Blips & Blurbs

Valentine'sDay

2012-02-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day

Alex, Chase, and Zoe joined us for Valentine's. Terrific fun!! We made individual pizzas from scratch. Little did we know that Alex was a Domino's expert from way back.

While we worked in the kitchen, Chase enjoyed some games on LegoLand.
But he eagerly came in to craft his own pizza when the time came.

Here's Zoe with hers.

We made some Valentine's cookies for dessert. Nothing special, but lots of fun.

Zoe spelled this out on the floor with pipe cleaners while the grown-ups finished their dinners. I couldn't agree more!

Mom for a Week - English Style

2011-07-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Lovely, just lovely as I heard on the playground each morning. Quite the grand time standing in for Heather.

The three oldest were off to school each day. Quite the administrative task to get all the varied uniform pieces together. Heather left an oft referred to chart for each day's requirements. And in the dining room, each day had its own stack of accoutrements to take to school. Not the cotton hat today, Owen, the felt one. Oh these are Owens socks, I need mine. But today is a sports day and we wear a different uniform. Oh, don't forget the soccer shoes, the swim bag, the snack, the backpack, where's your homework, did you sign my reading book? But we did get to school each day along the one route I had practiced for three days before Sam and Heather took off. It included a wickedly narrow country road that quickened my heartbeat and raised my blood pressure with each passing vehicle! But no busy roundabouts. Whew!! I rejoiced on the last drive of the last day!!

Laney with hat. I had a hard time remembering the hat.

School boys. Yes, that is Owen clowning to the delight of his classmates.

I arrived EARLY each day to avoid the congestion in the school parking lot. That gave us quite a bit of time to spend in the car before heading out to the play area with everyone.

Gee, does she have three brothers????

That gave me lots of time with AJ!

Jumping for joy - exuberance defined.

Oh so GOOD.

Oh so BAD! This is anger, not sorrow or pain.

AJ loved to race to the fence and back in his back yard.

Short order cook did manage to please most of the time. Although this double plater was enjoying the lasagna Heather left in the freezer for me! We thought we would practice for China with chopsticks.

Burnt toast?? REJECT!! Save for Pops!

Evening and Weekend Pastimes

Stair Sliding

Daily Guitar practice - with clown

Reading - Spencer has a book all the time!

Sword fighting - so nice to see the shields pulled out!

Helping - Kitchen floor got a bit of cleaning, too!

Puzzles - Fancy Nancy inspired quite the room decor for Mom!

Coloring

Counting the days.

Daily baths with extra bubbles

But the real fun happened when Sam and Heather returned: Chariot racing!!

Anza-Borrego Trip March 9 and 10.

2011-03-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Off we go on a Family Trip!!

What a treat! Mom, Phil, John and I took off to Palomar Mountain to see the observatory, then down the mountain to the Borrego desert to see the wild flowers. Mountain snow to desert blooms all in one day.

After lunch at a restaurant reminiscent of Desi and Luci and a tour of the Visitor's Center, we head for the best spot for flowers, Surprise Canyon.

John and Mom stopped to build some rock stacks.

Phil and I continued up the canyon and discovered more flowers.

While the Borrego Springs Spa was a great place to spend the night, the restaurant with its $13 mac and cheese wasn't quite as inviting. So Phil and I went scouting and found The French Corner. Belgian meatballs, beouf bourguignon, steamed mussels (Bait! I heard someone exclaim), a terrific thin crepe dessert, a smattering of French exchanged. Great Fun.

Next day Phil spotted the only agave flower in bloom in the entire desert! We saw hundreds of last year's soldiers, but only this one single impressive bloom.

The surprise delight of the trip were the sculptures along Borrego Springs Road. Dozens of these metal sculptures "roam" the valley -- wild horses, saber tooth cats, giant birds, raptors, pigs, horses, mammoths. So down the dirt roads we tracked these sweet and not so sweet creatures.

Then one last photo and home again home again lickety-split!

Pretty INTENSE!

2010-08-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Eight days as substitute mom! Pretty Intense! Hyper Vigilance! and Lots of Fun.

We played . . .

With hair!

A popular part.

Couldn't talk Hailey into the swings.

But Kaitlin was all for them!

This is the do for Jo! She loves this look!

With Food!

This is the Apple Gallette the night before Max and Katie took off.

Next we made a Rice Krispie Treats calendar to mark the days until Mom came back.

Each mixed her own gooey bowl.

This is what the calendars looked like with just two days to go.

Next day we made a batch of eggless oatmeal cookies.

While the kids and some neighbors played outside, I set up the cooking stations.
Pretty simple recipe as you can see: oatmeal, butter, sugar, and some flour.

"Hard" at work.

The oh-so-tasty finished product.

Hank liked them, too. (Monty joined me for the weekend!)

Next cooking project: the tea party.

Karlie's contribution.

Biscuits, whipped cream, and strawberries!
The party.

The last big cooking playtime was a taste of France with both sets of grandparents.

Crepes with chicken and asparagus with Bechamel sauce
Crepes with whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries
Chocolate Truffles

Karlie and Hailey wrapped the chicken in the crepes. Kaitlin sprinkled the dessert crepes with the cinnamon and sugar. Whipped cream was everywhere! And the truffles were 100% kid produced. A bit too busy to snap many photos!

Oh Yeah! Finger lickin' good!
Enjoyed by all!

Outdoors!

On the tramp. This was a tough one because I know the stats on injuries!
And even limiting the jumping we had our share of bumps and tears.
One at a time. Only safe way to go!
Bikes and trikes. Yes, he did crash.

A sure winner: WATER!!
We had a great time tossing these around in a circle. We had quite a stash!
This is just the beginning.

Indoors.

School.
Legos.
Dancing to Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses
King for a Day

An Attendant

For Hank, it is all about a train.

A morning train set-up.

A train ride. Two times!!!!!

And a toy train.

And lastly, we played with paper.

Letters for the cousins.

A diorama of Paris with key sites mom and dad were visiting.
We started with La Seine.
And ended with this.

And bedtime.

We read every story of Madeline. The girls delightedly
recognized landmarks that we had made for the diorama.
We also read the Moira Kalman's Max in Love, a delightful
dog who finds poodle love in Paris. Oooh-la-la!
Lucky Mom and Dad in the City of Love!
Right. . . . fast asleep! (Yup, I let them sleep in
Mom and Dad's bed and lugged them down the hall each night.)

Like I said, pretty intense and lots of fun.

An Excuse for Photos

2010-07-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Belated birthday and holiday celebrations took us to John and Cheryl's for a perfect weekend of paella and poker.

Next weekend Monty enjoyed the honor of marrying long time friend Brian and Lori. The practice did make perfect. Great ceremony and terrific party.

The following weekend we went to Camarillo to celebrate Gpa Larry's 92nd! I must have been channeling Gramma Gyda (Larry's mom) as I turned out some of the best lefsa (thin thin thin potato crepe) I have every made, a nostalgic favorite of Larry's.

Next Friday was graduation. It was a snapshot frenzy! I passed out diplomas to seven very accomplished students of mine.

The following day we celebrated the end of school with our first mini run. Crazy fun! Check out the route!

Right on the heels of that was Monty's birthday celebration. We had so much fun I barely picked up the camera. Sleeping nine in this tiny house filled every room! (Well, 10 if you count the treasured fish between the K buddies.) And we can have a big sit down dinner in this little house - Max, Katie, Mom, John, Cheryl, Alex, Stu, Ginnie, Hailey, Karlie, Kaitlin, and the two of us all at one big table. Hurrah!

Then up to Incline Village for the fourth to celebrate with Stu and Ginnie and a passel of their friends.

And just yesterday, Alex, his children, Chase and Zoe, and Iris joined us for a BBQ and a little canoeing at China Camp.

Alex and I padded out to Rat Rock and were rewarded with a view of this guy! An oystercatcher. A first for both of us!

Not bad for the end of school!

England!

2010-04-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

Off to England to see Sam, Heather, Spencer, Owen, Laney and AJ!
This open space stretches all along the horizon right across the street from their house. What is it that makes this seem so very English? The lush green? The gentle swell of the ground? The medieval churches?

We donned our borrowed Wellies and walked through these fields three or four times during the week.

We did a quick tour of the Cotswalds - rightly famous for their beauty - and this "folly," the Broadway Tower, built in 1794 as a lark for Lady Coventry who wondered if she would be able to see the beacon across the valley. She could. The Pre-Raphaelites apparently partied there in the summer. Served also as a retreat for William Morris, a favorite of Anna's and mine. What fun we had there at the end of the day!

That was an irresistible hill to run down. Even for Sam!

We did get into Oxford on this trip. St Mary's was very moving. C.S. Lewis gave his famous "Weight of Glory" lecture there in WWII. Archbishop Cranmer, leader of the English reformation (by helping Henry VIII justify a divorce from Catherine of Aragon) and composer of the Common Book of Prayer was tried for heresy there.

And we did get into London one perfectly rainy day to see the Tower Bridge, stroll the south bank of the Thames, and visit a pub or two.

But mainly, we just wanted to drink in the sights of family.

What shall we do this afternoon?

I know! There's a creek across the street! A dam!

and backyard fun
and baths

and just lolling around.

From Heather's beautiful stuffed salmon en croute for Easter dinner our first night (Heather's well executed plan) to the rather chaotic all-you-can-eat steak on our last night (our plan), what a great time. But can we squeeze in just one last photo before we go? Two?

A Perfect Gigi Birthday

2009-10-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

John and Cheryl, Monty and I joined mom for a birthday celebration that she claims, "Is one of the best ever!" A museum trip, a couple of poker games, more than a couple of cigarettes, wonderful meals and birthday cake prepared by Cheryl and bbq sous-chef John, and a visit to John and Cheryl's new church home -- indeed a recipe for a perfect Gigi birthday celebration.

At the Villa in Malibu. Such a magnificent property.

The birthday cake.

Happy birthday Mom! We will do it again in February when Phil comes down and again next October!!

In Praise of Crazy Paintings

2008-01-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

Spencer and Heather's trip to Art Institute inspired me to share this favorite Magritte.

The Colorado Crew in Steamboat

2007-08-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

So here's baby Kaitlin. She loved the pool.

Here's Karlie at the lake.

And here's Hailey.

This is the whole crew together at the top of the gondola. The girls are wearing matching shirts that I decorated with fabric paints that same morning. I had to rig up a blow dryer and blast them for 30 minutes, then finish in a slow oven to hurry that "allow 24 hours to dry." I really wanted to get those matching shirts done in time!

Steamboat Fun

2007-08-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

THE POND

First thing to do was to check out the pond. Fletcher Pond, nicknamed Fetid Pond last year when initially scouted out by Sam and Max, is really quite the winner. Can you ask for more? Full catches two years in a row? Kids catching so many fish they don't get bored?

These fish (big by our Sierra stream standards) are actually pretty tasty and easily enticed by decent bait like worms. Unfortunately, this year, worms were scarce -- WalMart froze all theirs and everyone one else had empty shelves. So the fishing trip did not start too well; the fish would have none of the fake bait.

Happily, Monty and I know the great trout secret. They cannot resist grasshoppers. So while the kids fished, Monty and I grasshoppered. Our full catch was thanks to the grasshoppers we whacked with our baseball caps in the dry weeds. Here's the one of first. Karlie couldn't quite decide between the thrill or terror of the catch.

Hailey squealed quite a bit this year, but was solidly enthusiastic. She even likes cleaning them with Pops and discussed contents of guts at our all-you-can-eat trout dinner that night. Note the scenery? Now you know why it earned that moniker, Fetid Pond. Not exactly a rocky mountain high here.

Anna giving Karlie a hand getting that bobber out there.

Karlie taking a break from reeling them in. Just too cute not to post.

See? They really were pretty good sized!

THE POOL.

We had the biggest and bestest pool toys. No end of delight with these.

See that shark fin approaching?

Nice hot tub, too.

THE MOUNTAIN

We've taken the gondola up the mountain each year for a bit a picnic. How do you like our babushka girls?

Gumby came, too.

THE LAKE

We explored a new activity this year. We rented a kayak and a canoe to get out on the nearby lake. Max and Anna shared a kayak, and Monty, Katie, Hailey, and Karlie manned the canoe. The kids lasted about 30 minutes and then went on to better stuff -- the mud. I switched places with Katie while she assumed kid patrol and the four of us paddled into a quiet little arm of the lake alive with baby ducklings and coots. It was really a lot of fun. Definitely worth doing again.

Anna and Max on the lake.

Hailey, captivated by the mud. "It's so helpful!" she repeated told Monty.

And lots of evening time to look at books. A super trip. Check out Katie's blog for more pictures.

The Case of the Disappearing Deck

2007-08-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

That's right. Our deck is disappearing before our eyes. The wood is shrinking, chipping, peeling, and rotting away. Walking on the deck is a bit like walking on a bed. We also have had a set of French doors that open to a 20" drop to the ground. The first goal is to get the framing in beneath those French doors, so on a recent "leisurely" Saturday, we did manage to get this much further.

This little guy kept us entertained while we did find some leisure at the end of the day.

Mother's Day at the Race Track

2007-08-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

Between trips to Michigan and Colorado, I squeezed in a quick trip to SoCal to see family in that neck of the woods and enjoy the big event, the August celebration of Mother's Day at the Del Mar Race track. The photos I took are still on my brother's camera; these will have to do. John and Cheryl were the big winners this year. I won $60 on the first race and watched tose winnings slip away on just about each subsequent race. The photos I took are on John's camera, so you will just have to imagine the beautiful grounds, colorful jockeys and horses.

John and Cheryl just completed the remodel of their new home. Beautiful green granite kitchen counters, spacious living. Take a look --both directions toward the kitchen and into the family room:

Costa Mesa is a pretty flat place, but their property is on a bit of a mesa, so the back yard is wide open to the sky -- no neighbors in sight. The large patio in such a great climate is essentially another room; we enjoyed all our meals there. I especially enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of pastries and newspapers and chat.

And I just can't resist. Here's my inspiration for Petit Blu. This is John's mini, Beach Runt. It must have been a similar August trip two years ago that I first drove this little guy.

One last shot you might enjoy. Here is the Costa Mesa house where we lived from 1974 to 1980.

Bike Blurb

2007-07-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Bicycling is a major pastime. A church parking lot close by provides tons of smooth, paved, safe practice. Heather and Sam each have new cruisers so everyone is set. Spencer cruises through the woods easily and learned to pick up enough speed to make it through some pretty sizable squishy mud puddles. But the driveway is the usual spot -- a regular peloton up the driveway, around the tight turn at the gate, back down through walkway into the yard for a little offroading around the back of the yard and past the sand box, then down to the walkway, and back down the driveway.

Here's Owen, Sam, Pops, and Spencer at the church parking lot.

Monty and Sam off to the store with Spencer and Owen in the trailers.

Another run to the store on the new cruisers. Sam said they hadn't been on a ride, just the two of them, for some ten years. It's really just been seven or eight.

Owen -- so tricky. Riding forward, facing backwards. I still play that "trick" regularly; you'd think I'd learned by now.

Spencer is amazingly adept on a bike. Depending on his mood and the circumstances, he will ride a trike, a 12", or a 16" two wheeler. On the 12" bike, he takes runs with the bike to get up some speed then flies onto the seat. Very cool to watch -- this little guy with such skill on the bike. Here he is with the 16" bike. This is one he rode through the puddles at the church parking lot.

Bikes figured fairly highly each day of our visit. Sam and Monty even got a ride in on the cruisers just the two of them.

Other interests on the Michigan front

2007-07-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

While bikes did command most of our interest, we did do a few other things. The sand box was a powerful second interest, and walks and a bit of cooking were fun. One morning we went to the Y and all got in the pool for a splash and swim. Owen and Spencer had a blast jumping into Monty's arms. He pretended to be a catcher telling the boys to "put 'em here, put 'em here" while socking his fist into the opposite open palm. They laughed like crazy, summoned their courage, and and with a deep breath, eyes squinched jumped into his arms. Laney would have nothing to do with either of us in the pool. Without our glasses and with our hair wet and slicked back, we became foreigners.

Here are a few additional photos.

Owen cogitating the next sand box strategy.

Monty with Spencer and Owen in the sand box.

On one of many walks. One day the kids found a frog in the woods in an area that was drying out. So we all decided to take it over by the pond, "a better habitat," Spencer declared. It was a bit like that "Wild Man" show. Sam sank to his knees in the slimy pond muck and had to yank his crocs out of the sucking mud. Spencer squealed with delight as he followed Sam and became stuck, but Owen found it all a bit disconcerting. When they were back to the path, coated in pond slim, exclaimed, "I have a great idea!" -- a tender one to share his water bottle to let them clean up a bit. Another day, letting go yet another frog, Sam found a toad. Pretty exciting stuff!

Baking cookies -- a recipe Sam and Max and Anna made as kids which "requires" mixing and squishing butter, oatmeal, and sugar with your hands. They taste pretty good, too!

The Michigan Contingent

2007-07-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here they are.

Sam

Heather. She baked this amazing cake. I contributed the leaves. See more at her blog splaneyo.blogspot.com

Spencer, their oldest

Owen, in the middle

Laney, bringing up the rear (in a dress I sewed).

Mister, Chief Cat. He shares the house with three other underling cats. Note the pillow - my lavender sateen covered down travel pillow. This cat knows comfort.

There is a significant extra-family contingent outside as well. This little guy chowed down at our feet one late afternoon, one of many squirrels, birds, and chipmunks enjoying the backyard provisions. Last night a cardinal perched on the empty sunflower feeder, chirping loudly in clear protest and red regal demand.

Our Trip to Alaska: Sights Blurbs

2007-07-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

Summer in Gustavus and parsnip and lupine blanket the entire glacial plain, in some spots as far as the eye can see and as tall as you are. We arrived at the peak of this bloom. As these fade the fireweed replaces it, just as tall and widespread. Incredibly beautiful.

Vast fields of parsnip and lupine.

This was the first remarkable sight of the visit. Our national bird thrives in Gustavus. This one was perched in a tree just above us as we approached the beach for the first time.

Toward the end of the five day visit, I snapped this pair on the dock. I approached as near as I dared and took a first picture. These blase fellows were so nonchalant, I took another six steps to snap a closer shot. I was able to do this four times before they took any notice. I might have been able to get even closer but I was called back down the dock to board the fishing boat.

Our Trip to Alaska: On the Water Blurbs

2007-07-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

So I ran down the dock to board our boat for the fishing trip. This is our captain, Bethany, and my brother, Phil, the engineer on this fishing trip. Phil moved to Gustavus about two years ago, but has enjoyed living in rural Alaska for almost twenty years now.

Things move a bit slowly in this part of Alaska. No McAnything here (I only counted four stores -- general store, hardware store, gas station, and gallery/ice cream combo) except this fish. Bethany took us to her favorite spot and Phil landed this 70 pound halibut within instants of getting his lure all the way to the ocean floor. I caught two fish. A 18" halibut that was far too small to keep and a flounder, too tasteless in the minds of those in the know on board. But that 70 pounder filled the bill for my mom and me. What a sight as it came into view! Bethany found the perfect spot and Phil is the expert fisherman.

Phil chartered a boat for sightseeing. The Great Sea is designed to maximize the view both on deck and within the cabin. The best photo from this trip is in my mind -- a humpback whale and her calf breaching multiple times. I had never seen it before and the image is burned into my senses. It is too easy to miss an experience in the attempts to document is, so during this time, I just put the camera away. Sea otters, sea lions, eagles, seals and whales surrounded us in the teal roiling waters off Point Adolphus. If you come to this neck of the nation, the Great Sea would be a great boat to charter - sleeps 8.

GiGi (Great Gramma), nephew John, and me. My brother crafted the railings.