Little Bird Farm

Yesterday we were wrapped up in Valentines; today we are covered in SNOW!

2012-02-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

This is the kind of snow that slowly melts and seeps into the soil; the kind that so gently feeds the daffodils and protects the swelling buds on the apricot tree. I love it!

A very special week!

2012-02-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

PIPER! Do you want to go to The Zoo with GrubePop & Gigi??

Waiting for the ChooChoo Train.

Making faces at the gorillas!

PIPER throws herself into her HUGS!! They are extra sweet!

Piper and cousin Miles explore stuff on the kitchen counter together. Hmmmm.

Next adventure! It's off to the aquarium. Piper is game for any adventure!

Piper really loved the "touch pool". She and the hermit crab were equally surprised by one another!

And on Saturday....we ALL go to the Zoo! Piper got to show it to Mami-O and Daddy-O!

Thanks for coming kids! It was a great week!

Tiny winter marvels!

2012-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

Small, beautiful and brave. These little crocus draw us into our garden for a few moments of quiet admiration & wonder! Yes, spring will come!

Seeing the world through glass spheres

2012-01-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my husband gave me such a beautiful gift. I have a small collection of hand-blown glass spheres, made by North Carolina artists. Commander got in touch with our dear friend, Debbi, who lives in NC, and had her do some Christmas shopping for him! She selected an exquisite piece that perfectly compliments the three we already had! No big surprise, as Debbi is my partner in crime when it comes to shopping for cool stuff when we go to NC! She knows all the good places! We recently hung the spheres in our new kitchen window. The sun comes in these windows so splendidly - morning and evening! Here is how they look in the morning!
(I could look out this window all day long! Never know what may saunter past.)

These are made at the Cedar Creek Gallery; Lisa Oakley is the head glass blower there. It is a wonderful gallery, near Creedmore, NC, about 30 minutes from Durham. Thanks, Debbi! Thanks, Commander!

January things

2012-01-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

These three little pals relax with us by the fire as we peruse seed catalogs, gaze out at the winter garden, and design the spring garden plan in our minds. Like us, they seem to fall under the spell of the small birds playing just beyond the window on these very crisp, sunny winter days. The blue sky teases us into thinking we can go into the garden and dig. But in truth, the ground is frozen!

There are crocus up, standing about an inch tall, just thinking about sending up their fragile flowers. And daffodils, bunched here and there, the green tops sending out a message of hope.

Meanwhile, we clean house, again and again, striving to rid each room of the dri-wall dust, sawdust, and general construction grubbiness of the past months. Sweet memories fill our minds; memories of our first Christmas in our new & improved Little Bird Farm House!
(Photo, courtesy of Joshua. Little friends, courtesy of JP&p)

Looking ahead to a terrific 2012...

2012-01-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

...and back at a superb Christmas.

This first day of the new year, we begin tilling up an area for our Herb Garden!

And we smile heartily remembering the cuteness of our sweet grand girls playing together at Christmas time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, ONE AND ALL!

Did the kids all really arrive for Christmas a week ago today?

2011-12-29T17:09:00.000-08:00

Once we passed that occupancy inspection, I swung into high gear like never before! Un-earthing the guest room and finding homes for each item that has rested there for upwards of 4 months. Carting boxes of dishes in from the casita in the back yard, and placing them in new shelf paper lined cupboards, scouring the bathrooms, which we have all abused since September, especially after the port-a-potty left, wrapping gifts, decorating our white fir Christmas tree from Mora, NM and filling the cabinets with holiday foods! Mom brought cookies, so I really appreciate that! And our neighbors brought fudge and cookies and breads. Thank you!

It was a truly beautiful week! And all have returned to their homes, as of today. The music, the precious looks on the faces of our little grands, the Christmas Eve tamales and posole, the traditional Christmas morning Garmische Nut Stollen, the feast on Christmas Day - thank you commander for grilling the beef tenderloin so perfectly - the joy (and mess!) we created on our big new table! All was splendid!

One down side: by the day after Christmas, our little 20 month old Piper and her mama were sick. We all holed up and drank gallons of tea as we watched "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street", the very same show our own children watched in 1980 and beyond! It still holds up! "Keep Christmas with you, all through the year", they sing!

I wish I had gotten a Christmas card out to all the people we dearly love! It has been a curious season for us. We feel we can settle in now, in the New Year and enjoy our new kitchen, fine tune some of the things yet to be completed, and begin preparing for our spring vegetable, flower, and herb gardens!

We had a big loss right after Christmas; our dear, sweet Aunt Connie passed away - much, much too soon! How we will all miss her, though we will never, never forget her beautiful heart and smile. And so much more.

Our sweet Piper Gaye. She is so interested in everything!

Sharing early Christmas with family headed to California for the holiday. Darling Abby is pretty excited about her gifts from her cousins!

Gavin & Piper love pockets!

Making the luminarias - Piper's very first time. FUN!

Christmas Eve music and tamale making.

Sweet Miles finally gave in to sleep on Christmas Eve.

Commander has a fan! It is mutual.

We passed!!

2011-12-22T05:52:00.000-08:00

And we are IN the new kitchen! Yay!
Not a moment too soon....as the elves are knocking at the door!

Commander begins to assemble our redwood table, a task that has been a long time coming!

Then the strong neighbor men join us to bring in the top piece....beautiful!

We can hardly wait to have you join us at the table in the new LBF KITCHEN!

HAPPY MERRYMAKING, AS CHRISTMAS IS COMING! We wish you safe travel, wherever you may go, and happiness in GREAT measure!

RAIN...SNOW.........Winter! Almost CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-20T06:09:00.000-08:00

Home, sweet home.
(Not finished yet, but already cozy.) Hopefully, by day's end, we will have our Certificate of Occupancy and can madly move in our dishes, pots & pans, and coffee pot! A plumber, an electrician and two inspections yesterday, two more inspections today.

Each week, a new "To Do" list on the white board. This is last week's list. This week's list has more on it, but the last item on this week's list is...CHRISTMAS! YAY Christmas. The kids will all arrive this Thursday!

Through this window we watch rain turning to snow, turning to slush. And many small birds scurrying about to feast on the newly revealed seeds and other yummy things.

A few pictures from the past 2 weeks. It's been pretty "happenin"!

2011-12-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

One of our two roofers, trying to give me a heart attack! It's so slick up there!

Pedro, Sr, making the cuts for the cedar siding. Pedro, Jr and Johnny measured and nailed. They had the siding and trim up in 2 1/2 (cold!) days.

We tried to keep up with them, painting the trim that would be placed way up high, before they needed it. But it was only in the low 30s, so the paint was not very happy. Now the house looks like it has a disease of some kind - some is light, some is dark, some is not painted at all!

The new countertops are in! They are water-washed granite.

Our electrician extraordinaire had a visitor waiting for him when he came down from the attic! I think it is because he has been very good!

We begin to WRAP it up. And THANK YOU!

2011-12-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

When we began this kitchen addition/redo, I vowed to NOT become consumed by the whole thing - to continue to pursue and engage in "normal" activity and communication. But that sort of went out the window as the reality and scope of the project came at us from many directions! I managed to keep up with simple graces, like birthday cards and thank you notes - occasional phone calls and Skype visits. I spent a few hours putting the garden to bed. For the most part, computer time comprised shopping for plumbing fixtures, lighting, utterly unglamourous "parts" for said plumbing or lighting. Any shopping, short of the near daily "De-pott" or "Lowies" runs for lumber, paint, "parts", was to the Co-op or Smitty's for milk, yogurt, grapefruit juice or TP.

As we begin to see the light at the end of this crazy tunnel, please accept - first - my apology for being, after all, SO consumed! For the occasional (or frequent?) whining or complaining or otherwise "carrying on" about project minutia or hurdles. You always asked how things are going. And I hope you don't much mind that we always told you! Second - please accept my gratitude! For being such amazing, supportive, loving, patient family & friends! You brought us food, you had us over for meals, you let us shower and do our dishes at your houses, you helped us with big heavy work that Commander and I could never have done by ourselves! You brought expertise to the project - above & beyond any hopes we held! You gave us the names and phone numbers of just the right people to do our jobs - so MANY people and so many jobs! You showed up to help when we didn't even know we needed help - but we DID!

And now, here we are in our last weeks of the project; nearly ready to move into our very pleasing, unique new space. Hard to believe! We are so eager to share this special new place with each one of you! That is what it is all about - the sweet times that we will all share here.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Likewise, it takes a village to raise a roof! THIS roof for sure! A village full of loving, devoted, talented and skilled individuals - family, friends, near & far, wildly willing people - each contributing in a very personal way - to support and help create something wonderful!

Please come soon! Sit at the table with us. Relax by the fire. Stand at the kitchen sink window and laugh with us at the silly yearlings as they play, at the lone coyote who passes by quietly, at the lanky cranes feeding in the field.

THANK YOU, everyone! YOU know who you are! Thank you! THANK YOU!

PS Our "Occupancy" (FINAL) inspection is early next week. In the nick of time for CHRISTMAS! I will post recent pictures just as soon as I have the opportunity!

I'd say it is now looking like a KITCHEN!

2011-12-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today we went from this......

.......to THIS! A BIG step in the right direction.

SNOW!

2011-12-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a LOT like.......YOU know!

CHRISTMAS!

The Little Bird Farmhouse, from the road

2011-11-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

The view Ichiban has requested -

And the view from the east drive.

The garden, at rest.

Things are moving slowly...but they ARE moving!

2011-11-29T06:55:00.000-08:00

For example, the roofers are putting the corrugated steel roofing material on this week.

And our floor artisans are sanding and sealing the Douglas Fir floor.

What a vast change the sealant makes!

Giving thanks for.....

2011-11-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

...the beauty of the earth, beloved family and friends, having enough to get by and also give away, five senses, precious memories, HOPE for a beautiful future.... YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

The floor is.....coming along!

2011-11-18T18:02:00.000-08:00

Should be done next week, long about, oh.....Wednesday, or....Friday? Sure is looking pretty!

Abby helped GrubePop assemble the ceiling fan.

2011-11-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

Abby loves to organize things! She lines them up according to type and size. A perfect helper for this job! Thank you, Abby!

Saturday, we enjoyed some fun with cousins and the grandparents!

Go Gavi, GO!

Happy Birthday, Commander!

2011-11-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

Buckets of LOVE (and paint!) from Little Bird! LBF would not be the same without you. Thank you for all your hard work and TLC!

What a difference some sheet rock makes!

2011-11-11T12:47:00.000-08:00

Three days of dry wallers and we have....an actual room! And so much sheet rock dust, we can hardly find each other in here! (It is absolutely everywhere!) Our new kitchen is really taking shape! Today, our electrician extraordinaire is installing our ceiling fan and more lights. It's great to have a scaffold for a few more days!

Next: painting, varnishing, and then next week - the wood floor! And this weekend....Abby and her Mom & Dad are visiting!

All weekend, we looked UP!

2011-11-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

It took 5 of us two solid days to install our wood ceiling, and it was time so very well spent. The result makes us very happy and will for years and years to come. First, the four men nailed up some backing.

At the lunch break, Commander spent some time sanding the big beam.

Elisiel - the brains of the operation - a perfectionist! How nice for us!

Late Sunday afternoon, after the cleanup crew wrapped up. (Yes, that would be US!)

Inspiration from nature!

2011-11-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

As the sun edged over the mountain to the east this morning, this magnificent old cottonwood tree out the new kitchen window took center stage! Isn't it SOMETHING!!?

And NOW..........

2011-11-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

...........we have HEAT AND HOT water! Never has a bath felt as lovely as mine did last night before I fell into bed. For the first time in nine weeks, Commander did not have to scurry across the road to our kind neighbors' house at 5:25am for his morning shower. We are happy campers. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. :)

We have GAS!

2011-11-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here we are on the first day of our ninth week....and we just got GAS! The very kind NM Gas Co fellow came first thing this morning and installed our new gas meter. Sadly, our plumber and heating man were not able to come today (Grrrrrrrr!). So, we will (should) have both hot water and heat tomorrow. Can you imagine? I can!

Happy Halloween! (Sure miss you, kids! See you soon!)

2011-10-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

Our little Pumpkin-Piper-Pie!

And Cowgirl Abby!

It seems we were ready for a Padded Room! Now, we have one!

2011-10-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

ALSO.....our pine ceiling and mountain high grade douglas fir floor were delivered.

Here's our ceiling & floor. The pine is re-purposed wood from the big Las Conchas forest fire that burned in northern New Mexico this summer, specifically, from the area around the Dixon Apple Orchard. We purchased it from a place in Las Vegas, New Mexico called "Old Wood" - an amazing saw mill with many philanthropic ventures. Check out their amazing operation at their web site, if you like. (google David Old, Old Wood, Las Vegas, NM).

Plugging away.......

2011-10-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

........that's what we are doing now. Our adorable electrician has gotten power to all essential places now, and his inspection went perfectly. The redwood table and mantle arrived from Berkeley, CA and they are glorious. In fact, my brother put the mantle up yesterday and it really is lovely. Our framing inspection yesterday did not go so well, I am sorry to say. There are a number of fixes (six) that must occur before we can call for a re-inspection; hopefully we will have that back on track by week's end. It is hard when we can't do "the fixing" and must rely on others (framers!). Some of the fixes we can and will do. Then there is the matter of the fireplace inspection. I have a bad feeling about this one - but time will tell. So many inspections! I do think our society has gone overboard in terms of protecting the populace. Personal responsibility and due diligence and all that...what happened to those? But, I know it is important to protect people from shoddy, unsafe building practices. I feel protected.

The prospect of hot water by week's end has dimmed. A tiny glimmer of hope remains. Insulation will likely not be happening this week either, unless there is a miracle by Friday. We are scheduled for Friday, but a LOT of other things must happen first, including that framing re-inspection!
< sigh >

We are truly enjoying the spectacular views of Autumn color out our windows! They are in just the right spots to see the sunset, the horses, the beautiful golden cottonwood trees and brilliant red Virginia Creeper vines. This is a real treat.

So, generally, we are doing well. Progress continues, with just a few small blips!

Blip....Blip......Blip.

Our Guard Gineas

2011-10-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

These little Guard Guineas don't miss a thing. They have witnessed all the craziness that has transpired (and continues to transpire) at LBF since our project began. And today - there is a LOT of crazy here! Framers finishing up (Oh, I do hope!), our family electrician will prepare for his county inspection here tomorrow, and some fine tuning of the window and door installation (my honorable brother and a trim man). Meanwhile, the garden has not yet been hit by frost, so my work continues there. Lovely work, that!

Our windows and door are simply wonderful!

2011-10-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

At last, we can lock our home...and go someplace! We feel much more snug and cozy now, even though we are so far from finished. Each day we inch nearer to the day we can occupy this new sunny space.

And now, the view up the acequia. The changing trees and vines have a light all their own.

Some of our Pumpkins!

2011-10-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Rouge de Temps (also called Cinderella pumpkins, because Cinderella's coach was made from one of these!) are my favorites! But they are all spectacular!

Miles is trying to decide which pumpkins he will take home!

Into the garden........

By the light of the FULL moon

2011-10-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

Last night we were laying down insulation by the light of that big, glorious full moon. It was spectacular, easing gracefully over that beautiful mountain, lending light for our work! A few days ago, we had mentioned to our neighbor, Frank, that we would be doing this. And who came walking up our driveway at 6pm, just as Commander got home from work and we began contemplating the project? Frank. With cutters, gloves, and eye protection in hand. It took the three of us about an hour to get all the spaces on the new "old roof" filled with fluffy R-30 insulation. Tomorrow, if all goes as planned, the roofers will deck over our insulation and on Friday we should get a real roof! Hip Hip.....hooray! Running water and a roof in one week. (fingers crossed).

Are you sitting down????

2011-10-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

I hope you are! Because I have NEWS! We HAVE RUNNING WATER IN THE HOUSE! Yes - you read correctly. Running water. When we turn the faucet (as we have continuously done time after time for the past five weeks, and nothing happened), WATER comes out! AND...when we flush....the tank fills up...ALL BY ITSELF!!!

IT IS the LITTLE THINGS that make the difference. WE ARE HAPPY!

PS Do you suppose the water will actually come out HOT someday??? Woah there, Nellie. One thing at a time! ;)

Water, Water Everywhere!

2011-10-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

These first two pictures are of the old roof on the existing house, which you can see, is in the process of being modified. It was not a good roof, and we decided it needed a new slope. Previously it was much too flat and leaked. With the rain this week, after having been scraped....I dare say that it really leaked this week! Oh, well. It is just water.

A view of our progress (which has been slow this week), from the acequia path.

Granny went home today!

2011-10-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. We are so happy that Granny was able to leave the hospital for home today. Three long nights and days there, and she is doing a lot better now. She sure has two big, bad injuries on her head, but the tests showed no serious damage and no definitive reason for her tumble. Papa is most happy to have her home!

It is such a wonderful thing to have family who all work together when such a thing occurs! All personnel reported for duty, and love and concern flowed.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch - make that the FARM, things are slogging along. Slowly. We had the biggest rain we have had in the last 2 years, much of which ended up in our house (the old part being repaired and the new part). Now the wind is blowing upwards of 45 mph, so the plastic on the window openings is doing some serious blowing and billowing. The windows were to arrive last week, but have been delayed. The fireplace was to be installed by now, but some parts were missing - delayed. The plumber took an out of town job and won't be here until next week. (Going on week 6 for no water and no gas in the house.)

The hang ups on the construction seem very trivial when compared to the health and safety of our Mom & Dad, and all of our loved ones, for that matter! We are GRATEFUL!

A weekend of BIG cleanup & trips to the dump.

2011-10-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

Also a bit of hot air balloon watching from our new portal! It affords a FINE view! Today it is raining, so I have been placing buckets here and there inside in places where the old roof will meet the new. We are dried in on our new roof, awaiting a redo of the old roof and a seamless connection between the two. Hence, drips!! The real roofing should happen by week's end.

Granny took a spill Monday morning and is in the hospital - some nasty head wounds where she hit the wall and floor! The doctor said her brain is "beautiful" though - thank heaven She will get to go home tomorrow, so that will be very good. We are so concerned about her and about Papa! We will slow the kitchen project down some until they are back up to speed!

A "Cirque de Soleil" kind of day!

2011-09-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hanging the BIG beam that tops off our kitchen. (gasp!)

My first opportunity to sit in front of the new fireplace.

Here's how we looked at the end of the day today. The result of a lot of muscle & brains!

It's not even 8am! And already the workers have accomplished this much! WOW!

2011-09-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

Before sun-up, yesterday....this!

2011-09-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

Our KITCHEN! Right here in this big pile!!

And then THIS (My heart beat was on hold until the workers finished removing the very slippery steel panels. Thank the Lord, nobody fell off!

Our Very Special Consultant, my honorable brother, arrived early to weigh in and tell me everything I needed to know for the day. Thank you, Mr H! Our honorable sister-in-law stopped in also and helped me hoist some lumber, covering it in case rain came in. Thanks, Melli!

Granny & Papa very kindly brought us a big pan of lasagna, a beautiful salad, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream for a convivial dinner at day's end. Thank you folks! It was such FUN!

Beginning to look REAL!

2011-09-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

The result of the work on Saturday is the prettiest little concrete slab, and a sweet San Diego Buff-colored concrete portal. We are so happy with how it all looks! We spent much of Sunday cleaning up outside, so the job site will be tidy and pleasant. Framing begins tomorrow.

Commander used Li'l Red's new trailer hitch for the very first time, to go to the dump, of course.

Visitors on Concrete Day!

2011-09-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Amber, Aaron, Miles & Gavin pay us a call...and we end up in the pumpkin patch!

Learning about Apples!!

More concrete, today!

2011-09-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

At 7:30 am the Duke City Concrete truck will pull in again, and leave us with our slab and our front portal pad. Then, the real fun will begin!

A couple of visitors bearing Strawberry Rhubarb pie, and our Master Electrician!

2011-09-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

Papa

Granny

Our master electrician! Thanks, T-Bone!

Inspector says we are ready for our SLAB!

2011-09-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

THIS was some MESSY work! Cutting away the concrete stem wall for our portal step. Notice the screen in the image; I was INSIDE for this part!

Our future Asian-inspired garden site, in the background.

And now our kitchen looks....like THIS! We will have a slab either Saturday or Monday.

Some BIG work got done Yesterday!

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lots of traffic today at Little Bird Farm! It wore me out, watching everyone work so hard! Even my camera is exhausted and I can't post any new pictures until she recharges. (Is there a parallel there?)

Our plumber and his son started their big work at 9 and finished around 11 - laying a huge yellow gas line in the 36" deep trench; and the slimmer, white water line, which had to make lots of jigs and jags and backs and forths to get our water everywhere it needs to go. You don't really think about all the different directions water has to travel under a house! There's the cold path, the hot path, both ways to and from the source, to the outside hose bibs, etc - lots of pipe! Podge & Melli came to inspect the work and had good comments and ideas, as always. And then, we awaited the County Plumbing Inspector - who had one correction for our plumber to make - which was an easy one, and quickly made.

Then concrete and grading crew returned. That means Noise and Dust & Dirt & "beep-beep-beep"! For hours! Until 6pm, as a matter of fact! They did a splendid job, as the photos will show. They removed most of the junk, like old concrete, tree branches, and lousy driveway soil, which would otherwise confound our gardening in that new area. (Our main concrete man is a gardener!! Yay!!) It is all nice & smooth now. A blank slate for our Asian-inspired garden, in the shade of the old cottonwood trees!

Presently awaiting the Foundation Inspector, and our special electrician - T-bone!

And thank you to our amazing neighbors! Bob & Shelda had us over for a lovely dinner last night. Mike and Janet have welcomed us for dinners, and numerous showers too. We just don't know what we would do without you four VERY gracious people! You ease our strained situation tremendously, while sharing our excitement for our new kitchen! Thank you. :)

"Thank you" to our loyal well-wishers!

2011-09-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some much-loved well wishers who are much too far away! (But safely out of the line of LBF Kitchen addition fire!)

Josh, Paige and Piper Gaye * * * Nate, Sara and Abigail Jane

Bad, to Better, to Worse?

2011-09-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

If one didn't know better, one might believe - looking at the state of things here today - that we have gone from Bad, to Better (a little), to Worse! The old saying that "you have to break a few eggs to make a cake" is appropriate today. Some eggs have truly been broken here this afternoon in our "cake" endeavor! It is a veritable maze of deep, scary trenches out there! And yes - more piles of dirt! Tomorrow, the plumber will lay our new gas and water lines in these trenches. Now THAT will move us along toward....WAY BETTER!

These guys even work on SATURDAY!

2011-09-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

7:15am - The guys arrive to place the stem wall forms and pour! We knew they were coming, but when they got here so early, we were pretty surprised. EVERYTHING went great! My honorable brother came over to weigh in - a thing he does that we appreciate more than we can say! Even the plumber stopped in to mark his gas and water lines for trenching.

Next on the list of things to do: Remove the kitchen cabinets so the wall can come down! Tim & neighbor, Mike, finessed the uppers right down, so we can re-use them in our guest casita one of these fine days!

Pulling out nails - there are a zillion!

WE PASSED OUR 1st COUNTY BUILDING INSPECTION!

2011-09-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

HIP-HIP.....HOORAY!! And there's more! Within an hour of a phone call, we also had a cement truck here. Which resulted (within minutes!) in footings. Hooooray!

Little Bird Farm had 24 hours of Peace & Quiet, and then....

2011-09-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

....thankfully, the workers (and the noise) returned! At the end of the day, we now have footings dug and we are ready for our 1st Inspection by a county inspector! (Hopefully, our 1st of many "passing grades"! I must admit that I am having some serious test anxiety!)

Seems like much ado about a small dirt square!

This outcropping will be our fireplace. :)

All that DIRT?

2011-09-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

Compacted, watered down, compacted some more.

Nearly ready to actually.....BUILD a kitchen!

And so begins another day.

2011-09-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

Actually, these first 2 shots were taken last night when Commander got home from work and was amazed at the grandeur of the hole and resulting pile of dirt!

This morning.

A little reminder to Keep Looking UP!

As promised

2011-09-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

Pictures at day's end. And thank you for caring!

Spraying the dirt with water.

Looks like we are building a giant swimming pool!

The biggest pile of dirt I ever hope to see at Little Bird Farm!

Tomorrow the men will fill in the big hole they dug today. They will compact it, and hopefully, make it very beautiful. What a mess!

The Sounds of Construction!

2011-09-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

The loud roar of the big Caterpillar engine. The "beep-beep-beep" as the operator backs it up - over and over and over again. This is my morning. And I just love it, because all this big racket means that we are making progress! When the subcontractors show up on schedule, I am simply filled with happiness! Below, I have posted some pictures of what we were looking like first thing this morning. Later, I will post some of what we look like at day's end. Sure is a lot of dirt!

We are so happy to have this new, unobstructed view from our old kitchen window. The carport and utility building used to be there, and we just knew that once it was gone, the view westward would be lovely. And it sure is. (Rather, it sure will be, once all the junk is gone.)

A Day of Rest.....

2011-09-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

.....and Reflection. We take time today to quietly give thanks for our sweet, sweet life. For home, family, friends, good health, freedom, and a life of plenty in this fine country of ours. How grateful we are. We think reverently, of all who were lost 10 years ago today in NYC, DC, and the fields of Pennsylvania. And in the changes in everyday living of all Americans and all who love America.

There's no turning back now!

2011-09-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Demolition Team gets serious!

Our fancy new facilities.

You might say, our view has improved! You also might say, we are wide open to the elements, and the world at large!

The Kitchen Addition Begins!

2011-09-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our big kitchen addition and remodel began in earnest! Plans done, permits obtained and mounted by the driveway...and yesterday, the natural gas was shut off and relocated (read: BIG back hoe, BIG hole!). Water was shut off next. We have long anticipated the day we would no longer have water or heat, the beginning of a 4-6 week "dry" spell at Little Bird Farm!

This morning at 7:30, the demolition of the old driveway and hot water shed began. The demo/concrete men came early - 5 of them - and they began making some serious noise and a HUGE mess, which they promptly loaded up and carted off. AMAZING what 5 guys, a back hoe and a dump truck can do in 4 hours!

Right now, two of the demo men are taking down the walls. We weren't quite anticipating this so early in the game, but in the interest of getting this show on the road - why not now? Blue tarps will be our walls! For how long??????? Good question!!!!

I will post a few pictures as soon as I can. Thanks very much for the very kind wishes coming our way! And for the generous & gracious offers of hot showers and washing machines! THAT is friendship!!

Summer afternoon with sweet silly fellows!

2011-08-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

Red lips and tongues from cherry-mango popsicles....and lots of laughs.

Hang on Gavi! Miles pushes that swing with all his might!

Gavi really loved the swing!

Giggles abound!

Never stand up in a canoe OR a porch swing!!! (I won't say what happened short seconds after I took this picture....but everyone survived, without lasting effects.)

Miles' corn is taller than he is!

I hope there are Popsicles in heaven....

2011-08-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

....and I hope there are roller skates, too. Roller skates that go so fast, you can see the tiny sparks fly behind them!

I miss you already, sweet Patty! We will roller skate together again one fine day, my beautiful friend.
With love.

When tearing down looks like putting up.....???????

2011-08-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Dissembling the carport: Step one of the Kitchen Addition Project!

2011-08-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Tim and the neighbor men, Frank, Bob & Mike discover layers of tar and shingles under the tin roof.

Might as well laugh about it!!! Hot-hot-hot!!

Papa joins in with the roof work; 99 degrees plus! Troopers, these guys!

Cooking in the old kitchen! Shelda and Mom help me out.

Neighbor, Patty and Tim supervise my grill work.

The driveway is now full of carport remains! And the carport is just a skeleton of its previosu self! More next weekend!

Ft Worth, Texas...in JULY???

2011-07-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

You have to love people a LOT, to visit them in north Texas in July! It was hot-hot-hot. But it was also just wonderful. I enjoyed hours and hours of FUN with little Abby! Giggling and reading and singing....and even growling! She likes to growl! And then she gets very silly and laughs her head off! Her curly, curly head!

What fun! Thanks to Abby's daddy & mama, and to Granny, too, for sharing this sweet time with me. And thank you, Commander, for tending to Little Bird Farm while I was away.

Oh! These CURLS!

All sweetness.

GROWWWWWWWL!

Here's what we've been up to!

2011-07-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

It's a lot of fun! (It's a lot of work!)

A very special anniversary!

2011-06-21T06:58:00.000-07:00

There are so many days in our lives that warrant special celebration! On most of these days, we honor a passage in the life of a person whom we hold dear; a birthday, graduation, wedding, new job, retirement. Sometimes we celebrate a big project. A project, better called, in this case, a DREAM!
Our big, crazy DREAM leaped into life a little over three years ago. And today, we celebrate the 3rd anniversary of a splendid day that Tim & I will never forget - the day we launched our Little Bird Farm! Today we say "Thank you", to our precious family and friends who help us live and grow and love this dream! We appreciate you so, and we honor your unique part in our DREAM!

Here's to our Little Bird Farm!

A very, very sweet Summer Solstice!

2011-06-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

Our grand nephews come to visit for the day, with their great grandmother, my mom! It is a precious day with precious little souls! What FUN!!!!! PLAYING IN THE SPRINKLERS & GARDENING!!

"We sure are having fun gardening today, aren't we Gigi!?"

Ash, Wind, Pests!

2011-06-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Such a crazy gardening year we are having! The ash from the eastern Arizona wild fire (over 600 square miles burned!!!) heads our way every evening, on the wind. Oh, yes, and there's the wind! Windiest spring in New Mexico's recorded history, they say! And, oh! The pests! Some cute (but destructive) and some not so cute (and destructive!). A spider mite infestation in the whole state you say??? Okaaaay. Miller moths, which translate into...cutworms. Ugh! And then, there's the matter of no rain; not in the past several months, and none "in the for-seeable future". I failed to mention our late freeze, which took most of our apples and peaches!

But we are gardeners! We plug away, ever optimistic!! And by gosh, for dinner last night we had home grown lettuce and gorgeous French breakfast radishes! Snap peas too (the Cascadia sugar snap peas are so good!) And the upside is, the roses have never been prettier, the sweet peas are fragrant and perfuse, and the hollyhocks are glorious!

The Commander built this Japanese-inspired garden entry for us! Projects like this sure do take longer than one might expect! But it is worth the time and $$. We had fun doing it!

Finally, we have a special spot to hang the pretty Japanese lantern we bought in Morioka! We will think of our years in Japan every time we see this little lantern!

This is the wildest colored petunia I have ever seen! I love it!

This guy and his friends really enjoy chowing down at Little Bird Farm! I tell them the grass and the orchard are fair game; the gardens, however, not so much! Please!

A favorite quiet spot for day's end.

And now, "Itty Bitty Bird" is 1 year old!

2011-05-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

So confusing...cards and gifts! And a coconut tart too - very, very sweet!

We just laugh and laugh with our sweet little marigold blossom, Piper!

These curls in the back are simply precious!

Easter in North Carolina.....

2011-04-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

........a beautiful day with our NC kids and nice friends; sweet little Piper Gaye's very first Easter!

My little Cherry Blossom

2011-04-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last night I asked Abby, "Are you Grandma Gigi's little Cherry Blossom"? She smiled up at me brightly and said, "Yes! I AM!". Be still my heart.
(Abby and her Mama made a quick visit to New Mexico this week, so we were delighted to spend some unexpected time with them!)

Baby Bird Turns Two in Texas!

2011-03-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Oh, how time does fly!! We went to Ft Worth, Texas to celebrate Abby's 2nd birthday. And though it makes me sound old, I have to say that I can't believe she is already two; feels like she just made her "baby bird" debut! But, as she is very quick to remind us, she is NOT a baby anymore! She is a big girl. It has not turned sultry and hot yet in Texas, so we enjoyed a beautiful day at The Dallas Arboretum - "Dallas Blooms", was the name of the show, and Dallas bloomed indeed! Abby loved smelling tulips, running in the expansive grassy areas, and eating a picnic lunch. She was such a fine garden visitor! Read: adorable!

She has a new supply of toys now too! A play house, a bike, a wagon, an oven, new baking and grilling gear, new dolls, new books, and even a new jumping froggie! Lucky girl! Lucky us, to get to enjoy the time with our Texas loved ones!

Piper fun!

2011-03-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

It's always FUN when our kids and our kids' kids come to visit us! We have just wrapped up a very full and wonderful week with Josh, Paige & little Piper here! At 10 months old, Piper is a LOT of fun, crawling so fast, pulling up to explore, EVERYTHING, cracking herself up when she does funny things....a very busy and exciting "itty bitty bird", is she! See for yourself!!

I wish you a very Happy (and fun!) Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Nate, Sara & Abby for this beautiful, fragrant birthday wreath! I love it! (And it smells delicious!)

This "arctic front" tells me that we are wimps!

2011-02-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

Not you.....us! The unusual, enduring cold of the past few days have us huddling in front of the crackling wood stove! Slurping steaming soup and drinking hot tea by the gallon! And keeping the bird feeder filled for our feathered friends who have neither soup nor hot tea!

We've just harvested these - the last carrots of the 2010 Garden....

2011-01-30T17:03:00.000-08:00

....and they are so delicious! Sweetened by the winter cold! We can hardly wait to plant a new spring crop, so we can enjoy more "perfect carrots"! :)

2011 Garden: New & Improved!

2011-01-25T06:27:00.000-08:00

2011 Garden Beginnings:

Our grend-nephews, Miles & Gavin, are extremely helpful in the garden!
Boys + Dirt = Happiness!
Thank you, Am & Aaron, Miles & Gavin for helping us get our compost and straw all spread out! It was GREAT fun!

It's clear and it's COLD!

2011-01-20T06:02:00.000-08:00

At 6:30 am, when we first stick our noses out the door today, the weather is clear and cold and old man moon is shining brightly! Just beginning to wane, but still appearing full to the naked eye, that old moon shining in the west is a wonder to see!

Today is Mom's birthday and I will spend the day with her! We''ll go out for a nice lunch, visit over tea, and enjoy a beautiful time together. How I love living back in New Mexico, near precious family! Not all of our precious ones are nearby, of course. We just have to enjoy those folks when we can!! Not often enough!

Yes! It is the year of the Rabbit!

2011-01-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

I suspect that our garden will be only too aware that it IS the year of The Rabbit!

Abby, her Daddy and Mama visit LBF for Christmas! We love being grandparents!

2010-12-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

Abby is "a little bit brave" petting the horsey!

Kissing the Kitty Cat and playing Jingle Bells!

High hopes!

2010-12-24T21:38:00.001-08:00

It is Christmas Eve; that night of nights, when hopes are high! Young and old think beyond the usual mundane minutia and latch onto lofty imaginings! We light luminarias to shine brightly in the dark of night. In so doing, we issue our welcome to the weary mother who would soon give birth to the Christ child. In so doing we open our hearts and spirits to the world weary - our neighbor, a stranger, a member of our family.

On this Christmas Eve, I embrace hopes that are high and generosity of spirit! Merry Christmas Eve!

Oh, yes. It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-17T08:08:00.000-08:00

We awoke this morning......to THIS!

Last week with Piper Gaye, her daddy, her mama, her dog, her two kitty cats and her 5 chickens!

2010-12-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

Grubepop and I spent a very special week in North Carolina with these dear kids! It was great! We enjoyed time with old friends. We even got to enjoy Piper's VERY 1st snow! She seemed fascinated by the fat, wet flakes. And - we got to see her VERY 1st Christmas tree! It was a truly beautiful time. Thank you J, P & P! And thank you Paige - for the yummy fresh cookies you baked for our trip back home. WAY better than peanuts!

Good Morning, Moon!

2010-11-23T06:24:00.000-08:00

Tim is here to stay...and it's his birthday PARTY!

2010-11-15T08:41:00.000-08:00

I do believe that a GOOD time was had by ALL!

Happy Birthday, COMMANDER!

Ralph

2010-11-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ralph was born the 3rd week of August at Little Bird Farm. His beginnings were tentative at best. The Commander found him early one morning in a very shallow hole, among his two siblings who had...well, not been as robust as Ralph and had breathed their last. We felt so sad to see them...but we were hopeful for Ralph! "Hope" seems to be what we live on at Little Bird Farm. The Commander carefully removed the two dead baby bunnies and covered tiny, new-born Ralph with fresh straw; we then left him alone, so his bunny mama would come take care of him. And she did! Within a couple of days, Ralph and his mama had relocated, undoubtedly to a safer place, where they were less vulnerable to bigger wild creatures. The bigger wild creatures are in abundance here!

In a couple of weeks, we were having breakfast on the front porch, and here came Ralph! Still just a little fellow, but much bigger than when we first made his acquaintance! And he remembered us! He bounced right over to us and said a bunny "hello". Sprightly and so enthusiastic was he, literally jumping around in circles! He was not afraid of us at all, and he came right over to Tim-san and let him pet him and scratch behind his ears. We began giving Ralph apples; he likes them cut into big pieces, and he especially enjoys eating the core. He will eat right out of our hands.

As the weather has turned cooler, Ralph has moved from the iris bed by the orchard, to the wood pile in the pole barn, where it is presumably warmer and safer. We may go a few days without seeing him, and yes, we worry when we don't see him! Zorro, the hawks, coyotes....so many dangers exist for a young bunny! But as you can see, Ralph has gotten pretty big! He is much fluffier and more bright-eyed than most of the wilder "wild" bunnies we see. Must be the apples! And all the LOVE!

Time to pickle the beets!

2010-10-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Mom & Aunt Connie joined me yesterday to pickle beets. Messy but FUN! It was a beautiful fall morning! It had rained and the wind had blown all night the night before, so golden cottonwood leaves were everywhere! I sure enjoyed spending time with these sweet gals. Thank you Mom and Aunt Connie!

Standing on the top of the world...and such places!

2010-10-18T15:22:00.001-07:00

We spent last week "doing our hood" with dear old friends from North Carolina - Tommy & Debbi Nixon. Here are a few favorite shots!

A stop along the way to the Rio Grande Gorge

Near Taos Ski Valley

Tommy & Debbi, intrepid sightseers!

New Mexico is chock full of fabulous old churches and missions! We saw a lot of them! Lovely!

There's always time for Our Lady of Guadalupe on any road trip!

Of all the balloons at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, this one was my favorite. And it flew right over Little Bird Farm!

A busy and beautiful time of year!

2010-09-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

I spent one full day in the sewing room - making these fun britches for Piper! The pattern is from "Made by Rae", and I love it! These "big bottom baby pants" will accommodate Piper's giant cloth diapers! And they are a fun owlie-design for Fall!

One day of canning - Bread & Butter Pickles and Peach Jam. The house smells really weird when you have a big pot of pickles and another big pot of peaches simmering away!

The Commander got serious with this dusty old Arbor Vitae tree. In this photo, he was not quite done. Those last tall branches still had to go. We felt a little bit sad to cut it down...but the view of the mountain and the sunrise now???? AMAZING!!!

More sweet blessings as we have more special visitors - Abby and her folks!

2010-09-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

Itty Bitty Bird's 1st visit to NM & Little Bird Farm

2010-08-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Grubepop's first LBF morning with Piper!

These morning glories are the color of Piper's eyes!

Mamas & babies at Miles' birthday party

Piper with her awesome daddy

Grandma Gigi showing Piper the pond! Piper loves water.

Little Bird blooms that take my breath away!

2010-07-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yes....that is INDEED a humungous grasshopper! He and his buds have made gardening in the Summer of 2010 a REAL challenge! But you can see that there is also a sweet honey bee there, if you look real closely . So it balances out - I suppose.

We're in the midst of deep Summer!

2010-07-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

The effects of an undisciplined gardener.

The Return of Zorro!

2010-07-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering and worrying about Zorro - my feline garden friend. He showed up for his usual pats, pets, and a small dish of half and half about 6 weeks ago, and I haven't seen him since. Until this morning! I was so delighted to see him, looking sleek and beautiful, as he always had. You see, we have a lot of wildlife around here. Raccoons. Skunks. And....coyotes. Very healthy looking coyotes! Lately our neighbors have been telling tales of some very bad days for local cats, dogs, and chickens. I had finally resigned myself to the sad likelihood that Zorro had........well, you know. I was pretty sad about this too. I really, really liked Zorro, and we had spent a lot of garden time together.

And then, this morning...there he was!!! ZORRO! It was a VERY sweet reunion!! The first of many more mornings with Zorro!

True blue Summer!

2010-06-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

And now Summer is truly here.
HAPPY 1st DAY OF SUMMER EVERYONE!
-flip flops
-playing in the sprinklers
-beach towels
-explosions of flowers!
-explosions of fireworks!
-popsicles
-ice cold watermelon
-cherry limeade
Some of life's very BEST things!
I wish you a Happy Summer!

Small visitors

2010-06-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Some of our small guests at Little Bird Farm are invited...

...and some of them are born here! These are our newest residents!

A vase full of SUMMER!

2010-06-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

The long days of cultivating, weeding, watering and tending our gardens at Little Bird Farm pay off in extraordinary ways! When we share long evenings on the porch with friends, listening to the trickle of the water dropping from the bamboo water spout, graced by the color and fragrance of splendid flowers and new-mown grass, we feel so very blessed and happy! When we can step right out our door and cut beautiful flowers, bring them inside, and place them in a vase to enjoy in our home...it feels spectacular! It feels.....like SUMMER!

Sewing

2010-06-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Now that I am a grandmama, I am truly enjoying sewing special little outfits for our two precious granddaughters. Though neither of the little sweeties lives nearby, and I only get to see them every three months or so at best, I am trying very hard to get a feel for the "style" of each little sweet baby girl. It is enthralling to peruse my favorite online fabric stores, making difficult selections from the vast and various...and gorgeous (!!!!!) Japanese fabrics! I lose myself on these websites! As I carefully cut out each garment, stitch seams, gather ruffles and ruches, I think about these baby girls who have stolen my heart. I whisper little prayers for them, concoct special future moments for us to share, consider their little smiles and individual personalities - hoping to create a perfect little outfit!

My sewing skills used to be quite fine, but have gotten a little rusty. Sewing these tiny dresses, pj's, tops & gowns has tested my abilities! I have done a fair amount of ripping out seams of late! But that's part of sewing, in my experience! (When I sewed the Dupioni silk dress I wore to our younger son's wedding, I put the sleeves in backwards first, before getting them right! Bummer!)

Today our kids sent us pictures of precious Piper wearing a tiny gown I made! She looks so cozy in it! The fabric is a double gauze that only the Japanese can make so well - super soft! Perfect for the sultry, southern summer days Piper and her parents are experiencing! The print is the cutest tiny frog in an apricot color - on an ivory background. The apricot color mimics Piper's hair color! I wonder if she is smiling in this picture because she likes the outfit her grandma gigi made especially for her!

Memorial Day - PLANTING day!

2010-05-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

And so today - at last - Miles (our adorable 3 and a half year old grand nephew) came to LBF to plant his garden bed. He told me months ago that it would be "lovely" if he had his very own planting bed. The wind and late spring snows foiled our previous plans for planting. Today was our day! He arrived with his Dad, his hat, and 7 packets of seeds he had been collecting one at a time since February. He knew exactly where to find the hand tools - in the garden mail box, of course! With oodles of help (from Podgie & Melli, his Dad, and me) Miles planted his whole row! Then watered it...and himself. Wont' be long before his little row will be filled with sparkler radishes, perfect carrots, zinnias, peas, and corn! I don't hold out a lot of hope for the pepper seeds or tomato seeds, but we planted them anyway.

It was a great day!

Sweet time with my elders

2010-05-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

I have had the privilege of spending quite a lot of time with my parents recently. The biggest reason I moved here two years ago, even though my "better half" (my hero!) had to continue to live in California a while longer (honoring his commitment to Uncle Sam) is this- so I can enjoy my parents now! Realizing I will not always have this pleasure, I simply love getting to visit with my Mom & Dad at their house. Mom is wheelchair bound (temporarily we trust), so today we went out for a wheelchair "walk" together for the first time since her surgery. I knew she would enjoy seeing the beautiful flowers in bloom, and while I nearly catapulted her out of her chair on a big crack in the road that I did not see (!!!!! sorry Mom!!!!), it was a lovely "walk". My brother (yes, he is one of my heroes too), joined us for a bite of lunch, re-vitalized the folks' water feature, and invited me to join him at a wine tasting! He's so good to me! We had a fine time!

My Dad (one more hero!) graced me with a gift today. He gave me a book that had belonged to my grandmother - his mom. It was a gift to my grandmother from her mother-in-law. It was written in 1922 by Edgar A. Guest. The title is Making the House a Home. It is a dear little book about...home! I love that this sweet book was important to my Grandma Carol. And that my Dad saved it and gave it to me. Thank you, Dad!

A time of change

2010-05-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

With great joy I wish to announce that the Commander will soon be on the LBF premises full time! Come late June, he will drive up the approach to our little house with all of his leftover gear in tow - and settle in for real! No more short term engagements! We will begin a new chapter in the story of our very blessed lives together. It has been nearly two years that we have lived our "come & go" existence. While it has been somewhat exciting to have a "luxury urban loft apartment" at Oakland's Jack London Sqauare, from which we could easily launch off to Napa, Sonoma, Stinson Beach, Green Gulch Farm, and San Fransisco, it has been a bit exhausting and stressful. How much more easily we will now visit our children and sweet baby granddaughters, once we are living in ONE place.

I am ever grateful for our new situation! Here's to early morning coffee on the porch and a late evening glass of wine in the garden....together....over & over & over again! Again I say - LIFE IS SO VERY GOOD!

Meeting Itty Bitty Baby Bird

2010-05-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

I've just returned home to Little Bird Farm after spending a very, very sweet week with our new Itty Bitty Baby Bird in North Carolina! Holding Little Piper Gaye, gently rubbing her soft head on my cheek, gazing into her dark sparkly eyes - knowing that she heard my voice and knew me!!!! This is how I spent hours and hours! I called her my little Marigold as her hair is such a pretty shade of red with graceful whorls. Grubepop and I took her for a long walk through Duke Gardens and I could tell that she appreciates the beauty of nature! Throughout the week, it was so sweet to see her Mama & Daddy caring for her, so gently and lovingly! Next weekend Little Piper's cousin Abigail will be visiting her for the first time, along with her Mommy & Daddy! I can hardly wait to hear about this event as our two precious grand babes get to know each other!

While in North Carolina we also spent some wonderful time with dear "old" friends and celebrated our firstborn's 35th birthday in person (wow - 35!!!). And we built a mighty fine backyard chicken coop. It was a wonderful week!

LIFE IS SO GOOD!!!!!

It's Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

I am blessed beyond belief to:
1. have my Mom nearby to love and enjoy!
2. be the Mom of two fabulous sons, and the mom-in-law to their lovely "wives"!
3. be a grandma of two precious baby girls!
4. know so many amazing Moms and honorary Moms!

It's been a truly beautiful day. Happy Mother's Day!