The skinny of it is...

I am working for myself again... phew. I'm working on getting my espresso stand up and running. I'm gardening. I'm hanging out with the fam. I'm most likely going to be moving to Jackson Hole sooner than later.

Here's some pics of the time between now and the last time I was here.

This is the little corner of the raised vegetable garden bed that Christopher made for me. It's going to take a lot of dirt to fill this thing in...



Here it is after a little bit of sunshine and water.



My strawberries kinda pooped out this summer and I sorta let them down too. I didn't fertilize them and then I let the raccoons ravage them... but luckily the raspberries are taking up the slack. So far I've made five batches of jam and I have about two batches of berries waiting for me in the fridge and it's time to pick again!



You might be wondering who this Christopher is... This is Christopher.



Christopher lives in the beautiful place of Jackson Hole, well near it anyway, with the Tetons in his back yard, literally. I'm trying to figure out how to move myself down there with my Airstream/espresso stand. It sure would be handy to bring an income with me.

Christopher's new hobby is paragliding... He's trying to talk me into giving it a go.



Did you all know that I'm an aunt again?

Here's the newest little darling, introducing Rebbecca Cloe. Well you can't really see her, but you don't get to see pictures of me very often, so I thought I'd throw another one in.



Here's some spring flower pictures from my place.







...and here's some pictures from Yellowstone from last month when Christopher and I took a day drive over to see Old Faithful and some buffalo.













And here is a disturbingly graphic sign to keep parents on their toes...

Orange is the color of...

This cute little guy almost got squished under our feet as we slide down a drainage to the river from the walk we were taking along the flume in Paradise.



Lucky for Jed, this is the only picture of him and Tan that wasn't blurry. What a cute couple eh?



I've never been to the flume before. It was beautiful, and a really easy walk, gradual gradient running along the hillside. I think every town needs one.

And as our parting shot, no one can get enough of cute babies...



William Quenten Geabeau the III, what a name for such a cute bundle. We like to call him Willy Q.

I owe you an explaination...

of what has been keeping me from blogging. I'm sorry (again) for my lack of communication with you all, but I promise, I have been very busy. (First, here's a cute picture of Pumpkin)




I'll work from the present, backwards.

I just returned home from California last night, just in time to throw a Body Shop foot spa at my mom's house. Yes, that's right, I said "Body Shop". You're reading the blog of one of the newest recruits to The Body Shop At Home. But I won't tell you about that just yet, my first story will be about my trip to California.

My sister Tara (from another mother), had her first baby this last week. I've been planning all along to take the lengthy trip from Moscow to Paradise, California since this last fall, but I had no idea that I would be informed of the time of departure at four in the morning. Tanley, my other sister, gave me a jingle only hours after finishing up a late Friday night movie... I actually told her to go without me! But she wouldn't let me go back to sleep (thank goodness too, I would've kicked my own butt when I actually woke up!).

I can't even believe I made it in time for little Willy Q's entrance to this world since it took a fifteen hour drive to get there. Poor Tara was exhausted from being in labor so long. In the end after a speedy c-section, we all got to meet the little man the fuss was all over.

Here's Daddy Q holding the little Willy Q just moments after his debut.






While Tan, Jed (Tanley's fiance) and I were down in Paradise for a few days, we took some time away from the hospital to take their dog, Noogie, and Tara and Q's dog, Mona for a walk along the flume. It was gorgeous! Bright green moss, orange salamanders the color of the fall leaves on the ground, the calming ripple noises of the water flowing through the flume... It was magical.

... I guess those photos are still on my camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it till I get them uploaded.

One thing that has been keeping me very busy is a new job. Finally I am back in the world contributing to society... I was offered a graphic design position at MaryJanesFarm. I am so excited to be using my degree and I didn't even have to move to a big city to find work. How lucky am I? My family can't even believe it... having a degree in art and all. My dad used to joke that I had a degree in basket weaving. Honestly, I think it would've been pretty sweet if I could have taken a class in that. I love baskets!

Just today I talked to MaryJane about what kind of work this summer holds for me. We talked about her bed and breakfast and huge garden. It looks like I'll get to play in MaryJane's garden and even help with the bed and breakfast. I don't think she knows that I've dreamed of putting up little yurts up around my property and creating my own little b&b... This'll be great experience figuring it out what it's all about!

So back to more pictures...

I'm sure you've all noticed the quality of kitchen appliances going downhill over the decades. Last year my mom's toaster went "tummy up" and she had an impossible time finding a good toaster for under $60. In the end she settled for a plastic $15 toaster and has been complaining about it ever since. She says it doesn't get hot enough to toast her bread and takes so long that she just ends up with dried out bread by the time it pops up. Well, imagine my dismay when my prized vintage toaster, fabric covered electric cord and all decided to start burning my bread. Not only was it sexy and built to make it through a bombing, but it used to toast my bread perfectly every time with no fussing. I couldn't just toss it in the trash, I had to try to revive it. After spending four hours tearing it apart, twisting together some elements, wiring in a new plastic covered cord, and figuring out where the sixteen wires that fell out of it went, it works like a charm now. I love my toaster.



Okay, the night is wearing on and it's getting late for me. I'll have to wait for another night to tell you the thrilling stories of the other appliances in my life. Lucky for you.

More to come soon.

Luke's new logo...

and teacher training postcard:

It's not right...

the colors are all wrong (or at least a little wrong), but I'm going to have to deal with it till I work up the energy to buy new paint and repaint the bathroom.



I have been thinking about finding a winter job. I've done a lot of thinking about this actually, but have yet to act on it. I'm still picking up a few lawn jobs here and there, just enough to keep me thinking I have enough money coming in to pay the bills.

My friend Luke just asked me to make a logo for him for his yoga studio in Lewiston. Here's a couple of preliminary sketches... but I think they're a little too busy. I'll have to work on a simpler version, or something completely different.

Well hello my long lost friends...

I know it's been a long dry summer for my blog. I apologize. I will try to rectify this over the following months and change my ways.

Here's what I've been up to lately...

I've been online dating. Shocking I know, but I thought I'd give it a go and see who I meet. I've met some very nice guys, but unfortunately I haven't encountered a bonfire that's consumed me yet. Or maybe that's fortunate? I don't know.

I've found that it does take a lot of time and energy and I've considered discontinuing as soon as my paid for month is up. And I think that will be in just days.

I went up to Sandpoint a few weekends ago to meet up with a friend for some camping and hiking. Unfortunately it rained on us all weekend, though fortunately the cloud cover kept the air temperature fairly warm. I think we missed the brilliant colors of fall by a couple of weeks, but we got to see the beginnings of it.



Besides meeting new guys and trying to decide what part they are going to play in my future, I've been hanging out at home with Pumpkin. She is doing fantastic. She's made herself right at home in my little abode and has even become a bit territorial over it. She has taken to watching life outside of the windows and if she happens to see any of my outdoor cats through the windows she bristles up all over and slams herself up against the window or sliding glass door. Of course I go over to try to calm her down and she acts sweet and innocent as if nothing happened. This is my little Pumpkin Pie reluctantly posing for a photo.



I've also been working pretty hard on my bathroom remodel project. It's been ongoing since February... I think I'm nearing the final product... I've gotten the ceiling painted just last night and this evening I'll be painting the walls with a dark blue glaze. The plaster that I just finished texturing the walls with wasn't a color that I was excited about so I'm going to augment it with blue... I'll post pictures of it when it's in it's finished glory. Everyone will be clamoring to use my restroom when they take a gander at that picture...



And since I didn't get this lovely picture posted in a more timely manner... and I just couldn't keep you in the dark about my culinary expertise... Behold, the salmon burger on a bed of spinach, topped with sweet pickled red onions and a cilantro cream sauce.



Take a look at the color and composition of that plate... astounding... and it was delicious too.

Fall is falling...

I got stuck in the mud this weekend... a precursor to the snow and ice I'll be getting stuck in soon!

I have been failing in keeping my blog well updated this summer... Sorry.

Here's a bit of what's been going on:

Little Miss Pumpkin is not so little anymore... She really does like to eat and eat.



The roomies outgrew the roost and flew the coop.



I finally finished painting Willow's parent's basement.



I got to try out sailing for the first time. It was a blast...



My mum requested an outdoor tub be set up for her birthday. This is located in my garden.



And the most recently photographed event was going to get wood with the fam.