By:  Diane Sawdon Nonsense can be defined as foolish or unacceptable behavior.   I am unable to conjure up a reason why this word is stuck in my brain.   Maybe I am just ready for some serious foolishness in my life.   I turned a year older last month~~maybe that is the explanation.   I have been practicing wearing my big boots and puddle stomping while spreading glitter (see last month’s Ramblings) about my world, so maybe I am feeling a bit more light hearted or foolish.   I have never had a difficult time laughing at myself.   I have always believed that if you cannot laugh at yourself first, who can you laugh at??  I have come to the simple conclusion that foolish, in my case, is good.   Foolish can explain and excuse a myriad of questionable actions. After almost 45 years of marri... 02/04/2013

By:  Diane Sawdon A quick glance at the calendar just told me that we are now five days into the new year.  Happy 2013!   My wish for this year is much joy and good health for all.   Last year was a very dark year for my family.   Too many storms of life passing across our shadows.  Every time a tinge of bright  light pushed aside the clouds, a new pall fell across our paths.   2013, in my estimation, is going to be a year of light.  I hope to be dazzled from the illumination outside my physical being and to feel the radiance from my inner spirit.    Many, many years ago I taught school with a woman and the two of us did not see eye to eye on too many levels.  But, I shall never forget the one phrase of widom I took from her.  She used to say, “don’t call into existence that which isn’... 01/05/2013

  By:  Diane Sawdon Ramblings is usually published on the first Monday of the month.  This past weekend I was well aware that I needed to put fingers to keyboard, but the “spirit” was not moving me in that direction.  Besides, the power was out for 16 hours and, yes, we have a generator to power my Mac.   With that being said, I sit here now ready to compose some words for the month of December.   Since last month’s Ramblings was leaning towards a negative vent (or rant), I shall try to do better today.   It is, after all, the last month of the year and in just twenty one days,  Christmas will be here.  I think it was the Grinch who learned that Christmas is much more than presents, wrappings and bows.  If memory serves, I think he said it means “just a little bit more.”  As we approach... 12/06/2012

Nevada City, CA - 2012 Victorian Christmas (An Old-Fashioned Holiday) WHO: The Nevada City Chamber of Commerce WHAT: 2012 Victorian Christmas (An Old-Fashioned Holiday) - Strolling Carolers, Victorian Characters, Children's Activities, Carriage Rides, Eggnog, Roasted Chestnuts, Holiday Shopping, Delicious Food, Handcrafted Christmas Gifts and much more! WHERE: Historic Downtown Nevada City, California WHEN: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 - 5:00pm to 9:00pm Wednesday, December 12, 2012 - 5:00pm to 9:00pm Sunday, December 16, 2012 - 1:30pm to 6:00pm Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 5:00pm to 9:00pm Sunday, December 23, 2012 - 1:30pm to 6:00pm SHUTTLE SERVICE: $5 round trip (free for passengers 15 and under) from the Nevada City Goverment Center, 950 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City, CA 95959 View Lar... 11/29/2012

By:  Diane Sawdon November has arrived and this is traditionally the time of year where one counts the blessings of the past year.   I am not feeling particularly thankful.    I am not proud of this feeling and when I look around, it appears that I, and my family, are getting the proverbial “short end of the stick.”    Jealousy is another emotion that has reared it’s ugly head lately and I detest feeling this way.  I abhor people who whine, so I shall choose not to whine.  I will make every attempt to move forward in a positive frame of mind because  my heart, my body and my soul cannot comprehend any other way to live this life.    A parent’s worst nightmare has reared it’s ugly head in our lives.  Our daughter was diagnosed with Breast Cancer this past month and she is an amazing wom... 11/06/2012

By:  Diane Sawdon Hey, it’s Fall y’all~~~we have a cute Pumpkin Garden Stake at the nursery that says that.   Obviously, although the Autumnal Equinox took place eight days ago, Mother Nature is refusing to play by the rules or the date on the calendar.   It is 91 degrees in my breezeway right now.  I know this for a fact,  because I just walked through there and it was a very speedy journey via a blast furnace.    My Roommate and I have spent the entire day in the yard doing some Fall planting of conifers and shrubs.  Our route on our planting trek was planned to hide from the sun as much as possible.  I am done with temperatures above 78 degrees!   I welcome cool, crisp evenings and brisk mornings.  Is anyone out there listening to my plea??    I know, be careful what you wish for be... 10/01/2012

By: Diane Sawdon The Sentinels of the Lakes Basin were waiting for me as we rounded the turn on Gold Lake Road just beyond Bassetts.  I had  anticipated my first glimpse of the Sierra Buttes for the past twelve months.  It was well worth the wait as this view does not disappoint.  I am, and always will be, in awe of these mountains and this region.  It is unspoiled by man and machine.  I feel a kindred spirit with John Muir~~~”the mountains are calling and I must go.”   I am very insignificant and very joyful in the company of these peaks, lakes and canyons.   I am not a particularly mystical person, but this region inspires in me a sense of spiritual mystery and fascination.   Our three day visit was filled with the pristine beauty of Mother Nature.   Standing on the ridge between Low... 09/02/2012

13264 SUMMIT RIDGE DR NEVADA CITY 1,036 2 2 $152,843 -48% 12:30 PM 08/20/12 $207,210 First 12/24/03 11994 MARJON DR NEVADA CITY 1,396 3 3 $171,173 -192% 12:30 PM 09/14/12 $544,376 First 08/02/06 16376 GOLD BUG RD NEVADA CITY 1,962 2 2.5 $234,497 -173% 12:30 PM 10/10/12 $828,715 First 08/05/05 521 NEVADA ST NEVADA CITY 1,903 3 2.5 $286,756 -184% 12:30 PM 08/24/12 $476,102 First 02/16/05 15394 WET HILL RD NEVADA CITY 1,763 3 1 $283,705 -32% 12:30 PM 09/11/12 $408,302 First 05/29/07 17471 SUMI RD NEVADA CITY 2,203 3 2 $293,139 -177% 12:30 PM 09/04/12 $625,007 First 09/11/07 15254 MONTE VISTA DR NEVADA CITY 1,120 2 1 $209,621 -78% 12:30 PM 08/30/12 $526,466 First 10/24/05 11685 BUCKEYE RD NEVADA CITY 602 1 0 $86,158 -159% 12:30 PM 09/20/12 $248,000 First 05/25/07 15164 NUGGET ST NEVADA CIT... 08/14/2012

11956 RED DOG RD NEVADA CITY 2,492 3 3 $343,923 -66% 4:00 PM 08/15/12 $561,124 First 01/11/07 13574 BRANNON CT NEVADA CITY 2,523 3 2.5 $422,059 15% 4:00 PM 08/17/12 $360,600 05/06/05 18125 DOUGLAS RD NEVADA CITY 3,769 3 2 $460,197 -101% 4:00 PM 09/01/12 $477,922 03/10/06 13032 RED DOG RD NEVADA CITY 1,207 2 1 $194,870 -36% 4:00 PM 08/28/12 $280,183 First 03/15/05 12744 TWI LITE WAY NEVADA CITY 840 2 1.5 $139,601 -40% 4:00 PM 08/29/12 $206,866 First 01/20/05 15597 SHANNON WAY NEVADA CITY 1,416 2 2 $209,969 -42% 4:00 PM 09/01/12 $309,880 First 04/16/09 12827 QUAKER HILL CROSS RD NEVADA CITY 1,786 3 2 $208,784 -5% 4:00 PM 08/31/12 $83,324 First 05/24/93 18125 DOUGLAS RD NEVADA CITY 3,769 3 2 $460,197 -101% 4:00 PM 09/01/12 $477,921 First 03/10/06 12396 ZEIBRIGHT RD NEVADA CITY 576 2 0 $68... 08/14/2012

By:  Diane Sawdon Procrastination is a wonderful thing.   I have never been big on this character trait, but I think I am going to adopt it this month.  For the life of me, I cannot come up with anything to ramble about for this missive.   Was the past month of July that uneventful??  Maybe I slept too much, but I doubt that since I am out of the rack by 5:30-6:00a.m. every day.   I could go stare at the calendar page for July and see if anything I wrote down would jump out at me as awe inspiring.   I know we celebrated the 4th of July with good friends and neighbors.   We ate a delicious meal and played an evil game of Dominoes which I promptly lost.   But my last place ranking is nothing new.  I could be a Champion Cellar Dweller.  I know I should take these games more seriously, but... 08/06/2012

By:  Diane Sawdon During one of the shows this past season, American Idol Judge, Steven Tyler, said that “courage is fear that said it’s prayers.”  Well, today I said my prayers, took my vitamins, put on my “big girl” panties and went in search of a new swimming suit.  Now, please take into account that I have not purchased a swim suit since the last century.  Yes, you read that correctly~~the LAST century!  Just ask any woman and they will confirm my belief that trying on new swimsuits has got to be one of the most humiliating acts in which the members of the female population participate.   Granted, I have not participated for many a year, but back in the day, there were two types of swimsuits~~~one piece and two piece.  The tiny two piece suits were bikinis.  I guess that makes thre... 07/01/2012

By: Diane Sawdon I wish I had a good trick to play today, April Fool’s Day.  Unfortunately, the jokes are on me this time.  Mother Nature has been “fooling” with all of us since Winter officially began in December.  No rain or snow to speak of during the months of January and February.  March has turned into a maniacal weather month.  The “weather wars” began the very first of the month and continued throughout the entire month including a dusting of snow  yesterday, the 31st.  I know, we need the water and the snow pack, so please do not consider this a  personal complaint from yours truly.  It is just a statement of fact that the recent weather chaps my hide!  My daffodils that line my entire driveway are bent over like an old woman with a severe  dowager’s hump.   My forsythia are, f... 04/02/2012

  By: Diane Sawdon Spring ahead~~Fall Back.  It is that dreaded first morning of the Fall Back variety.  Your body thinks it is six o’clock in the morning, but the clock says five o’clock.   One tosses and turns, adjusts sheets and comforter,  another toss, one more turn, blows nose loudly and the desired result is achieved.  Your Roommate of many years is now grudgingly awake.  Expecting some sweet pillow talk, I hear, instead, blatant hints about the content of my Ramblings.  In a not so sweet voice, I answer that I have NO  idea what I am going to write.  To which I hear, “Oh, one of those months, huh?”  Now, I have heard this before and I take offense to these words even at five in the morning.  When have I ever been at a loss for words??  Not too often in my lifetime.  The words ar... 11/07/2011

SJB Real Estate & Management www.SarahBecker.com Foreclosure List Report   Presented By: Sarah Becker 530-530-671-1300 Sarahsoldit@yahoo.com Properties Stage Address City Sq Ft Beds Baths Est. Value Est. Equity Sale Time Sale Date Est. Bid # Loan Date 11865 TRISH CT NEVADA CITY 2,933 4 4 $486,500 -132% 12:30 PM 11/16/11 $762,894 First 01/23/08 11136 SAN SIMEON CT NEVADA CITY 2,238 2 2 $285,993 -227% 12:30 PM 11/10/11 $989,681 First 05/24/07 12672 SUMMIT RIDGE DR NEVADA CITY 2,496 3 2 $301,771 -17% 12:30 PM 11/17/11 $322,489 First 12/28/04 12334 RED DOG RD NEVADA CITY 1,968 3 3.5 $312,932 100% 12:30 PM 09/15/11 $194,998 10/24/02 10612 N BLOOMFIELD RD NEVADA CITY 1,961 1 3 $328,926 -68% 12:30 PM 11/16/11 $462,315 First 02/28/05 15722 MOUNTAIN VIEW DR NEVADA CITY 2,128 4 2 $300,978 -30% 1... 11/06/2011

SJB Real Estate & Management www.SarahBecker.com Foreclosure List Report   Presented By: Sarah Becker 530-530-671-1300 Sarahsoldit@yahoo.com Properties Stage Address City Sq Ft Beds Baths Est. Value Est. Equity Sale Time Sale Date Est. Bid # Loan Date 325 GETHSEMANE ST 325 NEVADA CITY 1,226 2 2 $190,351 -118% 12:30 PM 11/04/11 $434,671 First 06/29/07 11865 TRISH CT NEVADA CITY 2,933 4 4 $486,500 -132% 12:30 PM 11/16/11 $762,894 First 01/23/08 14500 NIMBUS DAM RD NEVADA CITY 1,548 2 2.5 $245,363 -49% 12:30 PM 10/26/11 $370,697 First 12/08/04 11472 ROCKER RD NEVADA CITY 900 2 1 $184,610 100% 12:30 PM 09/08/11 $130,500 12/09/05 14851 BLIND SHADY RD NEVADA CITY 1,344 2 1 $231,008 -8% 12:30 PM 10/26/11 $275,808 First 10/12/07 11136 SAN SIMEON CT NEVADA CITY 2,238 2 2 $379,086 -147% 12:30 PM... 10/19/2011

Ramblings....................September 2011By Diane SawdonFor almost three days this past month, I was a different person. For the first time in almost fifty years I did not carry a purse or a wallet. I could prove my identity by my Driver’s License which I carried with me in a small pack. I did not wear jewelry of any sort~~including taking off my wedding rings. I wore absolutely no makeup unless sun block and chap stick can be considered such. I lived in shorts, T-shirts, a bathing suit, a large sun hat, and my life jacket. Best of all, I left my watch at home, too. I was but a mere sixty five miles from my house, but I was in another world. I was completely transfixed by the peace, beauty and grandeur that inhabits this area. I never felt more insignificant and at the same time peac... 09/05/2011

By: Diane Sawdon I just want to know who is going to accept the responsibility of my body and lifestyle being transported to the Pacific Northwest.  Who did this to me??  And why??  What is the reason for this shift??  I remember waking up on May Day and I was thinking that it was going to be a grand and glorious month of sunshine, mild temperatures and innumerable hours of outdoor time spent in the garden with Mother Nature as my guide.   She, on the other hand, had a contrasting strategy for the month.   Nevada County was punished and pummeled with “weather wars.”  The month began with Mother’s Day and rain.  It was a day for a pot of homemade soup rather than a Mother’s Day Picnic.  I distinctly remember wearing jeans, a sweater and a heavy jacket that afternoon.  My daugher, who is... 06/06/2011

Amgen Cycle Tour Kicks Off In Nevada City Todays AMGEN Tour Cyle Race was a tremendous thrill, as we caught the riders in the pellaton on the scheduled second leg of the tour in Nevada City California. The first leg of the race was cancelled because of all things, snow showers in Lake Tahoe. They were suppose to start the race in South Lake Tahoe and climb over Donner Pass, to arrive in Nevada City today. But spring weather being what it is in the Sierras, made for some pretty nasty biking conditions, and even here in Nevada City they had some snow last night before the race bagan. But fortunately the snow all melted away long before race time at 12:15. From my vantage point which was a position I chose on Ridge Road, we had a long stretch to see the riders coming off in the distance. A... 05/16/2011

As a little girl, I learned the verse, “April showers bring May flowers.”  As a young Mother and a Kindergarten teacher for over a quarter of a century, I became very familiar with the lament, “life’s not fair.”  In the flash of mere second in time, lives can change forever and one is reminded that “life is not fair.”  It is what we humans (and animals) do with those circumstances that are beyond our control, that make us champions of our own destiny.  Giving up is easy, moving forward in slow, tedious steps is the choice of a person (or critter) of courage.This past month, an utterly freak accident happened to a friend of mine.  It was the perfect example of life not being fair.  His family had just recovered from one life threatening scare, when this unfortunate incident took place. ... 05/02/2011

By: Diane Sawdon....... Why does the month of March always seem to last forever??  As a child, March was a bridge that moved me from Winter into Spring.  This year, March lived up to it’s reputation of “coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb.”   The only problem was that the lion lasted for the first twenty eight days and the lamb had a short lived career of three days!  When the sun finally came out and the snow had melted and the rain had stopped, it was a whole new world.  I, like many residents of Nevada County, welcomed Mr. Sun with open arms.  In the great scheme of “phases and stages, circles and cycles,” (thanks, Willie, for those words) it was more than time.  As I look out my window  while I type,  I am enticed by that world outside my window.  I feel so energized by... 04/04/2011