No Gnomes Here

I haven't spent the time I should have doing yard work this summer.  Fact is, I had more important things to keep me busy and the heat has been unbearable.  Also, I have been waiting for Dad to call the cement jackers to fix the sidewalk before I spruce up that area.  And then, one of our big beautiful red rocks out front has turned to mud.  So sad and flummoxed as to how to remedy the situation.

Yes, those are weeds above the rocks.  Like I said, I have been pretty lazy about getting out there.

On a happy note - Dad finished the steps to the higher deck today.  YEA!

You can see some of the new cement work here also.  I can now go barefoot from the house to the driveway and back to the shed. 
It is wonderful.









The hazelnuts are starting to drop already.  The almonds, although plentiful, look dehydrated.  I have to water with a hose so it hasn't gotten all the water it needs, I'm sure.  By next year we should have the sprinklers done.
Back in the garden the raspberries are just now starting to come off.  The beans are all dry and crinkly and ready to be pulled up. Alas, the zucchini and yellow squash have succumbed to the squash bugs so I dug them up today.  The only tomato plant that is producing is the Roma, and the bush seems stunted.  I don't know what is going on with the tomatoes this year.  Even the grape tomatoes that usually overrun the garden are spindly and very sickly looking.  On a brighter note, the peppers are doing very well.  I picked 4 of the jalapenos today to make some poppers for dinner, stuffed with some chive and onion cream cheese.  YUM
Today I went to the store for a water filter for the drip line, and came home with a pot of gazanias.  It took me all summer but I finally got flowers in the porch pot, only, it isn't on the porch.  These flowers need sun.  But I love gazanias.

 Dinner time, so I will have to share more later on.
kisses

News and Toys

You will never guess what!!
   My long-time dead-end  in family research has broken through in a BIG way.  Out of the clear blue sky I received a call a couple of weeks ago from the daughter of Great Grandma Alvena's little sister, Dora.  She did a google search for the surname Strohman and found a post I made back in 1999, then tracked me down from Colorado to here.  Amazing!  I am so thrilled that I can't adequately express my feelings of joy, amazement, gratitude, love....
   You know that I don't believe in coincidences.  Especially when it was just one month before when we located Richard Romain and Alvena Strohman Mann's graves.  I don't know when was the last time any family member had been there.  I had a special feeling there and wondered if they were aware of our search for their graves. 
   I am now making plans for a visit to Norma in Iowa soon.  She put me in touch with a descendant of another of Alvena's sisters who has more information about their hometown in Germany and lots more.  She has a daughter named Christina also!  The family is being reunited.
In preparation for my trip, I have been organizing records and making copies for the family members I will be meeting; both paper and digital form. 
   I had some extra energy one night and stayed up making a receipt holder because I couldn't find one at the store that suited me.
I quilted a cover then sewed inside pockets and then some zip-lock bags.  You remember those, don't you girls?
Here is my version:

Yes, it is very bright and colorful. (That is all Dad had to say about it, ha ha)  I didn't take time to make labels for the bags so for now it just has painter's tape labels.  It works.

Now to show you my new toy!  At the library I often saw patrons scanning books with various sorts of handheld scanners.  At the time I didn't need one because there is a fantastic book scanner on every floor that I would use.  Well, now I can see the virtues of such a device.  Mine uses 2 AA batteries.  Scans jpg or pdf in resolution from 300 to 900dpi.  uses a mini SD card (mine is a 4G) so I can scan all day when I get to the libraries  there. 

It is smaller than my curling iron!  So cute and easy to use.

   My friend, Andrea has research to do in Iowa also and is wanting to come along with me so I am waiting for her to get things in order at home so she can start making travel plans.  We are thinking in September so maybe it won't be so hot and sticky.
More on this later.