Happy Thanksgiving

 

On this 27th day of November, 2025 aka Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks and heartfelt appreciation for the following, in no particular order: 

Little Foster who turned 14 today. 

My friends and my family, whom I cherish. 

Our beloved ZAGS.  

We all can agree that this week it was the best of tournaments and the worst of tournaments, but today is a new day and the ZAGS will continue to provide us joy. 

Congratulations, Michigan. ZAGS will bounce back.

This beautiful area in which we live and our little slice of Heaven on Earth called the Lovestead.  

To be so lucky. 

All who still know the difference between right and wrong and who courageously remind us and give us hope through their inspiring examples and their thoughts.

Those of different trades and professions who make our lives better, whenever needed, through their skills, their knowledge, their labor and their vision.

The good-hearted, the generous and all those who care deeply about and do good for their fellow man, the earth and all its creatures. 

The opportunity to create and experience precious memories. 

The four-legged and winged creatures which co-exist with us, which educate us and remind us constantly of the beauty and the glory in the natural world.  

A special shout-out to our beloved Lovestead dogs and horses. 

The gift of laughter. 

Optimism. 

It's a good life overall, and for that I am grateful. 

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving. 

Snow, Ball and Lavender

 

It was perfect timing. 

Winter prep projects done. 

Over the river and through the woods time. 

Plus, it was a perfect beginning for winter with just enough snow to make it pretty out there but not enough to make walking difficult. 

The dogs and I have already been out in the first snow of Winter 2025-26 twice, and I'm not complaining. 

It is pretty, and the scenes this morning with the new snow are almost magical. 

Plus, the snow helps get us in the mood for holiday fun. 

As long as it doesn't get carried away . . . !

Bill and I attended the first game of a basketball jamboree last night.  We arrived home in time for the ZAGS to have taken a 10-4 lead over Maryland.  

They finished with 100 points to Maryland's 61. More about that later. 

The first game/scrimmage of the Jamboree pitted Sandpoint against Lake City. 

And, what a way to start off a season, even if it wasn't an official game. As you can see from the scoreboard below, the Bulldogs did well in their two 8-minute quarters. 

We left as Lake City and Post Falls were warming up for the second match-up.  

Willie texted me overnight that their second game vs Post Falls was a tough one, so they finished the night at 1-1. 

There were lots of referees in town last night because, as with basketball teams, the Jamboree also offers them some dress-rehearsal time to work out the kinks before full-fledged season games begin. 

We didn't stay long, but we enjoyed every minute spent in the gym, especially seeing some familiar faces at the scorers' table and meeting a nice family who sat behind us. 

Ask enough questions, and you usually find a connection.  Before our conversation ended, I learned that they know our old neighborhood fairly well because they're connected with our old neighbors, the Readers. 

I'm looking forward to getting to know them better as the season unfolds.   

Anyone who shops at The Flower Farm on Selle Road should recognize Akasha who has worked there for several years. Her knowledge of plants and plant care is amazing. 

Yesterday my friend Akasha stopped by with some lavender spray refills, with contents prepared right here in the neighborhood where Akasha tends a lavender farm. 

I have been using her lavender spray for the past year or so as a sleep aid, and I swear by it. 

She was the first to tell me how lavender can serve as a calming and healing agent. 

When she told me that it improves your dreams, I wanted to know more and decided to try a bottle. 

Let's just say I'll be asking for refills from this day forth because, as a longtime insomniac, I've had some of the best sleep ever after spraying my pillows before going to bed. 

If I have to get up in the middle of the night, I'll spray again and almost always get right back to sleep.  And, yes, the dreams are weird some times but not bad. 

I have found her very affordable and attractive bottles of lavender to be reasonably price.  In addition, once purchased, each bottle can be refilled. 

It's a great and inexpensive gift or stocking stuffer. 

If you wish to know more about her lavender spray and other products, check out her website at 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SelleValleyLavender?dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2F

If you want to talk to her directly, click on the "contact." 

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Tonight at 6:30 p.m. PST, Gonzaga will tip off against Michigan in the championship bracket of the ERA Tournament in Las Vegas. 

It's complicated, but the two teams had win and had to have a good record, along with some adequate point spreads in their wins to become eligible for this championship game. 

Gonzaga's second win in the tournament, with a spread of 39 points, secured their spot in the championship game. 

There's money involved too. In addition to their schools winning big bucks for participating, the champions will earn even more: a million for tonight's game winner and $500,000 for the loser. 

We Gonzaga fans never think much about the money.  We just love our team and love to watch them play their beautiful ball and win any time and anywhere.  

BUT if Gonzaga wins $1 million tonight, we won't complain. 

It should be an exciting game, as both teams in the championship scored 100 points yesterday. 

6:30 p.m. PST on TNT Channel.

Great Day

 

Morning grass is glistening. 

Stars are sparkling. 

It's a window-scraper morning. 

And, oh, what a beautiful morning for all who love nature's artistry AND for all who love the ZAGS!

What a show, and what a win!  

Gonzaga's men delivered on both last night, taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide in what the commentators dubbed a "heavyweight match."

And, that it was, as neither team showed signs of submission from start to finish.  Even 10 points behind near the buzzer, the Crimson Tide were still giving it their all. 

In my mind, it was one of the most beautiful ZAGS victories ever with its athleticism and its artistry. 

It's a great time to be a ZAGS fan, and may the season continue to bring joy to the players, coaches and ZAGnation! 

The lawn is white with frost this morning, but this was how it looked yesterday after I said "The End" to leaf pick up, removed the bags from the mower and drove it to the barn where it will remain for the winter with the other two mowers. 

It felt somewhat symbolic as I shut the barn door and said good bye to another season of going round and round, constantly grooming the lawn. 

I love mowing lawn but will be content to wait a while before starting another season. 

Besides, that time could eventually be filled up with shoveling snow.   So far, no snow, and I'm not complaining as long as the mountains get what they need. 

Walking around the entire farm admiring the beauty without heavy boots on weighting down my old feet feels just fine, thank you.  

Bill and I are excited for Willie on this morning of the day when he and his SHS boys varsity basketball team do a soft start to their season. 

Tonight they'll be working out some kinks by scrimmaging in a jamboree featuring two other North Idaho teams. 

At 5:45 p.m. this afternoon, the Bulldogs take on Lake City at Les Rogers Gym.  These games feature two 8-minute quarters.  

Later, after Lake City and Post Falls play each other in the same venue at 6:30 p.m., the Sandpoint will tip off against Post Falls at 7:15 p.m.

The Bulldogs play in their home and season opener this coming Saturday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. when they host Bonners Ferry. 

I'm sure the home team would love to see hometown fans show up and fill the gym for any and all of these games. 

Good luck to Willie, his staff and the Sandpoint Bulldogs.  May it be a great season for all. 

We can look forward to another ZAGS game tonight for this Thanksgiving  college basketball Feast Week.

Tonight at 6:30 p.m. PST the ZAGS take on the Terra Pins from Maryland. 

The game will be telecast on truTV.

GO, ZAGS!🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Leftovers, Metal and Basketball

 

I'm not talking about food. 

Just flowers and plants.

Leftovers from a summer of flourishing but waning beauty. 

There are fewer and fewer to photograph these days. 

Some of my flowers and the iddy biddy plants in the ground are still hanging on to put on whatever show they can, and we're almost to December.

They look pretty frazzled and scruffy, but their efforts to hang in there are appreciated.  

Granted, they don't make the best eye candy but, at least there's something. 

All that said, we've definitely reached the time of the year when the metal flowers will have to take over for the winter season. 

What's really nice about them is that they don't have to be watered, maybe just painted up from time to time. 

As darkness continues and even the leftovers give up the ship, I'm also planning to order some more solar-powered colored lights to place strategically around the yard. 

Once they're planted, I'll have to stay up late to see their beauty OR maybe their show will last until I get up at oh-dark thirty. 

I'm doubting the latter because solar means they need to see the sun, and since it's hanging around less and less over the next month or two, the light show will probably last just a while in the evenings. 

Whatever the case, every time I see neat colors from the lights I already have, it brightens my mood. 

I threw this photo of Bridie in with today's meager assortment because the Elizabethan collar is her current story. 

She came home from the pet lodge with some bare pink skin showing up on each elbow aka kennel sores. 

At first, the areas remained pink but later we discovered that Bridie had chosen to lick one too often, causing it to become more raw and red and occasionally bloody. 

We were going to take her to the vet, but my vet friend Michelle said she'd just be giving her an Elizabethan collar to prevent Bridie from licking. 

I was a bit reluctant about trying that because we went through Elizabethan collar fiascos when Bridie was a pup.  She stayed all night in a crate, and the standard collar just wasn't working for her to find any comfort, so we bought a blow-up collar. 

Twasn't long before her sharp puppy teeth snipped a hole in that one.  No point in trying to inflate it, so we bought another.  Bridie took care of that one quickly. 

So, I didn't have much confidence in Michelle's suggestion BUT we still have two standard Elizabethan collars AND Bridie is an adult now, not a kid.

She has demonstrated her adulthood this time and doesn't seem to mind wearing the collar. She also doesn't mind when we take it off for when she's outside running around. 

The raw area is looking much better because she has left it alone, except for a couple of times when we've removed the collar for outdoor fun and are not looking for her licking while putting on our own outside clothes. 

With luck and with Bridie's current Lovestead fashion statement, the kennel sore will dry up and disappear. 

At this household, this week, we're thinking basketball. 

Three ZAGS games:  today, tomorrow and Wednesday, along with an SHS men's Bulldogs jamboree and their season opener later in the week.

The Las Vegas tournament should be an indicator of just how strong the ZAGS team is this year.   

We'll have a pretty good idea after this evening's game between the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide from Alabama. 

 

Tonight's game starts at 6:30 p.m. PST.  It will be televised on the TNT Channel.  

GO, ZAGS! 

Happy Monday. 

💙💛💜💚