meg's garden: Weekend Wanderings

Looking over the pages...

Tue, 06 May 2008 23:55:39 GMT

Outside My Window...Hazy skies & dusty breezes- a preview of summer, I believe

I am thinking... that there are so many other things I’d rather be doing then sitting in this office all Spring

I am thankful for...an extra day off to recover from our late night Sunday

From the kitchen...will be leftover country ribs (must pick up some bbq sauce) & fresh asparagus.

I am wearing...a dark floral skirt, cream top, & brown leather slides

I am creating...a pair of knitted kilt hose for Chris- natural merino/silk blend on tiny needles- this is going to take a while

I am going...to plant some more seeds- a planter box of Moonflowers & Sweet Peas for the patio, & start a few Sunflowers & “Love Lies Bleeding” for the front bed.

I am reading... Northanger Abbey (still- the read & knit along ends this month) & No Honeymoon for Death by Mary Kruger

I am hoping... that the wasp nest I knocked out of the rose bush last night is the only one!

I am hearing...Vivaldi’s Allegro from The Four Seasons, Spring

Around the house...it’s time to take down the curtains for a good wash & airing, change the filter on the A/C vent, & have Sam hose down the window screens & reattach them- all the wind lately has knocked some of them wonky.

One of my favorite things...big, bright, red geraniums

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Clear some clutter from the computer desk & sofa table; cut some more block pieces for the church quilt, & put in a few hours of work on Saturday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

We had a great time on Sunday. Sam drove to Sacramento (about 85 miles), getting some highway driving practice, stopping at Ikea for a couple hours of wandering. I picked out a couple of essentials, while Sam planned out his dream room, & then we had dinner in the café, before heading to Arco Arena. Sam didn’t figure out who the performer was until we hit the door, & then all he said was, “Cool.” (I think that’s taking the “Jaded Teen” act a bit too far) Suffice it to say…we both sang along with every song

This was the opening act (so much better in person)

Naturally 7- all a cappella… really!

Look closely- they are not playing those instruments; all the sound you hear is by human voice. For more, see check out “Naturally 7- Wall of Sound” on You*tube (my favorite is “Say You Love Me”, a love song from God)

And then….

Michael Bublé!

Singing along with the radio

Fri, 02 May 2008 19:23:34 GMT

One of my regular blog-wandering spots is Junie Moon, a lovely woman with a large heart. I am often inspired & challenged by June’s posts; she is a fount of creative energy & regularly spotlights ways to put feet on your ideals- in just the past 10 ten days, she’s been involved with Special Olympics fundraising, shared her creations for a swap, tried a new sewing technique, salvaged some patio furniture, & offered a booklet of recipes for natural cleaning supplies.

During my visit today, I read about an opportunity to help those in need (a regular occurrence at June’s) in a way nearly every one of us can accomplish. The Peace T-shirt Project is being sponsored by Africankelli; if you are anything like me (a frugal Scot, who hates to see waste), somewhere in the house there is a stack of practically new t-shirts that have been outgrown, waiting to be taken to Goodwill. This weekend, I’ll be choosing a couple, possibly decorating them with some simple designs, & then forward them on to Kelli; she will pack them in her suitcase to give away while in Nicaragua & Mozambique.

Will any one else be honest enough to admit that you were first introduced to opera by… Mel Blanc?

To this day, I cannot listen to Wagner’s Tannhauser Overture with out hearing the immortal duet of Bugs & Elmer, singing:

“Return my wuv, a wonging burns deep inside me;

Reetwion, my luv, I want you always be-eside me;

A wuv like ours mu-ust be;

Made for you & for meeee;

Return, won’t you return my love, for my love is yours!”

Hope you each have a wonderful weekend; tomorrow, I’ll be working for a couple hours to finish my month end close reconciliations, then over to the opening of the Farmers’ Market & Cost*co for basics. Sunday is the Michael Bublé concert (which Sam doesn’t know about), so we’ll make an afternoon of it in Sacramento- shopping, dinner, & then some great music!

Greetings from Washington DC

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:07:13 GMT

Hey kids~ I have a couple munutes to check in & hit the highlights.

Flight- Long, 5 hour delay in Detroit, but slept thru most of it.

What was left of Saturday- rainy- was the Zoo (so-so) & searching out the hotel (nice- Sheraton at cheap-o price :-)

Sunday- clear & cold- Easter Services at the National Cathedral (awe inspiring) & exploring Mt Vernon (beautiful)

Monday- overcast- Arlington National Cemetary (sobering & reverent) Library of Congress (beautiful artwork & BOOKS!) & the National Archives ( all the Charters of Freedom & the Magna Carta as a bonus)

Today- clear & comfotable- off early to try for Washington Monument Tickets; tripped & did a 3-point landing outside the Metro. Dislocated my elbow & jarred every cell in my body, but popped it back in place & soldiered on. WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean & Vietnam War Memorials (Freedom is never Free) & then the Natural History Museum (saw the Hope Diamond- yum- but the place was a zoo!)

I'm now resting with some ice while the guys explore the underground mall; hoping to go by the Jefferson Monument & the White House after dark if my arm feels good enough to drive.

Time is up- blessings to all- talk to you soon.

All Clear Signal?

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:09:17 GMT

Well, I’m certainly glad that week is over. I won’t go into gory details, mostly because it makes my blood pressure go wacky, but the highlights were:

+ Bad News: Chris was informed they have at least another month of short weeks (which means $400+ shortage on the paychecks)

C Good News: The lady with the horse ranch has enough work she wants him to do to cover every weekend for the next 3 months

+ Bad News: I developed my first UTI in over 20 years & the cranberry juice prescribed by the nurse gave me a bad headache

C Good News: Only one day was really uncomfortable, so I was able to enjoy the Stitches West convention on Saturday

+ Bad News: Sam didn’t make the cut for the tennis team this year

C Good News: He takes his black belt exam tonight & he’s feeling good about it (but please send out some positive energy Sam’s way- he had to take his last belt exam twice before he passed & I don’t think I- er, uh, I mean he could stand another disappointment right now)

Sunday was the Ravenswood Annual Victorian Tea; I wasn’t on kitchen or serving duty this year, so I was able to sit quietly in the cottage most of the afternoon, giving only one regular tour during the tea, & answering questions before & after. My contribution to the meal was a large batch of Curried Olive Spread- actually a dip, but works well at sandwich filling on rye or pumpernickel bread- & didn’t make a single scone, unlike the 19 dozen I did last year.

Tomorrow, my Mother is coming out here to bring me a gift from my brother & new sister-in-law, & then go to lunch; this is a first- she has only been to our town 3 times in the 13 years we’ve lived here. I just hope the fake spring weather doesn’t do a bunk, giving her an excuse to back out; one becomes a little weary of being the only one to make the hour-long trip to visit.

Ta for now~ I’ll let you know how it goes.

How I spent my Saturday

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:53:17 GMT

Things are looking up

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:43:28 GMT

Ahhh! Another 3-day weekend & few commitments; sometimes it is good to be me

I had to go into work for a couple of hours today to take care of some filing & records storage, however I was done & home by noon. The guys have taken my car for the afternoon, so I “have” to stay around the house- oh, darn! My book & knitting are calling to me, but they will have to wait for a bit while I gab with my friends.

Chris has taken Sam out for some driving practice; he will be completing Driver’s Ed in 2 weeks, & then will be enrolling in a driving school for the behind the wheel portion (required by the State of California.) Today’s adventure is part of a new program in our area; it all came about after a tragedy that occurred one year ago tomorrow. I’ve written about the accident that killed a local teen & the community support that has flowed around the boy who was driving; I also mentioned how Ken Ucci, father of the boy who died, started a chapter of “Get Real Behind the Wheel”, a safe teen-driving program. Over the past few months, there have been several educational events at schools, community outreach, & fundraising events (at the West High homecoming game, “Get Real” presented the school with a new scoreboard in the gym, as a memorial to Mike, a basketball player), all culminating in a partnership with Altamont Motorsports Park, located 5 miles west of Tracy. Twice a month, the track opens up to local teens & their parents, so they can practice driving under several controlled conditions (the grand opening charged parents, but now each event is free). Nothing fully takes that niggling of fear away when I think about Sam driving alone, but I know we have done all we can to help him be prepared.

Tomorrow is “Date Day”; Chris & I have tickets to see Chris Botti in concert at Yoshi’s Jazz Club in San Francisco. I got the tickets when I renewed my PBS membership (last year I got tickets to see “Celtic Women”, & the year before, we saw Benice in Oakland), & since the concert doesn’t start until 9:00 pm, we’re going to make an afternoon out of it. If the weather cooperates, I’m going to take Chris on his very first cable-car ride- the man was born in the Bay Area, & has never ridden on one- & if it’s stormy (which looks pretty likely), we’ll head to one of the museums. Dinner will be whatever appeals at the time & then off to listen to some seriously talented lips! Because we probably won’t be home before 1:00 am, we’re both taking a vacation day on Monday- you know, the old folks don’t bounce back too quickly anymore

Well, I’m off to my book (Emma by Jane Austen &/or Rilla of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery), my cuppa (Citron Green from Adagio), & some cranberry scones; yes, it is pretty good to be me today

Lemon or cream?

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:18:40 GMT

After a quiet Sunday at home

the evening turns cold and windy

A good time for some nesting

A fire burns in the grate

Candles cast a gentle glow

Meg has been busy in the kitchen

with Lemon Poppyseed scones

with cream and jam

Gala and Granny Smith apples

some favorite sweets

Egg Salad and Chedder/Olive sandwiches

There is soup on the stove

and Wild Berry tea in the pot

so, please, have a seat and let me pour you a cup.

Have you seen my window screen?

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:25:55 GMT

Our journey into 2008 has begun, & I find myself sincerely hoping that the past five days are not indicative of the coming year.

Work continues to take up entirely too much of my time & energy; today, I was up early to get my hair cut, before heading to the office to play catch up with my general ledgers & filing. The only saving grace was that the weather is so abysmal, that I’m not missing out on any fun activities, like a trip up to the snow (not recommended at this time.) I am making progress, & I anticipate having the chaos tamed into submission by the end of the month.

Or maybe the end of next month.

Or the end of the year.

Whatever.

Chris, on the other hand, has been enjoying some well-deserved, extended time away from work; since he returned from Florida on last month, he has only worked 7 of the past 24 days. The upside is it has all been paid- either vacation or holiday pay. The downside- the one day he went in the week before Christmas (for his company party) he caught the virus that has been circulating in the office, so he has been hacking & snotty for the past week & a half.

Yeah, fun.

Speaking of the weather, we are currently in the grip of a series of winter storms that has been wreaking havoc throughout the state. While the higher elevations are seeing heavy snow, here in the Valley, we are being buffeted by high winds, driving rain, & threats of floods from the over-taxed levy system. Fortunately for us, our town is more than 50 feet above sea level & 10 miles from the nearest levy or river, so the likelihood of flooding is remote; but we are dealing with a number of uprooted trees, falling branches, & flying debris.

While I was working today, Chris was clearing up the mess in our yard, settling the rabbit into the laundry room, & helping our neighbor reattach his roof shingles. I had planned on writing about my new cold frames that Chris devised while he was on vacation & doing a photo tour of my vegetables.

The vinyl panels double as overnight frost protection, as well as creating a greenhouse atmosphere, raising the interior temperature by 15˚F during the day. Everything is doing well & we’ve been enjoying a modest weekly harvest;

but right now, it all looks pretty bedraggled after the wind-beating the garden has been taking. While the wood frames are in good shape, the vinyl sheets have been almost shredded, so we are brainstorming some other type of protective casing to use during inclement weather.

Well, I need to get back to my knitting; I’ve finished only one bandage so far for Junie Moon’s Bandage Brigade, & I need to get them mailed out by the 15^th, so other knitting is on the back burner for the time being. Too bad, because I have some fun projects in my queue:

J I’m in another read & knit along on Ravelry- this one is with the “Austentacious” group, & we are reading Jane Austen’s Emma over the next 12 weeks, while creating items with a “Made for Each Other” theme (things that go together);

J I’ve had a special request from a blogging friend for some “surprise” fingerless mittens (I think you’ll like what I picked out, Becca);

J I’m on the last month of the “Anne of Green Gables” read & knit along, so the bandages will be my final project;

J A friend gave me a gorgeous pattern for cabled kilt hose, which I am itching to start- I have the yarn & needles, & just need the time to begin (this will be a long term project- at least a year);

J I’m considering joining another read & knit along next month (when “Anne” is done)- the group will be reading three of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple mysteries over as many months, & doing a themed “mystery” scarf swap

The good news is that PBS Masterpiece Theater is presenting adaptations of all six of Jane Austen’s novels- lots of dedicated knitting time!

It goes by so quickly...

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 22:05:08 GMT

Well, vacation time is winding down & I am feeling much less stress. I haven’t got to as much reading & napping as I would have liked, but all in all, it has been a satisfying week of little adventures & rest.

Our vacation started out with the Music Ministries Christmas party on Sunday evening; we had a Mexican Potluck, an ornament exchanges, & then went caroling around the neighborhood (of course- what else does a choir do at a party?)

We fell into an easy pattern for the week; Chris would get up around 6:30 (that is sleeping in for him- he usually gets up a 4:30 :-P) & I’d have the bed to myself until 8:00 or so; we’d take care of the animals, read the newspaper with breakfast, & then decide how to spend the day.

Monday, we decided to drive up to Amador County in the Sierra foothills, to wander the little towns along Highway 49. We went through Ione to find out what the big red building on hill was; it’s called Preston Castle-

a grand name for an unpleasant reality- it was a reform school for over 60 years. We drove on to Amador City & Sutters Creek, two of our favorite holiday shopping areas,

all dressed up for Christmas. The weather turned colder & drizzly as we reached Angels Camp to poke around the antique shops, & then on to Murphys for lunch & some more browsing.

A big winter storm blew in overnight, so Tuesday was spent at home, snuggled in with soup, movies, & baking, other then one absolutely necessary trip out to the post office & to drop off gifts for the family we adopted thru work. Sam even stayed in for the evening (he usually has karate on Tu/Th) to study for finals & finish a project.

Midweek found us in Livermore & Dublin for Chris’ company Christmas party (a potluck lunch & gift exchange), then onto the nursery to use my Holiday Bucks at the nursery. I picked up some more broccoli plants (we just harvested the first 2 heads from the earlier planting), some creeping purple thyme, variegated licorice plant, & snapdragons for the planter next to the front door, & an English ivy plant in a basket for a gift. Before going home, we stopped in to see our friend Keith (who helped with Jessica’s car misadventures), who has been laid up with kidney stones, & drop off gifts for the family.

Thursday was Adventure Day; Chris & I took BART into San Francisco to go on the Victorian Home Walk, something I had seen on the local news a couple of weeks ago. It was a beautiful day to walk thru the Victorian neighborhoods of Pacific Heights,

learning about the different styles & the history of some of the individual houses. The highlight was the tour inside the Queen Anne Hotel, a beautifully restored house which is now a bed & breakfast;

opulent at anytime, it was just stunning decorated for the holidays. After the 2 ½ hour tour, we ended up on Union Street (also known as Cow Hollow), several blocks of shops & restaurants, where we stopped at Perry’s for a terrific lunch.

We took the bus back over to Union Square & spent an hour admiring the famous Christmas windows at the big retailers & hotels.

Our favorite is always Macy’s, who dedicate several windows to the SPCA, featuring animals in need of homes. I especially loved this one; she was a real poser, climbing elegantly up the tower & presenting “calendar kitty” postures for the gathered crowds.

Friday was another hunker-down day, as I was suffering from the results of all the walking the day before. I don’t think I’ve mentioned before, but I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis for several months & it has been getting progressively more troublesome. I haven’t been to the gym or out for a walk in 3 weeks, trying to rest my foot & allow it to heal, as well as popping 600 mg of ibuprofen 3 or 4 times a day for the past 6 months. Thursday night was so bad that I had trouble sleeping, so I went in to see the doctor in the afternoon; after an evaluation (he’s a new doctor) he gave me a shot of lidocaine & cortisone in the heel, & a new prescription of anti-inflammatory medicine. Within a few hours (& a long nap) the pain was virtually gone (yippee!), but I know I have to still take it easy for a while longer & find a new exercise regime, since the walking is just too stressful on the injury. I’m going to give it another week, then try using the recumbent bike at the gym, which isn’t suppose to strain the arch & has the added benefit of not being weight bearing.

While I was sleeping, Chris went over to my favorite BBQ place & brought home some pork ribs & cole slaw for dinner (isn’t he just the sweetest), then took Sam & his friends off to the mall for some shopping. I went downtown to pick up Sam’s gift from my Berkeley family (they pooled together to get him a letterman’s jacket) & went to the knitting shop for the first time in a month for Sock Hop/Christmas Gift Exchange. What a wonderful time! We ate, knitted, & visited for nearly 3 hours; I ended up with some great hand-dyed sock yarn in shades of peach, yellow, gold & ivory- I’m already looking for the right pattern, since I haven’t made any socks in months!

Well, I’ve rambled on long enough; we’re having dinner with my family tonight & I need to head out to Berkeley. Chris volunteered to help chaperon a field trip of the Martial Arts & Anime clubs to Japantown today, so he & Sam are going to leave early & meet me at the BART station near my Mother’s home. My brother’s father-in-law is visiting from Vancouver & we’re getting both families together to celebrate his birthday today.

Hope you all are having a restful weekend, letting the stress & pressure of the holiday float away on the cold breeze.

Freedom

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:44:00 GMT

The reports are filed, the transactions are completed, the shopping is done, the final song is sung- I’m now on vacation & none too soon, in my opinion. A week of sleeping in, puttering around the house, time spent reading or knitting, & maybe a couple of gentle adventures are just what the doctor ordered. I will be dropping by to visit all my sadly neglected friends & promise to get back to my regular posting.

Have a lovely weekend.

The Sugar Plum Fairy dropped by...

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:18:51 GMT

Since the twitch in my eye has subsided (for the most part) & I’ve discerned a wisp of Christmas cheer, I believe myself fit for polite company again.

The office move went more smoothly than I expected; I supervised the installation of the new cubicles (which were naturally missing components) Tuesday, the computers on Wednesday, & finally the moving of our files & cabinets from the old office space will happen tomorrow morning. I have about 65% of my desk set up; the rest will stay in boxes until the missing cabinets arrive in a few weeks.

I hope you each had an enjoyable Thanksgiving; ours was blessedly undemanding & restful. Wednesday night turned cold, so I had a pleasant lie-in snuggled under a down comforter before easing into the day. Chris & I worked in the garden for a while after breakfast, setting up some temporary frames for draping frost protection & stringing up Christmas lights around them, to help keep the plants warm overnight. The girls looked a bit askance at the whole set-up, but it is rather effective & I think Fred is enjoying his personal holiday light display.

We chose to go a non-traditional route this year, since it was just the three of us; baked ham, mashed sweet potatoes, a pan of dressing, salad, & spiced cranberry/peach chutney, served with wine & sparkling cider, & followed with pumpkin pie. While the ham & dressing were cooking, we all went for a walk before setting the table & dishing up the meal. Following the requisite nap in the recliner while listening to music, we watched a fun made-for-tv movie I picked out at Net*flix The Librarian: Quest for the Spear with Noah Wylie, Bob Newhart, & Jane Curtain.

Chris had to work on Friday, since he will be leaving on Tuesday & is in the midst of training 2 new employees, & Sam had plans with friends, so I spent the day by myself. I went up to the fabric store to use my 50% off coupon (I’m making a new dress to wear at Ravenswood), stopped at Son*ic for a burger, onion rings, & soda, then took myself over to the little zoo at Micke Grove Park to walk around. I made it home about the same time as the guys, so as soon as they were cleaned up, we went over to the church to look for a Christmas tree. We’ve had an artificial one since Sam was an infant; last winter I donated it to a non-profit group our company supports to decorate for a fundraiser & I haven’t found a replacement yet. Our youth pastor decided to try a tree lot this year to raise funds for Snow Camp & Children’s Ministries, so I wanted to give them shot at our business; we found a reasonably priced Douglas fir, which smells absolutely divine, & purchased a new tree stand. Sam also decided to volunteer to work the lot over the next few weeks; the more money they raise, the less he’ll have to shell out for camp in January- besides, the kids have a great time together.

So Saturday morning, Chris & I dropped Sam off at the tree lot, & then drove into San Francisco to attend the Dickens Christmas Fair. Although we don’t go every year, usually due to other commitments, we always have a wonderful time. I was hoping to find a bonnet to wear at Ravenswood; I didn’t find anything in my budget that would work (the period really isn’t right- about 40 years too early style-wise) but had a great time exploring regardless. This year, we spent most of our time with the entertainment- we saw “Pirates of Penzance”, listened to sailor’s shanties & Mad Sal’s revue, sat in on a recitation by Rudyard Kipling & Annie Oakley, & attended the doings at Fezziwig’s Warehouse.

Well, I’d best wrap this up & get to work on my dress; I’d like to have it ready by the Yuletide Celebration on December 9^th, but I need to do some adjustments on the pattern to give myself a little more room in the bodice, a little less fullness in the back of the skirt & the lower sleeve, & shorten it enough to be functional. I believe that after the first of the year, I’m going to start a recurring series on Ravenswood & the work we do there- I foresee my role there being expanded in the very near future, so naturally I would like to share it with each of you. Ta-ta!

Hostess with the Mostest

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:25:28 GMT

You know how you look forward to an event, planning & preparing, only to have things fall flat?

Well, that is not what happened this weekend!

The carpets turned out well; not brand-new by any mean, but definitely an improvement. Chris did a great job with his list- the walls were clean, the windows sparkling, & not a speck of dust to be found (at least not downstairs.) He even took the initiative & cleared off the shelves in the laundry room, hung a wreath on the front door, & recreated a votive log he saw in a catalog to put in the fireplace (which is more decorative than functional.)

Since everything was done, we all slept in Saturday morning, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, & then drove into Livermore for the decorating party at Ravenswood. As we drove down Arroyo towards the house, we were treated to an amazing sight. In this part of town, the city of Livermore has flanked the road with conservancy lots, an acre deep & planted with olives, fruit trees, & in the area across from Ravenswood, grapevines which mirror our own heirloom vineyard. Imagine our surprise when we were greeted by this sight:

There had to have been at least 50 of these turkey vultures, each 3 foot tall with a wingspan of 6 feet, perched on the ends of every row & lining the fence between the vineyard & the bike/walking path. Everyone traveling down the road, either by vehicle or by foot, came to a stop at the spectacle & we saw several people return with their cameras.

We had about 10 people turn out to help & we completed the decorating within 2 hours, even with frequent breaks for tea, coffee, & carrot cake or apple crisp. I was told that the ornamentation was scaled way back from previous years, mostly because of the lack of hand-on volunteers to do the work; but I was pleased with the understated results, which didn’t compete with the artifacts in the house & the wonderful scaled miniatures of the Cottage, Main House, & the Pleasanton Hotel being showcased.

(Entry to the Cottage)

(Turret or Master Bedroom, with Hotel Miniature)

(Mantel in the Cottage Parlor)

(Main House Parlor)

(Main House Parlor Mantel- my project)

While we were finishing up, the president of the Ravenswood Progress League (aka RPL) & my tour-day partner, told us about a flock of wild turkeys that hang out at the Veterans’ Hospital just down the road from the house museum, so we decided to see if we could find them before driving back home. The property is quite extensive, almost park-like, with plenty of trees, trails, & ponds scattered around; sure enough, after only 10 minutes, we were greeted by several groups of toms & hens- most of whom are camera shy- & got a few shots before being driven off by some truly insufferable peacocks screaming just for the heck of it.

Veterans' Hospital Wild Turkey

A hen & tom take a stroll

We were home by noon, had the potatoes & chutney prepared before 2:30, & even had time for a little snooze with the girls before it was time to do a last minute wipe down, set the table, & start the ribs on the grill. It began to sprinkle as the guests arrived, but our back porch is covered, so everyone milled around inside & out, enjoying cider & Curried Olive Dip, & chatting. I had chosen to honor Martinmas, or the Feast of St Martin, (who was the patron saint of the homeless, the destitute, & beggars) by asking everyone to bring some non-perishable food to be donated to Interfaith Ministry, which provides food, clothing, & shelter to people in need. After dinner (which turned out great), instead of playing games or watching movies like we have before, everyone gathered around the table to put together gift jars- layered soup mix or cookie mix in one-quart glass containers. I wasn’t certain how well this would go over, especially with the guys, but everyone seemed to have a great time, putting together 2 or 3 jars apiece, decorating them with circles of fabric & ribbon. We sat around chatting while we had coffee & dessert (cheesecake, which was awesome with the chutney on top) & called it a night around 9:30, the latest any of these evenings have lasted.

It stormed & blew all night, & Sunday dawned cloudy & cool. The guys headed off to church & I drove back over to Ravenswood for what I figured would be a day of sitting, since most people don’t come out in the rain. As I pulled into the property (the vultures were gone), the sun broke thru the clouds & I was treated to a sight that stirs my heart:

Ravenswood Historic Site- seen from Arroyo Road; Cottage on the left, Main House on the right

This place is my personal playground; I dress in my Victorian finery & wander around the grounds,

Old Ravenswood Winery Ruin Road- Apple orchard to the left, Croquet field to the right

drinking in the silence, searching for hidden treasures in the herb & flower beds, & imagining myself as mistress of the manor. I only gave two tours that afternoon, but they were the kind I enjoy- just a couple of people, who are interested in what I have to say & ask lots of questions about the family history, the house & the grounds, & appreciate the work of preservation we are trying to do here. The rest of the day was spent here,

Cottage Front Porch

quietly knitting,

& enjoying the views spread in front of me.

View from the Cottage porch, across rose garden & heirloom vineyard

It is a good life & I am blessed.