Back in Time...

Time travel with me.  There was a brief little mention of Christmas once on December 23rd.... then when last I wrote, we were in more current time. Happy thoughts I intentionally put to paper, as I recall I mentioned. Instead of heading straight to some sad times. I'll head back to winter, now that I feel I can relive the harsh realities of life. It will take a couple of storylines to get to where I stand today, but progress is being made...


Quirky Thanksgiving plans, beach, crab and dinner (not made at home) was shared with my parents in their mountain home.

crab to bring to my parents for Thanksgiving



just the 4 of us - Hubby, me & my parents

 December jumped on the coat tail of fall, and the Christmas celebrating extravaganza was begun.  Joy is counted in pleasurable moments. A favorite tradition of mine is a Christmas party with girlfriends of some 35 years. That amazingly beautiful group of women from San Francisco whom I speak of now and again.Time with these gals is intentionally carved out and anticipated. It is a great jump-start to holiday events for reminiscing and ending another year.


For the second time, we chose the glorious, stately, historic Fairmont Hotel to stay for the night and stage an ornament exchange party. {25 years of ornaments makes quite a collection}...

Of all times to be ill!  While it doesn't seem so in the photo above ^ . I was coughing half my lung at this point. I even took the precaution of seeing my doctor prior to heading to San Francisco. Alas, ill I was, and even though prescription drugs were packed inside my satchel, the flu bug-du jour of the season, had struck. I had a great time though! Just on the return to regular life did I have a problem.

This winter, many folks seemed to have a harder than normal time with coughs, cold and the flu. I won't go all Center of Disease Control on you, but statistics were high! I ended up in the Emergency Room in order to breathe. Never before had I needed an asthma inhaler. An asthma patient to whom I'm closely related was to have an exceptionally hard time during December.... my Mom.

If I may, the time-travel-train is going to stop here. I've broached the subject that is coming...
With more days spread between me and the winter, spring is fluttering it's beauty in my face, and I look forward to the cathartic release of taking thoughts, spreading them on these pages, and releasing them to the breeze. More tales, trips, trial and tribulations soon....

Play Bocce and Mangia!!

Time was, that I'd put together a schedule and have friends meet once a week to play bocce ball in a public park. Everyone bring their own picnic and gather for fun! That stopped a couple of years ago - just too hard to get enough people out to the park to play. That's sad commentary, huh?... too difficult to put play-time in our lives...... geeesh ..


I surprised Hubby and gathered some family & friends on a Saturday morn, brought along the goods for an afternoon repast and toted the bocce set inside my wheelbarrow to the local neighborhood park.

food galore!

Very few games of bocce. The picnic table was the place to congregate. No one even won the mini-trophy I brought along for tourney champ!

No matter if bocce was priority, or eating... we had fun nonetheless!!

Fond of Our Country's Symbol...

Flag Day today...

Some Red, White & Blue spirit for everyone....

I keep the flag raised in front of my home most of the time. Are you someone that lowers their flag each evening? I know that is protocol - but, I just don't.
EXCEPT !...... skid to a halt... apparently I do sometimes take Old Glory down - she's not seen flying in the photo below. Possibly because the flag holder is just out of the shot on the left side of photo, at the corner of the house.

 

 

 

 

 

May your flag unfurl in the soft gentle breeze of summer. Enjoy the weekend. Experience all that the flag epitomizes - FREEDOM, and the American way.


A beach - with Red striped umbrellas sounds a good way to go!!

A little music (under the flag) at a festival for some weekend downtime??




Or, maybe a backyard gathering with some friends...

Whatever you may do - feel blessed to be able to make that choice!

March Madness... of the Non-Basketball Sort....

Hubby and I, also MIL and numerous friends share the month of March for our Birthdays. We always end up with quite the fiesta extravaganza for  the start of spring. This past week being no exception.


Let's open up the photo files and look at what we did ~

We sipped wine on more than one occasion

 

Shared time with family and friends...

Meals, noshes and sweets galore!

San Francisco and my Girls were in the mix (sorta early in the Bday schedule) ~

Yes, of course - we walked the beach a time or two ~

I gardened some ~

with chickens by my side.. they gave their interpretation of Birthday salutations!!

Madness of the sane crazily busy sort! All for fun. All to celebrate that which we are truly blessed and happy to have - another YEAR. (or any portion there of - we'll take!)


March! Spring has begun!

                                                                      JOY!!

Life and Challenges

For a dear friend...

It shines - through fog for some - and brilliantly for others. Wishing that the SUN. ME. ANYTHING.
Can bring you warmth and envelope you.

*                         *                               *

I'm no longer a part of her daily dialogue. The weeks and months of this new life have catapulted into years. And still she lingers.. hovering between two lives. Her new friends are strange(ers) to me. The mix of them able to find camaraderie in their sameness. She resides in homes that are like foreign lands.

Sweet friend - you are stronger than ever. Still pressing on. Even when you probably should not be! Your family with that same fate - EVER HOPEFUL! In my estimation they must be holding by a thread. Thread as thin as embroidery floss.


Rosary bead contraband. Those three words - made me smile. Made no sense. Made us laugh. You uttered them on a very late night phone call.  At least there is still humor.

I wish for much more than humor....  for YOU, more than anything!

Yukon Cornelius {He Has Nothing To Do With This}

Ya know the part in the vintage Christmas animation of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, the boisterous character of Yukon Cornelius puts his mining pick into the ice, sticks his tongue out, and with a slight "tttthhh" sound - he exclaims: "tttthhhttthhh NOTHIN'"??! do you remember?...

That's precisely what I've got for a blog post today....  ttthhhtthh NOTHIN'... much. Some little stuff here and there ~

Clear Lake, CA

Girlfriends enjoyed a getaway at this lovely place ^ . Laughter is good medicine.

A local team  {and favorite of mine} the San Francisco 49ers played and ultimately lost the Super Bowl..... there's always next year.

Your City shines brightly with or without a trophy stating you're #1. You ARE number ONE!

Winter keeps hold. Yet, Punxsutawny Phil says spring is coming round the bend. My garden and I relish this thought. Bleak times in the backyard.... still found time to play with the camera and found beauty on a rainy day ~

My work pleasure is continued and currently underway for the newest event on Goat Hill {vintage} Fair's Spring show. Lots to be done. Fun ideas in my head, many new contacts being made - as well as keeping current with our old friends at www.goathillfair.com.

See? isn't this such a mish-mash of topics? this is what goes on in my head on a daily basis!  :-)



I've hit the TV hard for all awards shows. The red-carpet is such fun. And I give it my all to see the movies nominated for those type awards. Cannot seem to talk myself into paying and sitting with eyes clenched shut for Django Unchained. Though I have found Quentin Tarantino talented in his unabashedly unmerciful use of violence... a little goes a long way!

Argo had me on the edge of my seat. Flight was sad and brutally honest about one man's struggle with alcohol. Silver Linings Playbook - filled with great actors -  was tormented in an easy to watch way. Looking at Bradley Cooper makes it very easy to watch! So pleased to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in the mix. I was delighted and transported when I saw this nearly a year ago. Quite an experience. Makes me long for sun, color, warmth & travel just playing it back in my mind...

Adore Dame Judy ^. Cannot get enough of Maggie Smith either!! Is she everywhere? or is it just me... I recently saw her in the new film "Quartet".. and to be honest - I've been watching more television than just award shows. HURRAY that I've decided to join the world and become a bonafide Downton Abbey junkie!! Maggie and crew are superb. This is one area of my grossly disorganized topic conglomeration that Yukon Cornelius would NOT say...


ttthhhhttthh - Nothing!  Yukon would say gold was struck with Downton!!


Will anyone find this tantalizing reading?? doubtful... yet, I decided that there's enough garden content to be considered within boundaries to share over at Romantic Home. I'm a rebel like that! Yukon would like me!  hhaaa
 

Gatherin my Gals and Everyone Else too...

Days and days I've meant to get to my blog... only to be sidetracked, or decide I had absolutely nothing to journal about. In reality there is probably so much I can say. My days are full. Not necessarily full of all good. There is plenty to be happy and grateful for, so I'll just go with the glass half-full thought!!

By the end of the year.. somewhere near Halloween and the start of November - it's time to start marking calendars for all of the Holiday events we'll participate in.Time for gathering your people to you. A busy time. Trying to fit in different sets of friends, family {which takes precedence}, work and maybe time away gets to be exaspperating! All of it matters so very much to me. I don't want to miss anything. I've always been this way. Now though?... feeling sorta old for an overly packed calendar... hhhaa - my dance card is too full! I kinda like being at home, making a pot of soup and catching up on reading. But, it is that time of year... so off we go...


I was head Fall "Birthday Buddy" for my San Francisco girlfriends. First on the agenda was to get eight gal's calendars to coincide and schedule time for a fun event!


For our Fall Birthay Event:

 

 

 

fun to design...

 

 

 

Next event I helped plan is for Christmas with the SF gals. We have an annual ornament exchange.

 

 

  we'll be celebrating again!.....

 

 

 

the invite I sent...

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas last year with the gals...

 

 

 

 

 

In between planning the above events, life continues to happen and throws curve balls in my way. Sadly, my Father-in-law is ill and hospitalised for a 2nd & 3rd time in quick succession. Everything points to complete recovery, but with lots of time to get there. He will soon be transferred to a nursing facility so that the staff there can help him progress in walking and abilities to get him back home where he belongs. This takes a toll on my Hubby and on his Mom too. My dear Mother-in-law is a caregiver and emotional gifter of her time, energy and love... she is having a difficult time watching her husband in his frailty and incomprehensive state..  who wouldn't find that difficult?

 

 

Gathering loved ones to you! More and more important and the thought is very much on my mind at this time of year. THANKFULNESS!  How might we gather and celebrate Thanksgiving?

 

 

Luckily, happily, I had no part in deciding our family Thanksgiving. My brothers will be hosting. Not to say that I will not pitch in. I may be asked to decorate. Surely I will bring a dish, or two. Thanksgiving blessedly is not about gifts and commercialism - that's what I find so endearing. It's all about the gathering and the food.  A few curveballs here too. Not all of the family can attend, but that's doable. Luckily everyone is healthy and we'll hope to see one another for Christmas...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, Christmas! Yeah, well.. coming into some problems with the communication and planning of the family portion of this holiday. I'll be happy to celebrate any of these holidays with my in-laws..... God willing we'll be able to gather together at home, not at a hospital bedside. Too many of us and too many miles in some of my family's planning.  Very difficult to gather each and everyone to your side. We're not used to the separation. It is not feeling comfortable. Wishing that everyone would find their glass half full, be thankful, and do their best. If we cannot gather together then at the very least we should, as a family, extend loving sentiments to one another. Explore new ways of celebrating. We may have to have more than one Christmas. I wonder what other families do? What about the ones that live across the entire country... and possibly only see one another once a year? I've never had to think about that. I've always seen my family for Christmas. As I said, this is more and more important to me... and more and more difficult to obtain. Hubby and I will do what we can.        

 

 

In the meantime there's more planning to do - Sunnyvale friends' Christmas, Hubby's workplace, will there be a cocktail party at our cottage?,New Year plans maybe???                    

 

 

No more curveballs or detours, and God willing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey! what happened to the quiet evening at home with a book and pot of soup?

Goodness

FAMILY, FRIENDS, FUN...

Last couple of days have been with Hubby's family. Last evening with friends - some of those Sunnyvale ones - more New York cousin time today. Off to the beach for some exercise first.

Walks, fall beauty, far too much food!!

MAJESTIC!!

field trip with Goat Hill people

and, various assorted family events that nearly every image has a smiling face of our great nephew... so I still cannot share them. His parents are being very cautious..  {oh, I wish you could see him!}


Time to leave for beach, with bird in his backpack - along for the walk!!

See ya soon with more fun photos!

A Friend's Offer

Offering a two bedroom home at the beach for a weekend sojourn is more than kind. This offer was heaven sent. Our friend would be visiting other parts of the state and left a hidden jar of keys for us.

The autumnal equinox celebration in picnic form!!  ahhhh just what I love!

An anniversary fell on this weekend. Hubby & I started seeing one another 31 years earlier...

A little family time while we were celebrating autumn ~