Thirty one quills

These are porcupine quills




This is where I found them this morning

Rembrandt ----------------------------------------Rusty




Poor babies, they were just trying to police the yard.

That's what you get when you live in the woods; sorry guys.


On the brighter side . . . it wasn't a skunk this time.




*********************************************



This is a good time to reveal that I am also a Veterinarian.

Over the years, I have removed fox-tails from Mitten's eyes (our cat),
Bloated ticks from Rusty and Rembrandt,
And an unidentified mole-type growth from Scooter.

Gross, I know.

But it's kinda like changing a poop diaper. . . .
we assist those we love when they are uncomfortable and helpless


. . . . and the real vet would charge $200 to do it.






The operation went smoothly

The boys are in the Recovery Room (the hall outside my office).

Amish Friendship Bread

So, I was given this bag of yeasty goo by a friend,

along with instructions to "mush the bag" (and other stuff) for ten days,

My first reaction was , "Ugh, I don't like these things"

I know what you are thinking: What proper Relief Society, stay-at-home mom/grandmother doesn't like a friendly pass around bread starter?




****************************************




Kim is a dear friend and it was so sweet of her to share it with me, I was truly uplifted........after all, the bag specifically instructs you to pass it to a friend, and given my attitude, I am blessed to even have one.

It's just the attending responsibility that makes me sigh whenever I get one of these things. I feel the same way when I get a chain email from a friend that contains some lovely sentiment and asks me to forward it to 5 friends and "brighten their day". What If I am the one who breaks the chain?! And this one is compounded by being a living, growing yeast chain.

. . . . and what if Kim asks, did you like the bread? I can't say I didn't make it ( I hate to disappoint) and I can't lie and say I did make it (if I didn't), so I had no choice, but to participate.




****************************************




So I had been mushing and burping this gurgling bag for 7 days, when we decided to go to Houston. Now what do I do? I have invested 7 whole days in this thing... so of course, I pack it along, in its own little bag, with instructions, like I am babysitting a child. And of course, the coup de grace, day 10, lands smack on the day we have to drive home. So do I make the bread in Houston, or bring it home and make it tomorrow . . . . when I feel more like doing it?



Are you starting to see why I don't like these things?





Well, I did exactly as instructed.

Passed it to 3 friends,

Thereby, contributing to the culinary pleasure of untold quantities of
future Amish Friendship Bread eaters





. . . . and THIS is what I got





and by the way, Kim . . . . . .

It was delicious.

in case you were planning to ask.

...........and thanks for sharing it with me :)





Now, back to work.


p.s. The crunchy top crust, is to die for.

View From A Window

This morning, we awoke to rain.

Beautiful

wet

life giving

rain!

My parched brown yard is lapping it up.















It sounds so peaceful pit-patting outside my office window


I may sit here all day


(wait, I do that anyway, since I became a blogger)

My Lucky Number is Nine

Today, I must acknowledge 09-09-09,

The very LAST time we will see single digit dates for a century.

Now, THAT is worth noting.

I am ashamed to admit I never appreciated 01-01-01 or 02-02-02...etc.

Thankfully, I have one last chance:


So let us celebrate 09-09-09 !


Hip Hip Hooray !


. . . . and the best part is: 9 is my lucky number!
I need to do something special today.

While the Cat's away........

"Hey mom and dad. Want to come to Houston on Labor Day weekend?"

"Love to"

"Marci will be out of town"

"Oh... what do you have in mind?"

"Golf a little, watch BYU beat OU, and surprise Marci"

"Done, done, .........and done."




BEFORE:





During






AFTER:


Right side - AFTER



Left side - BEFORE--------------------------Left Side - AFTER




SURPRISE! MARCI!




We owned a business called The Closet Organizers for 10 years;
I had forgotten what a difference it makes !

It was really fun!




Chloe and Hope kept Ella and Addie (and the rest of us) entertained.

You Probably Didn't Know..........

That Steve and I were Homecoming King & Queen




..........and Brent drove the car





Steve performed with Motley Crue






David and Steve were basketball stars






John and Jenny were on The Cheer Squad






It's amazing, the things you learn from blogs.

Tioga Jr. High

8th Grade




I loved P.E., but was traumatized the first day of 7th Grade

First, we had to work out in ridiculous blue oompa loompa jumpsuits.

Then came the real shocker! Group Showers ! Sheer Panic !

I mean really, aren't 7th graders self conscious enough
without being required to shower with 3o classmates ?

We got weighed and measured too;
My best friend and I were the same size: 5' 2" and 105 lbs.
Not for long. I grew two inches a year for the next three years.




I loved having class electives to explore new interests.
I took, what I consider to be, one of the most important classes in Jr. High,
homemaking, where I learned to cook and sew.
I sewed dresses for the other most important part of Jr Hi, the dances.
I still use my 7th grade pie crust recipe!





I sewed this suit when I was 18,
It was pale pink knit, with matching pants.
I loved sewing and made most of my clothes until I was 30




By now, I had a major crush on Jim Turner. He liked me too,
or so I thought, until he asked my friend, Shari Reyburn, to go steady.
What the.....




9th Grade




I loved Mutual!
I had wonderful leaders and role models;
Who were extremely talented women.
It is fun to still see them when we visit Fresno:
Sister Cleveland, Sister Bowen and Sister Hancock are truly great ladies.


Under their direction, we performed elaborate Road Shows and
Dance Festivals; they were loads of fun!


I painted the sets for this one.... wish I had better pictures of it.


Me on the left and Linda (Davis) Freeman on the right......
little did we know, we would one day be sisters-in-law



Sports were important too!

I was on the tennis, track and basketball teams.

I even won a medal in High Jump at the Jr. West Coast Relays.



Jr High was my first opportunity to take classes in Art,
and I fell in love with it..........



Dad had a cute little VW bug in the driveway;

I couldn't wait to get my drivers license





................ and go to High School!

Early Years

Diane Gibbs - Born May 4, 1954 - Chico, CA



I had a great childhood.

I am one of the lucky ones.


Oh sure, I hated my skinny legs and big feet, self-consciousness and endless acne. But everyone had that kind of stuff. I was lucky enough to have security: two parents who loved me, and I knew it, sisters and cousins who were my best pals, and the Gospel.

Armed with those things,

the other stuff was manageable.




1958 - My dear cousin, Lynne & me - Chico, CA




Mom taught us "the pose"




Diane(14) & Lynne(17)
Going to a dance in Huntington Beach




Diane, Jenny, Lynne - 2007





From Chico, we moved to Weaverville,
Where dad taught High School for 2 years before we settled in Fresno.





Kindergarten - Weaverville, CA




I love all the nursery rhymes on my diploma






First Grade
Holland Elementary, Fresno, CA





I ditched school one day in third grade. I don't know why; I was always a good student. But I also wanted to be cool and popular; so when a friend convinced me it was the thing to do, I did it. We hid up in a tree in Carey Park, right next to the school.
I remember hearing the recess and lunch bells ring as the hours went by and thinking we could slip back into class, unnoticed, and end the boring, uncomfortable tree sojourn. But we stuck it out.

Mom was cool. She didn't even get mad.

Not sure Dad even heard about it.

I never did it again.






Fourth Grade




I loved sleepovers in my tree house on warm summer nights. We would walk over to the liquor store and get sunflower seeds and a can of Wink, then, talk and spit shells over the side of the tree house all night long.


We built tumbleweed forts and played house,
in the field behind our fence.








Some of my best times were spent visiting Aunt Gloria and Uncle Ted in Huntington Beach. One summer, Gloria gave me a grass skirt from Hawaii and Lynne taught me to hula.


Cousin LeeAnn and I were Beatle crazy; I loved Paul and she loved George. Good times were spent with my cousin, Angela too. Other things I loved were visits to Grandma and Grandpa Gibbs in Alpaugh, and camping at Huntington Lake. Great Times!


My dear sister, Marsha, was my main pal. She was born when I was four years old; I still remember uncovering mom's pregnant tummy and kissing Marsha good-night. One day I was pulling Marsha in our red wagon when, Cheryl, a neighborhood bully took Marsha's toy. I threw a block at Cheryl and made her nose bleed. Don't mess with Marsha.




Circa 1964 - My favorite picture of me and Marsha




I was nine when Jennifer was born; Susan came a year later. I dearly loved "the babies". I put them to bed every night. Jenny would drop right off but Susan was a different story:

Read bedtime story,
Pretend I am asleep,
Sloooowly slip off her bed,
Tip toe out,
Three steps into hallway: "Diane, where are you".
Repeat 5 times.
Every night.




1963 - Marsha, Jennifer, Diane




Jennifer and Susan





Sixth Grade


I had a crush on Doug Huber and Rodney Johnson too, but creepy Jack Riley liked me. I was on the bleachers at a game and he put his arm around me. Help! I was wearing my new tan coat and his hand touched the furry collar. Eeeeoooo; I felt sick to my stomach. I took the coat off and wouldn't wear it again until mom washed Jack Riley off of it.



At the end of the school year, there was an afternoon
Sock-Hop for 6th Graders. Rodney asked me to dance.
It was my first dance and it was fun!!




I was ready for Jr. High...........