Today...

We have finally gone back to real desert weather and the humidity took a hike. Thank goodness. It has been a miserable summer so far but mainly because heat and humidity take the fun out of life.
I have had most of my worse faults come to surface the past couple of months. There is something so depressing about being lethargic and unable to find joy. I am one of those people that has to be busy and I feel like lately all I do is pass the time. Such a waste. I wish we were in Minnesota sitting on the deck smelling the wonderful lake and hearing the loons calling out. I think I need to experience different lives to be happy. I have neighbors walk by the same time every single morning and the conversations are all similiar. I find myself walking in a different direction or time to simply not be routine. Maybe its my flight attendant background of a different route, hotel, crew, plane that makes me this way. With that in mind I definitely found the perfect occupation for myself didnt I?

We went bike riding on Sunday and I was determined to go 20 miles. J slept in so we didnt leave until 830 which is when the sun starts to get going. If you are peddling the breeze seems to help you not notice the 100 degrees but once you stop sweat is dripping off. We made the 20 miles and it felt great to be outside doing something I love. I was so overheated arriving home I jumped right into the pool and it has never felt better!

Please notice how purple/red my face is from the ride....wth. Gracie got so excited about me in the pool she jumped in the deep end and landed on my head. She managed to scratch my perscription sunglasses so badly they were rendered useless. So today I am going to get new ones...a very expensive jump for sure. Good thing I love her so much!

I am leaving for Seattle tomorrow and have all 12 pieces stuffed into one of those really big suitcases you only use if you are running away. I had to clean all the dust and dirt off of it from years of sitting around waiting. I hope it survives the trip and we both land at the same time...a neighbor came over yesterday to see all of my work before it was gone. Its so interesting to see what someone else is drawn to and their comments on pieces. I hope this happens at the wine tasting room as well. If nothing else my work is diverse and unique pieces of art. I am taking my favorite Yosemite piece and while I hope it returns to me I put a price on it I can live with.
 I see its suppose to rain one day and be chilly the next...I am so excited for the chance to wear different clothes again! I packed a jacket...can you imagine?!?  I am looking fwd to visiting with Ingerlise and just maybe seeing a few familiar faces and places.

My mom had a time share for a week at Lake Arrowhead so I went up for 2 nights to check it out. Well and again to cool off...reoccurring mission it would seem. Its beautiful up there with the lakes and pines..very crowded tho and so many winding roads. We took the boat tour of Lake Arrowhead and it was great fun to just be out on the water. Definitely a wonderful place to visit and I do so love the mountains. Throw in a lake and you have me....

Popular duck hangout in Arrowhead Village

So jealous of all the fun sailboats out enjoying the day

Big Bear Lake

My bf has spent the summer going thru her house, closets and garage getting rid of anything she doesnt love. I so admire her and have begun walking thru mine mentally pointing out all the things I have that I dont love. I read an article on downsizing for retired people and it said 'don't make your house a museum of your life.' OMG that is exactly what we have done..I told J we either hang it, use it or get rid of it. No more storing treasures for a better day. Well except all those cool toys we thought we were saving for a grandchild. Guess I need to spend the next year organizing and selling, giving away etc. all the things we dont need or love.
I made the bold decision to try and sell a set of china we have as well. I went online to see what a place setting cost and then went to ebay. $119.95 for a place setting but no bids higher than .96 for any piece on ebay. So do I give it away, donate it for the write off, or simply let it sit where it is? This is where I become sentimental and its so difficult to remove that from the equation. They say all collectibles, china, silver, crystal are absolutely worthless. Everyone wants fast and easy now.  I have an antique camera given to me from some distant relative I would imagine. I dont want it but how do you throw away something so wonderful from the past?

 I was designated the keeper of the family treasures on my mom's side. How do I get rid of things over 100 yrs old and feel good about it? I dont know.  My friend works in a thrift shop and someone dropped off a 100 yr old hand beaded wedding dress. The thrift shop didnt want it and we discussed how cool it would be to know its story and how sad that this was its destiny. We are such a disposable society and the younger generation dont want clutter or stuff. Yet how do we dismiss the value of our past and generations that went before us? I love to watch antique roadshow and see the treasures some people come in with. I find myself wondering do they all go home and try to sell them or do they continue to hold on to a piece from their past.
Thanks for dropping by...

Happy birthday Timothy!

Well here I am and its been another two weeks since I last posted. Could the fact that I am always surprised how much time has passed also mean summer is rushing by too? Sure doesnt feel like it but I am pretty sure we are at least half way thru it. That's a good thing.
We made one more trip to Fallbrook last week and were all together again. Never quite sure when that will happen so I am always requesting a photo. It wasn't the best visit weve had but hey that's family...always something.

It was great to have Ky come home and we found time to catch up and also have a bit of fun. Timothy and Jammie had a nice BBQ and it was perfect SD weather. Loved the cool ocean breezes after the hot temps we have been having.
This week I finished my last piece for Seattle and am trying to get all 12 ready to go and squeezed into a suitcase. Some need hangers and some need clasps on backs to hold them in and just last minute details. I feel kind of sad and let down because I stopped having fun. Maybe it was just too many in a short time or maybe I am ready for a new hobby. Maybe 'I just need a couple days off!"
Best Huey Lewis song ever! Anyway here is the last one...

 

J and I drove up to Idyllwild yesterday just to get out of the heat and be outside again. It was a blue grass festival and must have been 100 motorcycles parked in front of the beer garden. It was 90 but if you were out of the sun it was heavenly. Its such a funny eclectic little town and yet people are nice, relaxed and just want to be who they are. A neighbor went up a few months ago for the first time and said she hated it~bunch of hippies.

This rock was at the end of our street when we lived there and our Goldie would climb it. We have since taken numerous family photos on this rock.

I guess we all see something different depending on whats in our hearts. Have you ever seen the movie Life as a House? We watched it while Ky was here at his request and its one of my favorites. I highly recommend you see it. Anyway in the movie George  has his teenage son help him build a house. Pretty soon there are lots of friends and family helping and its just so cool to watch the process of working together. J said he would love to build one more house like that...nothing big and fancy just more about the process and working together. All five of us helped finish our house in Colorado and felt great pride in that. So while we were up there we looked at lots just in case someday it became a real dream come true. You never know and a life without dreams just bores me to death.

Doesn't the love bug look great in the manzanita and pine trees?! Wait ~she looks good everywhere!! This was a lot we looked at and it was pretty sweet. Just need to get my lottery numbers lined up correctly! We are just dreaming of possibilities and fine tuning the bucket list. It feels good to think of this in our future because it means we are still together working on something.
I did see this sweet little casa driving thru town and she was adorable. They have written sayings all around it and it was obviously loved. I want one too. We could live in it while we build!!

Yesterday our baby boy Timothy turned 26 and I just wonder where all those years have gone. He was the sweetest, cutest, most affectionate, helpful little boy ever. I hope the year ahead is amazing and his dreams come true too.
Thanks for dropping by...

I need to update that Mountain Center, next to Idyllwild is on fire and only 5% contained. The smoke and ash is so bad we cannot go outside right now. Its blowing down the mountain into the desert. The sky is dark with smoke and its oh so sad to think of the firemen trying to fight this. It has been such a dry winter who knows when and where it will stop. Prayers being said for everyone in the path.
~Its Wed now and the fire has grown to over 14,000 acres and there are over 2200 firefighters on the mtn. They say its heading east toward PS which is a good thing because not as much to burn and Idyllwild remains safe.