Looks like Three's the Charm

See post My Shasta Home: New Roses on a Monday

Hey everyone,

It seems I had no choice but to switch from this Blogger to WordPress.

Behind the scenes, blogging has felt like an uphill battle lately. I love writing and sharing posts with you, but the constant technical issues on this platform have simply gotten out of hand. Right when I start to get on a roll, posts don’t update, don’t publish correctly, or disappear altogether. It has become incredibly frustrating and, honestly, discouraging at times.

Third Time’s the Charm

BUT FIRST, during this transition, I’ll still be posting here. I just won’t stress myself out anymore if posts don’t go through right away. I’ll also place the new blog link on the sidebar for anyone who would like to follow along there. Of course, it would be using a Blogger Feed, so I’m not confident it would post correctly.

Some posts have taken anywhere from 12 to 36 hours just to update, and that completely interferes with sharing content in a timely way. Worst of all, it began tanking my momentum. I watched my page views slowly fall from hundreds each week down to barely a dozen at times. That’s heartbreaking when so much time, thought, and effort go into writing. I will no longer be posting my Bible Reviews here. 

And honestly? I’m tired of complaining about it, and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about it too. It was simply time to take initiative. I need a platform with reliability and actual customer support instead of constantly wondering which way the Blogger wind is going to blow.

So… I headed back to WordPress.

I signed up yesterday morning, and I’m happy to say I think I’ve finally figured it out after two previous attempts over the years! It only took me a full day.  There’s still a bit of fine-tuning to do, but by George, I think I’ve got it this time. Change can be tough, and I understand the sentimental attachment to following favorite bloggers. The last time I switched platforms, the change didn’t really stick, but this time it will. 

For now, I’ll be writing posts there while cross-posting one of two posts back here so nobody gets left behind overnight. However, once I feel completely comfortable on WordPress, the permanent move will happen. I'll still be around to read your posts. 

At the end of the day, I just want a place where I can write consistently, connect with others, and enjoy blogging again without fighting the platform every step of the way.

Thank you to those of you who continue to read, encourage, and support me. It truly means more than you know.

The new blog combines my previous two blogs: From My House, which Blogger unpublished the whole blog, going back years! And this one, My Shasta Home.  

From My Shasta Home. 

I’m already enjoying the process of creating it and coming up with fresh ideas.

PS. I’m only transferring the month of May and a few other special posts.  Uploading the whole blog just isn’t manageable for me. I used Google Take Out to back up my blog to my external hard drive. 

Oh, kinda funny - My testing post got triple the amount of views than the last 6 posts. Go figure. 

Testing testing

It's Tuesday May 19 and its 2:38 PST.

A Different Kind of Grandparenting

The Lord directs even the smallest steps.

This morning marked the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the NorthState Clinic. There was a prayer for protection, followed by a tour of the facility for anyone who hadn’t seen it yet. Many of the builders, electricians, plumbers, and everyone who contributed to the construction were in attendance.

It all smelled so nice and clean. 

They offer baby formula, brand-new car seats, new toys, and strollers, with all baby equipment required by state law to be new. The clothing is either gently used or brand new. The intake room is equipped with great washers and dryers, and I’d love to work in the boutique, though it seems to be a popular spot. Karen, the head of Volunteers, prefers I take on an advocate role since my husband is already coaching the young fathers.

I probably won't officially start until June. 

Everything is free for the new moms and moms-to-be. 

There is even maternity clothing. 

 

Directly across the street from this clinic is the Women’s Reproductive Health Clinic - a facility that performs abortions every Wednesday. That reality wasn’t apparent when they first looked at the building, but once known, it became an important part of how they understood the work God had placed before them.

That’s why the Christian community here, along with neighboring towns from all denominations, has come together to support this. 

In this season of our lives, God has gently filled the spaces we once thought would stay empty. Instead of grandchildren to hold, He’s given us little shoes to straighten, tiny outfits to fold, and young families to encourage. What a gift it is to stand right here, in the place He’s planted us, offering love and support to the ones who need it most. Our arms may not be full of our own babies, but our hearts are full all the same.

Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow. 

Debby

New Roses on a Monday

 

At exactly 7 a.m., we dashed into Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wintour Garden, and the Grange Co-op in pursuit of roses. The plan was simple: one red, one blush or peach, and one pink - big, glorious tea roses in containers to grace the rocks under our living room window. But apparently, post Mother’s Day, red roses are rarer than a four-leaf clover. 

 After diving headfirst into the meager selection, I emerged victorious… sort of. The “red” rose looked suspiciously like hot pink. We bought it and planted it anyway, and vowed to hunt down a true, deep red next year, at which point the hot pink will be reassigned to another corner of the yard to live out its days in eye-catching glory.

The mini roses my Dad planted are overachievers. Starting life in a small pot as a romantic gift for Mom, they quickly realized indoor living wasn’t their style. So Dad freed them to the great outdoors in the mid-1990s, where they’ve been thriving ever since. 

I’m smitten with this beauty. A blush so perfect it could win a prize. About 4-5 inches across. 

Finally hung up the faux spring wreath on the unpainted front door from last year’s “paint job.” That’s the DIY way: start a project, admire it halfway done, and promise the rest will happen… someday.

 Hopefully, this summer’s the charm!

Who can resist free stuff? During their move, the clinic had to cram into a building 3,000 square feet smaller than their old rental. On the bright side, no more rent, just property taxes, and they own the place outright, along with some acreage for future builds. More clinic news tomorrow! It's OPENING DAY, finally! 

Thanks to local churches, over a million dollars was raised for the facility and a year’s expenses. With less space for their belongings, they went on a spree of selling, donating, trashing, and ultimately handing out perfectly good treasures like it was Christmas in July...or May? 

My husband came home with two boxes of black pots from Hobby Lobby, $5.99 each, that had been used as Gala centerpieces. 

Now I’ve got 33 of them 

Any ideas?

I need to touch up the sign to match the vintage redwood chairs my parents bought in 1959 from a truck in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury when I was a kid. There were two chairs, a small end table, a settee, and a picnic table with two benches. Sadly, the picnic table and benches bit the dust decades ago. 

My sister and I used to play “wagon train” in the backyard, turning the picnic table into a covered wagon by placing two chairs on top with sheets draped over them, while the benches became our trusty horses. We braved the Indian attacks and trekked miles of hot, dusty trails as we crossed the Sierras in search of gold.

Finally, a home for my bird bath! It’s not perfect, but I’ve learned to live without perfection. I’m sure it’ll grow on me. When you’re not wealthy, you make do with what you have, and I’ve always been pretty good at that.

All that’s left to do is install the drip lines to each individual pot, which should happen sometime this week.

My husband put a small water reservoir beneath each rose bush in the pot, a smart move in Redding’s hot, dry summers because it trains the roots to grow deep and keeps moisture where the plant actually needs it. I do wish we had planted them a few weeks earlier, but so far, the roses we already have are doing well. 

I picked up some Dollar Tree globe solar lights to place inside each pot, and I’m excited to see how they look tonight.

Laydee's ashes stayed in the pretty bag since the end of March because I couldn’t bring myself to take them out. On Saturday, I finally brought out the beautiful box, and my husband placed two rocks on it. One was a small rock she had brought to him as a puppy,  and the other, a larger one, was picked up by my husband during one of her last walks to remember their journey together.

That box is heavy. 

Her paw prints will be framed as a keepsake. She’ll be laid to rest in the backyard, alongside two other cats, two dogs, and a couple of fish.

Well, that's it for me on this late Monday afternoon. I need to fix our dinner and get ready for the BIG day tomorrow. 

See you tomorrow. 

Debby

Psalm 127:3 (NIV) reads: “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring, a reward.”

This verse highlights the sacred worth of human life, especially in its earliest stages, portraying children as a precious gift and blessing from God.

It hasta be Shasta

 

There she is - 

Not a bad photo considering I took it out the car window at 70 mph. 

I don't get to see Mt Shasta from this angle, so it's always a treat. This is the north side of it, and of course, it has more snow. 

As we're driving south, it starts out on the right side of the landscape 

Then in the middle...

and then on the left side. 

The catchy jingle, "It hasta be Shasta," came from our regional soda brand that began near Mt. Shasta in 1899. Originally launched as a sparkling water, it shifted to soft drinks in 1931. The company made history in the beverage world by becoming the first to use aluminum cans in 1953.

Today

This morning, started in on deep cleaning my kitchen. I wiped down the tops of the cabinets, scrubbed the counters, stovetop, stove, toaster, bread machine, coffee maker, and air fryer until they were sparkling like new. I’m also sorting through utensils and planning to downsize or store some away since I don’t cook large meals in the summer. I'm not finished yet and hope to finish tomorrow. 

I still have the garden window, which, for me, is tricky to clean since I have to climb onto the counters to reach all the way into it. Take down the shelves to clean and wash the inside of the windows. 

All in all, it was a great day. 

That's all I have for this Thursday. 

Until Next time...

Debby

Blue Tangle Lake in the Trinity Alps

 

On Mother’s Day, my son sent me photos from his overnight trip to Blue Tangle Lake in the Trinity Alps.

A lovely, remote lake tucked into a granite bowl with meadows and quiet trails leading down to the water.

Elevation: 5,758 feet.

A good place for some alone time.

We scattered Michael’s ashes in the Trinity Mountains in May 2023, from a helicopter. This year, on the May 8 anniversary, Navy hiked in alone just to fish, and to think. He misses his older brother.

Foodie went camping with a friend.

And what did I do?

I went about my day, keeping myself busy. It ended up being a good day. After all, I’ve got 23 years of experience behind me. And I’d already had my moment a few days earlier, and I was good.

That’s growth. Thank you, Lord.

The sun casts its reflection across the granite mountain.

Navy always shows me his catches... 

Some good fishing there. 

and good eating, too. 

It was so remote up there that Navy didn’t see another person until he hiked out the next morning. He did, however, hear a few Bigfoot calls… 

Of course, he did. It’s the Trinity Alps.

Looking for Bigfoot

We spent the day out yesterday, and when we got home in the late afternoon, the house was 81 degrees inside. It wasn’t even that hot outside, only about 93.

No air was coming out of the registers, so my husband changed the filter. I checked my old blog (My Morning Cup of Coffee from 2007 to 2023) and found the post about it. Turns out it was installed on October 30, 2012.  This morning, as soon as the heating and air place opened, I called them, and by 10 a.m., they were here. It was the capacitor, which the tech had on his truck. $239 later, it was fixed. Of course, today’s much cooler, only hitting 81, and cooler days in the mid 70's for the rest of the week. 

We definitely dodged a bullet, and it's something we’ll need to keep in mind over the next few years.

Until Next Time, 

Debby

Posting on a Quiet Mother's day

If any rose could symbolize Mother’s Day, it would be a red one. Well, this isn’t exactly red, but it’s pretty close. I spotted them blooming from my bedroom window and voilà, there’s my lead photo for today’s post.

I've been reflecting on Mother's Day and my connection to it. Honestly, I don't feel much of one, except that if it's my day, I want to spend it my way. Since I'm not into fanfare or big celebrations, I'm enjoying a quiet day at home, as usual. I listen to the sounds of my husband working in the yard and the steady hum of the washing machine. I find comfort in the simple, ordinary days of life.

Either everyone left for the weekend or something, because it’s incredibly quiet in my neighborhood. I sat in the backyard, listening to the gentle cooing of doves and watching the finches and doves flutter about - truly a gift. 

Here's what's going on in front. The husband is laying the brick - and then next will be the weed barrier and then, finally, the rocks. 

We'll buy some roses, plant them in BIG pots, hook them up to the drip lines, and never have to worry about them in our 105+ degree summers. 

Like my fake rock? That covers the sprinkler system. 

After this is completed, we will overseed and repair our grass lawn - We were going to do sod, but there are so many tree roots - not worth it. If the overseeding accomplishes what we're looking for, it should be fine. If not...it's back to the drawing board. 

It's not a big lawn area anymore. Throughout the years, we have diminished much of the lawn area with pavers and rocks. But it is always nice to have a little patch of green grass. 

Through it all, Mr. Raven stands guard. I absolutely adore ravens, and there are so many in my subdivision and the surrounding area - it must be their breeding and hunting grounds. My subdivision is even named after them, though I won’t mention the name for privacy reasons.

Shasta Dinner Cruise BOOKED  ✔

This boat serves as a floating kitchen where they prepare the meals, and once everything is ready, they bring the delicious food over to our boat, in the middle of the lake, hook up, and unload. We could actually smell the food before it came onto the boat. 

This year, Cassie, Sara’s sister, who’s been living with them, will be joining us. She lost her husband last year and moved here to be closer to her sister and start a new chapter in her life. It’s too pricey for Char, and my middle one, Foodie, just isn’t interested. He insists it’s not worth it, even though he’s never been. Gotta love him all the same! 💕

And for those who still remember:

I will take the shuttle!

A beautiful photo of Lake Shasta is a reservoir we are so fortunate to live near. The biggest reservoir in California is Shasta Lake, located in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It has a capacity of over 4.5 million acre-feet, making it a critical source of water for the region.  

Shasta Lake water level as of yesterday 
1052.95 feet elevation
The full lake is 1067 feet elevation above sea level.

That is it for me on this Mother's Day. Just received texts from Char and Navy - (he always sends me his fish photos), and talked with Sara. 

It's a good day! 

Debby