15 Degrees Below Zero!!!

...gotta be the record low here in High Desert!!!

at least since we moved here over 4 years ago!

It's a paradise for boarders, telemarkers, and skiers who love powder snow! There were 6 inches or more covering our driveway in the morning...Stay warm!

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

Bend Oregon Christmas Parade 2009

...isn't just a bunch of matching bands and flatbeds

It's the thing to do and see

This year's theme is It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. The eight award categories are: Sweepstakes (most outstanding non-commercial entry,) Governer's (best commercial entry - class 1,) Grand Marshal's (best commercial entry - class 2,) Jingle Bell (see below,) Mayor's (best entry by a youth group,) Silver Snowflake (best entry with marching, drill, dance,) Judge's Award (entry with the best development theme,) and Rudolph's Reideer Award (best equestrian/animal units.) I was unable to take pictures as I did in the past...I ended up in the parade carrying a boom box almost the whole way or pushing the sleigh!

Besides having most fun getting all the reindeer dressed and ready at 8:30 in the morning and waiting to be judged for two hours in the chillin' 26° cold

Best of all, out of eighty-one entries, her musical friends and my teen daughter--representing Cascade Community School of Music--won the Jingle Bell Music Award for best entry featuring live Christmas music.


There are so many people to show appreciation for another year of wonderful festivity. Above all, thank you Shannon Devir for your amazing, inspiring leadership, being a true mentor of the children's hearts. The most important thing my teen took away from her music and working experience was confidence in herself. We are fortunate to have you in our lives and in our community. You'll be sorely missed, Shannon!

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

I belong when?

You Belong in 1971

Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all!

What Year Do You Belong In?

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

COOL Visits the Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkins, hayride, corn maize, field trip, popcorn, Indian corn, gourds, hay bales, corn stalks, pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, apple ciders, funnel cakes, local honey, field trip...This week's field trip found the Central Oregon Open Learners (COOL) at the Pumpkin Patch in Terrebonne, OR. It was a beautiful day! But, today was super busy...stopped by my Friday Knit-Up group at Barnes & Noble before 10, shopped at Old Navy and got two pairs of jeans for my teenager for a two-night camping trip later in the afternoon, grabbed a bite to eat on the way...with full stomachs, DD#1 and I were off to the pumpkin patch--leaving DD#2, DS, and Hubby home groaning with flu. We missed the infamous safari maize but my teenager really wanted to be with her COOL friends. Of course, I obliged.

There were many school kids here today, it's a very popular seasonal place for field trips...besides the most glorious day in the fall season here in the secluded High Desert where the only thing more beautiful than the fall foliage is the sea of orange created by thousands of Central Oregon Pumpkin Company's pumpkins. Pumpkins range from an eye popping 150 pounds to a modest one-pounder.

There were thousands of pumpkins. So, the selection is vast and the quantity is never ending. One of the most fascinating features of the farm is the impressive selection of every mind-boggling type of pumpkin, winter squash, gourds and fall decoration. A good time was had by all.

There are quite a few entertaining animals in pens to see





and pet.





This one seemed to find his way out but is content to be back at his leisure.

This was a huge play area with lots to do in it.


Not the best picture, but this shows...the views beyond the fields were beautiful. That is Smith Rock in the background.

Just part of the view of the pumpkin patch. There were wheelbarrows to use to load big pumpkins in.

Our friends spent a long time trying to find the right pumpkins. They had quite a few requirements the pumpkins had to meet.

no-taker for this

or this

No pumpkin for us, but, this 3-pound jar of wholesome goodness did come home with me...perfect for the nasty cough we all have.

Visiting the pumpkin farm and enjoying the scenery along the way definitely put me in the mood for fall...and making my first cup of pumpkin spice latte--Ooooh. Emmm. Geeee! Of the many blessings in my life, I count this group at the top. Knowing other families are breaking the mold and seeking ways to nurture their children to live in freedom is so encouraging--we are not alone! And I love having all these kids around!





There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children.
One of these is roots;
the other is wings.~~Cecilia Lasbury
DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

Brace Yourself

...Early winter in October: First snowfall in High Desert, Central Oregon. The first snow of the autumn blanketed the town early this morning, leading to power outages for a few hours and numerous accidents on slippery roads. A 3-inch layer of snow covered the van and twice of that fallen on the driveway since this morning. Hundreds of homes in the city were still without power later in the afternoon in the abrupt change of weather.

Winter is expected to hold fast in the cascade mountains for at least the week. Although snowfall during this time of the year is not unheard of, we are just not ready for it. I laid here and thought of the season change, the days getting shorter, Christmas is looming closer...It's time to check the list and getting busy building up the gift stash.

Meanwhile, I do hope the weather will warm up and ice patches clear by tomorrow night--hubby is driving back from San Diego on Tuesday. We want him home safe!

Pre-Halloween, Anyone?

Halloween...when I was a child (and I'm 48) was a neighborhood thing. We'd all meet outside of my house and then go door-to-door in groups. This was before I ever conceived of anything involving getting dressed up as evil, harmful, or bad. Halloween was more innocent then...I hadn't met any Christians to tell me it was evil. No one had poisoned candy or put razor blades into apples so we weren't in danger of dying. There weren't any terrorists in our world so we didn't know to fear. Enough of my rambling/musing...

What are you up for this pre-Halloween? We are not interested in scaring the neighbors or watching those cheesy horror movies in the '80s. How about an evening of great laugh, good snacks and drinks, and performances by kids and adults? Here is a tidbit of a mega-buzz dance hosted by one of our COOL families in Broken Top tonight...some spine-tingling grooves and beats to put us all in the spirit from dance tunes to horror movie soundtracks...for a ghostly evening of fun.





















We’re lucky this year, Halloween falls on a weekend. There is a plenty going on October 31st. If the weather is nice, I expect about thousands of ghouls, goblins, and drunks to be roaming the streets downtown while I will be preoccupied with my fiber friends at the Spin-Off Autumn Retreat in Sunriver. Do you know this is the International Year of Natural Fiber?

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

Winter Wonderland in September?

It's already getting really cold here. I have heard people telling horror stories about the REAL winter that's about to set in about a month. I wonder...

En route to school this morning, this awesome sight caught my eyes:

On the way back home after picking up my teenager from Band an hour later, we stopped and captured these magical moments:






...one way to make winter wonderland in September!

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!