Sunshine....25º

The wonderful sunny days of January are almost over, no snow on the ground...Wonder what February has in store?

I have early grocery shopping this morning, then on to write people for our weekly gathering...Hope to walk with Pat after lunch, we only have a few days before she leaves for a month in Hawaii.

Big Read event on Wednesday night where Amy (acupuncturist and a partner in "we 3")  will give a lecture on Chinese medicine...Should be very interesting.

Chatted with Rusty in Viet Nam, he will be back in the states on Saturday...Herb and I spent a quiet day yesterday, he reading and me writing on my essay...It will be ready to go to Katey tomorrow.

What to fix for dinner...I had a variety of cheeses in the fridge that needed to be used...So started a white sauce, grated feta cheese flavored with tomato and basil, a small chunk of zippy jalepeno cheese and for color regular yellow cheddar...Started shell pasta in boiling water...We were soon eating Mac and Cheese, the ultimate comfort food, along with leftover chicken from our fridge and brussel sprouts (leftovers from Pat)....OWAV:)

White sauce with feta cheese

YUM

BS Essay...35º

I have my Beauty School essay almost finished to a point, for Katey's critique...Then she can give me advise on where I should work harder, develop into a full scene or cut...As I continue to write I continually have to think of the "rules" and work on my similes, metaphors and description...As a no-nonsense person I find it hard to add flowery phrases, just as when I'm reading someone else's book I find myself skipping over sentences like this to get right to the meat of the story...Different minds reading the same story, some read for the plot and some read for the writing...(that is my take anyway)...At least this writing experience keeps my mind active...Don't want those brain cells going dormant!

Yesterday we had the annual Sorority Bunco party with 16 women in attendance, a full 4 tables...Before getting down to the game we shared finger foods brought by our members...All of us added $5.00 to the pot, 1/2 went for cash prizes and 1/2 to the Wallowa County food bank...Soon the cacophony of women's voices filled the room, laughter, shouts of "BUNCO" and a few expletives were heard as the dice continued to roll...Talk about a mindless experience!!! Hugs to all.... OWAV:)

Cookies...25º

 We devoured the molasses cookies that I made last week and Herb was hinting that maybe I might want to make more cookies...So early Friday morning I started a double batch of cookies in my Bosch mixer (purchased when we made bread to sell at the Farmers Market and it works best with large quantities)...1 pound of room temperature butter sliced into pieces went in first, then 4 cups of sugar and a "splash" or 2 of molasses is added...This is creamed until light and fluffy, add 4 eggs, more beating, add soda, salt, vanilla and 1/2 of the flour and mix...Now because I want two kinds of cookies, I remove 1/2 of this mixture to another bowl for later...Then I add the rest of the flour & oatmeal, spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) grated orange rind, raisins, craisins, and nuts...oatmeal/raisin are a favorite of Herbs...In the other bowl I add more flour, chocolate chips and stir by hand, I like these the best!..I quickly scoop out 4 dozen cookies, bake them and am ready to go to my movie (Eat, Drink, Man, Woman)...I leave two dozen with Herb, take two dozen with me and put the rest of the dough in the fridge to deal with later.

Now it is Saturday morning and I must do something with the cookie dough in the fridge...It is too hard to scoop but makes better cookies if you can form them from the cold dough...So I manage to "whack" off some portions of dough...Now I just stated in my blog a few days ago that my Mom didn't make cookies...I LIED...My mind is going back to the fifties and I remember Mom getting a recipe for icebox cookies, which she tried a couple of times...First you mixed the dough then made 2 inch rolls out of it, wrapped it in wax paper (plastic wrap not invented yet) and refrigerated it...Took the rolls out at your leisure, cut off rounds placed on cookie sheets and baked and you had sugar cookies..My Mom soon went back to making cinnamon rolls and pies, cookies just weren't her thing...Now back to my cookie dough...I was able to make 1 inch rolls out of this cookie dough and cut off 1 inch chunks, place them on a cookie sheet and into the oven...Now these cookies are not perfect rounds but who cares?..In short order I had the rest of the dough on cookie sheets and baked, just in time to have warm cookies and milk for our mid morning snack!..  OWAV:)

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman...17º

Another movie in the Big Read program...Pat, Janie and I decide to watch it in the comfort of home instead of an evening venue with cold temperatures and hard chairs...I make popcorn...Pat and Janie work at getting the DVD playing in the living room...A lavish Sunday dinner with Dad and 3 lovely daughters starts the movie with the Dad (master chef) soon rushing off to help at a banquet...Trying to keep up with the sub-titles and figure out the plot, we must remain glued to the screen, as the love life of each girl unfolds and they deal with an old fashioned, aging father, not easy to do...Then the DVD starts skipping and we lose the sound so Pat a master at cleaning DVD's removes the dvd and cleans it with windex...Yeah, it is going again and we continue watching to the end, but we all have different ideas about what really happened!.. Soooo after we dine on clam chowder, salad and cookies, Pat and I end up at the chocolate shop drinking mocha's with Amy where she reports on her latest job interview (part time job) and we send the dvd home with her and instructions that on next Tuesday at the "Write People" she will explain this movie "Eat, Drink, Man, Women" to US.

While we were watching movies and drinking mochas, the Sled dog races http://www.eaglecapextreme.com/ here in Wallowa County are in full swing...Rusty's friend Bino Fowler is running his dogs this year in the 200 after winning the 100 last year...I happen to see Bino's girlfriend at the chocolate shop and visit with her as she kills time waiting for Bino to finish the race...Good luck Bino......OWAV:)))

Booked...17º

Sailing, sailing...Booked our tickets from Lewiston to Seattle in July where we board the Norwegian Pearl for the inside passage to Alaska...I remember booking tickets my first time for a trip...It almost gave me apoplexy I was so nervous and even today I have Herb sitting next to me with a calendar in his hand making sure I have the dates, times etc. correct...Just got the confirmation letter, looks like all is well now "IF" the boat sails, the plane gets in the air, we make it to Lewiston...ON and On and on...Enough for today...  OWAV:)

One More Trip....36º

Our last "flying" trip was 2 years ago when we spent 3 weeks on the lovely Island of Kaui...While there we visited Waimea Canyon, a chocolate farm, rum distillery, coffee bean plantation, went on a sunset sail but mostly we spent time on the condo balcony with a view of the ocean, we walked trails near the ocean and swam in the sparkling pool at the resort...Every night the roar of the ocean lulled us to sleep.

I will wrap up my ramblings about trips and sunshine with Arizona...Herb and I started going to the Phoenix area about 7 years ago seeking warmer weather and a chance to watch some "Spring Training" baseball games...Along with the ballgames we've also taken in several musical presentations, visited botanical gardens, ghost towns, a renaissance fair, space and airplane museums, and taken train rides, all while enjoying the desert landscape of the surrounding area...A weeks stay one year found us in the red rock country of Sedona where we visited art galleries and an "Out of Africa Wildlife Park".

Strange that this series of blogs started out because I was trying to reclaim my roll top desk...You will be pleased to know that the desk is now sorted, plane tickets, reservations, receipts for motel, meals, fuel, etcetera have all been shredded or recycled...Someone said "Oh you are going to make scrapbooks", "NOOOOO, said I, the "condensed" memories are on paper and in photo's for us to look back at and reminisce, when we become too old to travel.... Hugs to all...  OWAV:)

Roll Top Desk

More Trips...43º

By 2006 Herb and I are "seasoned" travelers...We know about passports, etickets, customs, airport security, navigating airports, sprinting through airports to make connections and waiting...Always waiting...Since 9-11-2001 the lines in airports snake for what seems like miles...We have adjusted to make the waiting easier...Comfortable clothing and slip-on shoes are worn...We pack light, taking only a carry on, heeding the mantra "All you really need in the

Xcaret

tropics is a bikini, a smile and a cover up"...They furnish white sand beaches and sparkling swimming pools...Remember you are there to relax...With this in mind I booked etickets for our party of five...Dennis, Nancy and Pam would join Herb and I for this years trip to Cancun...We motored to Portland, spent the night, then caught an early flight out of PDX...Landed in Cancun early afternoon, taxied to the Royal Resorts where for the next 7 days we had a lovely ocean view condo including kitchen and a choice of 6 swimming pools...City buses were a block away and a myriad of tours available...Herb and I have been on most of the tours so leave it up to our guests to choose their entertainment for the week...We again spend a day at Xcaret, Nancy swims with dolphins and we tour Isla Mujeres by golf cart..Other days are spent poolside, where we soak up the rays in hopes that some of the warm follows us home...We celebrate Dennis's birthday at a Mexican restaurant, enjoy a production as the waiter makes a Mexican coffee complete with flame...By weeks end we are 5 weary travelers as we wing our way back to the mountains of Wallowa County...OWAV:)

Boating to Isla Mujeres 

Memories...20º

I visited warmer places yesterday, as I cleaned and sorted the roll top desk...The 100 year old desk that I bought about 20 years ago so I would have a place to pay bills and keep things organized, turned into a storage unit for papers that I kept from our travels.

I revisited Cancun 1999 with Mona and Jerry on our first trip...We were newbie travelers and I a nervous wreck as we boarded planes, cleared customs and landed in a foreign country...Mona and Jerry herded us about and we toured Aztec ruins in Chichen Itze, marveled at oceans so blue, visited the open markets, learned to bargain with the natives and ate our way through Mexican buffets and sat poolside where we sipped Pina coladas.

Next 2002 with Rusty, Bobi, Stan and Cienna (we joined Mona and Jerry) again in Cancun where Cienna only 4 years old, spent every waking hour in the swimming pool...We also toured caves, animal parks, aztec ruins, took a boat ride to and swam in the ocean so warm at Isla Mujeres...A tour of Isla Mujeres by golf cart and the bus rides in Cancun remain in my memory.

Then 2003 Pam and I met Becky in Australia for a 3 week whirlwind tour, "No Worries Mate" as we swam at the lagoon in Airlie Beach, sailed "The Whit Sunday Islands" snorkeled, swam in the bluest oceans near the "Great Barrier Reef", rented a car to experience the "Great Ocean Road" hopped on planes, buses and trains as we with Becky as our tour guide, saw botanical gardens, the bush, Sydney's famed Opera House, visited Brisbane, Adelaide, and Melbourne..I mustn't forget the food and wine that we shared daily and the colorful language.

Moving right on, in 2004 Herb and I winged our way to the big Island, Oahu where we took in the  Pearl Harbor War Memorial, 'lolani Palace, China Town, and a day long guided tour of the island...We strolled along Waikiki beach, listened to the free concerts each evening in the square and worked on our tan...After 5 days we hopped a plane for nearby Maui where we met up with Bobi, Stan and Cienna who arrived on Maui via the Molokai Ferry looking like 3 drowned rats...Here we spent 7 days on the beach, sunning, snorkeling, sailing and made a 4am trip to Haleakala where we wrapped in towels for warmth (its cold on top of that mountain) and watched the sunrise.

2006, Herb and I flew to Cancun, taxied to the port and boarded a boat for Isla Mujeres where we spent 5 days at an all inclusive resort where I (since the drinks were free) tried them all...Now I could say I had watermelon and mango Margarita's, Margarita's on the rocks or blended, Tequila Sunrise's, Pina Colada's and Mojito's...My favorite "Drink" of course was:

"Sex on the Beach", 1 1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz peach schnapps
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz orange juice

The 5 days soon came to an end and we climbed aboard the Ferry to return to Cancun...For the next week we played tour guides to friends Carol and Rosy, we visited the ruins at Tulum, spent a day at Xcaret, floated an underground river and took in the night show...Of course we spent many hours on the beach and at the pool of choice for the day...They took their own adventure with a yacht ride to Isla Mejeres...Soon we were all winging our way back to good old Wallowa County.

Too many trips so will continue tomorrow...OWAV:)

Chinese Dinner...30º

We had our choice of weather yesterday, sun one minute and snow, wind or rain the next...I managed a walk on the track before the dark clouds gathered on the mountain and told me it was time to start for home...Pam arrived shortly thereafter, coming from a hike on the east moraine...Nice to have a visit with her and catch up on her world.

I had time to change clothes before Pat arrived and we were off to the Chinese dinner at the only Chinese restaurant in Wallowa County...This dinner was held in conjunction with the Big Read and we joined fellow writers "The Write People" at a table in the very middle of the action...I say action because the dinner sold out, every booth/chair was filled...75 to 80 people attended...The restaurant is not large and the noise level reached a crescendo, quieted down a bit as people helped themselves to the buffet dinner...We dined on duck, chicken, shrimp, ribs, noodles, fried rice, steamed vegetables (not the ordinary bean sprouts but things such as black fungus and lotus root)...It was a successful event and I'm sure that the Chinese family that owns the restaurant was pleased to have the business.

Nothing on my calendar today, so maybe can get down to some serious sorting of more papers and memento's that have collected in my roll top desk for a few years...  Hugs to all...     OWAV:)

PS..Check out yesterdays blog for added photos.

Project finished....18º Starry sky

Monday 01/23/12...Pat emailed photos of the finished project so I have updated my blog and included them..

I'm kicking myself this morning...Again I forgot to take pictures for my blog...Ahhhhggg!!!

Bed with spread and shams

Finished sham

Pat and I finished the project, after more sewing, pressing, cutting, SWEARING and recutting, the two pillow shams are finished!..Oh I forgot the laughter, we did laugh but was it only to keep from crying?

Sometime during this project Herb said, "Did you 'Girls' know that Arrowhead Chocolates is having their first anniversary party today?"...It took all of our will power to not drop everything and go racing to downtown Joseph...We could have mocha's and chocolates and much more all with 10% off!..We persevered and finished the project, then with Pat at the wheel we made a beeline to the chocolate shop...It was now after 1pm and neither of us had had anything to eat since breakfast EXCEPT a piece of chocolate cake...Our order of mocha's (decaf) and a chocolate each was delivered to our table...We savored and sipped our way to chocolate nirvana...An hour later I arrived back home, floated into the house where Herb handed me a glass of wine and we sat down to meatloaf and baked potatoes hot from the oven...I think he saved me as I was about to crash!..We didn't get a call from Brian asking if Pat was ever coming home, so we can only assume that in her chocolate haze she navigated the six miles along Wallowa Lake and safely floated into their cabin where there was something to eat besides chocolate....Hugs to all....  OWAV:)

Sewing Project...41º windy/light rain

We had wind through the night but it wasn't the continual hard gusts that can blow off roofs, upend storage sheds and raise general havoc...With the warm temperature though it melted most of the accumulated snow and left us with the "grungy look" of winter...I have to look hard to see the beauty in the dry, brown foliage of winter...Thankfully we  still have the view of the snow-covered mountain range to the west...Forecast is still saying possible snow today and continued wind.

Yesterday Pat arrived with her usual smile and dark eyes sparkling...Sometimes those dark eyes snap as she, a no nonsense person and very organized, has a hard time when other people don't keep up their end of the bargain...I like this about her because she makes me laugh when she says, "But Della, why can't they just do it!"...We get right to the sewing project that she brings...She navigates the stairs to my sewing room, remember she had knee surgery just a month ago, and we begin...After a minor/major change in plans she sews and I press seams...We are making pillow shams to complement the bedspread that already covers her king size bed...About half way through we switch roles, me sewing and she pressing...We work steadily for about 2 hours, laughing, talking, pinning, pressing, ripping out seams and finish up with the tops of the pillow shams done...We quit for the day and with renewed vigor will begin again today working on the backs of the shams...Pat really wanted the shams finished yesterday because she had guests coming for dinner and had planned to have not only the new bedspread in place, but also the shams to give the bedroom the finished look that she envisions...These things are important to Pat but I doubt that her guests were  disappointed in the "unfinished bed" as they were graciously welcomed into Pat and Brian's cosy "cabin" and dined on the scrumptious dinner that awaited them.

Our friendship endures the differences in our personalities and I find myself wanting to organize my life and household just a bit more with her influence...maybe Pat will relax a little into the slower lifestyle of Wallowa County but never will she loose that sparkle or the occasional snap in her eyes and her drive to get things done!

On that note I had better get moving because the "whirling dervish" will be here soon and I know that she would really like to finished that project today!...Hugs to all.....OWAV:)

Chinese Cookies...35º

A few years ago after attending many Fishtrap events and showing an interest in the organization I was invited to join "Fishtraps Community Board"...I told them upfront that I would like to help with the annual book sale and since my expertise is in food, they could put me on the list to furnish refreshments for their events...Now Wallowa County is in the middle of the "Big Read" and immersed in Chinese Culture while reading the "Joy Luck Club"...Last night our guest speaker was BeeBee Tam Beck a professor of Asian American Literature, from Portland..She talked about the Chinese Zodiac  and about "What is "real" Chinese food?


Janie Tippett and I volunteered to bring refreshments for the evenings presentation...Janie found a recipe for Chinese Almond Cookies in her authentic Chinese cookbook, shared her recipe with me and we were both in our element as we experimented, making these cookies...We blanched almonds, I made almond flour in the food processor, she used butter and honey, I used a combination of lard and butter and molasses...and we adjusted the amount of almond extract that should or shouldn't go into this cookie recipe...We don't know how close we came to making "Authentic Almond Cookies" but they quickly disappeared from the serving trays, as one lady mused "these are just like I remember as a child" when we visited China Town in Portland, can I have your recipe?

Chinese Almond Cookies

Below are two of the recipes I found on the internet, and I, never one to make a recipe exactly like it says combined parts of these recipes with Janie's and came up with my own recipe, adjusting the amount of flour to match the liquid, keeping the cookies on the rich side...I almost always bake two or three cookies testing them before I start baking the entire batch...Enough about cookies...Hugs to all....OWAV:)

Chinese Almond Cookies

from Cooking for Engineers

3 cups (375 g) flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (60 g) almond flour (ground almonds)
12 oz. butter, softened
1 cup (210 g) sugar
1 egg
1 oz. water
1 tsp almond extract
42 whole almonds, blanched
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground almonds together in a bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg, water, and almond extract and beat until incorporated. Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Form 1-inch balls of cookie dough, placed a few inches apart (for spreading) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top each dough ball with an almond and brush the top of the cookie with egg wash. Now you can refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes, but I didn’t (lazy). If you do refrigerate the dough, the recipe calls for 20 minutes of baking time. Since I didn’t refrigerate my dough, I baked for 15 minutes and they were perfect. Makes about 42 cookies. (Michael’s recipe says 24, so I am guessing his cookies are a lot bigger than mine.)

Chinese Almond Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Since the flavor of these comes exclusively from almond extract, be sure to buy a very high quality one. Lard produces the particular crisp texture, as it always did. You can substitute solid white shortening, but its flavor is not quite the same. You can also substitute margarine, but it changes the flavor slightly, too. Corn syrup also adds to the texture. If you substitute more flavorful molasses or honey, expect the flavor of the cookie to change. It won't taste as strongly of almond.

3 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup lard, white shortening, or margarine
4 tablespoons corn syrup, molasses or honey
1 egg
3 tablespoons almond extract
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup blanched and peeled almonds (48, to be exact)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the shortening and sugar together. Add beaten egg.

Slowly add the flour, baking soda, almond extract and syrup to the mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the bowl a couple of times.

Take 1 tablespoon of the dough and roll it into a ball. Continue until all dough has been used.

On greased cookie sheets (or parchment-lined sheets), flatten each ball into a thick cookie; about 1/2 inch. Arrange them about 2 inches apart; they spread. Press an almond into the center of each.

Bake on greased cookie sheet in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes. (They are brown when done. Be careful not to overbake.)

Snowed 4inches...35º

It is still dark but we know from peeking out the windows that it is a winter wonderland outside...I will get this written because as soon as we can see Herb will be on the snowplow and I will sweep the walks and deck...The snow is so much fluff like down from a duck...Maybe more is on its way.

Yesterday I made molasses cookies, honing my skills of cookie making for refreshments for the Big Read tomorrow night...I have a recipe for Chinese Almond cookies...It called for blanched almonds (not to be found in Wallowa County) but easy to do...Boil water, drop almonds into water, cover and leave for 5 minutes, drain and squeeze each nut out of their skins...I hated throwing all that fiber into the compost bin...Now I have blanched almonds to adorn the top of each cookie that I make today.

Herb was eager to help make the molasses cookies, he was waiting for me to finish mixing, then he volunteered to clean up the utensils...After licking the beaters clean and "tasting" the dough a second time to make sure it was right he retired to the living room and waited for the cookies to come out of the oven.

My Mom was never a cookie maker but Herb's Mom was...She taught me as a young bride how to make cookies...At christmas we made a butter cookie in all colors pushing the dough through a cookie press into shapes of bells, trees and Santas...Everyday cookies were raisin oatmeal, chocolate chip and molasses crinkles...Herbs Dad loved molasses cookies so of course my kids learned to love them also...When I worked at the school lunch room I introduced the school kids to molasses cookies, they became a favorite...I don't make as many cookies as I used to as Herb and I try to limit our sweets, but on a snowy night, like last night, molasses cookies and a glass of milk made a perfect bedtime snack.

Molasses Crinkles

Movies and more...23º-storm a'brewing

Yesterday I finished my sewing project, wrote and revised on "Beauty School '60", went for a crisp walk on the Joseph track, then heated leftover stew for our dinner...Last night Pat and I went to "Not one Less" the second in the series of Chinese movies...The theme and message was good but it was very long considering the venue's hard chairs and cold temperature...We will try to get the next movie, DVD "Eat, Drink, Man, Women" and again watch it in Pat's cozy cabin at the lake...Write people meets today, so will be another fun filled gathering as we read, visit and eat...Hugs to all.....  OWAV:)

Skiff of snow...13º

Forecasters are still saying that a storm is moving through...Predicting snow through Wednesday, turning to rain by Thursday here in Joseph...Always interesting to see what really happens.

Rusty arrived home safely, slushy, slick roads but no major problems...Emails from Bobi and Ci that Raleigh Hills robotics team where Ci is a team member, and her Dad their coach took a second place in robotic design at the state meet yesterday...Cienna said they were dancing in celebration!

Relaxing day yesterday, with time spent sewing, then for a brisk walk, dinner of pork medallions, mashed potatoes, salad and leftover apple crisp à la mode.

Yummy

I'm skipping book group this morning, can't get into "Joy Luck Club" and scheduled a Mule Days planning meeting at my house at 11am...Not thinking straight....OWAV:)

Skiff of Snow..18º

Windy yesterday afternoon, thought the snow might really add up but not yet...More snow in the forecast and hope it materializes with the sled dog trials on schedule for the last week of January and of course we need the mountain snowpack.

Rusty will leave for his home in Bend today, take care of things there and then 10 days vacation in Vietnam...Right now he is not sure of when his next job with LTW will be, but always manages to keep busy.

He and I had another card playing marathon last night, taking turns in the lead...Herb's Dad taught both kids to play cards when they spent time with him in the summers...Dad loved to play cards and he was quite good at it, after soundly beating the kids, he would quietly explain some of his strategy so they could improve their game...It was always fun for them  catching him with a loaded hand as they played their last card and "went out".

I will give Herb a much needed haircut today spend time sewing on a project and get ready for a busy week with Big Read events and a planning meeting for Mule Days...Hugs to all.....  OWAV:)

Busy Day...20º

Janie, Pat and I watched "The King of Masks" one of the movies shown for the Big Read...Good movie, sad but with a good ending...It was spoken in Chinese and subtitled, which I really like...We munched on popcorn during the movie and had Pats delicious soup for lunch afterwards...As always good company, lots of laughter as we acquaint Pat to the ways and people of Wallowa County.

Back home, Herb, Rusty and I sliced, breaded and fried beef heart, mashed potatoes and made milk gravy for a dinner to share with John and Becky...All that cholesterol soon had us relaxing in the living room sharing stories and laughter to end another day.

John and Becky left for home and Becky was soon back at our door saying someone is stuck on your hill, so John is going to pull them out...Herb and Rusty were out the door to also lend a hand...Our Barton Heights hill is notorious for its mishaps during winter...A short, steep hill with a bank on one side and a steep drop-off on the other can be very scary...It is smart to have front wheel drive, four wheel drive, and/or studded tires all around...People have ended up crossways of the road, stuck next to the bank and over the steep drop-off...After living here for nearly 40 years we have the proper equipment to navigate it and don't think about how treacherous it can be to newcomers on the hill...All turned out well and one can hope that the new people will update their tires!...OWAV:)

Another Sunset...17º

Last nights sunset

Herb's hearing aids arrived yesterday when Tom brought them to our house, programed them on his computer, then fine tuned them after Herb had worn them for about an hour as we visited, tried talking over the sound of running water, behind his back etc...Now we are on our own for the next week as Herb starts the adjustment back into the world of clearer hearing...We have extra batteries, two sizes of ear domes, wipes to keep the ear wax cleaned off and Tom's cell phone number if any problems arise.

Rusty arrived back from Jim Creek about 4pm, we dined on "Goat Stew" and cornbread before he left to join John and Becky (home for a few days over the long weekend) at Terminal Gravity...Herb and I were in bed early and the only way I know Rusty is home is the sound of snoring coming from the upstairs bedroom....  Hugs to all....OWAV:)

BBBrrrrrrr...10º---Clear

Can't think of anything to write so here is another paragraph from my essay.

I remember that first day of Beauty School being so excited that I was about to pee my pants and  terrified that I might. I began a dressing ritual that soon became rote to me. Nylon stockings had to be handled carefully, each stocking rolled down to the toe then feet wiggled in one at a time. Pulling them up and hooking then on the garter belt without snagging was difficult. Quickly I slipped the petty coat and uniform over my head and slid my feet into the “clodhopper” shoes. Hair combed, a touch of lipstick, I was ready. Sylvia walked with me that first day, making sure I made all the right turns. I arrived early to find the doors still locked and did a double take as I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the glass. I almost walked through the window thinking it was another person standing there until I realized it was “farm girl” transformed into beauty school student.  Suddenly another girl dressed just like me appeared from around the corner. We briefly made eye contact, said, “Hello” and quickly figured out that today was a first for both of us.  Her name was Shari Shelby and “we” soon to be known as “Ashton and Shelby” became best friends. 

3 AM...Dark

One of those mornings...My eyes popped open and stayed, thinking it was time to get up...I started the coffee, did the bathroom thing, turned up the furnace and with coffee in hand took up residence in my recliner...I like this time, quiet and dark outside...Scrabble games are played with one hand, coffee in the other.

"Beauty School" essay "WAS" on my mind last night as I fell asleep...Rereading the FIRST paragraph last night the word "was" jumped out at me 6 times, 2 times the word "would" and 1 "had been"...All in the space of one short paragraph...So this morning I started work on that paragraph, didn't make much headway but wrote and rewrote as I added to this work in progress...Below I've included a paragraph or two about the way it "WAS" back in 1960....OWAV:)

The apartment rented for $38.00 a month, everything included. Sylvia acquired three jars, labeled them rent,  groceries and Sunday paper. Each month my parents sent a check for $50.00. Out of this I put $19.00 for rent, $1.00 for the Sunday newspaper and $10.00 for groceries, into the provided jars. I paid $10.00 a month tuition. (some of the tuition had been paid upfront and I paid the rest monthly). Leaving me $10.00 dollars spending money for the month, roughly 30cents a day. Non essentials such as soda pop cost 10 cents each, and then there were the essentials such as deodorant, tooth paste, unmentionables etc. It didn’t take me long to figure out that ten dollars didn’t stretch very far and I would have to budget carefully to get through the month. After the first two weeks I gave up the daily soda pop with my sack lunch. I would never ask Mom and Daddy for more money as I knew the checks they sent were more than they could afford.

An innate sense of “stretching my money” must have developed over the years as I watched Mom juggle the small amount of cash that came in monthly from the sale of milk and cream. As a teenager my only means of income was occasional babysitting for the neighbors 5 children. I never received an allowance or held a job during the summers unlike most of my classmates. Never received a pay check, nor had a checking account. I worked along side both my parents, milking cows, herding and feeding animals, cleaning pens (shoveling shit), worked in the harvest and a myriad of other jobs. If I needed money I asked for a few dollars. I had free use of the family car, filled it with gas from an underground barrel with a pump attached. My parents made sure I was properly clothed, not the latest fashion, but clean and mended if need be. Living on a farm we dined on a sumptuous diet of farm raised meat, milk, eggs, our own vegetables and Mom’s country cooking. If I needed money for a school trip it was given to me with the advice that if possible I wouldn’t spend all of it, having some left to use another day. So instead of spending every dime they gave me, my goal was to have money left over. 

31º Snowing

Sunset over Twin Peaks

Snow as promised this morning, up to an inch...That is not much for this time of winter...People are quick to say we will have to pay for the nice weather and sunny days that have been the norm so far...I among many have been enjoying the longer days, sunshine and bare ground...We have several months of winter ahead of us here in Wallowa County and surely the snows will come giving us the needed snow pack to last through summer...Good Day to All... OWAV:)

Colorful Wardrobe...22º--Waning full Moon

Check out this website for the 2012 moons. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45911225/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.Twr5lJguhzQ I got sidetracked there after going to a website to find out when the full moon would be in January...Found out it was 2 days ago and also found so much more info.

Yesterday Herb and I went to our second social event in the span of two days... I dressed in the same outfit on both days...Black jeans with a pink mock turtleneck and a bright red corduroy shirt (Christmas gift)...I like bright colors and the whiter my hair becomes the more I gravitate toward them--OR maybe it is because I've always liked them...OH OH reminds me of a time long ago.

I must have been about 10 years old when for Christmas I received a pair of red slacks and a pair of pink socks...Normally I had only white socks and blue jeans to wear...Mom only bought white underwear and socks...I had no choice, no matter how much I begged for red socks and panties..."No she would say they "run" in the wash"...My mind had a hard time getting around this statement as I pictured my socks and panties with feet and legs of their own running from washtub to washtub...Until she, looking at the puzzled expression on my face, explained that "run" means the red color comes out in the water and stains the other clothes making them pink...I thought this was a good idea but then she explained that she didn't think Daddy would like it if HIS underwear was pink... Now this made me giggle as my mind tried to focused on this picture...I never in my entire life saw Daddy in his underwear but I conjured up a picture and had to admit that she was right... By the miracle of Christmas, Santa had brought me pink socks, and red slacks...Bigger miracle Mom allowed them in her wash, surely the pink wouldn't run onto the whites and the red slacks could go in with the blue jeans...Now back then you did not wear pink and red together, they clashed I was told...Didn't matter to me I loved my pink and red outfit then as much as I love it today...And I continued to believe in Santa for several more years because I knew he was my only hope for red panties...OWAV:)

Diamonds in the snow...30º

Yesterday's morning was out of a dream...1 inch of new snow, cold, crisp with sun reflecting so bright off the snow that sunglasses didn't cut it...I headed for the track, studs on my shoes, visor on my head, gloves and earmuffs in reserve...Many people use the Joseph Schools track but when I arrived no "tracks" were in sight, not even dog tracks...It was reminiscent of a dream as I quickly became surrounded by millions of diamonds dancing and sparkling like fairies in the snow...I wanted to reach out and catch just one, surely of all the millions I could have just one...But in my heart I knew the diamond would be gone in a second if I touched it and I would wake from the dream clutching my fingers tightly only to find as my hand opened it would be empty...So I enjoyed this surreal world as I made my way, 4 times around, logging a mile before returning home.

Herb and I went social in the afternoon as we along with about 100 people gathered at the Joseph Civic Center to celebrate David and Darlene Turner 50th wedding anniversary...The Turners are a mainstay in the community, so for forty years we have known who they were but never "moved" in the same circles...I've gotten to know Darlene in the last 10 years and we work well together on our mutual sorority committees, have a casual, fun friendship...Where Herb and I decided to celebrate our 50 anniversary in a quiet manner I ask Darlene why she wanted an event?..Her answer was "We've lived here all our lives and when we married right out of high school, bets were being made as to how long this relationship would last...I just want everyone to know that it did!"...It was a fun afternoon visiting with people we haven't seen in years and we found ourselves peering under the wrinkles, gray hair, bald heads for that person we first met 40 years ago...Herb particularly noticed how many of the men were wearing hearing aids!...OWAV:)

One year to date...21º

Looking back it was exactly 1 year ago today that I stepped into the blogging world...Had no idea what I was doing but plunged ahead, well slowly at first but soon it became a free fall.


Words spewed from my mouth like lava from Mt St Helens, causing people to sit up and pay attention...Anxiously they looked each morning wondering what or who will she be talking about on this today...Enough comments were made to keep me "blathering" away, everything from the mundane (what we had for dinner today) to garden and family photo's, sights and sounds from Arizona, family news and visits...All of you got to see my first story published in "Country"...Sometimes it was about the things in life that drive me nuts and the people responsible...Stories from years ago have been the most popular as I reminisces about "life Under Jug Handle" in the 50's... "Growing up" in 10 months in beauty school 1960...Life as a young mother in the 60's and taxing my brain I related stories about my parents life way back in the 30's...What will the coming year bring?...Well I still have "scenes" that keep popping into my mind from long ago and enough happening in my everyday life that the volcano inside will keep steaming away...stay tuned as the detritus keeps falling.


The sun will soon cast its shadow on Ruby Peak signaling the beginning of a new day here in the land of winding waters and the beautiful Wallowa Mountains....Thanks to all of you for a great year, Hugs,...  OWAV:)

OWAV:) 01/06/2011 (First Post)

It is too early to see the mountains, but soon the sun will rise and cast shadows on the west mountains. In this way it is my treat to watch a sunrise not only in the east but also in the west.  Shadows of purple and pink with the snow glistening in the sunlight, as the light rays moves slowly across until they fade into the distance.  They are covered in snow, cold, luminous, silent.  Mountains so tall they take your breath away.  I love the mountains in this valley where my home has been for nearly 40 years.Posted by Oma

36º...Raining and Dreary

Ahhhhh, the mood settles in...Not bad though because this morning I worked for about 2 hours on an essay that has to be finished by January 31 and seemed to make some good progress.

I've copied and pasted a few of paragraphs for your "viewing pleasure" about my life at 17 when I left my rather sheltered childhood for the world beyond...I've posted some of this before but have made changes...So read it or not that's what there is!!    OWAV:)

I’ve been thinking lately of when I left home to go to "Beauty School."  Me a farm girl through and through. What was I thinking? In my 17 years the longest I had been away from home was for 2 weeks, when I stayed with my sister and helped her with a new baby. I was 12 years old at the time. Now at 17 I was engaged and thinking about marriage shortly after high school graduation.  It was common to get married at that age and start a family but also often said, "A girl needs something to fall back on, just in case".  I was never a star student, average at best. Mom and Dad always said, “If you want to go to college we will find the money.” I knew they would support me in anything I decided to do, but I also knew it would be a hardship for them. They had recently put our ranch up for sale to pay off the mounting debts. Besides I really didn’t think I was college material and just the thought of attending a school with over 2000 students gave me nightmares, but I didn’t think twice about going into marriage at 17.

Beauty school seemed like a good fit. Did it matter that I had been in a beauty shop only twice in my entire life? I could be finished within a year and it was a profession to fall back on. My parents and I made a trip in early spring to Boise to meet Sylvia Bigler, my brother-in-laws cousin and check out the Beauty Schools. Sylvia lived and worked in Boise, had just rented a larger apartment and needed a roommate to share the cost. Sylvia older by 5 years than I, seemed like a safe person for their youngest daughter to room with, her warm smile and gentle nature put all of us at ease as she quickly showed us around the two room apartment. She seemed to have a mothering instinct. My parents liked that. We also checked into the possibility of a room at the YWCA but cost wise at $1.50 per day, it would be much more expensive than sharing an apartment with another person. We toured Idaho State Beauty and Barber school and Excelsis, just a Cosmetology school.  Excelsis was an easy choice with its spacious feeling, large picture windows along the entire front and a pleasant atmosphere.  In spite of the strong permanent smell we returned home with a good feeling about this plan and I began filling out the paper work to start beauty school on June 6, 1960, just two weeks after my high school graduation. 

My last two months spent at home, I moved my wedding date to June 1961, finished high school, attended graduation and started packed my belongings, knowing that when I finished beauty school my parents would have sold the ranch and would be living in a different house. My emotions were mixed. On one hand leaving the safety of my parents home and everything I knew from the past 10 years was as scary as a 5 year old entering school for the first time and on the other hand the excitement I felt sent me soaring into a new life much like an astronaut going on the first flight into space.

Moving day finally arrived, a bitter, sweet day as we packed the family car with everything I would need for several months. Boise was 100 miles away and my parents would drive me to Boise, then return home to Lake Fork and continue with their own packing as their life changed, with the sale of the ranch and they moved to a new home. Further more saying goodbye to their youngest was not easy for either of them. We arrived in Boise, carried my possessions into the new apartment and went to a main street cafe for lunch.  Daddy ordered veal cutlets and Mom and I each a hot beef sandwich, all dinners complete with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. The cost was $2.50 to $3.50 each when coffee or coke was added. Back at the apartment we said our goodbyes, hugs all around. With emotions on edge, few words spoken, I watched the car disappear around a corner, before walking into the apartment building, tears streaming down my face.

Big Read...27º---More Sunshine

The mood of my day seems to be set by the sky...Sunny--I'm up, Cloudy--I'm ho-hum and foggy, drizzly, dense clouds--I'm down!..Wonder if I didn't have the gift of sight what then would regulate my moods?..Maybe the air pressure, sounds, smells, touch, hard to imagine.

As you have probably guessed I'm struggling to come up with a topic this morning and it is not happening...So  "Big Read" with the "Joy Luck Club" starts this weekend and runs through Feb 12...There will be book discussions, movies, dinners, cooking classes, games and soooo much more, plan to attend some or all...I'm not a big fan of Amy Tan but the first event looks like a an evening of great entertainment...Hope to see you all there! OWAV:)

A full calendar of events is on the Fishtrap Website, Here is the first event: ...Sun, Jan 8 – COMMUNITY KICK-OFF EVENT – Images of China presented by The Dragon Art Studio of Portland, producing the only professional Chinese puppet theater in the United States. Master puppeteers Zhengli Xu and Yuqin Wang have been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts. Free book raffle, The Bookloft sales table and refreshments available. OK Theatre 7PM

Herbicides...28º

The garden club I belong to was invited to attend a talk on Herbicides...What they are used for, who uses them, the good bad and ugly of the mix...It was stressed to be a responsible user, follow directions, pay particular attention to dosage, weather conditions etc. and know something about the chemical you are using, and many other things...I left the meeting with my mind swirling and more questions than answers...Although the meeting was very informative.

Education of people about herbicides in our county has come to the forefront, after blaring headlines last summer about a tomato crop (raised by an organic grower) killed from the drift of herbicide from a neighboring field...In the ensuing investigation things really didn't add up so our local extension office called in state people to do testing and research.

It was found that the demise of the tomato crop did not come from herbicide drift but from manure that the grower had added to the soil...When the soil was tested it contained two chemicals (herbicides)...The grower without thinking, had brought manure into the garden thinking organic source, never giving a thought to what the animals had been eating!..Thus the herbicide contamination.

How gardening has changed from the "Good ole Days", (before so many chemicals) when Gramma had the family vegetable garden out back and spread manure from her own barnyard...Chemicals are not going to go away nor should they, but we as consumers and users must learn more about using them and following the chain reaction of this use...Lawn clippings used for mulch after being sprayed with weed and feed is not a good idea...the composting projects set up by many local communities at landfills, where everyone brings their yard and garden waste, the waste along with chemicals used by a myriad of people is now all dumped together, chopped up and taken home to spread as mulch on flower beds and vegetable gardens...Not a good idea either...Education will help but it will be a long, slow process...  OWAV:

The following definition was copied from Wikipedia.

Herbicide  also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants.^[1] Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant hormones. Herbicides used to clear waste ground, industrial sites, railways and railway embankments are non-selective and kill all plant material with which they come into contact. Smaller quantities are used in forestry, pasture systems, and management of areas set aside as wildlife habitat. And I ADD by nearly all home gardeners.

Mild Weather... 24º

Second day of the New Year....No resolutions made, just continue on day to day and as usual try to eat better (more healthy :-) ), exercise, be helpful and kind, laugh, cry only when I'm laughing, be more forgiving, love people for their good and overlook the things they do that drive me NUTS...Continue with my sorting but try not to fret and stew and get compulsive...Eat chocolate only at Arrowhead instead of every time I pass my pantry on the way to the bathroom, that does tend to add up...Arrowhead chocolate is sooooo good but the expense will definitely help me limit my intake...So today I will eat my last home made peanut cluster leftover from 2011, and that reminds me of a time long ago--

Our address in Lake Fork was Box 317, Lake Fork, Idaho...The year was 1950 and zip codes unheard of...My parents rented a box at the postoffice which was located inside the Lake Fork Mercantile...This store was a small country store like many others in each small town serving duel purpose...The store was privately owned and said owner was also the postmaster...Jess and Barbara Halderman were the owners and although Jess was the official PM, Barbara also handled the duties...The "Postoffice" was located in the back corner with a barred window http://www.pophistorydig.com/?p=9969 where mail could be slid back and forth under the bars...On a bulletin board next to it were the "Wanted Posters"...These wanted posters fascinated me and I searched each one of them maybe looking for a familiar face...I was able to reach our box and knew the combination, so would take great pride on being able to open our box and retrieve the mail...Near the PO was a barrel stove where people gathered after picking up their mail to catch up on the local news...A meat case nearby contained a "wheel" of mild cheddar cheese and also a "round" of bologna...Jess was very generous and if I looked longingly at the cheese and bologna he would open the back of the case and with a large knife slice off a small piece of each, lay it on a piece of butcher paper and hand it over the counter as I stood on tiptoe reaching for it...All of our families groceries were purchased at this store where we had a charge account...This account was paid at the end of each month and a special thank you for paying promptly was a bag of candy chosen by the customer...Choices were ribbon candy, hard candies with a soft filling, all-day suckers, caramels or peanut clusters...If Daddy was making the choice he always brought home peanut clusters, they soon became the family favorite....OWAV:)

New Year 2012....24º--Clear

Where to start?...Yesterday was a lazy day...Herb and I made meat balls in the am, I did the mixing and he did the shaping and baking, while I headed to the track for a walk in the cold, crisp mountain air.

I just read recently that meatballs are the up and coming trendy food...Everyone is serving meatballs in all kinds of sauces...The can be served on sandwiches, over rice or pasta or as appetizers...They use to be classed as comfort food and mostly served at home or in Italian restaurants ...Now they are going gourmet...High end restaurants add wine to the sauce, give them a fancy name and a high price and people flock to eat the latest trendy food...My friend Connie posted her meatball making extravaganza on Facebook...100 plus meatballs made, packaged and stored in the freezer for quick and easy meals after a long day at work...Friend Brian was making meatballs in sauce to share at a Friday night party...Pat and I did a taste test for him, yummy...Bobi makes chicken meatballs served with a peanut sauce and they are very good...Herb and I made 48 meat balls, using beef, pork and deer meat...We had some in home made spaghetti sauce for our dinner and froze the rest...Herb's comment---trying to be diplomatic..."I think I like spaghetti best with hamburger in the sauce rather than made into meatballs." I have to agree, but the meatballs are fun for a change...Now what to do with the frozen ones?...  OWAV:)

      HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!