Basically, I’m totally “self-taught” and semi-illiterate when it comes to talking HTML.  I find it frustrating and more than a little challenging. 

For now, I’ve recaptured the frame of the blog but I’m still thinking about it…that is, tweeking it a bit more.  I know, I’m a slow learner…

I must give Thanks for the all prayers answered in the adoption process of my beautiful Peruvian granddaughter.  Her adoption is FINAL at last, PRAISE GOD!  My son and his family will be home on furlough from their mission field in Peru in early 2010, and my sweet little Peruvian granddaughter will come home to the states for the first time in her life!  I can hardly wait! 

Thank you, dear prayer warriors…

At any rate, soon the rains will come and I have to be prepared.  The “country girl” in me has to be prepared to go out in the rain to take care of my dozen chickens and soon my baby goats.  So, it was off to Coastal Farm Supply to buy my “wellies”, and aren’t they cute!  These boots are as close as my “macho logger tree farmer” is going to let me come to real horses, so I thought I’d enjoy it while I could. 

My MLTF had an extra brand new rain slicker that he’d bought for our tree farm.  Granted, it’s a bit large for me…and it’s the wrong color.

The “city girl“ in me would, at least, like for my rain gear to match and to be a little more color coordinated. 

Oh well, I guess the chickens won’t mind – too much… 

Just like the rest of the civilized world, I am such a FAN of Susan Boyle that I have started a whole new, entirely separate, blog all about her! 

Please, come take a look…you’ll fall in love with this amazing talented Scottish lass just like everyone who has heard her story…and has heard her SING has done. 

Here’s the link to my blog about Susan:  http://susanmagdaleneboyle.blogspot.com 

But don’t forget to come back here to “Thinking About It” tomorrow…

I love a mystery.  Perhaps that’s why I’ve always been fascinated with genes and genetics…and tracing the roots of the family tree.  Maybe that is why I’m also captivated by the concept of TIME…wishing I could turn the clock back and have just one hour with all those ancestors who lived so long ago.  

As long as I’m dreaming about it, I think about all the questions I would ask.  I also think about the images I would capture on film…like the 1896 photograph above of my beautiful maternal grandmother at the age of twenty-four.  Her maiden name was Modeana Emmarella Seals.  Her family and friends called her “Dean”.  I must have called her “Grandma”, but I don’t remember her.  She died June 10, 1951, when I was only 5 years old.  I’m the youngest of four daughters and was born when my mother was forty-one.  My father’s parents died before I was born.  My maternal grandfather, Samuel Edward Haney, died exactly one year and five days after his beloved wife “Dean”.  Perhaps growing up without grandparents instilled this longing in me to know more…

Genetics is the study of heredity, a definite process through which parents pass on certain genes to their children.  My eyes are brown, my hair is dark blonde and I have freckles…all because of genetics.  I’m 5’3″ and I can blame genetics for that as well!  I’m even tempered (for the most part), intelligent and have a sense of humor…all because of genetics.  I have inherited a few talents for which I’m thankful.  Other talents passed me by, and I wish I could have inherited them…for example, Mama’s ability to sing and play the piano “by ear”.

I’m intrigued with the history of my ancestors, and because of that, I’ve invested years in research of those ”roots”.  It was my oldest sister’s dream to trace our ancestors and our family tree as far back as possible.  Eighteen years older than I, Dorothy (Dot) remembered so much of the family history and could make it come alive with the telling. 

The four of us sisters spent hours in the Mississippi State Library archives, as well as the dusty archives of smalltown Mississippi newspapers.  We were thrilled with each piece of the puzzle that we found.  It was to be MY challenge to compile the information and write the book.  Sadly, five years ago, we lost my sister to leukemia before the research was finished and the book was written.  In the beginning, it was just too sad to go on without her, but I know that’s just exactly what she would want me to do.  I love this photograph of my sister Dot taken when she was about the same age as our maternal grandmother above.  The resemblance is remarkable… 

A few days ago, I was reading a wonderful blog written by my great-niece and, once again, I recognized the talent – a gift for writing quite probably inherited from my mother, her maternal great-grandmother.  I see the traits and talents that have been passed down through the generations, between my sisters and myself…our children and our grandchildren.  It amazes me and, quite honestly, it makes me wonder:  which one of our ancestors was the artist…the writer…the dreamer…the healer….the adventurer…the performer…the comedian?  I don’t think I’ll rest until I find the answers…

This is Biscuit.  She is one of our two “farm cats” (Jim’s designation for them).  Evidently, farm cats work.  They reduce the mice and mole population.  According to Jim, our working farm cats are doing a good job.  Biscuit is much more “aloof” than Triscuit.  Biscuit is the ultimate definition of a C-A-T.  She comes when she wants to and ONLY when she wants to.  She lets one pet her ONLY when she wants to be petted.  She reserves all purring for Jim.  Granted, that’s probably because HE feeds them and brushes them.  (I’m under “strict orders” NOT to feed them.  Hmmm…wonder if that’s because he knows I would feed them MORE than he feeds them!)  Truthfully, I think Biscuit also knows that I’m more of a “D-O-G person”!

Biscuit is the hunter.  The only problem here is that she’s attempting to hunt humingbirds…no, no, Biscuit!

What a shame this picture below didn’t focus well…just look at that not so innocent face!  It’s a good thing the hummingbird feeder is empty!

Aaahh…the perfect perch to survey the beautiful countryside…

So many things bring back memories.  Songs…scents…sounds…times of the year…even recipes.  I remember the first time I tried this delicious coffee cake.  It was mid-1970′s and we were parents of two young children at the time.  We were members of Audubon Park Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and my Sunday school class had just published our first cookbook.  Most of us were busy, young mothers who loved cooking and trying new recipes.  This recipe was submitted by Patty Parker.  I’ve long since lost touch with Patty over the years but I still enjoy her recipe. 

I now have a very large collection of cookbooks…but this little spiral soft bound cookbook remains one of my favorites.  It’s covered in food stains and the covers are torn but I always know where this little book is among the many new hardback, expensive cookbooks… 

Orange Kiss-Me Cake

6 ounce can (3/4 cup) frozen orange juice CONCENTRATE, thawed

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening or 1 stick of butter

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 cup raisins

1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Grease and flour bottom of 13″ x 9″ pan or spray with Pam.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Combine 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate with remaining ingredients in large mixer bowl.  Blend at lowest speed for 30 seconds.  Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 45 minutes. 

Two choices for topping:

Combine 1/4 CUP orange juice concentrate and powdered sugar until pourable consistency.  Drizzle over hot cake.

Or drizzle 1/4 CUP orange juice concentrate on cake.  Sprinkle that with topping make of 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup nuts and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Enjoy!

It’s amazing how we take things for granted.  Rain, for example.  Except for a few sprinkles a week or so ago, it hasn’t rained here since early June.  Granted, this is the “dry season” in Oregon.  Long-time Oregonians are used to it…I’m not.  It did my heart good to literally see the “green, green grass of home” during my recent three-week visit to Tennessee.  Here, our grass is parched and brown.  The fire danger board is now set to “red” or “severe”, indicating the potential threat of forest fires. 

It started raining this morning about four-thirty…a slow, steady rain.  I took my coffee out to the front porch this morning and curled up in one of the rocking chairs…taking it all in…enjoying the sweet, fresh smell of rain.  I knew it wasn’t “predicted” to last long enough to quench the thirst of the parched grass, but I welcomed it all the same.

The “rainy season” usually starts in October and it will rain OFTEN…frequently every single day for weeks at a time…for, at least, six months.  I will try to remind myself then to be thankful for the rain…

Clouds yesterday before the rain started this morning…

Rain on the trees…

The valley below through the mist…after the rain stopped this afternoon.

Would you just look at the face on this amazing creature?!  This possibly ancient little fellow was an unexpected farm visitor this week.  At first, from a distance, I thought it was a large rock.  Happily, no.  This little guy is a Box Turtle, although I have no idea what species.  From what I have read, they’re not common in the Pacific Northwest.  They can live up to 100 years…amazing.  He wasn’t too sure he wanted to come out and get acquainted!  I would have love to have kept this sweet creature, but after a while, Jim took him down to the creek.

Triscuit was very interested but didn’t get too close!

Another afternoon visitor was interesting but definitely could have been a little more dangerous where my chickens were concerned.  The photo in the two pics below (taken with a zoom lens) are of a very frustrated redtailed hawk!  Our flock of eleven hens and one rooster are safely enclosed in a 20′ x 20′ chainlink chickenyard with a chainlink top!  It’s cougar-proof and hawk proof, although Jim says a bear could get in if he wanted to.  Hmmm, now that’s a comforting thought…