Ethel Buttonwillow 5 Weeks Old (Dec. 10, 2012)

Although Ethel turned 6 weeks yesterday, I only have 5 week photos...Look at that face!!!

Ethel Buttonwillow Yokley

I can't believe it!  We will be Basset Hound owners soon after Christmas.  Ashlee & Gilbert's Basset Hounds, Buster and Molly are the proud parents of 7 puppies!  We have chosen this little cutie below.  Can anyone say, "PUPPY BREATH?"

 

Ashlee took this cute photo!!

Celebrating Maycin's 10th!!!

Cliff and I are so blessed by this young man. He is kind, considerate, respectful, personable, imaginative, helpful and has a fabulous sense of humor. He is a fantastic artist and his passion is bug hunting! He is a great kid all around and I hope if you have not met this young man yet, that you will someday.

Maycin turns 10 years old on the 20th of December, 2012. Below is a sample of Maycin's artwork and a photo of himself enjoying his birthday cake for his party, celebrating a little early.

 

 

WE LOVE YA, MAYCIN!  HAPPY 10TH!!

Camping...it's a beautiful thing!

Yes, we went camping again...the day after Thanksgiving.  We surely are grateful for being able to do so.  Again, we camped Eastman.  Below is a picture of a red barn we pass every time we drive to Eastman Lake.  I always wanted to get a photo of it, but sometimes it's just hard to capture it going 50 MPH.  But, I liked how this one turned out.

 

 

 

We had clear skies for nice night photography, blue sky for nice macro shots of the trees, and big boulders for background shots of portraits...well, kind of!

 

 

We were also pleasantly surprised with folks we met at Eastman last Easter, Chief and Vercie.  When seeing us coming, Chief said, "There's Odessa!"  It's nice to be remembered!  Chief and Vercie are really good people and we enjoyed visiting with them again.

 

 

Our environment, weather and company was a beautiful thing!

Thanksgiving 2012

We have so many things to be thankful for...family, church family, good health, plenty of food and clean water, warm beds to sleep in, employment, vehicles to get us to our jobs, vacations, puppies...  Ashlee and Gilbert hosted Thanksgiving again this year and Gilbert pretty much prepared the whole Thanksgiving meal!  It was so good and really nice for us to be the guests.  Besides a lot of eating, we also got a lot of visiting in, dancing, playing with puppies...who could ask for anything more?  Blessed!

The photo below doesn't have everyone in it...

...but click on the link below to see the video that does have everyone in it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdm-EhHQy3k

Wow! Faith in Humanity After All!!

I'm not even going to go into the whole story as it's way too long.  But, do you remember when I told you that I lost my Smart Phone in August, in Yosemite National Park, 3 months ago?  Well, there are good people out there and my phone was returned to me!  A man and his daughters found it, probably the same day I lost it, where I dropped it along side a vista point.  His college age daughter put it in the side pocket of the vehicle door and was ordered to find the owner and return it on their return home from Yosemite.  Well, everyone forgot about it and it wasn't until he and his other high school daughter were on an errand and she needed a tissue, thinking she would find one in the door pocket, but found my phone instead.  It had been there for 3 months.  So the man looked up a good 3rd party # in my contacts which happened to be named "Church".  He googled the phone # and found our church name.  Then googled the church name and found our website, and compared the phone #, and found that is was one in the same.  Then he used our church email to ask if anyone in our congregation lost a phone in Yosemite and I received the email, because I am our church's secretary.  Talk about funny!!  Anyway, after a few emails back and forth my phone was returned, fully functional, and I'm grateful for good people out there!

 

 

 

To read the story about losing my phone, go to:

 

http://lifecaughtcontinues.blogspot.com/2012/08/yosemite-beautiful.html

Pumpkin Patch Kids

Near the end of October, we were blessed to have Corry home from Germany and his girlfriend, Lauren, and her daughter, Ariana, here for a visit!  FUN times at the pumpkin patch below!

 

 

Cliff and I always feel so blessed by our children, significant others and grandchildren...and grand-puppies (not picture)!  Our times together seem to always bring a lot of food, fun and fellowship together.  We wouldn't trade it for the world!!!

 

We are really looking forward to celebrating Jesus birthday together this year.  So, so blessed!!!

October...Camping Eastman Lake

Will we ever get tired of camping Eastman Lake?  Maybe!  But who can argue with it's clean, friendly and quiet ambiance?  Not I!  The only complaint I would have is that it's not a campground for me in the dead of summer (unless you have AC in your RV).

When camping Eastman, Cliff and I often drive to the other side to the day-use area.  This time when we did, we were pleasantly surprised to see a Roadrunner!  We didn't even know that Roadrunners were indigenous to the area.  Later after reading material about Eastman, we found out, yes indeed, they are!

During one of the evenings there, I was taking night shots, something I'm learning about in photography.  While doing so, I found 4 eyes watching me and it pretty much creeped me out!!  I had heard there were bob cats in the area and had often walked through camp.  However, after shining my flashlight on the critters, I found that they were raccoons instead and they moved on after they realized I was not.

 

 

Odessa at night...

 

 

Weekend camping get-aways are our way of relaxing and renewing.  We totally recommend it!!

Ironstone Winery & Lake Alpine Get-away

Cliff and I do appreciate our work, but we also appreciate time alone and away.  We were blessed to have a little get-away Saturday September 29th (a little over a week ago).  Our first stop was the Ironstone Winery where we had a fabulous lunch meal with the chef's special and live music from the "Sierra Green Days" just below our table from the deck.  The day was getting hot, but the air had a nice breeze that kept it comfortable.  Cliff and I did enjoy the food and our favorite wine.

I love this man VERY much!  Below is Ironstone Vineyards.

After a very good meal and relaxing time together, we headed up the mountain at the 7000 foot level to Lake Alpine.  It was perfect weather and so, so beautiful.  My only complaint was that all the restrooms were locked for the season!!!  It was a good thing the little lodge across the road was open. 

 

We loved just sitting and people watching.  Nothing could be more relaxing.  There was a girl and her best bud...

 

 

 

..the ducks greeting us at our chairs while seated...

 

 

...and who could forget the 40-something high school girlfriend reunion next to us?  There were about 6 of them and they were having a good time!!  Clifford made sure they had a sober designated driver before they left!!

 

 

We made a quick stop at an apple orchard on our way back down the mountain and ended our day with coffee and a chicken dinner!  It could not have been more perfect!!!

Pola

My eye caught an article on Yahoo this morning.  The story was about some Polish soldiers finding an abandoned newborn baby girl on the road side in Southern Afghanistan.  They searched a mile radius for the mother and found no one.  The soldiers named the baby girl, Pola, after their country Poland.

 

So this morning, while trying to lower my cholesterol, I was a good girl and began to eat my breakfast of good ol' oatmeal.  Half way through my meal, I noticed...something very clear and obvious.  Okay, so does God place these little "signs" in front of us?  Who else could it be?  Honest, I wasn't playing with my food!  So, I stopped eating, bowed my head and prayed for the little blessing, Pola, and her mother. 

 

 

 

 

 

 To read more about the finding of Pola, click on the link below:

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/soldiers-discover-abandoned-baby-side-road-afghanistan-053942169--abc-news-topstories.html

High Cholesterol??

Okay, I knew my cholesterol was high and I only went in to see why I had a swollen eye and came out of the Dr. office with a prescription for high cholesterol.  It was my docs day off and...the rest is history.  I called my doc the day after and found that perhaps his colleague was a bit over zealous and I will work on my diet and exercise first, have a blood draw in a month and then see where my numbers are at, to determine if I in fact do need the drugs.  Even before I got the disturbing news, I had already started walking (14 walks in 14 days).  I have also been riding my bike as well.  When I walk I take that time to spend with God and also take my camera to record His world.  It is a blessing to do both.

 

 

Oh, and about my swollen eye?  It was probably from allergies!

Church in the Park (Sept. 16, 2012)

New Life Community Church celebrated their 12th birthday at Ralston Park on Sunday, September 16, 2012.  New Life started in the park (without a church building), and it just seems fitting to celebrate our birthday there every year.  It's always a blessed time with worship and fellowship. 

 

 

(That's Cliff in the lower left pic with cross on back)

 

 

Pastor John gave a great message about "Getting off the boat."  In other words, time to move forward and be open to what God wants in your life.  We all got a gift; a cool red water bottle with New Life's logo.  Our model, cutie-pie Taylor!!   AND, dogs are always invited to church in the park every year.  This is Bela, dressed so cute!!!  It was a beautiful day all around!!!

Penny & George's Wedding (Sept. 1, 2012)

Penny and I have been friends...well, it seems forever.  AND that's a good thing.  Penny and I became friends when we moved in our house we live in now, almost 17 years ago.  Lacee and Penny's daughter, Stephanie, became best friends in no time and remain best friends.  Penny actually was my boss for 6 years.  I first worked for her at a school subbing for a gal in the office (for a school year) where Penny was the principal.  Then a couple years past by and she hired me again as a data manager for student scores for the school district (she then had an administrative position in the district), and I worked in the district office for 5 year.  But, both Penny and I have moved on since.  She is now a school superintendent in the Bay Area, and I am a church office manager, and have remained here.  Although we don't get to see each other much, we still have communication.

Penny has overcome life hiccups with grace.  She went through a difficult divorce and then battled breast cancer, and still being the encourager for others.  In so many ways, she has been a great example of courage and perseverance.  I love her so!

When I learned that Penny found a fellow that she loved and he truly loved her, I (we) could not have been happier for her.  When the wedding invitation arrived, we had no doubt we'd want to be there.  It was so lovely, set in an Italian restaurant courtyard.  The bride and groom were beaming!

Penny and George asked Lacee to sing at the wedding.  She was honored...and a bit nervous, but she did a fabulous job singing Rascal Flatts' "The Broken Road."  Lacee with boyfriend, Robb, below.

Cliff and I with bride, Penny!  Congrats and many loving and adventurous years to you and George!

(Elma, Penny's mom on the left.  She is a sweetheart!!!)

Celebrating 35 Years of Marriage

Really?  35 years??  Boy did the time fly!!  Although this was a delayed get-away for our 35th wedding anniversary (only by 9 months...nearly our 36th wedding anniversary), it couldn't have been any more perfect spending it at the beach (our favorite place on earth), and together!!!

 

Cliff and I are no different than any other marriage...we have had some pretty fabulously awesome experiences together...not so fabulously awesome experiences...a lot of prayer, a lot of grace, a lot of work...mastering communication and compromise (well, always working on that).   Sometimes I feel we are the luckiest people on earth!!!  We don't possess riches nor have distinguished titles (other than Mom, Dad and Papa and Nana)!  We treasure our alone time with God, and alone time with each other.  Nothing out of the ordinary, but to us, our life as husband and wife is extraordinary!!  35 years ago, being an interracial marriage, brought quite a bit of doubt and yet we fought to overcome bigotry (and sometimes that meant family members)...we fought to overcome inexperience (boy did we have a lot to learn about marriage...and still learning)...we fought to love God (not everyone agreed with our conversion)...we fought to love each other (sometimes it hurt, and sometimes it was like salve to a wound)!  And, by golly, it seems to be working!  Thank you, God! 

 

Now for our 35th Anniversary Get-away...

 

We were blessed with a weekend at Pajaro Dunes (near Watsonville, CA).  It's a gated community right on the beach along the Monterey Bay shores.  It's beautiful...peaceful...mesmerizing!

 

Once we settled into the beach condo, we decided to travel south to Monterey to Fisherman's Wharf.  We got the experience of the "bird man,"  George.  He had up to 11 different tropical birds he'd perch on people's arms for a picture, and earned a fair amount of money in very little time.  Everyone either has a digital camera or cell phone...People loved it!!

 

 At the same time the wharf was bustling with activity, there was a Turkish Festival happening just yards away in a courtyard area (not sure it's name).  Dancing and plenty of craft vendors...

We had a very delicious seafood meal on the wharf early that evening at Isabella's.  We were celebrating our 35th, so we were not going to let cost be an issue.  After our meal it was back to the condo...a cup of coffee for me and a glass of wine for Cliff on the deck outside.  The air was cool, but not cold, and it was just perfect!!  We were staying in the condo on the bottom left, with lights on, and from the deck we would look across the bay to Moss Landing and Monterey. 

The next morning was absolutely beautiful for a drive north to Half Moon Bay.  We made stops at Natural Bridges St. Beach (in Santa Cruz), Pigeon Point Lighthouse and passed sail surfers and kite surfers along the way.  We ended up at a little hole in the wall fish shack in Half Moon Bay, called Barbara's Fishtrap.  We had eaten there 2 years before and found the seafood fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere, a whole lot of character and charm!!

Character and charm?  Yeah, I'd say so.  It is one popular place and not only the locals know about it, but many come from the Bay Area.  See those yellow picnic tables?  There were a few scattered here and there.  The problem was it seated 8, but most of us came in packages of 2.  So, we decided to ask...yep, we asked a young couple (not the ones pictured), on the other side of Barbara's, sitting alone, and I put my cute ol' lady charm on and asked, "do you mind if my husband and I share your table with you?"  The overwhelming response, "We'd love you to!"  Visiting with strangers is kind of fun.  We learned that they had just married a month before, right there on the beach, in Half Moon Bay.  We told them we were celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary and the young man right away asked, "What is your secret for a long marriage?"  Cliff and I smiled at each other...goodness, how can you answer such a complex question with a simple answer?  I'm sure they didn't want to stay that long for the answer.  I offered, "Well, communication is pretty key.  And my dad use to say, 'give and take'"!  Cliff offered, "Compromise!"  Then jokingly I told the young man, "and don't forget she is always right!"  We chuckled!!  Soon the young couple got up and left saying our goodbyes, and a new couple appeared.  He was probably in his 40s and she in her 30s.  If you look real close in the picture above you will see a lady in a floppy hat behind Cliff.  She was the lady and the man was on the other side of her (not seen).  They were totally a different breed altogether.  From the Bay Area, dressed up (we dress down for the beach...heck what am I saying?  We always dress down), talked about $ and places they have been, and we listened.  But I have to say, as different as we were (pretty much Neiman Marcus vs Target), it was truly fun to meet them and share the table with them.  We wished them well on their travel back home to Sunnyvale, and they wished us a continued enjoyable get-away.  We left with great satisfaction, not only for a great seafood meal, but great company!!

The next morning was going to be our last.  We made a leisure time of it with a hearty breakfast and walk on the beach (just outside our door).  I never get enough of the shorebirds...

We packed up and headed out, but not for home.  We drove back to Monterey to Fisherman's Wharf where the people enjoyed taking self-portraits with tame pelicans, and I enjoyed photographing the harbor.

From the Wharf to the foggy Monterey Peninsula...with a ground squirrel that entertained us.

Then sack lunch at the Elk Horn Slough before our drive back home.

It could not have been more perfect and we are so thankful to God for such a wonderful 35th celebration.  Bring it on 36th!  Let us not let any grass grow under our feet!

Zinger of a Zit

Okay, so I feel this unpleasant feeling on my upper lip and it starts out as a small red and raised bump.  I knew...I knew exactly what the next steps were going to be.  I thought to myself, "if I just leave it alone, it will go away faster and won't look too ugly."  But, it continued to get bigger and brighter and became a throbbing sore infliction.  "UGH" I sighed!  "No, don't touch it!" I kept telling myself, but the more it hurt the less self control I had.  "I'm 57 years old and I'm still getting zits?!  This just isn't fair and to top it off, we are meeting with friends tonight we haven't seen for 5 years."  I just couldn't stop myself and I did it!  I popped that sucker and oh did it hurt and oh how it really didn't want to pop, and oh, I think I did more harm than good.  My lip not only had a red spot, it was now bigger and brighter than ever and was just screaming, "Hey, you guys!!!  Over here!  See I'm right here on her upper lip and you can't keep your eyes off of me now, can you?  I mean, look at me.  I'm all red and inflamed and when she talks it's like waving a big sign saying, 'Is this 57 year old woman still in puberty?'"  If only my body would match my upper lip, I might not mind so much.  No, but I do mind.  I have always minded when I got zits.  I have never gotten over the embarrassment they bring me and it's a ton of embarrassment when it's on a seasoned chick.  Well, the damage was done and now, I asked,  is there a way to camouflage this sucker?!  I tried, without success, to cover the disgusting, miserable little twit.  Yes, I was now calling it names, but I realized I had to just move forward.  Me and my zit!  Maybe it would help, if I gave it a name, since it didn't seem I was going to get rid of it anytime soon (Twit, Twit!  You ugly little Twit!!).

 

As we met our friends with hugs and laughter we sat down to talk...across from each other...and I tried to forget about the neon sign on my upper lip.  But, you know!  I was watching the eye contact coming from the other side.  Their eyes would meet with mine and then slip to a downward gaze.  This zit was getting way too much attention.  You know the type, they get unruly, rowdy and obnoxious.  But, there was nothing I could do, but to listen, laugh and love our friends on the other side.  Me and my zit just made the most of it and you know what?  We survived it...I survived it.  It just goes to show that even a zit can't come between real friendship...or can it? 

 

Tonight while talking to Cliff he ended his sentence with laughter.  It wasn't one of those types of conversations that would merit laughing, so I was confused.  "Cliff, why are you laughing?"  Cliff replies, "I wasn't laughing at what you said, I'm laughing at your lip!  Will that thing ever heal?"  Okay, nothing like adding insult to injury.  Just place a big "L" on my forehead exclaiming "Loser!"  Sigh!  But, the well rounded, inner child that lives somewhere in this seasoned body, just exclaimed right back (to the zit of course), "Up your nose with a rubber hose!"  THE END...I hope...

 

Yosemite the Beautiful!

Wanting to spend some time together and have a little get-away, Cliff and I decided to take a ride up to Yosemite National Park.  It's nearly in our back yard.  It was a pretty special event because Cliff used his "Senior Pass" for National Parks for the very first time!  He felt very special!  Now as Cliff is a Senior Pass owner, he and any of his passengers, will enter National Parks free!!

We entered the park along with thousands of others, but that wasn't going to ruin our day!  Nope, not goin' there!  Ahead was the beautiful El Capitan, making no mistake about it!  We were in Yosemite Valley and El Cap stood strong and beautiful, just as God made it!

Up ahead we found a place to pull over and take a walk on a boardwalk through a meadow to the Merced River.  It was hot!  But was it going to ruin our adventure?  Nope, not goin' there!  Instead, we stopped by the river and took a couple of pics with my cell phone and camera.

Above, not such a significant photo, but Cliff was lookin' good, and the photo below has a huge amount of significance and it ain't that cute chick in it, but just hold onto that image in your mind, if you will.

We hopped back in the vehicle and traveled deeper into the Valley, but we actually intended to drive up to Tuolumne Meadows, which was quite a drive yet.  So, we crossed the Merced and headed back west to our Hwy 120 exit.  BUT, before leaving the Valley, we stopped at an area on the west end of the Valley that is one of the most beautiful places to take a photo of Yosemite Valley at.  I'm not sure if this stop has a name, but it's one you don't want to miss.  A couple were taking pics of each other (I got a pic of him) on the log, but I offered to take their photo with their camera.  And, then she offered to take a photo of Cliff and I.

We left this beautiful spot and headed toward our destination up a step climb and had already past through 2 tunnels.  We stopped just short of the 3rd tunnel to look at where we had come from.  At the top of this photo is Yosemite Valley.  The river below is Crane Creek.  I could barely look over the edge without getting woozy!

Back on the road and through the last of the 3 tunnels...If you look closely you will see the lady on the back of the motorcycle is taking pics as they travel.  A woman after my own heart!

It was time to find a place for a picnic lunch.  We ended up at a campground and asked the ranger in the kiosk where a nice place would be to picnic at and he told us of a place only about 3-5 miles away.  We found it and it was such a beautiful, quiet, cool place to enjoy our meal. 

I sat down and ate a few bites, but my camera was calling me.  So I got up and took this shot!  I sat back down, but before going back to my meal I reached in my pocket to get the hand sanitizer.  When I did, it triggered a thought.  "Where is my cell phone?"  It wasn't in my pocket.  I thought, "Oh I'm sure I put it back in my purse."  So just to double check I opened up the vehicle to find my purse.  I rummaged through it...again and again...and then looked under the seats, on the seats, EVERYWHERE!  "Cliff, I think I lost my cell phone!"  Panic struck me.  What if it got into the wrong hands, they could make an international call that I'm not covered for!!  "What if it got into the wrong hands, they go to my email, facebook..."  Remember that photo that I told you was so significant?  In that photo is not only me, but my cell phone in my pocket.  So I know I had it at that point and sometime after when I took a pic of Half Dome with it.  Cliff got up and helped look and he is much more thorough than I.  Nope, no phone!  We packed up and hated to leave our little oasis, but I needed to get to a ranger station pronto.  We did!  I made a report!  They let me use the phone for a courtesy call and I had my cell phone deactivated.  It had been at least 2 hours since I lost it.  A lot could happen.  But, now it was deactivated and there was no more to do until I got home.  So, I told myself, let's try to enjoy the rest of our Yosemite visit.  Well, sort of...

So, back down to the Valley to back-track.  Now on to a new adventure of finding my cell phone.  Tuolumne Meadows would have to wait for another time.  We drove past the Foresta area (in Yosemite National Park) that had a terrible fire in 1991.

Passing through the first of the 3 tunnels back down, we saw Half Dome.  It wasn't visible to us going north as it was behind us.  It was a nice surprise.

Back to the place where I believe I lost my phone...when I crouched down to take the couple's photo.  I believe when I did, it pushed my phone right out of my pocket.  Cliff and I looked in the rocks where I was with no success (if you look at the photo I took of the man, the rocks in the foreground are the rocks I believe I lost my phone in).  It was done...it was time to enjoy the last couple of hours we had before leaving for home.

What a beautiful setting...what a blessing it was to just be here, at this very place, at this very moment...with God and his creation.

We stopped at a place along the Merced River...got our snacks, our chairs and enjoyed!!  We took pleasure in watching a family playing together in the river.  They were having a blast!!

Our time...their time...the time we were enjoying so much being in and around the Merced River, and being in Yosemite National Park, was abruptly interrupted by a nude couple down stream that didn't seem to have any scruples, sense of right or wrong, and chose the wrong people to do it in front of.  We all left.  They were reported.

All in all, it was a good day, and no one can argue the beauty of Yosemite National Park!