Hike to South Mnt. Hidden Valley

Saturday we all took a Valentine's day Hike

It was a beautiful day. Perfect weather.

This was the "HOUSE" rock as the kids named it.

Then the children and Daddy Man hike a rock out crop.
I think I would of freaked out if I knew what the top of that was like.
Daddy did at one point and called them down.
Several kids were up there unattended.
They are looking down at me sitting on that wall.

The view was spectacular!

Dash was being too careless so Steve got them down.
He was too fearless on the top.
There is a gift of wisdom in fear.

Remember now he was up there with ours.

Tired and the day was getting mid afternoon we hiked out.

I thought this tree was so beautiful.
Laid down dead, yet living.
The old passing away and the living thriving.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

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For Today...

Outside my window...Afternoon sun is easing to the west, wisps of clouds accent the beautiful mild temperatures. The chickens have roosted for the day. A gentle breeze is swinging the bird feeders at the window beside me. A very large choc Lab is pining the company of his family.

I am thinking... About the many things I was able to accomplish today and how very tired my body is. I am so satisfied in my labors

From the learning rooms... delphinium need to be pre chilled for best germination. So I will tend to them at a rested point. They then need to be set in a bag in the potting mix for a few weeks. Carrot seeds do best when soaked for 12 hours. Peas love to be soaked for 24 hours.
I experimented with the bread dough. I put a little sugar in with the yeast and water. Wow what a nice rise My bread is beautiful. Undergoing final rise before baking. I have learned to let it sit over night. It slices so beautifully in the morning. Just ready to make the lunches.

I am thankful for... For the presence of my best friend, the lover of my soul. I have walked intimately with my Abba Father God all day. He awoke me with a love song. He delights in the "reflection of the love that is in my eye". I had a very cathartic cry this morning. This afternoon Steve, and I belly laughed so hard that my back hurt! I feel. Today I am not numb. I am thankful that Abba reached through my hurt into my heart today.

From the kitchen... Oh Mercy! Strawberry cordial, strawberry Jam, roasted garlic and potato, Olive oil infused with thyme, marjoram, garlic and sage. Also 4 loafs of bread rising in the oven. I made spaghetti sauce for the week and the re fried bean as well. The meats for the first of the week are thawing. Three large heads of garlic have also been roasted for the menu this week.The menu is finished.

I am wearing... Jeans with earth on them, a beautiful red top that is my very favorite top. It has crystal buttons. I look really good in it!

I am reading... I will be reviewing the four master for tomorrows presentations. I will be doing the presentation to 4 classes of around 28 students. 1st ,2ND and 4Th grade levels. I have also been studying the requirements for seeds and germination. The nest thing I wish to gain more knowledge of is the companion planting of a garden as a natural pest deterrent.

I am hoping...To do a good job. Wednesday I have a job. A two hour survey about carpet cleaners it will pay $65. for 1 1/2 hours work. It is an answer to prayer for the desire to aide the budget. We made a little mistake this month and need to correct it. This will really help.
I am hoping and trying to stretch our dollar to a good yield.

I am creating... Fabric coverlets for jars , out of my Mothers towel that I inherited.
Labels for the row markers in the garden.
A bracelet that a friend asked me to re make for her. It is an old bracelet that meant a lot to her. I am going to redesign,string and put a clasp on it. Also a good compost, sounds strange perhaps , but I want to create my own dirt for the garden. It is my effort to become as self sufficient and independent as possible.

I am hearing...My husband and the children's voices as they play a computer game in the other room. There is a jet overhead.

Around the house... Loads of laundry to be sorted, a living room to tend to after the kids have had it for three days. The bread counter needs to be cleaned. Floors to sweep and wash. Carpet to be vacuumed and cleaned in the master bathroom. Piles of fabric and patterns set together in piles to complete the projects. Correspondence to finish. The lead in adds to review. Taxes to consider too. There are 65 beautiful lemons that a sweet neighbor gave to us today, I gifted her with a freshly made jar of strawberry jam.

One of my favorite things... Being soft hearted.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Art Master presentations on Tue., Wednesday I have to go to the city with Dash and see the ENT to find out if Dash may need surgery he will also get new ear molds for the aides. I will have to re qualify and will not qualify for zero out of pocket because we have had to work on overtime wages to get by right now. So it will be 100 % out of pocket after they bill our Insurance. Then I will take him back to school and work in Doves class with the learning impaired kids. Then we will have a 4 p.m. meeting at the house with our financial advisor. At 7:p.m. I will be off to do the consumer interview for the fieldwork phoenix.
Thursday is mine!
Friday is mine!
Saturday is a big play date for the "club" members. That is the kids who are all apart of the tree house dream. Steve may go on a hike with a friend. I will have the pleasure of hanging out with one of the moms. She and I so seldom get to be together.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
First rise
This will be for four loaves
That is some HAPPY YEAST!
I tried something. While the yeast was in the warm water and I was mixing the other ingredients I added a teaspoon of sugar to my yeast. I hope it works>
:)

Love is a song over your head

A song for Bobbie
by John Denver
see side bar
songs over my head

I awoke again with a song over me .
After doing the research I was able to find it.
This is sung by a woman.
It is much much more meaningful When it is Jonh Denvers' voice.
I wept this morning .
Healing tears that are so rair for me.

Gardening Sources of Specific Nutrients

Sources of Specific NutrientsMany of these fertilizers are available processed and packaged. You don't have to harvest your own. Nitrogen: bat guano, blood meal, chicken manure, cottonseed meal, fish emulsion, kelp meal, livestock manure (composted) Phosphorus: bonemeal, rock phosphate, super phosphate Potassium: granite meal, greensand, seabird guano, shrimp shell meal, sulfate of potash, wood ashes Calcium: bonemeal, chelated calcium, eggshells, limestone, oyster shells, wood ashes Boron: borax, chelated boron, manure Copper: chelated copper Magnesium: chelated magnesium, dolomitic limestone, Epsom salts Sulfur: iron sulfate, sulfur, zinc sulfate Zinc: chelated zinc, zinc sulfate Iron: chelated iron, iron sulfate

I got GOLD! He gave me GOLD!

I called my darling who has been working overtime
and pouring out his kindness to over flowing.

He answered the phone...
"Oh honey , oh how sweet of you!...

"I thank you I got it..."

He said "what.......??????"

"Oh how sweet of you thank you!"

He replied again "what for ?"

"I got the gold!"..say I

"What gold?" he enquirers with some stress to his tone

Just having fun was I but enough was enough and I said ...
"thank you for the new gold tooth".
They had just called me in early for it arrived several days before it was expected.
It is now complete the loss, surgery for the implant and the abutment and the pretty, shiny new tooth!


On the trip round the loop for the errands the health food store has now a better supply of herbs and seasonings by the once.
Needing a powder milk substitute for some recipe mixes.
The rice protein will hopefully work well. It was a better price per once than the soy powder.
My darling uses the fever few for head aches. It is the best thing he has ever found for them.
Than emergent C, is a good general supplement to help get minerals in.
Then after a fast bite of lunch I was off to the school.
Dash had a wonderful art class and then it was off to Doves room.
They were having the "V" day party.
Lots of fun and goodies.
The children rushed me for the hugs and hello's.
I just love that.
It was so wonderful to see a young man open up...he was board the last Art Masters presentation.
I had been praying for him.
He seamed distant and aloof, compared to most of the other kids.
It is often the way of a Navajo to learn a person first.
Waiting to see if the person is due respect or not.

The young (Hopi or Navajo) boy in the black.
He approached me to tell me a riddle.
He then told me the solve.
I would not let the other kids tell the solve, for it was his riddle.

This sweet kid gave me a valentine

group of girls

I worked in the art trailer,with Dash and his class first.
We studied movement theory.
I grabbed some treats from Doves party and gave them to Dash after school.

Gardening all day...can you dig it? :)

The earth is a wonderful bounty of pleasure and joy.
Simple treasure.
Dove desired to do a worm race.
I had to get out into the garden to get the foods in the earth in a timely manner.

Dash had Pie , Long John, Davey Jones.
Dove had Pinkie,Speedy, and Slippery.

Steve dug up a row for me that needed tending too.

While he dug in the sand and compose, I was tending the birds.
That is the carrot /garlic row.
Planting certain things together help provide a natural deterrent to pests.

After working in the coop and getting it all mucked (raked out and clean).
It was time to tip the compost.
Steve (yes I have permission to use his name now) well Steve worked the two plots of earth and then they were planted and the mulch scattered. Lots of work.
the children had worm races which instilled a bit more of a drive for Steve to keep digging up the carrot row.
We put sand in. I checked my soil PH in several places and it looks like we are doing pretty good at 6.5.

Steve was a bit concerned about adding the straw to the compost. We are getting way too much green though and needed to add a lot of brown.
I tip them over and get the older stup out of the bottom.
Works great. The chicken coop cleaned, the greens and the browns all in one big day.
Compost has to have a good balance.
Ours has not yet made good black earth, but in time and with a better heat in the bins it will get better.

Steve and Dash dug this up for me and we put in a lot of sand.
That is the lettuce plot. In the corner will be a cucumber soon.
Green onions between butter lettuce rows.

Compost mulch place all around the plants.
This will keep moisture in and the compost will feed the soil.

The Strawberries are very Happy!
There are several fruits on the plant.

We set in straw yesterday.

Today it was a good mulch covering.
The nice lettuce is now guarded by some stakes.This is the big "dig" of the day.
Steve turned in sand.
The earth was turned last week and then it was amended with compost and sand and bone meal.
the four hills are for the "Moon and Stars Watermelon".
It is an heirloom verity. $2.69 for 9 seeds! They better be as amazing as I have read about. It was originally found in Africa.

The other hill is cantaloupe, also a heirloom.
I am doing my best to keep to exclusively planting Heirloom varieties so that I can save my own seeds. It is also a duty to me to keep these alive and growing. The big seed companies have turned all our seeds into mules. That is that they can not produce seed that will live.
On the very end near the fence wall the old beans were removed and the wall line planted with a different type of pole bean.

It was fun to make a little river trench and get the level just right to soak the hills . Melons do not like to get wet but, they like a lot of water and heat.
The black plastic was a gift from FILove last month. He thought I might make use of them .
They sure were handy today.

So once I got the slopes right to have a good flow.
I love doing that!
Fun to flow water where you want it to go...
The straw will keep the water from evaporating as fast and keep the garden free of the all sticky mud.

The radish is happy and behind them the pole beens are up.

Behold a bean bush.
I was getting very concerned about them, they took several extra days to come along.

You can see all the newly sprouted beans up today. Nice treat for allthe hard work delights in a bit of encouragement.
Speaking of that the straw bail tomatoe crop is doing very well.
There are three of four varities up now.
This is one that is for slicing.
There is one plant with Roma's on it for sauceing.
This is the cherry tomatoes plant It has a lot of fruit and flower on it.
I spread him out a bit with a nice rap around trellis. Cllo trellis.
It is opend flat, then it is just brought back togeather at the ends. I altered it a bit. I have to keep these plants screened. My lab will eat them he did so to four plants, tomatoes and all!
My Lab decided to eat the newly planted cayanne pepper plant, dove witnessed it.
She said he quickly ran over and drank a lot of water.
Perhaps it will dissuade him.

Well I am rested now (I made Lamb burgers for supper with fresh picked lettuce. )
It is off to the hot shower!
I can dig that!

Love is endless, timeless and limitless

Happy Valentines Day

did you know about the Valentine Mars mesa?

Heading outward into the Universe, we can find IC 805… also called the Heart Nebula, taken by the gifted astrophotographer John Chumack and posted on BAUT:

heart-shaped galaxies?

Valentine's Day Poem for My Wife

As a child; raised in pain; eager for a fulfilling life, you danced before God.
You danced before your parents.
Your dance is beautiful.

As an adolescent; troubled and tossed about.
Ignored, your eyes were pierced with darts of fire.
You longed for peace and found none.
Your eyes are beautiful.

A young womans feet in a race.
Racing to a place of solace and peace.
The ground shifting all around; upheaval, danger, discord.
Your feet are beautiful.

The woman sets her hands to the task of healing.
She weaves a new life out of tattered remnants.
The pieces fit together and the tapestry begins to reveal the masterpiece.
Your hands are beautiful.

My wife, and mother of my children; your heart is most beautiful of all.
You provide for your family from its bounty every day.
Heart prayers; heart wishes; heart dreams; heart life!

Your heart is beautiful.
You are beautiful.

With all my love,
Steve

Neurological psychological testing

Thank God for spell check!

Hello
at 7:45 a.m. I pulled away form home and at 2:35 I left the place and headed to fetch the kids.
A dear friend grabbed them from school and kept them for me until I could get to them.
I have to return in a week or so and do a few more tasks for her and then the results.

Life is amazing.
She recognized me...
9 years ago when I was in Mayo Clinic Hospital it was she who was the head of the Nero Psych. unit.
I had worked with her.
By mid day I began to recall her presence back then.
It was long grueling day of tasks, puzzles and frustrating repetition.
I struggled in a few areas.

At noon a lunch break.
A grocery store was found and foods purchased and a rest.
After the end of the testing all 550 questions fill in the dot, (that was scheduled until 2p.m) I left.
Those areas that I really struggled with kinda bug me now.
I am left wondering what the answers were.
It was 2:30 and she has to do more task tests when I return.
I am so blessed she was easy to be with and not demeaning or patronizing in anyway.

I met up with the kids at my friends house and hung out with her and a sweet little two year old that just healed my day. I played horses and tag with that sweet baby.
The children loved having the play date with their buddy.

We we got home it was 5:30 and you know I did not want to cook!
Hot dogs to the rescue (kosher) Hebrew National (good stuff).
My Darling stepped in just as they were ready to set to bun.
I had some left overs.

He and I chilled a while and now here I am, exhausted.
Dove is doing her homework and Dash playing in his Lagos.
I feel very tired and drained.
see ya so to speak tomorrow.

Thankful Thrusday

It is late Wednesday night now. We all just returned from a evening at the Skate Land rink. It was a school PTA event to raise funds for the school.

Tomorrow when most of you may read this I will be slaying another dragon.
The day has come for me to go do the Neurological psychological testing to see if I may be facing
Early Onset Dementia.
What a mouth full...It chokes me.
I want to spit it out and wipe my chin

It will be a three hour or so type of intensive , grueling exam with many different aspects.
It is designed to also test for any mental illnesses.
Humble pie...
Well... I have had these test several times before.
It seams this world of doctors just finds it so hard to believe that I am sane given everything I have known. Over and Over it has had to be put in their face , not to give up .
That miracles still happen.
They get to see me a walking , talking breathing example that their profession does matter.
Some of you know my history, if not feel free to visit the other blog.
I know that I am whole, I have even endured 17 hours of tests and diagnostics to be allowed to be certified to adopt the children.
You see the miracle of my survival, and overcoming victory is unprecedented.
So much so that I have been forced over and over and over to go through these tests (the ones pertaining to that aspect of the study)
I have been found to have a remarkably high IQ and sound mind.

The parts of the study that are of concern are regarding the memory loss, and the getting lost.
The concentration loss and the cognitive interferences I am facing .
All this... if it is to be found normal; may indicate that it could simply be due to having PTSD

The neurologist is still not convinced however and due to the spots on my brain that have slightly increased over the last four years want me to continue on.
He said he may want me to to do an impatient study of the brain.
It is his hope that it will disclose any mystery causes to the events that at times interfere with my gait and cause my spoken words to jumble.

I know who I am.
We do not know for sure what is happening with me.
So we trust the process.
I want so badly to just let go and stop all this.
I must be respocible to do my best, I feel confident and yet wonder "what if "...
Of course, pulling up courage leaves little room to let my mind wonder or wander.

For that great courage
that obiedence to passage that drives me on...
For that Friendship with my loving Maker.
I am so very thankful.
I will milk this life for all it will give.
I have fought way , way too hard to let it go easily.
Some of you wonder how I do all that I do.
It is because I can.
I refuse to let this ability go to waist.
I will do good while it is in my power to do it.

"Finally be bold and courageous.
Go forth into the land which I send thee"

It is not a light choice.
It is an act of my will to implement
Courage.

Word Filled Wednesday

join us over at "The 100 acre wood"

St John and his Eagle, Fiesole Cathedral

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood^[a] it.

6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.^[b]

10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent,^[c] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,^[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Freindship

I posted on the other blog this morning