Home Sweet Home

Sometimes, I am just really really homesick. Even the sound of this video made my eyes well up. I miss you Newport Beach...Watch as the sun sets almost completely in the two minutes it took to shoot this. I spent much of my adolesence right next to this pier. Hanging out with friends, walking the boardwalk, checking out the surfers and baking in the sun. I never dreamed I'd leave.

This Is Outlaw

He's not my horse, but he's gonna be.
I loves him, and he loves me.

I got a big ole crush on this black horse. When I first saw him I was smitten. He belongs to a young 22 year old girl who got him as a colt from her boyfriend. Drats. He is so appropriately named. Outlaw. He's four years old and never been ridden. Lives in that pasture by himself and is fly bitten and getting scarred up. He needs me. And oh don't ya know I totally need him. So, I am putting it out there in the universe. The power of dreams and intentions. He's mine. I just have to figure out how to make it so. And, if you believe in that sort of dreaming and wishing and praying. Then I ask of you your help. Just send positive thoughts out for me and him however you do it. Much obliged.

Paula Chick-A-Boom Boom Magoo

This is Paula. My Friend. She's an Artist. She is Pretty in Pink.
She made this when she was a teenager. She gave it to me. It has to do with our logo. Which I can't show you yet. Cause then I'd have to, well, then I'd have to come up with a logo.

PJ and I bought amber rings in Medora in July. Yes, that's my ugly hand with my neato ring.

The day she brought the bird painting over, she also brought this cute little bag with a goody inside.

Two amber ear rings. Yep. She's pretty nice huh?

And she's all helpful too. I want to learn to watercolor? She brought me a water color book.

And she made me a CD with photos of her and I on an Art Adventure (which we are still on, and it's just about the best part of this whole friendship)
This is a tiny little book. Came from Paula. Great big heart.
And in case I run out of room in that tiny little book? She gave me another one! And we've been jotting down all sorts of ideas. It's Top Secret.
One day, when we went to the antique store. She bought this apron. And then she altered it and made a bunny carrier out of it For my new bunny Finn.
And we picked out beads at the State Fair and she made this cool bracelet for me
This is Oregano. From her garden. I love this. Then she went on a trip with her mama and brought me back this trinket. A bell that has a bunny on it
And a chicky on it. Which, represents the two of us like no other.

At that same antique store, I was admiring this chicken. She was a sneak and bought it. She surprised me with it. See, she's a sweetie. I think I'm going to keep her around. And I'm not going to share, cause I am not as nice as her.

Mine & PJ's Favorite Hangout

So my new pal Paula and I have a favorite hangout. That is, when we are not hanging out at the local bar slinging back whiskeys and downing pizza and making prank phone calls.Ummmm, not really.
No, our favorite haunt at the moment happens to be this antique store in Hebron North Dakota. I had a craving for it and googled the darn place. How did this store get on YouTube from a gal in New York? I don't know. But if I ever meet her, I'll buy her whiskey and a pizza. Really.
Love this video particularly because four of us gals went in there recently and didn't come up for air for three hours. I see some things we bought too. And Wanda, the shop keeper/helper hails from Louisiana and she is about as friendly as they come. Good Times.

It's A Chick Thing

I have been friends with a girl since I was 21. My boyfriend at the time had a huge crush on her. And if you could see her and talk with her you'd know why. Anyway, Linda and I formed a fast friendship when we discovered how much we had in common (and what smucks some men could be) Our friendship has lasted 31 years. I moved away from her 19 years ago, when I moved to South Dakota from Washington state. To say I miss that girl is an understatement. But we have never let the distance keep us apart. We have daily letters and e-mails dating back to the very beginning of time. All saved with a book in mind. And because we could never throw away the evidence of our affection.
So fast forward those 18 years. I marry my dream cowboy and live on the prairie. We work cattle, raise children, buy houses, ride a few million miles together, save parents, save a life, and stay each others best friend.
But always missing was the feel of a good girlfriend. One you can run to quickly. One who giggles at everything you say. Who shares your silly outlook on life and has grand schemes that all seem feasible. You know the type. The irreplaceable kind. The kind you totally feel lucky to have met. The kind who ignores all your faults, the fact that you can't spell, do math or use an electric drill. She's positive you are still young enough for a horse and that you'll get one too! And if that wasn't just the bee's knees already, she also makes everyday seem like Christmas. This is that girl. The one on the left, standing by her mama and Lou and Barb. The day we learned how to can because I said I'd like to learn and gall darn she made it happen. These are the spoils of a grand trip to an estate sale. Good Lord that day will go down as one of my favorite days ever. We bought wagon wheels and

old windows we have a million ideas for...

And a jar of marbles,just in case we lose all of ours...

And then that little sweet new friend of mine, made me a beautiful June berry pie. And I'm not even getting started yet. You're a sweetie Ms. Paula Magoo! And my BEST GIRL FRIEND THIS SIDE OF THE GRAND TETONS!

And away we go.....

July 4th Ride

The 4th of July is usually so dadgum hot around these parts it's usually hard for me to enjoy. Did I just say "dadgum" and "these parts" in the same sentence? In any sentence?? oh my....

But this year, it was an amazing day. Lance and I took a 300 mile ride on our bike to Wibaux Montana. Then south to Baker Montana, East to Bowman North Dakota and back up to home. The farms and fields this year are so unbelievably green and lush and beautiful. The waves of grain had yet to turn amber and I was mesmerized by the soft current running through them. Try not to look to happy dear. There's a soft current running through this guy too but don't tell him I told you, and he's kind of lush too...ummm...

but he's not green. That's a little better smile sweetie. But don't, what ever you do, don't smile and let on that you are riding that sweet bike on a flat out gorgeous day with not an ounce of traffic, rain, wind or work in site.

Hey! Don't leave me here. Sheesh, I was just teasin ya. You da man. Nothing soft about you. I love your forearms mister...Hey, come back here!

Best Damned Day! 6/30/09

Because Medora is only 30 minutes away, and my new friend from Texas had never been shopping there, I grabbed her by the scruff and hauled her buns to the best of the cowboy boutiques. Where we admired the view. And the cute clothes.

And the back of the cute clothes. This dress had a cute pair of red boots to go with it.
Then we got the giggles. And man alive that's all we did for the next three hours. Actually, we are still laughing! And we hadn't even had a glass of wine yet.

And for some reason, this particular saying on a package of napkins turned us both to 12 year old girls. I had such a great time. And it was the very best beginning to a much needed friendship.

When I got home, the day gave me another gift of a double rainbow.

Life Is Good

w

Summer '09 Recap #2

A few days after the big BBQ at our house, the weather was perfect for a motorcycle ride to Medora. We live just a few miles from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Our first stop was the information center along the interstate. It has a really nice lookout. These photos all give a better view if you click on them. This big Buck (below) was just about to cross in front of us. It took me a second to get my camera ready and he was half way up the hill by then. If you click on the photo though you can see him a lot better. Mother Earth ages much better than me!
This is what I am always on the lookout for. Especially any babies. These guys can be very intimidating when they are standing right on the road. I am always scared around these big fellas. Mostly I see a lot of this. I like it when the buffalo stay in the safe distance. Munching on the grasses and sage. Okay, the jaw on this wild horse was just odd. His blue eye and big bones gave him an ominous look. Thanks Medora and Teddy, we had a great ride. See you next time.

Finn & Buddy

We interrupt this summer review to bring you a small video. This is my rabbit Finn (the dark one) he's meeting my friend Paula's bunny, Buddy, for the first time. Both are boys and we just got them at the state fair a week ago. I need to warn you not to watch this video with your mom :-) I taped this with my 15 y/o son in attendance :-0 pretty funny though.

My Summer 2009 - Part 1

It's been an interesting summer so far around here. I left my comfort zone a couple of times and tried a few things I wouldn't normally do. One of the first ideas we decided to do was to throw a "Summer's Finally Here" BBQ. We invited about 40 people. The only advice I would give anyone is to try and make plans for a party farther in advance than 4 days. It gave me little time to worry though. I just ran as fast as I could to get it all done.
The sunny covered patio was clean and blooming.
Fresh flowers added to the feel of summer in the house.
This arrangement was a hit of a center piece.
The wine rack filled up even more as my guests arrived.
This large galvanized bucket was filled with refreshing drinks and mixers.
My new counter was soon filled to the brim with munchies and deserts
Ummmmm, this cake was ordered over the phone. Please can I have a cake with a picnic theme. OVERGROWN ants? Need I even mention this cake was not eaten at the party. Thank goodness a few of my guests brought some great treats.
We tried to make up for that ugly cake by having lots of great tasting burgers, brats and hot dogs ready to grill.
Oh and I should mention this party did not go off without a hitch. It was slated to begin at 5pm. At 4:30 these clouds gathered to dump a rain so hard as none of us had ever seen! There was a river running through my party. But that didn't deter most of my guest from paddling on over.
Those that did venture out were treated to our good friend Julias' kind offer to do the grilling!
I believe a good time was had by all.
Summer schmumer...we'll just go ahead on without you.
Ya'll come back now, ya hear.

Wow!

This song is so powerful. When he speaks, it made me weep. Such great talent. Enjoy!

Salute!

We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.
Carlos Casteneda

Tornado!!!!

Published July 09 2009 EF3 tornado confirmed The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF3 tornado hit Dickinson Wednesday evening, Gov. John Hoeven said at a press conference Thursday. The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF3 tornado hit Dickinson Wednesday evening, Gov. John Hoeven said at a press conference Thursday. Hoeven also said those affected by the tornado will be assisted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A shelter has been set up at Hillside Baptist church at 1123 10th St. E. in Dickinson. It is no longer at the National Guard Armory.
Last Wednesday night, we got off easy. Our basement flooded pretty bad and it's been a real chore to remove all furniture, carpet pad and to try and dry out our floor. But, so many didn't fare as well. Our insurance didn't cover a lick of damage. Most peoples policy's don't cover water damage. But isn't it nice of State Farm to remind me of how lucky we were? That's the great thing about having insurance. They remind you how lucky you are that you didn't get hurt or killed. It's so nice to know our hard earned money is buying us such great consolation. Or whatever. One thing I am grateful for? that I don't work for an insurance company.

This Old Porch by Lyle Lovette- For my Texas Friends

This Old Porch

This old porch is like a big old red and white hereford bull
Standing under a mesquite tree
Out in agua dulce
And he just keeps on playing hide and seek
With that hot august sun
Just a-sweatin' and a-pantin'
Cause his work is never done

And this old porch is like a steaming, greasy plate of enchiladas
With lots of cheese and onions
And a guacamole salad
And you can get'em down at the lasalle hotel
In old downtown
With iced tea and a waitress
And she will smile every time

And this old porch is the palace walk-in
On the main street of texas
That's never seen the day
Of g and r and xs
With that '62 poster
That's almost faded down
And a screen without a picture
Since giant came to town

And this old porch is like a weathered, gray-haired
Seventy years of texas
Who's doing all he can
Not to give in to the city
And he always takes the rent late
So long as i run his cattle

And he picks me up at dinnertime
And i listen to him rattle

He says the brazos still runs muddy
Just like she's run all along
And there ain't never been no cane to grind
The cotton's all but gone
And you know this brand new chevrolet
Hell it was something back in '60
But now there won't nobody listen to him
'cause they all think he's crazy

And this old porch is just a long time
Of waiting and forgetting
And remembering the coming back
And not crying about the leaving
And remembering the falling down
And the laughter of the curse of luck
From all of those passerby
Who said we'd never get back up

This old porch is just a long time
Of waiting and forgetting
And remembering the coming back
And not crying about the leaving
And remembering the falling down
And the laughter of the curse of luck
From all of those sons-of-bitches
Who said we'd never get back up

Forever Young

I Will Always Love You Madison

Happy Red, White and Blue!

100_4530, originally uploaded by idreamofcatalina.

We hope you all enjoy a safe and happy Independence day!

My Patio Paradise

I know it looks a bit tacky with plastic wrapped around it. But we wanted to see if we liked it covered. And we do! Because you never know when it will snow in North Dakota (see previous post!) I hope to install canvas roll up awnings eventually so we can have it both ways.

This is where Lance and I like to sit and enjoy a cold drink and talk about the next 'to do'

Clicking on this photo helps to see a built in bar to the left and most of the inside of the patio

I got this bird bath last weekend and can't get enough of it! Love it!

Our little piece of heaven.

Here is a quick video of the patio. Please ignore the sounds of the crow and blue jay having a fight.

This was June 6th in my garden.
It snowed for more than five hours. I was a bit distraught.
It was freezing cold too. My poor Brandywine tomatoes. And peppers and cucs, zucchini and kohlrabi. Not to mention my new roses :-(

So, this weekend I went to Plants Plus in Bismarck and just stared and took pictures.
And this sign pretty much sums up how my garden is doing.
Sigh...

Zen Again

So all but one fish made it through the harsh winter. I had two aquarium heaters in there and that seemed to keep it warm enough for them. They even look bigger. On Mothers Day we stopped at a nursery in SD and I bought two pond plants Purple Pickerelweed and a large Water Calla. I finally cleaned the pond and all seems to be doing good. This pond is on our covered patio. Plus we have thick poly around the west side right now to keep out the cold. I wonder if we'll even get to take that down? Oh well, at least I can enjoy the pond for now. I love the trickling water and the fish. As Zen as it's going to get around here.

June 6th 2009 - Snow Blows

Or should that be Snow Blues? I haven't written in my blog for a month due to being pretty busy around the home and garden. But mom nature put a bit of a halt to that today by giving us a few inches of snow!
Above and below is a picture of the same tree yesterday and then today.

In the picture above is a photo June 5th of my veggie garden. I decided to have a small plot this year due to spring being so late. I guess I am glad I didn't plant my big garden! Below is a picture of my veggies in the snow, one day later.
It snowed for about 5 hours. I went out and beat the trees and bushes with my broom (HA!) and then I covered up my rose bushes. I just have to be resigned to the fact that I will not have much of a garden this year. It's supposed to be cold and rainy for another week. I fear this may be the way it is all summer.

Black Stallion (1979) the race pt 3

My Fave movie of all time and my fave song at the end!

Big Bird with Squirrel

A very cool event happened in my front yard yesterday. I happened to look out my kitchen window and noticed a very large bird. Later identification has me thinking it was a Ferruginous Hawk, a Dark Morph Swainson's Hawk or perhaps a Golden Eagle. It was dark brown with a white patch on the very back of its head, sort of hard to match. Anyway, as I was watching this bird I noticed that a squirrel was eating nearby. I sadly realized the bird was going to eat that squirrel. But I was oh so wrong. For almost an hour I sat fasinated as the squirrel ate on the lawn and the bird perched nearby or landed on the lawn within ten feet and pecked away in the grass too. At one point the bird perched on a V in a tree about a foot off the ground. The squirrel ambled over and reached up and put it's face up to the birds face! Then the bird slowly lifted off and landed a few feet away. The squirrel resumed eating and meandering around the yard looking for food. The bird had ample opportunities to make a meal out of that squirrel and never even looked to be preying. The squirrel never looked to be worried or tried to hide or run. After about an hour the squirrel trotted slowly off into our 2 acre open lawn and the bird followed. The squirrel was out in the open and could have easily been scooped up many many times and that bird never made a move. I would not have believed any of it had I not seen it with my own eyes. Do you suppose they were imprinted on each other? And for Gods sake how? Well, whatever the reason, I'm just tickled that I was privy to it. Pretty cool huh? I did try and take pictures and video but I didn't want to scare them away so I just did what I could do with my little point and shoot. Okay, that sounds naughty :-)

Britains Got Talent 2009 Susan Boyle 47 Year Old Singer

Want to feel good? Turn off my radio and watch this video! If it won't work check out Susan Boyle on YouTube. It will make you smile!

Life Is Good

I always worry when I say those words, Life is Good. Because I'm afraid I'll jinx my good fortune. But I feel grateful for the sweet and simple things in my life right now and want to say so.
Love these two little critters that spend the days with me, wanting warm weather to arrive as much as I do.
I adore this boy who tries really hard at his sport(and yes, I think Midgets is a really silly name for a team, but it's kind of like naming a boy Sue, fires them up!)
Although he took 1st in a tournament the week before, he was very proud to be getting third in the state tournament last weekend. The competition was steep. We love this trophy.
We are very proud that he lettered in wrestling his freshman year. How cool is that? Thank You Son!
Oh and yesterday for half an hour I sat in this chair and felt the sun. Thank You Sun!
Just like that, my sweetie brought home these beautiful hyacinths from the store and they smell and look unbelievable. Thank You Hun! Yep, Life Is Good. I hope it is for you too.

Play

So while the weather has been a bummer it does help to have a hobby. I am still working on my photo spinner. This is just a few of the pages I have done for it lately.
My father in law


My dad and I

My dad and I back in 1976

Me on a pony, about a hundred years ago.
Although this spinner thing is taking me awhile, I like the hands on feel of it and how easy it is for people to enjoy it without feeling nosey. Some day I'll have it full and fat.

Long March

I am ready to see this month of March be gone. We just had another foot of snow drop on us two days ago. We are about an inch away from the record of 101.5 inches since it began to fall in November. Thats a lot of snow. And it was just about melted when it all came back around on Monday. Goodbye March! and you can take your crappy weather with you! Not that you will.
The birds are waiting for sunshine...
the seedlings are waiting for sunshine...
the boy is waiting for sunshine...
Stuart can't wait any more and found a ray he could sleep in for awhile.

Okay Winter, You Win

Monday night brought a new blizzard to ND, SD and Wyoming (to name a few)We had just spent four days pumping water from our driveway to avert it from our basement. One garage door cleared and one to go
It's hard to tell without clicking to enlarge how big this snow really is.
This is my kindly neighbor who came over and spent five hours in our driveway with his tractor. Thanks Ronnie! Those are my kitchen windows which have been frosted over since October.
That mound on the left is a threat to my sanity!
6 foot fence...ready to topple.
We can get out now. If there was some place to go in this one horse town I'd could go now!

Scrapbook Room

While Spring continues to be dastardly and deadly out there, I have kept busy getting my scrapbook room in order. I'm not done. But I feel like it has more flow to it and I already have felt it easier to create. I know it's blurry. But I wanted to show where I spend most of my time, way over there in the corner.
I used to have my own rubber stamp business. So I have even more than this in drawers and buckets.
I have a lap top close by so I can edit quick and below is a peg board I picked up cheap and it reminds me to use what I have!
The license plates on top are old plates I've had on my motorcycle and the LD and LD one was on our VStar for a long time.

I like to paint and glue!
My lil corner of the world. The water color above the computer is a piece of art my son did for me last year. It is called "California Sunset" I love it!
Some of my paper stash and some craft keepers that I keep full of papers and ephemera that go together
I like to organize by color and the tools and what-nots I like to label. It's still got a ways to go, this room. But it feels good to be getting it cleaned up. Spring cleaning... on such a winters day....

Seed Starting, Sweet Peas and Spring, Oh My!

I really didn't fall off of the face of the Earth. I just got so sick of writing and complaining about winter that I had to stop. Finally it is beginning to look a bit like Spring around here. Although I still have a lot of that white stuff hanging around it is melting fast and we are in flood warnings now. Perfect. These Pheasant hens outside my kitchen window are happy too that the warm weather is on the way!

I have been busy getting all of my seed starting gear in order. This week I finally got to fill them all up with tons of flower seeds. I'll have a flower garden over a veggie garden any day. I don't start to many vegetables as I can buy them pretty cheap. I apologize for the purple hue of my photos. The grow lights must give off that glow.
I have seeds left over from way back. These lemon basil seeds below, are ten years old. It will be neat if they germinate. Last year my favoite flowers came from a tin of seeds I'd had for over ten years.
Speaking of germination. These Burpeana Giant Zinnia mix germinated in TWO days!! W O W !
Yes, I go a bit over board. But starting your own seeds makes it more economical to try different varieties and to have a few disasters.
We love Sweet Peas at our house and I always grow a ton of them. I usually save my own seeds but last year I didn't get to it and so I bought a few packages or ten. I love the way that they reward you for cutting them and how delishes they smell in their vase in the house.

Below is a photo from the other end of my growing tables. It's the plant hospital. Where over wintered plants and neglected house plants come to recharge.


Oh and speaking of recharging! Here's to Spring!