Tuesday, January 31, 2012

End Of The Rainbow

GOLD



Our routine was bumped for a paltry, quick five days. Hubby's parents open wide their door to nearly everyone. Family visiting from across the country meant open doors for welcoming, open arms for hugging, open space for bunking through the night. Less than a week was just enough time for perusing family photos, for suppers together, time to reconnect and bond.  It was GOLDEN time!

We all were recipients of that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow....lucky to be here - blessed to have one another!





 This beach trip was a sweet end to our visit. The time to say our goodbyes came so quickly.

Oh, and that ol' stormy weather we endured ? Well, it was just the skies crying ahead of us... because the time that was golden made us long for more - and our wish was not to be....

Friday, January 27, 2012

Beauty, Eggs And Fun On The Other Side Of SF

That's one helluva strange title... (you'll get it by the end of this read)

Leading family along on sightseeing tours from beach to city and home again. Amidst those very days, I skedaddled away with friends.  A day spent on our most favorite of adventures ~ hunting for junque ~ also warehouse antique admiration time! (does that make sense??!)

Again - SAN FRANCISCO! yet new sites this day ~


An object of beauty is a joy for always!












In another neighborhood - beauty of another kind ~

                                                                     GRAFFITI ART




What's this one?

Fried eggs just wanna have fun? ...huh??... well, so do girls! And we did!!


Thursday, January 26, 2012

What Have We Here?

San Francisco

Crooked streets ~


Drips of rain ~




Crabby legs ~



Fishmongers and their seafood delicacies ~



Silly tourist stops~





Sourdough bread to go ~



What we have is family time that is priceless....

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Welcome Aboard... First Stop - Big Sur

Picnicking in January - questionable - at best. Cheese & crackers packed into my basket, stowed inside the car trunk, just in case this sunny day allowed for lunch-out-of-a-hamper.  Our New York family was depending on me for history lessons, travel itineraries and most of all fun! Mileage racked up this week. The beauty that is California was on display...







mid-day snack fried artichokes


Monterey Cypress



















A post full of scenery shots....
Possibly family faces tomorrow?

Tourism continues in the following days

Friday, January 20, 2012

Ghostwriter

Shall I contemplate a nom-de-plume? A fun little alias maybe?

You may never see it, or know that it's me, but I've just started penning - Hey!.. do you call it "penning" when in reality there is not a writing implement in my hand, only fingers on keys at a computer? just wondering...   Back to subject - I'm now composing posts for another blog. One that is not my own.



Putting thoughts to paper, stories to screen, pictures to posts...


Note: Drusilla will not be my nom de plume!


Taking direction from the Boss-n-boots of Goat Hill, I've started "ghostwriting" on the shows web site! A new adventure. An offer that I was happy to accept. This job - instead of manning a tent, and selling vintage wares at Goat Hill. I do believe I will miss the creativity and collecting, but my sanity and house will be much happier for this new position!

My first short blurb is this ~
Work is under way! The May edition of Goat Hill has lots of lovely surprises in store for our fellow flea marketing sisters {and brothers too}
Be sure to check back here often, as one of the new editions will be frequent blogging posts and updates!
 Mark your new 2012 calendars!  You won’t want to miss the creativity, the camaraderie, the herd or the Farm site!
May 19th & 20th





Here's hoping my talking  blabbering-incessantly skills problem give me a leg up at this new endeavor. HA!
No writer's block, please. I'll now have an actual following. Not my following, oh no, much more important. Now I'll be concerned that all of the Junk-collecting-world reading the website for Goat Hill might comment on my grammar and silliness. For the love of adjectives - HELP ME!! 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Intriguing & Illegal

Can't help myself! Abandoned buildings are just meant to be trespassed! I've blogged about this unlawful habit of mine before. Was that story here, or on Abundant Finds? hmmm   Will go look, or you can too.

Morning hours were whiled away getting history lessons at missions, coercing chickens into sitting for portraits and climbing dunes at the beach.



                             ***************************************************
 By late afternoon I'd become a if-I-get-caught-felon for traipsing about the grounds and buildings of a long closed Army fort.  Along the local coast sits old Ft. Ord. Have to say that this trespass had an eerie vibe going on. I felt the need to hurry my picture taking. Weird to walk streets between rows and rows of barracks all abandoned. Paved ways that now have rubble and green growth, and fencing that blocks through traffic. There were  people before me that had done the same. I did not have to climb fences.



Twilight Zone-ish ~



this made me a little sad ~




so pretty with late afternoon sun ~




Bet if these walls could talk they'd have many interesting stories to tell!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Quizzical Look

Should I, or shouldn't I? That is the question. Frequently difficult to come up with a clear answer.

Do I treat my life like a multiple choice quiz? For so many daily decisions I look at the 3 to 4 options before me and hope to pick the one right answer that suits the subject best. I had a multiple choice question before me this weekend.  The difficulty came in doing what was right for me, because that option doesn't feel so good when I am missing time with some of my very favorite women...


 Specifically time and distance were the points that dissuaded me from play time with the SF gals. Funny that something so right, can feel so wrong. Isn't that lyrics to a song?

The word balance is spoken frequently in our home. Unsure if that buzz word has come about because of age, or the family-health-issue year we've endured. Either way - multiple choice answers and balance seem somehow aging! Yet, also smart... when I'm being kind to myself.

HELLO?... Spontaneity, are you in there?? Periodically, YES! Like for instance the posts I've done while playing traveling photographer. (another one to be posted soon) Most days are planned out and occasionally monotonous. That too is good for me. I've talked about and waited for those times to show up in my life again.  Yet, it truly feels unfortunate when my heart says YES!, and my brain disagrees!

Coulda, shoulda, woulda been ->


celebratory cocktails

But, option "C" on the multiple choice quiz was: choose health over bubbles (until told otherwise)..



Question  7 on today's quiz made me choose between PARTY and quiet again.....
Hate missing out on fabulous finger food and laughs with a really fun gal!


She's my fellow Hollywood enthusiast! She's the yin to my yang during conversation... hmmm - maybe not actually, not sure that she or I get a word in edgewise. Man can we talk! So, I ask you, how did I choose to stay home for the big awards event - THE GOLDEN GLOBES ? Not an easy choice. Believe me, I nearly drove on over to her place during the red carpet. We'll compare notes over the phone and review, and review, and rehash again tomorrow!

The above TV show decision is one of the lighter subjects to come across my quiz radar.....
Trying, trying to keep it light around here...
Ever hopeful that spontaneity keeps it's position as choice "A" on each daily quiz.

Now, off to watch Ricky Gervais skewer himself one of the beautiful people... HA!! :-)

Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Smallest Thing

Simple, small and utterly SURPRISING gesture.... and soooo nice!

These wheels came rolling up to my house


BIG wheels!!
 Attached to these was one heck of a shiny, red semi truck...




Inside the cab, this mammoth vehicle carried a particularly important person safely to my doorstep...




The smallest thing, in the biggest package, made a very big impact!

My little brother called when he was minutes from my home, on a "run" far from his home and regular work route. "Can I have lunch at your house and visit for a minute?"

"Why, yes of course."   MAKE MY DAY !

*P.S. - so as not to have too sappy of a post...

I was also thinking - "By the way, little Bro - did ya bring me a pair of French doors in that big rig?"

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

War Of The Roses

OUCH!!

Really, what is the purpose of thorns on rose stems?? Other than to wage war on poor unsuspecting gardeners. Well, maybe I'm not unsuspecting... I've been pruning for years. Too much history with said thorns to not be aware of probabilities. Early January, and it's time for their annual grooming. This winter is so abnormal that the bushes still have plenty of flowers.







Yellow and sunny.  All different types and names. Guess I have a fondness for golden rosa.


Clipped a handful or two to bring in the house...



I don't even mind the curled edges, and brown age spots ... less than perfect, but beauty just the same.



A bit of blush tinting the buds in this vase. ^ Not my best floral styling arrangement....

Gloves or not, the Rosy weaponry is mighty as a sword! Gotta go find me a band-aid....

Monday, January 9, 2012

The End Of The 24 Hours

The slight breeze was balmy, and went on it's merry way south by the time sun set. After watching the full moon rise, we  ambled the evening away along the pier.



Nothing more sleep inducing than the sound of waves rolling up the sand. Slept with windows open. In the morn the sound we heard was much more unique.


Sunrise ~


Bagpiper wails  ~




Funniest part is - these two musicians were strangers. They'd each come to the beach that morning, ALONE, to play the bagpipe and ring in a sunny, vibrant morning. How random is that?

The silly guy I came with decided he'd do an Irish jig while the horns bellowed...



Just like that...  {snap of my fingers}... it was time to head over the hill to home. Make the most of this strangely dry weather. Gardening is calling my name...



The road to home is always sweet ....