This Will Make You Feel ... Something Wonderful... ♥

I am on satellite so my bandwidth usage is always a problem when it comes to youtube, something I could spend too many hours on but it eats up my usage time. So I watch select videos recommended by others. This one came from a tweet I saw when I was deleting all the people who follow me and I have no idea who they are. {Just one step away from deleting twitter --and facebook-- from my life as extraneous nonsense.}

It's a fabulous one, something to get you up and moving a bit, with power and energy that jumps out and grabs you...watch it and see if you don't agree.

Have a wonderfully relaxed and peaceful weekend everyone....as for me, I hope to act like an artist for once in several months!






Give All to Love
Obey thy HEART~Friends, kindred days, estate, good fame, Plans, credit and the Muse, Nothing refuse.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Farmer's Life ~ Are We Disappearing Along With The Family Farm and Cattle Trucks, Clotheslines and Homemade Jelly? Does Anybody Care?

On this blog, I have shared with you a small part of life as a farmer, our working ranch. I know it looks idyllic at times.

But there is a dark side all farmers must live with.

Weather.

Harvest.

Buyers.

Contracts suddenly Cancelled.

Prices dropping to the bottom of the well.

Keep reading and you will learn what it is like to be a farmer these days, when times are tough. When your contract is cancelled by the likes of the following, with no warning or reason. And you have nowhere to turn and a crew starting to prune in three weeks. With families, bills, needs they will be at least partially expecting to meet through working on our vineyard. Our vineyard manager has six children and his job has basically ended, as dh will have to do it instead. Gone are the days of someone else working the vines, at least for the foreseeable future.

Please share with me, your thoughts...

These are the companies the vineyard grower often works for today...

Givenchy ...

Fendi dragging shawls on the ground

a look we all aspire to.

and so many more...

From Wikipedia:

LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A., usually shortened toLVMH, is a French holding company and one of the world's largest luxury goodsconglomerates. It is the parent of around 60 sub-companies that each manage a small number of prestigious brands. These daughter companies are, to a large extent, run autonomously. The group was formed after mergers brought together champagneproducer Moët et Chandon and Hennessy, a leading manufacturer of cognac. In 1987, they merged with fashion house Louis Vuitton to form the current group.

The group is partly owned by the Christian Dior group, and Bernard Arnault is Chairman and CEO of both companies. His successful integration of various famous aspirational brands into the group has inspired other luxury companies into doing the same. ThusGucci (now part of the French conglomerate PPR) and Richemont have also created extended portfolios of luxury brands. The oldest of the LVMH brands is wine producer Château d'Yquem, which dates its origins back to 1593.

In 2001 De Beers launched a joint venture with LVMH in order to establish De Beers as a retail brand.

Bernard Arnault

chairman and ceo of LVMH and Dior

And in the real world,

we have had shattering news here on Vulture Peak.

That would be

Vulture Peak Vineyard, Mr. Arnault.

Domaine Chandon,

owned by the conglomerate, LVMH,

has bought our grapes for the past 12+ years but has decided they will not be renewing our grape contract.

That means we have no buyer for our 2010 harvest of pinot and most certainly will be in the same position with our chardonnay in 2011, when that contract comes up for renewal.

Selling grapes on the open market, during harvest, is a very risky way to make a living, most certainly cutting the price, if you get one, by 2/3 if not more.

Most simply leave the fruit to rot on the vines to save the expense of picking.

I am not feeling very well, Mr. Arnault.

But I doubt you are listening...

Apparently nobody's drinking champagne these days ...

nor doing much celebrating...

It is not well known that most {if not all - it is hard to get that information} of the"boutique" trendy wineries in Napa County are owned by very large conglomerates who could care less about

the farmer who produces the crop.

As you can see, they do not remotely look like they come from these parts.

No lined faces, etched from the sun.

No look of concern or care

for land and crop, animals, weather.

No sun-bleached hair, brows and lashes,

wives worrying over sun spotted skin,

from years beneath a yellow sun

toiling rather than sailing.

I wish I were bigger..today I feel small.

My voice too soft to be heard.

The photos I have included were protected

but I won't be stealing that design, mr. lagarfeld,

so don't you worry that pretty, tight, unlined face of yours.

The above is a very small part, sorry mr. lagerfeld, of what this company is known for, what they sell, how they make their money but it is on the back of the farmer that they are able to fund many of these enterprises,

"luxury goods"

so needed by a starving world.

A world starving in more ways than one.

A photograph of a time lost perhaps?

... lost to large greedy conglomerates ...

is that

ok

fine

right in your world?

not mine...

the farmer and his wife

circa 1993

~ New Post on The Bath Blog ~ Go! See! Well, Those Who Are Interested, Go, See! If Not, Well, I'll Deal With You Later...

~♥~

I have written a post and it took some doing to get it done...

I need readers over there, dear readers ... so be a love and toddle over there sometime, if you are remotely interested in those girly kinds of things, well, this isn't exactly girly but if you go read my post, then you won't be in the dark now, will you...

kisses

~♥~

and thank you, sweet people... you know who you are~

The question is

not

what you look at

but

what you see.

henry david thoreau

Good Stuff Sunday ~ Good Stuff All Week ~

Hoping everyone ate enough over the past few days! And...had a lovely time of it besides! :)

Now to get you back on track, I thought I would offer you something else to chew on...I mean, since I'm chewing on it, you might as well be chewing on it as well...

And don't let the word "guru" put you off, it's a better way than sifting through all the millions of youtubes and besides, this came right to my inbox, so that's not so bad. I even think I will register, something I almost never do!

♥

I am a tad depressed, missing my little grandkids...

~♥~Happy Thanksgiving~♥~

~♥~♥~♥~

Let me share with you a bit of gratitude...

~♥~

Yes

I know what some of you are doing about now~

I don't envy you much in THAT department~

I hope you had your strong horse

and enough baskets

to carry your grocery harvest home with no spillage~

~♥~

And then there's

the cooking that never seems to end

{about now, for me, it would be the pies~apple for two picky ones and pumpkin too!}

the meal that is gone too quickly

the clean-up that comes too soon

{and lasts too long}

the sore feet

the aching back

the extra five+ pounds you{I} really didn't need!

~♥~

However if you are with your loved ones,

be they one or one hundred

give thanks for their being by your side,

for that is the true blessing of this day~

~♥~

In fact, give thanks for them everyday

for they are the treasures in your life~

~♥~

I have spent many years,

let us see, about 35 years,

cooking a Thanksgiving meal~

I almost go on auto-pilot when it comes around

even though this will be a year when our house will be quiet

we will be having something a little less cumbersome and time~consuming to prepare

a small meal rather than one that took a week to get on the table.

~♥~

I miss those days and then again,

know that, as the seasons change, so does life.

In my life,

children grow up, have families of their own

sometimes, sometimes,

they cannot come "home" for one day of feasting~

the entire family gathered around

a food laden, candle~lit table.

~♥~

I am thankful for them and will miss them tomorrow like I miss them everyday~

well, maybe a little more, because they are what always makes Thanksgiving day special

for me.

And so to them ~

Brian, Corissa, Michael, Camille, Tyler, Janae, Peter, & baby Jacob,

~have a wonderful day

{and I hope there's pie}~

This day is about love for those we feel closest to,

family and friends,

the intangible sweetness that never dissolves at the end of the day~

even a day filled with all things

"delightsome"

Be Thank~Full

~♥~

And to you, my sweet readers~

~have a wonderful day~

I am grateful I discovered blogging

because of every one of

YOU!

~♥~

I Need A Sewing Machine ~ Any Suggestions {contains bribes}?

~Lady Caroline Dester~

Lady Caroline Dester of "Enchanted April", my all time favorite movie, and

The World's Best Known Flapper Until NOW!

This is my Aunt Sis

~or Alice~

I am not sure which she preferred, probably "darling".

Yes, the flapper with a divorce under her belt by the time she was 25! Those flappers... Can you imagine the scandal? Well, to this day, if my grandmother was still around, there would continue to be gossiping, clucking and eye rolling to

"beat the band, I tell you!"

~Linda Sewing?~

Is a woman's work EVER really done??? Well...IS IT??!

Alice's days of flapper~hood, far behind her, she spent her daze doing this...

poor dear. No wonder she collected all that Grand Baroque sterling, sending me ONE spoon every birthday...I have lots of spoons and nothing else in that pattern, woe is me~ {again? oh for god's sake, linda, get it together!}

fast forward to modern day~

I had a wonderful sewing machine for years and years and used it so much, I eventually, quite literally, blew the thing up! One day, I put pedal to the metal and poof! Black smoke and sparks billowed forth from it's innards and she was done. No more sewing for me and frankly, minus the drama, black smoke and all, I was quite done myself!

It was a Viking and a wonderful machine but even in those days, some 25 years ago {dare I say?! I can hear the quick intakes of breath!!} , or even more, it was very expensive at about $1200. That's not what I want today. I want a machine that will simply sew backwards and forwards, maybe a button hole though I can do them by hand, no fancy computer stuff or stitches because they won't get used, just a very very very BASIC BUT WELL MADE and NOT SEARS sewing machine and I don't know what or where to begin looking. I don't know what brand{except no SEARS} to even consider, it has been sew~~oops~~sooo many years ago now. I have lost touch of the sewing machine world and all it's gidgets and gadgets.

Sew~~oops~~ :) anybody have any suggestions for me? Please? I would pay but you know...I just bought, yes bought, a lovely website design...I don't know what you call them but they make your website AND your blog so they coordinate, isn't she a sweetie?, and everything eventually will look quite spiffy. But it was pricey.

The place I found this lovely and I warn you, there are plenty, is The Avalon Rose. She makes the most original and pretty website designs but I suppose I "could" keep looking but frankly, I think I have found and/or seen the best of the best. The other one I mentioned turned out to be a BIG FAT NO! As luck would have it, I told her I loved roses and birds and she just happened to be debuting a design that seems perfect. It is a bit premature as I keep changing the name and haven't really settled down to exactly what my particular most loved bent is, other than pretty and fragrant and bath and recycled and organic and 'feathering of nests' and have~to~be~the~most~lovely containers and jars in the world{Spain to be exact} that are recycled and recyclable, and, let's not forget, price price price price price price.

However, her designs are OOAK ~ meaning: one of a kind. So my house will be the only house on the block that looks like that. Period. Now I like that way of thinking and one must pay a few pennies more for that option but I think it's worth it. It is very elaborately decorated but I think you will open the door under all that loveliness, with the little ringer over the door that tinkles when you step inside onto the floor boards and simply swoon at what you find inside. At least that is my vision. Can I make money with such a vision and no real live door, door way, windows, shelves, walls other than my pantry and me to make it work? Who knows... in the meantime, I shall paint and while away my time trying to stay somewhat healthy! And those plans include a sewing machine. Why? Because I want to make dolls again. Pure and simple. I want to make a doll for my little granddaughter as well as clothes now and then for her and maybe me, if I can remember how and find one of those stuffed figures that you can mold into your shape to pin things on, along with everything else you pin on them.

Scheveningen Woman Sewing

~vanGogh

Sew~~~so, there you go. Your lesson/plan for the day is #32, leave me a comment on what you think is my best way to go with a sewing machine. And in return, I will send you something lovely if you come up with the best and most affordable, with the most bells and whistles, free they must be, machine for me. Bath salts in dozens of types {well 6!} fragrances, soaps in the making as I write, and potpourri delicious, stewing along famously, as it is very famous you know. I plan a post but the sewing machine and the painting of the quail really should come first...

If you have one you no longer need and want to give it to me, I will pay shipping~~is that a lot? Well, if it's not oodles of money, I WILL PAY TO HAVE IT SHIPPED TO ME!! Sew, help me out, dear ladies{or handsome gents}. I know you are out there, reading this right now, thinking how demented I am but you do have that sewing machine just sitting there gathering dust that is in perfect working order....want to give her a good home? OR, do you have a suggestion for me? PLEASE??? I will send you a sweet gift if you win the prize and and tell me what you think I should buy and I go out and buy it!

You just can't lose on this blog!

And why's that?

Because I have the BEST, most GENEROUS and INTELLIGENT READERS EVER!

And they are so sweet, they come and read these rather long posts and say nice things about them besides!

So Guess What?

I keep writing them! :)

“There is always some madness in love.

But there is also always some reason in madness"

Friedrich Nietzsche

Is It Possible I Now Have TOO Many Blogs, All About The Same Thing?

"Oh my, oh my, is it possible I have too many blogs?

Is it possible that just keeping up with one is sometimes too much for me to possibly do and another is....can it be?

Oh woe is me, woe is me, it is true,

I DO have too many blogs and I CANNOT possibly keep up with not even one post a week on ONE!

Whatever shall I do?

I know!

I will create a website and sell things that

I MAKE ALL BY MYSELF!

Yes, that's the answer to my dilemma..."

~~The End~~

I didn't say that, they did...

those two women in the picture...

I believe they are lamenting having created so many blogs,

they did not know what to do...

they could not possibly keep up with them all.

What were they thinking,

those vacant~headed women by the stream,

lamenting to the birds who could care less...

Well, be that as it may, we do all have our problems. I have posted to both my other blogs, the same post and actually considered posting it here too, just for laughs. Then I realized it really wasn't all that funny. And perhaps my one follower of all three, if not four, of my blogs, would not appreciate it if I were to do that and she would then find out the miserable truth when she, with delight, went to read said posts, only to find out they are all one and the same post!

No, that wouldn't be such a brilliant idea,

of which I have had many,

this just wasn't one of them!

So I thought I would let you know here TOO, in case you want to go THERE and read it. Here's a link to one, no, let me give you one to both, so you can go and check out the new landscaping I have done.

How fun is that?!

And, in case you don't feel like going anywhere other than your reader or here{!!!}, on this very blog, I posted for you a bit of a drawing I made some years back. {I realize it looks very old but it didn't scan so well...} It is fitting even today as far as I am concerned and you may see that, if you look hard enough! Well, you really don't have to look all that hard... :) It's also perfectly fine if this looks to you like a third grader did this instead of a grown~up {sort of} person!

This is based on a story I heard as well as the picture I saw.

It really doesn't bear a likeness as much as an emotion that jerked me awake.

It is of a place in the mountains of Mexico but it could be anywhere.

A simple wooden cross, hundreds of them, along the roads into the mountains. It was said that each marked the passing of one human Spirit, a silent testament to each who chose the treacherous path.

It touched me deeply, perhaps because it is so true of the human spirit,

to never turn back no matter reason ...

the impossibility that is that,

ferocity blankets our tender core.

And sometimes we die trying... what do we encounter at that moment?

when our journey is over... or begins

It broke my heart then

and still does today.

Go Take A Bath ~ My New "almost" Website!

I love this painting and it is perfect for what I have in mind.

"Go take a bath"

might give you a small hint~

{although there's not much to see}

~~~

I {with help...lots of help...} want to build a website and sell my lovely

{if I do say so myself}

concoctions for bath and body ~ organic, real, wholesome, good for you, sweet smelling {or spicy or ...} jams and jellies that are reasonably priced but still wonderful in every way.

Packaged in reusable and recyclable containers that just happen to be gorgeous too!!

I could not stop thinking about it and so, here I am today, up to my eyeballs with all kinds of ingredients, supplies and recipes for bath jams and jellies!

{translation=soap ingredients, salts, additives like kelp, green tea, rose petals, milk, essential oils, jars, containers and more I have forgotten just now}

I even had to finally organize my pantry!!

This all took some doing and lots of research, looking for exactly what I wanted.

I am very particular about these things.

You wouldn't believe the piles of shipping boxes dear husband has carted off or the smaller piles of supplies in the guest room I have collected over the past few months.

God forbid I have guests right now!

And everyone knows what they are getting for the holidaze this year!

I have been using bath salts and essential oils with things like milk, green tea and kelp, for some time.

They are wonderful for soothing my aching body and my tendency toward a depressive state of mind.

I dare say I believe my arthritis is actually healing a bit!

I love big fat bars of rich and creamy 100% natural goat's milk soap or soothing pure olive oil or shea butter soap, with a touch of rose and lavender scent.

One day it dawned on me I "might" be able to make some myself.

So the quest began to learn all I needed to know and then find the essential supplies. It's amazing what you can find on the Web these days that you can't find in stores anymore.

This all took some doing as I am very particular!

...may have mentioned that already....

I don't want to go into it right now but trust me. :)

I was going to blog about it on what are now THREE other blogs I have set up but then "had a better idea"!

However I cannot hardly keep up on this blog so that began to seem like a bad idea.

I still haven't quite figured out my dilemma with that...

suggestions are very welcome...please!!

Above are a couple of jars I have in my bathroom of salt from the Dead Sea mixed with baking soda for soothing and softening the skin, sweet pea and ivy fragrance oils{swoon}, and clays for drawing out toxins. The smaller bottle is Himalayan Pink salt with traces of 82 minerals the human body needs and absorbs in the bath!

Isn't that amazing?

To soak in these are simply heaven in a tub of warm water!

I will share more with you soon, I hope.

I was going to do this on "Go Take a Bath" but have since found it might be better to use an "ecommerce" {see? learning...} website for security and better control. For me, this is the hardest part so dear husband is in charge of making sure it comes together, poor man!

If anyone has any suggestions regarding using WordPress.Org, the one that seems to be the most versatile, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment or email me. Or if you actually know how to design a website, drop me a line. My email is right over there, in my sidebar!

I can use all the help I {we} can get!

Now ~

Go take a bath!!

♥