bad Weather

Bad weather always looks worse through a window. 

~Author Unknown

My son always wants to head out the sliding glass door to our backyard and play in his imaginative world, but today's a very bitter, cold, rainy day and I don't think it would be a good time to be in the yard. This 8 year old is very active and can't seem to just sit in the house and read a book, listen to stories or play with his Lego's. Why do I think he should or would?

He is determined to go into the rain like it is just another sunny day.

One thing I love about my son is his personality.

"Mom it's not cold! Please, I want to go play outside!"

As I look thru the window I can see the weather is getting bad, 

"No, Julian, I don't think it is a good idea... there is lots of mud and I bet it is extremely cold."

His insistence pays off and I quickly tell him to play for just a little bit.

As I look thru the window the sky is growing dark, the trees are swaying in the wind and the rain is hitting against our sliding glass door.

That is when I notice our neighbors windmill just over our fence... it is banging roughly against the fence and twirling at a magnitude speed...

OK, he needs to come in, I bet it is severely cold out there!

As I open the door the bitter cold wind hits my face and rain splatters on my glasses.

"Julian! You need to come in, it's absolutely freezing out here!!"

As I continue to step outside, not dressed for the weather... I realize the extreme cold. But I also notice the sound of rain, the smell of wet mud, feel the cool, chilled wind and see the beautiful gloomy clouds...

It's gorgeous out here!!

The windmill is doing its work and letting me know how windy and stormy it's becoming.

Yes, it is absolutely freezing standing out here without a coat to cover my thin blouse and short skirt. But it's beautiful... Julian is playing in the yard oblivious to the storm, lost in his own world as I watch the windmill do it's work.

I don't know how long I stood there watching this windmill, loving this time outside in the stormy rain, listening to the beautiful sounds, but by the time I headed back inside I was wet and chilled to the bone. 

I decide to get my camera to capture this windmill and...

 remember this moment.

A good cup of joe

Here in the valley is has been extremely COLD and a cup of HOT COFFEE has been the only thing that has been able to warm me down to the tips of my toes. It has been the one and only thing that taste great, not only in the morning but all day long ;) and the aroma is most invigorating!

Coffee has become my very best friend and we get along quite well

*snicker*

This hot beverage made from beans of a tree is exceptionally tasty when freshly brewed

*Ummm*

I know there have been many studies on the negative effects of caffeine, but I have also found some positive input about this brown hot stuff called java.  

"There is some evidence that coffee drinking may be protective against gallstone formation (amongst other pros) in both men and women"

With Gallstones being part of my family history, I will not argue the point and will gladly drink my daily dose, if not more, of a good cup of joe!

And now I must take my leave for I smell the rich aroma of brewing espresso and will have my much needed dose of joe before these gallstones begin to form ;)  

**SWEEEET**

Rain, Rain, Rain.... ☁

Wonderful Rain...

Here in Northern California it is pouring down rain, and I am loving it!!

I don't remember it raining this much last year at this time, but then I cannot always remember what happened yesterday, ;)

I and my honey, who is fast asleep next to my side, are watching and listening to the wonderful sound of the falling rain or should I say pouring down all around us. To sit snugly warm on the couch with not a single light on and watching the rain, thru our sliding glass door, is the sweetest feeling of contentment. I'm so thankful to have my house, at least for the time being, and feel safe and secure.

I just want to give thanks to my Lord for blessing me with this beautiful house, when He did. I'm falling in love with it all over again since we may not be in it much longer.

"I'm enjoying the rain in my warm secure house."

I don't really like to be IN the rain, but it sure is pretty to watch from the inside. Thank you Lord for my husband by my side and for my animals at my feet and for the warm couch I am sitting in.

SOOO for NOW I am enjoying the rain and this has become a...

**HAPPY MOMENT**

South Lake Tahoe in BlkNWhte [Nov. 2010]

South Lake Tahoe in Black and White.

Since 2008 we have been going to South Lake Tahoe for Thanksgiving.

It has become our home away from home.

My mother passed away Mother's Day 2008 and I was really struggling with my emotions that year as the holidays came near.

it was very hard for me to get into any holiday spirit that first year. I had this wonderful friend (co-worker) that made a sweet suggestion for me, as I began to grieved my mother's death. She offered her home (they rent out all year around) in South Lake Tahoe, which is about 1hr and 45min away from our home in the Sacramento Valley. 

'I didn't think we could do it, but my husband feeling he needed to make a miracle happen to help me thru all that Iv been thru, made it possible. I was overjoyed and extremely thankful!!' 

This year we were blessed with heavy snow, all the way up the cabin windows. As a matter of fact, we were snowed in, having to wait an extra day for the storm to pass in order to head back down the mountain.  

*SWEET*

It was absolutely gorgeous and amazingly beautiful!! I was in [earthly] heaven! ;) I thought South Lake Tahoe was beautiful when green and lushes, but... the snow... I was speechless!! It was breath-taking...  the view was remarkable!

On our walk to the lake the icicles [from roof top to ground] were thrilling to see on other homes and cabins. I was extremely blessed and didn't want this 5 day vacation to end. It was a...

*HAPPY MOMENT*

A snowy Thanksgiving

A snowy, white Thanksgiving.

I and my family headed up north to South Lake Tahoe.

We were blessed to have 3 to 4 feet of snow waiting for us.

 Of course that ment my men, my son and his father, had to dig out the drive way so that we could park our Ford.

It was the most spectacular scene I ever did see.

We live in the valley and see rain and quite a bit of frost on the ground, but not snow. We have to travel about 1 to 2 hours north into the mountains just to find snow, so this was a wonderful treat for us. 



Beautiful Icicles

The icicles on the houses' were magnificent and beautiful to behold. I've never seen were they formed from the roofs edge all the way to the ground.

My eyes couldn't get enough of the beautiful whiteness all around me... I was spellbound.

I don't much like the cold or being cold, but I was taken by all this beauty the Lord had for us this Thanksgiving week.  

I sat for hours with my Bible (couldn't tell you what I read) in my lap and me staring out the window at the sparkling whiteness. I have to admit, it was absolutely beautiful to see and breath taking to wake up to. 



Ma and Pa kettle

The day we were planning to travel back home, very early, it began to snow. The winds became stronger and the snow came down harder...

we were stuck.

We decided to stay safe and wait another day hoping for a bright sunny day. But were we really stuck?

 No I was only too happy to sit at the window and watch the snow fall, big fluffy flakes. Smell the wonderful aroma of Turkey Soup, from our Thanksgiving leftovers, and sit by the warm fire. I didn't want any of it to end. I was happy and content.

A day or days I do not want to forget.

This is our third Thanksgiving coming to this cabin and the first time we had this much snow. It was a time of warmth, laughter, sledding, crying, loving, and lots of wonderful food to eat...

I'm thankful today for this time...

*this moment, to always remember.*

☂ Beautiful Rainy Day ☂



Beautiful Rainy Day

I'm not usually a rainy day person, but I've really been looking forward for this rain coming to our  Sacramento valley.

Our local news has advised us too...

Expect on and off rain showers today. This evening a band of steady rainfall will move through the Valley and heavy snow will return to the Sierra. Sunday occasional rain showers and Sierra snow will continue lingering into Monday. Our skies will clear for the big get away day on Wednesday. Chain controls are up on all the Sierra passes. Please take it slow and drive safely. 

Britta Merwin

Sacramento Forecaster

 

I'm so happy and jazzed about this because of a few simple reasons...

For one I feel like the world is cleaner after a consistent rainfall, from all it's filth, and I associate that with a spiritual significance that has happened in my life;

 

Being set free or cleansed from all filthiness and becoming white as snow, Psalms 51. 

I have so much to be thankful for and it being Thanksgiving time helps me to reflect on that one simple thing... being free (cleansed) from sin. God in all His mercy and tender love fills me with much gratitude!

 

Another thing about the rain outside, brings us a very cold day. It reminds me of how cold the world can be towards us in so many ways... But with God there is fire shut up in our bones! A warmth feeling of spiritual freedom brings much joy in a cold dark world.

 

I know my ramblings probably don't make much sense to you but my heart knows what drives me today and everyday that I wake up under the wonderful mercies of God.

 

One wonderful thing about this weather is we are headed to the Sierra's (Tahoe) this coming Wednesday and I'm hoping snow will be in the air or at least on the ground. It's a beautiful place beyond words and brings much comfort to my family (we started this tradition the year my mother passed away in 2008)... God has blessed us with many wonderful people in our lives to give us this opportunity to go to such a place as this cabin... We are truly thankful  (thx Melissa)  

*BLESSED*

 

Rain, rain, rain, thank you for coming at such a time as this... to help us be thankful for many things; the love of our families, the warmth of our homes, the love of our God.

I don't know what more I can say but I don't want to forget this moment and feeling that burns deep within my heart... it's a

*JOYOUS MOMENT*

FALL glorious FALL

fall is my favorite time of year...

The cool brisk weather...

the wonderful smells of rain...

but most of all the leaves...

the color changes in foliage...

I could lay for hours under a tree heavy with red, gold, brown leaves

as they fall on my silent, relaxed form... It makes me thankful for the changes that have transpired in my life... the gift of God will always be alive and well within my soul and the soul of man.

If we will but grasp the wonderful promise of change as the trees do, every fall time when change begins within... before they sleep, for when spring arrives there will be newness of life.

Glorious life... living from glory to glory!!

 

Leaves

"How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow."
-   Elsie N. Brady

Freshly Painted Walls

New painted walls gives this wonderful sense of a new house and  it's
 a whole lot cheaper.
We are in the process of repainting my kitchen and dinning room and I'm so excited to see the conclusion of our labor!!
The theme is coffee with three different colors;
paper sack, sandy yellow, and autumn stem...
Autumn Stem is a very dark color with Paper Sack being the medium color and Sandy Yellow being the lightest...
Eeeek, I can't wait!!!
Umm... I absolutely love coffee, frappes, and lattes that I decided to fix my kitchen up with vintage coffee signs and pics.
The great thing about this is; it's  my marvelous husband undertaking this adventurous project, just for me. showing great enthusiasm for the task at hand.

Him showing an interest has softened my heart,
loving him all the more.

My family for the last year has been buying pics, signs, place-mats, rugs and so forth with coffee theme that my little hutch was teeming with generously rich coffee articles. I could put stock in the stuff
*SWEEETness*
So my husband and I went to good ole WalMart and picked out the colors. It was so exciting, I was beside myself.
"I know, I'm such a simpleton, but hey it's who I am."
My house has been smelling like paint...not the greatest smell I know but I look at it as just the beginning of wonderful changes in this old neglected (far too long) house.
I'm very happy and have been cherishing this...
*HAPPY MOMENT*