Gathered

How could we know? There is no crystal ball to give us future insight. We love, and live, and do as we do routinely... all the time hoping for continuance.... all the while taking advantage of the years that pass.

As a family, our gatherings take place pretty frequently. There is always some special event to celebrate, and some greatly loved person to place in a spotlight. How could we know this fete would later hold a particular reminiscence? Nary a hint from the party-prop tarot cards.

Christmas, was in fact, going to take a back seat to the celebration of our Colette, my sister-in-law. Themes and planning, decorations and menus had been written in emails, laughed about in phone calls and shopped for with enthusiasm. A casbah rather than a Christmas tree this year.

We gathered, my family and our friends, as we would have soon for the holidays, instead for a fiftieth birthday. The house bedecked in a riot of color. A tent raised in our best effort to emulate a Moroccan hookah lounge. Tunes rang out. Noise bounced from indoors to a fire on the cold wintry patio. There was dancing - first in heels, and then in later hours with barefeet. A friend attempted to lift my Mom from the sofa and carry her to dance... oh, the laughs that got! Mom nearly peed her pants. Hilarity a constant with the particular dear friend that sought Mom's dance turn. Her love for him and his partner forever a part of our family's lore.



Faces of so many that we hadn't seen for a time. Smiles to engage. Kisses to be exchanged with a cousin whom we swear to see more often, yet never quite bridge our calendars. History to be rehashed and remembered with the honorary "fourth son" and his family. Much fawning of the young and beautiful in their club-style attire. Celebration of life in all forms on this night!

Gathered together and our joys shared  - then, come morning - each of us went back to our homes and routines, until the next time we bask in an other's special gloriousness. Fully confident that this next gathering will come.....  as it always has ~

 

 

 

 

 

Darlings of Fast Food ? Our Family Chef Would Perish the Thought..

Taco trucks seem to be the hamburger stand de rigeuer. At least that's how I've come to see them. A hip way to get authentic food quickly. While our cousin hasn't lived in the U.S. in years, his craving for this simple dining experience had not wavered. Rick requested we hit a taco truck on his first day here.

Scrumptious street-style tacos!! soooo yummy...

The interior (^ where we did not eat) was wildly colorful and displayed vintage posters that I found oh so photographable!


No pictures of the food - but I did get the cousins sitting together ~

Did I mention that our days revolved around where to take Rick to eat?

 No, we didn't eat the chickens!

Again - no capturing of the organic food take-out excursion, just a glimpse into where we dined....
our BACKYARD...

Here's the part where there was no way in hell I was going to have a professional chef try to slice&dice with my unsharpened cutlery, nor try to find a pan that would suit his needs. Let alone attempt a meal prep in a kitchen the size of some closets......  uh uh

lamb was a fave pick

We happily chose our own customized pleasure cartons of edibles from Whole Foods. Then, I did supplement and served a homemade galette from plums off of our trees. (the least I could do)
And, believe me - I don't think I impressed the cousin!

We listened to stories of Japan...

and opted for ~ a la mode~  just to top off the evening with more goodness ! ....

All of That Annual Patriotic Partying... and Summertime Sunshine

Yesterday, and well - the last couple of weeks - have been chock-full of good time seeking. We've been doing anything we can to beat the heat. Temperatures have hovered near to 100* in our area - making for hide and seek games with the afternoon sun! I've gotten out of my darkened, fan-blown cave a few times to try and get some exercise. Sometimes I've opted {in the past} for mall-walking to be in air conditioned confines, but this is not one of my favorite venues. So many people, and too many distractions with window shopping!

Swimming pools are good places to hang out!

The garden is overgrown. Plums sweltering, and fermenting by the bushel in the gravel pathways.

Our hand-wrought wooden baskets far too small to hold the bounty from two trees ~

Lavender bunches trimmed...

{I have to say - I love reading blogs that mention harvesting lavender, and then then performing the ultimate DIY with said harvest. Unfortunately, this is not me! I trim just to downsize the plant}




And, yes! - we did also participate in patriotic partying. The 4th of July is just days past one of my brothers' birthday - so there is an annual celebration of both....

This morning brought cool air to my fluttering curtains.... very grateful for this! Yet, I realize there are still months to these ..



                      DOG DAYS OF SUMMER ~

And Then..... {Fifth in a Series on Celebrating 25}

May 14th - Hubby & I celebrated the date that we wed 25 years prior. In my post ~ Fourth in a Series, you saw what a memorable gift and experience this was. We've outdone, overcompensated, overly indulged ourselves for a month or more... yet, I still have another celebration to share.


This is the garden party that we invited my family and a small contingent of Hubby's to share in. A lot of prep, many days of work and most importantly a gorgeous and fun event was held in my Brother and Sister-in-laws garden.  We were sure to fete other celebrants and monumental life events on this day. A niece graduated from High School, and a brother and nephew had birthdays.

The tables were decked out in beach theme decor, with touches of silver for the 25th Anniv. Silver trophy cups and starry firework sprays for the graduate.

At our place setting - were these forks that I had engraved by a GOAT HILL artist just for this occasion. A SILVER memento for Hubby & me.

The glass with silver 25 monogram was a gift from a friend ^

Hugs & kisses aplenty  ^

Saltwater taffy cupped inside scallop shells as a favor (colors of pink chosen because this was part of our color scheme on our wedding day)

Beautiful niece reading her graduation messages ~

One gardenia blossom was ready.. and placed specially by my husband and sister-in-law, at my spot. Gardenias are the flower we had on our wedding day.

Handmade and VERY delicious cupcakes were created by our talented niece! She took an old family favorite recipe and adapted it to make these. Then she invented a special icing. She made the day so very memorable!

My MIL was the one responsible for this gathering. She truly wanted us to have a party to celebrate this big occasion. She definitely got this party started...

I believe I'm nearing the end on the Anniversary stories....
May was a month to remember - for sure!!

On This Day....

We have given others the right to choose whom they will love, share their life with and the equal right to be bound together - a commitment not to be taken lightly, by any of us! EQUAL... the main concept here. No one of us is above or beneath another. All humans on one planet.. that should be trying to get along - and LOVE one another!

This is a photo of Hubby & I celebrating (what else!) our anniversary of 25 years of marriage. I felt it just the right statement to add the symbol of the "equal" colors and profess my happiness that others will have the opportunity to dream of years together in the relationship of marriage - if they so choose!

Fourth (and not last) In a Series on Celebrating 25 Years...

I left off from the tale of Anniversary mega-celebrations with a photo of a monstrous building {click} and will continue {if you are inclined to read more) from this photo that you've already
seen ~

I was presented with an unpurchaseable statement of love. Hubby had, for months, been compiling memories, thoughts and scribble-drawings of highlights during our years together - some married years and some before that. That is the final page of the booklet in his hands. On his bucket list two items were checked off - marrying me, and staying so for 25 years. The third item on the list was for us to check-off that very evening. We were staying overnight at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay!!

Every square foot of this resort oozes luxury. The surprise was beyond comprehension, as this is very unlike us to stay in spendy places! No detail was left out. The room was littered with rose petals. The bed had towels shaped into swan hearts. We were greeted with "Happy Anniversary" wishes.

25 in petals

I laughed til I cried, and I cried - til I laughed. My chuckling at the drawings in the booklet had both of us gasping. A memorable place to sit and read this gift - ensconced in a dramatically large Adirondack chair, on a sunlit afternoon on the Ritz patio overlooking the grand Pacific. Perfection!

We had a private patio, and our own fire pit. We opted to stay on the patio all through the evening - who could waste a moment of that view? Dinner was a picnic here, with champagne to toast US!
The sky was blue... and as much a surprise as the gift, as Half Moon Bay is notoriously foggy! Sunset was meant just for our celebration!

A quick 24 hours we had, but you can't very well leave the beach without a walk in the morning!

Time for us to head home and for me to get up to the hill.. on the property with the goats, 'cause it was nearly the big day for Goat Hill Fair. Lots of work to be done. I've been busy as a bee...

Believe it, or not, the Anniversary stories are yet to be complete!! there's more to come.....

Third in A Series of The 25th Celebrate-athon !

Steep Ravine still fresh in our minds... and still aching on our backs (problem with new air mattress while camping).. little over a week after our first Anniversary celebration - the REAL wedding date came. Twenty-Five years after May 14, 1988 ~

We played- who has the best surprise anniversary plan? It is my opinion that Hubby won that game! He outdid himself! I was surprised in every way!

An itinerary was given me a week in advance. He knows me well - I had to be sure of what clothing to pack! Hubby has been writing in a makeshift journal - giving me daily stick-figure drawings and funny thoughts, quips and anecdotes. And  always a message of love. In the volley back and forth of love notes, we each offered clues to how we'd be celebrating. Not one of those could match the true thoughtfulness of his surprise plan.

Let me begin with the first timeline clue.... Hubby writes to me: "Light breakfast at home, leave the house by ten o'clock, and be in Half Moon Bay for lobster rolls at lunch!"  No problem - Dollface, you had me at lobster!!  :-)

remember... I mentioned glorious food and champagne for days...

Booklet next read:  "walk on the beach".... so, we strolled hand-in-hand along the sand...
How is it that poem, or rhyme goes??... too late to figure it out....  Anyway, we marked off the 2nd clue from the itinerary booklet.....

Next time I'll give you the BIG HURRAH!! Biggest, kindest, most out-of-character gift, EVER!!
Here's a clue though:

I'm About to Make You Sick...

Sick with envy, maybe. SICK AND TIRED of hearing about the 25th wedding anniversary - most certainly!! As I said yesterday, this has been one full-on month of celebration. In fact, maybe I'm even feeling sick... hhaaaa - NO, really! - physically a little queasy-tummied from all of the food and champagne we've consumed! LORDY!


A sunny day in early May. We loaded up nearly everything we own to camp at our serene-place, that tiny facade of a cabin - that is truly nothing more than a rustic shelter. A place beyond compare. I reserved this spot months in advance of our Anniversary - because of our history with it, and it's spot in our hearts. We slept soundly with ocean waves rocking the cliffs that the cabin sits upon and the cooing of swallows nesting in the eaves just above our heads.

Some days we ventured out to celebrate with meals in other of our favorite haunts. Again winding down Highway 1 to Nick's Cove.... happy to revisit the boat house sitting at the end of a long dock.

The table nearest to the edge, closest to the sunset and directly atop Tomales Bay. Have you ever experienced crabby mac-'n-cheese? It's a gotta-do, one day! Put that on your bucket list!

Mostly, you're on your own out on this dock. We order by phone in the little boat shack, and then go pick-up at the restaurant way down the dock. Brought along our own bottle of bubbly, and tablecloth, and then I became our waitress...

Our celebrations have centered around one main theme.. well I guess two themes, #1 is Silver Anniversary, and #2 is beach!!

Our heavenly, much adored spot was a perfect few days away... and a good place to begin the marking of the big 25 Anniversary celebration.  Are any of you sick of it yet? Hope not... there's plenty more to share!!