Shopping

I went to Santa Rosa today and picked up a lady I've met who lives there. She navigated me around that city so I could learn where stores are and what's available over there. Our shopping choices in Napa are somewhat limited. She took me to two malls and I actually found a nice suit on sale at Penny's. It was a somewhat tiring day.

Tonight I am very allergic to something. My nose is running nonstop and my sinuses are full. I've been sneezing repeatedly too. I can't imagine what's in the air to cause it but my nose is getting sore. I'm going to bed in hopes it quits.

I've had to update my email addresses because for some reason they all didn't transfer over to our new server. It is advoth@att.net in case you don't know.

New Score

Al and I played Scrabble tonight and I got the highest score ever playing with a person--not on computer where I can get hints. It was 377 pts. I'm ready to challenge Wendy again.

Something new

Al's sister and husband have just gotten guardianship of his 14-yr-old grandaughter. Today we had lunch with her and the social worker at their house. She'll be attending Rio Lindo Academy not too far from here. Al's sister and hubby left tonight for a Panama cruise. When they are gone in the future we'll eventually be second in command to parent the girl. We've been there and done that.

Connected with speed

After 3 hours of arduous work, we are now connected to AT&T Yahoo high speed internet. Al and I got everything plugged in correctly and the installation process started. After about an hour of it running I discovered it was doing the same thing repeatedly and there was an error message. So, I called for technical support and a very nice lady spent 1 hour on the phone with me to get the problem solved and connected. Now I keep getting messages about setting up instant messenger, etc. that I certainly don't want to deal with tonight.

Our new email address is advoth@att.net from now on. I have to download something else to have all my email address and favorites on Juno transferred to yahoo. That will happen hopefully in the morning. I feel like I've really worked tonight and we missed our evening walk. I'm tired!

Volunteering

Today I put together about 35 new employee folders with about 20 items in each. It was boring and not set up to be done efficiently. Besides that it had to be close to 90 degrees today and I was in a back room where it was stuffy. Hopefully I'll get a little variety in my job and after I'm there awhile I'll make suggestions on how today's job could be done more efficiently. I'm going to try to stick to Wed. afternoons. The office closes at 4:30 but someone is usually there till 5.

It's Stuck

We've all had the experience of a song being stuck in our heads and I'm no exception. It was the theme song at Camp AuSable at least 1 1/2 years ago and we sang it every evening at the camp fire program. I've never heard it before or since but I did get a copy because I liked it. I found it in my file and will now share it with you. Wish I could include the music.

CHOOSE YOU TODAY
By Buddy Hotaling

Choose you today, who will it be
Who gets your love and your first loyalty?
There's only One who can set your heart free,
Give your life over to Jesus.

Sometimes it's easy to sit on the fence
Wondering why life just doesn't make sense,
Hoping and praying that we never fall
But fence sitting's no life at all.

God's Spirit is calling with His gentle voice
Pleading each day that we make the right choice.
It's Jesus that takes away all of our sin
Falling's okay if you're falling for Him.

Choose you today, who will it be
Who gets your love and your first loyalty.
There's only One who can set your heart free
Turn your life over to Jesus.

Choose you today, who will it be
Who gets your love and your first loyalty.
There's only One who can set your heart free.
I am giving my life to Jesus
I am giving my life to Jesus.

I'm In

This morning I got my hospital ID tag and instructions for my job in Human Resources. My first job is putting together folders for employee orientation and filling notebooks also for employees. It looks a little boring but at some point I will also be filing papers so hopefully there will be a little variety. Thankfully, I can pick my own days/hours to work. I like flexibility.

One of the ladies in that dept. is a watercolorist and I've seen her paintings in hospital offices. She's pretty good so I'm hoping to get better acquainted with her and who knows--maybe paint together too. I think she's also taught classes.

I took a photo from the scenic turnout coming up Howell Mtn. which is how we get from the valley up to our house. It's always a head-turner.

I brought a supply of gourds with us from MI and have been working on them in between other things. I'd like to get some birdhouses made and ready for next spring. Some are good for vases and bowls.

Doings

Today we finally bought a laundry tub and Al is currently putting the faucets and legs on. He still has to put in the plumbing to and from it but this is progress. Tonight I made homemade crackers for the first time is many years. I wanted some for supper with my soup and we're out. I just hope they taste good because I've 2 pans of them.

While at Home Depot I scoured the garden dept. looking at bushes and plants. To my dismay so many aren't labeled to tell if they can take frost, how big they get, how much water they need, etc. And there's no one around to ask any questions--not that they'd have the answers. What's a person to do! Growing conditions here are very different than in MI so I need extra help so as to not waste money on what won't grow.

Tomorrow I have my second TB test reading. I don't have TB. I'll get my photo taken and an ID card to volunteer at the hospital. I may meet the folks in Human Resources where I'll be working and be scheduled for an afternoon each week. I'm looking forward to being involved there.

Showers of Blessing

It's raining here today and we are happy for it. Tomorrow the sun will shine and we'll be happy for it too. The walnuts are falling fast and we're trying to keep up with them before the crows and squirrels get their share. The rain or any other change in the weather seems to make them fall faster. After removing the outer green husk they have to dry awhile before ready to eat. We're going to have a plentiful supply to crack and eat this winter.

More Grapes

Today I took more grape photos. They are just beautiful. Now I'm anxious for the leaves to turn colors. Some have but most are still green. I've never seen such lush bunches of grapes in my life. Our neighbor has invited us to help ourselves to all of his. He has many kinds and some are seedless. Today we marked the ones we are going to get cuttings from so we can plant our own.

Another first. I just signed up for Yahoo high speed internet service. I'll be sure to let everyone know when it's installed. It may take time since I have to do it myself. That means we'll be changing our email address and dropping Juno. It's about time is what you are all thinking.

Baby

I just got back from Sacramento and had to share this photo of my niece's 2 week old baby. What a little doll! Isabelle is such a good baby--eats and sleeps--not fuss.

Nut Harvest

We have been picking up walnuts from our many English walnut trees in the yard as well as along the sides of the streets lined with walnut trees. We don't mess with the black walnuts which are also plentiful. We don't live on walnut lane for nothing.
Al is in the process of removing the outer green hulls so the nuts can dry out.

Tomorrow I'm taking off for my brother's house in Carmichael near Sacramento. His wife and I are going to do girl things when she comes home from work. In the meantime my niece will be there with her new baby who I haven't seen yet. We'll have time to get acquainted. I plan to stay overnight and come back Thurs. morning.

Al has become the official volunteer maintenance man at the local elementary school. He rather seems to be enjoying it.

Grapes

The harvesting of early grapes has begun and truck loads are carrying them away. We can now start smelling grapes as we walk past vineyards. This process will go on for at least the next month until all are harvested. They tell us that the whole valley will eventually smell like fermented grapes and it stinks. That's what alcohols does--it stinks!

Chiquita

My birdie loves to be outside where she can see and hear other birds.

Today's Events

We decided to transfer our membership to the St. Helena SDA Church and started the process today. Last night and tonight we attended a power point presentation at the Calistoga Church by Tony Moore on how archeological evidence supports the history of Bible events. It's been very interesting but all the info is also mindboggling. The series will continue another 2 nights. I talked to Tony about tours of the Holy Land and he said he was planning one for next Sept. or Oct. Boy, would I ever like to go to that!!!

Ellie and Bud came over for lunch today so we spent the afternoon with them and they also went with us to the meeting tonight. In another week and a half they're leaving on a cruise and other stops so will be gone for a full month. We're debating over whether we want to take care of their bedlington terrier while they're gone. We'll see.

View from St. Helena Hospital

Fall in the Air

It's been cool around here lately and somewhat windy. Today we even had clouds. It seems a little early to have fall weather here but what's normal anymore.

Today I applied to volunteer at the St. Helena Hospital a few minutes down the hill from here. They were very happy to have me since there are several openings for help. Tomorrow I go for a TB skin test which must be repeated in 2 weeks. Monday I'll find out when and where I'll be working and probably start next week too. I'm looking forward to being more productive and meeting more people.

I think we made our first friends at the campground last weekend. We felt attracted to one couple in particular and today we got a call from them so the feelings must be mutual. It's unfortunate they live on the other side of the hills in Santa Rosa about 45 min. away though. That means our contact will be somewhat limited.

Something New

We woke up this morning to dense fog and temp in the low 50's. It's 10 a.m. and still foggy with upper 50's temp. I wonder if this is what fall is going to be like here. It would be nice to get some rain out of it and one of these days it will rain since it only comes during the winter months.

The Pacific

Camping

We spent the weekend camping at Lodi Lake which is also on the Mokelumne River. It was a very pretty area for being in the middle of a rather large city. There were lots of wild geese and ducks. We met a lot of people some of whom I'm sure will become good friends.

Joyce left for Idaho this morning and I'm playing catch up with laundry, etc. The weather here seems to be changing. We've had a lot of wind and cooler temps. I guess fall is in the air. Also apples and pears are ripening fast. Another neighbor invited us to pick from his trees so we have plenty of fruit. We've even gotten a few tomatoes off our own plants.

I've made plans to fly to Illinois Oct. 18 with my brother. Relatives from FL and IN will join us because they haven't seen Uncle Larry in a long time. Then I'll go on to Michigan the following week to spend some time with friends too.

Housekeeping Day

We had to rest today from any major running around. All were tired. I cleaned house and started getting ready to leave for a weekend of camping at Lodi Lake with the El Dorado Nature Club we joined. Joyce is going with us. There's still lots to do in the morning before pulling out.

Ocean view

The Ocean

Yesterday we took Joyce to the ocean. We had a picnic lunch on a bluff overlooking the water. We drove up the coast from Bodega Bay to the Russian River stopping along the way to walk the beach and hills. We also went to campgrounds to get info for future camping trips. The weather was perfect and waves awesome. There were many surfers out catching waves. We also saw harbour seals sunning themselves in one place and on a rock "barking" in another. What a great day!

Worn Out

The gypsy can hardly type. I'm exhausted. Today the 3 of us went to Lake Berryessa some miles east of us. We wandered around and had a picnic lunch there. Then we went into Napa for a couple stops and started on home. In the meantime, Joyce got a call that a relative of hers who lives in this area was in a bad car accident. By the time we tracked down what hospital she was in we were nearly home. She was in Napa so Joyce and I drove back to talk to her husband. She's going to be all right but has some broken bones. Now we're all wound down.

Getting Around

Joyce and I went into St. Helena this morning and walked the main street like tourists and I ran a couple errands there. After lunch we went to Elmshaven, home of Ellen White and had a private tour. It's been years since I've done that and much info seemed new. The guide sent me home with fresh figs for Al. I don't know how that happened but Al loves them. From there we drove around the PUC campus and stopped at the college market. In the evening we went for a neighborhood walk Al and I froze some white corn too.

Stay tuned for today's adventure.

Traveling

Today I drove to Sacramento to visit my brother Larry and wife Ruth. We also visited their daughter nearby who is due to have a baby any day and her husband.

I made arrangements with my friend Joyce who drove from Caldwell, ID today to meet her near my brother's so she could follow me home. We made it here by 8 p.m. Now I'll have company for a week and we're going to make the most of the time.

On the way there I stopped at the famous IKEA warehouse. What a maze of people and stuff I saw. It was interesting but not my style of home furnishings.

Good Sabbath

Al stayed home again from church, not like him, but he was nursing his PO which is itching as it heals. I went to the St. Helena church and we had an interesting discussion in Sabbath School on Job and another excellent sermon by Pastor Erwin Gane. He's a very gentle, humble man who exudes the love of God. He's actually retired and filling in while the search for a new pastor goes on.

This afternoon we took a drive to a winery on the other side of Calistoga that has beautiful grounds with a lake and pagodas. There are ducks,swans, turtles and fish in the water. I took many pics. On the way home we stopped for photos of the grapes, vineyards, stone walls and my favorite--gates.

We went for a long walk near sundown and saw our first deer in the area, then played Scrabble. You can guess who won.