Fighting the Resistance!

As the weather becomes friendlier the creative juices are beginning to flow again.   Not ready to tackle any outdoor projects yet, I've been writing and also doing a bit of painting.  Need to have some entries for Fair which is moved up to the last week in July now.  Camp NaNoWriMo has begun, it's only a few days in but I anticipate success.  I'm taking my unfinished November project and finishing.  To start, I input scenes and ideas I wrote during "Make Me Write" sessions into what I had started in Scrivener.  Next I spent some time getting my chronology in order, mapping out the timeline of challenges and tragedies for my main character.  I've also needed to do a little research into the time period which is during the 1960s with some childhood flashbacks to the mid 50s.  It is challenging to keep in mind the lack of technology during that time.  Things that I've grown up with and become so naturally acclimated to were not part of the regular daily routines back then.  It was much easier to remain anonymous which is what my character seeks to do.

First layer...still in progress.

Fox had a harrowing writer's event recently.  He has been writing for years, working on different projects until he gets bored then starts a new idea.  Recently his tower died but with dad's help they did recover his creations and he stored them on a flash drive.  Lately he's been working on my old computer but still saving to the flash drive, even though I told him to save a copy on the hard drive also.  Well, he bumped a chair against the flash drive and broke it beyond repair even though they did try to solder it together.  He put a copy of the old stuff on the hard drive but not all the new material.  That he was saving to the flash drive so he lost about 5000 words and three months of creative effort as he says.  He immediately sat down and started noting manually everything he could remember.  I feel awful for him since he was just commenting this was a work he was actually considering developing to completion and letting others read it.  Wow.  He has now taken himself into his cocoon of creativity to try and recapture and continue the momentum.  This has entailed building with Legos, watching a marathon of Harry Potter movies, walking, and listening to his music. 

The 'big room' is covered with Legos. 

At least he clears me a path to get to my bedroom in the evening. 

This is the start of our enrichment activities that I had planned to do with the boys this month.  Perfect timing because we've all been in need for a punch of inspiration.  Last weekend we took in a play at the Flint Youth Theater called "Jackie and Me" which was about Jackie Robinson.  They always have top-notch productions and this one did not disappoint.  Quite a contrast to the local high school musical Aladdin that we watched the evening before.  Still a fun show, sets and costumes were great but boy do we need to upgrade the sound system in our theater!

Confab during intermission during dress rehearsal. 

Great production they even sang with Brooklyn accents! 

Kim Josephson in the role of Eddie was our favorite.

The next week the boys got a day off of school to venture down to Detroit for some cultural exposure.  First we took in a dress rehearsal at the Detroit Opera House of "A View from the Bridge" which takes place in New York circa 1950.  Click HERE for a synopsis. 

A view from the DIA

Then after a quick lunch at the DIA Café we toured their traveling Samurai exhibit.  It opened in early March and will run thru June 1, 2014.  Audio was available so Fox, Ethan and I listened to both the adult and youth commentary which was very well done.  Ben decided to free form and read.  The video about how they make the swords was fascinating and all the ornate armor was incredible, hard to imagine someone actually wearing that get-up around.  Part of the samurai life section talked about literature and the ink and watercolor illustrations were gorgeously detailed.  Now I want to purchase a pack of watercolor paper and some ink quills.

It was a real gritty city adventure day too.  Since I'm not usually down in the area any more I had a little bit of wanderlust in me to explore.  First we went down through Palmer Park where all the stately old homes are.  Many have been retained and restored and are used by organizations as offices more than residences on some streets.

 

I love the show Rehab Addict with Nicole Curtis and last summer she restored a house in Detroit so I wanted to go and see it.  It was quite an experience driving around the ghetto with the boys.  They were pretty shocked at the conditions as was I.  Especially being a Detroit girl and remembering a childhood of city experiences.  We also found my old house, so sad.  Even the neighborhood Nicole did her project in is deplorable.  Houses are abandoned or burned out and the ones with people living in them are riddled with trash.  The route that I once walked to elementary school is now blocks of empty lots full of garbage.

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing the conditions of the city sparked some good conversation.  We discussed the type of environment they'd like to live in when they are on their own.  The differences between rural life low-income and city life low-income.  It also gave us all a new perspective and appreciation for our little town.  I am curious to see where the boys end up....will they stay small town or try movin' on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky.  ;)

 

It was a good day out and helped bring about inspiration in various ways as I continue to work on my third novel.  Since I started formulating this post we have moved into our spring break and the weather has turned warm finally.  The past couple days the boys and I have gotten outside to combat the multitude of limbs and branches that have fallen in the front yard.  I've also done some raking and the place is beginning to look fresh and alive again!

 

 



Soup's On!

Over the past month I've been playing around with some new soup recipes, just the thing on a cold, snowy evening.  The top one is a wonderful Tortelli en Brodo with a chicken stock broth, spinach, carrots from my garden, and a bit of herbs. 

This next one below is a vegetable broth with grilled tofu noodles, mushrooms, corn (from my garden) and spinach again plus this one was super spiced with curry, turmeric and anise. Very tasty, the boys hardly noticed there was tofu in it.

I also used more of my frozen home grown corn to make a fantastic Chicken Corn Chowder that turned out fabulously.  So good we got right to eating and I forgot to take a quick picture.  I used potatos in it, onions, milk and half/half, seasoned with salt, pepper, dry mustard, and dill.

One of my greatest defenses against illness that I use in pretty much everything I cook is herbs and spices.  When you buy processed foods they use natural and artificial flavorings which gives you nothing nutritionally.  Using these flavorful and healthful plants made a world of difference for your body, mind, and taste buds!  Even something as simple as sunny-side up eggs I add a little dill on top with the salt and pepper.  Pumps up the flavor and looks pretty too!  Stir-fying is a staple for my family, it is an easy way to get great ingredients into one pan.  Sometimes it is served over rice, sometimes noodles, or it can get a little more exotic with couscous and quinoa.  I also try to use as many colors in my cooking so we can "eat a rainbow" every week.

It is rare that I eat in restaurants for a variety of reasons but one near our home that I am always excited to visit is the Flint Crepe Company.  Click on the name to visit the website.  Their recipe guidelines alone make me happy.  From the site:

Our recipes will...
​-be made from scratch.

-be driven by the food that is currently available based on our region and season.

-be sourced from growers and producers that operate their businesses ethically and responsibly.

-Offer something for everyone (ask us*).

The menu constantly changes depending on what is available seasonally and they never dissappoint.  Last week I went on a field trip with a friend and we stopped in for lunch.  I had an incredible Reuben Crepe and a loose leaf green tea.  Heaven.

What was the field trip you ask?  We went to the Flint Institute of Arts to see an A la Carte program about Women in Art.  The original film has some technical difficulties but the replacement was just as amazing, informative, and inspiring.  It was about Kiki Smith, an amazing artist who works in many mediums, as she prepared for a house museum exhibit in Venice, France.  After the movie we perused the galleries with new pieces and were fortunate enought to have a delightful interchange with one of the museums trustees.  We also got to see the new ceramic and welding wing that had recently been added to the art school.  That is something on my bucket list, to take a ceramics class again someday.  I had done many art classes as a kid but got away from it as an adult.  It has been my experience that people who completely imerse themselves in artful endeavors and keep their youthful thinking tend to live more healthy and ultimately longer lives.

Eat Happy.  Art Happy.

iWent to the Fair



Outside my Window: Now it is dark since I've been trying to complete this post for the past couple days and Blogger is being stupid.  When I began there were blue skies, little white clouds, slight breezes, sun, and an empty pig pen.

What's on my Mind:  Raising boys and the stupid things they do that blow my mind.  You think you know a kid's character and then a behavior arises that you never expected.  Not saying girls aren't like that too, but right now I'm dealing with boys.

Thankful for: A great week at the Eastern Michigan State Fair.  The weather was fantastic with just a little bit of rain one evening and for a while one morning other than that the temperatures were tolerable which is not always the case with Fair week.  Ethan did well in his first year showing rabbits, he needs to work on his showmanship (5th in age group) but his animals all placed well.  His meat pen weighed in at 20.10 pounds and he got $9 per pound at the auction, donating $10 of his earnings to the 4H Feeds Families Committee.  We have an appointment this week to take them in for processing, with small animals the sellers take care of the processing and deliver them to the buyer.

Ben did not get any ribbons this year, he was one out for placing in his showmanship age group and in his weight class.  No worries, he's got a plan for next year and is looking forward to having another chance at it next year.  I must admit it can be hard to compete against kids who come from large working farms.  Zelda weighed in at 275 pounds and he got $2 per pound again at auction from the same buyer as last year.  Fox held his own amongst some pretty seasoned showman but did not place, nor did he expect to.  His pig Dagney received a 4th Place in her weight class, tipping the scale at 286 pounds and bringing in $2.20 per pound at auction.  He donated $35 of his earnings to the 4H Camp Scholarship fund, which made me quite proud.  I give Fox credit for stepping up and trying pig raising and showing to support his younger brother who did not want to be in the project alone but understand that it is not his "thing" and he will refrain from showing again.  He is however going to apply to work at the Fairgrounds next summer since he'll be old enough. 

Also, Ethan got the prize for getting the most sponsorships for the Swine Department for the second year in a row.... a nice fresh Benjamin!  Cha-ching!  He's already planning to go for it again next year.

Creative Endeavors: This photo I took in Italy got 1st Place for Phototgraphy-Architectural.

My three Handicrafts-Paper Goods entries were the only ones in the category!  My Wildflower Arrangement and Perennial Arrangement both got 2nd Place.

But these two Handicrafts-Other made from scrap tile and molding that I spent the most time and thought on didn't get anything.  I was quite proud of how these turned out.  Go figure.

Latest Project:  Got the flashdrive of pictures from Ben's Space Academy week, put together a couple collages from the hundreds and hundreds of photos that their sponsor and the camp staff took.  Very, very cool.

My 3 Sons: High School Football starts this week for Fox.  Middle School Cross Country begins the last week of the month for Ben and Ethan.

The first Born: Officially engaged.

Employment News: Applied for another position in the Lapeer 4H Extension office, already spoke with the county coordinator, hoping to get a call for an official interview this week.  Also going to be helping a friend out, well we're helping each other out, at his vineyard and honeybee farm during the fall picking season.  Robert is also seeking employment after a devastating turn of events at his place of work.  Yes, the fun never ends.

Hoping to Improve: My resourcefulness.....

Food for Thought: Dr. Miracle's approach was much less confrontational and more civilized. According to him, there are two selves in each of us: the one who wants to be slim and healthy and the on who wants something else.  One sees the big picture -- well-being, self-esteem, fitting into the lastest fashions. The other wants pleasures aplenty, and now.  One is Narcissus leaning over his pool; the other is Pantagruel leaning over his table.  The key, he said, was not to conquer the second, but to broker a rapprochement: make friends of your two selves and be the master of both your willpower and your pleasures.  That was the French way.  ~French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano

Last Words: 

iAm What I Am

Outside my Window:  Bright skies but rain forecasted for later.  Ponds are the highest we've ever seen them since moving in, swamp pond has drifted halfway up the back lawn and the swimming pond edge is nearly 3 feet higher than normal.  Sun has been making more regular appearances lately though and it is supposed to be nice for most of the week.

What's on my Mind:  Just getting through all the end of the school year activities and our sports commitments.  Contemplating how different it is dealing with teenage boys than teenage girls (sons vs. daughter).  We had an emotional weekend, many tears, surprisingly not from me but from my men.  They too have their breaking point emotionally, it just seems to take more to crack them than it does women.  Fear not, all is well, life is unfolding as it should.

Thankful for: A wonderful day out with friends this past week.  First stop was the Flint Crepe Company for brunch, everything on their menu is organic and locally grown, made right there while you wait and tastes fantastic.  Love, love, love this concept - wish there were more establishments like it.  Next we popped into the Flint Public Library then over to the Flint Institute of Arts.  Unfortunately I can not post photos from the gallery since I signed an agreement but we all enjoyed the eclectic mix of exhibits, met a featured artist [David Maxim] that was on sight that day, and got a private tour of the ceramics area, from classrooms to kilm room, which was very cool.

Creative Endeavors:  Zippo.

Latest Project:  The pig pen is almost complete, just a few last things to secure.  We got a great deal on some used items (feeder, fencing, gate, water nipplers) which means the project will come in well under budget.   Working to get some press going for the spring choir concert but not having much success.....sent out press releases but some of the papers did not use them which is a drag.  Posters are going up all around town thanks to choir members, hoping we'll have a decent turnout this weekend.

My 3 Sons: Ethan ran the North Branch Area Schools Spring Fitness 5K with me yesterday. He and his buddy came through the shoot together, first in their age group with a time of 28:21 on a very challenging and extremely cross-country route.  I finished as well, running the whole squishy course in 39:18.  Baseball is going well, opener will be next weekend.  He also got out to collect sponsors for the Swine Department again visiting those that gave last year, nearly everyone gave again.  It would be cool if he won the incentive for a second year but he expressed he's just happy to help and it's not about winning so much this time.  First prize is $100 cash, second is a $50 gift certificate to Tractor Supply Company.

Benjamin is really enjoying being on a soccer team with all his school buddies.  At first he was giving me grief about not doing AYSO again but it all worked out for the best.  I like that he will have a couple years of rec play with the kids that he will eventually end up on the high school team with, first game will be this week.  Coach was very excited to have him and commented that he had some great skills and is a real 'team' player.  Cool.  Pigs have been saved at the breeders and will be picked up this coming weekend.

Fox is experiencing a definite sophomore slump.  Track season has not gone the way he hoped, for all his hard work he is not getting the results he aims for and it has him a bit discouraged.  I know it will all click in for him if he doesn't let it mess with him mentally, each meet, each race, is a fresh start and as long as he can not dwell on his 'bad' runs and keep a positive attitude for the next run he'll be fine.  Next month he will take the AP Psych and AP World History exam, here's hoping for a 3 or 4 score!  We've also been discussing the idea of him going to Cross Country camp at Grand Valley State University this summer to get another campus experience and some new running influences.

The first Born:  Car is all better, tires and brake line dealt with.  Haven't seen her much lately but we keep in text....miss her!

Employment News: Nothing new to report at this time just doing some substitute teaching when I can.  May be helping Rob with some administrative things for his company as they get the machine selling aspect in place.  Open House went well and they had a nibble on a machine purchase.  A fellow employee is out of the picture due to some personal issues so Rob is going to be doing quadruple duty .... praying all will work out for the best but it may be a bumpy go for a bit.

Hoping to Improve: Food sources.  Our brunch at Flint Crepe Company sparked my desire to scale down my grocery purchases at big chain stores and begin to focus again on growing my own and buying locally.  We are fortunate to live in a farming area so it is readily available, just have to purpose to buy that way and not just run to Meijer when we need things.  In this grabable, eat-on-the-go, world it can be very challenging but it is possible.  Planted some spinach and peas this week, looking forward to getting the rest of the garden planted soon.

Food for Thought: Savoring is an art that can enhance your entire life. The practice of slowing down, appreciating small things, and immersing yourself in the present increases your ability to derive satisfaction from every life experience, including the experience of eating.  ~Ten Habit of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

iRan it All

The Hot Chocolate 5K event was an overall success.  It was my first race ever, the goal was to try and not walk at all.  I didn't and finished in 39:39.  This was also Benjamin's first 5K race since middle school cross-country is usually 1.5 - 2.1 miles, however he struggled with a cramp and had been fighting some upper respiratory discomfort all week.  He still came in ahead of me.  Ethan came in 4th in his age group for his second 5K attempt with a time of 27:18 and Fox took first in his age group but had a hard time accepting congratulations since his time was 22:19 and he has been trying to get under 20 minutes.  Since running in the cold is no easy task I'd say everyone did well.  Those putting the race together did a fine job and thankfully the blizzard held off until just after the race ended as we drove home in a near white-out!  Fun times. 

Outside my Window:  A covering of fresh snow has made the world crisply white again and the sun is making an occasional appearance.

What's on my Mind:  Making a tough choice about how to handle after school choir.  I am going to be starting a new job in a couple weeks and may need to cancel choir due to a less flexible schedule.  Very torn.

Thankful for: Grace, Inspiration, and Namaste Yoga.  I recently took the plunge and purchased Season One of Kate Potter's series which I love, unfortunately I lost access to it when we changed television providers.  Now I have it any time I want and practice 4 to 5 days a week depending on my schedule.  It has such an organic flow to it and is very well constructed and instructed.  I highly recommended it, great for all levels.

Creative Endeavors: Started working on a new box collage which is sort of a Zen activity for me and I haven't indulged for some time.  The top photo is one I made years ago and the lower is from a Fair project a short time back.  Perhaps I'll post the new one if it's ever finish....

Latest Project: Saturday Drama class!  Amount of students keep changing and hence so do our script selections.  Hoping to get things finalized this week and pray everything sticks!

My 3 Sons: Fox completed what he needed to for his next year's schedule AP English Prep 11, Pre-Calc, Physics, AP Chemistry, AP US Government, Economics, Drafting and 3D Design are his preferred classes.  Hopefully they won't use any of his alternates.  Track season will begin in a couple weeks.

Benjamin and Ethan are gearing up for their spring sports.  Just got the sign up information for baseball (travel this year) and soccer.  The plan was to return to North Branch Rec Soccer but Ben keeps whining to me he wants to go back to AYSO.  It just not going to be feasible with me working more.  I need to keep everything as local as possible.

The first Born:  Ecstatic over the amount she is getting back in taxes!  I was floored to see her even text the word 'Savings' when I sent her the news.  Use it wisely grasshopper.

Employment News:  Just so as not to jinx it, no official announcement yet but here's a hint.

Hoping to Improve:  General office organization and house declutter.  The declutter has been a work in progress for quite some time and has been greatly improving, so much so my son even made a comment about it recently to the effect, "it's definitely lookin' a lot better around here."  But for some reason I can never keep my office together and end up with piles.  I get caught up moving from one project to another and never close things down properly, mind you I know what is in every pile if I need to retrieve something.  Little by slowly I shall make amends.

Food for Thought: Love is the most powerful resource we have. We were all born with an unlimited supply of unconditional self-love within us. Yet many people spend their entire lives searching for that love somewhere else.  From Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

A Different World - Part 2

Rimini is a beach town, a tourist destination. Although it was the beginning of the off season when we got there the water was still a pretty happening place when the sun was shining.  Contrary to what Americans perceive, not everyone goes topless.  You pretty much do whatever and wear whatever, from swimsuits to skives to business suits you see it all down at the beach.  Many locals come by after work for a walk, bike or run along the shore before heading home to make dinner.  The variety of shells is amazing and you find lots of pieces of stone and terra cotta that washes up as well probably from some ancient ruin or shipwreck.

Amongst my perusing of hotel tourist literature and a by chance sighting during a bus ride I was delighted to find the Ceramic House also know as Casa Ugolini, a private residence on the Via Flaminia owned by Cesare and Susanna Minelli Ugolini.  Cesare was an antique dealer and ceramics collector who created a masterpiece using tiles and ceramic pieces set to be discarded from local sites around Rimini.  Although this was not open to the public for tours it was quite the sight to behold from the street.  If you'd like to find out more click HERE for a great video tour and description plus some other photographs.

Another very cool find was an archaeological dig site.  Years ago when Rob was here for previous training this particular spot was a construction site with the usual orange net fencing surrounding it.  Apparently when they went to begin a new structure they discovered the ruin of the Surgeon's House, plus an even older development underneath that.  The Museo della Citta oversees the site now and it is part of the museum admission.  They've covered it and built walkways across so you can see everything quite well.  Unfortunately my photos do not do it justice in the least.  I did however find a couple videos on YouTube should you care to know more. 
Click and enjoy!  LONG VIDEO  -  SHORT VIDEO

My visit through the museum was quite interesting.  I went on Wednesday morning which was the free admission day only to find the place virtually deserted except for myself, two art students, and a couple museum lady guards.  They are quite particular about the order you go through the museum, or maybe they just want to make sure you see everything.  If I started to drift off course one of the ladies would come down and "scuzi" me into the section I should be at first.  They did not speak English other than "photo ok, no flash" again contrary to what I was told that "everyone pretty much speaks English".  Not the case my friends.

The exhibit about the Surgeon's House had descriptions in English and were excellent.  As I toured the upper floors I quickly discovered that was the only exhibit with English explanations.  There was an amazing display on the Crucifixion of Christ with art ranging from oil paintings to ceramics to wood carvings, paintings on wood, stone/marble, and metal work.  Then, bam, a retro advertising lithograph display!  Another area of marble and stone carvings and pieces, lots of mosaics, tapestry, furniture, all incredibly old then....hello....a contemporary photography exhibit, which was fascinating!   From there I headed over to the Piazza Cavour to check out the open air market, which is basically the Italian flea market where all the shops have someone out selling off overstock for cheap.  Not exactly the second-hand shops I was hoping to find and due to their crazy sizing I didn't purchase much.

One day I took an extensive bike ride that went along the canal and totally tripped on kitchen gardens.  I live in a rural area and people have all kids of gardens and crops but I was just so enamoured with these plots.  I watched in fascination as an elderly man came out of a his garden gate across the canal and trucked down a good 20 meter incline with a couple watering cans to fill in the canal.  They do not use heavy gardening equipment like we do in the states, at least not on a small scale. This guy had to be at least in his 70s if not older.  He probably jumped on his bike later that day and pedaled to his favorite local hangout to converse with friends as well.  Elderly people in Rimini are in great shape!  Loved seeing old ladies in their skirts and sensible shoes tooling around on their bicycles.  That's one thing I wish was more feasible to do in my little town, get around by bike.  There's plenty of places to go and bike ride but to conduct your day to day business that way just doesn't work.

One other thing I'll tell you about Italy.....it's got some great knockers!  From antique to modern, great style and designs.  Super fun.

That's all for now.  Next time I'll share a little about San Marino and of course a few more photos.

Variety du Parton

I found a new program (well to me anyway) on my computer, Picassa, and started playing around with it. To my great delight I discovered it has a collage feature that pops in as many photos as you select and resizes them to fit various templates. Very cool.

The boys have finally got a week to chill at home, and now that they're stronger swimmer I've lifted the ban on pond swimming so Ben and Ethan have been spending parts of everyday floating around on tubes and jumping off the dock. We're also getting projects together for Fair and finding last minute editions to some collections (leaves, wildflowers, insects, and rocks). They also spent a fair amount of time playing old Playstation 2 games and had a Harry Potter movie marathon, watching them all from beginning to end.
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Fox is in a teenage boy body-building phase and is always asking about exercises to build different muscle groups. He's also very conscientious about what he eats. He walks everyday, long runs one day, does sprints the next, and then bikes a bit on the third day plus does weight lifting each day. And he never stops eating! Cross-country practices start in a couple weeks, I think he'll be ready for his jump to the 3-mile race.

Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park


Big Sur, California

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4H Mystery Clue Camp was a big hit. It started off extremely hot the Wednesday of drop-off and not many slept that night because even with fans the cabins were extremely stuffy. Thursday was high temps and humidity as well and an extra swim time was added in. The kids still had a great time doing crafts, experiments, solving a murder mystery in the woods during the Nature session, and of course swimming at the lake. The big time fun was their huge slip-n-slide, I've never seen one so long before. Thankfully things cooled down Thursday night and the kids were so exhausted from a full, fun day everyone slept like babies. Friday started off pretty tolerable weather-wise but did warm up by afternoon. Science was contraption day, we made catapults, wobble balls, and more. They also had crafts and a lesson on train safety. In the evening for group activity the kids played Predator / Prey where they are omnivore, carnivore, herbivore, and a couple humans and they all vie for food and water beans. Both boys had a great time and are planning on participating next year; I would like to be involved again as well.

Alex has been working 3rd shift all summer which has put her on a very odd routine. She's still supposed to take a couple placement tests before finalizing her enrollment for the Fall semester at Mott. She has one class she is retaking for a passing grade (part of the academic probation clean-up), a second guitar class and she needs to get her math and English credits squared away. Supposedly her manager is moving her back to days next week, which better happen so she can get back on a normal schedule before classes start!

I am going to be returning to school myself in the Fall through Mott Continuing Education, which excites me very much. They are online classes which is optimal for my busy life, I can still substitute teach without scheduling problems and get the boys to their activities. The classes I'm interested in are about starting a 501c corporation, writing grants, and fundraising. There are many ideas I have for supporting academics through artful endeavors and it's getting to be time to put all my experiences together in a cognitive form and start branching out.....but first, I've got a lot to learn. ;)

Robert is also heading into a huge shift as far as his employment goes. Not going to give it away yet but our family routine will adjust drastically, in a good way, very soon.

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Ultimate Outing

Wow, finally got through all my pictures and selected a few to post but it was really tough. The boys had a great time both camping in Port Austin and at 4H Mystery Clue Camp which I will post about later but for now I'll just share about my adventure out west. For years Rob has been trying to get a business trip together that I could tag along on but for one reason or another it never came together, the stars finally aligned and two clients committed and got their deposits in for work in northern California AND it just happened to come together during the same week the kids would all be gone so that made making arrangements for them all the easier.
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We headed out early on a Sunday morning, me not having flown in close to 15 years, was a little apprehensive about all the new security in place. I fit everything into a carry-on bag and had another large purse with my in-flight essentials, iPod, new Yoga mag, gum, journal, etc.


We got through check-in with no problems, at the gate we heard over the loud speaker Rob Parton to the counter please. Thinking it was about all the tools in his suitcase we were a little nervous but we get up there and the attendant says "we need to change your seats, we're going to bump you up to first class." What!? Apparently there was gum on the seat and since we were traveling together and there was room we got bumped....cool!


Flew into Houston first, made a very easy connection and then made our way to San Jose unfortunately back in coach which felt veerrrryy cramp after our roomy accommodations on the first leg. Arrived early and safely, got the rental car, checked into the hotel, he showed me where the shop was, we picked up a few supplies, had some food and chilled out for the night.
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Monday morning I dropped Rob at the shop, found a Starbucks had my peppermint mocha and spinach/egg/feta wrap then drove a few minutes away to the cute little town of Campbell. Rented a 3-speed bike from Treads and pedaled across the street to a park where I caught the Los Gatos Trail, spent a couple hours riding it to both ends, one just stopped in the middle of the city, the other direction went into a state park, probably did a little over 20 miles total. The weather was perfect, sunny but not to hot with a little breeze. I was amazed to see man-eating sized dill along the sides of the trail, dill is a weed in the true sense of the word in this area. The trail at one point runs behind an industrial area and during their break employees would come out and get some exercise in.

After I was done riding I turned in the bike and explored the artsy downtown area, there was a kaleidoscope shop that was incredible, a retro second-hand store, soda pop/candy shop where I found some wacky packages for the boys (remember those?), and neat mystic type place where I couldn't resist purchasing some new incense and 'healing' stones. Picked up Rob at the shop and had a fantastic dinner of middle eastern food at Dish-n-Dash just a stones throw from the hotel.
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Tuesday after dropping Rob I headed to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. There is a ton of stuff to do there and I planned to check out several of their gardens but the weather was cold and drizzly so after perusing the Japanese Tea Garden (incredible) and the Botanical Garden (Free that day!) I decided to take the adventure inside at the deYoung Museum of Art enjoying Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris exhibit. Being by myself I splurged and did the audio tour which was quite interesting, providing background and commentary from fellow artists and family members. Picasso was a bit of a scoundrel in his personal life and his very early work was extremely 'normal' and beautifully done. There was a painting of his first wife Olga that was stunning which made me wonder if it was more challenging or easier to present his subjects in such a grotesque state ie: cubism. There was quite a bit of sculpture by Pablo as well, elementary but interesting. Some men were practicing their Tai Chi and some women their fan dancing in the park. The tea garden was inspirational and calming, I loved all the stone pieces and was in awe of the amount of bonsai. In one of the pictures below a gardener works carefully on a shrub, and I thought my gardens were a lot of work!

The botanical garden was phenomenally done and there was so much that I took photos of I couldn't even choose, a few I'll post along the side bar because I just loved to colors, absolutely dazzling, my camera can't even do them justice. After Rob got done we drove 'inland' toward Fresno, to a not-so-small rodeo town called Clovis. Here it was HOT! but lucky for us they were having a cool spell.....
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Wednesday after getting Rob to work I drove northward to enjoy Yosemite National Park. My timing was perfect as I pulled up right as the entrance gates were opening. I'd been told you can wait hours in line just to enter the park. Once you pay the toll it's 34 miles into the valley at 25 miles an hour an a gorgeous and winding road. I rented a bike and off to the trails I went marveling at the waterfall, rocks, river, and stone bridges. The weather down in the of the park was perfect.

I had to stop when I went by the stables so I could pet some horses. There are such wonderful animals, I miss having them around the property, there hasn't been I horse I've met yet that doesn't love a good nose rub or jowl scratch. On my way I went around the loop one more time but by now the trail was getting very congested with more and more visitors and between you and me their trail etiquette was crap. So I turned my bike in, picked up a few items at the gift shop and started the long and glorious drive out of the park noting to self that I must return with the whole family sometime. When I got back to the shop I almost passed out from the heat. I don't know how Rob survives working in that type of heat all day. Although he really didn't want to do anything I coerced him into going out to dinner at Tahoe Joe's a local steakhouse and it was fantastic, I was satisfied with the appetizers and salad let alone the dinner!

Thursday I did an adventure closer to 'home'...the Chaffee Zoo and the Fresno Art Museum. The zoo was small but very well run, they had educational talks and feedings going on nearly every half hour. I caught part of the bird show and was impressed to see several teens working as volunteers, pet a stingray and had a great chat with one of the keepers about their care and breeding, fed a giraffe, and smiled like a dork for 20 minutes watching a chimp swing back and forth and a mother orangutan maneuver around with her little baby.

The art museum was rather small but had a nice variety of pieces. In the lobby as you first enter was a huge sculpture orchestrated by two high school teachers and put together by their students that brought attention to the homeless issues in Fresno. Another gallery had renderings for an eco-village intended to be built from reused materials and provide shelter for the homeless. There was also a gallery of woodblock prints, some modern paintings, and an eclectic mix of sculptures. This was my last day on my own since Rob finished his work successfully we then headed back to the coast and stayed in Pismo Beach for the night.

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Friday we got our belongings together, had a big breakfast at Denny's and jumped on Highway 1 for a beautiful drive up the coast. Our first stop was to check out the elephant seals, laying on the beach, barking, molting, flipping sand, flopping to new spaces, and some floating in the water, very interesting to watch.

Next we pulled off at Ragged Point to stretch our legs and fill the tank with some $5.44/gal. gas, the only place to fill up for quite a ways. The overlook was outstanding and I went crazy over all their flowers and plants.

Moving on our next respite was in Big Sur an artists' community that Rob knew I would go nuts over, which I did. I snuck a few pictures of the artwork but I didn't want to take to many for fear they would find it intrusive. There was a cool stage area where they have concerts and dance performances and one artist made several 'spirit nests' out of tree branches. If we didn't have to travel home by plane I would have bought some art but interested I took several business cards to maybe purchase by internet in the future and splurged on a gorgeous silver and amethyst ring. Rob found the real estate listings for the area intriguing from a couple acres of land for $3 mil. to a fully built, off-the-grid compound for $17 million. Yea, no problem....

We finally came off the road in Salinas, to rest up for our return home which was long, cramped, and hot. Flying all night long is tough, I didn't sleep at all, so I was pretty trashed the next day. I'll spare you all the gory details but let me just say, Phoenix Airport -- BOO! Our last jump from Chicago to Detroit I sat by a woman with a newborn who was bringing him to meet her husband's parents in Dearborn. She was so worried about him crying, but he settled down quickly and slept the entire short flight, we started talking near the end of the trip and I even ended up holding him while she got her belonging together at the end of the flight. Her husband hasn't even seen the baby in person yet, only by Skype because is in Dubai taking care of family business and she is staying in San Francisco (better medical and safer). I can totally relate to that phase and am grateful I had family to help me when the kids were babies.

Although it was a fantastic adventure, there's no place like home. I'll write more about what we've been up to later. Hope everyone is having a fabulous July.