Puppies!

Song - Dog Days Are Over - Florence & The Machine

During this SIP order I have to admit that my mind has wandered around and into the possibility of getting a dog.  But then reality hits and I know it wouldn't be fair to get a dog right now.  We hope to travel again and until we are no longer able to do big extended trips....no puppies for now.  

Above are our last two much loved West Highland White Terriers - Mika and Max

Through Thick and Thin

Song - The Puppy Song by Harry Nilsson

Mika   2003 - 2016

“And it is exceedingly short, his galloping life. 

Dogs die so soon. 

I have my stories of that grief, no doubt many of you do also. 

It is almost a failure of will, 

a failure of love, to let them grow old

—or so it feels. 

We would do anything to keep them with us, 

and to keep them young. 

The one gift we cannot give.” 

 -- Mary Oliver "Dog Songs"

Home Sweet Home

Song - Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

As some of you may know, a wedding will be taking place in our backyard in September!  Our oldest son and his wonderful girlfriend have asked to be wed in our yard.

 


So I have been strolling around the yard for the last several weeks, pouring over plant catalogs, making garden plans and taking a few visits to local nurseries to see what my options are for beautiful blooms that time of year. I have a few idea's up my sleeve!

As I was walking around, I noticed the bird house that Andy placed up in an Oak tree in our shade garden.  I saw a pair of Black-Capped Chickadee's on the tree beside it last week.

Then several days ago I noticed something inside the hole but I couldn't quite make it out. When I got out my zoom lens, it just looked like a blur inside.

But today I noticed something move!

When I zoomed in on the hole, it looked like a lot of fuzz and maybe a few feathers!!! Not sure what to make of it but I am hopeful!  Even though I have fed the birds for years, this is the first bird house we have ever put up.

Other than our ladder on the side of the house which is inhabited again this year!  No sign of babies yet but mom & dad are taking their turns sitting on the nest. If you need to borrow a ladder, you'll have to wait a few more weeks!

 This is where the sweethearts are planning on having their ceremony - the side lawn. It is in need of some tender loving care as last year we had to let it die because of the California drought.  Right now it's green because of the recent rains but it's mostly weeds.....

Mika is hoping to be the flower girl or at least be invited!!!

"Weddings are important because they celebrate 

life and possibility."  -- Anne Hathaway

Weddings are important because they celebrate life and possibility.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_wedding.html

Weddings are important because they celebrate life and possibility.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_wedding.

Furry things.....

Song - Hug You, Squeeze You by Stevie Ray Vaughan


We all need something cozy to enjoy at times....

Mika snuggling with her new Christmas-furry-squeeky-donkey.

Ashley snuggling with my furry hatted son, Andy.

(Mr. B said hatted is a real word)!!!

Hope you have a furry Sunday!

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.

Even longer,' Pooh answered.” 

 --A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

Winter Whites

 Song - In A Sentimental Mood by Duke Ellington & John Coltrane


The sky's are white and my garden is mostly white this time of year.

The garden still has a few white roses holding on for as long as they can.




I do love to grow Paper-white Narcissus indoors until they become so tall that they can no longer hold up their fragrant little heads. I replant them out in the garden for next years display.

White Primroses are spread through out my garden in the winter and my little white Snow Drop flowers are already blooming!

 

But every winter I get a little sad......maybe it's the gray sky's or too much indoor time.

My garden is resting for the season. Well kind of.....as some spring flowers are already to bloom, but the trees are bare and most of the yard is still.

The animals have burrowed in to their homes and life seems to slow down.

Mika has burrowed onto my lap just happy to be watching me write this blog!  - Well, she is a sweet winter white too!

It is the natural cycle of life.

And it is a time for us and nature to renew our energy for the upcoming spring.

And knowing that, I can relax.

By lighting a few candles and curling up by the fire with a good book or wonderful music is what renews me.  What about you?

Hot tea or Chocolate?
Flannel sheets on the beds?
Cozy slippers?
Warm meals and laughter with friends and family?
Long walks on a crispy trail?
Filling up the feeders for the hungry song birds?
Journaling, sketching, planning next years vegetable garden?
Baking or cooking?


What fills up your well?

Tahoe Winter 2011

 “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”  - Edith Sitwell

B_R_U_C_E

 Song - Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen

Just returned home from seeing BRUCE and I am so hoarse, I will have to whisper this blog to you.

I have survived Thanksgiving.

Thank you for asking....

While the boys were home, Mr. B and I took them to the lighting of the old Danville Oak Tree.  We strolled the streets of Danville, shopped, ate, enjoyed the lights and watched Father Christmas & the Snow Fairy light the Christmas Oak Tree.

My son Jon and his girlfriend Megan spent some time with us during their Thanksgiving break.  On Saturday we went to the Bering car museum in Blackhawk. 

This one was made out of Tulip wood

Although I am not a car buff, I can appreciate the beautiful artistic design of these cars from former years.

I also have been helping care for my Grand niece & Grand nephew ( 4 & 5 years of age).

While they are great kids, I just can not keep up with them.

I am old.

I am tired.

They know this.....

I am not used to answering 38.5 questions per minute.

My niece is in Germany for 12 days and my sister-in-law, my mother and myself have taken on the roll of caretakers for these two little sweetie pie's!  But as you can see from the photo below, they are still testing the waters......just to see if Auntie Jeanette can keep up.

I thought we would make a reading fort on Thursday, kinda like in the movie "The Holiday" but they decided it was a tickling, wrestling fort instead.

 
I thought they would come out talking like those two little lovely British girls from the movie "Olivia" played by Emma Pritchard and "Sophie" played by Miffy Englefield and like them, they would want to discuss deep feelings and ask me interesting questions but oh no.....Oh my....no way. 

"The Holiday" staring Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black, Kate Winslet, 

When I returned home from dropping them off at Grandma and Grandpa's for the evening, I came home to find the fort occupied.

Mika and Max were just as exhausted as I was and that fort was looking pretty cozy.



I have also been spending lot's of time at several veterinary hospitals lately seeing specialists.

Mika was just diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis or Westie Lung Disease.  She...well "we" will see a Cardiologist on Tuesday.  The outlook is not looking too good.

Max is putting on a little weight (which is good) but he takes 14 meds per day and well as IV fluid every evening and has acupuncture every other week.  



But the reason for my hoarse voice.......(I'll bet you thought I forgot)!   is that I just returned from an incredible Bruce Springsteen concert tonight!!!  Sorry for the poor quality of my photos but I only had my cell phone with me.

The Stage FROM OUR SEATS!!!

We were three rows up from the stage and 4 seats over. Great seats (thank you Eric)! Incredible seats!

It was so very incredible!  A great three hour show. So much energy.

Mmmm...maybe I can get him to come over to my house and chase my two little charges?

Live music is a wonderful thing.

"The best music, you can seek some shelter in it momentarily but it's essentially there to provide you something to face the world with."  - Bruce Springsteen

Doggie Update

Thanks so much for those of you who have been emailing & calling about my two doggies, Mika & Max.

They both went to the vets today and Mika still has noisy lungs but not pneumonia.

Max's numbers are not good but I can see a difference in his energy level.

Mika never acted sick but Max went from not eating and sleeping all day to jumping on me in the morning because he wants his breakfast NOW!  I even caught him running to play with Mika!!

So they are now resting in the laundry room right next to my computer after a long day at the Vet's.

Old King by Neil Young