Signs of the times...

One tends to think of the alphabet as universal and really, it is. But how different people write it is always fascinating. With Arabic, the words are read right to left. Here are a few signs with both languages.
















Richard took this picture of an archaeological dig he visited. Never having seen a Royal Decree, I thought the last line of the sign was interesting. Most locals have little or no interest in their ancient past. Many ancient sites are destroyed or buried with no concern for their historical value. Artifacts are thrown away or lost and very little is maintained.















Going through Immigration and Customs, veiled women have the right to maintain their privacy. The women are allowed to leave their vehicles and go into a private building for women only with their passports. The woman can remove her veil, her photo is matched, and she is given a slip of paper to give to outside Security that agrees that she is who she says she is. Since I do not wear the veil, I can stay in the car with my husband and be waved through after our passports are checked.

By the way, I have been told the veil is not religious, but cultural. I have no idea if this is true.















My cousin owns a Harley Davidson dealership so I have fun finding them in other countries and taking photos to send back. The Harley Club here has a great emblem, it has a camel on it! I will post a photo of it once I get a decent picture.

March 13, 2007

Today is my brother Mark's birthday.

There've been a lot of tears and fears this past year and half. Our family was devastated by a cataclysmic event that we never thought we'd face again. Mark is on the frontline of that event. I can only send thoughts of love, dignity and peace to him and his family. Someday, we'll be whole again, forever changed, but whole.

Peace be with you, Mark & Violeta. And oceans of love to Loralei and Orion, too. You are in my heart always.

Visiting the farm...

While visiting the farm, we discovered our host grew many other crops. One was this small fruit about the size of a golfball. It looked like an apple and tasted like a cross between an apple and a pear. He is currently doing experiments in hybrid breeding. My days of learning Booker T. Washington's and Thomas Jefferson's hybrid breeding of crops were long behind me, but the gist of it is our host grafted the fruit onto another kind of tree and what we were looking at was the result.














Here we are in the orchard. We weren't actually discussing fruit at the time. My sleeve got caught on the many thorns of the bush next to me and we had just managed to get me released without tearing up my brand-new shirt. Notice I am not wearing the abaya. Within the compounds and on private property, women do not have to be traditionally covered or veiled.













Our friend is one of the few people who have dogs and cats. Dogs are becoming very popular here, but the people do not have a lot of experience working with them. The little white Schipperke (pronounced Skipper-key) is named Ali Baba, but is called "Bob." The full-blooded German Shepherd is named "Bobby." One of Bobby's littermates now belongs to one of the Princes of Saudi Arabia. Our host gave the puppy to the Prince as a gift. Bobby was suspicious and barked at everyone. We were with a young lady who had no experience with animals and Bobby scared her. I walked up to him and showed her that the dogs were very friendly, but he had a very deep, resounding bark that was a little intimidating!

As a former dog-handler and with two dogs of my own, I enjoyed being around the dogs. If there'd been a way to do it, I would have enjoyed working with our friend's dogs to teach them basic commands and manners.

We got lost!

On the way to our friend's farm we got lost! The problem is that once on the outskirts of Al-Khobar, all the street signs gradually change completely to Arabic. Since we are shamelessly ignorant of the language of the country we are visiting...We ended up almost to Hafr and heading to Kuwait!













The highway signs that showed us we were lost. Cell phone reception was sporadic, but we finally raised our friend and he guided us back to the right turn-off.















The sandstorm was a little scary - like snow, it blanketed the horizon and visibility was sketchy. but then we saw the camels...Camels are protected in Saudi Arabia. They wander specific areas of the countryside. The Arabians have races with them, as well as use them for transport and tourist rides.

Past and Present come together...

100 years ago, Bedouins roamed the Arabian desert with camels, living in small nomadic tribes within palm frond houses and tents. Some still do. In today's society, the Arabs often go back to their roots, building the palm frond lean-tos and camping in the desert in large tents. The tents are very luxurious, a firepit in the middle for making tea, Persian carpets on the floor and low couches and chairs around the edges. People congregate in the tents to talk, eat, drink tea and discuss world events.













This hut is made from palm fronds. The gentleman whose farm we visited told us that as a young child his family lived in one similar only much larger. His date farm is one of many scattered about the countryside. There are many varieties of dates in Saudi Arabia. The government encourages the growth of dates because the crop has a huge impact on their culture. When visiting anywhere, even many locally run stores, guests are offered a date and small cup of tea.














Old and new come together in an ad for a Toyota Land Cruiser. Around Al-Khobar, there are many areas that are not developed. The locals take tents and families out to these areas and camp for a day or two. We often see people dressed traditionally sitting on Persian rugs in front of a tent and socializing.

Sightseeing...

So we went to the Corniche in Dammam to check out the local sights.

Richard took this incredible series of shots from a great distance with his digital camera. We were so far away we thought the birds were PELICANS. Only when we got home and downloaded, zoomed and cropped did we discover he took some lovely shots of FLAMINGOS in a mating dance.













"Kiss me, you fool!"

"I would be delighted, my dear!"

Wanna neck, too?"

"Neck? What? You have no romance in your soul!"

"Stop following me, you cad!"

*************************

And then we went down the road...

I guess because of his 21 years in the Navy, Richard has a fascination with boats. Yet another set of antique boats off the Corniche.

This is on the highway linking Bahrain and Saudi Arabia...there's one on the other side, too.

More fun stuff

Out and about Richard and I try to check things out that are different. We have a lot of fun experiencing things. Some things are a lot of fun...other things are distressing.














This is me withthe baby camel named Waatha. Waatha was a lovely young lass in ancient Bedouin literature. The camel Waatha was friendly and enjoyed kissing and any treats we handed out.


















Women who prefer to remain veiled in public need places to eat in private. Most restaurants have a Ladies Only or Family Section for these women to eat alone, or only with their families. In these sections there are often booths with curtains so that a woman may eat in privacy.

The singles section is for MEN ONLY. Richard and I accidentally went through that door to order and we were kindly directed to the Family Section. It beats getting kicked out of Dunkin Donuts my second day here. Yes, they didnt' have a Ladies or Family Section to eat in so I was gravely informed that I was not allowed to eat there. They also wouldn't take my order because I simply approached the counter and didn't realize I was supposed to order behind a screen to the left that was set aside for women! Richard ended up ordering my glazed donut and then our group went off to eat at the Corniche (the beach).

Having fun...

Right after I arrived, we were invited to the home of a friend of Richard's. The gentleman had set up a traditional Bedouin tent for our after lunch enjoyment. We had a traditional lunch sitting on the floor and sharing the meal, then went outside for a tour of the date farm. Then we spent the afternoon and evening in the tent, with tea, chocolate, bahklava treats and dates.

Yes. This is Richard, my mysterious husband who takes all these photos of me and whom no one EVER sees. Isn't he cute?

Me, playing with the hookah. No, I didn't smoke it although everyone else tried a puff or two. Here the hookah is called a bubbly and many women get together in the privacy of their homes for a little bubbly.

As we drove out of our compound, there in the field next to the Holiday Inn was a herd of sheep and the shepherd! When we got home to download the photos and zoomed in to see the lambs, we discovered the sheep...were goats. LOL

More pictures

The local sport here is to take your car out to the sand dunes and rip up and down the dunes as fast as you can go. There are frequent accidents, rollovers and deaths.

People set up tents, bring their families and everyone hangs out watching the mayhem.








































Further down from the dunes is Half Moon Beach. Out at this beach, you can ride quadrunners, horses and camels.

Pictures!

Richard and I have done a little exploring about the place. Tourists and cameras are are rare here. We see very few cameras and even fewer tourists. We do not stray far from known areas, either. The further inland one goes, the less likely it is to find gas stations, eateries and familiar language. Foreigners are discouraged against being tourists, too. In some ways, this country is still very isolated.

The Arabs and Bedouins are known for some things. Their seafaring, metalwork, their fabulous horses and of course, the camels.

The VW is on the city of Dammam - an example of the beautiful metalwork and wrought iron to be found here.

The boat is one of the antique seafaring vessels. This is on the Corniche (beach boardwalk area) Why yes, I AM wearing sneakers under my abaya!

The American influence - this is right at the border of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, after you pass through Customs and come off the Causeway.

This photo was taken from the third floor of the Movenpick hotel in Bahrain. Don't bother staying there. The place wasn't very good considering the price - I've stayed in many a Holiday Inn that was much nicer. They had none of the FREE amenities of an American hotel. It also cost a fortune. Breakfast was $62 and the Internet wasn't free...it was $30 for a single day.

Nora Roberts is everywhere....

I sent this picture to Nora - that's me in Al-Jarir Bookstore in Saudi Arabia holding one of Nora's books. If you look at the sign above my head it is written in Arabic and English.

Oh, and I am wearing the abaya over my regular clothes.

Incognito...

So, I bought the whole outfit although I don't wear the headgear at all. I only wear the abaya and the scarf around my neck so if I feel I'm being stared at I can whip it over my head. I do get stared and glared at a lot. It can be a little unnerving.

But I dressed up in the whole rig just for fun...my sister said she didn't recognise me.

My best bud told me to take it off, that piercing glare was scaring her.

Mind you, I was SMILING under there! LOL

Writing, writing, writing...

Seems that's what I do most of the day, now. I'm still having fun with it. Taking my time, tweaking a bit here and there and suddenly, I've done 8-10 pages! YES!

One thing that seems to be happening...I tend to write a chapter fast, then go back in and layer in details. Interesting. Never knew that about myself. Not being under a deadline of some sort, I'm kind of analyzing how I write. It appears that I must have a sort of outline even if parts of that outline are in my head (and not in the 29 page synopsis/outline I wrote out to keep myself on track).

In other events...well, nothing's happening. Except writing.

Oh, and reading ghost stories. Been reading the updates each month just for fun! Type ghost stories in your search engine and you'll get a whole slew of websites.

Right now, I'm reading Castle Of Spirits website - even the archives!

Also, Baen Books www.baenbooks.com has free downloads of science fiction and fantasy by some famous authors. Since I am writing a sci-fi, I downloaded a few to read. Wow! What a motherlode of good books. I've not read everything but I enjoyed an eclectic sample. Kudos to Baen for offering the books for free. Needless to say, when I return to civilization and real bookstores that aren't censored, I plan to pick up some new authors.

Dinner went well

Yesterday Richard called me from work and asked if I'd be able to scramble up some dinner for friends if he invited them over...I said okay.

What was I thinking????

When we were in the military we did this a lot - a lot of socializing goes on within that group, anyway.

However, with the help of the Internet, since I have none of my cookbooks here...I made homemade salsa and chips, Texas Chili, Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, a salad and for dessert, apple crisp and ice cream. I didn't make the ice cream, but I did have to cook some tortillas for chips.

It went over VERY well! Richard even ate the leftovers for breakfast! (I had planned to have them for dinner!)

The interesting thing is that everything called for chili powder and I had none...so I even made my own chili powder!

This is one of the irritating things that get to me - the fact I can't hop in the car and run down to the store! LOL In another way, it forced me to rethink the menu and improvise - creativity at its finest.

Technically, I'm a day ahaed...

Of the East Coast of the USA, anyway...LOL.

Talking to a buddy about writing today.

We were discussing how writing is a lone endeavor. You simply can't pull family and friends into it.

I told her how I was planning to buckle down and really get into my writing. I was hermiting away - making myself scarce so I could do something I truly enjoy.

I was also getting to the point that I want to be less involved in outside interests. I want to spend more time with my family and friends and less time running thither and yon doing stuff because I feel obligated or am coerced into it.

I told her I plan to be a small ripple on a pond in other people's lives...and make big cannonball splashes in my own life.

I'm still having fun with my writing...its going great.

Time to work!

I stopped both my blogs for a while because I needed to concentrate on other things. One of which was my writing. Finished writing a novella and its now out there being perused by an editor.

The other reason I stopped blogging was because a few family crises cropped up. Some are now taken care of, some aren't. That's the way it is in families. Everything will eventually resolve and then we'll move to the next crisis.

And the third reason I stopped blogging...I moved to Saudi Arabia. Not permanently. In fact, its really only a visit. I'll be coming back in April. I am not allowed to drive, go out in public without the husband and must always wear my abaya (black tent dress covers from neck to knees) outside our compound. I pretty much have to entertain myself at the apartment while husband works so telling stories on paper seemed the way to go .

The fourth reason I stopped is because we quit working on the house, which is why there's nothing new on the construction blog. www.constructiondiarystahels.blogspot.com

So here in SA, I've been writing up a storm. The science-fiction is getting the bulk of my attention. I have been sending family & friends emails with my adventures/misadventures, too.

Anyway, figured now was the time to get the old blog rolling again. We shall see what transpires with it.

I am enjoying writing. I'd forgotten how much I loved it. The last few years I've had to juggle a lot of stuff and squeeze writing in when I could. I got to the point that I wondered if I truly enjoyed writing. Now I realize that by letting other things entangle me that I let go of one of the things I loved because it was easier to let it go than to deal with other people's perceptions. Now that I know this that will not happen again. How's that for convoluted?

Anyway, point is that I sent a novella off Jan 31 and have started writing another book. Its fun. I'm having a blast. And I feel secure in the knowledge that my writing is back on track and I can start blogging again, too.

We'll see how the adventure continues!

September 8, 2006

Happy Anniversary!

Yes, to me and my very much loved husband of 28 great years! Richard is in Saudi Arabia so what's a girl to do to celebrate? Why, gather up some girlfriends and her mother and hit the big city to shop, eat lunch and talk, talk, talk! Mom, our neighbor Becky, my writer buddy Sunny and her future daughter-in-law Jess all went to town!











This is my friend Sunny, her future daughter-in-law Jess and me, hovering behind them. Becky and Mom stayed outta the picture talking LOL

Things go wrong...

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides Lyrics by Dan Hill

I know this song applies to a romantic relationship...but we have a situation going on in our family right now. Its heartrending, heartbreaking and causing a lot of pain and tears.

Tonight, I talked to a family member far away. I just wanted to reach through the phone and hold her and let her know that it will all be okay.

Only we don't know if it will be.

No one is dying or anything like that. The situation will eventually resolve into a solution. But everyone will be changed forever.

I want everyone I hold dear to be near me, so that I can hug them and hold them and let them know they are not alone.

I want to protect them from all evildoers...and I can't.

There are times when I wish I was Wonderwoman and could zap the bad guys with my special powers and plant 'em 6 feet under. But then reality steps in and I'm stuck with human limitations and must resort to waiting and waiting and waiting for other people to do their jobs before the situation can be resolved.

When this is over. I keep praying when this is over...we don't know what will happen.

But, oh, God. I want the fear in me to subside...

A little rant...

Politicians have no common sense. I'm sure of it, now.

We live in a little town. I mean little. Less than 1,000 people. Everyone knows the local politicians so well, they can probably tell you what they have for breakfast and what time they walk their dogs.

Anyway, since I've lived here, the county, in its infinite wisdom, decided to keep the budget down by grading the local dirt roads with flint rock. FYI, flint rock has sharp edges and ruins tires, in addition to NOT being easily absorbed into the subsoil. In rural places put down enough layers of rocks and eventually the road absorbs enough in the subsoil to seem almost paved. Not the case here. It also makes the roads slick and dangerous when wet. You have to drive less than 5 mph if you don't want to skid and slip all over on rainy days. We've had people skid and end up in ditches.

Many people have complained to the local ciy government.

The city decided the have a meeting for the locals about it. Now, on any day of the week the city government offices do not open until 8 am at the earliest. Regular 8-5ers, our government. Every time I've gone in there, and I've gone plenty of times the last few months with the construction issues...I've been the only customer. They all have jobs, but lets just say the routine isn't strenuous.

But they don't want to hear about the roads. So they simply decided to call a emergency meeting at 7 AM in the morning on a day that rain was predicted...on the courthouse lawn. Not inside, mind you. On the lawn. At 7 am. Earlier than they even get to work.

They're in for a shock. Our neighbor went up and down our road and got promises from all the other neighbors to attend if possible. On our road of some 12 families - at least 8 representatives will be there.

Silly politicians. Like setting up a meeting at an inconvenient time and place would stop a bunch of mostly retired citizens into not going. Heck, they live for this kind of stuff! LOL

We shall see what, if anything, transpires. Doubt they'll do much to improve conditions. The budget for this year is probably already tentatively set. But maybe, just maybe, for our little 1 mile stretch of road they'll hire the county grader NEXT DOOR to simply finish grading our road. See, our road dovetails into the next county. Only one mile of it is in our county. The rest is in the other county. The other county grades and rocks their section of the road so well you feel like you're on pavement. To all of us it makes sense to pay the other county to simply finish the job.

But politicians, they don't see it that way. They get mighty territorial even about doing their own bad jobs...unless they need to lay blame, of course. Then its always someone else's fault.

I expect Mom and Pa to come home with either no resolution or a half-assed one. Seems the way of it these days.

The Family Cookbook (And Friends)

About ten years ago, my sister convinced me that we needed to compile a family cookbook so our family recipes were passed down...she went all out and collected recipes from everyone. She typed some up and the rest I was supposed to format in some semblance of order. I've put it off for years. We also continue receiving recipes from various members of the family and close friends.

Aunt Kathy wants to get it going again. She has drawings and recipes she'd like ot compile, too.

So I dragged out my luggage bag full of recipes written on backs of envelopes, index cards, used paper and even the occasional notepad. Sone are typed neatly, some are scrawled at the bottom of a torn cash register reciept or grocery list. Some are torn out of magazines (technically not "our" recipes, unless someone altered some of the ingredients, which is what usually happens). Then there are newspaper clippings, downloads from friends online and hastily scribbled shorthand from others. Sigh.

Mom and I spent most of the day yesterday going through them and trying to organize them into catagories. We ditched most of the professional recipes from copyrighted sources, unless we know for a fact that a family member or friend modified it to our tastes. That got rid of about 1/8 of the recipes LOL.

Today, I'm typing the recipes by catagory into the computer. Once I have them all in, we'll spend some time adding clip art (copyright free), drawings from family and friends and stories and drawings from the kids.

When I sit at the computer for hours on end working on one of my manuscripts, the time flies. Its like I don't have enough time to write all I have to say.

But sitting here, slogging through the recipes and typing them in...sigh. Time is dragging. I got delegated for the task because I type somewhere in the vicinity of 80 words a minute and I am mostly a touch typist.

However, there is one neat thing. We're finding old recipes we'd forgotten about and Mom has stashed a few of them to try out while I'm typing in the other stuff.

This morning, she made biscuits and chocolate gravy - an old, old dish my grandmother used to feed us for special treat breakfasts. Mom used to make it when we were very little and its been years since I've had it! I expect good things to eat in the coming weeks as I work on this...bon appetit!

Blogger Hell...

Well, seems its not going away.

I finally gave up on posting pictures to the construction blog as it simply didn't work. I decided to start a new Construction Diary 2 to continue where I left off. No deal. It also refuses to post photos.

So, the Construction Diary is a standstill until I can find another free blog site that will allow the posting of photos.

We're not happy with some of the progress of one of the contractors. Pa will not be using him again when the time comes next year to start building his own house. The contractor does a great job, but he's NEVER here when he says and the promise of getting the job done in days is false. We're now into the 5th week of what was supposed to be a "4 day job." He also did several things that although they were "code" weren't really the best thing to do. Pa has already fixed one thing and made it better. Pa and I also did part of the work the man had included in the original estimate. The contractor had the grace to drop $100 off the estimate, so I guess I shouldn't be complaining.

We have to slow down for 30 days or so to let the foundation cure. We have been informed we can build on it right away, but Pa has 30 years of building experience and has seen what happens when concrete's not allowed to cure well.

I'm not sure what I'll be doing to keep busy in that time frame - I do have some writing to do and I set my laptop up in my condo last night. I expect to be polishing a manuscript for publication soon.

Anyway, off to see what kind of trouble I can get into!

The things I want to say...

The program that allows me to keep this blog (Blogger) is acting up. There is a known issue with some folk not being able to post photos anymore. Apparently, if a person has several blogs, it can affect one but not the others, or affect all of them. This appears to be my case. I cannot post photos anymore as the software no longer allows it for MY blogs. I sent an email message to the powers-that-be and was sent a form reply of all the "fixes" I've already done. Several times. Oh, well.

Okay, maybe this blog isn't affected...hmmm...took this last week. It is a mirror image of me - my hair looked good and no one was around so I took a picture in the bathroom mirror.



All is going well with the building, the dogs, and the family.

Les came for a week-long visit. She had a lot of fun and it was good to see her.

In two weeks, we'll have more visitors. Maggie, Thomas and Katie will be here for a week, too.

I'm gonna be busting rocks for a while. The hole was dug for my crawl-space foundation and now, it will be leveled and partially buried to bring it back to ground-level. Before its buried, Pa wants me to start cleanup of the big chunks of rocks dug up by tossing them at the bottom of the hole for drainage. There are lots of rocks. LOTS. So I'll be busy for a while.

We'll have a downtime for about a month or so as the concrete cures. I also have to wait for more money to come in around August so we can continue building.

Other than that, life is good.

Cameras are fun things...

Pa's been taking some fun photos of the animals around here...














The ruby-throated hummingbirds come twice a day to eat at the most happening hummingbird joint in town - Mom and Pa's two feeders. Hummers are funny little birds. They are MEAN. They squabble and fight and dive-bomb each other in their pursuit of food. They're picky. They all seem to like one feeder and one hole on that feeder better than all the rest...and that's what most all the squabbles are about. The males outnumber the females about 3 to 1. They are so intent on food that any condition that changes in that environment causes about 30 seconds of zipping around and then they settle down and continue their squabbling and eating. YES. That hummer's little birdy feet are on my finger. The one in front of my hand is actually about an inch away. The oddest thing is at some point in the evening, they'll all be dipping in the feeder for the nectar and in an instant, some silent signal goes through all of them and they disappear in about a split second and don't come back until morning!














Another shot of me up close and personal with the hummers.














This is a Baltimore Oriole we think. Not the baseball team - the BIRD. Orioles pass through on their way to their summer feeding grounds. To keep them around a few days, split an orange in half and leave it on the rail or somewhere they can get to it easily. They will sit there and peck the juice and pulp out of the orange until it is dry. They stayed about a week and then moved on. Another kind of Oriole was here, too - but we couldn't get photos of it - it was yellow and black. Same markings.












While out canoeing Pa was able to get some good shots of a couple buzzards nearby. Generally these creatures are hard to photograph flying, but Pa says this one paced him in the canoe and he was able to get several good shots.

Times are changing...

I've been neglecting this blog lately. We've been so busy with the new life that I've only had time to keep the construction blog somewhat updated. FYI...

www.constructiondiarystahels.blogspot.com

The shed is finished and my household goods are now in it.

I went to the Ridge last weekend and worked on landscaping. I can't do much as we still have heavy equipment coming in to do well-drilling, septic and pouring a foundation. But the right side of the shed is not being used for any of that sort of thing so I have this vision in my head of what I want to do there. Pa and I have cleared part of the area and he has cut 1/2 of the double trees. These are trees with two trunks, which make them lightning rods and in such a case, a strike could kill an otherwise lovely tree. By cutting off one of the trunks, we save the basic tree. When he cleared the area, he left a semi-circle of large oaks that follow the path of the driveway. I bought low terra-cotta flower pots and will place them on the stumps for a few years until they eventually rot away. I plan to level and plant grass in the area, too. If it looks right, I will place my tera-cotta pitcher-and-bowls fountain somewhere in that area. I plan to build some sort of entrance at the road into the driveway, maybe double brick barriers with a wrought iron gate between. To follow that same theme, I plan to do a few risers of some kind of stack wall outside the circle of trees, but still following the driveway. I do not know if I want rock, slate or paving bricks for this just yet.

I am still convinced that "fences make better neighbors" and I am planning to fence in some, most or all of my property so my dogs can roam freely about. Where the fencing goes depends on how much land I'll have available, how the Sanctuary for the wild animals is planned and what kind of fencing will be both pleasing to the eye and an effective barrier.

On the border of our property and the farmer's next door is a small spring where the animals come to drink. Richard wants to leave this area in as wild a state as possible for those animals. If we do a fence, we'll keep it at minimal level to allow the deer to jump over and will raise it slightly to allow small animals to squeeze through.

I had huge plans to buy some type of plant for a privacy hedge, allowing it to grow through the years. However, looking at the cost, I've decided to use some of the native flora instead. The multifloral wild roses will be transplanted as a low hedge (they grow wildly, especially if fenced or staked, they can actually create a wall six to ten feet high). For a taller barrier, Pa suggested I transplant some of the many cedar trees to the frontline of the property. This will shield us from the road AND the dust kicked up by cars passing by.

Pa and I spent hours last night discussing how the house plans will be. I only had a few criteria...I thought. But when Pa began asking questions about other things, suddenly, my list of "needs" grew exponentially. I had no idea that I had strong opinions on lighting, efficiency and ease of movement.

We have determined that the house will be stucco. Stucco is easy to do, less expensive, fireproof and can be maintained and repaired easily. It also fits with mine and Richard's love of the look of the American Southwest and our somewhat Far East/Mediterranean collection of things from around the world due to our overseas travels. Plus we both are extreme advocates of single story living, after caring for elderly relatives and finding that stairs, doorsills and the like do not mix. Since we will most likely be here the rest of our lives, the house has to reflect a certain ease and efficiency for when we may not be able to do as much upkeep.

My initial easy-going demands ? I wanted THIS fireplace somewhere in the apartment:



The fireplace in question goes in a corner. In the 1200 square feet apartment, this will take up a certain amount of valuable space. However, we believe we've come up with the idea of an angled wall which will make the fireplace a "center mass" that will actually keep the house warm in cool evenings if we do it correctly. It also won't appear to be taking up as much room.

I also want my front porch and back porch to look like the end wall in this fabulous painting by Lynn Fecteau (www.lynnfecteau.com). I do NOT want the pillars or the wrought iron fencing - simply the arch at the left end and the arched appearance to the front of the porch. You can see the full sized painting at the artist's website.



Richard's only stipulation was a large bathroom. Pa and I spent hours last night on his 20 X 20 deck, mapping out where the fixtures and appliances will go. One of my "demands" was a walk-in shower that didn't require a door or a curtain. I also wanted a seat and a shelf built in. Plus a regular shower head AND a lower handheld separate shower head in case of future disabilities. The washer and dryer will also be in the bathroom but behind a set of closet doors. I also wanted a deep sink and folding area. Pa thought we could combine those two by building a custom "lid" that would come down over the sink and then build a storage cupboard beneath the sink. Excellent ideas, both!

The rest of the house will be more conventional. Well, maybe not. I am extremely short and hate cupboards above my head in the kitchen. I also hate refrigerators - if I had my way and the money, I'd have a walk-in refrigerator! However, since I do not have that kind of money, Pa says that I should visit this specialty appliance store that has some really cool alternatives (no pun intended! LOL). I am considering a freezer-on-the-bottom fridge, but Pa said not to make any firm decisions until I see this store. The kitchen will NOT have any overhead cupboards and it may not have any underneath, either. We have planned a large pantry with shelves were I can store not only my food but my pots and pans, small counter appliances and so on. Mom had such a pantry right next to her kitchen in Seven Pines and I LOVED it. I also am adamant (there's that word again!) about my countertops. I told Pa I wanted to cut right on the countertop - no cutting boards. Pa is looking at making a fancy cement countertop for me.

Lighting is an issue. I explained my need for extreme lighting and how I flaunted fire codes at my old house by putting 200 watt bulbs in a 60 watt fixture. I didn't have curtains on my sewing room windows because I needed the light too much. True color bulbs were my friend . I explained to Pa that I would like wall-mounted gooseneck style lighing or recessed lighting if possible. We discussed various alternatives and he vetoed some of my ideas due to condensation or fire hazard issues. However, now that he knows my needs he is working on ideas such as a line of clerestory windows or creating his own style lighting to accommodate my requirements (Mom says I'm spoiled rotten by my Pa).

We haven't even discussed the bedrooms yet - but I would love to incorporate this in one of the bedrooms...maybe even two of them...



But then again, until we get the house built, we will be living in the apartment and the second bedroom is supposed to be my workroom. So we shall see.

That pretty much covers the ideas we kicked around last night.

The well driller told us sometime this week...I was hoping that meant today. Alas, it's 10 am and no sign of him. Sigh...

Off to find other things to do.

Echo's Nemesis...

Behold - the biggest, baddest, meanest Kitty in the whole world...or so Echo thinks. Flint is wary of SNOWBALL, but Echo is downright terrified and will not even walk by her in the hallway unless I walk between them.

Try walking in a narrow hallway between a big, black dog and tiny white cat who spreads herself smack in the middle of the hallway simply to stake her territory!





Snowball has one blue eye and one green eye. When yu see her at night with a light shining in her face, the blue eye glows red and the green eye glows white!



Pa taught Snowball to play with a laser pointer. She will chase it all over the room, over furniture and even partway up walls if that's where he points it. Every night they play with the light and then Pa wrassles with her - spinning her on the floor and batting back and forth with her. She enjoys it and comes back over and over to play. This photo shows me pointing the light to get her attention for a good picture. LOL

Lots of things...

I've been so busy I've not had time to really write, but if you go here, you can see what I'm doing with my time.

www.constructiondiarystahels.blogspot.com

In the meantime, life is moving ever forward. Richard has been in Saudi Arabia for nearly 2 months now.

The dogs and I are adjusting to our country life. Flint was a little scared at first but has now become quite intrepid. Echo is fearless as ever, but for some reason is bothered by my Pa. She is not afraid, she just won't come to him when called. We believe that with Richard gone, she thinks Pa is challenging her place in the pack.

In other funny news, I did something nice for my sister and she said if I would do it, she'd buy a lotto ticket and if she won, she'd split her winnings with me. Today, I got a $1 bill in the mail. Yes, she won the lotto. Two whole bucks. She sent my half to me. Sisters!

In family news, my niece Katie's horse passed away. Dollar was 30 years old and had been ailing for a while. Katie babied him and made sure he was comfortable every day because he was her baby, her first horse.

Mom and Pa and I are getting into a routine. We work in the mornings up at Echo Ridge, come home for lunch and a nap, and then back up to work. Sometimes, Mom and I simply go shopping for things we need and Pa works alone. The shed should be finished sometime this week. Once its done, we will solidify details for the garage apartment and then Pa will make drawings and we'll eventually start building. That will probably be started sometime in May. We plan to take a break and maybe go sightseeing for a day or two before we dive in and start on the next phase of our building.

The New Life

So...

Yes, I've moved to the wilds of rural Missouri. Life has been an adventure for the last month but its finally settling down. Well, as settled as preparing to build a shed and a garage apartment can be.

The dogs have taken to country life very well! Flint is still a little nervous about the changes, but he's loving his new outdoor life, too. Echo is so thrilled to be outdoors she doesn't want to be an inside dog except to sleep. We've been working with her commands as she is choosing to wander off and not come back when called. Leash training is something she's never wanted to do, but we have to in the backwoods where the potential to get shot at can truly happen. She is learning her boundaries well and is responding to the commands as well as can be expected.

I have pictures and stuff I want to post about our new life, but will do it later as we are currently heading into town to pay for the fabrication supplies for the shed Pa and I will be building in the next week or so. I will not actually be building anything - I'm the step-and-fetch warm body and Pa will do the actual skilled building part.

I've spent a few days going to garage sales, farm auctions and checking out the wildlife Mom and Pa keep an eye on.

The bald eagles down at the lake's edge have once again come to their nest in the sycamore tree. We checked out the blue heron nests down on the neighbor's farm. And, up at the creek there was new excitement - a lone bald eagle was spotted and we're hoping there's a pair to make a new nest! As spring progresses into summer we'll be checking up on the area around that creek to look for a nest.

Anyway, off to shower and go to town!

Other events...

Richard has decided NOT to sell the Camry. Sort of. We're trying to talk Jenny into trading cars with us. She can have the Camry and we'll take her Corolla. We shall see what transpires. She's always loved the car, so we shall see.

Chantry went back to his former home. Seems that Bruno did several things including taking customer boxes, ripping them apart, and then playing with the contents. Sometimes he damaged the contents. Since the dogs are alone in the yard every night this was not good. Some things were small enough to put in the shed, but the big stuff had to be left out for the next driver to pick up. Bruno was taken to a new home. Tiger was so lonely that we decided he needed Chantry back. So Chantry's back in the yard being as playful as ever. Tiger was thrilled to see him and they played and wrassled for a while. And they changed his name back to Champ LOL.

This is my first day without Richard. I kept waking up last night to roll over and snuggle...and no one was there. It was also strange to wake up to no scents of coffee or breakfast. The dogs are a little confused, too. Richard wakes before me and takes them out every morning before I get up. Today, they had to rely on me.

Coming home is strange, too. Knowing he'll not be there at the regular time is a little odd. It means I can eat when I want and what I want. This may not be good.

I had banana pudding ice cream for dinner last night.

I shall have to be more disciplined. LOL

Maybe tomorrow.

Life Changes...

Four weeks ago, I was fairly happy with my humdrum life, the one where Richard and I were working towards our ultimate goal to build our own home on 3.8 acres in the Missouri wilderness. We went to work every day to jobs we were comfortable with, if not wildly excited about...we knew we could retire in about 5 years and maybe then, start building that dream home we've always talked about and do some traveling through Europe in between.

Four weeks ago Richard applied for another job. And got it.

This afternoon I put him on a plane to Saudi Arabia.

Last week we sold the house.

Saturday I pick my parents up from the train station.

Next week we pack out.

On March 22, I sign the closing papers and will move to Missouri to help Pa start building our storage shed and garage/apartment.

And in 15 months, Richard will come home and we will officially retire and begin building that dream house. By taking the job, we knocked 3 1/2 years off our future retirement date.

We are planning to meet in Europe at least 3-4 times in the coming year and visit Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain and wherever else we fancy.

Sometimes, that goal is a LOT closer than we imagined.

I like that. Life changes and there are bumps and detours, but the end goal is always in sight.

Weird life lately...

Lots of stuff going on.

Work has been demanding. I'm working longer hours, which I really don't want to do, but things that are out of control must be dealt with and so that's the way it is.

Chantry is growing like a weed and still bedeviling the older dogs but he's learning the ropes of the new family, so that's good.

In other news, we've finally realised it truly is ridiculous to have only two people in this house...and 3 vehicles. With sighs of forlornness, Richard has made the decision to sell the Camry. Its been a good little car and we used it well. We also took care of it well, so we're hoping for top dollar. We shall see.

Extended family life has been heartbreaking, explosive, and fun and loving. My Uncle Harry and Aunt Peggy passed away within a year of each other and my cousin Kristen has been lost and unhappy for a while, and rightfully so. We've all been sharing laughs, love and tears with her and I think its drawn the family closer. Those ties of love are so fragile at times. We adore her and she is slowly learning that the heart will always have a sense of loss, but the memories will keep us going day-by-day. Love ya, Kristen!

I cannot talk about our other family heartache at this time. We are stunned, shocked and downright angry and scared right now. Suffice to say that we hope an end will come to an unresolved dilemma soon. When its safe to talk about it - I WILL. Boy, will I!!!! My anger and rage are contained right now, but when the time comes, WATCH OUT.

Richard and I are gearing up for a lifestyle change, we think. We are trying to work out details and see if things will fall the way we want before we take any steps.

In the meantime, we're working on house and garage plans. I've found a kiva fireplace I want in my home...he's found a lovely 2 story he wants for his! Two stories and southwestern styles don't usually mix, so we're perusing all kinds of plans and pictures, trying to mesh ideas and styles.

The house is still on the market and still being viewed quite often. Its been cold and windy and the pool doesn't look its best due to leaves and palm fronds in it most days. I fish them out, the wind puts them back! I think once spring and hot days are here, when people are roasting from looking at one house after another, they're gonna stop by ours and take one look at that pool and buy, buy, buy! I hope. LOL

I've been quilting and quilting - trying to get stuff done. When we sell, I may not have the space to set up my sewing room so the more I get done now, the better off we'll be.

Anyway, off to do some quilting!

Pondering...

Sometimes, a quilt idea comes full-blown in my mind and I rootle through my stash and simply start sewing. I have no real plan, not sure if I have all the right fabrics, and usually am rather fluid on exactly what the pattern will be. I piece it together as I go; watching the colors unfold, the patches fall into place, the vision in my mind becoming a reality. I sew because I want to see how the final quilt will look.

I write the same way. I start with an idea and then I start piecing it together, watching the characters unfold, the situation fall into place until the story in my mind becomes a reality. I write because I want to see how the story ends.

Just pondering my choices of creativity and noting the similarities. I've been quilting all evening and just finished the quilt top. It was an idea I got from my niece, Katie. She used bold colors...I used pastels. The quilt top looks exactly the way I wanted it to look - sweet, innocent and girly. I hope the recipient likes it.

And now, I'm off to bed.

Bemused....

I've been quilting for about 15 years now. I inherited a ton of fabric from my adopted grandmother's stash, my husband's grandmother's stash, his aunt's stash and my mother-in-law's stash. I also had a scrap stash of my own from living in the Phillipines and having my own seamstress sew all our clothing. And then there were friends. Some I knew, some I barely knew. They'd find out that I sewed and they'd bring over boxes of fabric from their grandmothers, mothers or sisters. Whenever I helped someone sew stuff, like costumes or whatever, they'd give me any leftover fabric. (I came back from Guam with 15 dishpacks - the tall boxes - filled with fabric).

With all this fabric I've made over 150 quilts. They've mostly been given away. Some went to charitable causes, some went to family, friends and friends of friends. People would ask me to make a quilt for some reason or another and I'd do it. It was easy to simply give them away because usually I was able to use the fabric that was given to me. I never much thought about the time I put into the quilts I gave away. I figured people would pay me, or they wouldn't. And none ever did. Yep, all those quilts and no one ever paid me.

So it is with great surprise that I'm now being paid to quilt! It started with a little set of coasters I made as a giveaway for my books. Buy my book, enter to win a set of quilted coasters. I also made a little fabric envelope and then used a photo my husband took to make some little folded cards that fit in the envelope. That was a door prize, you didn't have to buy a book to win it.

My friend, Nelson, at the Calvert Hotel, loved my little coasters and stationary sets and asked for a few to sell. He sold out within weeks. He asked for more. So I made a few more, plus some little tablerunners.

Yesterday, someone was viewing my house and saw a quilt I'd made. She offered to buy it. I sold it to her for a fair price today. She then informed me that the real estate agent would be calling about ANOTHER quilt!

All these years. All those quilts. All the networking, parties and socializing I did and never sold a single quilt.

And now, by a sheer fluke one of the few times I've left home and one of the few times I've had folk IN my home since we moved here...and I'm selling my quilts and quilties right and left.

Life is strange. LOL

Busy life...

Life has been extraordinarily busy, and yet none of the things I had planned to do are done! Work was hectic for bit, but now its slowed down SOME. We shall see what I get done in the coming months.

I DID finally finish the last of the Christmas quilts for one sibling's family, which means I can now mail this brother's package. Once they get it, I'll post pictures of the quilts. They read my blog occasionally and I want it to be a semi-surprise! LOL One down...a couple more to go!

I still have a couple more quilts to make, but they are small. I have this idea to try out and I even know who to try it out on...quilters think like that - we see a sewing technique we want to try and then we think of a person we can make a quilt for so we can "practice" the technique.

In dog news, everyone is getting along, which is quite good. Mudball...I mean Chantry, enjoys digging in the yard. It rained Saturday. We were waiting to show the house to potential buyers. Mudball made it past Richard and when we tried to catch him, he thought it was a game. Jack Russell terriers are FAST. Richard and I looked like Laurel and Hardy falling over ourselves, feinting left and right, trying to catch one little dog who was having the time of his life. It didn't help that Echo and Flint decided to join in. Amidst screams of "There he is! Catch him!" we had three dogs running back and forth not knowing the rules of the game, but wanting to play anyway! Amidst the bleating cries and cringing as Mudball continued upon his destructive, yet gleeful path with joy de vivre, were two other dogs, running, blocking and generally getting in the way.

By the time we caught him we not only had to bathe him, we had to mop ALL the tile floors (kitchens, bathrooms, hallways), vacuum the living room, the dining room and my office, clean a few streaks off some walls and wash the throw rugs. Its a really good thing he's so cute. Otherwise, I'd have to kill him.

Off to work on the next quilt!

Addendum hours later: I did a very bad thing. Someone came to view the house today - in fact, two someones. After dinner, I moseyed into my office and puttered on the computer, then finally got up to peruse my quilting stuff to decide if I really wanted to work on the next project or not. There on my work table was a note. "If you are selling, I'd like to buy." With a name and phone number. At first I thought, "house?" and then I realised...she was wanting to buy the quilt! But which one? I have 3 hanging on the walls, one draped over the ironing board and the one I had just finished. The note was a sticky back - it could have fluttered off any of them! Finally, I worked up the courage and called her, knowing that no one in their right mind would pay me what the quilt was actually worth. People usually nearly faint at my feet when I mention price. Being unsure, I asked her to tell me what SHE thought it was worth. She did. She not only knew what it was worth - she actually OFFERED that much or MORE, she wanted it that bad. Greed warred in me for about 3 seconds, but I shoved it aside.

And I sold her the quilt for the price it was worth...and no more.

I now have to make a certain someone ANOTHER quilt...it was a Christmas present! ACK! Why do I do these things?

And More Quilties...

These are the notecards...the cards are made on my computer from photos that my husband took. The shamrock on the green card is from the free graphics offered at Pat's Web Graphics.






These are the quilted coasters. I make them in sets of 8 and tie with a matching ribbon.

What have I been doing, you ask?

I've been quilting. Seems a friend of mine who owns an antique shop has taken a shine to the little quilty goodies I give out to my readers as prizes! He asked me to make up a few things to sell at the annual Pulpwood Queen's Author "Girlfriend Weekend 2006." The event will be 1/20-1/22/06. So, in addition to sending along a few autographed copies of my books, I sent some quilty goodies!

WHEW! That was fun!

Les and Jenny came home for Christmas. We all had a good time. I know that sounds trite, but we did. We did our annual Critique Of Neighborhood Christmas decorations (lots of brownie points for the guy who tastefully strung green lights in his palm fronds and white lights on the trunks, then had a large Nativity inside over his front door lit from within and framed by the arched clerestory window). We baked cookies and pies and did dishes and watched movies. Les and I chatted till 3 am the first night. Jenny and I baked cookies the next day. Richard and the girls discussed politics, religion, death and taxes. And Harry Potter, books and dogs.

Chant adored Jenny. Leslie told him he was ugly and he stank! He went outside and decided to dig to China to see little Chinese dogs, I suppose. Echo gleefully joined him and they both got filthy. Flint stood by and only dipped his toes in the mud. Did I mention the mud?

Seems the pool guy left the pump on discharge after he left. The pool simply kept discharging water and the back yard was flooded. Chant had an easy time in his digging. Richard (who was the only one home) claims that Chant didn't have a white hair anywhere on his body. Since the dog is predominantly white, I figure he'd been digging for a while before Richard caught him.

He cleaned up nice, though. And the whole dog pack followed Jenny around for a few hours because she kept plopping down and letting them crawl all over her.

Les brought stuff back from her European trip - jewelry, scarves, and bits fo foreign money for the little boy who's father works with me. Daniel collects coins and he loves foreign money, so Les picked up a few coins for him.

Christmas morning was leisurely. I baked and talked and sampled stuff and listened to news. We opened presents at midnight Christmas Eve so we could enjoy the day. That's one of the few times I've done that, maybe we'll do it again.

Monday we all laid around, snacked, watched more movies and chatted with friends and family online and on the phone.

A good time was had by all.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS new review!

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS received a 5 Ribbon Review from Sherree at Romance Junkies! Here's part of the review...

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS is a story that will show not only the love that a mother has for her child, but the deep love that God has for his children that have strayed. Merry K. Stahel has shown the reader that through perseverance the dreams that we have will come true. We only have to hold on to the hand of God and not let go. For the Lord hears our prayers and only wants what is best for us. I would highly recommend this author to others. I am proud to give this great author a 5 ribbon rating.

It's Amazing...

My sewing room was a disaster earlier this evening. I had quilt pieces all over. I've been procrastinating finishing one of the quilts I'm making for Christmas because...because...oh, who knows? I also had Christmas paper scattered about, in addition to presents for folk, unwrapped, needing alterations, and other little embellishments.

And then HE called. A realtor. He wants to show the house tomorrow at 1 pm.

I shanghaied Richard into wrapping presents. I sent him off to the living room with wrapping paper, tape, scissors and boxes. I stayed in my sewing room doing what needed doing and passing stuff to him every time he finished up another wrap job.

I talked to my brother Mark, my daughter Jenny, my friend Gerrie and started putting some of the unused sewing stuff away where it belonged. I altered Mom's (MIL Alma) pants and labeled all the clothing I got her for Christmas. She lives in an assisted living facility and they insist all clothing be labeled. Mom insists here clothing fit (naturally).

I then started on the dreaded quilt. See, I hate pinning it. I have to lay the quilt "sandwich" on the floor to do that. I have to crawl on my hands and knees and pin it all around to hold the whole thing together while I quilt it. It generally takes me about 2 hours to pin a quilt. This being a small one (twin size) and the fact I'm "birthing" it instead of binding it - it took me about an hour. Birthing is a process where you sew it right sides together all around the edges, then turn it right side out and quilt it AFTER that. You have to be careful doing this because you could end up with tucks and pleats where there shouldn't be any. I did pretty good, only one block got a tiny tuck.

Anyway, when we were done - Richard had wrapped half a dozen presents, I finished Mom's alterations and the quilt is quilted.

Now, tomorrow I can clean my sewing room easily as nothing is strung all over anymore. A quick vacuum and dust and this room will look presentable!

I will mail the packages and deposit my checks and take off Christmas shopping some more!

The new puppy, Chant will be most disappointed that I'm not quilting. Like Echo and Flint, he loves when I play with fabric on the floor - he thinks it's a soft bed for HIM. I had to chase him and Flint off into the other rooms so I could get stuff done. Then Echo and Flint wanted to go to bed with Dad, and Chant wanted to keep playing. I finally collared him and brought him into the sewing room with me so they could get some sleep.

I do need to work on other quilts if I am to get them out in time for Christmas, though. I have 3 more to go. Sigh.

Off to bed!

Chantry Rides Again...

Okay, I stole the line from a Louis L'Amour novel.

Champ, the little dog my co-workers rescued from the street in September is now mine. A new puppy showed up on Monday. I captured him and was getting ready to run him across the street to the Humane Society (people drop their unwanted animals in our enclosed fence often thinking we are part of the Humane Society). Anyway, the guys took one look at this beautiful tough, dingo looking dog with big brown eyes and fell in love. HE looks like a watchdog. Champ looks like what he is - a funny, adorable little Jack Russell terrier/Schnauzer mix who would allow a stranger into the yard with a "Hey, who are you? Look, you have a sparkly thing! I'm your friend, you can pet me, honest!"

Anyway, the guys didn't want 3 dogs. But they did want Bruno (the dingo-dog's new name). So...I took Champ. Did I mention the Thursday before that we put Champ and Tiger in the kitchen in their cages for the night because it was cold? And Champ kicked the back of his cage out, escaped and promptly found a box of rat poison and ate it? Since the guys all had hotshots, I took him to the vet. He's on medication to counter-effect the poison. Either he is immune to the poison or the meds are serious miracle workers. This dog has NO SYMPTOMS and is bouncing around like the puppy he is.

Oh yeah. Our entire family names all our dogs after Louis L'Amour novels or characters in said novels. Borden Chantry is a character in two books - BORDEN CHANTRY and CHANTRY RIDES AGAIN.

So, Champ is now Chantry, Chant for short. He has not noticed the difference. He comes when called. He comes even when I call Echo or Flint. LOL

He's scheduled for the chop shop...er...to be neutered and get his shots on December 27. Merry Christmas, little buddy!

My first review for HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

http://romancereaderatheart.com/pubsandpromos/2005/dec05/HC_MS.html

"Merry Stahel is a wonderful writer who has taken a difficult storyline and written it to shine with God's love. I really enjoyed Dea's and Jesse's romance. They both felt abandoned by God and learned to love and trust Him again, and then to love and trust each other. The landscape of the story is so comforting. I imagined living at the old church and befriending Heidi and Joe—and Nate the donkey and Mary the chicken—just as Dea lived it. Santa hats off to Merry for a Merry Christmas tale!" ~ Cynthia Whitten

My Book

HOME FOR CHIRSTMAS

by Merry Stahel

If Dea Lacey can find sanctuary she might live in peace. But will the family homestead be the place, or will it bring more turmoil to her and the boy she’s taken as her own son.

Jesse McTavish struggles with the fact that life continues even when love is lost. When Dea presents him with his son, his first reaction is to shut himself off from more grief. Can he let this boy into his heart?

You can buy it as an e-book or as a print book at:



By Grace Publishing - www.bygracepublishing.com

or



www.fictionwise.com

I hope you enjoy it!