Doing New Projects

When I visited my friends Marykay and Mike, there was a birdbath outside their backyard window. Their backyard is a haven for small critters including squirrels.  The squirrels enjoy the birdbath to quench their thirst. Marykay and I both enjoy watching them.  When Marykay is on walks, she picks up acorns to leave out for the squirrels. Mike then stated that he sees them as rats with furry takes. My husband Paul did not have kind words for squirrels either. I always was taking pictures of them. He finally got me a squirrel statue to look at through my back window. It broke and I think I'll get another so I can see one in my yard. 

Years ago soon after I adopted my daughter Ronda, we went camping with an adoption group we belonged to.   I had a package of Stella Doro cookies opened on one end on the picnic table at our camp ground. Most people were away from the site and no one was at the table. I noticed a squirrel go up to the package of cookies and gently pull one cookie out and then head to the tree line. When I looked back, there was another squirrel doing the same thing then also going to the tree line and then another one. I looked where they were coming from and there was a line of squirrels each waiting patiently it's turn, not moving forward until the last one had left the table. I was fascinated with this behavior. That incident increased my interest in them. 

An attempt at drawing a squirrel.  I'll do a better one next week

Our Red Hat group was much smaller this month. However, we still enjoyed each other's time together. Catching up is good.  When I was looking at us, I have this sense I'm shrinking.  Maybe it is the angle of the pictures.

Evelyn, our Queen, Judie and Pamela

Claudia and Me

Our Small Group this Month, Left to right,
Claudia, Me, Evelyn, Judie and Pamela

I got a notice urging people to go to the Board of Supervisors meeting to attempt to stop them in putting control of our county library in the hands of a private corporation from out of state. . Our libraries have been woefully supported for years, to such an extent that hours have lessened drastically, they buy few books and they have few librarians. Our county is rated poorly in reading ability.  Many are illiterate. The library is very important to encourage reading and to supply the reading material. We are requesting an 1/8 percent dedicated increase for our library system. The majority of people support a dedicated tax because without it being dedicated, it gets pulled to cover shorts in other areas. We are requesting this be put on the June ballot.  We'll see what happens. 

This is a nice picture of Bakersfield looking over a vineyard before it starts greening up. I got it on Facebook. I think that Mary Wardell may have taken the picture, at least it was on her Facebook site. Beautiful!

Vineyard in Bakersfield  by Mary Wardell

 Here are pictures of two my great grandchildren. 

Nylah has character!

Nylah is pretty when she sleeps too!

Kason is one happy child!

So I have a couple of projects I have taken on. One is reading the Qur'an, The Bible and the Talmud. Fascinating!  I finished the the Qur'an and about a quarter of the way through the bible. Though the Old Testament is a part of the bible, I want to see if the Talmud is different. 

The other project is the development of a family tree. My friend Mike is the one who started this and has done an amazing job. My cousin Barrie gave me the name and email of a second cousin Simy. She has responded with great detail.  Now it is my turn to give her information. I'm hoping I can get some dates to correspond to the people she listed. I also need to give her pictures. I have a lot of research to do. 

I hope your week has gone well. What I'm doing is very different from what I've done. I'm enjoying it. I hope this next week is good for you and I'll see you next Sunday.          

Rachel

The Last Sunset

I’m completing my blog on Father’s Day as I remember my father and my husband who was a loving father.  I miss them both and this is a day also of remembrance of all the fathers who are not here to be honored in person.  This sentiment from The Grief Toolbox fits the feelings I have and I’m sure for many other people.

When I got home last Sunday in the morning,  I felt all my energy leaving me. I needed to get my blog out there as soon as possible.   Thank goodness I work on it throughout the week.  It would be very overwhelming doing it in one sitting.  As soon as that was accomplished, I laid down and slept for eight hours. Then up for a couple of hours before sleeping through the night.   This had been getting worse. I started to have problems scheduling anything. I did see a doctor about this and he took me off a water pill which is the first step they take with people with high blood pressure. I don't have high  blood pressure. This medication has a side effect to keep me from losing calcium when I urinated.   He said my brain was not getting enough oxygen and that was why I was feeling so sleepy. Blood pressure on Friday at chemotherapy  was 113/71.  When I was taking that medication, it was running 99/66.   I am scheduled for a test called a Cortrosyn Stimulation Test.  They are looking at Adrenal Insufficiency.   It is all related to looking at why I’m so exhausted that I could sleep for so many hours.

My granddaughter Cassadie graduated from the University of Oregon this week. And, her mom sent me her first published article in a magazine about a woman who made specialized soap. Well done!  I will see her next weekend.

Meghan with her sister Cassadie who graduated from
The University of Oregon with a degree in Journalism

It is only me in Carol Bradshaw's art class now.  This week was drawing sunflowers.  I was telling my step-mom Kate and she wondered how Carol can do this for just one person.  I agree, but I am glad I have had her.  I've learned a lot even if I have a hard time getting some of what she says.  It is interesting because it will hit me about the meaning of something she has said many times in the past and then all of a sudden I "get it!"  As I was talking to my step-mom, she told me about a picture she drew using cheap colored pencils.  She had taken a photo of her friend's cat.  She was just struck by the color of his hair.  She said he is almost the size of a Maine Coon cat.  This drawing she did was on a 12x16 drawing paper.  She gave the drawing to her friend who was very pleased.  She is a very good artist!

My Step-Mom Kate Gaman drew this picture

My picture of Sunflowers- Pencil and Color Pencil

I went to Martha's home and then the Helping One Woman dinner.  The woman being honored was Theresa Lopez.  She started with breast cancer in 2010 and in 2014 with Stage IV liver cancer.  And just recently they found a lesion in her brain.  Many people were there to honor her.  She has a very positive attitude and a wonderful smile.   Her attitude has helped her in dealing with this.  It is amazing to me how people do what they do when given such tough news.

Theresa Lopez is on the left

A friend, Victor  who I worked with called me. We hadn't talked in a long time.   He is writing a book and asked if I would read it when he is at that point.  I'm honored that he would like me to do this.  We have scheduled lunch this next week at Mama Roomba.  We were best buds at work and though we haven't talked in quite a  while, I still feel this way about him.  I am really looking forward to spending some time with him.

I picked some veggies this week. It is so exciting when you grow it yourself. It also has much more flavor. I like that!  I have actually eaten several tomatoes and green peppers from my garden.  I'm eating them as soon as I pick them.  These green peppers are so small and very tasty.  I will cook the squash today.

Veggies from my raised garden

Here is a lovely picture of my two great-grandsons that my Granddaughter-in-Law Meagan posted this week.  They are one year apart.

Kason and Conner, brothers

So last night my daughter Shelley and I went to a going away party for two of my friends, Susan and Jennifer.  They live on top of a hill and have a wonderful view of sunsets here. I will miss them, but I think this is a wonderful move for them.  Shelley and I will make a point of visiting them.  They were there for me when times were incredibly rough when Paul was dying and when I was having medical problems,  in addition to being just two wonderful women.  There were also several people I knew and that Shelley knew by voice on the phone.  She was finally able to connect a face with the voice.

Jennifer and Susan- Note the dry landscape on the hills

My daughter Shelley and my friend Beth with me

Silhouette of Palm Tree at Sunset

The Last Sunset

That is it for the week.  I hope your week went well.  I'll see you next Sunday.      Rachel