MERCY TREE, GARLIC FRIES AND OTHER STUFF

Hi everyone,

Oh, it has been quite the week. It's been rough, beautiful and just full of all sorts of interesting things. NONE of them were things I expected, but somehow I'm seeing beauty, joy and laughter through all of this :) :)

I was going to blog about a hat that I'm knitting for a friend's daughter, but I'll save that for another night.  Today was a rough day out on the sales floor and I just wanted to cry. So when work was over and done with, I met my father at Whole Foods and consoled myself with some fresh, made to order garlic fries...oh, boy was it ever tasty good... :) :)

My job is also full of many blessings and really interesting stories as I get to interact with people from the community.  I got to help a couple of my favorite customers. It was an old retired Philippino couple who've been married since God was a boy. The wife is retired military. The husband uses a walker and EVERY TIME I see them in the store they're always holding hands. ... So while the husband was sitting, I helped the wife. When they were finished, I walked over to the husband and helped stabilize his walker, so that he could stand up. The first thing he did was reach out for the walker with one hand and his wife's hand with the other How romantic is that In any case, I'm so glad God brought that couple my way tonight. They always bring a smile and laughter to my day This is just one of the many, many reasons I love my job and being able to interact with all sorts of people on a daily basis.

When I got home, my sweet dog was at the door to greet me. However, lately she's developed a habit for eating the leaves of this one little tree in our living room and now the tree has almost no leaves on it. I'm not sure how to get her to not eat the leaves...but every time I catch her eating them, she puts on the extra sorry puppy dog face as if she's saying "Who me? Lil' ole me?"  Any ideas on that? I'm totally clueless why my dog is eating the leaves

 

 

 

 

 

I did get a copy of the latest Mary Jane's Farm magazine in the mail. So this was just another blessing to the end of an otherwise rough day at work. This magazine is so much fun...and it's got everything that I love in it - farmgirl stuff, farmgirl of the heart, feminine, frilly, DIY etc ;) :)  Click here to visit their website.  It's all about organic, American living and so much other fun stuff. 

 

Oh and then to top it all off, there was a Billy Graham program on tv tonight. We don't have a t.v. anymore. So my father was watching it on-line and he asked me if I knew who Lacey Strum was. I had never heard of her before. So I looked her up and came across this beautiful music video called "Mercy Tree" that was featured on the program.

 

 

I don't normally cry with songs, but after this one I was just a mess of tears. It's a beautiful song and beautiful video. So maybe I needed to hear this tonight and be reminded that I (and ALL of us) are loved by the Author of Ultimate Love. 

 

Tomorrow I have the day off from work. So I'm going to the LUSH cosmetics store in Carmel to have henna applied to my hair. It's a natural hair dye alternative that will hopefully cover up a few of the gray hairs. In any case, I'll make sure to take some pics and let you know how it all turns out :)

 

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

 

 



DAD'S RIB KNIT SOCKS - REVISITED

UPDATE: on May 10th at 4:53 p.m.
Okay, I just want to remind all my sweet readers, that this is NOT a sock tutorial. This is just my experimenting, trying to find the perfect sock pattern for my dad :) :

I WILL actually be doing a sock tutorial as soon as I finish knitting this second ribbed sock.  In the meantime, I did pick up a really fun book of sock patterns at the library today. Inside was a pattern for a really nice tube sock.  I may try that pattern next for my father :)

I hope you are all having a wonderful day.  That's the news from the ocean shores of California today.  Love and hugs, Heather :)

Hi everyone,

Okay, so I finished the first sock.  It's not quite what I'm after in terms of the increases and decreases in the ribbed cuff. That's okay.  It fits my dad's foot perfectly. However, I only made the cuff 11 inches instead of 14. Ooops, totally forgot about that.  I'll post a pic of that sock at the end of today's post.

I started working on the second sock a few days ago. I'm changing the pattern slightly.  Again, I'm not exactly sure of what I"m doing, since I don't have a pattern to reference. So this is just something I'm making up as I go along.  I'll also include "instructions" on what I"m doing.  If you want to try this, you can. Just remember, this is not really a tutorial. Rather, I'm just sharing this, so if any of you more experienced knitters out there can give me some ideas/help, that would be greatly appreciated.  As of the end of  last night, I'd knit 2 inches on the ribbed knit cuff:

The two things you need first:
- sock yarn
- double-pointed knitting needles.

If you have questions about why I use certain things, just leave me a friendly comment. When I get ready to do an actual sock tutorial "officially", then I'll go more into the knitty gritty of why I like to do things a certain way.

Using Size 00 US (1.75 mm) double-pointed needles, cast on 120 stitches.

Knit 2, purl 2 in the round till cuff measures 1"
In my case, it was rows 1-12

On Row 13, increase to 128 stitches:
I did this: (knit2, purl2) x4, inc 1 purl stitch.

I repeated that whole process 6 more times.

Then I did this: (knit 2, purl 2)x2, increase 1 purl stitich

Then continue in ribbing pattern in the round, paying attention to those extra stitches.  I used "stitch markers" to mark off the different sections so I don't get confused.

Continue in this pattern until Row 24 = 2 inches (from top of cuff)

On Row 25, increase to 136 stitches.

On Row 25 I did this: (knit 2, purl 2)x4, purl 1, increase 1 purl stitch

Repeat that whole process 6 more times. Then:

(knit 2, purl 2), purl 1, increase 1 purl stitch

Continue following ribbing pattern, being mindful of the extra purl stitches till you complete Row 37 = 3 inches

On Row 38, decrease to 128 stitches this way: 
(knit 2, purl 2)x4, purl 2 together

Repeat that whole process 6 more times.

Then: (knit 2, purl 2)x2, purl 2 together

On Row 40 switch to Size 0 US (2 mm) double-pointed needles. Why?...because I forgot to do it at Row 38. Hee hee hee :) :)  I was watching "Anne of Green Gables" on my dvd player.

This is what the second sock looks like as of Row 42:

When I do my "official" sock tutorial, I'll be more mindful of how I write out my instructions.  You should see my composition book. It's a mess with all my notes.

I think this is a good place to stop for now, or else this post will go on forever and ever. That's not so bad when it comes to knitting.  This is a photo of the first sock that I knitted for my father.  The leg looks really skinny. Remember it's done in the rib stitch, specifically knit 2, purl 2 with some minor changes fr increasing and decreasing. It's got a really nice stretch to it. It fits my dad's leg perfectly.  Here is what it looks like:

I just loved seeing my dad's happy face when I finished the first sock. He doesn't say so, but I can tell he's really anxious for me to finish the second one. Everytime we're sitting in front of the tv, I'm knitting. He keeps sneeking peeks at what I'm doing :) :) Sweetness :) :)

Oh,  I'm reworking my "It makes cents to me" posts on Fridays.  I've got some ideas .

What else, speaking of my daddy, here's a photo of him walking my aunt's dog.  Aren't they cute?  I am so grateful that God spared my daddy's life:

This is my sweet daddy walking my aunt's dog.  I like to call her "my dog" while my aunt is away.  She's definitely a "sniffer", so when you take her for a walk, just plan on it taking a long time. 

That is the news from the ocean shores of California today.  Love and hugs to your day, Heather

DADDY'S RIB KNIT SOCKS - PART THREE

Hi everyone,

So  I'm "glad" that I ripped out 8 inches worth of ribbed knitting in the round to start all over.  This version is still not quite what I'm imagining in my head. However, it certainly is much better than the previous attempt.  As of Friday afternoon, this is where I was at with the cuff on the first sock:

I'm knitting like it's going out of style, trying to get these socks finished, while not ignoring my other household duties like eating and sleeping.


This is where I ended up last night after watching the "Hawaii 5-0" and "NCIS: Los Angeles" crossover tv event last night:

The sock looks really skinny, but remember that anytime you knit in knit2, purl2 ribbing, that it's super stretchy.  Plus, this is just an experiment in knitting. However, I know that my daddy will happily wear these socks once they're finished.

He was watching tv with me last night and kept looking over at me while I was knitting. He had a smile on his face. So even though he's not talking a whole lot about it, I can tell that he's excited to see progress on the socks ;) :)

That is the news from the ocean shores of the California today. I hope that you all are having a good day today. Thanks for visiting me.  Love and hugs, Heather

DADDY'S RIBBED KNIT SOCKS - PART TWO

Hi everyone,

I don't know about you, but this new Blogger interface is really difficult for me to figure out. Okay, enough about that, let's get to the fun crafty stuff.  This was the progress that I made on my father's ribbed knit socks since I last post here on April 11th.

This is what I did on Sunday:

I think here the cuff is about 3.5" inches long.  I hadn't done much work on the socks in the last few days. However, this day I decided to really be disciplined about this. Daddy needs new socks.  Oh, yeah, even my father said "That's it? That's all you've done?" YEP.


Our regular ride to church wasn't going that day, so we also stayed home.  Instead of being in church, we watched Pastor Greg Laurie online. I gathered all of my knitting supplies first:

It really was a lot of fun and really relaxing to be able to knit and listen to a nice message at the same time.  Our regular ride to church wasn't in town today, so that is why we ended up having to stay home. My father will be able to drive again in just a couple of weeks. He's recovered so well from his heart episode back in January.  So this is what we watched this morning. It's Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Church in Riverside, California. You can click here if you'd like to visit their site:

To my horror...embarassment, I couldn't find my cellphone. It might as well be a lung machine, because I feel like I can't breathe if I don't know where it's located. So my sweet daddy went looking for my cellphone while I'm listening to the sermon. The next thing I know, I look down into my knitting basket and find this:

It was in my knitting basket all along.  I told my dad right away that "I'd found it"  "What?"  "I found it".."Oh, Heather...(dad shakes his head and tries to frown, but is having a really hard time hiding a laugh and a smile)

These socks are proving to be really challenging.  The difficulty I'm having is figuring out where to increase and decrease the stitches while doing a knit 2, purl 2 rib pattern.  I know there's a way to do it, but I haven't found a satisfactory explanation anywhere.....yet. So that's why I'm kind of winiging it. That's okay. I love experimental knitting.  Maybe that's part of my "rebellious" knitting side. In any case, this is what I had last night, before I got so frustrated with how "wrong" it was turning out:

So last night while I was watching a re-run of "Hawaii 5-0"...dada da da da da... I unraveled that entire cuff, which by that point had reached almost 8 inches. I started over last night and worked on this some more today. My father, bless his heart, is being really patient.  This is what I have so far:

That's about it on the crafting front.  I really enjoy writing up a knitting pattern from scratch. It can be aggravating at times, but still a lot of fun.  I have been taking notes as I go along.  When it comes time to knit the second sock, I'll either follow the exact same pattern or alter it, until I find the right "formula" to achieve the look that I"m going after.

That is the news from the ocean shores of California today.  Love and hugs to you all, Heather

My 8th Tea Time Tuesday & Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday for August 31st, 2010.

Hi everyone...

Phew..it's been a crazy couple of weeks. I just started back to work at a luxury fruit gift company a few weeks ago and things have been crazy and busy and crazy-busy.  For the next few weeks, I'll be repeating some tea things...but telling you some more stories behind each of these tea things and sharing some more Scriptures etc...at least until I can add more tea things to my collection :) :) :)

Here's where it all began...oh all those lovely tea cups and the siren call of "Let's have tea" :) :) :) You ladies are awesome...and now I'm hooked on tea :) :) :) That's okay...I've been so blessed by all of you :) :) This first photo is some of the tea things that actually belong to my grandmother.

This was part of my grandmother's wedding china. She had a full set for 8 people :) :)

My grandmother passed away in 1995...to cancer.  She went peacefully in her sleep and I miss her still...but I don't cry..not anymore...rather my heart still aches a little for the woman I loved so much and still do. She was a woman who loved Jesus Christ.  The day that she went home to be with Jesus Christ, it would have been her 53rd wedding anniversary.

Below is a close-up of the sugar bowl. I don't recall my grandmother ever actually using this, because she was very health conscious. Of course, I wouldn't remember sugar for my tea...but I DO REMEMBER a sweet....either a half of a Danish, a homemade cinnamon role or oatmeal molasses cookies... :) :) :)


I was thinking about all the teas I would have EVERY DAY when I spent summers with her. It's so random, because just today, I was sitting at my computer at work and trying to figure out how to sell peaches..and YES, they are very TASTY AND DELICIOUS :) :) :)...truly...but then all of a sudden I found my thoughts wandering to my grandmother.

We ALWAYS had tea around 3 or 4 p.m. as I recall...and it was special.  I remember sitting at the table having tea and staring out her window. She had a perfect view of the ocean less then a few miles away. After we'd had time to visit, she'd pull out her Bible and some of these Bible stories that her mother-in-law...my great-grandmother had written who knows when...I'm sure she wrote those back when God was a boy..but in any case, she'd always read one of those stories and we'd talk about it. What did we talk about? I don't remember. All I can recall is that each story always illustrated some principle out of the Bible.

Here is a close-up of the detail on the sugar bowl. This is the same vine/leaf with shell edging that you'll find on all the cups, dishes, saucers etc. Isn't it beautiful? I love the delicate detail. That is real bonafide Wedgwood china...

Oh...I love this sugar bowl. So cute and chubby and just plain beautiful :) :) :)

My grandmother would make me memorize Scripture...which at the age of 14 and 15 was NOT what I wanted to do..but I obliged, because she was my grandmother and I loved her :) :) Although as soon as the Bible lesson was over, I was away from the kitchen table quick...and doing other things...like looking at her family photos ;)

She felt that it was important that I commit God's Word to memory. She thought it was smart and would serve me well in adulthood. My grandmother was right..although I would not have admitted it at the time. I'm so thankful now for that foundation that she instilled in me. 

It's funny when I think back on it now...because I don't remember a single word of what we talked about other than those stories from my great-grandmother. However, I do remember her telling me why she bought Bibles for all the kids in her Sunday school class. Some of the kids couldn't afford a Bible, some just didn't have them for whatever reason etc...but she wanted every kid to have a Bible and to read it :) :) :) She would paste a name plate into each one...it said "Ex Libris" at the top in fancy script.  How do I know this? She gave me one back in 1990..It's a New King James "Open Study Bible".  It's fantastic and has really great outlines. 

In any case, I do remember that and that always touches my heart even after all these years.  I've always wondered about those kids that she taught. She really did love those kids...that I remember very well!!! She loved them enough to tell them about Jesus and teach them the Bible :) :)

Below is the backstamp. I think this was the backstamp on the sugar bowl. I don't remember exactly. The backstamp itself is the same on all the dishes and cups...however, some of the "series numbers" are slighly different.

As a young teenager I had no idea about the long and impressive history of Wedgwood china. All I knew was that this was gorgeous and I loved it because it belonged to my grandmother's :) :) :)

Those are my tea things for today :) :) :) I spent a few years living in Europe in my early 20s. Three of those years I spent in Germany.  When my friends would ask me a question about something that would involve a long story or response...I usually replied with "Das ist eine Tasse Tee-Geschichte". That literally means "That's a cup of tea story". What that implied was, we need to sit awhile, sip some tea and have a long chat about whatever the subject happened to be...that was okay with me :) :) It was always a good excuse to have something good to drink and spend time with friends.

Oh, I'll be sharing stories from work from time to time and I' ll be calling these segments "Tales from the Pear Tree". So here goes...it'll look something like this..

"Kids...it's time for another episode of "Tales from the Pear Tree"....:) :)

I work for a luxury fruit gift company here in Southern Oregon.  It's been around for decades...75 years to be exact...and actually has a history going back further than that...:) :) :) In any case, the old department I worked in...outbound telemarketing...that department was eliminated over a year and a half ago.  It was just brought back a few weeks ago. I realize I sound a bit disjointed here...but there's so much to talk about and I only have so much blog space :) :) :)

In any case, one of the things I do involves calling past customers and asking if they'd be interested in any of our specials. It's great product...but it's not always easy to tell people about over the phone. Right now, it's peach season and we sell lots of Oregold peaches.  My job is not easy...and honestly, the only reason I do it is because it is what's available and it pays the bills...sort of :) :) 

However, I am blessed because at least half of the ladies and 2 guys that I work with are Christians...all different kinds...but all love Jesus Christ :) :) :)  In any case, this past week was especially hard because customers were mean, talking rude, being condescending etc... and honestly it made me cry this week.  I was frustrated because I get that people don't like telemarketers...but that's no excuse to be rude. So I thought that I will write a post on how to treat telemarketers...AND some tips on how to gently get rid of them while still being nice and polite :) :) I've learned a few things in this job :) :)

In any case, right now it's peach season and I've been selling peaches like they're going out of style!!! I was working that phone so much I was beginning to feel a little bit like a peach hussy...actually, I was thinking "peach harlot"..but "hussy" is probably a better term :) :) While in between phone calls, I turned to one of my co-workers...also a fellow Christian...and we were talking about how hard it was to get sales this one particular day. We'd only worked about half the day, but it felt like we were working overtime.  We both came up with the term "peach harlot"...and just started busting up laughing :) :) :) Oh, it was some welcome comedic relief, that's for sure...and now I can't stop laughing over it :) :)

I did read a verse the other day which I wrote out and put under the computer monitor...Ephesians 5:19...It's a good one...and I'll be gradually adding others. It helped me to keep things in perspective. I'm learning to pray for my customers more...something which I have not done enough of.  Today was easier :) :) Thank you Linda over at Prairie Flower Farm :) :)

Sometimes my customers are really funny...even the ones who "reject" my offers :) :) :) That's okay...I can handle the rejection :) :)  I'm blessed to talk with people all over the country and sometimes the place names are just really funny. My most favorite one of the day was a very sweet gentleman who was in "Truth or Consequences, New Mexico". Isn't that just about the funniest city name you have heard? I think so...really cute :) :)

Well, that's about it for the moment. I  still feel like I'm running around in circles...but that's okay. One of these days I'll figure it all out and be completely organized and sane...right?...hee hee hee :) : ) (Insert here great admiration for all my blogger friends who are married with kids..I don't know how you do it all :) Thanks for joining me for tea and stories.  That's the news from Oregon today. Extra love and hugs to all of  you, Heather :)

If you want to make God laugh, than tell Him your plans - Part II & more "daddy" updates!!!

So I wasn't trying to "bargain" with God today...where my father is concerned. I like the post title so much I had to continue it through today!!! It is a "true" one!!!  Today my dad had to be at the hospital by 7:30 for check in.  I'm telling you, I slept so bad last night. I woke up at least 10 times while my dad was quiet as a mouse.  Lack of sleep wasn't caused by worry. Instead it was the Oregon summer heat...very hot and humid. I should have left my window open last night :) This post is extra long today.I included lots of photos There was just so much cool stuff that happened today...another day where I noticed God is definitely at work!!! Thanks for indulging my penchant for "type-chatter" today!! Y'all are great!!!

This is just a small portion of the vast walkway of the hospital. This is my father sitting in the huge waiting area.  This wing of the hospital was built within the last 10 years or so. It's very modern and spacious. I did lighten the photo up a bit from the original.  It was actually this way in the waiting area. For some reason, my camera darkened it up a bit. So I fixed that :) Oh did ask the nurse for permission to take photos inside the hospital FIRST.  She said it was okay!!!

The morning time is never very busy..at least it wasn't this morning.   A male nurse came out before 8 a.m. to get my father!!! He was really friendly and had a nice smile. My dad warmed up to that immediately. So did I :) I told the nurse to make sure my dad is a "good patient" :)

He came out what seemed like just a few minutes later.  They gave him an injection of "nuclear radiation stuff" in his hand, then put a cotton ball and tape over it.  He told me later that he wanted to stay on the table. The nurse smiled and said "No, we have other patients to take care of"..So my dad waited outside with me.  He was told to go eat something again. So we went down to the cafeteria for some breakfast. My dad had some scrambled eggs and biscuits with sausage gravy. Yummy!!!!

He loved it so much downstairs...that we sat there for awhile.  He was content to sit there and read a Christian book.  Nothing fancy...just wanted to simply read. My dad was a very happy daddy :) :)  About 8:23 a.m. we headed back up to the main waiting area so then nurse could take my dad for some picture scanning of his heart.

An artist was hired to paint all of these different murals throughout the hospital. Every painting reflects life here in Southern Oregon. This was the one in the waiting area where my dad and I sat.  The artist painted this entire mural from start to finish in 9 days!!!!  All of the things in this painting have meaning to the people who live here!!

My dad was finished around 9 a.m.  I showed him the mural.  He thought it was cool.  I asked him how it went. He said it went well. They put him on this low-lying table and then it & my daddy slid into a scanning machine that took about 35 pictures of his heart from left to right. He thought the table should have one of those "lift" functions like a chair lift. That would make it easier to get up off the table. That was his only complaint ..and it wasn't even a complaint. It was more of a comment :) :) He said that the nurse who did the actual imaging today was much nicer than the nurse who took the images yesterday.


The little stream of water that feeds the beautiful man-made waterfall.  When I lived in Germany years ago, there were little streams like this in the streets...dating back to the Middle Ages..called "Bächle".  They were designed as a way of preventing fires from jumping from one building to the next..in case there was a fire. Also a way of carrying waste material away from the city.

Let's back up to before my dad went to check in at the front desk.  We left early so that I could get some coffee and maybe some breakfast.  I passed on the breakfast..and actually had that after my dad's appointment was finished. I did treat my dad to more breakfast afterwards as well :) :) :)

We arrived at the hospital earlier than we had planned. So I went around snapping photos of more cool stuff on the hospital campus.  This waterfall was really nice. My dad came along with me.  I walked around the campus quite a bit. He just followed me and it was really cute.  He was giving me advice on what photos to take. That was nice because it showed me that he cared about what I was doing!!!

This is the waterfall as seen from the front side. This is what I saw on the passenger side of the car as my dad and I drove into the hospital parking nlot.  I thought it as really nice and very creative.

I forgot to mention a couple of things that happened yesterday.  My dad had to first check in at the waiting area near the gift shop. That's where everyone goes first, before heading elsewhere. We just sat there. All of a sudden this nurse comes out and calls "Heather...Heather (insert my last name here)".  I was surprised because she called my name (first and last) but this lady with blonde curly hair stood up.  My dad and I thought that was really wild. I've met quite a few other women named "Heather"...but none who also shared the same last name.

My dad and I turned and looked at each other in amazement.  When the nurse called my dad's name, we went to the check-in area to have some paperwork filled out.  My dad asked the intake person about the name.  When I told her that I also have the same name, she replied "You're kidding, right?"...Not at all.  It turns out my "doppelgänger" spells her last name with just one letter different.  That's wild.  What was even crazier was that there was also a person with my dad's same first and last name...and again just one letter different in the last name.  The intake lady reassured us that they verify each patient's identity with birthdate before accessing patient records.

I tried to look for my "namesake" later that day but couldn't find her. It would have been fun to get a photo of us together...both with the same first and last names.  Now if the middle name was the same, that would have been really crazy. "Intake lady" said that she's seen patients with the exact names and birthdates before...glad that didn't happen here. My dad's "namesake" was younger than him. My "namesake"...just judging by looking at her face was slightly older than me :)

The sprinkler had just been shut off and there were still water drops on the flowers. I thought it would be neat to capture some of that on film. This was by far the my "favorite" white rose!!!

Two other things happened yesterday as well.  One of them was the emergency alarm going off throughout the entire hospital. People weren't alarmed...but they were curious about what was going on. Now this is what I heard on the hospital intercom "Housekeeping to Floor 3.  Patients and visitors please stay in your current location"..It wasn't anything serious. The little 12-year old boy that I met yesterday (along with his mother), asked the nurse at the desk why the alarm went off. She said that it was just a hospital fire drill and that those happen all the time.  Probably...but who knows. Anyway, that was the most "drama" of the time spent at the hospital. I told my dad about it afterwards.


Here are some more beauties. I love the way the water clings to the petals. I love color and these colors are so rich!!!

My dad doesn't have health insurance and he had to fill out some paperwork. The short story version is that this entire procedure will be covered by the hospital.  That was a real answer to prayer. Neither of us has health insurance. We do what we can to stay healthy. My dad would have had the "heart imaging" procedures done anyway...and we would've worked out a payment schedule. Fortunately my dad qualified to have the entire bill written off because he's unemployed and doesn't have health insurance. So that again, was a real answer to prayer!!



A close up of one of the white flowers. it has a slightly pale yellow center. I like seeing all the details in the flower!!!

Okay, back to today.  There's a quote from Coach John Wooden that goes something like this "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you".  I really liked that quote and decided I was going to do that for someone at the hospital today. I don't have lots of money, but "doing something nice" for someone doesn't have to involve that. It truly is the thought/action that is the most important.

I spent much of the time talking to a lady who was getting the exact same procedure done as my dad. She looked scared.  I didn't ask her about her fear directly...but rather, I just started talking to her. I gave her a smile and asked her name.   She'd had a few stints (spelled correctly?) put in her heart some months back and she was experiencing some pain again. "Nice lady" was worried because she hadn't been able to work for the last month. As it turns out, she works in housekeeping at the very same hospital. A few hospital co-workers came by to talk to her!!! "Nice lady" didn't have anyone to wait with her either...just like the old lady from yesterday.  We talked about her family, good Christian fiction, and food.  I offered to buy her something to read because she was going to be there for awhile.  "Nice lady" declined the offer. We had a nice chat. I made sure to call her by name and thank her for talking with me. It truly was a lovely conversation.
It was my way of putting Coach John Wooden's quote into practice...or as another friend put it "practicing random acts of kindness"...for no other reason than because you have the "resources" and because you "can"... You don't ever have to wait for an opportunity to do something nice for someone. Make your own opportunity and just go out there and do it...and be surprised at the blessing that comes out of that!!!

Below are some more photos I took of the flora around the hospital campus. There truly is quite a bit to look at, if you watch for it :) :) :)


These sure are pretty. The way the flowers are clumped together sort of reminds me of cauliflower in a strange way :) :) Yellow is a really cheery color. You can't be sad when you see yellow!!!

These buds are teeny tiny. I got as close as I could without getting stung by the bees. God takes care of even the smallest of details :) :) :)


This flower is so pretty. Does anyone know if it's a type of wild rose? I love it because it looks like it's made out of crepe paper. The insides...doesn't it remind you a little of a fuzzy bee? Such a pretty pink with a yellow center!!!


These were in the hospital foyer. I love bright colors and soft colors too. This just caught my attention.

This last photo was taken at the mall. It's random, but I just had to post this. Read the rest of this and you'll understand why!!!


The message says it all...:) :) :)

After my father was done at the hospital, we went to the mall. The visit was over by 9 a.m. this morning...and the mall didn't open till 10 a.m. The mall's doors are open as early as 6 a.m. for people who go there to get coffee, or walk around the inside of the mall. There's a buildt in track with mile markers and everything. It's actually pretty neat...and literally a cool place to get some exercise during the hot summer months!!!


As we were leaving, we see this banana yellow car drive by. My dad says "Heather, look...That's so cool" True that!!! We waited till the driver got out of the car. I asked him if it would be okay to take a picture of his car. We really loved what it said on the side of the car. The car owner said "yes" and here is the result :) :) :) It's different...I love it...and the message is clear in two very simple words!!!!

I've "type-chattered" a LOT today!!! Hope you don't mind. Please let me know if it's too much writing and too many photos. I use an extra large font so it's easy on everone's eyes in terms of readability :) :)

I bought "Love Finds You in Lahaina, Hawaii" today while at the mall. I am fascinated by Hawaii's past history. My dad and I visited our local Christian bookstore. I love a good historical romance that weaves in elements of the Gospel. So good and uplifting, even after the book is done. I had to "cheat read" the ending, otherwise the suspense would have  been too much. I'll let you know how it turns out.

That's the news from Oregon.  Love, hugs and greetings, Heather :) :) :)

If you want to make God laugh, than tell Him your plans & update on my daddy!!!!

I heard a really interesting phrase from the movie Bella that I just had to share with you. Click here if you want to see the trailer. Ignore the email list sign-up because I think that is now out of date. I highly recommend this movie. It's uplifting and life-affirming..Anyway the phrase goes like this: If you want to make God laugh, then tell Him your plans. I think God is laughing at me now a little bit...but there's a context to this...read on and see if you can find it :) :)

I'm not sure what these flowers are called. The first two photos remind me of petunias. However, I don't think that's quite right. All I know is the colors were all-natural and very intense. I just had to snap a photo!!! It was tricky focusing in on one flower, but I think the results were worth it :) :) All of the photos today were taken at the hospital campus.


This was my first attempt at focusing in on these flowers. They're so beautiful and the colors are so bright and intense.

So my dad went into the hospital today to have the first part of the non-treadmill stress test done on his heart. It was a really interesting day for many different reasons. I've included the photos that I took today on the hospital campus.
Back to the topic of my dad. He has worn a pacemaker since 2003. In 2008 he had a replacement done..and as I think I mentioned yesterday, he was experiencing some soreness in chest area where his pacemaker is located. So today they gave him a drug that makes his heart feel like it's been working out really hard. Tomorrow they'll give him the nuclear radiation stuff. I'm not entirely sure how that works. It's a very, very, very small trace amount that is injected into his vein and it's not harmful to humans...That's what the hospital info sheet said, anyway. What this does is allow the doctors to get a literal picture of how the heart muscle is working. It'll show them if everything is fine, or if my dad needs to make some changes!!!The final results won't be available for 5 - 7 days. That's too long to wait...and this is one of those moments where I don't like to wait. I don't want to wait..
But God....(I like that phrase a lot by the way...)...but God is in control. I trust Him with my life. I can trust Him to take care of my daddy too ;) :) I guess my fear is that the doctor will want to open him up like butterfly shrimp. When my daddy hurts, I hurt...and I want him to be healthy!!! Yesterday my dad and I were talking about this. I was letting myself worry too much and I told him that the agreement is he can't go home to Jesus until I'm happily married. Once I'm married, then he can do what he likes!!!..All I want is for him to be healthy & to stick around for awhile.That's funny and it's not funny...but that's the strange sense of humor that my dad and I share sometimes and it's helped us through many challenges!! Dad said "Okay..." Of course, that's my human side talking and ultimately God's hand is over my dad. God is watching out for my dad and He'll work on His timetable...not mine :) :) :)



Here's another shot from a different angle. It was really tricky trying to focus in on just one bloom, which I prefer to do. I like to show the detail in just one flower when I can!!

So I'm waiting in the hospital waiting room. It's huge...the length of this place was like a giant football field...and the waiting room, was more like a waiting area. That was really nice and spacious. It didn't feel closed in at all. I'll see if the hospital will let me get a photo. It's a really nice waiting area!!!! My dad went in for the first procedure. He came out later and sat with me for about 30 minutes, before he went back in. At that point, the doctor took some images of his heart. They'll take more tomorrow!!!
Before he came out, there was a mother with her son there and an older lady who was alone. This older lady looked really scared...and the mom just went over to her and said "Are you scared? You look scared". This sweet old woman had no one to wait with her...and this mother did a wonderful thing and just spent time with her, talked with her and made her feel more at ease about the procedure she was having done on her heart. The woman had to be in her 80s at least... It made me a little sad that no one waited with her. I'm so thankful that the young mother was there today. She has a way with older people I noticed!!! Just a stranger who blessed this old woman...and blessed me too, just because I was sitting near them and able to listen!!! The young mother was going in for an EKG. Her son was with her. He's 12 years old...and what a delight he was to all of us here. He was well-mannered, respectful...and only 12. I don't usually comment about kids behavior...but this young boy...everyone noticed how nice he was to all the adults and especially the old people!! I wish more kids were like that. It was refreshing!!!!



This was opposite of those bright colored flowers. I don't know what this is called either. but it remidns me of a furry caterpillar with pink highlights ;) :) :)

My dad was finished earlier than I expected. So we headed back out to the parking lot and got into the car. I treated my dad to a "Sierra Mist" soda at The Human Bean as a special treat for "good behavior". I said that all patients...even daddies...need special treats. He was a little grouchy afterwards, but that wasn't related to the heart procedure...but rather to the bank...grrr.. :) :) Don't we all have "bank" stories that we could tell...:) :) :)



This is a stone path that runs right next to those bright magenta flowers. These paving stones were engraved with all sorts of messages from loving notes to departed family members to sponsors/advertising from the local business community. It was really very touching and beautiful. This one in particular caught my eye...because I think of the sacrifices that our military men and woman make for us.

Two other news bits for today... I posted a comment on "Natural Home" magazine's fan page on Facebook. I posted a link to their website...you can click here. I don't think my comment made it on-line, but it's most definitely in print!!! They were asking about what we thought of the new design of the magazine. I love it of course...I left my comments on the page. One of their editors contacted me later and said they want to use my comment in the July/August 2010 issue...YEAH!!!! So dad and I went to Barnes & Noble and I picked up the current issue of the magazine. It has a title "95 products for a Green & Healthy Home". My name is in print in a national magazine!!! WOOHOO!!!!...It's just a comment from a fan...but it still counts. If you go buy the July/August issue...you can find my comment on the lower right hand corner of page 10!!!! There are some really good articles in this current issue that I'm excited to read...especially about line-drying laundry!!!

WELCOME TO: Sue of Pear Tree Lane Farmhouse!!!  Thanks for joining my blog. You're a really nice lady...and the front porch of your home...well, I want one just like it :) :) :)

That's the news from Oregon today.  I've come up with a new word for all the "talking" I do on my blog...type-chatter...I'm a type-chatterbox!!! :) :) :)  I'll post tomorrow about my dad.  I'd appreciate your continued prayers. They're much appreciated. I was going to post about my latest knitting project, but that will have to wait till this weekend. Thanks for understanding, patience and support.  Oh, the knitting project is easy peasy...if you can knit and purl...you can make this!!..Intrigued? Stay tuned..
Much love, hugs and greetings from Oregon, Heather :) :) :)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!

This is my first photo with Scripture. Feel free to borrow this Scripture picture that I posted.I was inspired by all the lovely photos (especially the ones that come with Scripture) that Linda at Prairie Flower Farm posts on her site. Click here to pay her a visit or click on the Prairie Flower Farm button on my sidebar. She's a lovely lady and you'll feel better and have a huge smile on your face after paying a visit.
I went into my local grocery store to snap a photo of this. I had to ask the manager first. She said that normally they don't EVER allow photos to be taken in the store, period! However, she told me that as long as I take it quick, she wouldn't say anything!!!! She's cool. I took the photo and then showed it to her!!! She loved it!!!  I "googled" purple yellow flowers and found out via a similar photo...this flower is called a "Dark Blue Iris". God is really into details. He spends all this time on a simple flower...think how much more He spends on us :) :) :) That's an awesome thought!!!


Since it is Father's Day today (June 20th, 2010) I thought I'd post a few pics. This first one is really grainy. I don't have a scanner...so all of these photos are literally snapshots that I took with my digital camera of actual old-school photographs. In this first one, I'm about 2 years old. My dad and I are going for a walk. You can see that my love for the color "red" started at a very early age :) :)

This is my dad with his older brother in 1951. My dad is the super cute little baby in this photo.


Here's my dad again in 1953. He's around 2 years old here.


This is another photo of my dad circa 1953. He's the little itty bitty fella standing in front of his older brother. His older sister is standing to the left. I love all of these people!!!...but am especially thankful that God chose my earthly daddy to be my father!!!! He is a wonderful parent and a great friend!!! An interesting sidenote on the photo, this is literally only about 1.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall. This photo is teeny tiny.

My dad led me to Jesus Christ when I was 8 years old. I've been walking with Jesus Christ for 28 years now. It's been a long journey, but He has never disappointed me :) :) :)

Thank God for our heavenly Father and our earthly daddies...those living and those who are now in heaven. Also have to thank the people (men and women) who step into the role of father figure for those that need a daddy!!! You all rock. Happy Father's Day, everyone!!! Take time to tell the people you care about how much you love them!!!

That's the news from Oregon. Have a great day everyone!!! Love, hugs and greetings, Heather :)