Southern Humboldt Sunshine

On any given day, the weather in Southern Humboldt can be 15 to 20 degrees warmer than the temperature in Fortuna and Eureka. So being the slave that I am to warm weather, I head down there every chance I get. Sunday was just such a day. The weather up North was cold, dreary and foggy while the weather in SoHum (as we like to call it) promised to be warm and wonderful. The Sunday pleasure of going to church remained part of our day to which we added a Sunday picnic with the family. We invited another couple from church, our son and his wife and our grandbabies, as well as a couple from their church. So, we had a pretty good crowd going down to the river for our Sunday lunch. We drove down the famous Avenue of the Giants to arrive at our favorite spot in the Redwoods. We were not disappointed in the least by the temperature. Again, SoHum faithfully delivered the sunshine we so desperately sought.

My grand daughter, ACJ, was playing around the meadow when she very excitedly came running over to tell us that a car was pulling away from the picnic area.

" I'd better be careful," she said, " I need to hold my hand!" as she clasped her hands together!

I think what she meant to say was that she had better hold Mom's hand so that she would be safe.
Did I mention that she happens to be absolutely adorable? She lives up to her middle name of Constance Joy for she is just that to me!

The guys went kayaking in the pristine Eel River and the kids went swimming! BRRR!! A little too cold for me!

Friday Nights in Ferndale

Every Friday night a group of us meet in Ferndale for a great dinner, fellowship and a study in the Word. We are currently watching a video feed of the weekly sermon from Mars Hill Church out of Seattle preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll. In the above photos, Nate, Lane and Aaron enjoy a freshly brewed cup of Storyville coffee. Michele, Jo, and Dallass cook up a fabulous meal for all to enjoy before we sit down to watch the video feed. The building where we meet is an old church that has been fully restored. It is such a beautiful spot to come together to enjoy the presence of God and to grow in knowledge and wisdom. You can find out more about this weekly study by going to This website

Midweek Slump

I know it's only Tuesday evening, but the week already feels full. I just finished 2 full days at the nursing facility which feels more like an entire week and I am tired. I tell you, these nursing assistants work really hard for their money! The job only pays $10 an hour when it should pay more like $13 or $14. It is non stop tasks for the first few hours and they it subsides somewhat for the next couple of hours, then it picks up again right before it's time to leave. After a really rough week last week, the work has gotten progressively better. I have 3 1/2 more weeks before I am done....yay! The semester is nearly over.
I love this phase in my life. I still feel really healthy and young but I also get to be "Grandma" to my grandkids! To get a glimpse of that emotion, this photo says it better than I ever could. I have the knitting going, I have a hand crocheted afgan on my lap, my hair is up in a granny bun, I am wearing my old lady glasses, my grandbaby is climbing up to see what Grandma is doing...I totally look like an old lady! I know, you are saying "You are an old lady!"
But the weird thing about it is that I don't feel that old. The picture sure looks that way, (which by the way is a little shocking to me even), yet my mind says I am still late 30's, early 40's. So, I have to come to grips with this vague reality! I am middle-aged....but, you know, I like it. I like it alot. I like the fact that I can be a source of wisdom for younger people to tap into. I like the fact that I can keep up with my teens while juggling a grandbaby on my hip! I am blessed to have so much in my life and I will continually thank the Good Lord for all that He has given me in this life! I leave you with a quote from "The Works of John Owen", (John Owen 1616-1681)

Most important than all this is a diligent endeavor to have the power
of the truths we profess and contend for
abiding in our hearts,
that we may not contend for notions, but that we have a practical
acquaintance with this in our own souls.

Knitting Socks

For the last couple of years I have been learning how to knit various articles of clothing mostly out of my own homespun wool. Recently I came across this great pattern at knitpicks.com for knitting socks. The pattern is called "Two at once, Toe-up sock." The goal here is to finish the project with both socks being the same size and shape because you knit them side by side with the same stitch tension and whatnot. Here is a photo of my project so far. This is the toe end of the sock so now I just have to keep knitting until I reach the heel area. This pattern has what's called an "afterthought Heel." Let me explain the concept of the Afterthought heel. A separate yarn is used to stitch in a section of the "tube" (sock) which is later taken out and replaced when you go back and knit the heel. In this way, when the heel of the sock wears out, like they often do, you can replace it with new yarn by just removing the afterthought heel section that is holey. I hope that makes some sort of sense. I find it very practical since most of the time the heel is the very first thing that goes out on my socks. This is a great way to prolong the life of a favorite pair! So when I finish them, I will post a photo of them on my feet!

Isn't this the cutest knitting bag? My creative DIL made it for me for a christmas gift. Notice all the little needle holders on the sides of the bag. It also has a flat bottom so it sits up quite nicely.


Update: The socks just kept getting bigger ( I guess I increased too much!) so instead of making a size 15 sock, I decided to discontinue making socks and am now knitting two little baby hats! My first thought of course, was that maybe someone I know will be having twins in the near future and I can give the hats to them, but ....Anyway, I will begin a new set of socks soon and I will try to increase less and knit tighter! I will update later.

Humboldt Recreation

A couple of days ago I went out to the beach to catch a much needed sunset. I say much needed because it had been far too long since I had actually taken the time to appreciate the beauty of this daily event. Here in Humboldt, the sun quite often sets into a nice bed of fog before it descends into the ocean, so when we see a sunset like the one in the photo, it just makes it that much more spectacular. I am almost ashamed to say that my life has been so busy lately that I had to actually plan this event. Usually I tend to be a very spontaneous person, but this week seemed to be quite rapidly getting away from me. I had to take drastic measures to ensure that my activities remained balance between work and play! I told my honey the night before to set aside this evening to go to the beach with me for some quiet time to which he enthusiastically agreed.


Again, the evening was one of those spring evenings where the wind was gentle, the sand was cool, and the breeze even had a hint of warmth to it. I love the fact that after 28 yrs together, my honey and I still love to spend time together doing the simple things that we have loved the most over the years.


I took my other favorite friends along with me as well. These friends would be Tilly and Hero, my dogs. And boy do they love going to the beach!

Image of Royalty update

Image is doing much better. Jo has been diligently nursing him back to good health. She says she really enjoys doing this type of activity, so maybe it will provoke her to continue her desire to go to nursing school.




















These types of injuries take some time to heal as they heal from the depths of the cut out toward the surface. While the outer layers may still look wet, the tissue layers underneath are healing nicely. Image will be his old self soon.
Just to give some perspective on how tall Image is, Jo is nearly 6 ft tall! He is a Warmblood breed, which is 1/2 Thoroughbred and 1/2 Draft hence the height. Maher Mountain Shires in Miranda is the ranch where Reebs bought him.



Here is Chica. She is a Quarter horse and she is 3 yrs old. Jo has owned her since she was a 1 yr old filly. She traded her horse, Charly, with the Chapman's













On another note, 39 horses have been seized by the Humboldt sheriff's dept. for alleged neglect. Some of them are being held at the rodeo grounds in town. We went there yesterday to take a look at them and to see if Jo could volunteer to help care for them. A local rescue group, Heart of the Redwoods horse rescue, is offering care for the group. Donations can be made to the rescue effort by checking out the above link.

Irish Eyes

How can you not smile when you look at a cherub face like this? Instant joy is what this little guy's smile brings to my heart!


















I call him our little Irishman! Or our little leprechaun. He is always happy and curious about everything.
















When Irish eyes are smiling....the whole world smiles with you!

















I always have heard what a joy grandchildren are and now I have the joy of experiencing it for myself. What a gift.

So, today find something to smile about in your own little world and see just how many smiles you get back in return!

Redeeming the Time

April is here! The sound of these words makes my heart glad. It has been a long, damp winter in Humboldt County and my bones are more than ready for some warmth. Grandpa Undersheriff (Gus) says this is his favorite time of the year because all the plants are sprouting new growth and bursting with color. The days are longer, the sunsets are absolutely incredibly orange and yellow and red, the swallows have migrated north again for their spring nesting and without a doubt....Summer is right around the corner! The newness of spring is definitely regenerating!
Only 6 more weeks left in the Semester, as well. I have been completing my clinical training for a certificate in Nursing Assisting at College of the Redwoods this spring. The experience has been both frightening and fun while often times strangely fulfilling. I get such a sense of satisfaction after completing a shift at the residential facility knowing that for just a brief moment in some stranger's world, I have helped to make that individual just a little more comfortable. By providing the most basic needs in their daily routines, I get a warm smile or a gentle touch on the hand which reminds me why I started this adventure in the first place. Most people are so appreciative of the smallest provision I can give them. Sometimes that requires delicate moments of transferring someone from their bed to their wheelchair while other times it could be washing and brushing their hair and putting on their makeup. Sometimes a task is indescribably difficult, testing the absolute limits of my abilities, but fortunately, those times come and go quickly and usually a blessing is right around the corner. If nothing else I gain from this experience, I have learned to appreciate the moments I have on this earth much more than I used to. I have always purposed to give gladdened pause to the smallest pleasures in life, but now I do so with even greater awareness and a more fervent intensity. I purpose to "Redeem the time" as Paul writes in Ephesians 5, "making a melody to the Lord with all my heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ."

Humboldt Happenings

It seems like a lot has been going on in the last week. My youngest son had his tonsils and adenoids taken out and bilateral ear tubes put in last Monday. A group of my friends and I went to Ashland, Or. Thurs, Fri & Sat. to watch some Shakespeare and spend money in some of the wonderful shops. Easter Sunday we went to friends for a fantastic feast of food and to hunt for our baskets of candy. And lastly, over the weekend, my #2 son asked his girlfriend to marry him and she said yes! It looks like we will be anticipating a summer wedding.

Babe the Blue Ox

We girls are on our way to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Or. Spring break is here, so we decided to make another road trip. Last year we went to Chinatown in San Francisco. This year on TJ's recommendation we went to Oregon. On the way we stopped by Trees of Mystery in Klamath to see the now famous headless Blue Ox. Paul Bunyan and his ox, Babe, have been tourist attractions for years yet it wasn't until last year that Babe became a national celebrity. It seems that one stormy night, Babe lost his head. When workers arrived that morning, Babe's massive plaster head was lying in shatters on the ground. For some strange reason I thought this most amusing. I laughed and laughed when I saw this in real time! If you look really close you can see that some prankster has even put a little tiny ox head on the tarp covering the hole! Funny, funny.

Image of Royalty - Pt. 2

The responsibility of owning your own horse is not all fun and pleasure as most people would assume it to be. A big part of the joy of having a horse is taking care of the animal with grooming, brushing, cleaning and buying tack, saddles, riding equipment and the like. One of the lesser spoken of expenses of horse ownership would be the vet bills. As I mentioned previously, my daughter's horse had an accident the other day when they went riding up in Salmon Creek. Image got tangled up in some barbed wire while the girls were working cattle up at the Ranch
Reebs showed me the photos of the leg today after two earlier trips to the vet.

Here's the leg with bandages on it before Reebs undresses is for cleaning and disinfecting.


This is what the injury looks like. I think Gus' (grandpa undersheriff) face pretty much says enough for all of us.

This is a nasty cut. Apparently he was wound up in the wire long enough to shred the skin this much. Nothing that a week or so of antibiotics can't take care of.
Couple of these big babies and Image should be feeling better in no time.New bandages all in place for a day or so and then the process is done all over again. So, for those of you who have the slightest desire for acquiring your own horse, know that ownership comes in a very pretty package, but the contents of the entire package includes this type of care as well.

Image of Royalty

3
Image, by his more common name, is my daughter's amazing horse. When said daughter was 13 yrs. old, she got a job at a local ranch doing what many horse crazy 13 yr old girls are all too happy to do....scoopin' poop. After a short period of time she came home with the excited announcement that she had found a young gelding in a distant pasture who looked like he needed a young girl to take care of him, love on him, and train him to be the best horse ever, to which her mother said, absolutely not! As she worked on persuading her father into seeing this entire situation from her vantage point, as little girls are prone to do, she continued going to the horse ranch, falling more and more in love with the orphan colt. Within weeks, Image, as he came to be called, was living in my backyard. Yes, I relented. After hearing evidence that when a girl owns a horse she is likely to postpone having a boyfriend for up to 5 years, I thought maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing. I fought with all the typical reasons why we shouldn't have a horse in our backyard like flies, poop, hay, and broken fences (which leads to escapes, which leads to phone calls from the CHP that your horse is running down the road and you are 50 miles from home, which leads to pleas to your friends to help round up the escapee until you can get there yourself. Hhmmm.
So, years later Image has now become a huge part of my daughter's life by becoming the love of her life. She adores him and he, her. This adoring relationship hasn't come with out a cost; hours of personal sacrifice and training, yards and yards of manure, and of course, expenses. The cost of owning a horse motivated her to get a job. Another good reason to let her have the horse. She cleaned houses, offices, babysat; whatever she could do to provide herself with the funds to keep her Prince living with us in the back yard. Then came her first vet bill. Image tends to be a little accident prone. Once he got stuck in an old greenhouse and tried to jump through an old window. That vet bill cost her about $1000. Today he had another run in with a barbed wire fence and tore up his back leg...$650. Ouch. Through it all, though, my daughter has diligently pressed through these challenges without losing hope of success. She has made a commitment to her boy and she fully intends to keep it no matter how difficult it may be at times. I know that she would say that the hours and hours of pleasure and love Image has given back to her over the years would far out weigh the slightest inconvenience his mishaps have caused her. And the boyfriend thing? Well, I must say that the statistics weren't that far off. She was about 17 when she fell for her first cowboy! Luckily for Mom and Dad, it was very short lived and didn't last too long! The reasonings that she used to persuade her parents all those years ago have all been realized as our daughter has lived up to her commitment and has proven to me once again that through this experience she has grown into a woman of great strength and moral character. BooBoo, I am so proud of you and humbled to be your mother. You amaze me!

Teens .... Home Alone

So I pick up my camera one day to take some photos and I find all these crazy pictures of my teens and some of their friends having a good time while I am away from the nest (no doubt buying groceries to restock).














First they raid the Kitchen and cook up whatever remnants of food they can find. .



















Then while their food is cooking or whatever, they run around like crazies



















Glad that it's only Mountain Dew that they are drinking!





















Then they break out the steel pans.... and dance!














and of course, they eat.


Reminds me of the book, the Cat in the Hat.

Canvas of Constancy

Son, Nate, is pretty excited about the fact that his blog has been linked by theologian blogger, Justin Taylor. Apparently that one's blog is linked from someone of such prestige is a cause for gloating and/or bragging, because he just called me to tell me and I could just feel the huge grin on his face! Canvas of Constancy is the name of his blog. If you are interested in such matters, check out the links he has posted from the Resurgence conference he went to in Seattle a couple of weeks ago.

Humboldt House of Peace

Yesterday was the opening day of the House of Peace in Redway at the corner of Briceland Rd.and Par Ave. (formerly Noah's Ark Preschool). The House of Peace is a place where anyone can come, hangout and seek. It is a place of spiritual discovery. It is a place where seekers can come and ask questions, search scriptures, and understand more about themselves, about their beliefs and about their place in creation. The compassionate couple who traveled all the way from Ohio to begin work on this endeavor are eager to share their gift of love to those walking through their doors. The place is newly decorated inside with a feel of your own home making it warm and inviting.Working alongside other outreach groups in the community, the House of Peace will offer spiritual insight to anyone who is longing for answers to some of the more difficult questions of life. Mike and Julie are willing to invest their time into those who would seriously like to anchor themselves in truth. Anyone who would like to check it out is welcome to stop by and visit. Hours vary, so make sure you check ahead before you make the trip.

Last WW1 veteran

Here's an amazing story about the last known WW1 veteran in our country.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23505804#23505804

He was sharp and alert and his memory crisp. He was quick with anecdotes. When he heard my last name, he asked if was related to a family he had known in China. I worried about taxing Buckles's energy and tried to end the interview at one point. But he'd have none of that--he wanted to talk.
Mr. Buckles had come to Washington from his 330-acre cattle farm near Charles Town, W.Va., to meet President Bush in the Oval Office--which hadn't even been built when he was born--for the unveiling of his portrait as part of an exhibit at the Pentagon. We sat down with him for an exclusive interview in the Map Room of the White House, where President Franklin Roosevelt plotted the progress of World War II.
When 108-year-old Harry Landis died in Sun City, Fla., on Feb. 4, Buckles became the only living U.S. veteran of the "war to end all wars"--the last man standing in a line of nearly 5-million Americans who served in uniform during that war.

He attributes his longevity to "the desire to live … I have something to survive for. I have a daughter, who, of course, is dear to me," he said, gesturing to Susannah Buckles Flanagan, 52, who sat nearby.

He does 50 sit-ups everyday and drove a tractor on his farm until five years ago--the same time he stopped driving himself to appointments.

"What made you stop?" I asked.

"My daughter," he said, with a laugh. "I would have been driving a lot longer than I did."

By John Yang, NBC News correspondent

Heart Humboldt

Being the Church, Serving the Community

March 8-9, 2008

HEART HUMBOLDT is a volunteer weekend with a goal to bring churches across Humboldt County together to serve their communities. This is intentionally placed two weeks before Easter, the ideal time to send a message to the community that the Church is active and celebrates compassion. Some churches will actually count it as their weekly Sunday worship time, giving a whole new meaning to church service!

HEART HUMBOLDT was inspired by a pilot project in 2007 called Serve Day. This year, sponsored by NorCANs committee for Faith & Action, it is poised to expand to a multiple church project.

This Sunday at 11:00 a.m. we have a group going up to Eureka to decorate at Pacific Rehabilitation Facility. We will also be participating in organizing a supply room and office storage area as well as playing Bingo with some of the residents! If you are interested in participating in any of the activities offered I suggest you go to the link I have posted above and join a group! Blessings

Cattleman's Dinner

Shindig in Ferndale! Tonight we all went on down to the Cattleman's Dinner. Y'all know what that means. Lots of beef, beer and line dancin'. This is a photo of me and my dad (Tom).
The Chapman's had a great time as well.

Joy in the Journey & the Humboldt Crud

Some days are just like that. By the end of the day the weariness settles in, the emotional ups and downs weigh heavy on our hearts and just the general fatigue of living in the 21st century takes its toll on our bodies . Having the Humboldt crud in the bronchial chest area doesn't help either. I have had the crud now for over a week. Coughing, breathing issues and the like have tried desperately to take over my good health as my immune system valiantly tries to fight it off. So far, it feels more like the long drawn out war in Iraq as opposed to the quick surge in Afghanistan; some days it feels like I'm winning the next it seems like the insurgents are taking over. It's taking some time. Winter in Humboldt can be long and damp which can make a cold linger for weeks.
So, such as it is, I realize my last post perhaps may have been depressing. But who is never a little down? Sometimes I think we put too much emphasis on always having to be "up". Like upbeat, bubbly, positive or congenial. Even Jesus had days that because of the depravity of man caused him to feel down. Not that He lost hope, but saddened and emotional about the way things were.
My heart is saddened when I see the aged of our society in what is perhaps their last days. Growing old is not something for the faint of heart. I realize now how courageous these older folks really are. Just as I am fighting off the effects of my cold so too are they fighting to fend off the aging process. And they have good days and bad days. Maybe growing old is just like having one long cold.
Aside - going to the beach, taking long walks, playing with my kids are all great ways to celebrate the health that God has given me. Some days are full, bright and sunny with lots of activities while other days are slow, emotional and tedious. Through it all, God sustains. He hears the longings we have in our hearts for more good days to spend with our friends and loved ones. And while these days click by like fingers punching out an email on a keyboard, each and every one of them is to be treasured.

Philippians 4:12, 13
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well fed or hungry, living in plenty or in want, (healthy or sick) and that is ....
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.