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Tag: love

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Ne-VA’-duh

Before I go further, as Nevada is often in the news these days, please pay attention to the correct pronunciation. Nevada is pronounced ne-va’-duh NOT ne-VAHHHHHH’-duh. Although, according to phonetic rules, you’d need to disagree, trust me on this one and learn to pronounce our state’s name correctly.

There are so many names in our area that have unique pronunciation. Take, for instance, the little town of Genoa. Nestled at the base of the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, this little town is one of the area’s oldest towns. And no, it’s name isn’t pronounced as it would be in Italy, but rather Gin’-oh-ah.

There is Moana, which isn’t pronounced as it is in Hawaii (ma-wha’-na), but rather Moe-AH’-na. And then, Kietzke Lane, which I still haven’t mastered.

Being a swing state, we’re in the news a lot these days. Every time a tv-talking-head decides to pronounce our state in a more exotic way, such as Ne-Vahhhhhhh’-da, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. It causes lots of eye rolling among the natives. So, now you won’t make that mistake when visiting!

There are so many beautiful places to see in our state. Having grown up as a neighbor in California, I never knew what I was missing. Although, I almost became a Nevadan in 1979.

With a two week old son in my lap, a little family of three set off to look for work in a town named Winnemucca. Located on a huge farm, we would’ve lived in the middle of the wide open plains not far from where I live now.

Once in Reno, the rancher picked us up at the airport to fly us to the ranch. Buzzing antelope and wild mustangs, we flew through the big, blue, beautiful sky. I envisioned a chickens and garden while watching my little boy grow into a rancher. The truth of the matter was that it was just too remote for that little family. We declined their offer of employment.

Looking back today, I wonder what my life would look like now if I’d been more adventurous. Maybe that little boy’s mother would’ve become the rancher. I’ll never know.

Whatever name our state is called, I wake up under the most brilliant blue skies in wide. I’m surrounded by a circle of mountains that tower above us. In my heart of hearts, I know I live in God’s country. All’s well that ends well. Taking an extra 35 years, I’m finally home. And around here, we all know, Home Means Nevada.

More tomorrow.

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Vicissitudes’ of Life

According to Merriam-Webster —

Vicissitude–

1a: the quality or state of being changeable : mutability

b: natural change or mutation visible in nature or in human affairs

2a: a favorable or unfavorable event or situation that occurs by chance : a fluctuation of state or condition — the vicissitudes of daily life

b: a difficulty or hardship attendant on a way of life, a career, or a course of action and usually beyond one’s control

c: alternating change : succession

Vicissitudes of life are abundant in a family of five generations living in a small town. New changes unfold on a daily basis. Some gloriously happy. Other’s timely and full of sadness. And so life is here on the high desert plains of northwestern Nevada.

Some things in the garden never change. If you raise four zucchini plants, you will need lots of friends to take them away.

Of course, there are obvious changes heading towards autumn here on the high desert plains. With lower temperatures, the gardens of Winterpast heave a sigh of relief as they get ready for a fall bloom. The roses are expecting at least one more colorful show around the third weekend in September. And, our bees struggle on.

The big box garden center is closing down for the year. With deep discounts, a few straggly annuals are looking for homes. Now isn’t the time to buy new plants, but fertilize and care for the ones we have left. Knowing that, it took strength to turn away from the geraniums.

The best thing about gardening is that most things are predictable. There are remedies for pests and illnesses. Each plant has their time to shine and grow, followed by a predictable decline. The in-between is a gardeners happy spot.

And then, there’s the potatoes. If you’ve been reading awhile, you know HHH and I fell in love while harvesting the potato crop of 2022 and were married right after the 2023 harvest. With much sadness I must report that the 2024 potato crop was a total flop. Zero russets. About 2.5 pounds of very small potatoes out of three wine barrels. Such is the life of gardening.

Humans are much more complicated. Just when you think the changing winds of life have settled, new and challenging problems occur. 2025 graduations, new courtships, upcoming babies, first homes, and retirements are just a few of the happy changes in our family.

But, there’s another less happy one. Miss B, HHH’s mom, is moving from her beloved home into a more practical space. Yet another vicissitude of life. A hardship that’s often beyond one’s control. Age has a way of bringing hard changes to our door and the loss of independence comes sooner than expected.

Packing and making the move as a family is a beautiful thing to observe. Watching Miss B shine with courage and independence at this hard time in her life is an example to us all. There’s much to be learned while observing the vicissitudes others endure, both happy and sad.

Whatever you do today, think of your own personal vicissitudes and how you’ve gotten through by putting one foot in front of the other. It seems that works the best for most things.

More tomorrow.

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Prayer for the Bees

Here at Winterpast, the news isn’t what we wanted to hear. Our bees are failing like so many more in Northwestern Nevada in 2024. The scary part is that there’s no obvious answer as to why. Not even the best entomologists throughout the country can identify the cause. But, when dealing with wild animals, that’s often the case.

With such optimism, we started this journey with the 2023 Christmas gift of a hive and tools. We attended classes and ordered books from which to learn. The most beautiful mentor came to Winterpast to not only help us, but to become a dear friend.

Our very calm, sweet, and expensive Saskatraz bees were delivered and “installed” into our hive. Even bee hives are available from Amazon, although a real bee keeper would never purchase one there. Live and learn the 100 reasons why while surrounded with 25,000 flying friends.

HHH has suffered through stings, while I’ve avoided them for now. All the while, we’ve watched and learned from these wonderful little creatures as the spring and summer seasons have flown by.

As it turns out, on August 6th, over 60 bee keepers came together for the monthly meeting. They all share and intense love of bees. With over 600 collective hives, only two held extra honey. The rest are in real trouble.

Wednesday, our sweet Bee Lady came to visit. With excitement, we hoped that we could be the 3rd hive that had extra honey. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Our top honey super (shorter box) was completely empty. No comb. No honey crop. Nothing. Our hive is suffering just like all the rest in Northwestern Nevada. This failure is across the state, from the desert to Lake Tahoe.

Our queen may have died, but at the very least, the hive is stressed for reasons unknown to us. They’ve had food and water at the correct times. They were treated for mites. Their hive was placed in their very own private spot in the back yard. We planted every kind of flower any bee would love. And yet, they failed.

We won’t know the outcome for another month or two. It’s possible the hive will live through the winter, but as we march toward fall, the population will naturally decrease. Without the proper number of bees to warm the hive through the winter, they’ll freeze to death.

Please, pray for the bees of the world. The Bee Lady summed it up this way. Without bees, we would still have wheat for bread. However, the jams and jellies of the world would be a thing of the past. Bees bring wonderful fruits and vegetables to our lives.

If you’re bored this weekend, learn a little about bees. They’re pretty fascinating little animals. Please remember, they need our prayers. Have a wonderful weekend.

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Finally–A National Day to Relax

In the blink of an eye, one-half of August is gone. It seems I just placed seedlings in the ground, yet today, they’re almost done with their growing season. Crazy how fast things go as we live such busy lives. Everyone needs to take a breath and relax on a regular basis. Today is the perfect day to attend to relaxation because August 15th IS the real National Relaxation Day!

The stress of a fast paced life doesn’t give our tired minds time to rest. The added stressors of our crazy world contribute to health risks. Too much stress drains us. It’s time to rejuvenate with a little rest and relaxation.

Sometimes we just need to give ourselves permission to take a day off. It will benefit a person’s physical, spiritual, and mental health. And yes, even retired folks need to stop and smell the roses from time to time.

So today take some time and try one of the following.

  • Read a book
  • Fish with a friend
  • Picnic in the park
  • Walk along the beach
  • Take a drive in the country
  • Spa
  • Golf
  • Do some photography
  • Go see a movie
  • Window shop
  • Lunch with friends
  • Watch sports
  • Swim
  • Garden!

Remember, even if you enjoy cleaning and real work, they are not part of relaxation. So, Don’t.

As for me, I plan to sit outside and enjoy the beauty of Winterpast today. Always remember to take time to enjoy the garden you’ve worked so hard to create. If not today, When?????

More tomorrow.

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Back-Pack Angel

Last week, it was time for an eastward drive to do bit of shopping. Lately, the clothing found at Amazon hasn’t worked. Either the sizing isn’t true or the fabric is wrong. With four purchases I found four returns and decided the old fashioned way works the best.

Just 30 minutes away, a new store opened last fall. TJ Max! In a normal sized town, this would be one of many options from which to shop. When living in the high desert plains of Northwestern Nevada, this might as well be Neiman Marcus. Having lived far from city life throughout my entire life, I’m used to “going to town” to shop, so off I went.

Indeed, I found exactly what I was looking for. Along with the clothing, there were some adorable baby items for an upcoming shower. The only downside to this little store is the lengthy wait in the check-out line. Of course, the store has this figured out, placing lots of small items on the shelves leading up to checkout.

A gentleman stood just ahead of me. He was explaining his purchase to the customer between us. Appearing to be an older, single man, he’d already purchased 80 backpacks for the children in his town. In his arms, he cuddled another twelve. Nearly 100 children would benefit from his generosity. A true Random Act of Kindness.

Listening to him talk, I remembered my time in the classroom. It was important to me that children in my classroom were provided for everything they needed. One would think this would come from the school. Think again.

Each year, teachers all over our country head out to Walmart to buy all the things missing in their school’s supply cabinet. In my last school, there weren’t even pencils available the week before school. Of course, being a veteran teacher, this came as no surprise. Administration sent out a lengthy supply list for young parents to purchase for their children.

Add to that list clothing, shoes, fresh haircuts, lunch materials, and the parents already have enough on their plates. The supplies would always be last on that list. Many times, the kids come with nothing. If you teach, you already know that. Just part of the job.

As it turned out, this gentleman had already been to Walmart, buying supplies for each of the twelve backpacks. The best part of the entire situation was that he was enjoying himself as much as the kids would when opening his gift.

This year is tough for everyone. If you happen to be thinking about something kind to do, consider donating to your local school. Yes, we already do with school taxes. That much is true. However, all over the country, there are supply closets that are empty. There are new teachers wondering where they’ll find the pencils they need. Parents deciding on groceries or school supplies.

If you aren’t sure of specific needs, call your school secretary. She will know exactly how you can help.

More tomorrow.

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Spay or Neuter Your Pet

Today is the day! With a lot on our minds, I hope you will excuse us as we get ready to race out the door. The days of worrying about upcoming Wooklets will now be a thing of the past. Wookie is getting spayed!

Wookie was part of a breeding agreement with family members. We got all the love, giggles, and wiggles, while she gave life to three litters. Now, her life will be her own. Although she may not feel like it for a few days, she’ll be much, much happier.

While waiting for our Wookie, HHH and I are going to take a picnic lunch and travel to Berlin, NV to see the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park.

“Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park contains a town built in the 1890s that is preserved in a state of arrested decay. A true Nevada ghost town, many of Berlin’s original buildings remain and some of its original residents are interred in the town’s cemetery. Trails throughout the town site tell the story of Berlin and its mine. The park is also home to the most abundant concentration, and largest known remains, of Ichthyosaurs, an ancient marine reptile that swam in a warm ocean that covered central Nevada 225 million years ago. The fossils are protected and displayed at the park’s Fossil House.”https://parks.nv.gov/parks/berlin-ichthyosaur

A full day of site seeing will help HHH and I keep our mind occupied until our girlie is ready to go home. Especially exciting for me, visiting this site has been on my bucket list for years! Stay tuned for a report on the experience.

During Wookie’s recuperation, Oliver will continue enjoying his time at puppy camp. With stitches and post-surgical discomfort, the last thing she needs is a pesky boy bothering her. She’ll be happy to see him on Thursday when she’s well on the road to recovery.

If you have a dog or cat that isn’t spayed or neutered, please consider doing them a favor and get it done.

All prayers and well wishes for Wookie are greatly appreciated.

More tomorrow.

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Wedding Bells!!!!

For many years, I lived in a world without wedding bells. I guess families go through periods like that. During decades of life, there are periods of weddings, baby showers, graduations, retirements, and funerals. Then, there are dry spells. Being one of the youngest in a very old family, I was out of step with many of those family milestones, except for the funerals.

Auntie TJ made a decision when she was my age that she’d no longer attend weddings, showers of any kind, or funerals. So, for the last twenty years, she’s avoid those observances. At the time, I was in awe of her decision, as I felt the same way. But, slowly, when there were none of the happy occasions to celebrate, I started to missed them.

Growing up in a family of five girls, sixteen years from the oldest to the youngest, wedding and baby showers were a common occurrence. Each daughter chose unique themes, decorations, food, and games for their special celebration. (Big difference between wedding showers of 1964 and 1978.) Then, the Aunties and cousins arrived loaded with giggles and gifts. Such fun memories full of laughter and good wishes.

Now, I’m receiving invitations again, and choosing differently. Bring on every party , game, and pink and blue cupcake. I’ll attend each gender reveal with a happy heart. I’ll cry at the right parts of the upcoming weddings, trying not to complain too much while shopping for the proper clothing for each event.

This weekend, we’re again on the road, traveling over Donner Pass to celebrate at a reception in California. The adorable newlyweds eloped on a destination wedding to Italy. How do you top a proposal under the Eifel Tower? With a wedding across the plaza from the Colosseum! Romance to the max for the adorable couple.

The party will be full of family and friends that will dance the night away under the stars after enjoying a magnificent meal. Weddings are a joyful time for the couple and all those who love them. This reception will be a time for the newlyweds to kick up their heals. After all, they’re already married!! Now it’s time to party.

Although Wookie knows California well, and two remaining wooklets would love to see her again, she will be hanging out at puppy camp with Oliver. There they’ll enjoy swimming, playing with others, and games of fetch. Enjoying lots of food and love, their weekend will disappear as quickly as ours.

Whatever you do this weekend, think about your own family milestones. If you’ve been invited to a baby shower or wedding, dust off your dancing shoes and go. Celebrating with family and friends is one of the happiest times in your life!! Go for it!

More on Monday.

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Happiness Happens

Smile today to share in “National Happiness Happens” Day. This is one national day that has merit. Although, it reminds me of those in Japan taking lessons to practice smiling. With all the stress in the world, we need a day to remind Americans that Happiness Happens when nurtured.

The Secret Society of Happy People (SOHP) was founded in August of 1998 to celebrate the expression of happiness. The society encourages members to recognize happy moments and be grateful for happiness in their daily life.  They have two motto’s which include “Happiness Happens” and “Don’t Even Think of Raining on My Parade.”  Their main purpose is to stimulate the right of everyone to express their happiness.

In 1999, the Secret Society of Happy People created “Admit You’re Happy Day” which eventually evolved into “Happiness Happens Day” created to celebrate the expression of happiness. August 8th was chosen because it’s the anniversary of the first membership in 1998.

Today, recognize every moment of glee, joy, delight, and pleasure. Don’t let it pass. Most importantly, giggles should be encouraged and allowed to blossom into full-blown laughter. Happeniness happens!

Today, more than on any other, please don’t rain on anyone’s parade. Somedays the happiness of others might be a bit irritating. Excessive giggling might try our patience, especially when the day’s been a bit rotten. However, personal trials don’t give anyone the right to squash another person’s joy. Instead, recognize the day’s delights. Just maybe, the smiles of others will part the storm clouds and allow a little sun to shine on your heart.

Whatever you do today, look for ways to share the blessing of happiness with others.

Minions courtesy of” “Despicable Me”. Try not to smile during THIS movie…… Just saying.

More tomorrow!

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Disappearing Act

In heaven, when blogging, it won’t be necessary to depend on a computer. In perfection, there’ll exist an endless stream of fascinating words, with no need to type them on a keyboard. While envisioning a blog site, it will appear complete with lots of music and pictures. What bliss for a creative writer.

There’ll be no frantic morning search for a topic, silly errors, or mistyped words. Just perfect grammar and delightful blogs on a variety of topics, all enchanting and informative.

Real life is far from that dream. In fact, some mornings, the computer turns the day upside down. This isn’t a unique problem, but common to many approaching 70. The problems have changed over the years, but the newest is something unexplainable.

Early on in my writing adventure, it was suggested that pictures be added to each daily post. At the time, adding pictures was a step too far for a new widow deep in her own fog. Someday, when I’m bed ridden and on deaths doorstep, those posts may get some attention. With almost four years of material, it’ll be a sizeable job to go back and populate everything with stock images.

Images glue the story together, and choosing the correct ones is almost as much fun as writing. Even better if the perfect song comes to mind. But, there is a fly in this ointment.

Writing is magical at any time, day or night, but comes easiest at 1:00 pm. With house and garden work finished, there is always a little window of quiet in the early afternoon. After finishing the written work, stock images from Googles are inserted into the piece. There are pictures of everything, even Bread and Butter pickles and bierocks.

Would personal pictures work? Sure. However, this increases the frustration of transferring them from phone to this site. Not good. A Google search works much better.

In the last few weeks, the pictures will remain visible from 10 minutes to 10 hours and then, POOF, they disappear. If I haven’t returned to the blog, I have no idea of the change. There’ll be a cryptic message instead of the intended pic.

Wonderful readers, if this happens, you can do one of two things. You can email me with this information, or just let it go, knowing a beautiful picture was erased by the Gods of the Cyber Clouds.

Whatever you do today, check on gardens and projects once in awhile. Cucumber plants can be decimated by a hungry little dog. Carefully selected pictures can disappear in the blink of an eye. Life. If it’s not one thing is another. Just the way it is traveling west.

More tomorrow.

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The Stories Farm Wives Share

A few weeks ago, HHH and I shared the most beautiful evening with friends. Our beloved Bee Lady and her friend invited us for an enchanting evening at her farm. Think of a lovely farm setting overlooking a field of alfalfa. The side yard dotted with more than ten lovely bee hives. The corral filled with three amazing donkeys, as cute as they could be. Luscious lawn, beautiful flowers, and gorgeous shade trees. Tranquil beauty at its best.

As I said before, her home is as lovely as they come. It makes me think back to my time at the ranch. I know how much work it takes to make a ranch look picture-book lovely. I’ve been there and done that. It’s time consuming, back braking, and never ending.

It’s magical when Miss Bee Lady and I share stories. Having both been farmer’s widows, we understand the shared stories, even though they happened in two different states. Any farm wife shudders at the word “irrigation” and all that encompasses. At one time or another, every farm wife has had the irrigation story to end all.

Stories of long rides in open-windowed pickup trucks when the smell of mowed alfalfa is intoxicating. Spring evenings when the whole world is one big sprout. Harvest abundance so great it drowns you in zucchinis. Quiet evenings on the farm when you listen to hear the faint hoot of an owl calling her littles to come out for flight school. Crickets. Doves. The wail of coyotes. So many memories known only to those that are lucky enough to have farmed.

Looking around her lovely ranch made me remember funny things that happened on my own. One of the best that comes to mind is when I was put in charge of buying phone line.

This was in the early 1990’s when there was still a need for something called a “Land Line” or phone wired into the house walls. For the first few years on the ranch, we had to pay a hefty charge because our drive way was the boundary for two separate phone companies. If our house had been on the east side of the drive, it would have saved us $70 a month. But, because it was on the west side, we were charged the fee on the 1st of every month on top of the regular bill of $17.92/ month.

After learning we needed a POTS line (Plain Old Telephone Service), a phone representative suggested installing a pole and phone line on the East side and then running an overhead line overhead to the West side of the drive and into our house.

Easy Peazy. After paying a hefty amount for the purchase and installation of a real, honest to goodness power pole, we were ready for the line.

I went to the best hardware store in town. The kind that has everything Lowe’s or Home Depot are lacking. Upon explaining that I needed to buy wire for the phone system, he explained that they were all out.

However, I could buy 300 feet of six strand Gopher-Proof sprinkler wire that would do the trick.

Now, at the time, I was still blonde and cute. But, even at that time, I knew that 300 feet of Gopher-Proof sprinkler wire was going to do nothing but irritate my husband to the max. The associate assured me that it would work perfectly, so I made my non-returnable purchase.

When my husband got home, he was absolutely pleased that I was so innovative. To my total amazement, it would absolutely work. Maybe even better than real phone line.

And so, for 15 years, all phone calls originated in the middle of our 40 acre vineyard, stretching 300 feet to the ranch house roof where our phone would ring. That line carried messages of graduations, harvests, job offers, incoming weather, births, deaths, and everything in between. As far as I know, the line is still in use today.

Whatever you do today, think about funny stories in your own life and jot them down. Life was so different in the 1900’s. Simpler. Cleaner. More honest. Something hard to describe unless you were there. How blessed I am to have experienced such a life.

More tomorrow.