Six Days in Paradise

The Great Father above has shown His power by

making the stars of the heavens; and brightness of

the lights in the  sky is wonderful.  His voice is the

voice of all nature, and His wisdom show even in

the darkness of the night.  The whole earth is filled

with the melody of God.  In the days of creation

He sent forth the great sun shining like the face of

a lover, and His strength warms all the world. The

law of the Great Father can do all good things

and His words bring wisdom to simple souls.

from: Native American Interpretation of Psalms 19

 THis is the day we decided to head South- to the beaches of Oceanside.  It was familiar to me..for we have had some family reunions there years ago.   The longest pier in California is located in Oceanside. We strolled out the end of it. There are lots of fishermen and tourists and gift shops and even a restaurant out at the end.  Jude and I enjoyed watching a pair of swimmers, who turned out to be a pair of women our age, swimming the length of it. People shouted down their encouragements as they rounded the end and were heading back to shore. It was an impressive feat..for the water is cold and they didnt wear  wetsuits!! One woman was swimming the traditional crawl stroke, the other was doing the whole distance on her back.  Did I say impressive!!!??
After another nice long walk down the beach, again looking for shells, which were again nonexistent, we decided to go and check  out the Oceanside Harbor. We were hungry!!  It was lunch time and we wanted sea food!!  We found it at the Harbor. Yummy fish and chips!!  While we were enjoying our meal on the patio..we could hear seals "oorking" away out in the harbor.  Over our Pepsi's we decided it would be fun to rent an paddle boat and go out to investigate what the seals saw to croak about....or more accurately, to see what we could see.
We only had an hour, for that is all we could afford, but boy oh boy did we see seals. All shapes and sizes..most of them not at all excited about anything.  Most seemed a bit perturbed that we would disturb them during their afternoon siesta. How dare we come so close and click away with our cameras!!

 This little one seemed to be as curious about us as we were about him. He came right up to our boat and challenged us to a staring contest.  So cute!! We paddled our little feet in our little boat past yachts and sailboats of all makes and sizes.  I think we each picked one that we would love to take a cruise aboard. Maybe in our next life.
It was a magnificent afternoon.
Next we did some necessary shopping at a local Walmart and Target...
then QUICKLY went back into vacation mode.
We decided to "shop" (lust or dream is more accurate) in downtown historic/ expensive Del Mar Ave in San Clemente.  We could afford nothing.  The boutiques are for the rich and famous.  I found it to be both an enjoyable and painful experience. To look was fun. To not be able to buy was painful for me.  I know that money doesnt buy happiness...but it sure can pave the way!!! Or...as I told my Sunday School class the other day..."I dont like money actually, but it calms my nerves."  Sigh.
So many beautiful thing to had in this world.

But honestly, the most beautiful thing of this day was absolutely  FREE!! The sunset over the ocean...it took my breath away! It was fun to sit on the lawn with a group of like minded people, with our cameras, watching the sun go down for the day.  

Spectacular

Calming

Peaceful

Fulfillment

ALL FREE!!

I had to remind myself a LOT this day, to just be happy and grateful that I was in California, enjoying a good time away from Utah, vacationing by the sea!!  I needed to remember that I didnt need all the beautiful clothes I saw and the art and jewelry that I coveted that day...I just need to be grateful for what I did have. 

For I have a LOT.

And I am grateful.

Peace my Friends

WILD WEDNESDAY

WILD WEDNESDAY

My skin is kind of sort of brownish pinkish yellowish

white.  My eyes are greyish blueish green, but Im 

told they look orange in the night.  My hair is reddish

blondish brown, but its silver when its wet, and all

the colors I am inside have not been invented yet.

from: Where the Sidewalk Ends

by: Shel Silverstein

via picfor.bildero.net

WILD WEDNESDAY

WILD WEDNESDAY

Amy Toland RT

Lemur hand

one for me and one for my girl R. Holler

WILD WEDNESDAY

By Bill Mangold

By Georg Scharf

Jane Frere  photo by Michael Milicia

kookaburra

NICOBAR PIGEON

WILD WEDNESDAY

WILD WEDNESDAY

"An Orange Bishop Beckons"

Caracal Kittens

Frederic J. Brown

Gallop, 1970 by Eifert János

"Why did you do all this for me?" he asked.

"I dont deserve it. I've never done anything

for you."    "You have been my friend," replied

Charlotte.  "That in itself is a tremendous thing."

from: Charlotte's Web

by: E.B. White

Monday was a busy day for us here in Logan.
My welcome mat has been out for a few months now...I bought a prickly new one the first week we got here.
And I can count on one hand the visitors we've enjoyed up to now.
Monday changed all that.  We had lots and lots of visitors...compared to the previous 3.
And with everything else lately, it was lesson for me in humility. (boy oh boy I must have needed a hard core lesson in this principle!)
This was the first time family  has been here to see where we now live.  So the character building continues... on and on and on.  I just love being the object lesson of the haves and then the have nots.
Im reminded, by others better than myself, that its really not a bad place where we now live and lay our heads, which I suppose is very true.  This is not about the bricks and mortar and wood chips and.......................never mind.
But... once again, this is about my attitude, which apparently needed some adjusting...and Monday was the first real test.
Dear family coming by, because they were in town, to say hello, to see the garden that they've heard so much about and seen pictures of, and to see the mill and how to make rabbit food;  and they would have to admit to some curiousness about our place of residence too.
And its over and done and I survived and passed the test.  (I honestly considered meeting them all down town.)
I got through with only a small amount of discomfort, which was all in my head and had nothing to do with our dear visitors, who were and are gracious beyond compare.
So hopefully no one but me were disturbed too much by my painful lesson in humility. Not too many groans, and wails and sighs escaped my lips this time.
Here's hoping I dont strain a muscle patting myself on the back.  What I need to do is love my family even more for being as awesome and kind as they all are!!
They showed me!!!

 Brent and Kelly being shown how the rabbit food is packaged. (and yes...we are always under construction! Which is a good thing!!) Progress!!

 Monday's orders ready to go to the post office.  They travel from sea to shining sea!!

 Meet Lester, the new addition to the mill!! He needs to hurry up and GROW!! We have a mouse problem...and his mission is to solve it!!!  Jace thinks hes adorable, which he is. (both of them are really.)

 Lauren and Jace, Lester and Wallace the lop eared rabbit.  Both live at the mill.  And now Jace would like to live there too.  I wish I could capture the antics these two critters... that are normally sworn enemies, can get themselves into together!! I think they are happy to have each others company.  And yes, now Lauren wants a bunny of her own and Jace wants a kitty that'll never grow up!!

 Lester the mouse molester

with blue eyes to boot!! 

 Mom and Dad were the next to arrive in town...and get the tour of the mill. They too were impressed.

 My dad wanted to go by and see if the house he helped his dad build 53 years ago was still standing. And it was!!!  Dad has good memories of Logan and the few years he spent here in high school.

My mom was blown away by the big beautiful trees here in Logan!! We do have some very impressive specimens!! I too am in awe by many of them.  This one  is in my favorite park.  I had to take her by to see it!  


So come and see us friends and fam.
I have learned that I can handle it!!


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