FIVE ON FRIDAY {2.5.16}

L.O.V.E. this publication!

 First issue - Christmas gift from Allie & Brian.

C.O.O.L... I'll be my brother-in-law could build something like this!

A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.

who wouldn't want a TIN MAN?? he captured my HEART!!

Q.U.O.T.A.B.L.E

adding another quote to my collection!

C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E.

aren't you amazed at the creativity of people?

posting at Five on Friday

off to Cambria Pines to preview a workshop

...thinking I may have a hard time concentrating in such a beautiful location!

SONG-OGRAPHY + SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 4.20.14

taken 4.19.14

finally.... I managed to pull my camera out. I guess I needed Spring Break to get me over the "BITTER SADNESS"

Posting with Kathy @ You'll Shoot Your Eye Out.

You're probably wondering why I posted a picture of the cat? it's the neighbor's cat... {I spied their cat napping in the patio yesterday!} and we're sad they are moving next week. It's a young couple with a 3-year-old, and another one on the way! they needed space for their growing family to run, ride bikes and roll in the grass! so, once again, we'll be hearing THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE!!!

Oh my! My FIT-BIT is screaming at me! that number is a far cry from 10,000 steps a day!! I hadn't worn it for 10 days... so I had to charge it and the recorded number that emerged was 36 steps {which was the number of steps I walked during the night from the bed to the bathroom}. I do have an excuse... I can't wear my "tennies" {foot is healing from some minor surgery}? my new magazines arrived? and, ummm, Lydia was visiting?! I know, poor excuses, huh? I'm so NEGLECTFUL...

The "hummers" {hummingbirds are prolific} are enjoying the blooming honeysuckle! JPE's sister sent this assortment of herbs to plant... he's officially resigned from one of his jobs, so in addition to teaching his college courses, he'll have more time to garden & cook {hence, the retirement GIFT of "starters"}. Both are definitely SIGNS OF SPRING.

I DON'T wear dresses! in fact, I had to buy a dress for Steph & Mazen's wedding last November! but, JPE is officiating a wedding in mid-May so, I found this lovely, inexpensive dress {from Macy's}... just arrived in the mail on Friday!

BUT, my last PURCHASE(S) have been paperbacks! I finished the bottom three; am currently reading the one on the top {which is the sequel to The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philip Sendker}; & still to read, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks & The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch.

Afternoon light casting a SHADOW across the bedroom wall. Allie gave me the adorable laser-cut alphabet last Christmas. She found it at bookhou.com...

I put a few Spring/Easter decorations out at the beginning of March. When Stephanie moved to Washington DC, I believe she left this glasswear behind? I added some shredded paper, a German paper egg & added three additional eggs to this display. Who knew one of the SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY items to photograph would be FOUR THINGS???

Speaking of SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY... I haven't participated in quite a few weeks. So, I'm behind the camera again! There are some adorable SPRING-LIKE photos being posted at Ashley's blog, Rambling & Photos. Stop by and say HI!

You'll never guess what I did??? I just "hunted" for the words for April 13th. Oh my goodness! Well, I'm still posting --- but, the actual words for this week are: TRICK, SELECTIVE COLOR, CLOSE-UP, MIRROR or EASTER & BRIGHT COLORS. Just pretend my pictures fit this week's words.

Tomorrow, I'm driving with JPE to Palo Alto... while he's teaching, I'll help Allie with her kinders!! Looking forward to dinner with she & Brian...  BUT, I've already written my post for Monday, so, be sure and come back tomorrow.

 

YOU'VE GOT MAIL...

American mailbox (Big Bear Lake, CA)  ~  Italian mailbox (Venice, Italy)

I fear we are s-l-o-w-l-y moving away from MAIL.

A confession...

I just signed up for a new magazine...

just so I would be getting something in the MAIL!!

{well, it was also a fundraiser for Allie's school}

When I buy stamps...

they last months before they're gone!!

{sadness. I don't get to sample all the designs} 

But, don't get me started on JUNK MAIL...

{now, that's something I wish would GO away}

Well, I'm s.l.o.w.l.y puttering my day away!

Back to laundry!

NEED HOLIDAY INSPIRATION?

source

 Boy, do I ever have a Bah-Humbug mood!

We won't have any visitors during the month of December, so I told JPE I wanted to skip putting out decorations this year. That's just NOT like me - so, I thought if I looked around on some blogs I would get inspired to "decorate low-scale". I ran across FUNKYTIME Magazine (an online mag) & everything in this issue looks so cheery & bright.

I'm thinking about trying the Christmas Garland & Chocolate on a Stick... What will you try?

There's talk of this tradition happening soon...

 

...JPE'S biscotti

Perhaps the smells of baked goods, our small live wreath, some candles  & a simple garland will be a start?

THEY NEVER GAVE UP!

AVILA BEACH, CA ~ Harford Pier

Avila Beach (pronounced AH-vee-lah), CA, is a favorite beach community of Central Coast residents. Actually, you might say it's the little town that "never gave up"...


For those of you who have never been to Avila Beach... it's been called a "cul-de-sac" community as there is only one road into & out of San Luis Bay! as you can imagine, this created problems for people who work in Avila (at the harbor, Diablo Nuclear Power Plant, the golf course, or hotels & small businesses) & those who vacation or enjoy the sunshine in this tiny beach community.

Sand Luis Bay Inn & Golf Course (large arrow)

Our family spent long, summer days at Avila... more specifically, at the "mommy beach" (underneath the pier pilings --- lower right hand arrow)! Taking our picnic lunch, beach toys, and towels, we'd spend the day playing in the secluded inlet of water that followed the "ebb & flow" of the tides.

if it was foggy, we would spend some time on the swings... 

looking south from "mommy beach"

In the mid-1990's it was determined that the oil tanks on the top of the hill had been leaking oil into the sand & surrounding community. After years of negotiation, Unocal agreed to clean-up its mess.... so little town & beach were closed down for a couple of years, while the restoration took place.

Avila Beach doesn't have the "funky" beach store fronts or bar (where the "bikers" began congregating on Friday afternoon & stayed until late into the evening on Sunday)... Mr Rick's, was a beloved establishment, so the "biker bar" ended up being rebuilt, AND was plopped down closer to the Avila Beach Pier & Yacht Club...

original sign design... new site

The Avila Market, Custom House (restaurant) and the Sea Barn (sells swimsuits, towels, flipflops, beach toys, etc) were all rebuilt according to specifications from the business owners. Additional businesses have been added, including Joe Momma's Coffee Shop & Beachstay rooms for rent...

Sea Barn with a newly redesigned sign

Keeping the town designed around the location of the Avila Pier and Avila Beach Yacht Club was key to the restoration of this tiny community...  Other benefits of the redesign, were the additions of a pedestrian walkway (which blocked off the road, creating a safer place to walk), a seawall for sitting (to people-watch - my FAVE activity), wheelchair ramps, outdoor showers & a clean bathroom facility for public use. 

Stained glass window from inside the Avila Beach Yacht Club

But, the best part of the redesign was the addition of permanent artwork! 

The "Circle of Life" tilework project depicts the evolution of Avila Beach from its earliest beginnings - including tiles that remind us that this land once belonged to the Chumash Indians... 

and one of the California Missions was built here...

represents San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, built in 1772

...when California became a state (1850)

& even a tile that commemorates the Avila Beach clean-up efforts!

(click HERE for the SUNSET MAGAZINE
article about AVILA BEACH)

and...
...SO, in the words of Heraclitus 

(a ancient Greek philospher)

"You cannot step twice into the same river, 

for other waters are continually flowing on."

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 2.26.12

pic taken 2.26.12

IT'S THAT TIME OF THE WEEK... SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY!! I was telling JPE that I felt guilty about devoting a lot of my Sunday to "BLOGGING" ~ taking photos, editing photos, reading & commenting on other blogs... and pinning on PINTEREST. BUT, he reminded me to DO WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY! 


Yesterday, we spent much of our day tidying up the garden area, moving the walking stones, pulling weeds, and spraying fungicide on the roses... so, by the time our evening rolled around, although we had plans to go to the movies, we ended up staying home & watching "CHOCOLAT" on DVD.


Oh... how I love my weekends... but, don't you find they sure speed-by?


But, enough of that ~~~ this week's SCAVENGER HUNT words are:

CROSSED, A GLIMPSE, HANDWRITTEN,

BLISS, & GRAY. 

CROSSED

from Sundance catalog

Confession... I bought this at World Market! {love that place} Of course, it was on sale after Valentine's Day ~ so that sealed the deal...


I really wanted the wire hanger from the Sundance catalog, but they were sold out... the difference is hearts or hooks {World Market version}.


My choice for something that's CROSSED...

A GLIMPSE

Want A GLIMPSE into our summer travel plans? we've booked an OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) Tour to Peru. We're keeping our pre-travel books handy... I've started to make a mental list of photos I want to capture on our tour. If any of you have traveled to Machu Picchu or the Amazon Rain Forest, I hope you'll consider sending me an email so we can chat about your experience.

HANDWRITTEN

Here are my Grandma Jesse's {maternal} diaries from 1947-49... these were the years my parents met & began dating, married & started their family. I turned the page to the day I was born... my Grandma documented everything... what was eaten for dinner, the chores completed for that day, what bills were paid & the cost, which errands were run, the high school & pro football teams scores... what they watched on TV (they watched a lot of wrestling)... even their pinochle scores. It's such a treat to see her HANDWRITING & read her dailies!

BLISS

BLISS for me!!! sitting in my great-grandmother's rocker, reading magazines & sipping a cuppa tea or coffee!

GRAY

Gosh, without resorting to taking a picture of the GRAY sky or my GRAY pants... I really struggled with what to post??? so, I went to my photo archives & posted photos from another SHS... personally, I like the original color shot! how about you?


Well, that wraps up this week's SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY... if you aren't participating, hey, I think you're missing out! You have until Tues 2.28 to post your photos... visit Ashley at Ramblings & Photos to see the other 120+ participants postings...


Next week's words are:

ROUTINE, MUSIC, TECHNOLOGY,

SHOW ME YOUR STYLE & MISMATCH.

HAIRY ORANGE...

pruning the garden ~ 10.23.11

checked HERE to find out about rose hips...


Do you take SUNSET MAGAZINE??? if not, you can read most of the articles online!


I LOVE my subscription - great articles on travel, gardening, decorating, entertaining and tasty recipes
(NOTE: I wasn't paid a dime to promote this magazine)

irritating, hairy covering ~ don't forget to remove it!!

I LEARNED (ever the educator, that I am!):

• rose hips pods are the seed pods of roses (that sounds reasonable)
• the pods are generally found at the end of the growing cycle (autumn?)
• people use them for decorations (should I put the stem in water? or let them dry in a vase?)
• birds will eat the dried or shriveled pods (ummm... we have some very picky birds - I don't think so!)
• rose hips & rose petals are edible (I like the fragrance, but nothing about them looks tasty!?)
• roses are in the same family as apples & crabapples (pretty obvious in the first picture)
• rose hips have a tartness like crabapples & are a great source of Vit C (I think I'll choose to swallow my Vit C)
• rose hips have an irritating, hairy covering (remove prior to eating!)
• to get a sense of the taste, it is suggested that you brew yourself a cup of rose hips tea!
• you'll need to steep 4-8 hips in a cup of boiling water for 12-15 minutes
• rose hips can also be used to make jelly, sauces or as a seasoning in soups

So, have I convinced you to try brewing some rose hips tea?

Let me know how it tastes!!!