Another (hopefully graceful) transition!

Aah yes, those transitions, changes in life that we all continually encounter...we just try to handle them as they come, and hopefully those transitions take place gracefully, with little more than ripples in our daily routines.  Because whether we readily admit it or not, I believe that most of us, like our animals, are creatures of habit.  And change can be a decidedly uncomfortable, oftentimes unpleasant and downright scary undertaking.  But change we must!  We must always remember that life is a series of continual changing, evolving and growing.  Without that change, life would quickly become stagnant, and we'd most likely die.  Literally or figuratively, wither up and be no more.  Such a pleasant thought!

The most recent transition to which I'm referring is the retirement of my husband.  Having been laid off from his job early last year, his unemployment benefits are finished.  This coming month of February will be the first time that he will be collecting the first of (hopefully many) social security benefits payments.  Yikes!!  For some reason, I envisioned this as something that would happen a long way off, you know, when we're old.  Ahem...does this mean we're old?  Nope!  Quite the contrary, I see this as another chapter in our lives.  With God's mercy, it will be a long and fulfilling chapter where we have more personal time to enjoy doing the things in life that we previously didn't have much time to enjoy.  Working is something we must all do in life, but it seriously infringes upon our personal pursuits!  And frankly, I can be a bit testy about how little of our time we're able to utilize and enjoy doing what we want.  It's just never seemed fair to me, especially when I look around and so many families have only 1 working family member.  Do these stay-at-home working family members seriously realize just how much of a luxury that is?  I understand working around the home, but it is quite different when one has to commute to a place of employment 5 days out of every 7 and be there without fail, doing whatever it is that you do in order to collect your paycheck.  It's vastly different than working from home, scheduling your own hours and accomplishing whatever it is that you determine will be done in that particular day.  Very different.  Aahh well, but then life just isn't about being fair is it?  Life just is, what it is.  Life is what you make of it.  I have a good life, and I'm thankful.  I also admit to looking forward with great anticipation to the day when my time is much more, my own time.  In the meantime, I'll continue to commute and do my job to the best of my abilities, and also be thankful that I do have a job that I usually enjoy, and that helps to pay our bills, and take care of our animals and our home.  But I digress...

My point is, we're adapting to this most recent change.  I'm actually looking forward to my hubby being at home more often, and being able to pursue projects around our property and our home without everything trying to get finished on our weekends.  Hopefully, this change will enable us to follow more entertaining pursuits on our weekends!!  Now that is something to look forward to!!  I am all open for that...poor guy, just don't know if he realizes everything I have in mind for utilizing his time.  This must be how it is for husbands though, their wives always finding new and more clever ways to fill up those idle hours.  Idle - hah!!  Ladies, you can relate right?  :)  And besides, you realize what's said about idle time being the devil's workshop don't you?  Mustn't contribute to that!!

In other news that is news, our weather is considerably warmer and wetter.  It's much more akin to what we usually expect in January.  The mud is back to being sticky and wet, no need for the water trough heater, and the blankets are only for Miss Kadie on those particularly wet and blustery days.  However, she doesn't really need a blanket for warmth at all, I just don't want her getting wet and chilled.  Our temps are in the upper 40's by night, and into the 50's by day.  A light jacket or vest is all that's required to ward off the winter's chill.  I've noticed recently that the horses are starting to shed their winter coats as well, so are the dogs.  Just maybe, we're in for a warmer and drier spring than we've had in the last several years.  That would be wonderful!  I've noticed the daylight hours being a bit longer as well.  There's still some light in the sky when I head home in the evenings, and daylight savings is less than 6 weeks away.  I'm amazed at how well I'm handling my SAD this year.  Although, there's nothing in particular that I'm doing, it just doesn't seem to be bothering me much yet this year.  What a blessing that is!

We took a day trip to the beach last Sunday.  It was raining on and off all day, but there was very little wind.  The surf was angry and the tide was in, which made walking on the beach a more cautious affair.  Despite the weather and the formidable waves, we donned our coats and hats and walked to our heart's content.  I've definitely noticed Annie slowing down a bit lately.  She loves walking, but she prefers to stay close by my side and keeps my pace rather than running off with Ruby.  It just breaks my heart to admit this, but it's true.  My girl will be 8 on April 30th, so she is a mature lady, a puppy no more...I will love her and care for her every single day that we have together.  I'm her person.  She's a momma's girl, and always has been.  :)

When we grew tired of walking, we went into McMenamen's Pub for their amazing clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls.  Oh my - their chowder is the very best I've had since I worked for Lois DeVore many, many years ago.  She took her chowder recipe with her to her grave, and the world would grieve if it only knew what it was missing.  I can honestly say that this is the first chowder I've EVER had that even remotely comes close to Lois'...and that is saying something.  It is delicious and I highly recommend trying it if you have a McMenamen's near you.  Try it alongside an icy glass of their Ruby Ale...they brew it themselves and it's infused with raspberry puree.  So good!

anticipation...

 My sweet hubby had cleaned the stalls and put hay rations out before we left, so when we got home, all we had to do was bring the horses inside and give them their grain.  They were definitely ready.  Warm, cozy stalls are much more inviting than standing outside in mud and rain.  Our ponies love their little homes, and that makes us happy!

January full moon over cingspots

May we all look upon our transitions with grace and with thankfulness...
Blessings, Lorie @ Cingspots

Signs of change

Yes, our weather has changed and we've been in a wet pattern for the last several days now...sigh.  I'm not ready to say good-bye to the warm sunshine on my face.  But it is, what it is, and I have no control over such matters.

My grandma used to say that the only constant in life, was change.  And change, we must.  We're continually evolving, growing, aging, changing.  Nothing in life ever remains the same.  It's a good reminder to embrace what we have in life to be thankful for.  Recognize our blessings and the people in our lives whom we love.

For tomorrow, everything could well be, very different from what we have today.

Our weekend was low-key.  I was perfectly ok with that.  There aren't many times when I can say that I'm at peace.  I've always felt an inner turmoil that I've never been able to explain.  I'm rarely satisfied for long, or with the status quo.  Always feeling the need to be doing, going, seeing...never quite content with what is.  It's a situation that I'm always at odds with.  So, when I feel content - I'm quite often surprised and always thankful.  This weekend was one of those rare times.  I didn't feel the need to be somewhere other than where I was.  How nice.

Friday was a chaotic day at work.  I have no reason why, it just was.  The phones started ringing the minute I walked through the door and never for a moment, seemed to stop throughout the day.  People wanting things, needing help, questions...always the questions, that never seem to end.  By late afternoon, I had a headache and was thoroughly depleted.  All the life had been sucked out of me.  I was ready to relax, and be somewhere quiet.  When I arrived at home, the smell of dinner cooking wafted through my senses the minute I walked through the door...hmmmm.  And it was warm, and cozy in our little home.  My husband had our supper all ready and a fire was going in the wood stove.  We ate a quiet dinner, did the chores and relaxed while watching a movie before heading off to bed.   Sabbath morning we went to church; the first time in a while.  We listened to a sermon by our new pastor.  It felt wonderful, and I felt peaceful.  Afterwards, we went out for lunch and headed back home.  I had a nap.  Delicious...

Sunday we spent the day cleaning, cooking, doing chores, and I had a very good session working with Eagle.  I'm ready to start riding him.  He's ready, and so am I.  He's a good, sensible, kind and loving horse.  He trusts me.  Now, I need to learn to return that trust.  I also want to get a helmet.  That'll be a first for me.  I've never even had a helmet on before, but it just seems like a good idea.  Not that I think Eagle will buck, or do anything unexpected.  I just have that thought, and I'm going to pay attention to it.

I have a few more pics of my wonderful trip to the beach a little over a week ago, that I'd like to share.  Beautiful little Neskowin Beach and their many signs...

 This house is named the Eishirlou...they have 3 daughters.  Eileen, Shirley and Louise.  Eishirlou.

 The Green Dragon is a rental cottage.

 This little community is all about the dogs.  They are very dog-friendly and it's evident everywhere.  I like that.

 This family really got into the spirit!

The following pictures are from Cape Kiwanda, the beach at Pacific City...Dory capital of the world.  The Dory fishing boats launch directly from the beach into the surf, and when they come back ashore, they slide way up onto the sand.  It's fun to watch!  In the last several years, Pacific City has been changing.  It's becoming quite popular with surfers.  You can see what a beautiful day it was...wish I were there again!

 The Oregon coast is famous for two different "Haystack Rocks".  This is the larger of the two, and the other is further up North, at Cannon Beach.

 The beach we lived on is just on the other side of this rather large sand dune...down the beach a couple of miles at Tiera Del Mar.

Looks like fun!!

My beautiful girls...tired from walking and playing.  We picked up a pizza and headed back to our little cottage away from home.  It was a perfectly lovely time spent at the beach.  It was wonderful to get away for a few days and relax, spend some time rejuvenating our spirits and just "being", instead of always "doing".
What a blessing and possibly one of the last warm and perfectly gorgeous fall days before the rains settled in.

Like I said before, life and everything that goes along with that; is in a constant process of change.  We need to learn to embrace that change...and like the sign says - "go with the flow".

Happy Monday all,
Cingspots

Neskowin Beach trip

Well, we've had our first rainfall of the fall this past Friday.  The dust has been dampened, the air is refreshed and pleasantly cool, and I'm hoping for some Indian Summer weather to continue.  It's rained a little bit most days since then, but today is absolute perfection!  Around 70 and just an occasional puffy, white cloud in an otherwise brilliantly blue sky...sigh.  I adore fall days like these!  You just can't ask for anything better.  It's a perfect day to do just about anything you set your mind to.  Except be cooped up at work.  That's not my idea of wonderful.  It's been super quiet all this week so far.  Tell me again, exactly why am I here?  Oh yeah, the almighty dollar - now I remember!  Bummer.

At least I got a break from working last week.  I took a few days off and went to the beach.  :)  Just me and the dogs.  Yep...awwwwesome!!!!!  I did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  And it was splendid weather!  I couldn't have wished for anything better.  There weren't very many people there either.  That's another thing I like about the beach in the midweek - it's so quiet, and so peaceful.  Just perfect.

I took a lot of pictures.  I'll probably break the pics up into groups so as not to bore you, but I took a lot. of. pictures.   Just sayin'...

 My quiet and cozy little cottage away from home on Neskowin Beach.  I loved it!!  It was clean, quiet, comfortable, and the dogs were welcome too.

 See that flooring in the kitchen?  It was beautiful!  That's pretty close to what I'm thinking of putting in my kitchen, nook off the kitchen (wood stove room), laundry room and mudroom.  It has no red tones in it at all, just brown.  Not too dark, and not too light.  That's what I want.

 The cute and cozy living room area with a small patio.  The fireplace was electric and was just enough heat to warm up in the evenings.  A fake fire is certainly better than no fire at all.  It's all about the ambiance...

The view from the patio.  This is called South Beach and that big rock just to the right in front of the ocean is called "Proposal Rock".  The name originates from one of the long ago residents who proposed to his bride-to-be after an exhilarating hike to the top for a romantic and picturesque view of the Pacific ocean far below.  How romantic is that?  The name stuck and it's been Proposal Rock ever since.  To the right of the rock is beautiful Neskowin Beach.  On this beach you can walk for over 7 miles all the way down to Cape Kiwanda, the beach in Pacific City.  Home of the Dory Festival, and more recently the local surfer's hangout.
When my hubby and I lived on the beach, our home was just a couple of miles on the other side of Haystack Rock on Cape Kiwanda.  This is my most favorite section of beach on the entire Oregon coastline.  From Neskowin Beach, up north to Tiera Del Mar.  It's just gorgeous, and the beach is huge.

 There were lots and lots of sand dollars everywhere.  Most of them get broken up by the sea, but some of them you can find intact.  I found two perfect ones, but one of them broke in my pocket.  Guess I need to go back again to find a replacement.  :)

 Beautiful Proposal Rock.  During low tide you can still make the trek all the way to the top.  It's not a hike for the faint of heart though...no handrails here.
It was fairly early in the morning and the fog was just lifting to reveal a beautiful fall day.

 The tide was on its' way back out.  The evening before we walked at low tide and the beach is much larger then.  This is looking south towards South Beach.

 The ocean is the most relaxing place I've ever been to.  A place to carry all your worries away...

 Looking North towards Cape Kiwanda at Pacific City.

This always troubles me a wee bit...my girls a little too interested in something they've found on the beach.  Notice the seagull looks none too amused.

I love the subtle colors of the greyish-blue of the ocean in the morning before the sun has fully burned the fog off.  Such a peaceful color.  Wouldn't that be lovely in a bedroom?  So tranquil and relaxing.

Nice homes for storm watching or just enjoying the ocean view huh?  I adore the variety in the houses on the beach.  But what I especially enjoy are the quaint and cozy little beach cottages that Neskowin Beach is famous for.  I'll save those for another post.  In my rental there was a book with history on the town and a lot of the cottages since the early 1900's.  There were pictures of the original cottages and how they look today, including stories of the people who built them and lived there, many for numerous generations.  It was such fun walking around and taking pictures of those adorable beach cottages and knowing some information about the families and their stories.

 Seagull feet...

This house is a beauty, a little large for my tastes, but lovely all the same.  I loved how the morning sunlight was streaming through the fog.

 A nice little spot for a rest and some contemplation.

Annie and Ruby exploring and checking out all the wonderful sniffs that the beach has to offer.  I can't imagine going to the beach without my girls.  :)

 Ruby has matured into a lovely young lady.  She's a little over 2 years old already - my how time does fly...

Can you even imagine how wonderful it must be to take flight, and soar above the ocean waves?  I've had two dreams in my life where I've been able to fly of my own accord, and I must admit that I really didn't want to wake up.  It was magical!

 Even the seagulls contemplate the world; and life whilst gazing upon the ocean so blue...it's mesmerizing!

 Not sure what, or if, Ruby's contemplating anything other than what lies around the next bend.  Every single dog she sees, she's convinced it's her long-lost best friend.

While Ruby goes gallavanting off in search of her next grand adventure, Annie's much more content to walk by my side.  Always has been a momma's girl - think she always will be.  I love this dog so much! She really is my best friend and my constant companion.

 And here comes Ruby back...at full speed!!  Oh, the exuberance and the sheer joy of running!!

 I can't ever resist rolling up my pant legs and wading in the water, feeling the sand sift between my toes and shift beneath my weight.  I love it.  And the water wasn't even cold.  Well, on my feet anyway.  :)

  
The lovely trail that led us back through the enchanting little town of Neskowin and all those delightful beach cottages.  It was time for a warm shower and a hot cup of coffee while taking in the view from the comfort of a cushy chair on the patio...hmmmm, I could get used to this.

Blessings everyone!  Hope you all get the chance to get outside and do something fun or out of the ordinary while it's inviting and enjoyable.

A medley of summer days

Surprising how quickly I can tire of the summer heat these days.  Don't get me wrong, I love the sunshine and the long daylight hours, but it's just been a few days now of hot weather to give me pause, and to remember fondly the mild last couple of months...seriously, somebody just slap me already!  I have absolutely nothing to complain about!  I'm just spoiled, I guess.  *sigh*  Why can't I just be happy?  Why can't I just be thankful and stop expecting perfection in life?  When I watch the news and see what so many other people around the country, and the world are enduring weather-wise?  I should be ashamed.  Really.  Here, in our little corner of the world, we are very, very blessed.  I must be getting old.  I'm either too hot, or I'm too cold.  My comfort level has reduced to an extraordinarily small scale.  But, I didn't decide to post today to complain.  Nope, quite the contrary (believe it or not).  I just wanted to put up a few pictures that I've taken in the last few weeks from our lives so far this summer.  A few candid shots of the person and the animals in my life that mean so very, very much to me.  And a few dreamy shots as well...

My beloved Annie...the dog who picked me, the moment I first laid eyes on her.  My constant companion every single day.  My blessing.  Isn't she beautiful?  

A view I enjoy every day while driving to and from my job at the clinic.  In the distance, the Coast Range and a farm field in the fore...the beach is just past those mountains.

Last Thursday evening the beautiful full moon in the eastern sky.  

This picture was taken looking out over the beautiful Pacific Ocean from the wall in Depoe Bay.  My hubby and I had just walked out of the restaurant where we'd had dinner in celebration of our 28th wedding anniversary.  July 21, 1984 - July 21, 2012  We've shared a lot of wonderful memories in that time together.  :)

This beautiful view is one that visitors can enjoy who visit Cape Lookout - the rugged Oregon coastline and all that green...

 I thought this house was just so cool and cozy looking.  It's made of all brick and a few stones here and there.  The yard was out of control and very overgrown, but to me, that just added to its' appeal.  It was about a block in from the ocean.  I'm sure you could hear it, but there was no view.

 Such a serene shot...I just thought it was so pretty.  This picture was taken several miles away from the lighthouse (by road) from the same location as the picture mentioned earlier on Cape Lookout, just looking South, instead of North.  We've climbed to the top of this particular lighthouse before, but not today.  The view from atop is simply breathtaking.  On a clear day you can see for miles and miles, but as you can see, on this day the beach was cool and overcast.

 My precious little family awaiting my return from a "nature call".  Annie turned 8 this past April and Ruby will turn 2 this coming Friday...oh, how the time flies! 

A pretty little foot bridge to the beach at Ojo State Park south of Newport.

Me and my girls - same beach.

Since it was such a cool day, the dogs had plenty of energy for play...

A fairly rare opportunity to capture Ruby not on the move.  :)

Sweet Annie with an "adoring" gaze at her poppa.

Love this sign!!  We need one of these for our shed where we feed the cats.  My hubby calls them the "little bandit bastards"!!  Heehee, we really do enjoy them, they're just too cute not to appreciate.

*sigh*  Now here is my idea of "the perfect little beach cottage"!!  Isn't it just adorable!?  Directly across from a beautiful view of the surf, just a sandy little trail down to your beach...aah, a little slice of heaven!  Someday... 

This is the opposite end of the same little beach house.  A quaint and cozy little seating area where you could spend time relaxing or visiting with friends.  I especially like the addition of the barn doors, and wondered what lies just inside...

And this is the beach.  A picture perfect spot!

And on a far grander scale, this is the house my hubby describes as his "perfect beach house"!  I have to admit, it is pretty incredible; and talk about a view!!!  I can envision evenings by the fireplace watching spectacular storms at sea...
You sure wouldn't want to make the mistake of wandering off the lawns' edge, would you?

A closer shot of the churning ocean just below my hubby's dream house.  Simply spectacular!!

And a closer view still of a pretty amazing house!!  Only in our dreams...

This lovely old bridge is the only road in leading to where the house is located, and is part of their view inland.

So many beautiful sites and a wonderful accumulation of adventures so far this summer!  What have you all been up to this season?  I hope that each and every one of us remembers that summer is fleeting, and should be savored.  

Our teen-weeny heat wave has all but ended now.  Saturday our temps soared to 102, Sunday they were in the mid to upper 90's and yesterday was in the upper 80's with some humidity thrown in for good measure; but today we're comfortable.  I'm guessing we're in the lower 80's and the sky's a bit overcast, but not too humid.  I think we may even have had a few sprinkles of rain overnight, depending on exactly where you were.  One thing I'm always thankful for in the NW is that our evenings and overnight temps drop to a very comfortable upper 50's and 60's.  We really have nothing whatsoever to complain about.  So, if you hear me complaining...please, feel free to slap me silly, would ya?

Blessings all,
L