Golden Oasis

Pickles & Plums

Sounds like it could be a cute blog name, doesn't it?  I don't know what possessed me, but one morning my daughter had put the plums in this triangle later that day it just struck me to take a picture......"Pickles & Plums"....I suppose I should have waited for my "P" week!  Oh, well...I just wanted to share now!

Before I go into the legend that I was telling you about in the last post, I have something to ask my dear readers! ...how do you organize your recipes?  I've gone through ups & downs...from collecting recipes to just hating to even cook. I beleive I'm on the up side and I think a more organized manner would assist in keeping it on the 'up' side!  Maybe I'm odd, but I like to keep original pictures of recipes...say if it's off a can or box that encourages me vs. if I just typed it up on a recipe card. I have a folder with lots of these recipes that I would like to try. I have a recipe box, but my 10-16 year old recipes just don't inspire me (there is a few that are a must though!) I shop for every three weeks (recipe wise)...give or take, but it ends up like that other than pick up items. Oh, one thing I suppose I should mention, I dislike grocery shopping ...always have...actually I don't like shopping of any kind....unless I'm 'shopping' a used book sale or crafts!!! So, maybe you get the idea where I am....many blogs showcase their 'corners'...well, here is my corner to show you what I'm talking about! All this stuff is usually keep in my 'junk paper' drawer with my coupon caddy & scissors. I would love to hear how you organize yours because I need a new way!!

I Will Start my D's....

.....with a Devine sunset the other night here in my little Golden Oasis! Just take a moment and enjoy........ahhhhhh

This was my view one evening :)  and of course where would we be without Dog

This was one morning while I'm reading your blogs when she left her head up against me..she just couldn't be closer that day!

Stay tuned -I have a surprise in my next post..something a little different for all of you :)

See if I can give you a hint with these D's???

"Ding, Drop in, Duck Diving, Dumping"              -what do you think this is about????

At least ONE of my readers BETTER know.....after all this reader is a LEGEND in this world!!!!!

How Long?

I've just realized it's been a while since posting...no particular reason other than my life is always on the go with periods of relaxation, although, during those moments I chose to do the bare minimum! This morning I reacted to a post and in the comment section clearly represented how I feel at Knitlette (3/25) then I cruised over to another favorite and pictures of birds made me smile at Beadlizard ! Then at Close To My Heart reminded me we must keep our dreams alive! Then I saw something at Dare To Dream -Wee Folks are just so darn cute! ...then finally at Friday Night Fish Fry someone that is Fantastic at 40!  ...and WhipUp reminded me how I'm missing my sewing!

My hour went quick.....I have my son's baseball game to go to, so that is all for now!

F is for....

FISH!

back end of Fish...

Front view from my place with our Flag.

Fog in the canyon below us (along I-15)

Best of all Father Flying with grandson to Hawaii -both to get on a 'Tiger Cruise' to ride the above ship back home! Fist time Flying for my son!

Families waiting after 6 months! (Finally)

I have to share one more because it is the proper conclusion after this last pictures.....

Each ship gets a lei after a six month cruise..you can see the ship smiling..'she did her country proud ' not one mishap   :)

Her Name?  (I see a new website and they haven't updated the photo page, but the history is pretty interesting take a look....)

Don't worry...all is well at the Oasis and 'we' are back to complete relaxation!

 

Major Misconduct

Well, according to the "Municipal Code Ch13 Art01Div01 131.0101 Purpose of Base Zones: The purpose of this article is to establish base zones to help ensure that knitting supplies within the House are properly located and that adequate space is provide for each type of development craft identified. Base zones are intended to regulate uses; to minimize adverse impacts of uses and to regulate the area and the relationships between said living things within House."

There is something within my Golden Oasis that has CROSSED these Base Zones! Coming home after dropping one of the living things within this home at school...'Nugget' was AT the door to greet me! (mind you, this NEVER happens- she is usually laying around with her furry paws in the air...with a thump of a tail that is about the greeting I normally get!) Then I saw WHY....... it had been in a bag on the floor, sadly, for about three WEEKS..I supposed it passed that expiration time of sitting there! The label was off to the side intact and the yarn on the front tiles.....horrors!..now if there was knitting needles out- I would have really wondered! Amazing the feeling you get seeing you precious yarn..naked....exposed..trembling under the dog spit on it!

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME!....SHOULD I REALLY FORGIVE  this thing????

is it true? once you have a taste of yarn.....?

Oh, she KNOWS Mama is upset! Just my cold shoulder is so icy for her she can barely look at me!

Just a little disruption here in "Golden Oasis"....

I Need a Needle!

...oh, gosh I just realized how THAT must sound! It's been a week and I haven't played with any needles...the felted bag is not completed as I promised myself!

I'm so behind on things I like! My bloglines have remained unread & I got distracted reading 1984 by George Orwell....I'm not in the right frame of mind for reading it and I hate to say- I have quit after the first part to give Lord of the Flies a chance. This book my daughter is reading in school and that is one I've never read, so I've added it to my ever growing list of the books I need to read this year!

I haven't cruised over to my Pomegranate pal to see what my list Friday was going to be, so I have come up a list of my own....

Myth Busters for the Week

• It never rains in Southern California...
• Working from home gives me an opportunity to eat my Bon-Bons...
• PTA people are easy to get along with...
• I can make it a week without crocheting or knitting...
• The actual set-up of a middle-school book fair will take an hour...
• Business e-mails are quick and easy between four people...
• Older kids are easy to have around when you are trying to work...
• I can wipe the dog water off the floor, take care of business, know what fields baseball practice is on, do emails, & pick people up  ALL at the exact same time...
• Working at home job is regarded the same as work in an outside office...
• Golden Retrievers can be ignored...          

(truly she was great...just wanted to express my own guilt I project onto her ;)

I think you get the drift of my week....and then at 5 pm Friday my daughter handed me a wonderful envelope from my friend, C with a great variety of wonderful antique crochet doily patterns from 1913......oh, all the doilies I'd like to make within the next century!!! It all MELTED my stresses of the week away from my brain....a HUGE public thank you to C!!!

I will leave you with pics from Southern California!

....moments later the chair blew over!

Please notice the trees are not exactly perpendicular to the ground!

Glad we applied fertilizer to the lawn this past week to help even out our 'winter' liquid nitrogen applicator that we have!!!  ( ie. Nugget!)  Thankfully, it doesn't go the other way...burn marks that may dog owners have to deal with....we only had that problem when she was real young on puppy food (too much protein)!

Stay safe, dry, & warm!

LIST FRIDAY

List idea made possible from Pomegranatesandpaper!

Friday's list consists of old time favorite Arts & Crafts of our past.

• Just recently my mother gave me a bag of items that I've done through my school years....I could not believe this because when I saw it (having not seen it for 30 years) I distinctly REMEMBER doing it and not only making it, but the SMELL of the art room and the smell of the construction paper and feeling myself carefully gluing the pieces down- it felt very odd for a memory like this to clearly come back!

• Next is a paper bag (remember those?) scrapbook that I made ...this type of art was just a huge thing in my memory in K & 1st grade. I love circles and spots in my art...kind of a contained thing

• This isn't so artsy, but had a snicker when I saw it- I have never seen such a worksheet from my son! Quite frankly, he didn't know what a card catalog was...when I told him he said, "Oh, those wooden drawer things when I was in 1st grade?"   yes-dear those wooden drawer things!

• I wasn't 'into' arts & crafts per se....pipe cleaners, googly eyes, pom poms...maybe some friendship bracelets BUT I taught myself to crochet AND knit when I was 9...I remember it was a winter break I actually made some small holiday figures shown in this booklet and learned from my Grandmothers old book (with her personal notes). (WITH her knitting and crocheting needles!)  These are prized possessions to me and I would be very distraught if anything happened to them! I cringe every move and I do believe I took them with me in the blazer on one of our moves! Just a note: she had passed away when I was 5...but her love of this art remained and my interest in it was because of her!