Can I Blame My Sister ?

Blizzard, our cat, was subdued and had hidden himself away. I should have realized Thursday morning when he did not open our bedroom door ( yes, he can open firmly shut doors ) to let our other cat Miss Marple  precede him into our bedroom so they could jump into bed with me after my husband left for work , that something was wrong. Our home was too quiet and I did not have him sprawling on my lap as I watched the news on t.v. the previous night.

When Blizzard vomited his food and paid no attention to all the things he loves to do I was concerned. Later, when my grandchildren were holding him they discovered small puddles of urine wherever he had reclined. Blizzard is a very conscientious and tidy cat when it comes to such things so I immediately suspected he was in need of veterinary care. I made an appointment yesterday morning with the vet. Before I left for the vet I watched him for awhile. He would jump into his litter box and seem to strain to urinate. During one attempt he yowled and screamed in a way I had never heard from him. Blizzard was in pain and not able to pass urine. I carted him off to the vet after he crawled into his crate. Blizzard loves the crate. Blizzard was easy to examine. He is very friendly and the vet's office did not scare him at all. Not much scares him. He seemed mighty happy when the vet took him away to the back room for a few hours of observation.

One of the questions the vet asked was if there had been any changes in our home, any upsets, any big differences ? Wow, I realized then that Blizzard must be missing my sister. Bliz fell in love with her and spent many hours watching her, carrying her hair bands around ,stealing her pens and pencils, her phone charger, and at night he would open her door and jump into bed with her.( Surely she would love a 16 pound cat sleeping on her ? ) He would stalk her anytime she was home. My sister moved out this month into her own home and I noticed the first few days she was gone he would stay by her door and watch. I think it finally sunk in that she was not coming back here to stay. If a cat could be despondent, Blizzard was the perfect example.

Blizzard's affliction is one they ( veterinarians & scientists ) think can be brought on by stress or change that disturbs a cat. If left untreated for very long ( a few days) it can be fatal. His problem has a long name, but is fairly common in male cats. Of course I can't prove it, but I know my cat, and I would say he is missing my sister. What do you think ? Can I blame it on her? :)

Blizzard had a lazer treatment to his bladder and is on meds. He is not a happy camper right now and I will be giving pills to a cat twice a day for several days. I love that silly cat though and hope he mends quickly. Besides, Miss Marple needs him to open our bedroom door in the morning so they can cuddle with me.

Sister's Birthday Luncheon ~ Rosebud Chintz

January, the month two of my three younger sisters celebrate their birthdays.My three younger sisters and I gather every year to celebrate our birthdays.This year I had the privilege of hosting the birthday luncheon in my home.I chose to use the Spode china I had just been given from my Aunt Ruby and cousin Christine. This birthday luncheon was truly a family affair.

My three younger sisters pose for me as I capture their images for yet another birthday celebration.

I arranged fresh flowers in the Spode gravy boat. The goblets are special, all 4 of us have these goblets and we bring them to all our birthday luncheons.

I deviled some eggs laid especially for me by my flock of chickens, and also bought some blue cheese stuffed olives. The bowl is almost empty though because I cannot resist them. A pound of these olives had dwindled dramatically by the time I actually put them out to share with my sisters.

Grapes, French bread generously slathered in butter & herbs...

...and my home made clam chowder. Clam chowder made WITHOUT potatoes ! I hate potatoes. I did cook up some diced potatoes to add to the chowder two of my sisters ate, but my youngest sister & I do not like potatoes. This chowder is chock full of bacon, mushrooms, clams, sour cream, butter. Not a diet lunch for sure, but this is the very best clam chowder I have ever eaten, and I think I could have easily eaten the whole super big crock pot of this all by myself if given the chance. But, I shared, because after all, it was not my birthday.

The birthday girls, my two youngest sisters.Of course they had their birthday crowns on, and they were having too much fun, but on your birthday fun is the name of the game. Fun and cake !

My teacup / coffee cup for this TeaTime Tuesday is my Rosebud Chintz, by Spode.

I am linking to the gracious tea ladies listed below. Please check out their blogs and enjoy the many variations of tea times from all over the world. Don't forget to have a cup of tea to sip while enjoying your vicarious travels.Maybe you too will decide to share your teacups and tea times.You need not go online to share your hospitality, simply share a cup of tea with a friend or family member, and remember you're all the more blessed for this time.

Check out these Tea-Time Tuesday blogs:

1. Terri at Artful Affirmations *
2. Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *
3.  Martha's Favorites *   
4. Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor *
5. Antiques & Teacups *

Seasons

 Things change, seasons of life can surprise us, even with great joy.My youngest sister has returned home, to our state, after so many years away. My other 2 sisters and I are enjoying having her back home. In the photo above she is walking with 4 of my grandchildren out into the field to pick apples with them. God has worked all things out for us more perfectly than we could have ever planned, He is so good to us !

My sheep are thriving, and I am pleased with the spring lambs I have chosen to keep. Above is Bide-a-wee Buttercup with her lamb ( rt) Cedar Pond's Bluebonnet Vickie, named for Sand Flat Farm's Vickie and the state flower of Texas.Bluebonnet Vickie is almost as large as her mother, and has 4 horns fused, appearing as if they are 2 very large horns. 

 The weather in the Pacific Northwest has surpassed all previous records of days without rain. Fires are still burning in our state. I am having to water trees and plants I have never had to water this time of the year. Usually I can count on this being the time of year to get things done inside, but am still having as much outdoor work as the summer months without benefit of the long hours of sunlight.

I am still getting yarn spun up, wee little sheep made, wool dyed, carded, and put away for the winter days inside by the fire.However, by the time I get inside I am just plain tired out, and I am thinking the season of life for me has come where I must be more selective in my use of time. I think I will be praying about this and pondering the right choices this fall & winter as I spin up more wool yarn and craft more rugs, remembering to enjoy the company and blessing of those God has placed in my life, and I in theirs. ~ "I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart.." Ecclesiastes 3:10,11

Spot On New Chicks & Blogging

This is one of a dozen new chicks that hatched out yesterday, under the careful brooding of 3 Silkie hens. The chicks are purebred bantam Cochins ( white) or bantam Silkie / Cochin crosses. They all have a frizzled father, which means they can have very curly feathers causing them to look like your fluffy house slippers.

My husband & I have been working overtime to replace our storm-damaged fences, clean up our acreage, harvest our gardens, harvest the honey from our bees, get ready for the Puyallup Fair where we exhibit my Jacob Sheep for 5 days, prepare for the winter by stacking firewood & hay to last, and joyfully get ready for my baby sister to stay with us for awhile while she considers what job she'll choose and where she'll live. Yay! My youngest sister will finally be home where she belongs!

Meanwhile, I am still tending my flocks of chickens, turkeys, ducks, sheep, and all the while preparing for many imminent events of great joy. I have not been able to spend much time on-line because of the things I need to do daily, and also because our computer is not behaving . Naughty computer. I have been reading your blogs, of course, downloading blogs  is taking a lot of time, so I get household chores and cooking done while waiting to read my favorite blogs. Then, because my computer is in need of replacing, I have to take time ( LOTS ! ) to comment. After this month my husband and I are hoping to replace our dinosaur of a computer , but please know, I appreciate your comments and I am reading your blogs, and hopefully soon, will re-join active blogdom, comments and all. Because, really, how can you NOT read a great blog and comment?

If you're interested in chickens, check out my other blog, JUST CHICKENS *.

Freedom, Just A Drive Away

I and 2 of my younger sisters visited someone here we care about this past weekend. The trip was an 8 hour drive each way. The visit in between the driving left us with so much to think about and no adequate words. I might write about this later, much later, when I can put into careful words exactly what I want to say, what I need to say...but later, maybe. The drive home through the rugged, desolate, and beautiful country of eastern Oregon made us even more aware of the contrasts of closely supervised confinement without soon expectation of freedom to the vast and wild country in between prison and our home. There was a dark cloud behind us, sunshine in front of us and we came upon this vast plateau with a scenic viewpoint overlooking the countryside below. As my sister Joni and I took pictures the clouds rolled in and the shadows changed every few seconds it seemed. "This magnificent view is preserved and protected by the efforts of the Oregon Roadside Council which initiated and secured the passage of the Oregon Scenic ahead....3,585 scenic miles of highways were surveyed and selected by the council and adopted by the state scenic area board. More than 7.000 signs and billboards which distracted and obscured scenic vistas were removed." Since Oregon can remove the billboards to allow unobstructed viewing of her awe-inspiring beauty I am going to leave the pictures I took which come nowhere near to picturing it as beautiful and vast as it truly is, without words.

"Freedom:Quality or state of being free : Liberation from imprisonment." Webster's

Happy Birthday Baby Sister!

Happy Birthday Baby Sister!A whole year has come and gone since we shared your 50th birthday together in Hawaii.I am on the far left ( wearing green ), our youngest sister is on the far right. What an amazing time we had and a whole year has passed by so quickly with so many changes in each of our lives. It is a comfort to me in the knowledge that no matter our differences and circumstances in life, we are there for each other, thank-you. Happy birthday Tricia, I love you !

"It's A Gift To Be Simple, It's A Gift To Be Free.."

It's a gift to be loved...

...it's a gift to be happy...

...it's a gift to have enough food, and a place to call home...

...it's a gift to have family and people who love you...

...it's a gift to have sisters, a gift to have a parent or two who love you more than life itself, it is a gift to have Jesus as Savior. What more can we want for ?

The pictures above are of 4 of our granddaughters,the daughters of our oldest son. My husband and I have been away for more than a week, over the mountains and far away, visiting them.We had no television or internet, and spent the time just being with our granddaughters and sons, and youngest sons' wife Breezy. We brought the granddaughters home with us for summer vacation and are looking forward to fun times, sweet times, family times ~ building memories times. The trip home was enjoyable (excepting the blinding rain squalls ) as these little girls love to sing about Jesus and although they do have their sisterly spats, my husband and I have noticed these little girls love each other fiercely and are perfectly content with each other as friends and playmates. Makes our hearts glad."It's a gift to be simple..."

Aloha !

I have been away, in Hawaii,enjoying myself with my 3 younger sisters as we celebrated the 50th birthday of our baby sister. We lived in Hawaii many years ago. I and 2 of my sisters attended elementary school there, took hula dance lessons there, swam in the ocean and played on the beaches. Our parents grew bananas, plumerias and hibiscus in the yard of our home on Schofield Barracks - the Army base on the island of Oahu. ( Above is a picture of myself, in red, with my 3 younger sisters.) My sisters Karen and Joni were very clever in hiding this banner to present to our sister after our climb of Diamond Head , on her birthday. What a great hike ! When you get to the top of Diamond Head you can see the most beautiful sights of Hawaii and Honolulu. ( Baby sister is wearing orange)

Lighthouse seen below , from the trail leading to the top of Diamond Head.

Our rented condo is over there, can't you see it?

I have a certificate to prove I climbed to the top!

Diamond Head, as viewed from a boat on the ocean.

As we 4 sisters shared a week together, and shared our lives with each other, it is very apparent all of us will encounter difficulties, tragedies,and disappointments along life's road.Yes, there are great joys and blessings, and hopefully a lot of laughter along the road too. Sometimes though, the sadness and even despair cloud our lives and heavy-laden hearts hold us back from remembering there are sunshiny days to come if only we can hold fast to what we KNOW in spite of the hard times we are seeing and experiencing ." The Lord tests our faith, leading us into hardships, teaching us wisdom, showing us His ways. Our first reaction may be a surge of panic and a sense of alarm, but we must learn to consult the Scriptures for guidance. So, take a deep breath and recall this deeper secret of the Christian life : when you are in a difficult place, realize that the Lord either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps now known only to Himself. The same God who led you in will lead you out." The Red Sea Rules by Robert Morgan. ( Thanks Mildred for the heads up on this book. ) We had a good time in Hawaii,and I am thankful to God for my 3 younger sisters and with the life He has blessed us. My prayer for each of us is to seek God's wisdom and discernment regarding all aspects of our lives, and more importantly, remember when times seem dark and depressing that God can and will work in us for His glory, we just need to remember... "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:19

Sisters, Together Again!

Here is a picture taken of me ( back right ) and my 3 younger sisters with our father, 50 years ago. Our little baby sister is turning 50 this week. In honor of her birthday and our 50 years together as sisters, she is flying from New York to join us, her older sisters, for a week of celebration! I will be away from my computer until Friday, the 14th. These verses exemplify some of the gifts I have received from my sisters in times of need, and my prayer is we strive this coming week to uplift and encourage one another even more!"If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself ( herself); Philippians 2: 1-3 I am blessed to know all my sisters are believers, and we all attempt to encourage Godliness in one another, Happy Birthday Baby Sister, we love you!

Sisters!

Two of my sisters treated me to dinner tonight in celebration of my birthday. I got my special birthday goblet tonight, one more sister will receive her goblet on her birthday just after Christmas when we will fly to Hawaii for a week together celebrating sisterhood. Our baby sister lives too far away to visit us often so our adventure together will be fun. Here we are with our baby sister, she is only a few days old in this picture. "A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost." Marion Garretty Again, the 4 of us in our front yard in Hawaii, many years ago. ( I am on the far left) "Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power which no subsequent connections can supply..." Jane Austen Our last sister's get together 2 years ago, here we are posed in birth order starting with me (Left), the oldest AND the shortest, to the baby, the tallest! "You keep your past by having sisters. As you get older, they're the only ones who don't get bored if you talk about your memories." Deborah Moggach

Thank-you Sisters! I love you~

The Gladness Of His Heart!

Our brother-in-law Kaare is celebrating an upcoming milestone birthday! This is all the more special and precious because this past fall he had at least 2 heart attacks and spent a fair amount of time in the hospital and in recovery. He is back at work and so thankful to be celebrating LIFE with his family.Kaare sat next to his father who recovered from a heart attack a few years ago, both of them seem to especially appreciate time with loved ones. "Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labors in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward." My sister Karen, (left, holding the cake) is Kaare's wife. She arranged this bash at an Italian restaurant because she is beyond happy and thankful for her beloved husband recovering and still here with her. She is still very much in love with her husband of more than 30 years, as he is with her. "Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God."

Here is our end of the very long table full of just a few of the many family members Kaare and Karen have. We were so happy to be able to celebrate another year of being together.We never know when one of us, young or old, healthy or infirm will be called home to eternity, and it is often so easy to forget that until we almost lose someone dear." For he will not often consider the years of his life because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart." ~all quotes are from Ecclesiastes 5: 18-20~

Here is a long picture looking all the way from one end of the room to the other, full of family that love Kaare. Happy Birthday Kaare, and may God grant you many more to be occupied with the gladness of your heart!

Happy Birthday Joni~

My younger sister, well, all my sisters are younger than me, and taller- my younger sister Joni had a birthday yesterday and to celebrate it 3 of us girls got together for lunch in my home. Our youngest sister is in New York . We miss you baby sister! If you want to laugh til you cry just hang around these ladies. I kid you not, I am the "straight man" in the foursome, they are so funny. I always feel like I am several steps behind them as the jokes and pranks are speeding by, or over my head. I eventually catch on, but by then they are several funnies ahead. At this rate though, if we have the privilege of spending many more birthdays together we will have to wear some Depends because of all the laughing. Here is Joni holding up her new birthday girl goblet ( I get mine on my next birthday) and my kitten Ralphie. Joni is a cat lover and wants a cat very badly. She loves her husband way too much to inflict a cat on him, so to make him happy because she loves him Joni will enjoy my cat when she is here. So, happy, happy birthday sister, I love you!"Family faces are magic mirrors looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future." Gail Buckley

On a totally different note, please check out Debbie's blog, Of His Pasture, and read a post that will make you think.*

Happy, Happy Birthday Sistah!

It's my sister's birthday and she, sister Joni and I all got together here for lunch and a good time!We had chicken roasted with herbs, onions, carrots, and red potatoes from our garden, coleslaw, broccoli.., and lately served biscuits. My sisters did not know I could leap off my seat at the table so fast ! We were almost done with lunch and Joni said, "didn't you have biscuits in the oven?" Oh my, I did, and they were STILL in the oven baking away. I rescued them and they weren't burnt...that's as much as I have to say about them. Silly me. ( above: Karen is holding a special birthday goblet given to her from Sister Joni. )

We posed together for pictures, and our thoughts were for our 4th and baby sister who lives in New York and was unable to be with us. Joni on the left, Karen on the right.

I am the oldest sister~shortest, AND oldest.

My sister Karen brought me a gift for HER birthday lunch. She made me this quilt and it is perfect in our bedroom, what is even better about the quilt is that she made it out of fabrics that have special memories attached.

Here is the backing laid over the front. I love everything about this quilt, most special of all that she made it for me and made it with colors and fabric she knows I love.

We had a birthday toast "to sisters!" and included a glass of champagne for our sister Tricia.

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter , and sharing of pleasures." Kahlil Gibran Thank-you sisters for this friendship, a true blessing not taken for granted!