Mitch Visits!

If you haven't heard from me in a while, it's because I've been too busy having fun with my bestie who came for a visit from Minnesota last week. I'm dogsitting, but the pup, Zero, is so cool we let him join the gang and pretty much took him everywhere with us.

Our first stop was Golden Gate Park, where we conveniently parked in front of the Conservatory of Flowers for a brief walk around the Music Concourse.

Time was of the essence, so I got us out of the city to spare my poor friend from my San Francisco navigating instincts. We stopped at Sol Food in San Rafael en route to the beach. I went for a steak combo (though probably a rash decision for take out) and Mitch got the most scrumptious pork chop pressed sandwich that anyone could have ever dreamed up. Yum!

We took a short hike at Pinnacle Gulch in Bodega Bay. I love this place if you have a dog and are short on time, but look out! Parking is super pricey, though I like to think it's for a good cause.

Here I'm helping Mitch identify kelp from jellyfish.

We stopped to say hello to Hitchcock in my beloved Bodega, put on the map with the filming of The Birds.

Wine tasting! But not just yet ...

We couldn't come all this way without the perfect Northern California picture.

The next day we went for a tour and tasting at Korbel.

Then when we couldn't get enough champagne, we headed to Iron Horse for more. (With a little lunch break, of course.) This is a local's favorite I hadn't been to yet, and it has one of the most breathtaking views of vineyards framed by mountains.

Don't worry, I also gave Mitch a taste of Dry Creek (Unti) and Alexander Valley (Hawkes) wines, not just Russian River.

On our last day, we met up with the colony of harbor seals at Goat Rock.

Aren't they cute?

Look out, Mitch found a taffy shop! How is this the one candy I've yet to understand? Flavors like vanilla cake? Apple pie? Is taffy the new jelly bean?

All I cared about was that she send some home to her amazing taffy-loving husband, who cashed in some miles so she could have a spontaneous trip with her kooky bestie in California.

Another Vintage Picnic at Daisy's

Sometimes I wish I could buy a magazine company just so my friend, Daisy, could organize all the shoots, spreads, creative content and distribution of it. She just makes everything pretty.

To kickoff an especially great weekend, she hosted a gal party at the pond down the road from her house. I laughed and bonded in great company, with sunshine, music, food, and an invigorating swim across the pond to make me feel like an Olympian (with a floating noodle assist).

A preparty shot from Daisy

It really doesn't matter how pretty the place is, how classy the drinks or how artfully prepared the food is. Despite matching linens and handmade decor sewed fresh for the occasion, I know that at Daisy's place, I will always feel welcome and special.

Meyer lemon finished campagne from Della Fattoria with local cheeses.

Fresh cherries, apricots and raspberries with St. Germain cocktails.

And that was only the beginning of the weekend ...

The Purpose Fairy

I read a couple articles from this blog last week and I've been thinking about it a lot. I've been thinking about a lot of things a lot, especially improving my mindset and my world around me.

This list was going around Facebook the other week and I finally learned about The Purpose Fairy, an inspirational blog with "ideas and suggestions about life." I checked out some other articles and got a great daily dose of emotional sunshine. Let's face it, we all need it.

Some great quotes to think about:

Ne te quaesiveris extra - Do not look outside of yourself for the truth


“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”  Ghandi


“Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?”


Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to.


“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”Winston Churchill


Beauty is not in the face, but rather a light in the heart.


Whatever it is that you want, you have to want it more for someone else.


"How you treat anybody is how you will treat everybody"


My goodness, I could read for days and I suggest you do the same. I guarantee it will add at least one random act of kindness to your day.

Poetry for Your Wednesday

From "Diving Into the Wreck" by Adrienne Rich

And now: it is easy to forget
what I came for
among so many who have always
lived here
swaying their crenellated fans
between the reefs
and besides
you breathe differently down here.

I came to explore the wreck.
The words are purposes.
The words are maps.
I came to see the damage that was done
and the treasures that prevail.
I stroke the beam of my lamp
slowly along the flank
of something more permanent
than fish or weed

the thing I came for:
the wreck and not the story of the wreck
the thing itself and not the myth
the drowned face always staring
toward the sun
the evidence of damage
worn by salt and sway into this threadbare beauty
the ribs of the disaster
curving their assertion
among the tentative haunters.

The Old Cracker Tin

This is no ordinary cracker tin. It is a 60-year-old vintage gem, and more importantly, a treasure belonging to my grandmother, who died before I was born.

I never even knew about it. My fairy godmother uncovered it from her kitchen and surprised me with it for my birthday. I'm sure she loved it and used it all the time, but am so touched she felt I was its rightful owner.

A little more about this quirky kitchen gadget. The knob on top is filled with mysterious "blue magic" crystals that turn bright blue when heat activated. The knob can be adjusted to air circulation and humidity, and absorbs moisture in chips and crackers. Snacks stay fresh longer like magic!

From a 50s ad in Life, http://www.kitchen-retro.com

Here's a closer look at the absorbing crystals, which I will try not to associate with the nuclear era it was created in. I know this thing really works, even after all these years.

I can't wait to use this in my kitchen one day.

For now, it feels too precious to use so I will keep it as a treasure chest of relics. Any cook can understand the transcendent power of a beloved kitchen tool that is passed down to them. Great-grandmother's silver, grandfather's watch, Aunt Gertie's porcelain teacups.

My fairy godmother appreciates this more than anyone, which is why she saved my grandfather's ancient Pendleton wool robe for me all these years. It still looks great and I wear it almost every day.

 I have long felt a strong attachment to the grandma I never knew. I hope she knows how much I hold her silly, old cracker tin so dear to my heart.

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Hope you had a wonderful day and I wish I could have been there. I have so much to thank you for. I love you.

Daughters, love your mamas for all that they do.

Just for Today

"The intellect cuts things, the heart sews them together." Mata Amrita- andamayi

Sometimes we just need a little reminder of this.

 

Gnome Doors

Last night, I had a little shindig called crafts n' drafts. Just in the nick of time, I've been going stir crazy. Some special gals came over to work on those projects crammed in a corner (mending and finishing for me). We got to work before relaxing and watching The Sound of Music.

Wish I'd taken more pictures, but the highlight was 'gnome doors' made by my roomies. We live in the trees, so they're decorating with adorable mini doors at the tree bases to make them look occupied. Here are some accessories:

I love that I live with ladies who can bust out a Dremel in the living room on a random Saturday night.

Here is one of the finished products, with hinges fashioned from Copenhagen containers. Cute, right?

This is how we live it up on weekends in west county. Just saying.

A Strange Feeling

The past few days I woke up early, feeling restless and weird. Uncomfortable.

Yesterday marked one year since I lost one of the incredibles in my life. My lovely aunt died at 68 after a 12 year battle with breast cancer. She was amazing. She touched everyone in her life who crossed her path, right down to strangers in grocery store aisles who became friends by the time they reached the check-out.

I was lucky enough to not only know her, but be enmeshed in her life since I was born. I even lived with her during a time in my troubling high school years when I couldn't exchange greetings with my parents without an altercation. She treated me like a daughter, curfews and all. She is pictured above at my high school senior recital 13 years ago.

For years, I was there when the lumps were present, when they were removed, when they were back but stabilized, when they had spread, but didn't seem to affect her. She was always wildly optimistic and had exceeded doctors expectations every time. She didn't want us to worry, because she always felt fine. So in a way, we didn't.

At the end of the road, I wasn't there. I didn't see the last harrowing months or painful final days. I didn't go to the funeral. At the time, it just wasn't feasible, but thinking about it now, I don't know how I would have coped. I didn't know how to face losing her. Even now, I'm not sure if I did the right thing.

Her life was full, overflowing at times. She was an English and drama teacher, but even busier in her retirement with community involvement, writing, and spending time with her children, grandchildren and hundred closest friends.

A few years ago, I was involved with a fundraiser for Locks of Love and donated my hair in her name. Here are a few words I wrote about her for the benefit.

Two weeks before cutting my hair, my mother and I visited my Aunt Sue.  She answered the door with a naked scalp, grinning despite ongoing chemo treatments as she currently battles with breast cancer.

Her husband had just bought her two synthetic wigs for her birthday – a salt and pepper coif for her grandmother days and a blond bob for when she feels sassy.  She usually wears the blond one.  

“I didn’t need anything fancy,” she said.  Though acrylic, the wigs nested in her office with quiet poise.  They stayed on their respectable Styrofoam mannequins during the rest of my visit and she opted for the beanie I knitted to keep her head warm.

Telling her I would be donating my hair to Locks of Love made her beam with pride.  That look was worth more than four years of snarls and countless bottles of shampoo.  When it was time to finally make the cut, I was more than ready to pass on a foot of my hair to someone who can put it to better use.

We will all experience moments in our lives when we fall ill.  For those fortunate enough to be healthy, it’s up to us to reach out and support each other in times of need.  I am grateful to Locks of Love for providing this opportunity to help so many others.  And to one particular woman in my life whose strength will always inspire me, I donate in your name.  

Sue, we love and miss you every day, but know you're still with us and always will be.

Learning No-ga

Last night, my friend and I were philosophizing on why it is so difficult for smart and strong women to say no.

Luckily, she blogged about it with a great exercise to help practice the art of saying no.  She calls it no-ga.

Did I mention she's hilarious?!  Read it here.  Then read the rest of her blog, Boundless Optimism.

Special Props

I'm on the road today setting out for the next leg of my journey.  It will be so I can see the lovely Bee and her family in Salt Lake.

Did I mention that the inspiration for this trip is my amazing friend, Amanda Rae, who came to visit me a few weeks ago.  This adventuress hit the road to make new memories when her apartment burned down in May and has been traveling ever since.  I'm thinking of her on this mini-trip, when I have the opportunity to try something new, when I take a picture of something I would otherwise ignore (like snow on a piece of grass), when I meet new people, and when I come home at night with the option to write something instead of zoning out.

I'm so glad I have a gal like this in my life to shake things up and get me out on the road.  Thanks, Amanda!