Baseball is back!
Spring Training has begun.

(Yay, now I'll get to see Johnny Damon on a
more frequent basis. That makes me happy!)

If you are a baseball fan, please check out the new MLB links under "The Daily News". My teams are the Mariners, Red Sox and Yankees. If you would like your teams added, please let me know.

There are some new posts under recipes (meatloaf, BBQ crock pot ribs, and Grandma's green beans).

In addition, there is a new post under Gifts, Dolls and Crafts showing how to make tapestry pillows.

Also, there is a must read post about Mom, Kristin and Ethan's Guatemala trip that begins on Friday on the Outreach link.

There's even more! Gwen Boulton is featured in the Outreach link for her work with the Maasai girls in Kenya.

Have a wonderful day!

Kathy

Jennifer's Birthday Post

Happy Birthday, Jennifer!

Jason' Birthday Post

Happy 8th Birthday, Jason!

A Day in Bend:

Yesterday, Cary and I put the dogs outside and left for Bend around 10:30. We stopped by the car wash and then headed to the feed store for chemicals for the washplant pond.

After that, we went to Anthony's and met our friend/salesman Lewis for lunch. I had a shrimp pasta dish. They have this tasty dip for your french bread there: roasted garlic mixed with oil and pepper. That was good! We had a nice visit and then Lewis gave us these really cool camo jackets ... lightweight and lined in fleece, we really like them. Maybe I'll show you a picture of those later.

After saying farewell to Lewis, we headed downtown and walked around, going into some of the little shops along the way. I enjoyed the antique store and found some really neat canisters with chickens painted on that I swear used to be Grandma Johnson's. But, I didn't buy them. Yet. They were $49.00, and I am on unemployment.

There are several stores going under. It made me sad to think that they would soon be gone and I haven't even stepped foot inside them yet.
This economy is really, really bad around here. Bend has the 5th highest level of unemployment in the nation, and don't think that it is any better in La Pine.

Done with downtown, we went to the Old Mill District and meandered through that cool outdoor mall. The pictures below are from there. First we went to the fancy art gallery and met a nice sales guy named Chris. He talked to us about the art and told us about the gallery. The art there was very expensive and had artists from around the world. I'm talking $3,000 and more here. Chris said that this gallery was really kind of a chain, and that the Hawaii and San Francisco stores were carrying the Bend store during this slow period. A few of the artists had put their work on sale for a few weeks; 10-30% off, because nobody in Bend was buying.

We stopped in the Oregon Store and visited with a couple of ladies and their dog. Everything was Duck related in there. Pretty neat, but we didn't buy anything. Then we checked out REI, which has the smokestacks built in them.

After we went there, we stopped by to see our friend Linda and had some ice tea. From there it was to Walmart, were we bought 10 movies at $5.00 each and a box of fiberfill for me, because I am going to start making my dolls again and some pillows too. (The La Pine Grange Hall is starting a Farmer's Market, and I might give myself a chance at selling some of my gifts of comfort and joy there pretty soon.)

Then we came home and watched movies. The end. It was a really nice day, all in all.

Old Mill District:

Ice sculptures melting ....

Hi,

Sorry that I haven't been posting much on this page. I have been busy on the other sections, including: USCC, McKenzie River, Mixes and Recipes, Children's Lit and Folklore and the addition of the Camp Christian Childcare link.

I have also decided to create a brand new website on Early Childhood Education, but I am trying to create it on Word Press because of the better word processing functions available. I don't know when it will be ready.

Other than that, we went to Klamath Falls last weekend to visit with family. We had a nice dinner, and then I sang some karaoke Jimmy Buffett. That was fun. I don't sing very well, so I pick songs that I know by heart and that are usually sung by a man so I don't worry about high notes .

Thanks for checking in, and please look over the new entries listed above.

~ Kathy

Happy Birthday, Jen!

From your favorite father-in-law, Cary,

and from Kathy too!

God bless you, and we hope that

this year is your best ever.

Celebrating the postitive portions
of everyday life . . .

Some of my favorite coffee mugs:

Yesterday, I went on a drive with my Best Friend Husband. We headed south this time. We stopped for a hamburger in Gilchrist and visited with Papa Rick and the new Grandma Kathy. (She's awful cute!)

From there, we drove to Chemult and then took the back route to Crescent Lake Junction. We made our way to the Crescent Lake Lodge, where I snapped these photos of the partially frozen lake. It was cold, windy, beginning to snow and beautiful.

I am reminded of how lucky we are to live in Central Oregon, where all of this beauty is just minutes away from home. And the rest of it is just an hour or two away.

Jimmy Buffett Postcards and Lyrics to "Frank and Lola", " Margaritaville" and "Fins"

I bought these postcards in Las Vegas a couple of years ago and just copied the lyrics from Jimmy's Margaritaville website. If you would like access to Jimmy Buffett news and lyrics, click on the Parrothead link on the right.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

FRANK AND LOLA

by Jimmy Buffett & Steve Goodman

Lola loves Frank, Frankie loves Lola
On their second honeymoon in Pensacola
Tryin' to find a little privacy, oh me

There'd been too much screamin', fussin' and fightin'
The doggies were yellin;, the children were bitin'
Frank and Lola tryin'to get together again

So he took her to this movie called "Body Heat"
She said, "The Junior Mints were mushy and the sex was neat.
Oh my, Frankie weren't we better than that before our spat."
Frankie told Lola, "Honey, can't you see that I'll jump start you if you'll kick start me."

Frankie and Lola, tryin' to get together again.

So they strolled along the highway, they walked along the beach
They stopped at several raw bars where they slurped a dozen each
Bought a bunch of popcorn from the fat man on the dock
Baby, turn back the pages, turn round the clock.

Lola told Frank, "Time we put it to the test."
After Frankie told Lola she was still the best
They fell asleep in the sand underneath the Florida moon in June.
Lola counted rainbows, Frankie counted sheep
Til they almost got run over by the lifeguards' jeep
Frank and Lola tryin' to get together again.

Go, Frank, goLola, LoGo Frank, go, wow
So they strolled along the highway, they walked along the beach
They stopped at several raw bars, ......ETC........turn round the clock.

Lola loves Frank, Frankie loves Lola
On their second honeymoon in Pensacola
Trying to find a little priva Trying to find a little priva
Trying to find a little privacy
Go, Frank, goLola, loGo, Mango

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

MARGARITAVILLE

by Jimmy Buffett

Nibblin' on sponge cake, watchin' the sun bake;
All of those tourists covered with oil.
Strummin' my six string on my front porch swing.
Smell those shrimp--They're beginnin' to boil.

Wasted away again in Margaritaville,
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
But I know it's nobody's fault.

Don't know the reason,
Stayed here all season
With nothing to show but this brand new tattoo.
But it's a real beauty,
A Mexican cutie, how it got here I haven't a clue.

Wasted away again in Margaritaville,
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
Now I think,-- hell it could be my fault.

I blew out my flip flop,
Stepped on a pop top;
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.
But there's booze in the blender,
And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on.

Wasted away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
But I know, it's my own damn fault.
Yes, and some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
And I know it's my own damn fault.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

FINS

by Jimmy Buffett, Deborah McColl, B.Chance, Tom Corcoran

She came down from Cincinnati.

It took her three days on the train.

Lookin' for some peace and quiet;hoped to see the sun again.

But now she lives down by the ocean.

She's takin' care to look for sharks.

They hang out in the local bars,

And they feed right after dark.

Chorus:

Can't you feel 'em circlin' (closin'in) honey?

Can't you feel 'em swimmin' around?

You got fins to the left, fins to the right,
and your the only bait in town.

You got fins to the left, fins to the right,
and your the only girl in town.

She's savin' up all of her money.

Wants to head south in May;

Maybe roll in the sand with a rock'n'roll man,

Somewhere down Montserrat way.

But the money's good in the season;

Helps to lighten her load.

Boys keep her high as the months go by.
She's gettin' postcards from the road.

Chorus:

Sailed off to Antigua.

It took her three days on a boat.

Lookin' for some peace and quiet;

Maybe keep her dreams afloat.

But now she feels like a remora,'cause the school's still close at hand.

Just behind the reef are the big white teeth

of the sharks that can swim on the land.

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
 

Hi, if you have not been here for a few days, I've been very busy adding new posts.

There are new photo's under the McKenzie River link of Belknap Hot Springs Resort, Blue River Park, Delta Park and others. Under the Matthews section (Pioneer Research/Gen. link) there are nearly 140 new photos. I added 44 new photos under the USCC link, and new posts on emergency preparedness under the link with that poor woman from the big depression. I hope that you find something that you enjoy!

~ Kathy

Blue River/Rainbow, Oregon:

I wanted to share some highlights of last weekend's trip to the McKenzie Valley. (These pictures were taken with my Christmas camera, and I love it! I have so much to learn though. This was the first time that I have used it.)

We stayed at Holiday Farms Resort. They have all of these cute little vacation rental cabins, and a restaurant/lounge that it right across the street. The cabins are managed by two separate companies: The Holiday Farm Resort and McKenzie Riverside Cottages. If one company says they are full, call the other one. The cabins are individually owned, so they vary in decor. Some are right on the river, with decks overlooking the water. Winter rates vary from $158.00 to $175.00 per night, but you are getting your own house for that amount.

The Holiday Farms restaurant and lounge.

We stayed in Riversong this time. It is one of our favorites, as are Honeymoon and Lookout. Water Wheel is also very nice. Shady Rest does not have a deck right on the river, but it is a really nice little house with a great views. Some of the cabins:

Jerry and Linda from Bend invited us over for dinner on Monday night. We really enjoyed ourselves. Thanks again, you two!

Linda is holding an inspiring snake

that I might copy someday.

Jerry

Cary

Jan brought some souvenirs of last

years' trip to share with us.

Some pretty pictures of the scenery (I posted a bunch more this mornng under the McKenzie River link on the right):

My favorite photography subject (he's always handy and never objects ... plus, he's easy on the eye):