Old age is creeping in!

So, I turned 66 last month.  I'm finding that I move SLOWER and I HAVE to take an afternoon nap every day.  My energy level just doesn't last after lunch.  Once I take my nap, I'm good until about 8 p.m.

On the other hand, my journals are selling nicely.  I've sold 3 in the last 2 weeks, so next week I'll need to make more.  At least my hands aren't idle!

Speaking of hands, I was having an extreme bout of arthritic pain a couple weeks ago, so I went to Whole Foods and bought 2 gallons of the KARMA flax milk (vanilla).  It is supposed to be helpful for arthritis, and...you know what?   I'm NOT having any pain now and my hands and fingers are moving MUCH BETTER!   I'm going to continue to buy that and drink it daily!  It has a lot of Omega 3's in it. 

Not much else going on here.  I DID have an appointment with a dermatologist yesterday because, after 16 years, I had something bubble up on my left arm, right next to the incision where I had melanoma.  It was small and HARD.  So, I made the appointment.  Turns out, it was a tiny "pre-cancer" which he burned off with the liquid nitrogen, along with a few other lumps and bumps.   PHEW!   He said to come back in a year.  I'll see how much of his visit Medicare covers.  Being on Medicare now is a REAL CHANGE for me.  I had excellent health insurance for the 30 years that I was a teacher, so this is an adjustment.  The gal at the check-in asked, "Is this ALL you have?"  What does THAT mean?

Well, I need to go out and feed the birds.  I have about a dozen sunflowers out in the back yard and the little finches sure LOVE to visit them in the mornings and afternoons!

Some of them are 6' tall, but others are only about a foot tall.   I planted different kinds out back and I'm really enjoying all the different ones!  Some I just threw out from the birdseed!  I'll try to get a couple more photos today, if it is sunny.  We had RAIN (REAL RAIN!) overnight Wednesday and it was still cloudy yesterday, but it looks like it is clearing up today.  However, we have more rain coming in next week!   It seems we are getting our February weather this month! 

Take care and stay safe.
~Cheryl Ann~Yes!  I even made a sunflower journal which sold overnight!   :-)

"The Dancer" is GONE!!!!!

There WAS a certain dead tree right off the highway that I always stopped and admired when I travel from our home in the desert to our local mountains.

But, ALAS, it is ... NO MORE!

I glanced over at it a few trips ago when hubby and I drove to Temecula to see our son and his family and...to my HORROR, it was GONE!

I FINALLY was able to stop and investigate a couple weeks ago (on another trip to Temecula) and THIS is what I found:

The branches DID NOT hang over the road, so there was no need for anyone to cut them if they were concerned about them scratching their car.

Can anybody help me figure out what happened????   Obviously someone cut it...

So sad.

Here she was in her glory.  See?  The branches curved away from the road...

Our mountains got SNOW yesterday and I made a couple of videos!

I was out driving around yesterday, driving to Indio to pick up our daughter's dog and take him to the groomer, which is halfway between our home and theirs.  So, I decided to stay in that area rather than drive home.  I had 2 hours to use WISELY (wisely is the key word here...), so I went to my favorite thrift store and bought 22 cards @ 50 cents each for my journals.  They have BEAUTIFUL cards there and they have an entire display of them.  Then I went to my favorite quilting store and bought 2 fat quarters (cut to size) and 1 other one from their "leftover" bins.  I'll have to take photos there next time I go!  Then, down to Office Max/Office Depot.  WHAT a disappointment.  I left without buying... ANYTHING!  Oh, well...Then back to pick up the dog, back to Indio, and then home.  I arrived home at 1:30 p.m.  I left the house at 9 a.m.   I ate lunch and took a 2 HOUR NAP!

Anyway, on my way home, I took a seldom-used very narrow road through Bermuda Dunes, which is named for the once-existing sand dunes there.  This road has some of the last remaining ones and they are right next to the Coachella Valley Preserve, so they should last forever.  (hopefully)...

Anyway, here are two videos I made yesterday.  One shows our local mountains and the snow storm.  The second one shows the huge dunes that sometimes nearly cover the road!

Enjoy and please DO leave a comment or two!

~Cheryl Ann~

mountain storm:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xyb80iXni0

sand dunes:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUpTFGcgENs

NOT the flu (thank goodness!)

I had my virus for 48 hours and then POOF!  ALL GONE and I feel fine!  Thank you to those who asked...

I do believe #ELL FROZE OVER!  Hubby was asking about Facebook and Messenger.  He really enjoys the video chats I have with our daughter and with her 2 kids, so he asked what app it was.  I told him and he asked, "Do I have to have Facebook for that app?"  Uh, YES, I do believe so (maybe not, but don't tell him!)....so he activated a Facebook account.

We went with them to the Living Desert Reserve yesterday.  Here are a few photos hubby took with his new camera.  Oops!  I'll have to post them later...gotta run!  Driving to Temecula today to see our son and his family...

NOT going anywhere today...sigh...

I came down with a virus yesterday.  I was very dizzy when I awoke and hubby had to fix the coffee for the first time... in YEARS!  I just couldn't get out of bed.  I ended up staying in my pajamas ALL DAY and took two 2-hour naps!

I'm still dizzy today.  I know it is a virus and I should be fine by the weekend, so I will NOT be driving up to Anza today to buy pellets (and unload them) for the horses.  I just can't do it.  Each bag weighs 50 POUNDS and I simply don't have the energy (or strength) today...

We are supposed to go to the Living Desert again tomorrow morning with our daughter and the kiddos, but I'll have to wait and see how I feel.  I HATE being down & out.  I want to be OUTSIDE and doing things!

Bummer...

~Cheryl Ann~

"The Dancer" is... GONE!!!!!!!

She's gone!  The beautiful, graceful skeleton of a tree up on highway 74 which I called "The Dancer" is GONE!  I always look for her coming and going up to my horses or to our son's home in Temecula and the last time we went, a few weeks ago, I glanced over (since I was driving) and SHE WAS GONE!

I don't know if a wind gust toppled her or if someone drove over her (she was right next to a tiny 1 lane off-road road), but she wasn't there.

I will investigate tomorrow when I go up to buy pellets for the horses.

You can see her dressed in snow in the video here (she's at the end, all graceful and lovely...)...sigh...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6LEHieFhuo

I feel like a part of me is gone...

Back to the Living Desert Reserve (2nd trip)

Our daughter and son-in-law wanted to return to the Living Desert Reserve before they both returned to school and work, so off we went over the Martin Luther King 3 day holiday.  It was another gorgeous day here in the desert and we had to peel off our layers before we were done!  PHEW!  Keeping up with the grandkids is HARD WORK!

 We showed the kiddos the Cahuilla Indian exhibit.  It was nice and cool inside!

 Dad was interested in the fish here at the oasis.

 The family looking at the pond.  Over the years the reeds have grown and grown and now nearly cover it.  I remember when the reeds were all the way in the back!

 The little munchkins on the tortoise statue near the pond.

 By the time we were ready to leave, the reserve was getting crowded!

The nearly 2 year old was... TIRED!  He fell asleep in the car as soon as his parents put him in his car seat!