job hunting

For a long time (at least it seems long to me) I have been looking for a job.
I took Social Security early and when I first moved here I was still on my workers comp. conditions from California and still in lots of pain and couldn't work.  This Feb. the case ended and I am cleared to return to the work field.  Even though technically I was cleared my back and neck didn't know that yet and I was still suffering many days and nights tormented with pain.  I don't say much to anyone about it but it is there.  Now I feel much better and I know I could work again.  This past week I went on 2 very different interviews and feel good about both of them.  Now I am playing the waiting game to see if they call.  I have a couple more applications ready to go out if I dont hear anything .  I can't live on my social securithy, I receive a little more than some people because I get widow and survivors benefits instead of just social security.  I am not old enough to be able to receive medicare so that is a real problem.  President Obamas health care hasn't helped my situation at all and there must be millions in my same situation.  How do the elderly survive?  I worked since I was 15 and all those years of paying in is not the reward you think it will be.  I had a private retirement fund but that was stolen on an idenity scam so its gone.  I know the Lord will answer prayer and put me in the right job and at his timing not mine.

Busy,Busy Summer

Well, I have been busy house sitting and pet sitting for some great people.

First off I watched the home of The Brannon Family.  They have lots of sheep, 3 outdoor dogs and 3 indoor dogs.  While they were gone I also was running back and forth to our place to feed the goats,cows , dogs and of course the Bird.  Mary got back from her visit to Bakersfield and now I just was at the Brannons.  I enjoyd taking their dogs out for walks.  They were so cute.  They came home and I had one night back home and then came to our Mother Hens Home to housesit.  This is Buster swimming.  He is a great little dog.  They have 6 chickens and I feed them and collect the eggs.

Last Saturday night Mary and I did one of our favorite things (being old cowgirls)and we went to the Rodeo.  Lots of fun and always good eye candy around. The fair looked very busy also. I love when the flag comes out that everyone stands up proudly.  I have loved that about Rodeo fans , I have been to other events where some people don't stand and I feel so bad for our Country.  This Rodeo has been ongoing for 17 years and are led by a riding unit of U.S. Marines.

I  also went to a machine embroidery demo and made a lovely pillow with embroidery and a monogram.  Of course that just makes you want one of the very expensive machines.  I would love to quilt fulltime and sell my work. That would be a dream job now wouldn't it?

Charming Chicks Mexican Potluck and Meeting

Our local chapter of MaryJanes Farm had a wonderful Mexican pot luck and meeting at Robins house yesterday.  She had a huge shaded yard and she along with Julie made enchiladas, tacos, lemonade and fresh strawberry,blackberry shortcake. It was delicious! We all brought Mexican dishes so we had a ton of food.  We had 99% turnout. Only one member  couldn't make it and we welcomed a new member Jane to our group.
Margie displayed her picnic totes that she made and then gave a quick tatting lesson for those who wanted to learn the old fashioned method of Tatting.  Not something you see much anymore.

We decided not to have an August meeting as everyone is so busy this time of year.  Gail has offered her home for our Sept. meeting.  It is an overnight camp out with a Hawaiian Luau theme.  We will bring food to represent that and I believe we are doing a pulled pork it a pit.  Should be alot of fun.  She has a motorhome, a teardrop camper and a tent for accomodations. lol lol can't wait.

This is our Mother  Hen Cheryl.  Love the Chilli pepper beads and sombrero.

Thank you again to our hosts Robin and Julie for a wonderful time.

Great Holiday Weekend/ What does the 4th mean to you?

What a glorius weekend!  The weather was just beautiful.  Do you ever stop to think what does the 4th mean?  To most of us we think of freedom, independance,liberty, a pariotic time to appreciate this great country we live in?  I too think of all these things but mostly FREEDOM of religion which our country was founded on.  So with that thought I became a member of the church I had been attending for over a year now.  It was so nice.  Then that evening we watched fireworks as well as watched the ones on tv from the Boston Pops  and the Capitol Court and the Macys one from New York.  Just think Americans everywhere were all celebrating in their own different ways the birth of our Country.  Monday we decided to go for a picnic which is something I haven't done in ages.  So we packed up the ice chest and my dog Gidget and drove to Fish Lake and then around Lake of the Woods.  We parked at an empty camp site (everyone was leaving Monday) and enjoyed our  lunch all around the beautiful trees that gave us great shade.  Oh it smells so good up here.  Gidget enjoyed walking and sniffing all the smells of the forest.  We took a nice walk.  We went for a ride and enjoyed the views .  Everything looked so nice and green.  Have to do this more often.  Isn't it great we live someplace we can do as we please?  Have we taught our children and grandchildren how lucky we are to live in such a great nation?  It is our responsibility to let them know how lucky they are.  Sure our nation has alot of problems right now but thank God to all the men and women past , present and future who have fought to ensure we keep our freedoms that this country was founded on.

My first Friendship Quilt

Here is my friendship quilt that was made with a block swap I joined on MaryJanesFarm.  There were 6 of us and we each made 2 different blocks and sent each person 1 of each block and kept 1 of each for ourselves.  It was so fun waiting for them to come in the mail.  I made 3 blocks so it would come out even.  The quilting was done by machine, however this photo is not so great so I don't think you can see it. I have 2 more quilts I am working on and if and when I ever finish I would like to join another swap.  It also is a way to meet new people and make new friendships.  After I finished my quilt this morning I ironed, cleaned my room and then took the vacum all apart and cleaned it all out.  I washed out the filter and then got a razor blade to clip out all the strings and threads and dog hair or whatever that were caught in the rollers.  Now it's just like new. Oh and I did a load of wash too, put away the dishes from dishwasher, clipped the dog.  Man I guess that now I am walking over 2 miles every day I am getting lots more energy.  Didn't realize how much I had done untill I wrote it all down,.

Canning Cherries

Today two of our local KLAMAT FALLS CHARMING CHICKS came over and we made cherry jam.  We made 35 jars, some pints and 1/2 pints. Nothing feels more rewarding then looking at all those jars of homemade jam.  Blackberry is my favorite but this tastes pretty good.  We even made some sugar free jam using sugar free pectin and agave syrup. 

Mary and I had never tasted the agave syrup but that jam is GOOD let me tell you.

Julie brought over a great 2 burner propane camp stove so we could have more batches cooking at one time because Mary only has 2 burners but we could not get the stove lit.  With 4 of us gals here we had no luck.  Wonder what the problem was.  Anyway with just the two burners and an electric hot plate we did around 8 batches of cherries.  Of course after pitting all those cherries we all had red all over us but that was fun.  Its always nice to do these type of things with friends.  It makes the job go faster and always more fun to talk with friends and catch up.  We plan on doing pickeled beets next time we are in the canning mood and later in summer do what comes from our gardens.

Victorian Tea Party-Farmchick style

Last Sunday, Mary and I hosted a Tea Party for our Charming Chick Sisters and our monthly meeting.  Oh, what  fun it was.  First off, Mary had all these gorgous tea cup sets and mentioned she always wanted to have a tea party, I said , hey great opportunity we are hosting the June meeting so we decided to do it.  We had a fun time gettin everything ready for it  Everyone had to wear their bonnets and aprons.  We served cucumber sandwhiches, oriental chicken salad in lettuce cups, stuffed peppers and shrimp.  We had scones that Mary made that were to die for as well as miniature muffins and Russian Tea Cakes. We served hot tea and a delicious Victorian Iced Tea.  We also had 4 new girls come and all 4 joined our group.  That was just awsome because we now have a big bunch of gals with diverse talents we can all learn from.

Our next meeting is going to be a pot luck Mexican style at Robins house.That is Mary in the pink hat and yours truly with the black hat ,  What  a pair!  We all had on our Queen for the Day attitude and it was so much fun.