Best Feeling This Month: Decluttering

Yesterday I needed to take a break from studying and began doing a small decluttering project. One cupboard led to a few shelves, led to my holiday tubs, and then the dish cupboards. By the end of the day I ran out of boxes. It feels good knowing I can donate some of my treasures to the thrift shop where someone else can enjoy them. I am relieved that some things are just going to the dump. I am ecstatic that some drawers, shelves, and cupboards are organized and looking all fresh and simplified. Ahhh.... what a good feeling. Now I think I will reward myself with a homemade brownie. Thank goodness I saved at least one good baking pan when I decluttered.

"People must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; they must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is enwrapped,for everything cannot be equally considered; in a word, they must be able to simplify their duties, their business, and their lives."    -Henri Frederic Amiel

JEJ's biggest fear on days like today!

Best Place In The World to Live

Over coffee and tea this morning JEJ and I were discussing lists that always pop up pointing out best places to live, best places to retire, best places to vacation, on and on.  My husband is a very wise man. As he gazed out the window at our beautiful morning view he said, "This is the best place in the world to live... right here." I couldn't agree more. Here are ten reasons why:

 

It is very quiet where we live.

 

We have a long growing season. 

We are very secluded.

We live very close to our church. 

Lilacs grow very well here!

 

We get to enjoy four seasons.

 

Flowers love our climate. 

We are close to places the dogs can run and swim.

 

We experience lovely sunrises.

We are close to great walking trails.

Shhhh.... don't tell anybody about our beautiful corner of the Inland Empire. We like to keep it quiet around here!

Best Shots of Morning Fog

When I left the house today I was enveloped in a gray fog. I stopped along the way and grabbed my camera, hoping to get some shots of the lake in the fog. What surprised me was the blue tint that came through in the pictures. I like the soft shades of blue contrasting with the dark shapes. I captured these images of the fog when stopping by trees as I drove along the county road. I don't think the fog lifted until afternoon. It softened the images of dirty snow and lakes of water out my classroom window.

Best Dog Photos of Jack

When I was home in Kellogg over winter break I loved watching Jack, the very beautiful dog next door. Jack craved attention and would jump up on the fence to say hello. I think my dogs wanted to meet Jack, but the fence was always between them. Jack is said to be a mix of dalmatian and greyhound.

Whatever he is, he sure loves to pose for pictures. Jack was "visiting" next door and she couldn't keep him any more. I just hope Jack has found a good home.

He seems like a better-than-average dog. He is one I would like to accidentally put in our car as we left one time!  I think Annie and Shelby woul like that too. ( Don't tell JEJ of our plan!)

The Best Time to Just Wait

As I was driving home in the pouring rain this evening I saw the lights of a police vehicle up ahead. It looked like the rig was right in the middle of the road. As I got closer I could see why it was. He was using his vehicle to block the lane from a huge fallen pine tree that had completely covered the county road. I knew my choices were pretty limited as far as getting home soon when he came to fill me in on the situation.  He said they were just starting to use a chainsaw to remove the tree. It could be fifteen minutes or up to an hour. He said I could wait or head back to Inchelium and drive around.I was about a mile and a half from home. If I decided to "drive around" that would be fifteen miles back to Inchelium, time to wait for the ferry, a trip across the lake, then a drive all the way up the other side of the lake (thirty miles), then the drive from Singer's Junction to home. I am guessing that drive would have been more than an hour.

As the rain poured down I also figured out I could go up some other back roads and get home, but I decided to wait. I had work I could do in the car. How long could it take to cut up a tree? It was the best decision I made today. I was home within fifteen minutes.

The rain had weakened the hillside and the tree was uprooted causing it to fall down. I don't know all the details, but it appeared that all the cars on both sides of the tree were safe as we drove gingerly over the road covered with branches and pine needles. Through the fog and rain I could see large pieces of the tree trunk along the side of the road.

The rain also created a new mini- lake outside by my classroom door today. It doesn't matter the age of children when it comes to puddles large or small. Many middle school students came in with soaked shoes and pants dripping wet, but all they could talk about was how fun it was to splash and play in the water.

When the rain continued to fall yesterday at home, the icy, frozen ground kept it from seeping into the ground. A new "creek" flowed down our rock path as about two inches of rain accumulated.  The "creek" stopped when it flowed under the door and into our sunroom. This was probably not the best way to clean the carpet. JEJ is honing his dam building skills as he figures out another route for the "creek"  knowing more rain in coming in the next few days. Last year we had two feet of snow at this same time. I sure hope we don't get two feet of rain!

The Best Flower In Winter: Amaryllis ( Part 2)

In my earlier post I wrote of the beautiful amaryllis plant. We have been blessed now with the blooms of the red one. Enjoy these pictures as I now have two in bloom at the same time! They certainly are the best winter flowers.