My first videos of our new granddaughers

Del and I are having a good time staying with Kirsten in Montana this week and getting to know our new granddaughters. They call Del "Papa" and me "Ayat" which is grandmother in Amharic (national language of Ethiopia).

This snippet is of Kidist helping "Papa" build her new bed.

And this one is of Meskerem "talking" on the "phone"

First Visit to the Vet

Gicle'e and Ashley had their first visit to the Vet today. They were great! They allowed themselves to be gently poked and prodded without crying out. They saw Dr. Utchen at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Clinic, who is our favorite Vet. He really love animals more than profit. We found out that both of our 1 1/2 year old kitties are in perfect health. And, we found out that Gicle'e is not a calico but it appears that one of her parents was an orange tabby and the other was a grey tabby, and one or both also must have had patches of white on them. I believe she represents a whole new breed of cat which should also be called Gicle'e. BTW, the pronunciation of Gicle'e is "Zhee Clay" which means squirt in French. It looked to us like God squirted her with various kinds of cats and we found out today that we were right!

Table for Two

Happy Valentine's Day!

Del and I trade each year who plans Valentine's Day and who plans our Anniversary celebration. This year was his year for Valentine's Day, and he sure made it special! I woke up to a sweet card and what looked like a box of chocolates, but it actually contained a freshwater pearl necklace. He had also gotten me 3 dozen roses at Costco that are simply gorgeous.

Then, instead of going out like we usually do, Del cooked me a wonderful Valentine's Dinner at home. It started with our version of bruschetta: roasted garlic, cambozola cheese, marinara sauce with golden raisins in it and chives for decoration, all on asiago cheese bread. Yum!

The salad was baby spinach with feta cheese, pepitas, apples and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

The main course was shrimp scampi, steamed King Crab legs, roasted asparagus, and mushroom risotto topped with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese. Everything was cooked wonderfully (OK, Costco helped with the risotto) and tasted delicious!

Then we had individual chocolate lava cakes for dessert (also from Costco), Breyers vanilla ice cream, and fresh raspberries on top. And best of all, he didn't expect me to clean up. I ended up helping a bit, but even that was optional. What a great guy.

Note to my dear husband: Thank you Del, for making this Valentine's Day a very special one.

I love you!! XOXO Diane p.s. I guess I'd better start planning a special anniversary celebration this year!

Morning Walk

Heading out for my morning walk, I was greeted by a brilliant show.

I love a fiery sky through winter trees. Today's the day our star will finally come down - weather permitting.

At least today looks better than yesterday.

But even with the dark stormy sky, there was a rainbow.

And the strange light made for a stark contrast for the houses below us in the valley. Every day is different and has treasures of its own and walking is a great way to discover and unwrap those treasures.

Log Cabin on Whidbey

The view from the dining roomCabin and Swing Front of Cabin

Looking back at the cabin from the duck pond. We'll be back!

Christmas Decor - Simpler this Year

I decided to go for a simpler look this year, especially on the fireplace mantel.

Of course some things never change. Why is that kitties love wreaths and garland so much?

Speaking of garland, we can't forgo that, even for a simpler Christmas. Growing up in a single story house, I always dreamed of a house with a bannister to festoon with lighted garland. I have it on a timer so that it greets me when I get up in the morning as well as in the evening and it always puts a smile on my face.

Star Raising

Thanks to great friends and neighbors, we had another successful star-raising party. This year, thanks to Del's reinforcements, there was much less drama. No folding back on itself or splintering apart. Here's a picture of the star at twilight . . . And at night . . . And here's the back patio (and probably all of Dublin and Livermore) aglow by the light of the "Dublin Star" . . .

Backyard Flower Close-ups

Simple backyard flowers can be even more beautiful close-up!

Paper White

Raindrops on Rose Petal

Center cone of an Echinacea blossom

Shasta Daisy

Tomato plant leaves

Bougainvillea

Potato Vine Blossom

Pause and look closely next time you're in a garden. It's another universe!