California Dreamin'

The Simple Woman's Daybook that I usually do on Mondays has been moved to Tuesdays so today I will show pictures of my recent trip to CA.  It has been a week since I got back and to be honest I have been a little depressed having come from Spring everywhere you look to very brown and gray here at home.  But, I will buck up and put on my happy face and pretend happiness!  Come with me as I show you what I saw.  I must show you the beautiful green hills first.

I think there is nothing as beautiful as the bright chartreuse color, especially after so much rain in CA, that the hills right next to the main roads and freeway get in northern California.  I was so busy there that I didn't take time to get out of the car to photograph so these pics are from inside the car. (Ignore the bottom half of pics)
There is a place along the road that someone many years ago planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs so that as you drive along the freeway there is this beautiful yellow roadside.  They were just beginning to spring up.

 It is so nice to be with friends that you haven't seen for a while and make new ones.  So, we had a Valentine party and made of course, valentines!

 

 

As well as a cute musical pin to wear and learned how to make a banner too.

I

I loved talking to and catching up on each one's life.

  The weather was beautiful and fun was had by all. 

 A beautiful lunch was served on red and white tablecloths and all enjoyed being together.  I have the best friends!  Thank you Vicki and Angela for the luncheons.

One day on our way down to Pebble Beach we stopped at Wal-Mart where this cute little family were in the parking lot with a line of people backed up next to their truck.

 

    We found out they were selling homemade tamales from the back of their pick-up truck!  Of course, we were on an adventure so we made this part of it too.  They were hot and so delicious!

 The ocean was many shades of blue and refreshing just to see.

I love the charming shops of Carmel with all it's little alley ways, cobblestones and 

dutch doors to the cute shops.

 

  

And no matter what time of year you go to Carmel there are beautiful flowers everywhere.

In planter boxes.

In pots.

 

Or hanging on the side of the wall, they are beautiful.

Even the animals have taken on color it seems as we saw this poodle happily walking down the street in a coat of Bubble Gum pink!

 

We drove through Berkeley on our way back to the airport and stopped at this open Market selling beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables and specialty ethnic foods.  We bought a wonderful "sandwich" made of very thin tortilla-like bread filled with a spinach mixture that was just delicious.  Another filling was a pumpkin pesto that was good too.

Thanks for reliving my trip to CA with me and I hope Spring comes soon to your part of the country just as I am looking forward to the first tulip emerging here in a couple of months.

  Have a wonderful week!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, February 8, 2010

Outside my window...a threat of snow again.  Yesterday was so foggy that one could barely see to drive, but...

I am thinking...It is all right as I am leaving this morning for sunny California for a few days!  Horray!

I am thankful for... the ease with which one can travel today, unlike how hard it was in pioneer days.  Even when I was growing up (after the pioneer days!) we never flew anywhere.  My first plane ride was when I was in my 20's.

I am wearing...warm clothes for the ride.  I am cold by nature so I almost always layer my clothing and take an outside aisle.  Plus I am taking and wearing my long winter coat.  I am no fool, I looked up the weather and it is not going to be that warm there!

I am remembering...at least I am trying to remember all that I will need to take--clothing, make-up, valentines, kit materials for my class, phone numbers and little gifts for those I stay with.

I am going...to try to blog while I am gone but there is no guarantee.

I am currently reading...House Beautiful magazine because when I went to the library Friday they did not have our bookclub's next book.  I am now 548th on the waiting list for A Town Like Alice there. (They do have 250 copies however so I will see how long it takes)

I am hoping... to see lots of friends this week.

On my mind... Valentines Day and all the people that I truly love both in and out of my family.  They have such great influence on a person's thoughts and actions.  I am truly blessed by knowing and watching such fine examples of love and compassion every day.

Noticing that...the snow is almost melted off my patio today.

Pondering these words... "Love alone is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins them by what is deepest in themselves."

From the kitchen... just finishing a big pot of Chicken Vegetable Soup and Homemade rolls.

Around the house... a few Valentine decorations and a partially packed suitcase.

One of my favorite things... hot Oatmeal cookies from the oven! ("Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven!")

From my picture journal.

Looking forward to holding and squeezing this one again!

Have a wonderful week!

  To read more daybook entries click here.

Some Summer Memories

Summertime, Summertime, Sum,Sum Summertime.

I can't believe it is August already. Where has the summer gone? Only another month to enjoy the summer festivities and finish summer chores. (I am still trying to figure out simple things like how my sprinklers work or what to do when they don't work--which is more like it. And trying to keep my grass and plants from frying in the heat). But I have enjoyed having friends visit and family come, too, on their way to Chicago on their vacation.
What is nicer than a granddaughter in your house to remind you to listen to the words of the new music that she plays on your car radio as your driving her to the craft store for supplies to make a banner for her bedroom? What about a 5 year old who answers all the questions of Scattergories with his new favorite person "Harry Potter"? Or playing pitcher for the 11 year old as he practices hitting the ball outside the boundaries of your back wall.? Or frosting cupcakes with an 8 year old for his brother's birthday party? Or making pencil cases out of duct tape with my 15 year old grandson? Or holding and loving my newest grandson? These are some of my memories of this summer.

I hope your summer is filling up with good memories as well!

My Beach Vacation

I am taking a break and vacationing in sunny (off and on in reality) California with a friend. Barbara has been on a liquid diet since November and has lost 47 pounds! So, I decided to go on it with her---for this week.

So, Here's the latest on the liquid diet/ beach vacation.
On our first day, Barbara and I equipped with our GPS system in her BMW set off to find this adorable English country Cottage shop we saw in a magazine. Following the directions from the GPS we were directed to enter a toll road 73 (north). I thought, OK it will be about $1.00. No, it was ($4.50). There was no one on the road. We thought, wow, we have a freeway all to ourselves. How did they know! It was great. We drove about 5 minutes on it then were directed to exit. Well, it was an expensive ride, but it was worth it. As we followed the directions voiced to us, we were then directed to go onto 73 (south) which I thought, "OK, they'll just let us back on, free since we just came from the other direction". Wrong! The toll officer did not even think we were funny when we tried to sweet talk him out of the $4.50 toll. So, we had to pay and were on the darn freeway a total of 5 more minutes before we had to exit. Then we found the Cottage. It wasn't hard to find. It had a billboard size sign on top of it's warehouse square building. Where were all the roses and cute curved-top garden gate that was in the magazine? Painted on the front door! Instead of finding a cute, small, quaint cottage, we found a huge, southwestern urban converted warehouse. Inside it was divided into rows of consignment country/gift clutter which when I began to look, made me tired. Since we were so famished upon arrival and seeing it would take a good deal of time to find anything of interest to us, we scrapped the whole thing, went across the street and had some wonderful Puerto Rican food! (But, following through with our liquid diet, we did have water!)

Stay tuned for the next update!