Yard and Garden

I love working in the yard and tending the garden

that the Lord has allowed me to have. Honestly, I

have some of my best worship times with the Lord when I am out working in the yard. And I love to give away to others what God has blessed me with. Here are some pictures of the latest happenings.

These are the yummies that I pulled from the garden on Saturday. The basket is about 15"x12".







With organic gardening you can get bugs and fruit and veggies that are not perfect. Here are two prime examples of my"special education" garden. Both are Siamese twins. The picture to the left are two summer squash joined at the stem and the picture just below are two carrots sharing one head. I think that the kitchen knife will have a successful separation of the twins. A full tasting dinner will result. Even in my garden the "disabled" veggies and fruit are very dear to my heart.






















Not sure if these pictures are going to post correctly because I can't get them to move where I want them to go.

Here is what I worked on Thursday in the front yard. I roto-tilled and conditioned part of my side yard and in front of my windows. The side yard I planted 3 more Landana's. They have great summer and fall color. I finally was able to plant the Camellia's that I have had for about 3 1/2 months. All 5 are of differing varies. They will add some color in the mid winter months.

Some of you know that I am in the process of re-landscaping my front yard. Some of the work I can do myself and other parts I can not. So, I have been waiting (and my plants too) for the gardener to help me out. He has been way laid because of a remodel at his house. When I was finally able to get the Camellia's in I said to them, "welcome home babies".

Is that strange that I talk to my plants?

Yicky Air Quality

There are several hundred (last I heard over 800) wild fires burning up here in Northern California. Honestly, I have not really seen the sun or blue sky since Saturday from all the smoke. If I have seen the sun it has deep haze to it. You can look at the sun with your naked eye and see the outline of the brightest star in our galaxy. At sunset, the sun is a big huge orange ball in the sky. I took these two pictures at about 6 pm on Tuesday. The sun is setting now at about 8:45.

The air quality has gotten even worse since taking these photos. The visibility is about 1/2 to 1 mile. I love walking in the morning during summer vacation with my friend Suzi from church. Due to the quality of the air, I have not done my normal exercise routine.

I praise God for the men and women who are fighting the wild fires and I pray that none of them lose their lives.

Peaches and Cream

One of my summer time favorites to eat anytime (for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack or dessert) is fresh peaches and milk. Yumahuh! Click here for a past post on the defination of Yumahuh! My mouth is watering just thinking of it. Think I will have to have a mid-afternoon tasty snack. Here is the basic recipe.

1-2 fresh peaches (the fresher the better), cut up in slices
1-2 Tablespoons of sugar (really best with organic sugar) 1 Cup milk (any grade will do, I use 2% because that is what I use for my coffee and anything else)
Stir and eat.

O, you just can't go wrong. Let me know what you think if you try it.

Photo taken from Google images.

God's A/C

It has been hot in Northern California for several days now. Today the temperature is projected to reach up around 106. This is the 3rd or 4th day in a row over the century mark. My house does not have air conditioning, mainly, because I really don't need it. In a given year if I added all the days up of where I would need to turn on the A/C on (when it reaches 82 or above in the house) would be about 25-30 days. So, those 25 or so days are really warm in my house and the rest are manageable.

The Bay Area is a unique area in that in the summer time, it can be hot for a few days and then usually the fog rolls in (literally rolls in over the hills) from the coast giving the inland a cooler breeze in the evening and mornings. This wonderful cooler relief air is God's natural A/C.

Thankfully, God provided me a home with a pool. When there is no relief inside the house, I simply take a dip in the exhilarating, refreshing cool waters of my pool. This morning at 10am the temp was already 90 outside and 82 inside. I did a little work outside and then swam around for a bit. Very delightful.

Pictures taken from Google images.

Nieces and Nephews are Blessings From the LORD

Oh my goodness, I love my niece and new nephew. I am very grateful to God for allowing me to be an Auntie. My two little Loves are incredibly special to my heart.

I had a wonderful visit down with my sister to help her out a little. Trinity and I hung out quite a bit (which I just love and adore). We went to the little gym, to the pool for a picnic lunch, read many books, watched the same episode of Dore the Explorer every night, snuggled in the morning on the "air track" and we went to the park to feed the geese, play in the sand and explore.












On the last full day that I was there, Trinity said a comment that will forever be etched in my heart. We had just returned from our picnic lunch by the pool where we swam too. Jen was on the phone with one of her best friends from growing up and college, Trin was jumping on my bed- an air mattress that Trinity calls her "air track" and I was putting things away after our outing. I walked back into the room where Jen, baby Joey and Trin were and my sweet Trinity Love says, "and her comes my new best friend, Auntie Shell Shell (as she pronounces it- Auntie Sha Sha)". Oh she melts my heart, I love her.

Baby Joey started to track people/voices with his eyes too on the last day that I was there. He would gaze up at me when I was holding him and he would look straight into my eyes. He had the look of calmness yet curiosity. He is my Baby Joey Love, and oh do I love him too.

Trinity is a very good big sister and she loves her little brother very much. It is adorable to hear her say, "Baby Joey is my little brother and I am the big sister!"

Here are a couple of photos that I wanted to share.

Baby Joey is Here!

Praise the LORD for bringing my sweet and handsome nephew into this world on Thursday. He is so precious and I love him so much already. Thankfully, he was born in the hospital and not the front seat of Joe's car (another post at another time). Here are the details:

Name: Joseph Charles (Joseph after his daddy and Charles after my daddy)

Date: June 12th at 7:44 pm

Weight: 7 pounds, 9 ounces

Height: 18 1/2 inches

Hair: a ton of jet black hair

Eyes: blueish brown for now

Cute Feature: his chin is a little button with a dimple and he sucks in his lower lip, almost making his chin disappear. It is so cute. You give his chin a little push and there is a little "pop" from the suction between his lips.

Yesterday my sister, my grandma and myself went down for a day trip visit. Tomorrow I am going to go back to help out for a few days. I am so excited to see all of them again.

Here is a picture of him when he was 17 hours old. I will post more photos soon.

For those praying, thank you!

What's Up Doc?

Usually when I am out in the back yard, I will see how my garden is doing and pull out a carrott, rinse it in the hose and then eat it. This is what I pulled out today. I set it on top of a standard brick so you could see how wide this guy is. I am eating it as I type. Super sweet and tasty, not tuff at all.

It's Time for the Broom

Today the Giant's swept the Nationals over a four game series. Good job boys! Tomorrow I will have to walk around to my PE classes with a broom and see if they know why and teach them why if they don't know why. The preamble will be given that it has nothing to do with a witch.

Kudos to Ken Griffey Jr. for hitting home run 600 tonight. He is only the 6th man in baseball history to be part of the 600 club. Picture is from mail.com news.

Just Waiting

My family and I are waiting anxiously for God's perfect timing and bringing baby Joey into the world. He should be here any day now. I am so excited to hold, kiss and cuddle this new little addition to our family. My niece and I will have something in common soon, we are both the oldest big sister. If you think of it, pray that the delivery will go smoothly.

In Memory of Julie, My Cousin

I can't believe it is just shy of 6 months that my sweet cousin passed away. Tomorrow would have been Julie's 39th birthday. My cousin Lorie spoke at her sister's memorial service and said with great strength and help from God, " Julie's birthday is on June 9th. My dream and goal would be to get some people together at the ______ Reservoir, do a memory walk in honor of my sister, my hero, put $5 in a bucket and continue to increase this tradition every year on her birthday. Julie would have wanted us to raise attention to ovarian cancer and to help in anyway we could to raise money to help find a cure".

This morning over 125 people showed up at a park to walk in honor of Julie. What a joy to see so many people who were out to support Julie, my extended family and friends for the cause of fighting ovarian cancer. The walk was not long but seeing all of us wearing the shirts we received and the color teal (teal is the official color representing fighting ovarian cancer) was a sight to see. I walked with my sister Amy, my brother in law Eric and my Aunt Jean. It was nice to see my family and those that were close to Julie. My mom, dad and my grandma were there too. I always love being around my family.




Here is my Uncle Jack, my Aunt Jean and my Dad. Jack and my dad are brothers.
















Here is Amy and Eric.
















Here is my Aunt Jean, Julie's mom and Chad's mom.












Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer because women do not take some of the early warning signals seriously. Usually, women do not realize they have ovarian cancer until the cancer is in the later stages. The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition has published some warning signs and information about ovarian cancer. Ladies, please go and see a doctor quickly if these warning signs point to symptoms that you might be experiencing.


How is Ovarian Cancer Diagnosed?
Unfortunately, most women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with advanced-stage disease (Stage III). This is because the symptoms of ovarian cancer (particularly in the early stages) often are not acute or intense, and present vaguely. In most cases, ovarian cancer is not detected during routine pelvic exams, unless the doctor notes that the ovary is enlarged. The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better a woman’s chance for recovery. It is important to know that early stage symptoms are not silent – so women should be extra alert and watch out for early symptoms.

Potential symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
• Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
• Vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea and indigestion
• Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits
• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
• Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness
• Ongoing unusual fatigue

Did You Know?
The Pap test does not detect ovarian cancer. It determines cancer of the cervix.
Screening Tests

Although there is no consistently-reliable screening test to detect ovarian cancer, the following tests are available and should be offered to women, especially those at high risk for ovarian cancer.

• Pelvic Exam: Women age 18 and above should have a mandatory annual vaginal exam. Women age 35 and above should receive an annual rectovaginal exam (physician inserts fingers in the rectum and vagina simultaneously to feel for abnormal swelling and to detect tenderness).

• Transvaginal Sonography: This ultrasound, performed with a small instrument placed in the vagina, is appropriate especially for women at high risk for ovarian cancer or for those with an abnormal pelvic exam.

• CA-125 Test: This blood test determines if the level of CA-125, a protein produced by ovarian cancer cells, has increased in the blood of a woman at high risk for ovarian cancer or with an abnormal pelvic examination.While CA-125 is an important test, it unfortunately is not always accurate. Some non-cancerous diseases of the ovaries also increase the CA-125 levels, and some ovarian cancers may not produce enough CA-125 levels to cause a positive test.

While CA-125 is an important test, it unfortunately is not always accurate. Some non-cancerous diseases of the ovaries also increase the CA-125 levels, and some ovarian cancers may not produce enough CA-125 levels to cause a positive test.

Positive Tests
If any of these tests are positive, a woman should consult with a gynecologic oncologist who may conduct a CT scan and X-Rays and study the results. However, the only way to more accurately confirm ovarian cancer is with a biopsy, a procedure in which the doctor takes a sample of the tumor and examines it under a microscope.

Research into new ovarian cancer screening tests is ongoing and new diagnostic tests may be on the horizon. NOCC monitors the latest scientific developments, so visit www.ovarian.org for updates.

Economic Stimulus Payment

Like many Americans, my government issued stimulus check was already spent in my mind. The Lord put a good idea on my heart that I read about on John Piper's blog on how to use the money for His glory. Monday I received my check in the mail, then Tuesday and Friday came along. Tuesday's mail brought the traffic ticket (maybe another post at another time) including what I would need to pay to clear up that ticket and an added amount if I wanted to go to traffic school (and then there is a fee paid to sign up for traffic school). Friday brought along a plumbing clog blocking both of my toilets and showers/bathtub. Roto-Rooter was called out and had to pay the evening weekend wage. Here is yet another example of "the mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps"~Proverbs 16:9.

The Curse is Broken

Finally, the curse has been broken of the Giant's losing the games that I attended. Monday night my dad and I went and saw the Giant's play the New York Mets. This was my 5th game of out at the ol' ballpark this season, the first 4 were all loses. Not Monday night though, my boys kicked around the boys from York Town . Yeah hey! I was starting to tell those who attended the games with me that I might be a bad omen or something.

This was the first game, since buying season tickets from my friend Steve (think 3 or 4 seasons now), that Steve was actually at the game too. My dad and I were sitting next to him and his friend Mike. They sure know how to heckle the other team. If you want to read more about how to heckle from Steve, click here. What I really enjoyed seeing was Steve wore his glove the whole game to catch a foul ball if it came his way. I have brought my glove to games but I don't wear it the whole time. Or, I don't bring my glove because there is too much other things in my bag (like a jacket, a sweatshirt, long underwear, a hat, gloves, floor heater. . .) and no room for my glove. I need to change that. Maybe I will catch a ball if I bring my glove.

My dad and I were glad that we went on Monday because Tuesday the tide had turned and the Giant's got clobbered. A highlight from Monday night's game was we saw red hot Benjie Molina hit his 1,000th hit. It was pretty exciting. He has a pretty amazing story. Check his story out from Benjie's blog http://bengiemolina.mlblogs.com/.

There were two fans to my right, a boy who was a Met's fan and his mother, a Giant's fan. The mom told me a interesting fact about the official colors of the Met's. I don't know if what she said is true but I found it interesting. Both the Giants and the Dodgers (yuck) left New York so the Met's made their team colors orange and blue. Blue is my favorite color except when the Giants are playing the Dodgers (yuck again) or the dirty blue are in front of the Giants in the NLW standings. I would never want someone to think I was a Dodger fan.

Triple Play

Last night the Giants had a remarkable triple play. It was so cool. Too bad they ended up losing the game in the 13th inning. Check out the clip here.


Today I went to a game with my dad and Kathi and Rick from my church. It was a nice time with the company I was with but the Giant's lost again. This is the 4th game that I have been to this year and they have lost all 4. But I guess this will be par normal for my boys at the yard this year. They are fickle, they sweep the best team in the NLW and then lose 2 in a row (if we lose tomorrow we are swept) by one of the worst teams in the NLW.

There is a Higher Throne

I want to share a "newer" song with you that we have sung a few times in the last 6 months at church. The song is accompianed with a beautiful musical score. There is a Higher Throne is sung (and I think written) by the same couple (Keith and Kristyn Getty) that sang In Christ Alone.

"There Is a Higher Throne”Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn GettyCopyright © 2003 Thankyou Music

There is a higher throne
Than all this world has known,
Where faithful ones from ev'ry tongue
Will one day come.
Before the Son we'll stand,
Made faultless through the Lamb;
Believing hearts find promised grace—
Salvation comes.

REFRAIN
Hear heaven's voices sing;
Their thund'rous anthem rings
Through em'rald courts and sapphire skies.
Their praises rise.All glory, wisdom, pow'r,
Strength, thanks, and honor are
To God our King, who reigns on high forever more.

And there we'll find our home,
Our life before the throne;
We'll honor Him in perfect songWhere we belong.
He'll wipe each tear-stained eye
As thirst and hunger die.
The Lamb becomes our Shepherd King;
We'll reign with Him.

O My Nose, O My Nose

Anyone out there remember the Brady Bunch episode where Marsha got hit in the nose with a football? She then cries out, "O my nose! O my nose" with her hands cupped over her nose.

During 4th period today I took a shanked (volleyball lingo) right smack in the nose. I felt like my cartilage was pushed up to my brain. I was standing about 7 feet away from where the ball came from. Instantly I bent over in pain and turned away from the students. They all gasped and did not know what to do. My first thought was "is it broken?", then I thought "is it bleeding or going to bleed?" and finally thought "am I going to be OK?" Thankfully, it was not bleeding which indicated that I truly was going to be just fine. I thought it was funny that it was not bleeding because growing up my nose was a bleeding faucet.

Around the time of realizing that there was no blood, I could hear the students around me saying, "she just hit Miss _____ hard in the nose". The students were still stunned or thinking I was going to start yelling at them. Finally, a few started to ask me if I was OK. I said I think that I was OK. After I got myself back together and allowed my eyes to unfill with tears, I walked back to watch the volleyball game. I reassured the girl who had hit the ball that I was OK and not to worry about it. I went and stood next to the student referee where I was standing before. She says to me, "your nose is all red and big". Panic ran through me that maybe I had a broken nose but no bleeding. I sheepishly asked if my nose was straight and she reassured me that it was. All I could say then was, "it should be red and big. The ball hit me fast and hard".

Several periods later my sweet sister emailed me wondering about my nose. She teaches at the same school as I do. Her students told her the whole story and she was concerned. It was at this time that it came to me about Marsha Brady and her nose.

The last period of the day I needed to go to one of the 6th grade classrooms to deliver something to the teacher. When I walked in all the students started telling me hello (middle schoolers can be obnoxious at times) and I could hear a whisper about my nose. Then one bold one said out loud, "How's your nose Miss _____?" I said, "I feel like Marsha Brady. O my nose! O my nose!" Not a one of them understood what I was talking about but the teacher and the aide were completely cracking up. Laughing, I left the room.

My nose is quiet sore now and I have a headache but I shall be just fine. Hopefully, I will not wake up with a shiner tomorrow morning.

Clean Sheets and A Cat

Has anyone tried to put clean sheets on a bed with a cat around? Yesterday, I changed the sheets on my bed and my cat Lassen thought it was a game for him. It was so funny and was thankful that I was not in a hurry. Lassen was jumping and pouncing on the sheets, sliding under the sheets and burried himself in the sheets. It was too funny. Cats love helping to put on clean sheets on a bed.

Catch You Up

Wow, I tell you, it has been rather busy in my neck of the woods. Thankfully, I have a lighter week this week with committments after work.

The push is on to finish up the end of the school year. People keep asking me, "So Shelly, how many days left?" Honestly, I can't count the days remaining becuase that sort of puts me in panic mode of everything that needs to get tied up (and prepared for the next school year) before I turn in my keys. What I do know is when my last day is. Looking forward to Summer break. This summer I am taking a needed break from teaching swim lessons to the kids from my church. I have no real plans except to go to LA and SD to visit friends, go to Lassen, watch some Giants baseball, and meet my new nephew (and spend time with Jen, Joe and Trin). Baby Joey will no doubt be the highlight of my summer vacation.

This weekend I helped my parents paint a room in their house that we now call "the baby's room". I really like how it turned out. There is a crib in the room but you can't see it in the picture.

Today my pool transformed from a pond back to a pool. My pool was having a problem turning green in a very short time. This happened last spring too. You could not even see the bottom. There was chlorine in there but the algae was stronger and choked out the Cl2. The water got a massive shock. The pool store told me to put 4 gallons of liquid Cl2 in the pool and run the filter for 24 hours. I cleaned out the filters today too. This is a complete chore but it is helps the pool from turning green. What a difference, it is a beautiful pool now. Just getting the pool balanced has made some of the stress ease away.

As I was cleaning out the filter I noticed a bulb that a friend gave me was in bloom. Beautiful display of God's awesome creation. This flower is part of my friendship garden. There are several plants and things in my yard that came from other's yards or were gifts to me. What a joy to think of some of my friends in my garden. On a sad note, we had strong winds here last week and I discovered my plum tree, that is heavy ladden with fruit, took a heavy blow. The biggest and tallest branch (about 4 inches in diamater) broke down to the trunk of the tree. Poor tree.

A few weeks back Dawn and I went to Angel Island. On the ferry ride out there, you won't believe it but a sea gull landed a big bird poop right on my shoulder strap of my backpack. It reminded me of the old Gary Larsen Far Side Cartoon. I was grossed out yet still had to crack up. Thankfully, it was on the strap of my backpack. We had fun hiking to the summit. Here is a picture I took of an interesting flower that was a purplish blue and had red glow on the end of each flowerette.

One last photo for you. This was taken on Mother's Day, 4 generations strong of the women in my family. I love each and every one of you very much.

It's Been Busy

Hi all,
It has been busy and I am having computer problems. In fact, I don't think I will be able to get much out on this post. Everything I type is delayed several seconds. Not good. I can't think straight when I can't see what I have typed. Very frustrating.

I wanted to tell you about Jen's baby shower in Fresno, Mother's Day, trip to Angel Island, heat wave but I can't seem to get this machine going lately.

With that said, I need to shut this off so I don't kick it.

Giants Blogs

If you are a Giant's fan and you are a blogger, here are a couple of blogs for you to check out. One is called Behind the Mask. The Giant's catcher writes a blog on his view of things. It has been interesting thus far and he posts some great photos. The other is Welcome to Third and King. This blog talks about some of the happenings that go on in and around the Giant's ballpark.



On a side note, the Giant's got clobbered tonight.

Thanks Chipotle

Chipotle today was offering a free burrito, tacos, burrito bowl or salad for being a teacher. Thanks Chipotle for the free dinner and for thanking teachers in a small way. Chipotle is not my very favorite Mexican food but it is good.