Random pieces of my life...

Haven't been out much lately, waiting the past six weeks for this foot to heal enough to toss the crutches - which I did, this week!  Yippee!  Almost back in shoes again...  Anyway, here are some odds and ends to amuse, entertain, and horrify.  I'll put that one last, in consideration of the squeamish...

This little guy is about the size of a quarter - he resides on the top of my "Ikea knock-off" storage shelving.  Pewter.  So cute!  He loves my rock collection.



Becky makes this incredible quinoa salad, filled with all kinds of goodies - red quinoa, fresh pinapple, almonds, edamame, cucumber, cilantro, green onions, yellow and red bell peppers - lucious complex flavors - YUM!  She made a huge bowlful which lasted me almost a week.  Mom didn't care for it, thank goodness.

As kids growing up in Bay City, we rode bikes all over town.  Our HILLY town.  At that time, the main highway was only two blocks away, winding up the hill on through the hilly forest like a snake, to Garibaldi.  I hated that road the first years of high school - we were the first ones to be picked up by the bus, had to sit in the BACK - and I was always carsick.  I think that would be grounds for abuse, these days.
  At any rate, eventually the powers that be made a new, straight almost level, highway section that essentially bypassed our town (not a bad thing, in my humble opinion...), so the old road was seldom used.  Except by local hooligans like the Griffin gang, on their bikes!  Beautiful, fun, and almost private biking. 
 So the last week I had to be pretty much still off the foot, Becky changed shifts with Carrie, bringing her bike.  She didn't have any problem at all getting Chris to take a bike ride on the old road!  They both came back rubber-legged!!  Chris' first bike outing since his knee surgery, poor guy.  That little sister of his was ALWAYS getting the brothers into trouble - according to them.  Ahem.  'Nuff said.

I couldn't believe these tulips that blossomed out of a rescued  clay pot - had no idea there was something in that dirt!  And they managed perfect timing, to show off the blossoming stages...



Speaking of flowers - the poppies are outdoing themselves this year.  Love the fuzzy buds!

THIS is something you have try!  Not slapping your mama - that could be dangerous.  Almost as dangerous as the contents of this carton...

I had a sample at the Food Basket Market in Garibaldi, of this Cajun warmth sprinkled on sweet apple slices.  AWE-SOME.  Of course I got a carton, came home and sliced my apple with great anticipation.  Just so you know - sprinkle it lightly.  I mean LIGHTLY.  As in barely can see it. Definately NOT this much. That Cajun warmth?  I lied.  It's Cajun HEAT!  Zowee!  But the flavor is incredible when you get it right - right after your taste buds grow back...
.

 Back to flowers.  Flowers are safer.  I love this shot of looking directly down on a rose - pretty cool design, there!

The rose was in this bouquet.  Which is the crown of the Mother's Day floral shop currently residing on our dining room table.  Makes Mom and me feel pretty plush, all that gorgeousness and smelliness surrounding us as we have a meal or trounce each other playing cribbage.  hmmm.  That should be "floral aroma" maybe.  Or "heady honeysuckle scented air".  Not smelliness.  Totally different connotation.

The best thing about this foot surgery - my glorious surprise!  Carrie walked into my bedroom 5 days after I was confined to elevated-footness, totally unexpected!  But oh how wonderful!!!  It's been a long time since she and I had extended time together - you know, kids, hubby, living FAR away...all that stuff interferring with mom/daughter rebonding.  Shortly before she left (after 3 weeks of being my personal sherpa, cook, driver, shoulder-to-cry-on, cribbage partner) we managed a trip to Bar View, where she got to walk the beach and I got to CAREULLY (honest) hobble 10 feet to the edge of the parking area to get a picture of her recreating childhood memories on the beach. Sigh.  Beatiful day, beautiful time, beautiful girl.  Love you, kid!

On another day, different drive, Carrie took this photo out the car window (we were stopped - yes, in the middle of the highway) just as we got to Ocean Side.  Doesn't it just say, "Come visit the breathtaking Oregon coast"??

Random wouldn't be complete without THIS.  Be careful opening drawers around here.  You have to be fast - because within 5 seconds she finds you, claims the drawer, and you're stuck.  If you give up and wander off, she'll soon leave and since you of course forgot that the drawer was hanging open, you can then crack your knee into it as you come back to finish whatever it was that she distracted you from in the first place.  Little wretch.

(I have no idea why some of these are photos are centered and others sliding to the side.  Or why this text is stuck on "centered" now.  Can't get it to move.)

OK, here's the scary one.  Dressing change.  See that little green ball?  It's on the end of what is called "K-wire" - about the diameter of coathanger wire.  IN MY TOE.  Actually, about 5" long, THROUGH the toe.  And beyond.  Dr. D commented,

 "Just like a shish-ka-bob."  Thanks for that visual, doc. 

That wire is why I was down so long.  Directions from Dr. D:  You DO NOT BUMP that. And keep the foot elevated as MUCH AS POSSIBLE.  No walking except to bathroom.  Yessir.  Terrified me.  With good reason.

(Oo-oo!  I think I found the right button!  Playing with this thing is more scarey than my foot.  Still not getting it all where I want it, but give me time, folks. Moved the photo - still arguing with the text...HELP!  Gotta call Becky...)

OK, I give.  Last shot - looks a LOT better, yes?  Silly me, totally forgot to take a pic of the bunion, etc. BEFORE surgery.  So you'll just have to take my word - it is definately better.  Oh - you thought I was referring to the incision - well, it looks better, too.  Yep, just one more zipper on my growing list of maintainance items.  Like mom says - Getting old ain't for sissies.  Not when you have to do things like this, just to be able to walk!

Well, th-th-th-that's all, folks.

No explanations needed...

Some people just know the way to this Gramma's heart...Thank you, Anne and Matt!

The photo is from two years ago, during the Mills Family Reunion.  A bunch of us - Farrs, Wrights, Kizerians, Gramma Griffin - spent a fun afternoon on the beach at Cape Meares.  Bonfire for hotdogs, beachcombing, photo shoot - all the ingredients for

 grand family memories!

16" square frame; photo about 5x7"; creativity by Anne Kizerian.

Just keep clam...

In 24 hours, the temperature raised 20 degrees from yesterday's high.  The day dawned - actually DAWNED.  With a real sun and EVERYTHING!!

Brother Chris invited Carrie to a coast treat = clam digging on Tillamook Bay.  With boat in tow, he picked her up at 5:45 A.M., and headed for the harbor and boat launch at Garibaldi.  Nice 10 minute drive, just in time to see the sun tip over the hills.

The clam digging was an adventure, as always seems to happen under Chris' tuteledge.  His wife Bev easily filled her limit then watched with amusement as Chris and Carrie coaxed more clams into their waiting bags.  Full limits - total of 60 nice Cockles. 

Then some sightseeing by boat on the bay, including seals hauled out on the sand bar.  Carrie says it was a stunning morning, no wind, bright sun, smooth water.  What more could a "working visitor" ask of the Oregon Coast?!  Carrie has good memories of spending time with her grandparents who loved taking various grandkids out to get crab or clams. 

The flip side is, of course, after the fun comes the work!  Cleaning clams is a bit time consuming, always better accomplished with several people to share stories, teasing, and getting the chore DONE! 

Cockles have to be heated in boiling water a few minutes to get them to open their shells - Carrie is lifting one out of the pot, headed for the cold water bath in the sink...

where the clams are shucked out of the shells, then cleaned of sand and innards.

Chris is used to digging and and cleaning Razors, which don't have to be scalded open.  After 60-odd years, he is cleaning his first Cockles, believe it or not!!

Now there's a nice bowl of clams.  The strange tan colored things are the diggers, the rest are bellies and muscles (little round things, which hold the shells tightly closed).  These clams were  ground, to make delicious clam fritters for dinner (good job, Carrie!!).   Several packages went into the freezer for more fritters and clam chowder later.  Livin' high on the coast!

The Supervisor was very clam through the whole process.

Thumb-twiddling...

...while the foot is healing. Surgery was April 4. On May 4 I will get the thing-which-shall-not-be-mentioned (Carrie's term for the wire sticking out of my big toe) pulled out. Until then - I am stuck. No walking around without a good reason - such as getting to the loo, or snagging an apple from the frig. Foot elevated at all times. Usually with an icebag slung on top. Carrie arrived from Arizona to be the Enforcer. She does a good job.

So here I sit. Mostly on my bed, with all sorts of entertainment surrounding me. Before the fateful day, I fixed a basket with cards, writing material, envelopes, stamps, scissors, glue stick, and so on. So if I sit here long enough you may actually get a genuine snailmail card from me!

Also loaded the shelves with books I've been meaning to read. Or finish reading. Some scripture study material. Some sketch pads and my trusty tool box. CDs to listen to. A few videos to watch. Love the laptop, my best friend these days.

And thank goodness for a phone!!! I can see why the punks love their phones, keeps you in touch with the whole world. Texting is part of my daily routine now!

Dinner served to the prisoner. Chow is pretty good, can't complain - since I don't have to cook it!!
Some sketching keeps me almost sane...if I can just find a good way to get the pencil shavings to the wastebasket in the kitchen, I'll be on top of all this inforced inactivity.

Our Katie-bug. Ain't she cute?!

Oh my - Carrie just introduced me to some YouTube hilarity. Go find "You Have HOW Many Children?" and have fun!

If it weren't for wanting to grow some lettuce again someday, I could get used to this lifestyle. But only if Carrie agrees to move in. Sorry guys, we need her!

Can't find one earring...

Losing one earring from a favorite pair is just plain tear-making. It's happened to me more than once. Sometimes I hang on to that lonesome half for a long time. I have a special little box for the orphans.

So when I FOUND a single earring that some other unfortunate person had unknowingly lost (you NEVER know when or where they bail off the ear...), I was at first sad, for the orphan - then for the luckless former owner - then it dawned on me, it was now MY orphan.

The double leaf design was right up my alley, loved the black and silver leaves! So as it rode home in my pocket, I was pondering how I could use it. AHA! Anne and Matt were going to be coming for a visit sooner or later, and Anne has a fabulous collection of jewelry making gear! She could help me remount the leaves and make two earrings from the one!

And that's just what happened!

This is the phone photo I sent to Anne so she would know what I was dealing with - always good to use something to scale small objects for photos, like this quarter.

And of course you can't make just one simple set of earrings when there are boxes and boxes of beads, baubles, sparklies and all the extras, and TOOLS, to make enough earrings for a harem...so we just kept on playing!

I needed something to match a new coral shirt...

and I didn't have anything to go with a favorite purple top...

so now I do!

And next time Anne comes with her goody boxes, I bet I can find some good excuses to make a few more sets of earrings - so fun! THANKS, ANNE!

Spring Snow

The frog wasn't impressed with the over 6" of snow we got in about 12 hours...

and the primroses were whining "Where's spring? Where's spring?"

Silly girls - it IS spring!!!

Lovin' from the oven...

Pillsbury Doughboy, get out your tanning lotion. Sorry, you'll just never measure up to these brown beauties!

With an investment in some dough additives like lecithin and gluten, freshly ground flax seed, and a quality yeast like SAS - you, too, can experience the heady aroma of yeasty whole wheat bread wafting through your home!

These voluptuous rolls are made from Becky's "tweaked" recipe for whole wheat bread. Moist, a good "crumb" with a chewy mouth feel, and most of all - humongous flavor. The additions are critical, and so worth the few extra dollars.

We usually make the recipe, which is super simple and fast, into small loaves. This particular day I was having some young LDS missionaries join us for lunch - soup and rolls sounded good. So I made part of the batch into these rolls. Inspiration, for sure! Along with Mom's yummy strawberry jam and creamy Tillamook butter, they were quickly GONE!

Next time maybe YOU will be on my "come on over for lunch" list! The soup pot is almost always on the stove, and chances are, the bread or rolls will be coming out of the oven!