Memories...

Sometimes our

memories can

come back sweet

and clear. Others

can break our hearts.

Today, while reading

a fellow Blogger's

account of their mission

trip to the Dominican

Republic,

http://thepioneerwoman.com/

I remembered my own

mission to Africa.

I thought I might share

some of those memories,

even though I can't get

upstairs to my photo

archives to share with

you some of the beautiful

faces of my friends there.

I traveled to Zimbabwe Africa and have been changed forever. It certainly makes us aware of our extreme blessings and materialism!! The wonderful people of Zimbabwe were so incredibly gracious and would give me the beads from around their neck or the one picture from their wall, saying, "Please remember me." I was in Zimbabwe to sing for the opening ceremonies of the Africa University in Old Mutare. The University is church -sponsored by the United Methodist Church and it was very new, then, with few buildings. But it has grown considerably since then. After my trip, I sponsored a young seminary student from Zaire that I met while there. His name was Kupa. I gave simple but wonderful gifts of ink pens and supplies to Kupa and his friends and sent clothes and money to help sustain his family through a very cold winter. He spent five yrs studying at Africa U. and then had to return to Zaire, even though his country was in civil war and it was terribly dangerous to do so. Gut wrenching....I have since lost track of him. His last correspondence was that they were going to travel through the BUSH to try to get back home. One of his sons had been shot and killed right in their front yard. I am in anguish as I write this, as he had become my brother...
The sweet people of Africa would remind me that I would always have a home in Zimbabwe. Their church women would cook for me in the "church kitchen", the open fire out-side the back door of the church, and we would have sadsa, squash, rice, goat, termites, and very very tiny chicken. We participated in a beautiful ceremony of hand-washing before meals and tea, where a beautiful woman would pour warm water over your hands from a pitcher into a bowl..I knew they had pulled out all the stops and prepared a meal befitting a queen, and I was treated as honored, everywhere I went.
I stayed in the homes while there...a culture shock from the five star Hotel at Victoria Falls where the President stays, as well as myself. The home stays, where the bed was a mat on the floor, and long columns of ants marched into the sink and toilets, and huge bugs the size of my hand on the wall at night as I went to sleep (OH!), the simple open hole dug in the back, for a toilet, and the single bowl of water for the whole family to bathe.
While in Zimbabwe, I visited a "baby-fold" (orphanage) and an adjacent area for ladies-in-waiting, (who were there until the birth of their babies). I fell head over heels in love with these sweet babies, and would have brought home my sweet baby Tendai, if it had been humanly possible. Tendai, (A Shona name, a shortened version of Natienda, meaning "we are grateful") had been left in a ditch of the road, near the baby-fold, by her un-wed mother, who knew she couldn't return home with another baby for her family to care for.
As a mother and as a singer, I immediately bonded to this baby girl in the only way that came natural to me....I snuggled her close to my ample body, walked back n forth and sang quietly to her. When I had to leave, I cried uncontrollably for miles and miles...and today, many years later, I still cry at the thought of my baby on the other side of the world. I tried to sponsor Tendai and was told that she was claimed eventually, by her maternal grandmother, and left the orphanage.
I am so thankful for the trip I was able to take, back then. My only real, long-term goal in life, is to re-gain my health to the degree that would allow me to again travel there, and in some small way, help, and encourage those, less fortunate to greater heights and to a greater belief in the Lord, Jesus Christ

Miss Vicki

Another Gorgeous Fall Day

A late Fall offering of Wild Blackberries, rendered in Water Color, thanks to my photo filter.

Since I cannot think of anything positive to say about conquering my first P.T. appt. for my new Journey Knee, let me just say that leaving the house for the first time in many days, and doing so on a fabulously beautiful Fall day ROCKED!!

My new PT guy, Ben, is well versed in the rehab for the Journey Knee, and he'd had a nice, long conversation with my surgeon about all the "extra fancy-work" he'd done to release the overly tight muscles on my knee to achieve a somewhat straighter leg. Now you KNOW my goal in all this, is to have a prettier, "straighter" leg at 55 years of age! HA.
Well, I guess that's got to be better than my surgeon's first words when looking at my X-rays, when he said my legs looked like those belonging to an old rodeo cowboy. humph.
Well, now home, pain pills ingested and snuggled into my chair, it's all better now. But let me just tell you, we put this new knee through some moves that are not to be expected, one week post-surgery. But Ben's goal for Friday is a 90 degree bend in that knee. OMG.d.d.d.d.d.d.d.d.d.d.d.d
Maybe when the Pope flies!

Oh, I'm sorry if I sounded sacrilegious. That was not my intent. Some of my most fervent prayers have been said in ah.....a....very...loud....tone of voice. How's that?

I'm just saying that prayers don't have to be whispered to be meaningful...
Amen.

Meanwhile....back on the ranch............................Miss Vic

It's Time For The Whine

Now, it's time for the whine.

Even though today dawned absolutely beautiful....and the election is over, and went the way that we wanted, for a change...Even though I am really at peace with all that IS, in my life....

I HURT LIKE HELL TODAY!

So bring on the wine..(whine).

Oh, it's my fault. Again. I forgot to put on a new pain patch last night. I just plain FORGOT about it. (Believe me, it's easy to forget this one!)

I just noticed that as Hugs and I sat and watched the election results come in...my pain just started to RAMP upwards.....worse and worse....I was thinking, "What IS THIS??" I barely made it through our New President's acceptance speech, (OH! just let me say, "WOW.") And then I just had to go to bed, I was just so totally baked.

So, this morning...in so much pain, I'm thinking, HOW in the world can I go to PT and go through THAT torture??? I discovered that I was basically winging it without much pain meds in my system.....so new patch installed.....second latte bowl guzzled...I am on the way to feeling better. Soon.

And in light of going through with the struggle of getting into a vehicle, (a major trial with an unbending knee) and the impending PT exercises....can I do this today???

Just let me borrow our new President's pass phrase, " YES WE CAN !!"

Amen.

Miss Vic

Oh, and just in case you care....just look at these fishermen!! They barely cast their lines, but they snagged a hit...the blood red Chinook Salmon were just incredible along this stretch of the Winachee River. The fishermen caught their limit of two fish per man per day, easily within minutes of arriving! And they hauled the huge 30++ to 40++ inch fish, up the slopes to their vehicles and smiling the whole way, roared off down the road. If you look closely at the pix, you can see one of the fishermen bringing his catch into the shore, and the quick swish in the water as the fish broke the surface...Wow! So exciting to watch!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS DI !

Now, Don't ya'll forget to wish Miss D. a happy All Saints Day....'cause its her special day!! X 37.

huggies, from Momma

SHE'S BACK.k.k.kkkkkk

Yup. I'm back in the saddle...my new Journey Knee in place.

JOURNEY* Bi-Cruciate Stabilized Knee System, made of OXINIUM* Oxidized Zirconium. OXINIUM material is a unique and advanced bearing product technology created through a proprietary manufacturing process that transforms the surface to a ceramic, resulting in a material that incorporates the best features of ceramic and metal while avoiding the limitations associated with either material.

I'm propped up like a queen, with pillows and ice; coffee in my right hand, book in my left...napping about three hours every afternoon, ...life is pretty good. My pain level is fairly controlled and I can get around the house with a single cane. The major issue, for me, is to keep my knee "straight". I am bearing a pretty hurkin' brace, unlike most patients, due to my legs being so badly crooked, the muscles were going to pull the new knee out of place. So. I'll be married to my brace for a few weeks. Let this be a lesson to you to not wait too long to fix those bad knees!

Hugs is taking good care of me; fussing around, bringing meds and ice and helping me into and out of our big king bed, and fixing me up with whatever sounds good to eat and drink.

P.T. starts Wednesday, although I've been hard at my exercises since day 1.

The weather here, has gone south and its raining cats n dogs...which makes me ache like hell. All the more reason to whine. But I can serve up some cheese and crackers with that....

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....

Vicki

What Are You Reading?

When I return, I'm going to have more than enough time to read the "BEST BOOK" on everyone's reading list. Please, leave me a comment and tell me your favorite books.....your "must read next" list.......and what you are reading now! I just recently finished The Life of Edgar Sawtelle. All I can say is "OH MY!" (just read it !!!)

And I am now reading "The Shack". I'd heard so much about it, I bought it - twice. (duh).

I got home from the book store and went to stow my new books in the nest I've created next to my chair (where I'll ultimately spend LOTS of hours) and there it was! already. So I have 2 copies to share....The jury's still out on this one. ( One minute I love it. The next, I think it's poor writing....) You can decide for yourself!

-v

g'bye for now.....

This is "it"....I got most everything done: puppy washed and clipped, lawn furniture stowed away, Perennial Flowers mulched and put to bed, house cleaned, laundry done, bed linens changed, voted absentee, bought a couple "last minute" Christmas presents, (bah ha haaa...you have to know ME to get this), raked leaves, packed for the hospital, checked email, cooked dinner,tested the hot tub water and put the temperature on stand-by for a few weeks.....yadda yadda.
I know I'm compulsive, but I feel like I'm going away on a very long trip...it's weird. I just know that even though it's a short two or three day stay in the hospital, I'm not going to be "UP" for much of anything for weeks after I get home. My thoughts will be all about pain and survival and just getting from point A to point B. And I am in total angst about the fact that the rest of my favorite Indian Summer days will be spent indoors, where I can't feel the sun's warmth on my face. I refused to put the wicker chairs away in the garage. I am hoping for just a few more warm, golden afternoons, where, if I talk sweetly enough, Hugs will pull my chair out into the sunshine...and I can feel blessed to live out my days ..... back on the ranch.

Until then, g'bye for now.
Miss Vic

It's Crunch Time

I knew it was coming. I thought I was ready. But everywhere I look, there is evidence of... well...sloth.

You see, it's all over for me Tuesday morning. No more "Oh, I'll finish that up tomorrow." or "It's still too early to mulch the perennials for winter."....

"I'll finish planting the flower bulbs..."

just WHEN exactly????? After Tuesday morning, THERE WILL BE NO MORE DIGGING IN FLOWER BULBS !!!!!

It's Crunch Time. It's all over. What's not done, won't be getting done. I found myself foaming at the mouth...I had to have fresh clean sheets on the bed! The laundry had to all be done...the floors vaccumed, the dog shampooed and groomed....

WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU DO, IF YOU KNEW YOU'D BE BARELY ABLE TO GET YOURSELF TO THE TOILET THE NEXT TIME YOU CAME HOME??? Huh?!??!!!!

Nerves? NO.o.o.o.o.oooo huh uh. Not ME. I don't mind pain. At All. NOPE. I'm TOUGH.

(As long as the doc prescribes good drugs - I'll be just fine).

Tuesday morning - 11:00 - Miss Vic on the operating table....ever after will be known as NewKnees! ...I'll be setting off alarms at airports around the world, from a distance of 1/2 mile away!

Now! About YOU ! Yes, you! Don't you leave and forget about me, just because I go off missing for a couple weeks! I'm going to NEED you in the following weeks of recouperation. I'm going to need you all to listen to me whine and carry on as though I am the pioneer of the Journey Knee. Never has anyone else gone through such sacrifice and pain for the good of ALL humanity!

Or something like that.

Meanwhile, Back on The Ranch...........

HUMPH

Humph.
See, I told you there was a learning curve to Blogging!
Would anyone in their right mind actually run the text along side their photos in the manner of my previous post ?!?
I think not.
And though I tried to fix it, I failed.
I'm sorry.
Good night, nurse.

Family

My most crowning glory, My Own Belov-ed daughter.


Mom,unaware of the camera,(the best time to catch her)



My Baby sister, looking cute, as only baby sisters CAN !




One of older Grand daughters, Alex, at her first HS Homecoming Dance. (Wasn't it just yesterday that she was a baby in our arms?!?)


My two youngest Grands: Sisters & Best Friends



Just Grammie and her girls on a recent trip to the ocean.



And here's Hugs n I at our 25th Anniversary celebration. And they said it wouldn't last!! I said, "Love will keep us together"...I had it engraved on the underside of his watch; I believed it then and it still holds true. We took those vows seriously, and love has gotten us through the hard times as well as the wonderful times.
Let it be said, that family is important to me. And you can say that again, for good measure! We are a small family. My parents are still alive, and Hugs mother, too. It just feels like our family is SO small, sometimes. And it's scary. I have realized the frailty of life this year, as our parents health has begun to really show signs of failing. And I DON'T WANT TO BE A MATRIARCH!! When our parents are gone, who will we have holiday meals with?? Our kids have all moved away! Well, it's something I don't like to think about!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch............

The Gardening Bug...in AUTUMN ?????

Any of you that have known me awhile, knows of my love of anything "natural"...and anything to decorate in the yard and flower gardens....well, guess what I found on the way home from Seattle? (nah nah nah na nah nah....)

Yup. A silicone mold of a gigantic leaf, so that lil old ME can produce my own stepping stones, and bird feeders and bird baths and water features, and....oh MY !!
I am sooooo excited about this mold!...and making them whatever color I want to make them....this little shop had lots of different hand made molds of different leaves and if I'd been rich, I would have bought several different ones...different sizes. They are too expensive for me to be that impulsive. Now, if I start doing these and really love it,then I can purchase or make some more molds. I can hardly wait to start making things, but me thinks it will have to wait for my new knees and warm weather next spring. Don't any of you let me forget to do this at the first sign of new life next Spring !! But if you're feeling jealous and want your own leaf molds, contact Pam at kitrnorton@comcast.net and tell her Miss Vic sent you!

She had the most eclectic blend of old,and rusty vs. shiny and beautiful, all in one funky little shop on WA Highway 2. I actually feel very at home and comfortable when surrounded by old rusty hardware...it takes me winging back to the wonderful days as a little girl shadowing my belov-ed Grampa in his workshop. I could have spent days in that little road-side shop.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch..........

Just Keepin' It REAL

Today, I'm just spreading the Love. It's the least that I can do, in light of the fact that yesterday was THE-DAY-FROM-HELL. YIKES ! In preperation for the upcoming knee replacement, I had to attend several appointments. before the "Big Day"...and in light of the fact that surgery will be at a hospital 80 miles from home, (and the price of gas).....I scheduled three appt. in one day.
So Hugs and I got up at 0-dark:thirty to get to the first doctor on time.
So, we made it out the door, coffee in hand (duh!)and hair on fire, at a horribly early hour for re-tirees. Three doctors/hospital/lab visits later, we made it home by 7:30 PM. Hugs got first hand knowledge of my painfull knees when the specialist displayed my X-rays in agonizing life-size. Let it be said that NOW he totally understands my pain issues and wonders out loud, "How can you even walk??!??!?!?"
Half-Starved and ready for instant intervention, (Poppa Murphy's to the rescue) and I fell into bed by 9:00.


Yeah. Just keepin' it real. Miss Vicki

In The Beginning

In The Beginning

Whew! It's happened! I have finally started my Blog. But I can tell right-off-the-bat that there's a learning curve to this Blogging thing! All I want is WHAT I WANT, THE WAY I WANT IT, DAMN IT !!!!

okay...deep breathing....

I just get irritated when computers don't do what I tell them to do IN PLAIN ENGLISH!

It somehow reminds me of talking to children. Or herding chickens.

Oh, now THAT's a whole 'nother BLOG, folks!

*.*.*.*.*.*.

From the backwoods of our own little "Paradise Found", I will drag you, (kicking and screaming, all the way, I'm sure) through our life here. The every-days-worth of living the quiet life, snug on a few small acres in the rural northwest.

Twenty five years ago, Hugs and I dreamed of building our own log house, and we succeeded in creating a home that gives us comfort and JOY, every day. We built our home with no blue-prints - only a shared vision of a big, warm and comfortable place where friends and family could gather. You know the kind of place - where you can sink into a chair and put your feet up, instead of perching on the edge of your seat and watching for the first moment you can conveniently escape.

Now, we're retired, with the kids grown and gone, and nothing to do with our time except just what we really WANT to do. No more daily grind, (except MY daily grind of PURE, Arabica Beans), we find that staying up late to "finish the last chapter of the book" and sleeping late the next day is more than just okay. There seems to finally be enough time for Hugs to go on 4 wheeler trips with his guy friends, and for me to take week long journeys to spend with the grand daughters. Life just doesn't get much better than this.

Today begins the count down of the last week before my first total knee replacement. I am not looking forward to the pain and the recuperation. But I already have the crippling pain, so let the recuperation journey begin!. I am giving my old knees to a surgeon I trust with my life. Dr. Kym saved my crushed arm with severed nerves, from a 4 wheeler wreck a few years ago, and I wouldn't be willing to let much of anyone else touch my knees.

But this month, I am running around with my hair on fire, trying to get everything done before surgery...every errand done, every project finished, every fruit and vegetable preserved and stored for winter. Good Grief! You'd think I was going to the m@@n !! For a LONG visit !! Approx. 250 # tomatoes were made into spaghetti sauce, preserves and whole canned tomatoes, 3 boxes of peaches, about 60 # beets were pickled, and cukes were pickled into Dago Dills. Pumpkin Butter was stirred over a slow burner all day, (oh MY!), squash was cut, cooked and frozen...why! if Armageddon occurs this winter - head on over. We've got yur' back.

In the meantime.....back at the ranch.............